Currently: August 2026
August was a whole year in a month. Often, I found myself staring at the calendar and wondering how it was still the same month. I had a quick work trip to Swarthmore near Philadelphia where I enjoyed a lovely 48 hours at The Inn at Swarthmore with some friends and colleagues. We finished training staff. School started. We spent the weekend at my in-laws to celebrate anniversaries and birthdays. A second staff training started. Work was horrible the last week in August and the beginning of September. I ended the month exhausted. Funnily enough, I started this post in early August with plans of being able to publish on time in early September. Then I found myself in the hospital for a week… and I’m just starting to get caught up on things that don’t have to do with my day job.
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Health and Wellness:
At the beginning of the August, I donated all of the furniture in one of our guest bedrooms to the Salvation Army. That gave me the opportunity to purge a lot of stuff we weren’t using. And, I’ve set that room up as my workout room. I have my Peloton set up in there along with a mat for stretching and strength workouts. Even before I got the Peloton back up, it has been good for me to go in there at the start of the day. I’ve also started getting into some evening stretch workouts.
My body was SCREAMING at me throughout August. I can’t tell if it’s something new or just my stress level, but I am trying to take care better care of my body. And, being able to ride my Peloton while it’s hotter than hades outside was good for me, too. (I haven’t been on the Peloton since I got out of the hospital, but I’ve been doing some stretch and light weight workouts. I also started walking again this week.)
I have three major health issues that I’m currently trying to better understand. I am very glad to have a great primary care physician. I had two great ER teams in the hospital… and a really terrible experience in the hospital. I’m now trying to figure out what’s next for treatment, and I wish the US system wasn’t such a mess.
Eating & Drinking:
We did end August with a trip to Fearing’s for Wine Around the World, which focused on the lesser known grapes of the world. We took some of our friends, and it was a lovely time… despite the fact that I was truly exhausted. The true highlight of the meal was this creation by the pastry chef. Have you ever seen a more beautiful dessert?! (I also really loved this tuna crudo with radish!)
Reading:
My friend Maria recommended Do Nothing by Celeste Headlee to me. While there are things in the book that I don’t agree with, I do find it to be a good thought exercise in how we are approaching our lives right now. It raises so many questions about the evolution of how we got to the glorification of busy-ness and other things that lead to burnout. While not directly related, it did help me to realize that, in some ways, the over-optimization of every part of my life is what is destroying my creativity. That’s a complicated thing to unpack as someone who is married to someone that tries to optimize everything. It takes all kinds, my friends.
Wearing:
It’s still approaching 100 degrees most days. My LaDoubleJ ballerina skirt has been making me very happy this month. I’ve paired it with my Kallmeyer Jocelyn draped top and my Emilia Wickstead one-shouldered Rosie top for two very different looks. My Chloe flats and Sarah Flint gold sandals work well, depending on the occassion. I’ve been wearing my Kiki McDonough green amethyst drops with it, which finishes off the look quite well. It should be a great outfit to carry into fall and winter, too.
As with everything, it feels nearly impossible to think about fall and winter clothes when it’s still so hot. I obviously haven’t been feeling well either, so I don’t love the way I look. (Being a woman is such a treat, lol.) Nonetheless… I’ve been updating my fall wish list below.
I’ve also been eying my closet with a critical eye, and I’m getting ready to send some things I don’t wear anymore to The Real Real. The ability to not have to stress about listing, shipping, etc. is such a value-add to me.
Photo Editing:
I finally finished my review of Les Hauts de Loire hotel! This is a post I’ve been working on for almost a year!! We stayed at this amazing Loire Valley resort for the first time last summer. We went back for Christmas and again at spring break. This summer, we went back to Amboise for a wine tasting with Sebastien. The hotel was sold out this summer, so we stayed in the historic center of Amboise.
It was lovely, but it wasn’t quite the same. However, it did give us the chance to visit the Amboise market, which was LOVELY. We bought some delicious pork and beef pasta that was UNREAL… along with some delightful charcuterie and cheese. It also gave us plenty of opportunities to pass a good moment with Sebastien from Cave SD. I do love a good wine moment with Sebastien.
