hello, august!

Wow, it's August!

August brings quite a few emotions with it. It feels celebratory and festive. It's still summer and a time when many of us take vacations. But there's also a feeling of nostalgia and sadness as the season winds down.  

Back in my days as a child, school started after Labor Day and itt was that way through high school. Our family vacation was always in mid-August. When it was time for college, my university was on the quarter schedule and classes started in mid-September. When my kids started school, the school calendar changed. This was due to the State testing and figuring out how to maximize academic time in the classroom in order for the schools to get the best possible ratings which was tied to school funding. My school district now starts in mid-August. Back in the teaching days, gearing up to return to school in August was tough. It felt like summer was being short-changed.

Here's a fun tidbit - August 1 marks the midpoint between the summer solstice and the autumn equinox. 

August is summer's last hurrah. By month's end we're ready for the long Labor Day weekend. As the days of this busy month go by, it's surprising that August has no major federal holidays or bank holidays. But there are plenty of celebrations, in  August. Did you know that August 8, the height of zucchini season, is Sneak Some Zucchini onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day? I have an August baby, my second daughter born on the 30th, who has blessed me with my second grandson. 

It's a month of transition, enjoying summer but thinking about fall.

I'm going to savor this last half of summer.