Thursday, August 31, 2023

I Like Thursday: The Best of August

I'm kind of liking this month-at-a-time review for I Like Thursday - I may stick with this format going forward.

I like that I made it to Family Weekend this year.  Heading to the Cape was an adventure.

I picked Mom up at the commuter train station in Waltham.  Rob was tracking my phone and was highly entertained by my wrong turns getting to the train station and then my inability to get back on 128.  All 'round Robin Hood's barn!

Speaking of Rob - I left him directions on the fridge for watering plants (which he did).  I also told him to yell at the animals (because they've been eating my garden!).  I suspect he ignored that bit of instruction and just watched them graze.

The humming birds were impressive for the week I was gone, though!  And check out the piebald deer that came to visit.


Mom and I stayed at a friends house for Friday night (thank you!), and were lucky enough to have the cottage available by noon on Saturday!

We were highly amused our outdoor shower included an outdoor toilet.  This wasn't an outhouse - outdoor plumbing at its best!  LOL


Visited Provincetown for the first time in a decade?  At least that long.  The first place we stopped at was Marine Specialties.  There's always something interesting in that place.  At first my nephew was ho-hum, but as we waded into the shop, he was mesmerized.  My mother and I checked out a good chunk of Commercial street while my sister and nephew lingered behind.

We had to climb the monument, of course!  Nice clear skies so we got a terrific view!

We had good weather for the family events (beach cookout and homemade ice cream!).  It was great to see the aunts and uncles and to get caught up with all my cousins and their kids.  Oh, yeah!  And to hand off my latest baby quilt that I finished just in time!

Another selfie of the four of us, but I love the expression on everyone's faces.  Probably my favorite photo of the month.  We had a really good week together.

And this was the sunset we were enjoying.  

My sister and I kayaked a few times during our stay.  We attempted the bay while it was still choppy and got dunked while attempting to launch.  We both had forgotten to put our phones into their protectors, and managed not to brick either phone.  Mine got thoroughly soaked in the salt water, so I suspect it's just a matter of time before it starts to fritz.  But it's working great for now!

My sister and I returned home to calmer waters.  My sister really liked the colors of the trees and the sky and snapped this photo of me.  I had enjoyed the challenge of kayaking in the bay, but Leverett Pond is a lot easier!   

I have not gotten out as much as I'd like this summer, due to the crazy weather.  Fingers crossed that I can squeeze in a few good paddles in September.

Game day!  That gave me the opportunity to try out a new recipe for Basque Cheesecake.  The following sentence won me over: "The chocolate Basque cheesecake bakes at 450 degrees F for 25 minutes which feels like an insane thing to do to a cheesecake, but trust the process."  So I trusted the process and it was delicious!  Super dense.  Everyone loved it.


My garden is completely overgrown.  I pulled a full wheelbarrow full of weeds out a week ago, and need at least that much pulled again.  Plus my irises are way overdue to be dug up and split.  I'm loving how the marigolds came in, though, and the zinnias are starting to produce. 

Ghost, the piebald deer, has appeared again (see link above for more photos of Ghost and Spotty), but Spotty has disappeared.  He's hard to photograph because we've only spotted him on the far side of the meadow.

I asked for (and received!) a four day work week starting this week.  Maybe that extra time will allow me to work on that garden?  Ha.  Maybe not.  I have way more things planned than I can possibly jam into an extra day off.  But it's absolutely a step in the right direction.

Lots of things to like and be grateful for in August!  September is shaping up to be a busy month, too.  I'm linking up with the I Like Thursday group.  Thanks for dropping in. 



9 comments :

  1. That trip to the Cape looks like so much fun! I've wondered if you're getting much kayaking in this Summer. I hope your phone keeps working :)

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  2. Your trip and family visit sounds like a great time was had by all. The cheesecake looks amazing. Hope you get your garden under control and the animals stay out of it.

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  3. Hi Sally! Congrats on the four-day work week. You will wonder why you didn't do it sooner. The holiday with your family looks fabulous! Those are precious memories that will last forever. Your cheesecake looks yummy - I've never heard of that kind before. Thanks for sharing the recipe - I'll give it a try. The kayaking looks so peaceful. Aww. The stress just flew away, didn't it?! {{Hugs}} ~smile~ Roseanne

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  4. Your family weekend sounds like fun! Love the photos of you and the family - I can definitely tell that you're all related. Glad you had some kayaking time in spite of the dunking. Yum on the cheesecake!

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  5. What a great family trip! So nice to see everyone together. That cheesecake looks great! Glad to see you got to kayak.

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  6. Once a month Thursday in review is a good idea. I enjoyed all the stories and photos and links. The sunset photo was my personal favorite as the colors are gorgeous. The cheesecake looks delicious and the recipe intriguing. My weeds are the happiest green things in my yard this summer. Enjoy the four day work week. Thank you for stopping by and leaving a kind word and for sharing your adventures ... :) Pat

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  7. Marigolds & zinnias make any garden a little happier.

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  8. Love the outdoor toilet and shower. It's been years since we've spent anytime in the Cape Cod area, but I do remember loving the outdoor shower. Looks like you had a wonderful trip, despite the wet phone. Did you put it in rice pronto? That's suppose to dry it out quicker and keep things working. Yard work is never done it seems. I've started the fall clean up of trimming and digging up things in the flower beds. Good luck with your work.
    Sandy's Space

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  9. I had come here, read this post and thought I'd commented but apparently didn't. So found this out when checking in today. Sounds like a great trip. As you know by now, I'm envious of these wonderful kayaking experiences of yours. I love the 4 day work week, you will enjoy that very much. And I'm going to mention Basque cheesecake to Beth...she will be intrigued I know. Have a great weekend Sally.

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