Themes and Plans for August

I've been poring over old journals and seasonal idea books, brainstorming some themes and plans for the upcoming months. I really love this time of year - it's still summer and yet there's that hint of a new season just around the corner ...

With the buzz and bustle of fall not too far off - the time is ripe for enjoying the most of what's left of summer! I am working on a list for the rest of the year, but for now, I'll share what I've jotted down for the month of August - which begins next week!

Nature:

• sunflowers (harvest and hang for the songbirds)
• the seashore (picnic on the beach, go tidepooling)
• crickets (count chirps to check temperature)
• fireflies (catch in a jar to admire, then release)
• cicadas (listen for that familiar "heat bug" whine)
• bats (watch for them just after sunset)
• shooting stars (Perseids peaking August 13th)
• thunderstorms (have a storm candle ready)
• orb weavers (beautiful webs sparkling with dew)
• crows (make a scarecrow)
• morning glories (their time to shine is now)
• dragonflies (great backyard hunters)
• The Full Green Corn Moon (8/28)

Food:

Visit the farmstand for ~

• blueberries (pancakes, slump, buckle, pie)
• watermelon (punch, sorbet, jello cake)
• corn (hot and buttered, corn pudding, corncakes)
• tomatoes (homemade sauce, tomato sandwiches)
• zucchini (zucchini bread, zucchini everything!)

Faith:

• Lammas (1)
• Our Lady of the Snows (5)
• The Transfiguration (6)
• The Assumption (15)
• Our Lady of Knock (21)
• The Queenship of Mary (22)

Home:

• Clean out the learning room; refresh supplies.
• Order winter outerwear.
• Take Christmas card picture (or begin trying).
• Begin Christmas planning notebook.

Famly Life:

• National Watermelon Day (3)
• NFL Preseason begins (5)
• VBS week!
• 4Real Conference (11)
• CJ's 8th birthday (13)

Stories: (Themes: blueberries, grain harvest, corn, crows, country fair, seashore)

• Peter in Blueberry Land
• Blueberries for Sal
• The Little Red Hen
• Raccoons and Ripe Corn
• Blacky the Crow
• Martha
• Corgiville Fair
• Pagoo

Field Trips:

• the farmer's market
• the seashore
• a cornfield
• blueberry picking

Crafts/activities:

• make a seashell frame
• work on a shell collection
• work in the garden; visit one
• go on a bug hunt
• watermelon seed-spitting contest
• make corn husk folk
• make felt shooting stars
• grind grain
• bake homeade bread
• polish the learning tables (with beeswax polish)
• hang sunflower heads for birds
• gaze at the stars
• make apple picking totes
• set up nature table for the new year

Now, it goes without saying I don't plan doing all of these things! :) But it's still fun to think about them anyway. August is just full of delightful things - tell me, what are some of your favorites?

Comments

[Jennifer]

Dawn, I heard somewhere that the Green Corn Moon will be eclipsed right before sunrise on the 28. Knowing how early you and yours rise, this could be the perfect lunar eclipse to watch!

[Leslie]

That is The Best List I have ever read. It is fun, inspiring and wonderfully idyllic and imaginative. Big sigh.

I just discovered your blog a day or three ago and I think it is just wonderful!

[Heather Duncan]

In August we are usualy getting ready for the new school year. I have already bought new markers, notebooks, binders, paper and 2 of these smallish 3 drawer bin things to put all the school stuff in.

Our learning room (is usually the kitchen, but will be our computer room this year) is in utter termoil. It is a mess big time, but with both kids away for the next three days, I should have it cleaned and more organized.

We also celebrate Lammas (or Lughnasadh as we call it). We do crafts that celebrate the first harvest for us of the year and out meals are full of the first foods we harvest from the garden.

[Rhonda]

Dawn, thanks for your blog. It helps me to think about my life in a totally different manner. I try so hard to journal. I start; then stop. Hopefully your ideas from this post and previous post will help me accomplish this. Thanks again. And God bless you and yours.

[Mary Ann]

August is County Fair time here. We live in a much smaller county than we used to, and the fair is much more focused on traditional farm and home things. There is a midway and rides, but those are not the main focus. I am looking forward to enjoying a nice country fair!

[Nori Coleman]

As I was looking up some topics from your list on amazon.com I came across this interesting book,"A Crow Doesn't Need a Shadow". It looked like a great tool for nature journaling!It is a guide to writing poetry from nature.Thought you might be intrested.

[Patricia]

Reading your blog not only inspires me but helps me organize my thoughts. I love lists! One of my favorite summer activities is making homemade marshmallows for s'mores.

[Caroline]

You are just amazing. Thank your for sharing!

[Alice Gunther]

Oh so very beautiful!

[Nori Coleman]

You've got me thinking! I probably would of never even begin to think of August in these terms. I'm so inspired by your post.My wheels are beginning to spin, and I will be journaling on this topic tonight!