last Sunday in July

It’s Monday, August 1. Yesterday was Sunday, July 31 – the last day of July. It’s always a bittersweet day. The first day of August means the month of August is here and it means school is coming, soon.

the sun sets, day is done
the sun sets, day is done

Back to school shopping, school supplies, a regular schedule, and wearing pants (soon) every day.

Yesterday I spent the day boating, reading, and cooking.

I’ve been reading Hamilton by Ron Chernow, but it’s not easy reading. I picked it up last fall and read the first two chapters before setting it down for something lighter. It’s full of facts and details that are interesting, incredibly interesting, but it is difficult to sit and read at the lake. I discovered Audible and have listened to several chapters while driving home and back this summer. I am at the point in the book where Hamilton’s affair with Maria Reynolds is revealed and his reputation takes a hit. ’Say No To This’. America’s first sex scandal.

I needed something lighter, easier to read so I picked up Dead Wake: The Last Crossing by the Lusitania by Erik Larson. I spent much of the afternoon and early evening reading. Despite the subject it is much a lighter topic and an easier read.

After dinner, I enjoyed B’s blueberry crisp. A perfectly sweet finish to the day and remembered I needed to cover the boat.

blueberry crisp, a book, and summer
blueberry crisp, a book, and summer

The sunset.

I will never tire of watching the sunset at the lake, or watching the sunrise slowly illuminate the lake and opposite shore in the morning. Each sunset is a little bit different than the other, no one is ever the same. Each sunset is its own statement of the day.

the sun is gone, but it continues to cast its glow along the horizon
the sun is gone, but it continues to cast its glow along the horizon

The sunset (and the blueberry crisp) made the last Sunday in July a bit more palatable.

It’s Monday, August 1 and it’s gonna be a great day, I know it and I can feel it. So, I better jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, one summer book at a time, or two.

What’s on your summer reading list?

looking southwest away for the setting sun and the clouds over the lake
looking southwest away from the setting sun and the clouds over the lake

4 thoughts on “last Sunday in July

  1. Ha! I’m busy reading anything about Korea, ahead of our trip there to see Emily. Two books I can thoroughly recommend are Han Kang’s ‘The Vegetarian’, and ‘Human Acts’. This last gives real insight into the stories of survivors and victims of the 1980 Gwangju uprising. Both are stunning reads, and wonderfully translated by Deborah Smith. Enjoy those last days of summer relaxation!

    1. You must be excited about your trip. I love to travel and would love to see parts of Asia. But there is so much to see and do in our world which seemingly gets smaller and smaller by the year. As for the 1980 Gwangju uprising, I was unaware. I did a bit of research to learn about it – I had never heard of it but in May of 1980 I was in another world. Just as there is much to see, there is much to learn. I hope I never stop learning, never stop being curious, and asking why. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the relaxation of summer.

  2. WOW!! I love that top photo! The others are cool too, but that top one, my goodness, how beautiful. I think I need a lake house. And a boat.

    My summer reading usually consists of romance and mystery, my two favorite genres. I might squeeze in a biography, too, but so far this summer has been romance and mystery.

    Enjoy the rest of your . . . pantsless . . . summer. (I’m assuming you mean back to wearing long pants, otherwise I guess you’re running around in your skivvies?) (Sorry, couldn’t help myself, that’s the snarky me coming out.)

    Until next time . . .

    Patricia Rickrode
    w/a Jansen Schmidt

    1. Yes, I do mean no pants, but instead shorts or a swimsuit. I wore pants three times last week at the Illinois Holocaust Museum for a class. Though I could’ve gotten away with a nice pair of shorts, I opted for decorum. The sunsets on the lake are inspiring, I can only imagine what the view from across the lake is of the sunrise. I am enjoying the book – it’s getting in the way of chores though, much to my wife’s chagrin. It’s gonna be a great day.

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