I know I’ve been quiet over the past many days. The only excuse I can offer is ….
It’s August.
It’s hot and humid
If you accept such
things, it
feels like a wet 90°at 8:30 AM.
Yes, yes – I know – I’m whining. So, what else about August. As far as I can tell, there are only two
really earth moving things – one is that my oldest daughter was born in
August. The other, here in the US part
of the universe, school starts.
Everywhere parents are getting children, kindergarten to college, ready –
shopping, scheduling, planning and gearing up to go from quiet to frantic days
(though, many parents with college age kids may find it alarmingly quiet). At least, that’s how it was when my children
were school age and I suspect it hasn’t changed too much.
However, nowadays for me, August tends to be pretty
boring. Too hot to work in the
yard. Too hot for any outside
activity. Boring.
So, what is good and interesting about August – well, it was
named to honor the first Roman emperor, Augustus Caesar (63 BC to AD 14). It’s the eighth month of the year in the
Julian and Gregorian calendars, and the fifth month to have a length of 31 days. OK – not so interesting.
But, Did You Know
…. It was originally named Sextilis in Latin because it was the sixth month
in the original ten-month Roman calendar under Romulus in 753 BC (March was the
first month of the year). Then in about
700 BC, it became the eighth month when January and February were added to the
year before March by King Numa Pompilius.
This week is “Weird Contest Week”
including such things as Saltwater Taffy
Sculpting, Competitive Ear Wiggling, International Rotten Sneaker Contest, or
World Rock Paper Scissors (RPS) Championships.
Also, today is “I Love
My Feet” Day. Most of us don’t think
about our feet until they hurt. It doesn’t take long for foot pain to alter our
plans. Continuing foot pain can cramp a
once healthy and active lifestyle and make a normally happy person cranky. So, pamper your feet today.
The gemstone for August is the Peridot. Not everyone considers the peridot a precious
stone but (and here’s another Did You Know) …….
Peridot is one of only two gems (Diamond being the other)
formed not in the Earth’s crust, but in molten rock of the upper mantle and
brought to the surface by the tremendous forces of earthquakes and volcanoes. Peridot has been prized since the earliest
civilizations for its protective powers to drive away the forces of darkness.
Set in gold and worn around the neck or bound to the left arm, it can be used
as a charm against sorcery and magic, evil spirits, night terrors, and madness
plus it cures cowardice, calms anger, and brightens the wit. Seems pretty precious to me!
There are two birth flowers for August – the gladiolus and
poppy. In the language of flowers,
gladiolus (or sword lily) represents remembrance, calm, integrity, and that the
heart is being “pierced with love”. The
other August flower is the poppy – red means happiness, white for consolation
and yellow wishes wealth and success.
Here on the Gulf Coast, August is the month we really start
watching for storms. However, we did the
storm thing last year (THE GREAT STORM OF 2017), so we don’t have to do that
again for another 15 or 20 years.
As for me, I think the best thing August is good for – is reading
– inside – in the AC.
Take care.
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