Hightlights and Favorites One Sentence a Day in July

August 07, 2026

Hightlights and Favorites One Sentence a Day in July

July started out with a heatwave and temps near 100 then we went right into a flood watch with several days of heavy rains. Mid way through the month we had a second heat wave and lots of hazy days from the Canadian wildfires.. all that to say we spent much more time inside this month than last but it was still a pretty great month.

1. So thankful Alec made it home safely and had such an amazing time in Greece. Gym, them my husband and I headed into Boston early to find something fun to do (we picked the aquarium & its air conditioning) before picking Alec up at the airport at 5. 10,470 steps.

2. So thankful Alec suggested we start our day by going to breakfast and I got to hear all about his trip! After breakfast I spent the day blogging, listening to more of Alec's trip details and running errands. 4,092 steps.

3. So thankful I didn't have to cook dinner. Cooked up some blondies for the 4th, then helped my husband finish fixing our sprinkler system, and stopped by the cottage to visit family a few times. 3,821 steps

You know it's a hot and muggy morning when the windows all look like this!

I finally hung my garden decoration Alec bought/brought me from Greece

4. So thankful for lake breezes that made the heat more bearable. We spent our day at the cottage with lots of family and friends and Evan was one of this year's family scholarship recipients. Too hot to wear the counter today...

Alec made this Greek inspired dessert with phyllo dough, pistachios, and a simple syrup (sugar, water, & honey). It was delicious!

5. So thankful to have had all 3 boys show up for both day of partying; that hasn't happened since they've been able to drive. We started our day grocery shopping then headed back to the family cottage at lunch time to "finish up the leftovers" (though we never do and many people bring new foods) and see the couple of local families that turn up for this. 4,311 steps.

6. Thankful to have gotten some birthday gifts in the mail from both my sisters. It rained/poured all day but my mom and I went to the gym anyway then I spent the rest of the day doing laundry, blogging, and reading. 5,561 steps.

breakfast was roasted veggies with a scrambled egg

lunch was a salad with tuna, grapes, croutons, and crushed pistachios

7. Thankful I decided to just jump back into drawing/using my quill pen and ink- even if I don't love the results. I went to yoga then spent another rainy day reading, working on the blog, paying bills, and running errands. A rather pitiful 2,087 steps.

8. Thankful for beautiful sea views and breezes at lunch. Birthday shopping with my mom after the gym; we went to the Clinton outlets and had a lovely lunch at Aqua. 8,543 steps.

grilled shrimp BLT with bbq mayo-- it was SO good!

flourless chocolate cake with ice cream and raspberry sauce decorations

9. Thankful I got to spend 2 days shopping with my mom this year. A quick workout at home then my mom and I headed out for another shopping day since we didn't find much at the outlets we headed to the malls/stores in Warwick, RI this time where we really didn't fare much better. 10,236 steps.

10. Thankful that my cards turned out so pretty! Gym then, since I had no car, I spent my afternoon crafting and blogging and reading. 4,674 steps.

11. Thankful for a fabulous birthday dinner out with my guy. Grocery shopping, re-potted all my indoor plants, refilled all the bird feeders then set to work getting caught up on all things blogging before spending my afternoon getting ready for our date night.

Alec made me a hibiscus/strawberry Arnold Palmer

I started some scrapbook pages

We went to Via Italian Table

This espresso brownie with chocolate chip and homemade gelato was amazing!

12. So thankful for a lazy Sunday at home.

13. Thankful for the fabulous breeze coming off the lake. Gym, cleaned the whole upstairs, then settled down to read and blog in the afternoon on our patio. 7,265 steps.

14. So thankful to FINALLY have the IRS troubles from May all settled (and that we were right and owe nothing)! I skipped the gym but ran to Target and Staples (to return Alec's shoes) then spent my afternoon working on the blog. 2,581 steps.

Lots of my old posts look like this so it's tedious updating them as I edit the HTML code, but necessary!

15. So thankful for meeting the sweetest museum workers EVER! With another heat watch in effect and our smoky skies from the Canadian wildfires the boys and I figured this was a good time to check out a "new" museum we had learned of called Slater Memorial Museum so we headed there after I went to the gym and had breakfast. 5,544 steps.

16. Thankful Evan encouraged me to go for a walk before lunch. I cleaned and reorganized a good portion of the downstairs then worked on the blog, walked with Evan, and made some homemade bread to go with our dinner. 7,654 steps.

17. Thankful to run into old friends and catch up at CVS. Gym, made some granola, ran errands with Evan and then made cards, cleaned the house, and worked on the blog. 6,688 steps.

18. So thankful for a wonderful afternoon with friends. Started the day grocery shopping, cleared brush with my husband, then the boys and I headed to a party for one of their friends; it rained so it was inside and Alec could only stay for a few hours since he had a wedding to attend but we all had such a great time. 4,597 steps.

I was so startled to see this hydrangea bloom; it's only bloomed one other time in 20 years that I can remember

Alec all changed and ready to head to the wedding

19. Thankful for a fun night playing cards with my mother in law and boys. Worked in the yard with my husband, went for a walk with Evan, read my book, worked on the blog, finished a few scrapbook pages, then had my mother in law over for pasta primavera. 10,294 steps.

20. So thankful for Alec and Evan's help getting the new plants in the ground. Gym, ran to CVS and a local nursery with Alec then we planted 2 new flowering bushes in the yard. 9,905 steps.

21. So thankful for a lovely morning exploring the gardens.. before the thunderstorms rolled in. Botanical gardens with the boys, then lunch, and ran a few errands at Walmart with Alec so he's all set for his next trip. 8,883 steps.

lunch with a view (in the rain)

22. Thankful Alec made it safely to Maine. Gym, saw Alec off to Maine, got all the laundry and housework done, and started a new painting. 6,803 steps.

23. Thankful for a lovely afternoon kayaking. Worked out at home, finished my painting, went kayaking with my mom and Evan, 7,376 steps.

24.Thankful for an absolutely fabulous night catching up with friends. Gym, home to pay bills, work on the blog, read, scrapbook, and get ready for a fun night at my college bestie's house celebrating her high school grad. 7095 steps.

the new plants we just planted are doing well

25. So thankful to have a husband that can fix things in the moment; we found a leak in the basement just before bed and within 30 minutes or so had it all vacuumed up and fixed (for the night anyway). Since my husband spent all day helping Ian finish up his latest job, I spent my day hanging around the house working on some scrapbooking, the blog, finishing my latest novel, etc. then we all ended the night playing cards with my mother in law. 6,951 steps.

With Alec gone again, I've been left in charge of the garden. I haven't killed anything yet!

26. So thankful Alec arrived home safely and had the best time at his Bread Fair. Grocery shopping, hiking with Evan, we lost power for 3 hours right around lunchtime so cooked lunch on the grill before walking to our "local" ice cream stand (about 3ish miles away) for ice cream and walking home to cook dinner. 18,266 steps.

27. Thankful to catch up with friends and hearing how hard Ian works. Gym, ran some errands, did my nails then went with Ian to my friend's house (where he just finished his latest job) to see his job and visit with her a bit before running an errand or two with Ian and cooking dinner. 6,713 steps.

Alec brought home some new breads for us to try so I had some with breakfast

Alec harvested his potatoes

we had them for dinner with some rolls Alec brought home as well as pecan crusted chicken and fresh corn

28.Thankful for a fun afternoon with my mom and boys. Lifted weights, cleaned a few rooms upstairs, Evan and I had a dentist appointment and then we went to lunch with my mom & Alec trying out a new Thai place near us. 4,375 steps.

drunken noodles with veggies and chicken

29. Thankful for rain to water our new plants. Gym, home to clean some more, Alec made spelt buttermilk waffles for a late breakfast, then I spent my rainy afternoon cleaning, working on the blog and finally getting to watch The Devil Wears Prada 2. 5,343 steps.

30. Thankful that Evan and I did not get caught in a downpour when we went for a late afternoon walk. Stability ball workout, early morning haircut, stopped for a few groceries on the way home, then after prepping all kinds of food and eating a very late breakfast, I spent the rest of my day scrapbooking (with a quick run to Michael's thrown in when I ran out of double sided adhesive). 5,963 steps.

31. So thankful that I managed to spend so much time outside between rainstorms today. Gym, home to write up the menu for August, clean the house, and prepare salads for dinner then I spent my afternoon reading, walking with Evan, and working on the blog. 7,010 steps.