Sunday Funday - August 2, 2020

Sunday Funday - August 2nd, 2020

https://www.southernliving.com/fruits/melon/salted-watermelon

https://www.capitalgazette.com/lifestyles/ac-cm-smith-0801-story.html

Hey, it is a new month, with new things going on!!!

So, August - named after Augustus Caesar.  Poor August - no holidays - although it tends to be a big vacation month (especially early on).  It is “Back to School Month” (at least in normal years).  

From Aug. 7 to Aug. 9, 2020, Texas shoppers can buy certain back-to-school items tax-free. These waived taxes include the 6.25% state tax and local taxes (which vary).  This includes most clothes.  Eligible items you can buy tax-free include select clothing under $100, select shoes under $100, and select underclothes under $100.  Many states have joined on this tax-free bandwagon and many stores anticipate big crowds!!  (Make sure you social distance and wear masks this year).  Of course, this year, no one is quite certain yet about school - whether it will be online, in the classroom, or a combination of these methods.  

It may or may not be the hottest month of the year in many states.  Because the days are becoming shorter there is less daylight and maybe a little less heating of the atmosphere  In Texas, it is still hot.  One source says this “August is usually the hottest month of the year in Texas. The scorching heat sees average high temperatures in the 93°F (33.9°C) to 101°F (38.3°C) range in the state.  (See the last section on the “Dog Days of Summer - below)

I was born on August 24, 1947 - which for many years was the record temperature for that day in eastern Iowa.  And that was before air conditioning!!!  (I bet I made my mother sweat!!!)

How about some National Days this first week in August:

National Disc Golf day - August 1st.  My son loves disc golf and plays with our grandson.  Their course is pretty easy  This summer I found a disc golf course in Round Rock Texas (Old Settlers Park) that I thought was really challenging.  Part of the course has lots of trees (and I rarely can toss a disc straight and curving it around trees is not part of my ability) and a stream to throw over.  I’ve seen serious disc golfers with mini-golf-carts full of various discs for specialized conditions (like golfers with drives, clubs for fairway, chipping, and putting).  

August 3rd looks ideal to me - National Watermelon Day.  I love watermelon - but last week at the grocery store the prices seem to have gone up - rather than down.  Maybe they will have National Watermelon Day specials!!   I checked my HEB online ad - and there are no watermelon specials YET - but maybe tomorrow!!!

And, twp watermelon stories.  

As a kid, we visited my Uncle Leo and his family one summer.  They had watermelon.  (I can’t remember if we just didn’t have much watermelon at home, but Uncle Leo had watermelon for us that afternoon).  I was about 12.  I had a wedge of watermelon - and one of his twin boys came up and tore off the top pinnacle of the wedge - where it is sweeter.  I can remember carrying a grudge against the twins for many years - why?  Because once he took the top of my watermelon wedge!!  (Lord, I’m sorry I was upset then!!)

My father liked to put salt on watermelon.  Southern Living describes it this way:

“When a fine sprinkle of salt is added to watermelon, the balance of flavors shifts a bit, and watermelon becomes increasingly sweet. ... This way, the first flavors to come across are the salt, which makes the next bite, the sweet fruit, taste even sweeter by comparison.”

August 4th is National Chocolate Chip cookie day.  (I do have a weakness for sweets).  I have made cookies - but maybe my best sweet is my trail mix - with raisins, peanuts, butterscotch chips, and white chocolate chips.  (No wonder my dentist loves me!!!)

August 6th is Root Beer Float Day.  (I’ve been through my yearly allotment of ice cream and root beer already - but I might have to splurge again).

August 7th (or really the first Friday in August) is International Beer Day.  I have four beers in my refrigerator - it has been about a month since I bought them.  I don’t drink alone - so these are for Meetup events (like last night when I had the first two sitting on lawn chairs with friends - all at least six feet apart.).

  

And, one that I will not celebrate (but appreciate the thought) - August 8th is National Sneak Zucchini onto your neighbor’s porch day!!  If you ever have grown zucchini, you know by this time of the year, it is coming out of your ears - zucchini takes over the world!!!

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What else is happening?

Politics will be heating up.  The Democratic National Conference is slated for August 17th to 20th and the Republican National Conference has dates of August 24th to 27th.  They will be online this year.  They have gotten tamer over the years  I remember as a kid when they did the roll-call votes and the speakers sometimes got carried away like :” The Great State of Minnesota, home to over ten thousand lakes, the start of the mighty Mississippi River, and the home of <some famous Minnesotan> enthusiastically casts its <number> of votes for the distinguished <person> from <state> for the next president of the United States of America.  (And, that was a tame introduction!!!)

And, (if I can gloat a little), I will NOT be envying those of you with television sets as September and October will be “National ad nauseam political ad Months”!!!

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 Dog Days of August are here - and (I just learned this) it isn’t in relationship to dog’s tongues hanging out with the heat.

“You have probably heard the phrase, “The dog days of summer” or the “The dog days of August” around this time of year. 

“This idiom refers to what is often the hottest and most sultry time of summer, where lethargy and indolence tend to reign due to the heat.

“While many of us believe that “The dog days of August” refers to the time of the year when dogs and people just want to lie around on the porch with their tongues hanging out because of the heat - which makes perfect sense - it turns out that it doesn’t mean this at all. The phrase is actually derived from astrology and refers to an astronomical event where the star Sirius — which is known by some as the “Dog Star”- rises to its most prolific point.”

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So, there you are - Happy Sunday my friends - and Happy August!!  May this be an exciting and very happy month for you as you walk with God and love all peoples - because LOVE WINS!!

Karen