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Monday, August 10, 2009

Ghosts of August

I am drawn to titles......perhaps the title of this post would be a cool title for a book, someday.

But I digress.

I hate to say this too loud, but I really don't like August. And not just because it is the month when school starts......I'm a teacher, I like school and all, but there's just something about August.......ick. I should be loving it. I don't have every minute of every day scheduled. I am able to do the dishes each night, instead of walking into the kitchen every Thursday and explode, "What happened in here????" I don't have to make school lunches.........no meetings to sit through.....

And yet, I just don't like it. Even when I was little, my least favorite months were February and August. Ewww. (At least February has the decency to be short.)

I shouldn't even have a least favorite month!! Everyday is a gift.....blah, blah, blah.

Maybe I don't like August because August is just a big tease. "Oh, look at me, I'm August. You are going to have tons of time and get lots of stuff done because I have thirty-one days! Thirty-one-derful days! And you are going to be so relaxed because I'm August, leisure month of the year."

And then it's like a time-warp or a black hole or a just a giant cosmic time sucker because you wake up and August is gone and you didn't paint the house, clean out the closets, go on week-ends away, get organized, finish your novel, sort the recycling, steam clean the carpets, go to the dentist, make food each week from a different country...........August, with her promise of time and fun......gone.

Leaving behind her ghost to gently mock you as you wonder "What the heck did I do for the last month?"

But you only get the chance to ask yourself that question once, because it's September......and the rules for September change completely.

hrh

14 comments:

Stephanie Faris said...

August is among my least favorite months too. There are no holidays and it's so HOTTTTT. September is great because it's my birthday month. Then comes my favorite time of the year -- fall. I LOVE Halloween and the crisp fall weather.

Kelly H-Y said...

I think the other thing about it is that the beautiful flowers start getting a little crispy and maybe a little messy or out-of-control in August.

I'm with you on being a title person ... titles are such a big draw!

Great post ... hope you fulfill your list in August! :-)

Corey Schwartz said...

You should write a novel with that title! Judith Rossner has a book titled "August' because that is the month when shrinks go on vacation and those in need of therapy are left to their own devices.

Funny, how months have such different significance to different people.

Carrie Harris said...

I love August, but I have to admit that February rubs me the wrong way too.

storyqueen said...

Stephanie-September is my birthday month, too! (That's why September is the coolest month.) And I love Fall, too, but we don't get a real, leaf-crunching, fire-place using Autumn in So Cal.

Kelly-Yes! August=out of control and messy!

Corey- is the book funny or tragic.....could go either way!

Carrie- February= yuck. One of my children was due around the first of March and I was terrified she was going to pop out in Feb.

I made her wait!

Casey Something said...

In my school days, I disliked August because it meant summer break was ending and the month always flew by.

Now I like August. Mostly because I have a lot of familial birthdays in July and my daughter's birthday in early Sept. So, August is suddenly a recoup month!

Tess said...

Ah, poor August. I think it gets a bum deal. Personally, I kinda like it because we usually have some kind of family vacation and I get to sleep in. It's too hot to do yardwork, so that viable excuse keeps me extra lazy. Perfect, really :)

thanks for stopping by my blog. I loved coming over and learning a bit about your books...they look so fun! And, that queen story telling picture is faaaabulous!

storyqueen said...

Casey and Tess, I guess SOMEBODY has to like August or it would feel bad.......and then I'd feel guilty for making it feel bad, even if I really don't like it (which I don't) but I don't want it to be all sulky or anything.

Susan R. Mills said...

The only thing that makes August bearable for me is my birthday. And the older I get, the less true this is. It's hot. The kids need school supplies and new tennis shoes. I've wasted the whole summer doing...hmmm, I'm not sure what I've done.

storyqueen said...

Susan, I love buying school supplies....weird, but there's nothing like a fresh box of 64 crayons with the sharpener in the back! Target had a sale yesterday and I bought one for myself....Just smelling the crayons makes me feel calmer.

Tyler said...

I think that whole "I'm gonna be able to get things done this month because of all my free time!" mentality is why nothing ends up getting done! You have all this time, you say, "of COURSE I'll do it. I've got plenty of time for it later!" and then the month is gone. That's how I operate, anyhow.

But woo-hoo for September birthdays! Mine's the third. And fall, Halloween (and for me, the start of listening to Christmas music...I'm weird, I know), are all reasons to get through August and love September!

storyqueen said...

Tyler, I totally start listening to Christmas music in October (sometimes before Halloween!)

I just love Fall!!

Shelley

Stephanie Perkins said...

Oh my word, I hear you. August is the pits.

I'm already anxious for autumn! Pumpkins and mums and scarf weather.

Good luck with back-to-school! (I love the 64 crayon box too!! Perhaps that's just what I need to raise my spirits...)

Oh, and I listened to Christmas music two days ago ;)

storyqueen said...

I wish Fall lasted longer.....