Wrapping Up Summer

While I know that technically fall doesn't start until later this month, I always feel like the beginning of September -- in addition to being the start of meteorological fall -- is the start of a new year in addition to the start of a new season. I guess after so many years as a student, then a teacher, and now working for an educational institution, I tend to think in terms of academic years rather than calendar years. About now is when I start thinking about the colder weather and what I will knit for myself and others to keep warm, and I'm certainly not immune to the siren call of new school/office supplies. When Rainbow and I went shopping last month, I was fairly restrained but did treat myself to some new pens. I also recently bought myself a pair of new running shoes (my old ones are starting to fall apart, but doesn't everyone have fond memories of a new pair of shoes for the new school year?), and yesterday I got another new thing as an anniversary gift from the Mister:

That, my friends, is a box from my shiny new iPhone 11 -- a HUGE upgrade from my previous iPhone 6. I now have the fancy camera(s) and effects, which I think will really help my knitting and pattern photography, and I finally feel like I'm with the tech "in crowd" for the first time ever. 

I have picked up for and started the second sleeve of my Torbellino, so I'll also soon have a new sweater to add to my wardrobe:

If I'm honest, this is what I'm most excited about related to the end of summer:

I know it's a little hard to see (it's a very gloomy, rainy day here), but I have just one square left to fill to complete my second SAH Book Bingo cover-all! I finished two very long books this week, Little Dorrit and Stamped from the Beginning, and I truly enjoyed both. Yesterday I started my final book. I'm rereading The Resilience Factor, which I originally read as part of a seminar in college -- I was lucky enough to have both authors as instructors, and Andrew Shatté was actually my very favorite college professor, so it's fun to revisit it now. I'll admit that I am not giving it a very deep reading, as my goal is to complete it rather than study it at this point, but I still think it's a useful text to read for our current situation. And frankly I'm really excited about the fact that when I finish it, I will have finished 50 books since April. Many thanks to Mary for hosting us again for what has become a beloved summer tradition for me!

We have absolutely nothing planned for this weekend, but I'm looking forward to what's predicted to be really nice weather. It's technically a holiday weekend, but my employer has decided that we now have to work on Monday, which is Labor Day (a federal holiday here in the United States) -- but it's okay because they're going to give us the Monday after Thanksgiving off. Grrr. I keep thinking what my labor-lawyer grandfather would have to say about that! I suppose at least this year I don't actually have to go into the office, and it's A-OK if I spend Labor Day in my pajamas!

Hope you all have a good end to your week and a pleasant weekend to look forward to!