It doesn’t quite feel possible that September is here. August was another busy month with more travel and lots going on. There’s a definite chill in the air these mornings so it’s time to accept that fall is on its way and write my August 2023 roundup.

Read on for my monthly goals update, and insightful posts on work and money, living life as a legend, what not to say to someone with depression, working with your body’s hormones, and finding the good in hard things.

Happy reading!

Cool things I read in August

Since publishing my first monthly roundup at the end of 2020, it has been an honour to introduce you to some of my favourite bloggers. I started the roundup to say thank you to the blogging community and bring attention to talented writers who create funny, inspiring, and informative content.

Here are five pieces that caught my eye in August.

On work and money – Part two – Wise & Shine

In this wonderful post, Troy looks at why we “heroize” rich people, and asks questions I often ponder myself:

Are the rich really better than the rest of us?  If not, why do so many think so?

Troy Headrick, Repost: On Work and Money: Part Two

How to live your life as an absolute legend – Unwanted Life

In a world where it seems everyone wants to be an influencer, how about being a legend instead? This post puts forward a fabulous list of rules for life.  It’s guaranteed to inspire!

An absolute legend is someone who’s unforgettable, and who leaves their mark on life. There are legends we’ve all heard of, like Elvis and Shakespeare, but that doesn’t mean they’re all famous. 99 times out of 100, they’re smaller-scale legends, like hometown legends and family legends. Absolute legends among us with unassuming lives.

Unwanted Life, How to live your life as an absolute legend

What you should never say to someone with depression – Transatlantic Notes

When someone you know is struggling with depression, it’s hard to know how to help. In this informative post, Molly provides examples of what not to say. She also has suggestions on how you can offer your support.

Our role is to show we remain a caring and safe space; our presence matters more than finding the perfect words, but we should still do our best to avoid stating things that might cause more harm than good.

Transatlantic Notes, What you should never say to someone with depression

5 ways for all of us to work with our body’s hormones – Micro of the Macro

In this excellent post, Lisa provides a primer on hormones, and offers useful suggestions to correct hormonal imbalances.

This fragile system is hindered by lifestyle choices such as poor sleep, stress, & unhealthy foods, as well as chemicals (found in plastics, can linings, nonstick cookware, cosmetics, cleaning products, conventionally-grown food, tap water, & many other sources) called endocrine disruptor compounds.

Micro of the Macro, 5 ways for all of us to work with our body’s hormones

The gift of hard things – Surprised By Joy

Life isn’t always easy, but would you really want it to be? In this insightful post, Wynne reminds us that sometimes the most trying of times are those when we experience the most creativity and growth.

My lived experience tells me that everything doesn’t always work out the way we want, that sometimes we have to wade through the year(s) of muck to get to the side of clarity, and that sometimes we get the crusty teacher.

Surprised By Joy, The gift of hard things

What I wrote in August

In case you missed any of these, here are the new posts I published in August here on Boomer Eco Crusader.

• Here it is – My 60 before 60 list
• Taking a break to fuel my musical obsession
• Is a long hot summer too much of a good thing – A Climate Change Collective post
• The Sunday Spark – The power of music to unite people
• The Sunday Spark – It’s time to end concert ticket extortion
• A Campbell River sunrise inspired this poem
• The Sunday Spark – Overcoming my fear
• 12 useful tips for travelling with just a carry on

In addition to my new posts, I also republished this favourite post from 2020:

• Best ways to support someone with cancer

---

Let’s keep in touch! Join my mailing list and I’ll email you when I add a new post.

---

August goals – How did I do?

After three decent months on the goals front, I was hoping to keep the momentum going for a fourth month. Let’s see how the month went.

Fitness goals – 30 outdoor walks

After all the walking I did in July, August was definitely a slower month. I ended the month with 24 walks. I might have got a little closer to 30 if the weather had been more cooperative.

Read two books

Despite all the busyness of the month, I managed to exceed this goal, with four books read. Here’s what I read in August:

• Little People, Big Dreams – Elton John and Little People, Big Dreams – Freddie Mercury by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara. These are actually children’s books that I couldn’t resist buying when I was at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I counted the two as just one book read.
• Queen – The North American Tour 1980 by Gary Taylor with Charles Robinson.
• Iconoclast by Laurie Buchanan.
• Impervious by Laurie Buchanan.

Tick 8 more items off my 60 before 60 list

When I celebrated my 59^th birthday in July, I put together a “60 before 60” list of things I want to do before next year’s big milestone birthday. You can read all about it in Here it is – My 60 before 60 list.

My goal for August was to tick eight more items off the list and I did it. Here’s what I did in August:  

• Perform at Breakthru’s Got Talent. This turned into mostly karaoke, but I still put on my costume and performed I Want To Break Free.
• Visit the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
• Make a new vegetarian recipe. I made a delicious baked zucchini casserole.
• See a musical. I went to see Kinky Boots and loved it.
• Plan my costume for Breakthru (the North American Queen Convention). Not only did I plan my costume, but I won second place in the costume competition with it.
• Buy new patio furniture. Done!
• Visit a new state. I arrived in Seattle on August 18, bringing my total of U.S. states visited to 28.
• Speak at a conference. I delivered my President’s Report at the ISCEBS Employee Benefits Symposium.

Miscellaneous goals

• Clean up my office. When my daughter Laura moved to British Columbia, a lot of the stuff from her apartment found its way home with me—most of it piled in my home office. I cleaned it up.
• Writing goals. One of my 60 Before 60 goals is to try different forms of writing. I had planned to do some brainstorming in August on ideas for a short story and a children’s story. The idea well was dry so I didn’t get this one done.

Cut the candy

The first week of the month was a disaster, mainly because I was travelling and it’s so easy to fall into bad habits when I get out of my routine. The rest of the month was better, but I’m still a long way away from cracking this one. I ended up managing this 20 out of 31 days. Not bad…but still lots of room for improvement.

My September goals

It has been a crazy busy and hectic summer so it’s time to regroup. September will be about getting back to basics and reestablishing routines! Here are the goals I’ll be working towards this month.

• Fitness goals: 150 minutes of exercise a week, and 30 outdoor walks.
• Reading: Read 3 books.   
• Limit candy to once a day: Having this on my list every month is getting a bit boring but I’m hoping some time at home and getting back in the work routine will help.
• Eat healthier snacks.
• Journal daily. My August journal was a little sparse with only about half a dozen entries. I need to get back to recording my daily highlights.

---

Thanks for dropping by to check out my August 2023 roundup. I hope your September is off to a great start.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on any of the posts I’ve shared. Tell me what you think below.