High Five for Friday, vol. 18: Dog Days of Summer
According to the internet (which is always a reliable source), people refer to the Dog Days of Summer because the hottest days of summer were associated with the time when the dog star Sirius (Orion’s dog) would rise in the sky. This star was also thought to bring war and disaster.
I mean that’s at least a little more interesting than just imagining a dog panting on a hot sidewalk, right?
While the Dog Days in San Francisco are actually towards the end of October (hello yearly heat wave, we are ready for you this time. We have TWO fans now.), I still think this is an appropriate HFfF title because the past few weeks have just been an absolute slog.
HIGH FIVE
If we’re going to get real, let’s get real - I have fur baby fever. While getting a dog isn’t the right move for us just yet (money, time, lifestyle, all the important considerations), we did get a taste of pup-parenthood when watching a friend’s dog for a week or so while said friend was at Burning Man. It was so nice to have a little being around the house, especially when he curled up like a tiny donut or burrowed under the blanket to keep me company while I was doing work and Charlie was out of the house.
LOW FIVE
With every up there comes a down - now I miss that little guy! I am ready for a dog in every way except actually getting one and taking care of it. While there are times I’m relaxing and miss having a couch buddy, there are other times I sleep until 7:45 and am reminded of the fact that I don’t have to race down 3 flights of stairs with a tiny animal who needs to go out. I’m willing to forgo my pet parenthood for a few years longer to get some good sleep and not feel guilty when I want to leave the house all day on a weekend.
YOUR FIVE
To keep this fall-o-phile mood going, here’s another one of my favorite recipes from Half Baked Harvest: her maple glazed apple fritters! Perfect for getting in the seasonal mood.
While we still have a little bit of farmer’s market time left (well until the produce turns mostly to root veggies like turnips and whatever. Watch, now I’ll fall in love with turnips! Ugh.), someone needs to get me this market cart from Food 52. Please?
I’m getting back into the knitting state of mind (about time, right?) and one thing that has helped push me over the edge is seeing awesome creatives make things like this Ohhio O cushion. You can buy it from their site or get the DIY kit!
I haven’t talked at length about my switch to safer skincare on here, mostly because it was going on behind the scenes while I wasn’t blogging. But one product that has been saving my skin this year is the Beautycounter cleansing balm - use it as a quick cleanser, wear it as a light overnight moisturizing mask, or even dab a dollop on a developing blemish to help clear it up. It’s worth the investment and your skin will thank you once the winter winds start.
On a more serious note, my good friend Devin wrote this insightful and heartrending piece about middle-aged suicide, including a story from her own mother’s personal history. Things like this are never “fun” to read or think about but we need to remember and discuss the struggles that connect us all, especially in light of this somewhat “cleaned up” version of the internet we usually reside in.
This weekend, I’m throwing Charlie a belated birthday party and having an accountability work party on Sunday with a friend. Hope you all have some time to yourself to recharge in whatever way best suits you. See you next week, bloggees!
