Where did You Come From, September?

Did anyone else close your eyes on July 31st and when you open your lids the calendar read September?  That is how I feel about August.  Never do I recall a month speeding past like this one did.  I was not particularly busy.  I had work projects, but they were safely contained in my work days. We didn't even squeeze in a long weekend, let alone a vacation, so it wasn't that. Perhaps in my new mind set of enjoying each day for what it is, I have less need for the big get away, though I still want them.

I thought about researching the subject, but when I started looking on the internet, I only needed to find one article, in which the writer did the work for me.  Phillip Yaffe, wrote and published the following in his essay, Why Does Time Go Faster As We Get Older? 

Yaffe concludes it has to do with achieving milestones. " Our first love, our first heartbreak, driving a car, landing a job, marriage, etc. When we look forward, all these milestones seem impossibly far in the future. However once achieved, how quickly they recede into the past." 

Milestones, we all reach them, with varying degree of success, and varying degrees of satisfaction. For me, September 2 marks a milestone in that I am officially no longer probationary at my job. Since I pretty much hit the floor on this job running, I hadn't been focusing outwardly on this date. However in my hurry to put the last fee years behind me, I was ready to close that chapter completely and this new permanent status turns the key in the lock. August also marked the first birthday for my mother in law since her husband died, and the three year anniversary since losing my dad.  August 2nd would have been my parents 68th wedding anniversary. Perhaps I was ready to reach those milestones and get on to a new month. 

So now with September.  I have goals, but as I heard in a ridiculously stupid, but funny radio bit yesterday, "Always be sure to set your goals low enough that you might actually reach one." My must list from 5 1/2 weeks ago, not so much must going on with consistency.  So in September we'll set the goal post low with these six:

1. More long walks, with and without pup.  He takes a long time to walk because he needs to smell everything in his path. Great for bonding, not so great for getting my heart rate going.  
2. Continue to purge and declutter, but pick one room or space, and FINISH it before moving to the next. My closet it will be. 
3. Home cooking-limit the take out or restaurant meals to  five or less. This includes family meals, and my lunches.  I can't control DH and DD#2 will have activities that make it necessary for her to grab something on the go.
4. Quality family time-with DH and with all three of us. Time really is going to fast, and four years before she is out the door and off to college will go to fast.
5. Make money work for the above goals-no aimless spending.  I'm phrasing tis way as opposed to specif savings targets.  We have the trip in October, still putting aside for DD's Spain, and Alaska.
6. Get better sleep- enough said, but no idea how to accomplish. 

This is the unofficial last week of summer.  It is hot, steamy, and does not feel like September.  Perhaps August is just runnign late this year. Hwo is you fall shaping up?