Item: 1 wooden calendar

I don't know whether this is the correct term for it, but the calendar has grooves where little wooden squares with the dates on them can be slid into place according to what month it is.  Right now it's set up for August, a long month with no holidays in it.

This is one of those dog days of summer.  I learned today that this phrase comes from the fact that the star Sirius rises and sets along with the sun during this time.  Dog days is supposed to refer to late July through early September, so actually it's the whole month of August.

The phrase "dog days" seems to capture the lagging, stagnating, weary, lethargic, I don't care what happens kind of feeling that comes at the end of the summer.  Nothing much seems to be happening, you just seem to be waiting.  Can't focus.  Zero attention span to read anything.  Zero attention span to write anything.

For me that hit today.  I even believe that these kinds of days are necessary to be able to get to the next phase, but they sure are hard to get through now.