August is down to its final days. Kids are officially back in school with the exception of a few school districts. Pumpkin season is officially starting for me, even if the temperature is forecast to be 91 degrees on Tuesday.
Fall will be here in a few weeks, and in Toastmasters we are in the throes of contest season. September 26 is the Area 62 contest which will consist of representatives from Laurel Highlands, Western Maryland, Country Roads, and Elegant Speakers and Listeners (ESL). The event will take place in Morgantown.
College football kicked off this weekend, but the big games begin this coming weekend. While my love of the game has waned a little bit, I still enjoy spending a Saturday watching the top teams go at it. The 2026 NFL Season starts in just over a week with the Super Bowl 60 rematch featuring the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. The Pittsburgh Steelers open up at home in two weeks against the Atlanta Falcons. Mike McCarthy makes his coaching debut for the hometown team.
The top four teams in College Football include Georgia and Texas, as well as Ohio State and Oregon. Does Indiana repeat as national champions? We’ll see what happens as the season gets underway, especially once conference play begins.
In the NFL, does Patrick Mahomes bounce back from injury to make the Chiefs a Super Bowl contender once again. Is Josh Allen’s Super Bowl window closing? Is this really Aaron Rodgers’ last season? My favorite to win it all are the Los Angeles Rams, who just got Aaron Donald back from retirement. That defense could be tough with him and Garrett in the front seven.
New season premieres of my shows include The Office spinoff, “The Paper” which enters its second season. I finally watched an entire season of the Great British Baking Show (replacing Halloween Baking Championship) and was much more impressed. It was bittersweet though as judge Prue Leith announced her retirement. Understandable though. I’m interested to see how Nigella does in her first season working with Paul Hollywood.
The Paper’s second season starts on September 9 on Peacock and, it’s unsure when The Great British Baking Show will begin. But regardless, the hosts and judges always make the experience fun.
It’s unclear if I will watch “Holiday Baking Championship” this season, if it does come back. More than likely, yes, and it will be my sixth year watching it. The series airs on Food Network and can also be viewed on HBO Max.
My new romance novel I’ve had my eye since the Spring is coming out next Tuesday. This is from the same author who wrote “If It Makes You Happy”. That book was set in the 90’s and gave off serious Gilmore Girls vibes. I had fun reading that on my trips to Cutie’s and in Ligonier. “Love Never Felt Like This” will be going to Cape May with me this October.
As I finish Tony Evans’ book this week, I’ll look forward to future reads I’m interested in by this author. I will begin to read the Steven Curtis Chapman book I picked up at Majesty earlier this year, my third from the recording artist. It’s a book centered around family and marriage and how to deal with the good days and bad.
2026 may have sucked for most people, but for me it may be the year of the comeback. I’ve been studying the Bible regularly since May, beginning in Proverbs and going through the Gospels. I’ve contemplated going back to church but it hasn’t really worked due to my schedule and shattered confidence. For the record I’ve gone back sporadically and have thought about it since my first days at Giant Eagle.
In addition to the two books I mentioned, I’m also going to do a 40 day prayer journey this Fall using Matthew West’s book. This should be enriching for me and I’m excited to see how much I grow in this aspect.
Stylish 🍒 