Then and Now: August

August is a month of family and friends and times spent outdoors! I have had most weekends filled, and it's been exhausting, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I have been lucky to see several family members not once, but twice in one month, when we often don't see each other more than the once a year at Christmas. I also cooked a lot, ran a lot and read a little. So, lets see how it adds up against last year, shall we?
The Who: 
My favorite comparison is this little lady.   Her birthday is in August, and I've been lucky to spend both of them with her!

Last year I spent time with co-workers in MO, I went to baseball games in St. Louis with Dad and I hung out with family and friends at home. 

This year, it was more family, including a wedding where the boys got kilted up.  Then there was lots of hiking with H and good times in Santa Rosa with family after the marathon.  
The What:
Foods and Recipes:  Last year I made my favorite easy blackberry cobbler from fresh picked berries. This year it was zucchini chocolate chip muffins from my garden haul. I ate three the first day. I just noticed I post a lot of desserts and not so much "food". I swear I am actually NOT a sweet junkie!

Running miles:  2011: 94 / 2012: 132
Last year I was training for the City of Roses Half and the Women Run the Cities 10 miler, where I met up with Lisa in MN for the weekend, so I logged a good amount of miles. This year I logged slightly more, mostly because of the two long races I did, not because my regular runs were that frequent.  
Races:  2011: 0 / 2012: 4
Over half my miles were run in races. There was the Run With Jess Virtual Olympics, Suz's Wounded Warrior Virtual Half, The Skyline 50k and the Santa Rosa Marathon, for a total of 80 miles of racing!
Books:  2011: 6 / 2012: 4
This month has not been a huge reading month for me. As the photos and numbers above show, I have been doing other things. That's okay because soon the fog will set in and I will have plenty of time to read! Last year's favorite read was A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Did you know I had seen dozens of versions of movies (my favorite of course: The Muppets) but had never read the book!? This year's August favorite was The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chomsky. It was a quick, easy read about a high school boy and his trials and tribulations and was narrated in letter form, which I find very easy to follow.
The Where: 
I have been loving where I am living lately. In 2011, I was in Missouri and it was great, but it was hot. All those miles I put in were in 90 degree heat with icky humidity. This year, I have been very lucky to be near the sea, where the breezes are cool and the water is blue and it's rarely gotten over 75 degrees. I love it. The best place to spend an August is in the Bay Area! 

San Francisco, Santa Cruz, St. Louis, Dog Rock (CA)

I am sad to see the summer go, but I gladly welcome September, and am looking forward to Autumn! Hello apples and boots and books! I can't wait!
Where was your favorite place that you went this month?  Do you find that you are more or less active in the summer?