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On A Clear Day You Can See Forever...

Whether you're looking east...


Or looking west, to the cruise ships, the Hudson River and the path to the sea.

The Queen Mary is the ship second on the right. This picture was taken from my friend's apartment and yes, that's a sort-of-selfie in my turquoise shirt. 

Looking down on the sidewalks and streets of Manhattan

As I thought about this post all I could think of was "Wordless Wednesday," though it's not Wednesday. But the pictures seem to speak for themselves and there's very little to add. I was visiting a friend whose building has a fabulous view from the roof and a spectacular roof terrace. There were deck chairs and I could have spent the entire weekend on the terrace relaxing with a book. 

I spent today with friends from college, an experience I'll write about tomorrow. Please stop by for thoughts on friendship and date cake, a sweet combination. 

As always, thanks for visiting and take good care.  


Out and About New York Pink Saturday

Pretty in Pink Tiara

I take a lot of pictures on my walks about New York City and I generally remember where I took them. But this one totally escapes me. I think it's somewhere on my walk from home to the library, but it's a little fuzzy. I do know I thought that Miss Tiara Cow would be a fun post for Pink Saturday and here she is. I hope she gave you a smile or two.

I've had a tough time getting back to a more regular schedule after Rosh Hashanah. I thoroughly enjoyed cooking, services, prayer, visiting with friends and delicious food, but it's been tough to get back to the discipline of regular blogging, lighter eating, the gym and errands. I did replenish my supply of paper towels today and did a few other quick errands. I also sketched out the things I need/would like to do this week and top of the list are five blog posts. One of those posts will be a book giveaway and I'll do a Foodie Friday post to share one of my holiday recipes. The slower days of summer are finished and the days start to run really fast as the year comes to an end. I want to be able to enjoy the golden days of autumn, blog buddy visitors to New York and a trip to Savannah in the next month without feeling rushed and disorganized. What things are on your autumn schedule? 

I hope you had a great weekend. I had the opportunity to take a few of the best pictures of Manhattan I've ever taken and hope you will come back tomorrow to see them. 

As ever thanks for visiting and take good care.

Wishes for a Year of Light, Love and Peace

Apples and honey are the traditional way to start the new year

I'm in the midst of chopping, peeling and cooking for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which begins at sundown tonight. I'm the designated cook for tzimmes, another traditional food. This recipe is pretty close to my recipe, but I like to add apples and a white potato or two for a more varied. taste. I've got a lot of sweet potatoes peeled for dinner tomorrow. I'll be with friends I've known for not quite fifty years and their extended families, who have become my family, too, over the years.

I'm grateful for people I love to cook for and grateful for people I love to worship with. It's a blessing I don't take lightly.  I enjoy the liturgy and music of the holiday, but the services are long -- tomorrow is a four hour service -- and to be very honest, my attention can wander. I've found the best way for me to bring my focus back to prayer is to bring a prayer list with me. This year peace is at the top of the list, but there are many other items, small and large. I would be honored to add any requests you may have to my list. My blog friends are families, your health and well-being, are definitely something I am very grateful for. Please leave a comment or feel free to email me. 

I'm returning to my sweet potatoes. I'll pray while I chop and count the blessings of this year almost past and pray for peace, light and love in the year to come. Wishing you all a happy, healthy and sweet new year. 

Do You Still...

Get a phone book?


This is the Manhattan Yellow Pages, circa 2014. It's a very slim, trim yellow pages, just about the size of an iPad. I had the surprise of the week when I found it in my mail box last week, tucked in among the pounds of junk mail. It's not quite half an inch thick and it didn't take up very much room at all. I had just about forgotten about phone books and it was a shock to see my old friend again. 

I used to love getting the new phone books. They were so big they were delivered and they never could have fit in apartment house mail boxes. The Manhattan ones -- separate ones for white pages and yellow pages -- were twice the size and probably ten times thicker than this new one. I used them all the time, the white pages to find the phone numbers for friends and the yellow pages to find the phone numbers for just about everything else. I was so excited the first time I saw my name in the Manhattan phone book. It seemed a real sign of being grown up. 

I don't remember when the phone book disappeared. Maybe it was ten years ago or maybe only five years ago, but at some point they stopped coming and I discarded the thick directories that just took up a lot of space. I didn't even miss my old friends. But old habits don't totally fade away and I was happy to find the white pages in my hotel in Dublin this summer. I did what I had done so many times and I flipped to the last pages to see if there was anyone with my relatively obscure last name in Dublin. Alas, there wasn't, but unknowingly I was paying homage to my old friend, the phone book. 

It was a lovely first day of autumn. I'm happy to report a return visit to the gym, then a quick stop at Bed, Bath and Beyond for a few needed kitchen supplies and coffee with a friend earlier in the day. I had hoped to do this post earlier, but for the first time ever I watched "The Voice," and was glued to the television. I'm not one to watch competition shows, or much television at all, but I was totally taken with the auditions. I'm not sure if I will watch the rest of the season, but I can see myself drifting back for the next episode. Is anyone else a "Voice" watcher?  

As always, thanks for visiting and take good care!

Another Phrase I Never Thought I'd Say,,,

...I'm enjoying the gym. It comes as a shock to me, too. 

And on that subject, what does this...

The Y, "my gym." Never thought I'd say that so lovingly. 


...have to do with this?

I had the great good fortune of walking along these cliffs during my visit to the Shetland Islands in June

Without keeping fit, walks along the cliff and a hundred other places I'd like to go walking will only be a dream. The gym, and as much other activity as I can get, make it all possible. 

I'm no athlete. Though I rarely experienced the shame of being picked last for kickball in elementary school, no team captain smiled when I went on their team. I really tried to be athletic. I took golf lessons and had the worst swing imaginable and tennis lessons, too. There I claimed the title of worst serve in the Western Hemisphere. Luckily I lived in New York City and had to keep walking to get around, but as the years passed I never thought I could actually get fit. 

Last spring I saw a flyer at the library for a clinical trial for a fitness study for seniors. This seemed made for me. I would receive a gym membership for enrolling and would have the structure I needed to keep me motivated. I started the program last month and have been going to the gym for the last six weeks. Earlier this month, however, I was told that I wasn't a good candidate to continue in the study.  After feeling sad for about an hour I had a major awareness. I wanted to be fit and I liked going to the gym. I actually liked it a lot. Last Friday I rejoined the Y and happily found an AARP discount made it more affordable. Though, to paraphrase the MasterCard commercial, "Fitness is priceless."  

I am far from fit, but I am on the road. I signed up for a twelve week personal fitness program and will go for my orientation next week. I'm eager to learn about the machines and see what may be the most enjoyable for me. I've been using the treadmill and like watching television while I exercise. One day I may even work up the courage for Zumba Gold. There's a whole new world out there.   

Are there fitness/exercise programs that you enjoy using?

It's another glorious sunny day in New York. There's no humidity and it's sunny. Besides the gym, I did a few quick errands and enjoyed walking outside. There are pumpkins at every market and I had my first local apple of this season. My apartment is straightened up from dinner on Saturday and I'm gearing up to do some cooking later in the week. I hope your Monday is as sunny and bright. 

As always, thanks for visiting and take good care.  

Autumn in New York Foodie Friday

Yes, It's Foodie Friday on Saturday...

There has been some concern from my readers -- actually only one reader -- that my posts are getting sparse and my blogging days may be waning. That's not the case, but real life is getting in the way. Tonight, for the first time in four years I am actually entertaining and I've spent the last few days cleaning, decluttering, shopping and cooking. The cooking has been on the light side, but the rest has been intense. My Bible study group will be over tonight for dinner before the Selichot service. This service precedes the Jewish New Year, which starts next Wednesday. Our service is at 11:00 p.m. and we have a study session before that. I live only two blocks from our synagogue and in years past have had a dinner for the group before services. For the last three years I've been recovering from surgery, but this year, thankfully, I'm back to tradition. 

An oasis in the midst of Manhattan

I took a coffee break in the midst of my errands yesterday in one of my favorite building plazas. This tiny park is nestled between a number of apartment buildings and is a quiet place to read, have a cup of coffee or visit with a friend. It's also across the street from my gym, which is the building on the left. I had my coffee while I enjoyed looking at the mums and the waterfall. But I noticed the mums weren't the only planting that had been done for the fall. 

There was a wonderful border of pepper plants...

...and cabbages and more pepper plants. 

I've seen ornamental cabbages planted elsewhere in the city, but this is the first time I've seen them mixed with peppers. I never would have thought of it, but they look so bright and autumnal. 

On a different foodie note, I treated myself to my first pumpkin frozen yogurt of the season, and it was as good as I remembered. I've had my first pumpkin muffin, but haven't had pumpkin coffee yet. But soon, very soon...

 This was the sign at the frozen yogurt store that lured me inside. 

So grateful for another glorious almost-fall day. I hope you're enjoying the beauty of the season, too. 

As always, thanks for visiting and take good care!  

To Puppies Everywhere

I don't know about you, but I usually have an idea about a post before I sit down to write it. I've taken my pictures, cropped them and have a title in mind. Today's post was no exception. I had tickets for the Meredith Viera Show, and as soon as my friend, Betsy, and I arrived to pick up our tickets I was snapping pictures for the post I planned to do.

    


I was especially excited when I found out Neil Patrick Harris was the main guest of the show that was taped today, which will be aired tomorrow, and I was sure that nothing could be more fun. Meredith and Neil Patrick Harris chatting together were fun and interesting, but my heart was stolen completely and unexpectedly by Seth Casteel, who was a  total delight. Seth is a pet photographer and his segment was about his work taking pictures of shelter dogs in need of forever homes. We got to meet three dogs who found new homes because of Seth's photographs, and they were sweethearts. 

Seth's latest book is "Underwater Puppies" and if you like dogs, love dogs or just think dogs are kind of cute, your heart will melt seeing the photographs in this book. I can't think of very many people who can resist a book whose dedication reads, "I dedicate this book to puppies everywhere. Thank you for sharing your love and bringing smiles to our faces."


This is not the post I planned to write, but three sweet dogs and several dozen swimming puppies, ran in and stole this post, along with my heart.  

Another glorious not quite fall day. I am beginning to see pumpkins everywhere and I am pleased to be making the transition to fall. I love the quiet of days without the air conditioner and the first of the New York state apple crop makes me very happy. It's almost time for my first baked apple of the season.

As always, thanks for visiting and take good care.

Please note: I was given a copy of "Underwater Puppies" as a guest of the Meredith Viera Show, but the opinions are all mine. 

Monkey Monday Meets Curious George

Curious George and Elmo get together for a musical interlude. 

It's not often that we get a chance to interview one of our literary favorites. But we've got a Monkey Monday treat in Buttercupland today. I was walking through Grand Central Station last week and saw one of my all-time literary favorites, Curious George, visiting with his friend, Elmo. George -- or C.G. as he's know to friends -- graciously answered a few questions for his Monkey Monday fans. Thanks, C.G.!

Buttercup: C.G., it's a treat to meet you. I've been a fan for over sixty years. You're looking good. 

C.G.: Thanks, Buttercup. I'm feeling good. I love to have fun and that, and a little mischief, keep me lively. 

Buttercup: CG, what are some of your favorite ways to have fun?

C.G. I like to ride my bike, fly kites and I love bananas. Most of all I like to spend time with friends. Of course, the Man with the Yellow Hat is top of the list, but I like making music with Elmo, and visiting with Madeline and Babar. We're all old friends.  

Buttercup: Thanks, C.G. for making time for Buttercup. You're one of our favorites. 

Spending time with Curious George is a treat. What other literary figures, monkey or not, would you like to meet? Pardon the inadvertent rhyme, but the words just fell into place. 

We had another glorious late summer/early fall day. Besides a nice walk to the library, I spent some time straightening up my apartment and pondered this age-old question. How can one person in three small rooms make have so much mess? But I cleaned the kitchen, took out newspapers and decluttered a drawer. My goal is to declutter one dresser drawer -- there are about a dozen and some are small -- each day. This should make real headway by the beginning of October.  

As always, thanks for visiting and have a beautiful week. 

Another Retirement Fantasy Bites the Dust

When I was growing up life seemed to be about the future. I was waiting for winter vacation or spring vacation or the big prize, summer vacation. I was waiting for high school, college, graduation and foolishly enough, looking grown up. My mother told me many times that it would all be here soon enough, but I still dreamed of high heels and little black dresses.

Too many times in the years between growing up and now I seemed to be looking back in time. I was remembering the fun days of high school, my college friends and then before I knew it, my parents and grandparents who were no longer in my daily life. The first six decades of my life flew by at an almost dizzying speed, my head flipping from the past to the future and back again and again.

One of my retirement fantasies was that I would live in the present and time would let me savor and enjoy life. I would cut down my commitments and not spend my life rushing from one meeting to another. I would strive to live now. The corollary to this would be that the seasons would not fly by. Summers would be long and sweet. I'd treasure every falling leaf in the fall and every crocus popping up in the spring, and somehow, perhaps magically I would have my fill of every seasonal joy.

Not so...so not so. I do live much more in the present, but the seasons continue to fly by, perhaps even more than ever before. I've enjoyed this summer very much. The weather has been great. I've walked more in the early evenings and enjoyed being outside a lot. But the days have grown shorter and it's time to take my jacket out of the closet. I will embrace pumpkins and bright leaves, the family event in October long planned and my trip to Savannah, also planned months ago and now only six weeks away. I am living in the now, season by season, but time stands still for no one, not even this lucky retiree.

But today I got to savor one last perfect day of beach summer, visiting friends at Breezy Point. We ate hamburgers, watched football and walked and walked. It was warm, sunny and glorious. The ocean water was as warm as it will be this year and it was a treat to wade in the waves. There may be other days at Breezy this year, but this will be the sweet last of summer, and I am so grateful.

Sky, sand and ocean

The Bay view...Manhattan is in the distance and the World Trade Center is to the right of the sailboat. 

As ever, thanks for visiting. Wishes for many sweet moments savoring the last of summer days. 

Forever Young...Reflections on September 11, 2001



Each year I keep believing that this day will get easier, less traumatic, less sorrowful. And in some ways it has. I have learned to do things that will make it less difficult. I don't watch any videos of the events that took place that day. I take a rest from news coverage most of the day and I don't watch the entire reading of the names of those who were killed. Starting at "A" and watching for as long as I can reduces me to sobbing. It brings back the worst of the horrors of the day.

I did watch the reading this morning and today I was struck by how young those who died appeared. Almost every picture showed someone who was young and smiling. Even if they were 51, my age in 2001, they are still 51 and they will not age as the rest of us have done. They will be forever young and smiling, gone far too soon and too violently. We remain to tell their stories and to make the rest of the world remember those that died on a perfect late summer morning. We will never forget.

This is my fifth year blogging about September 11. Last year I wrote this post and it includes a link to my first post about this day written in September 2009. I worked in Lower Manhattan and our office was six blocks south of the World Trade Center. The Trade Center was one of my favorite places. I shopped in the mall in the lower level, celebrated birthdays at Windows on the World and went to concerts in the Plaza. I am happy to see the area being rebuilt, but in my memory I will always see the Twin Towers rising up in the New York sky.

We will never forget

I am linking up this post with Pink Saturday September 11. So appreciate the opportunity to share this important day with my Pink Saturday friends. Many thanks, Beverly!

Wish Me a Happy 350, Please

No, it's not Buttercup that just turned 350, but my favorite city, New York. September 8th was New York's 350th birthday and we're celebrating. I realize that 350 is a pup compared to London and Paris or Rome and Jerusalem. But it's a landmark for the Western Hemisphere, where we measure in centuries and not millennium. New Amsterdam, founded by the Dutch in 1625, became New York on September 8, 1664.

In honor of the city and this special birthday we're going to visit one of my favorite places, Trinity Church, which has been part of the life of the city for over 300 years. Founded in 1697, it stands at Broadway and Wall Street, and even amid the bustle and crowds it is a place of beauty and serenity. It also has one of the few cemeteries existing in Manhattan. I worked a few blocks further south for over five years and had the good fortune to pass the church almost every evening on the way to the subway. I have rarely seen the cemetery open to visitors, but it was during my visit to Lower Manhattan last week.




Trinity Church faces west to Broadway and Wall Street. This picture is the side facing south to the harbor. 

Looking into the cemetery from Broadway. The church and cemetery are surrounded by skyscrapers.  

 One of the beautiful monuments in the cemetery. 

This view looks west. The Hudson River and New York harbor are a few blocks away. 

Trinity Church is located just a few blocks south and one block west of the World Trade Center site. I so remember that morning thirteen years ago. I came out of the subway at Wall Street and William Street and looked up and saw the church spire. It was framed by thousands, millions of pieces of paper from the World Trade Center, which had been attacked by the first plane just fifteen minutes before I got off the subway. 

Happy, happy birthday, dear New York. I am so happy to call you my home. 

As always, thanks for visiting. Take good care! 


(Am I) Stuck in 1998 With the Price Tag Blues Again?

Or is $99.97 just what a pair of underpants costs?

I can see why they're now a third off $99.97.

There I was at my favorite discount store, Century 21, stalking the $12.99 bras, when I brushed past this rack of mark downs. I was initially intrigued -- I can always can use a few new pairs of underwear -- but then amazed and horrified at the prices. Amazed...I was more amazed at the original retail price of $170.00, but since I have been a discount shopper for longer than I haven't, the thought of paying retail for underwear is not in my consciousness. And the thought of paying $99.97 or even $59.97 is also not in my consciousness. 

I did find my $12.99 treasure and though some might argue it's LAST SEASON, I would respond with WHO CARES! Almost everything I own is last season and in some cases the first season was during a time when someone named either Bill or George was President, which gives us quite a long time frame. I also realized that this ultra-expensive underwear may also be last season and that would be an expensive fashion faux pas. In years past I actually cared about this season and last season, but I'm happy to say that's one issue that doesn't bother me much anymore.  

On a different note, in any season, visitors to New York take note of Century 21, or just Century, as it's referred to by those in the know. Whether you're looking for designer dresses or bathrobes with snaps, it's a terrific place to shop. There's also a great, great shoe department.  

Today was the first day with a slight snap of autumn in the air. It may be warm again, but it was a day for jeans and shoes and socks and I am happily typing away without the purr of the air conditioner in the background. I went wild and treated myself to one of my all-time favorite snacks, the pumpkin muffin, and it was as good as I remembered. 

Sneak peek of the day ahead in this blogging mini-marathon...We're stopping at Trinity Church in Lower Manhattan. Hope you will join us. 

As always, thanks for visiting and take very good care. 


NB: Yes, if you think the title is familiar, it's a paraphrase of Bob Dylan's "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again." I'd been testing out a lot of titles and this one came to me on a subway ride this afternoon.  

This Is Your Brain in Retirement

I've had a few people express concern about my brain in retirement. There's been a veiled concern that my slower days may have led to my brain becoming less sharp. This question -- meant with genuine concern -- implies that my working days kept me sharp, or at least sharper. Folks, let me chat first about my working days, at least the last few years.

I spent approximately two hours a day riding rush hour subways. My days in the office frequently had brain numbing meetings and too often the time not spent in meetings was spent being a referee for personal issues and reminding staff that they needed to fill out time cards if they wanted to get paid. None of this stimulated my brain. Yes, there were some interesting projects, and I worked with some bright people, but every day wasn't all brilliant thoughts and expanding horizons.

Now...I actually keep up with the news, for better or worse. I keep up with sports, especially baseball and football. I'm following Derek Jeter's last season with the Yankees -- wish it was a better one for the Yankees -- and Eli Manning and Rueben Randle's season with the Giants. I keep up with exercise and have far surpassed any exercise I did in the last few years.

And I've been reading, something that got pushed aside. This weekend I finished two mystery novels and have a good start on the third. I've discovered several new writers, including John Connolly, who kept me totally engrossed for the weekend. His books focus on former New York City Police Officer, Charlie Parker, and are mystery novels with more than a splash of Stephen King thriller included. I started with his latest book, "The Wolf in Winter," via NetGalley, which offers digital galleys to bloggers and reviewers. I liked "The Wolf in Winter" so well that I had to go back and learn more about the characters. It's a complicated set of stories, but they have totally kept my interest.When I finish the book I am reading I need to take a rest. The characters and the plots kept me reading, but they are dark, dark stories. My next reading project is "The Goldfinch."

Best of all, there are times just to think and not be rushed, which might be the best gift of all. Is two months too young for a tutu for Baby Nora? Where should my group eat when we're in Savannah next month? Who in my life needs prayer?

There has been one issue that has come out of having more time. I seem to blog less. When I was working I didn't have the time to worry over every post. Now I am turning into somewhat of a perfectionist. Is the post good enough? Are the pictures well cropped? Do I have a vision for Buttercupland? In an effort to blog more, I will be blogging every day this week. They may not be the most polished posts, but I will be getting back into the writing and blogging I've enjoyed so much.

That's the state of Buttercup's brain. Happily, perking along. To end this post on a fun note, let's have some Monkey Monday pretty-in-pink fun.

This snowsuit would cheer up a cold winter day, and not just on Monkey Monday. 

It's been fun catching up. Now I think I'll tootle over to Talbot's and try on the "Happy Thoughts" shirt. It's been on my mind. As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care. 

I Wish I Had a Place to Wear This Fabulous Dress Pink Saturday

...Alas, it seems highly unlikely. But the next best thing -- and a lot less expensive -- is taking a picture for Pink Saturday.

This beautiful-in-pink gown caught my eye on Madison Avenue last Sunday.

I had a great walk last Sunday and saw this gorgeous dress in the window at Vera Wang. I'm not in the market for anything this fabulous, but I had to stop and take a picture. I like the American flag in the background and my friend, Mary. 

On Monday I stopped at Talbot's, a lot closer to my budget and lifestyle, and found a few things that might work for my wardrobe. 

I like the pink sweater at the center of the page and all of the bright autumn colors. I think the necklace featured with the orange sweater would be a fun dress up piece for this fall. 

This is the shirt that's been on my mind this week. I've been thinking some happy thoughts, but there's nothing like a shirt to keep me cheerful. I think it would look great with white pants any time of year. 

A P.S. to the white pants post. I've joined a new committee at my synagogue and the first meeting was Thursday night. There were about fourteen woman -- and a few men, not in white pants -- and four of us were wearing white pants. One woman had a white jean skirt. Yes, I was one of the five, walking on the wild side. This has also been the hottest week of the summer and white pants and a turquoise shirt seemed to be just the right outfit.  

I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend and thinking lots of happy thoughts. As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care. 

(Very Quick) Last Days of Summer Giveaway


Yes, white pants and all, I am clinging to these last days of summer. It's still hot and the rest of the week looks equally warm. But yet, I am facing the inevitability of autumn. I took off my turquoise toe nail polish and I took a good look at the sorry state of my summer t-shirts. I have to admit it's time for a change, even if I  am in my summer sandals. 

This woodland looking scene is actually on my block. 

After a few errands today I spent the afternoon reading and decluttering. I have made some real headway on the latter and that gives me such pleasure. I have a long way to go, but I am focusing on the progress I've made and not how much I still have to do. I discovered one more coupon for a medium Sonic Slush. I am happy to send it to the first person who leaves me a comment telling me that they would like it. It needs to go to a good home and I am pleased to make that happen. 

As always thanks for visiting and take good care! 

I'm Thinking of Taking a Walk on the Wild Side...

...and I'm planning to wear white pants after Labor Day. Just try and stop me.  

I had a great Labor Day weekend. One of the high points was actually an epiphany I had about my white pants. They're new, they fit well and I hated the thought of putting them away until next May. I had the realization that I could just wear them whenever I wanted. The whole white pants -- and white shoes -- issue isn't a law, though I'd treated it as one for my entire life. Over the years I've shed wearing white gloves for dress -- though that is something I miss -- and not wearing black to a wedding. Now it's time to go wild and wear white whenever I please. Running wild! I've lost control.



I did some fun things during the weekend -- seeing the incomparable Audra McDonald as Billie Holiday on Broadway and a wonderful tour at the Metropolitan Museum. We had a great guide and I have a new appreciation for Van Gogh and Rodin.

Van Gogh's painting of almond trees was one of the stops on our tour. 

I also did some more mundane things, too, and stopped at Barnes and Noble and the local hardware store. I try to shop locally whenever I can and was rewarded by this silverware chandelier at the hardware store. The first floor is more housewares than hardware, but the basement is a real hardware store, with staff that is so helpful. 

This is the light fixture over the cash register. 


I enjoyed this display at Barnes and Noble. Autumn, however, is not here in New York City. We had the hottest day of the year today and the rest of the week has the forecast of summer temperatures. The pumpkin lattes will have to wait awhile. It's still summer in New York. 

As always, thanks for visiting. Keep cool and enjoy September.