Life, Photography, What I Kept

What I Kept – August 2026

Kari

I began writing this series in May of 2022, not intending to make it a tradition. But it stayed, and so did you. Thank you for showing up each month.

the month of august was brought to you by the letter h- humidity.
we won’t be doing any of that
source
anna’s flight from newark to san diego started out fine, but took a little detour…past my dad’s hometown
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lunch with melanie
mike took this while mowing the lawn – a little bunny peering in
ella wrote this for mike while he was recovering from open heart surgery- we never took it down
anna and i did an overnight alone. we watched real housewives, tiktok’ed, and ate cookies in bed. we are planning another one in six months.
source
babies
the day after a migraine
my mom’s skylight

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20 thoughts on “What I Kept – August 2026”

  2. First, sorry about the migraines. Just seeing that trash . . . sigh . . .

    But so cool about the flight taking a slight detour over your Dad’s hometown! I love that you and Anna had such a fun sleepover. My oldest has mentioned wanting to go on a trip with just the two of us, but I don’t know how that would happen. Maybe when my husband retires, he can watch the grandkids while our SIL is at work.

    That rabbit looking in your door (at the goose?) is hilarious! Also, why is he so skinny? Our resident rabbit is enormous. And now that I see your front door, can I ask in the NO Soliciting sign works? Because ours does not! And now I’m getting all sorts of Ring camera TikToks on the subject.

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    1. Yeah, that one was a doozy.

      I hope you get that sleepover someday. We hadn’t done something just the two of us like this since she was in college, so it was a lot of fun!

      Someone else mentioned how skinny he was, too! I did some research, and I guess he’s fine as he is. Apparently, wild rabbits can have a pretty lean diet in late summer, so they’re not necessarily supposed to be as plump as we might expect. Who knew?

      Our No Soliciting sign doesn’t always work. When a salesperson knocks or rings the doorbell, I’ll point to the sign or even say, Do you know what this sign means? I am ruthless with people who cross boundaries, as you can probably tell by the Go Away doormat. 🤣

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  3. Hello there Kari, I’m sorry it’s been a while since I visited. I enjoyed the images and little readings you kept this month. And yeah, the trashcan picture; oh my, that looks like the suffering my sweety used to endure before Aimovig. 🤗 The excerpt from ‘Grace Without God’ reminds me of a day we spent last week with one of our grandkids, knowing the opportunity won’t come again since he’s starting elementary school next week. We took him for his fave lunch (McDonald’s) and then to a nature preservation area he loves. Partway through the afternoon he asked what time it was and when we told him, he said, “Good. That means we still have a lot of time together.” 🥰 Ella’s note is a visible symbol of the family trauma from Mike’s surgery and health scare… may that feeling pass soon and the note become a reminder of something you’re all grateful for. Blessings to you, friend.

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    1. It’s so good to hear from you! And I’m glad you enjoyed the little glimpses from my month. I’m so sorry Sweetie suffers from migraines, but I’m so glad Aimovig has helped her. I take Ajovy, which is similar, and it has helped me, too.

      That story about your grandson absolutely melted my heart. What a beautiful thing for a child to say, and what a gift to have that moment together before this next chapter begins.

      And thank you for what you said about Ella’s note. You’re right that it’s a visible little reminder of what our family went through with Mike’s surgery and health scare. That’s a lovely way of looking at it.

      It is so good to see you in the comments again! 💜

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  4. This is all delightful, but I especially love the decorating advice. And with the small glimpses you offer into your life and home, I see that you adhere: little pockets of joy and beauty about. And the little love note to dad? What a treasure. 💕

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    1. Thank you so much for this. What a lovely thing to say. I really do try to surround myself with little pockets of joy and beauty, so it means a lot that you’ve noticed that in the glimpses I share here. And yes, that little love note from Ella to her dad is such a treasure. 💕

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  7. That is stellar decorating advice. I currently describe my ambience as “eclectic.”

    I was also severely underfunded in my twenties.

    I love wild bunnies. Chasing them is Suki’s happy place. No catching, however, to my great relief.

    A bi-annual – semiannual? – sleepover with cookies is such a good plan.

    I’m sorry about the migraine. A friend has started getting Botox to help with her flares.

    That Dolly Parton quote sounds quite Buddhist. She was a wonderful human, such an example of the best of us.

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    1. Isn’t it? Eclectic is my favorite style, too. 💜

      I love that she chases but doesn’t catch them. My parents’ old dog caught and killed a bunny in our yard many years ago, and it was horrifying for all of us.

      Such a good plan!

      I get Botox every three months, too. It’s definitely helped manage the frequency, but every once in a while, I still get some whoppers. This summer’s weather has been especially difficult.

      She was, wasn’t she? It’s hard to believe she isn’t with us anymore. Thank goodness for the example she left behind.

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  9. A lovely collection as always 😊I think I have that same night-time skyline photo! Love the bunny although he does look a bit under nourished, bless him, my favourite is the decorating advice. A home is somewhere that allows you to be you. And by the way I can’t grow spider plants to save my life 😂

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    1. Thank you so much! Poor bunny – there must not be too many gardens in our neighborhood. 😔

      I love that- a home is somewhere that allows you to be you. Yes. 💜

      I can grow spider plants, BUT I cannot grow the babies! Every time I try to get them to grow, they die. I have no idea what I’m doing wrong. 😂

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  10. I am getting SUCH a kick out of “silently endure” being crossed out. Hilarious!

    That decorating advice is perfection.

    Gorgeous sunset — I love a little slice of brilliant orange peeking over the horizon. And, thanks to you, I STILL think of your dad every time I see a sunset. I hope he would be tickled to know that a random Internet stranger thinks of him regularly because his wonderful daughter took a moment to share one of the many ways she still encounters him in the universe. <3 <3 <3

    You are so lovely.

    I hadn’t heard that Dolly song in forever. Thank you for reminding me how good it is.

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