A monthly roundup of things to do, buy, read, watch, and more.
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Summer has come and gone again — it always seems to fly by faster each year. Still, every season has its charms, and here in western Oregon we often get a lovely September stretch that feels like an encore of summer. We’re welcoming fall with a mix of Oregon Duck football, late-season gardening, a few more kayak outings, and the return of casseroles and soups. Also, tomatoes — we’re currently buried in them and loving it.
What are you looking forward to this season?
Good Things:
Saying Goodbye to Our Girl
Not the easiest moment for my mama heart, but a wonderful opportunity for our daughter — she left in August for a year in Australia. I’m so proud of how carefully she planned and organized the trip. Australia offers a working holiday visa program for young people that made her plan possible (her first choice, Britain, didn’t have an equivalent option). She’s settling in, meeting people, exploring Perth, and enjoying the experience. A future Good Things List will probably include a visit down under!
Composting-in-Place Experiment — The Rock Wall Garden Bed
Back in Good Things List No. 14 I tried composting in place in a rock-wall raised bed and wanted to report on the results after plants had a chance to grow.
Recap: My usual raised bed build is cardboard, composted barnyard manure, hay (when available), soil, and a top layer of fine garden compost. For the compost-in-place trial I added chopped kitchen scraps and shredded paper between the manure and hay layers, distributed thinly, then topped with hay and about 3 inches of soil.
Outcome: The first month after planting looked rough: yellowing leaves, stunted marigolds, and basil that started strong then declined. The results weren’t uniform — plants on one side suffered more, leading me to suspect that fresher scraps in certain spots caused localized issues. Fortunately, by early July the bed recovered and the basil is now thriving and productive.
Conclusion: I won’t repeat this method as a spring layering, but I’m interested in alternate compost-in-place approaches, like digging small holes beside plants in the fall so the materials have time to break down before planting. Have you tried this technique? Any tips?
Also, did you see the raised bed vegetable garden tour from its first year?
To Strip or Not to Strip
We found several 100-year-old doors from a local renovation and bought a few for a bargain. I wanted the natural wood look and decided to try stripping them myself after watching tutorials and reading posts that made it seem straightforward.
I tested three different chemical strippers to find the best approach. After hours of work and significant expense — the products barely covered a couple of paint layers per side — the results were disappointing. Multiple paint layers, stubborn spots, and the plastic-wrap method that worked in the blog I’d referenced simply didn’t perform for me. In the end the process was slow, messy, and costly, so we’re now considering professional dip-and-strip services in Portland, which is a couple of hours away. The doors are a lovely idea, but I’m not ready to pour more money and time into a DIY method that didn’t deliver.
Why include this here? Because even failed projects teach us something — it’s part of the journey.
The Joy of Clothing with Built-In Bras
I bought a strappy dress with a built-in bra for a Caribbean trip earlier this summer and liked it so much I picked up a matching top. These aren’t flimsy shelf bras — the pieces I found from Uniqlo have real built-in support and light padding. They’re comfortable, eliminate bothersome bra straps, and are affordable. In hot weather they’ve been lifesavers. The exact items I bought may not be available now, but Uniqlo and other retailers offer similar tank tops and dresses with built-in support seasonally.
Transitioning Summer Pieces into Fall (and Back in Spring)
I wanted to get more wear out of a favorite summer dress, so I bought a leopard-print tie-hem blouse from H&M to layer over it. It’s the perfect light cover for chilly mornings and evenings and will work well again in spring. Also: leopard print is back in my wardrobe rotation and I’m delighted.
August Reads
Field Notes on Love, Jennifer E. Smith — A light, enjoyable YA romance about a train trip across the U.S. with a quirky premise: a boy ends up needing to find someone with the same name as his ex to use her tickets. Warm and entertaining for older teens and adults who enjoy gentle YA stories.
Ragamuffin Gospel, Brennan Manning — An affirming, grace-centered book I listened to on Hoopla. It focuses on God’s love, forgiveness, and acceptance. I didn’t agree with every point, but the message of compassion and seeing people without immediate judgment was powerful and thought-provoking.
The Only Woman in the Room, Marie Benedict — A fictionalized look at Hedy Lamarr’s early life, her brilliance, and the political turbulence of 1930s Austria. My husband and I listened in the car, then watched a related documentary. The book does a great job showing the complexity of her life — both glamour and the scientific contributions that would later prove foundational for modern wireless technology.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, J.K. Rowling — Working my way through the series on audiobook for the first time. Jim Dale’s narration keeps the pace brisk and delightful. These need no grand review — enjoyable revisits for many.
Screwball, Simon Rich — A short Audible story that reimagines the early days of Babe Ruth with humor and a touch of melancholy. It’s funny and surprisingly moving, narrated with charm.
Romantic Outlaws, Charlotte Gordon — A dual biography of Mary Wollstonecraft and her daughter Mary Shelley. Rich in historical context and relationships among literary figures, the book is compelling, though the alternating chapter structure between mother and daughter can be confusing because of repeating names.
Under the Greenwood Tree, Thomas Harding — I started this classic but didn’t finish it. The audiobook’s strong regional accent made comprehension difficult for me. I may try a print version later because there’s much to appreciate in its depiction of rural 1840s British life.
Watching
TV:
Veronica Mars, Season 4 (Hulu) — We’ve followed this series for years. The latest season’s ending felt like a disappointing shock tactic to us; your mileage may vary. What did you think?
Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story (Netflix) — Pairs well with The Only Woman in the Room. The documentary covers Lamarr’s later life and personal struggles, and it complements the historical fiction’s broader portrait.
Movie:
Overcomer — A faith-based drama from the Kendrick Brothers. It’s sincere and emotional rather than cinematic masterpiece. The film centers on forgiveness and redemption and connected with us; it made a strong box-office showing on release.
That’s another edition of the Good Things List. If you’d like to read more of these monthly roundups, check the Good Things List tag on the blog. I’d love to hear your thoughts — have you tried anything mentioned here or do you have recommendations? Leave a comment to share.
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