Historically I have viewed August as our last chance to enjoy summer and packed it so full of trips, house projects, and plans that I ended up worn down and raggedy by the end of the month. And actually, the past two years I rolled into September with a dislocated rib and whole-body hives--two weird ways my body tells me to slow down. Consequently, the fall months of midlife have been punctuated with chiropractor appointments and steroids; heating pads and ice packs. Plus a resolution to do things differently next year (which I never do). But this year's health reconstruction project changed the way I mapped out this August. I determined to take it easier, and here's how I did it: *I donated our extra garden harvests to the chickens. That meant no peeling, chopping, canning, blanching, freezing, or organizing, freeing up a tremendous amount of time and eliminating hurry and pressure. A surprising amount of time and a surprising amount of pressure, really. (That realization has...