Hail and farewell to summer! Spooky season is upon us
As summer draws to a close, I wanted to pop on here and update you all with some stuff I been up to, and some adventures up ahead!
Rain & Wild has been ticking along nicely, although you may have noticed I have not been at many markets at all this year. As much as I love them, I do find them a bit of a struggle health wise. In fact, all year round my market friends poke fun at me for rarely actually being AT my stall (in good jest), and it's true, I have to be walking around and moving. If I'm standing still or even sitting for too long, I will faint or generally feel like the earth is doing its best to reclaim me.
The fainting spells are slightly worse now that I am on a medication to slow down my heart rate. Luckily it has improved my life dramatically in other ways, and I can run to my hearts content without chest pains or passing out (the impetus to go on the meds last year was when I passed out while running, on my own, at about 8am on a Sunday in the middle of nowhere - not ideal!!!). I am back with the cardiologist in a few weeks to see if any tweaks can be made, but for now I've decided to pull back from the markets. Which is not to say you won't see me at them because they are literally my favourite place to be, and I miss all my market friends! But I will be a very delighted visitor instead of trader for the time being.
My market stall! Hope to be back to it sooner or later <3
In other news, I became a Parkrun tourist this summer, hitting up some new courses with my buddies. Highlights included Laytown beach, which was soul destroying to run on but who cares, cuz we're at the beach!!! To the forest in Virginia in which one of my friends took a wrong turn, got lost, and we had to go on a rescue mission. On said rescue mission the parkrun director morphed into the terminator, and was blasting 3 min km pace through the forest while myself and my other friend got dropped, both of us flabbergasted at his incredible speed.
Laytown Beach Parkrun: an out and back course by the waves!
Deerpark Virginia Parkrun: if you told me the race director was actually a retired olympic athlete I would believe it, holy SPEED!
I am also EXTREMELY excited to be walking the Boyne Camino this weekend. It's a 25km loop starting in Drogheda. You collect stamps along the way, and that makes me feel like it's a super cool quest we will be on (gotta collect 'em all!).
I still sponsor a turkey, Sidney, up in Northern Ireland at the NI Hen Rescue. For the price of 2 coffees a month, this gives me SO MUCH joy. Considering I probably can't keep a turkey in the town (??) this is the next best thing. My chickens have also been doing great. I had a stand off with Goose the other day on the neighbours wall - she is, God bless her, not terribly smart. I knew if she flew over it, she would panic and that would be the last I'd see of her. Luckily I was able to bribe her back with some seeds and thinly veiled threats.
Juicy Goose! A big buff orpington with 2 braincells fighting for 3rd place.
On the candle front, I am delighted to say that Autumn will be making her seasonal reappearance very soon! I'm waiting on the oils to arrive in, and will be making them later this week. Swainstown Farm have ordered some, and I will also be popping a batch into Castle Crafts, so stay tuned for that.
I've had one lit here for the last couple days and I am loving the Cinnamon // Almond combo. With the recent drizzle outside it's putting me right in the mood for spooky season.
Lastly,
my Finnish Duolingo streak is at 819 days which frankly is longer than any relationship I've had. Send help because I'm in too deep to quit but I am simply dialling it in these days.
Finally,
thank you to you all for still sticking with me, still buying my candles, and still raving to your friends, family, and random strangers on the street about them (extra cheers for that).
xo
Laurie