In a matter of days, August will be over. We’ve still got this lovely, long, sunny bank holiday weekend to enjoy, however, this is the last bank holiday until Christmas – yeah, I’ll just let that sink in…
I’m still in love with these summer days, and summer is still around for a few weeks yet, as I go by the astronomical calendar, as this is led by the autumn equinox – which falls on 23rd September this year – rather than the meteorological seasons.
There’s a notable change in the weather and I’m so pleased to start seeing the sunrise again, as it’s coming up around 6am – the way the sky changes is just amazing to watch and we were treated to a deliciously cool and gloriously misty morning yesterday. We woke up early, had a cuppa and then we were out with Bella before 7am, marvelling at the misty haze we were walking through, whilst we chatted, laughed and walked hand-in-hand, hunting out blackberries from the hedgerow.
I think these few remaining weeks of summer are my favourite – the house martins & swallows are lining up on the telephone wire and filling the air with their sweet sounds, the dahlias are blooming (well most of them), and the sun warms your shoulders. Still, as the evening draws in, you can wrap your favourite cardi around your shoulders, the sunset makes the sky look like it’s on fire, there are cosy days to be had when it rains and I enjoy taking full advantage of those by reading, and if it’s a Sunday, cooking a roast, which I never cook at the height of summer. (I can’t cope with the additional heat in the kitchen!)
I’m almost through my summer scented candles (think lavender, geranium, honeysuckle), and I’m starting to burn more slightly heavy scents, such as a rose, bergamot, amber, and fig – still summery, but leaning into the heavier scents to compliment the changes in the weather.
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it now and I’ll say it again, I love burning candles, but candle quality is so important to me. I burn candles daily, so ensuring that I’m burning ‘clean’ candles and not polluting the air we breathe with toxins really matters. Just look at the ingredients, make sure it’s not paraffin wax and look for natural wax, such as soy or beeswax candles and do your research, because let’s face it, what’s better than looking for candles?
You should expect to pay more of course because you’re paying for quality. Some of my favourites are Daylesford candles (you can sometimes get them on offer from Ocado), St Eval, Olive & Fig (they offer free delivery with all orders), Jenkins & Son (they also sell other gorgeous vintage pieces), and Our Lovely Goods.
Although today is Sunday, it’s more like a Saturday as we have tomorrow off, so I’m looking forward to some lovely walks, cooking a lovely piece of pork leg (from our local farm shop, Todenham Manor), being in the garden and perhaps popping out for a glass of something pink and cold, which is especially exciting as I’ve not really been out these past couple of weeks and haven’t had anything to drink – this alone tells you how poorly I was!
August, you’re an absolute gem.
A x
Abi in the Garden 