For the past couple of years, I've written quarterly updates (from "season to season"). I found it a bit easier than the monthly and "two monthly" (every couple of months) ones that I wrote in previous years. So I'm doing the same for 2023. :)
Note: I'm later posting this than I planned because I'm currently having computer problems. I am able to still blog on my phone which I'm grateful for, but it is a bit harder to do it on here.
You can see my autumn to winter 2022 update here if you like: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2023/01/autumn-winter-update-2022.html
I went through a bit of a difficult time at the beginning of the year, due to personal issues. I didn't really do much in the first couple of months but I did go to Starbucks in Hove in late January.
At the beginning of February, I celebrated Imbolg. You can see my post about it here: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2023/02/imbolg-2023.html
I also went to a belly dance workshop with Lianna Greene in February and to Starbucks again afterwards!
At the beginning of March, it was my birthday. I celebrated at home on the day and got some nice presents. I'd planned to go to Nando's but wasn't able to get there due to certain circumstances. I hope to go soon for a belated birthday meal though!
Later in March it was Oestara/the Spring Equinox. You can read about my celebration in this post: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2023/03/oestara-2023.html
Easter was in early-mid April (Easter Sunday was the 9th). I'll cover it in the spring-summer update, like I have the last few years. :)
Last autumn I started going to Action for Happiness Happy Café meetups again (I used to go before the pandemic) and I carried on going this winter. I went to Creams Café in Brighton afterwards a couple of times too, since it's in the same area as the meetups. The meetups moved to a pub over the winter.
I haven't been doing my weekly park walks due to having family car problems, but I did go to the park a few times, mainly for Imbolg and Oestara. I miss seeing the blossom trees in my favourite Hove Park (it's a bit of a hassle getting there by bus), but here's a pic of some local daffodils that I took in early April:
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| Daffodils outside the Co-op, Shoreham. |
In January I baked the gingerbread cookie bars that I'd planned to make for Christmas but didn't get around to making. The recipe is from Simply Taralynn and there are also gluten and dairy free options:https://simplytaralynn.com/2020/12/15/gingerbread-cookie-bars-with-cream-cheese-frosting-gluten-free-and-dairy-free/
I used treacle instead of molasses because it's easier to get here in the UK. They have a cream cheese frosting. I put some sprinkles on top that I'd had for a while. They were quite nice. I did take a picture but it's on my computer, so I will upload it when I can. :)
Update 28/8/23: Here is a pic of the gingerbread cookie bars:
Then in February I baked a Coca-Cola chocolate cake (one of my favourite cakes to make). Unfortunately, it didn't come out well, because I had a problem with my oven!
I also had a couple of iced coffees from Gail's Bakery in Hove (it's handy that they're on Deliveroo!).
The weather has been varied, warming up some days and then going cold again other days. The highest in my area has been about 16 degrees lately.
So that's it for the first update of the year! There wasn't as much to write about this time, but then there also wasn't a lot going on 3 years ago when we were all in lockdown. It's strange to think that over 3 years have passed since the start of the pandemic.
I've not been feeling the best lately and it wasn't a great start to the year, but hopefully things will get better. The first quarter of the year seems to have gone quickly! I hope that everyone reading is doing ok. :) How has your winter to spring been? (Or your summer to autumn?) :)
Read: Mrs England by Stacey Halls (heard about it through a Daisy Butter post), MANIFEST: Dive Deeper by Roxie Nafousi, the sequel to MANIFEST (got this for my birthday), The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel by Alyssa Palombo (wanted to read this for ages but it was never at the library, so I ended up getting it for my birthday!).
Listened to: Like California by Gen Neo and featuring DeVita, SHOOTING STAR by XG.
Links I found useful during winter and spring:
Kailyn Bowman video about having a breakthrough after feeling stuck: https://youtu.be/Oaq5EXz68vI
An article about 5 causes of anxiety (found through a post on To Love and To Learn): https://www.gad-specialists.com/blog-posts/5-causes-of-anxiety-and-what-you-can-do-to-get-better
P.S. It's Beltane tomorrow (or today if you celebrate from sunset to sunset). As I've said previously, I'm not doing any more new celebration idea posts for now (since I've already written a lot). However, I thought I'd share a few links at the bottom of this post:
My 2021 Beltane round-up (also my Winter-Spring 2021 update): https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2021/04/winter-spring-update-beltane-round-up.html
Last year's Happy Beltane! post: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2022/04/happy-beltane.html
How to Celebrate Beltane (The Outdoor Apothecary): https://www.outdoorapothecary.com/how-to-celebrate-beltane/
Beltane For Writers: https://lightningdroplets.com/writing-prompts-and-rituals-to-celebrate-beltane-and-inspire-a-magical-may/
Beltane history and celebration ideas from The Otherworldly Oracle: https://otherworldlyoracle.com/beltane/
Or if you're in the Southern Hemisphere, here are my last two Samhain celebration ideas posts:
Samhain/Hallowe'en Round-up: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2021/10/samhainhalloween-round-up.html
Happy Samhain/Hallowe'en!: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2022/10/happy-samhainhalloween.html
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