Merry Meet friends. Hot, Humid and Dry. Pretty well sums up the end of June and all of July here in Ohio..as I know many of you are experiencing the same thing where you live. Those who know me, know I’m not a fan of Summer…and this oppressive weather makes that even more true. lol. I’ve heard so many talking about it being the hottest, driest Summer they can remember for a while..and I thought the same thing. Until I went back and read my Lugnasadh post from last year at right about this same time. What was I talking about? How hot and dry it was! Just goes to show how quickly we forget from year to year. So I will wait this out, try to find something good about it..and keep sweating and lagging along til it cools off. 🙂 We are expecting some rain tomorrow..that will go a long way to making things better!
I have really struggled to keep my flowers and herbs alive this year. Despite watering constantly, they are not all lush and green like usual. Water from a hose just is not the same as a good fresh rain. Our grass….pretty well looks dead…but with a good soaking I’m sure it will come back. I feel so badly for the farmers and their crops and the poor animals who must be struggling to find water. I have put out big bins of water..keeping them filled…and I’ve seen everything from birds to groundhogs and possums to deer drinking from it. Seeing deer drinking from it…amazing! Made me feel good to see it….like I am doing a good thing 🙂
I can’t believe it’s the middle of July already. Lughnasadh is not far off..August 1….and tonight is the New Moon as well. I will be doing a small ritual ..for new beginnings on my new project. Well kind of new. I have started an online business…something I’ve wanted to do for 2 years now…and something has kept me from doing it for that long…my own hesitations..and my recent illness..but I have finally got the show on the road. Verbena Lane Botanicals is my herbal products business. I make bath, beauty and healing products. Right now we have a facebook page and we are selling from it (we being my daughter Kate and I). She is very busy being a mom of 2 little ones, studying medical billing and coding, and being pregnant with baby #3 :))) Yes, I’m going to have another grandchild in January..I’m thrilled! Anyway I digress LOL. So I have taken over the business pretty much for now. I’m listing new products each week and orders are coming in nicely and keeping me busy. An etsy shop will be our next step as well. Check it out if you’d like 🙂
https://www.facebook.com/VerbenaLane
I’ve received some wonderful messages asking how I’m doing. I’m happy to say that just in the last couple weeks, I am feeling much much better. My energy level is returning, my headaches are better, and I continue to improve some of the cognitive problems I was having. I feel sharper mentally. I still get tired and am still remembering what I told all of you…to put myself first more often..to take care of myself…to rest when I need to etc. I thank you all again for your prayers and well wishes.
Back to Lugnasadh. There is not much more I can say about this first Harvest Sabbat that I haven’t said in previous posts from the last 3 years. It is one of my favorite Sabbats simply because it is the first Harvest one! Harvest..what a wonderful word. It implys the end of the Summer. Coming soon, my favorite Season of Autumn. Harvest..meaning farm stands will be full of produce, grown by Mother Earth with the help of hardworking farmers and gardeners. Harvest….time to cut my herbs, dry them, and enjoy my own harvested work. Harvest..reminds me of my grandmother, canning and preserving all the bounty from her own gardens, with me by her side, doing what I could and watching her, learning. Harvest..animals gathering, nesting, hustling.
Lugnasadh for me is baking homemade, grain-filled breads. It’s making herb infused oils and vinegars so I can enjoy my herbs all Winter long. It’s enjoying the last hot, hazy days of Summer…family cook-outs, family vacation, tending gardens and herbs, making some jams to go with that great homemade bread, time outdoors, porch sitting, and starting to think about cooler days. I love to pull out my Autumn cookbooks…start perusing recipes I want to try this year..putting me in the mood for Fall and good hot meals…and lets not forget mid August brings back football!! (Go Bengals!)
I hope that all of you have some plans made for Lugnasadh. I usually light candles all over the house in the evening, enjoy a glass of wine and dream of bright colored leaves falling from trees, pumpkins, mums, woodsmoke and fires, good foods made with apples, sweaters and crisp air. Lugnasadh reminds us that the season will be changing soon 🙂
I will come back soon and post a couple of recipes from those cookbooks I was talking about. In the meantime, I hope you have a Blessed New Moon!
“Whilst August yet wears her golden crown,
Ripening fields lush- bright with promise;
Summer waxes long, then wanes, quietly passing
Her fading green glory on to riotous Autumn.”
– Michelle L. Thieme,
Love and Blessings, Autumn
*Pics of bread, oils and jams are my own. 🙂 *ok..for some reason the oils and jam picture won’t post…I’ll try again tomorrow 🙂
My Moonlit Path..... 
Loved reading this Autumn and oh my what beautiful pics! I so wish blessings over your on line. Business haveing used your boo boo balm I’m soooooooo impressed it truly is awesome! Love and hugs to youuu
Hello sweet Michelle…much love! I’m so glad you like the Boo Boo Balm and thank you! Love and hugs to you!
Love it. I was just thinking of Lughnasadh today at work. Now I’m looking forward to it even more. Think I’ll go revisit your other Lughnasadh blog posts. xoxoxoxox
Hi Lisa..thanks Sister 🙂 Hope you found them 🙂 Hugs!
Love it! It has been a very hot summer, looking forward to cooler temps as well, just no snow! lol
How cool that you got to watch the deer! I love animals! =) I love how you explain things. What great memories of you and your grandma. ❤
Love the shop! So proud of you!
Love the picture of the bread, I bet it tastes as good as it looks. Is it hard to make jam or jelly?
Thanks for a great message to start my day!
Hello Jenn 🙂 I am looking forward to the cooler weather too! Thanks for the good wishes on my shop too. It is NOT hard to make jam or jelly….a little tricky sometimes..at least for me it is. I love making strawberry jam when the strawberries are at their best! Hugs my friend!
Wine and dreams of early autumn sound perfect. Sounds like something I would do. I must take advantage of balcony-sitting nights before we run out of time. I haven’t got many candles out there yet. Hoping my kids can come for dinner on Lughnasadh. Still planning a menu with some home-baked bread and/or baked goodies. ❤
Hi Linda…that sounds perfect..family and bread…perfect! That’s what I’ll be doing too 🙂 ❤ ❤ ❤
Yes!!! I will be thinking of those leaves changing colors and putting on my hoodie to walk in the crisp cool morning air of Fall! I am now thinking about making my own bread! will have to pick your brain on that one! Need to go water my herbs….even on the balcony they are looking a little bedrazzled! Love you!
Hey Sis… Fall is going to bring me YOU too 🙂 Can’t wait til you come visit 🙂 Yes to the bread making..I’ll help 🙂 Hugs!!
Oh how I love your postings! Beautiful and enchanting writings my dear sister! Blessed Be to you!
Thank you so much Jen! Blessings to you and it was great chatting with you this morning 🙂
It\’s so wonderful to hear that you\’re doing better! You\’ve been in my thoughts and prayers since you\’ve fist written about getting sick. I\’ve been having some problems leaving comments (I had a wordpress account a while back) but I think the problem has finally fixed itself!
Lughnassadh is one of my favorite Sabbats too! The end of Summer and the promise of Fall… Makes my heart sing! Your bath products look wonderful.. I hope to be doing the same thing one day. Hope you have a beautiful and blessed Lughnassadh. Love and Light
Hello Stefanie… thank you so much. and you know, I’ve had a hard time leaving comments too for some reason lately. I appreciate seeing you here and hope you had a wonderful Sabbat. My heart sings too when Autumn comes along 🙂 Love and Light to you!
I feel for all that are experiencing such a hot summer this year, I have lived here in for nearly 20 years and LOL I hate hot weather. Autumn too is my favorite season, it took me 8 years here to actually notice the change in seasons. The first chance I get to drive north to surround myself with color I do it, usually mid october. Good luck with your botanical business and opening on Etsy, have you heard of Addoway and Bonanza two other online selling venues that I have used for several years.
I have not heard of those but really appreciate you telling me about them. Thank you! For me..I could never live where there is no season change… but I COULD live where there is no hot Summer LOL. Thank you much!
You know I love, love, love this and just makes me more determined to get back home and experience the full power of the seasons….Oh how I miss the fall season the most…but it will happen, so glad you’re doing great and feeling awesome. Luv u always )O(
Love you too Irish my Sister! I can’t wait til you come back to the states too…and Ohio right?? LOL
it just got all warm, cozy and fresh smelling in my brain right now 🙂
I wish you success in all that you do! Love your blog!
Thank you so much Holly. …I appreciate it!! I wish you all the success and blessings as well..to you and yours! Autumn
Thank you Autumn for this lovely read, how lucky I am to have this pop up in my email to enjoy! Wishing you all the very best over the season! ~;D
Thank you so much Marie..for coming and visiting 🙂 Hugs!
Thank you Autumn for this lovely read! How lucky I am to get this special treat in my email to enjoy! Wishing you a wonderful season! ~;D
Chances are your increase in energy levels and feeling better are because you’re processing stuff and it’s going on it’s way. I think we’re all going through a cleansing process at the moment and I too feel as if I’ve turned a corner.
It’s brought some unexpected stuff back up for attention again, but I think I have the right tools for it this time. So I kind of feel my harvest has come in, in one way (which will help me when the season changes again!).
Blessings of the Season!
Sue @ http://www.reikipeth.net
I agree with you totally Sue..and thank you for confirming it. I’ve had some reiki treatments recently (love them!) and my practitioner pretty much said the same thing. Blessings to you!
Sounds like things are ticking over. Still ‘work’ to do, but all sounds positive and doable. :). Ah, that’s nice that your practitioner thought the same thing! Helpful affirmations all round.
Blessings.
Sue @ http://www.reikipeth.net