How was your Bank Holiday weekend? The rain held off and I enjoyed a restful bank holiday weekend in Kent, picking blackberries, gazing at cloudy skies and walking along the seashore inhaling the briny sea air …
Crown of trees in a cloudy sky scape - Kent
On a few walks with the folks, I spotted SOOO many hedgerows laden with blackberries, but I could not get to many of them, just out of reach - tempting me with their seductive, yet barbarous inaccessibility - and I did not have anything to transport the ones I did pick, so they were swiftly eaten - YUM.
Berries galore
I find shop bought blackberries rarely have that sublime fruity/musk scent of the wild picked, they lack that unique flavour - and they are soo big! My thorny scavenge resulted in a meagre handful, so I just enjoyed inhaling them and savouring the proustian moment it conjured of childhood hedge diving, making fruity, scented ‘ink’ and baking jammy crumbles with blackberries and apple - sweet joy!!!
However, my stepdad rescued my day with a small punnet picked from the allotment. Just enough I think for some infused Blackberry whiskey.
So, I returned to London a little deflated. Bustling crowds, city noise and a PILE of work and chores to tackle - urgh! A little (non-alcoholic!) pick me up is required, so I turned to a few aromatic helpers to still my mind and motivate me to some semblance of productivity!
I chose a refreshing, clarifying combination of Spearmint, Frankincense and Black Spruce to blend in a rollerball and apply to my upper chest, temples and back of neck, this really helped me focus and avoid overwhelm when tackling my monster to-do list! It also smells like a forest breeze :-)
I then whizzed up a citrus energising concoction to spritz my room and clean with, a 5ml bottle of Rosemary (cineole), Lemon and Grapefruit, so that I can dilute it into any base and use with safe abandon! Dusting, tidying and hoovering was never so inviting and everywhere smells bright and crisp. My space feels more manageable and it kind of gets me organised and in a more motivated mood to prioritise what’s important.
Then a much needed breaktime with an eccles cake and a cup of tea (Assam) and then to the shops to buy some whiskey.
Yes - the blackberries are now immersed in a jar of whiskey, not to be opened and filtered until November for some Christmas tipples! My essential oil use also reinforces virtues of patience and self denial :-D
I hope you all enjoy the remainder of the week and make some time and space to slow down, get clear and seek little moments of joy .. a new month and season is just around the corner!
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If you feel the desire to make some aromatic essential oil blends to support your mood and wellbeing in the coming seasons, I have a few places left on my workshop at RHS Hyde Hall - I cannot promise that the Blackberry Whiskey will be ready for sampling though!