In July
Summer folklore, sadmin and sea swims
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My mother had two birthdays, one on her NHS records, and one - the one she always celebrated - on her birth certificate.
We only really found this out when the various government agencies began to digitise their records. Suddenly, booking a GP appointment became strangely fraught, and even getting a new drivers’ licence would cause the system to buckle in confusion. The problem was that my grandfather got flustered when registering the birth, and simply gave the wrong date. That was all it took: a simple mistake that continued to resonate for the next 76 years.
When Mum got chest pain one night in early May, I called an ambulance and was slyly proud to have remembered to give her NHS date of birth, 14th July. That was the date on the identification wristband she was to wear for her remaining days. But as I sat by her ICU bed on that very first night, it occurred to me for the first time that this was her correct birthday. ‘The NHS one must be right,’ I said. ‘You’ve always celebrated the wrong day.’
‘No,’ said my mum, ‘my birthday is the 15th of July. Always has been.’
I did not want to argue too hard. After 76 years of marking a birthday, why change? Part of my mother’s attachment, I think, was that the date fell on St. Swithun’s Day, the day, in English folklore, that predicts the weather for the rest of summer. As the rhyme goes:
St Swithun’s day if thou dost rain
For forty days it will remain
St Swithun’s day if thou be fair
For forty days ‘twill rain nae mare
My mother liked to personally provide the forecast on her birthday.
Legend has it that St. Swithun - the 9th-century bishop of Winchester, renowned for his piety - asked for his body to be buried outside the north wall of the cathedral, so the feet of passers-by could walk over him, and the rain could fall on him. When his remains were moved to an indoor shrine a century later, it is said that a heavy downpour marked the newly venerated saint’s displeasure with the decision.
We shall wait and see what happens on this 15th July, the birthday my mother did not reach. I suspect, given the blazing heat of the past 40 days, that we’re in for more heat. My mother would be pleased with that. St. Swithun, I suspect, less so.
What I’ve been up to
Life ground to a halt somewhat last month. I’ve learned a new word - sadmin - to describe the wellspring of administrative work that accompanies a death. I now know far too much about the various processes of medical examiners and coroners, and I hope to release all that terrible new information from my brain as soon as I possibly can.
Recent offerings
I Have All the Luck - on my enduring belief that I’m lucky, despite a wintery couple of years.
Ghost Portraits - on the invisibility of caregiving.
These Are the Surfaces - on writing, deep terrain and AI.
Elissa Altman closed our readalong of MFK Fisher’s The Gastronomical Me with great aplomb with her essay, MFK Fisher Was More Than a Food Writer.
I released two lovely podcast episodes with Anna Brones and Alice Vincent before needing to take a little break. We’re recording new episodes very soon and will be back in August! Alongside the podcast interviews, I’m now also recording special subscriber bonus episodes called The Mini-Break, and they’ve been an absolute joy - here are two recent episodes touching on on swifts and Mariokart. If you love the pod, please consider supporting us financially either via The Clearing on Substack, or via Apple or Patreon - we’re proudly independent!
New Subscriber giveaway
Congratulations to Katharine, who won June’s new subscriber draw!
And this means a new box is ready to give away to one lucky person who starts or renews a year’s subscription in July. This one contains a signed copy of Enchantment, a refillable ink pen, Writer’s Blood ink, Blackwing pencils, and a gorgeous set of Moomins notebooks, plus exclusive Clearing postcards, bookmarks and stickers. We’ll pick a winner at random at the end of the month!
Coming up
On Saturday 18th July, 4pm-6pm UK time, I’ll be hosting an online retreat for my sister Substack newsletter, The Retreat.
We’ll be exploring the meaning of the high summer, and making space to allow for our more vulnerable feelings at a time when the world is doused in bright colours and holiday snaps. Do join us! More info here.
July notions
Sea swims every day. No exceptions.
Watching the swifts dart in and out of their nest above my office window to feed their chicks.
Katy Wheatley sent me a Halen Mon Seaweed Bath in a Box, and it gave me the best night’s sleep I had in years. I commend it to you all.
Relatedly, I don’t actually have a bath tub anymore, so I bought myself one of those weird foldable ones. It’s basically a paddling pool for adults and is excellent for cooling down.
Breakroom Chronicles on Instagram is giving me life right now.
The Gail’s Bakery Black Sesame Iced Matcha is possibly the nicest thing I’ve ever tasted (oat milk for me, please).
This No-Cook Chili Bean Salad is an excellent summer take on the bean chili.
I’ve been pulling from this Mushroom Hunter’s Arcanum tarot deck and it is spectacular. Such brilliant choices of fungi for each card!
Anna Brones has started an analog(ue) newsletter, posted to you in real life once a quarter. I’ve thought about doing this so many times but felt overwhelmed by the logistics. Anna has done it, and it looks beautiful. Can’t wait for mine to come!
I liked this video of the blessing of the damask rose harvest in Bulgaria.
Anna’s new/old-school newsletter
Until next month, take care,
Katherine
