How are you doing? Good week? What has lockdown made you appreciate?
Since we launched last July we have had to really test our endurance and ability to cope.
The Pandemic which has halved the people we can sit at our tables and at times shut our doors completely
The Floods which had us moving upstairs on Christmas Eve and saw the marquee under a couple of feet of river water the next morning
The Storms in March which had Mr Larkswold and I up at 4am holding onto marquee legs for dear life to stop it flying onto the railway
We laugh NOW, but seriously you couldn't make some of this stuff up. What next? Earthquake? A Stampede of rogue lamas? It's funny isn't it, once you have gone through some of these things and survived, you know whatever gets thrown at you next, you'll get through.
I have learnt that I need a little pressure to perform at my best. I am sure some of you, like me, get that scared nervous feeling every so often. I realised a few years ago, that the feeling I get when I am scared of something (butterflies in my stomach, increased heart rate and the verbal diarrhoea) are exactly the same symptoms I get when I am really excited about something. Its just the label I give them that differs. So "Feel the fear and do it anyway" and set yourself a few challenges, deadlines or scary commitments.
We are so excited about the year ahead at Larkswold. Through adversity we keep finding silver linings.
Because of lockdown we developed our range of craft kits and virtual workshops for companies wanting to improve their staff's wellbeing. Because we kept blowing the electrics we have a shiny new consumer unit being fitted next week and the Larkswold lads have built a rather impressive electrics cupboard that will also house a swanky (ok, that might be stretching it a little) new toilet and sink for our guests.
Not in a month of Sundays did I think Em would agree to booking The Big Feastival before we have even been open a year and yet she was the one who suggest we should (pretty sure she had either a) been drinking or b) suffered a mild concussion, and so we did and we couldn't be more excited.
A wise Scottish friend once said to me 'Don't ask CAN I, but instead HOW can I?' The subtle shift means you have already decided you will, its just about coming up with a way to achieve it. It cuts out the boring bit in the middle that gets you umming and ahhing about whether to do something or not...WAY MORE FUN!
Friends: They just make you laugh, cry and see things you might not have noticed. A talented teacher friend (with the most awesome wavy ginger hair you have ever seen) drove round and delivered a little bunch of flowers to our local friends yesterday. Such a simple thing, but brought so much love and joy.
Our group's got one who's always sending the crazy YouTube clips, the one that makes Cotswold gin look understocked, the one that keeps us questioning the political decisions being made and the one that proposes tap dancing and virtual choirs and so many more diverse and crazy peeps that have made the tough times just that little bit easier.
I will stop jabbering on and get going on decorating that marquee, ordering more spring bulbs and cutting down willow to make our spring wreaths. Emma's been cutting bunting and putting the finishing touches on our promotional stuff.
Fancy joining us for living wreaths? click here to book
Fancy doing something else? Why not take a look at our list of craft dates for March through to the end of June. PDF download below for your perusal.
Have a great weekend
Emma & Melinda
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