A kitten, a rainbow, and three other things
When in doubt, type the number 1 and keep going
1. Tristan
Early in the summer, our friend Dr. Emily Black (the vet at our local animal shelter) let us know about a hard luck kitten needing a home (if he pulled through) in a few months. He was half the size of his siblings, and had been born without eyes. But he was a fighter!
This was very exciting news. But as an unexpected side effect, for the rest of the summer I worried about this kitten constantly. We went to visit him at the shelter a few times and he was so tiny.
So tiny that there were several times over the next few months when it seemed like he might not survive after all. My whole nervous system went on high alert, as if I could do anything about it.
But he did survive! And on September 25 (our one year anniversary of opening the store) he came to live with us.
He’s having a great time, and has been very adopted by Trixie who was a big part of our inspiration to get him — we felt certain she wanted a baby. But I still can’t stop worrying about him. I wake up every day scared to see if he’s died overnight, and every time I weigh him I get anxious the number isn’t going up quickly enough.
To be clear, I also am delighted by him constantly and love him so much. It’s been amazing watching a blind cat learn a space, and I take a lot of joy out of helping him figure out where everything is. I just wish I could get my my brain to stop spiralling about his health. I keep having random crying jags and falling asleep. It’s very embarrassing!
2. Hallowe’en
Last year (which feels like one million years ago) I was so angry at myself that I didn’t think to host trick or treating here, I’m so excited to do it this year. I’ve even ordered a projector and screen where we will be playing Over The Garden Wall1! Have you seen it? If not, I really recommend it. I genuinely think it is perfect.
Anyway, I really want to do more events like this in our space. I’ve said this one million times, but the vision statement for buying this building was “To eliminate loneliness in Queens County”.2
Truth be told, I struggle to know where to begin with this sort of thing. I’d love for our space to host lively knit nights and letter writing evenings, but I struggle to know what days and times to schedule them for. I’m worried I will choose wrong, and then no one will show up as a result. That’s one worry I don’t have about Hallowe’en! The date isn’t up to me, offering a merciful break from my decision fatigue.
If you want to help us get the word out, feel free to share our Facebook post or Instagram post about the evening!
And if you a local with an idea for an event we could host in our space — either ongoing or something standalone — please get in touch and let me know!
3. Catriona Sturton:
When our lives fell apart in winter 2022, our treasured friend Catriona Sturton offered us her beautiful glass cottage in Lunenburg as a landing pad — she was in Ottawa helping her mom declutter and she simply FedExed us her keys and let us hunker down there for months!
We were staying there when we made the drive to Port Medway for the first time to see this building that is now our home and shop. I was curled up in an armchair there when I eagerly messaged our Realtor Kim Stewart, telling her we'd found this building of our dreams.
We knew that the first live music we hosted in this space would be a performance by Catriona, and we finally made that happen in September. Catriona started her set, she said that her first ever solo tour had been a series of house concerts that she and Jesse Dangerously had done together, with me playing clarinet and tambourine (photographic proof above)!
Of course Catriona’s set was 100% haunting and whimsical and heartfelt and supersonic. You can experience some of it here!
4. Going Outdoors
I struggle to leave the house a lot of the time, I always have. I’m posting this picture to remind myself that I have a pretty magical view (sometimes with bonus rainbow) about a three minute walk from my front door.
5. Innovation:
Exciting and unexpected news! We are joint finalists with our partners galeforce feasts for the Lunenburg Queens Business Excellence Awards in the Rising Star category!
At first glance our little space might seem not to belong in a category with not one but two tech startups. But we appreciate that the nominating committee recognized that innovation is the foundation of what we are doing, too.
Anyone who is reading this newsletter knows that Haritha and I really had to fight to secure funding to start Rosefinch Mercantile & Tea Room. Potential investors particularly struggled to understand that the building would be owned by Rosefinch Creative Inc — which would include my freelance communications work and Haritha's line of alcohol-free cocktails Temperance Tonics (soon to be back in production!).
Haritha and I knew these two already successful ventures could bring in enough revenue to make a brick and mortar business possible. And we've been right! But it took months to find someone who could understand a communications company using their profits to subsidize above average wages and below average food prices in at a café in rural Canada.
When we look back on what we've achieved since we opened our doors a year ago, and teamed up with galeforce feasts in May, we really do feel like rising stars. We have already created meaningful work, meaningful events, and meaningful opportunities for connection and collaboration.
This might sound obnoxious, but I hope our nomination helps shine a light on the fact that no matter how traditional your industry, there are new and values-centred ways to approach each and every part of it.
What is the most unexpectedly innovative thing you’ve gotten to do today?
Our new little kitten is named after two quintessential little brother characters: Tristan Farnan from All Creatures Great and Small, and Gregory from Over The Garden Wall. I call him “Tristan Gregory” most of the time.
