Dear Adventurers,

🌞 happy solstice, and happy July! 🐇🐇

tl;dr– things are cautiously on the up. I'm energized. I'm able to work on the computer a little more every day. London Comic Con was revitalizing in so many ways. I am currently healthy (still disabled, obv), and daily limits are still variable, but NHS is taking good care of me. I've added more recipes. The heat wave was killer, but I bought a window AC with the comic con earnings, and am planted in front of it. I feel more in control. I'm pacing myself through July, and am determined to finish this.

Below are more in depth bulleted updates on a variety of things, to skim through what interests you. Thank you, always, for being here, for your support while I make it through this, and you have my best wishes for the upcoming month.

Screenwork:

with my increasing vigor and eye recovery, my ability to work on computer screens is lengthening; which means more consistent progress on the final stages before the print run commences. this is great news.

pacing is still difficult and ability varies day by day, the perma-headache still lingers off and on, but I'm keeping my spirits up as much as I can. I can't tell you how hard the last couple years have been. I know many of you are going through it right now too– I see you. thank you all for being here, and I know I've said it a lot, but your patience and kindness in this has been a crucial part of my recovery; I really appreciate it.

London Comic Con:

a wild success!! miraculously, I got through it without even a hint of illness, not even con crud! I was, obviously, very careful, and am on a lot of medications to help with my immune disorders and everything; so something is working! I overdid it a little with just, being "on" and social for three days in a row, but that was inevitable. Meanwhile, my partner DID contract some horrible sickness that took him out for weeks! yet I still remained healthy, and got to take care of him for once!

Truly, attending LCC filled my heart containers. conventions were once a huge part of my life, and London Comic Con was a dream come true. 

In literally the very last minute, I sold the last of the master editions I brought over from the USA– thank you!! lucky! 🍀

there was no time to sell or make more of my watercolor koroks or goddess statues; so I've listed them in my shop for anyone to adopt instead. I'll post a picture of them at the bottom of this update!

Attending also meant I had a fire underneath me to complete important UK business/tax stuff; now that is all settled, the way is paved for me to continue working here as a self-employed person! this may seem minor, but goodness, what a lot of paperwork and hoops to jump through, I am glad I had the con as a deadline.

I also must mention how incredibly touched I was, in getting to meet a few of you. I won't name names in case of privacy, but I cannot easily express what it meant to me, to meet in real life. It feels like we've been through the ringer together, and to hug you, to see you, to speak directly with you and see the emotion on your face; it was cathartic in an unimaginable way. I have never felt more seen, more cared for. Thank you. It's so hard to write these updates. I struggle every month with them, crying the whole time. I am so disappointed in how long I have taken, so sad. I worry about disappointing people, or worse, making them angry– a reflection of how I also feel, when I intended for this project to bring people together, making food and making merry. To meet some of you in real life, takes away some of the doubt. Thank you for waiting. THank you for your comments all this time; your supportive messages carry me onwards, make it possible for me to update at all, even when I struggle in answering. I read everything, I see every one of your likes, and am overwhelmed in gratitude. if this is parasocial, then it definitely goes both ways– projecting on to me, and my projecting on to you. What a relief it was, to cry together in the middle of the exhibition hall; a moment of connection in the midst of a project riddled with health issues that have been so isolating. I'm so happy we all happen to be alive at the same time, glad for Zelda, for cooking good food, for Kickstarter, in bringing us together; glad that things like this are still somehow possible. I'm going to finish this. I'm working hard. It will be worth it; it is worth it.

Health;

unfortunately I am still disabled(alas!), and work is still effected by that; but I am, miraculously, feeling better as time goes on. not necessarily linearly, but I feel the trajectory is onwards and upwards. it's been just over a year since my last emergency surgery, and I've finally kicked the last of the lingering pneumonia lung issues from earlier this year.

I cannot source a couple of my prescribed medications here; will run out sometime in the next month or so. Figuring this out right now.

Doctors appointments are still frequent, I'm still waiting on some specialist referrals, but doing my old solo physical therapy movements, and will start it in person again, along with occupational therapy, hopefully soon.

Inability to temperature regulate is one of my many long term fun health quirks, and is one of the reasons we're here in the UK now; where typically temperatures are consistent and quite temperate. The heat waves over the last month took me completely out on those days, but were nothing compared to the weeks of 100+ degrees in Denver. I am now armed with a window AC, so I'll keep cool in the future.

I qualified and received my UK access card, a sort of proof of disability card. As always with these things (I had a handicap car placard in the US), it's bittersweet– it will help me get easier access and help at various venues and events, but it's further evidence of my disabilities being Real. official. I know I talk about it more and more, the disability thing, the difficulties– but being disabled is one of those rare minorities that you can join at any time; that all folks eventually join, if they are lucky to live long enough. Having just turned 34, I'm dealing with it earlier than most, but later than some. There's a strength I am growing now, a resilience, that I hope will help me later. As a witness to this; I hope, somehow, remembering this saga will help you some day, when you or someone you love goes through it. That you can keep on, that a good life is still possible, and that we are all deserving and worthy of a good life.

Backer Survey: not yet.

Kickstarter advised me to put off the survey until closer to fulfillment, so I've been prioritizing working on the cookbook over posting it. That said; I know you've been expecting it for a while, and I want to get it out to you– many of you have moved and want to be able to put in your address, and your backer page names; I completely understand, so I've put it back on my list for this month.

Birthday

thank you for the birthday wishes!! I had a lovely afternoon tea and a stroll on the beach with friends visiting from the US.

Hoping you are all keeping cool in the northern hemisphere (breaking out those Noble Pursuits! ...or yigan pursuits! 🍌) or cozy in the southern hemisphere (might I suggest the Chateau Romani?), and enjoying some good food (did you try the Electro Green Curry from the last update??), wherever you are. ♥️

still fighting my way to the castle, Aimee

ps– I have been absolutely riveted by the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. my partner has begged me to read them for over a year, I finally gave it a try, and am now obsessed, on the sixth book. So now I am recommending it to you! If you need a summer read– or especially, if you're looking to get back into reading, try it! It is very modern hitch hiker's guide to the galaxy, dungeons and dragons, hunger games, serious hijinks, if you enjoy rpgs, video games, talking cats– don't be silly, this one is for you. It's a heartening story against impossible odds, with a protagonist who refuses to be broken. We could all use a story like that. The paperback is on sale right now for $18.65, here's a link to it on my Bookshop.org, if you want to support indie! 

...and without further ado; the first new set of adoptable original korok watercolors since last autumn! And further, the first set of little goddess statues, to keep you company while you sleep, work, or play! These are all original, unique, not prints, and are available now in my Etsy Shop, and come signed with adoption papers, from the UK. I find watercolor something I can still do when I can't do anything else; something tactile that my fingers enjoy, that can be relaxing even when the brain fog will not lift, I hope those moments can bring you joy now too.