Dear sun-blissed reader,
In Ireland, temperatures over 18°C qualifies as shorts and sandals weather, so throngs of Irish people rummaged through the backs of their closets to fish out their finest summer attire for this weekend.
Here, Spring has hurdled its last obstacle and is racing towards summer gold, with blossoms streaming in its wake. People complain a lot about our damp climate, but on a glorious day Ireland is paradise island.
I was out and about in Galway city on Sunday, and it was at its very best: buskers and performers on every corner and smiling people strolling the curving streets under blue skies with balmy breezes. Queues for the gelato and ice cream parlours snaked out the doors. There was a big GAA match on in the local Stadium1, but for those not on the stands, the pubs were empty in favour of the beer gardens2. People were picnicking on grassy spots or simply hanging out with friends, basking in the friendly rays of our nearby star.
Irish people can exhibit a dangerous lack of regard when it comes to our skin care because we are usually taken aback by the appearance of the sun; I noticed lobster-faced people on the streets after just one day of sunshine.
As I’ve reported multiple times in this newsletter, the sun is going through its most active period in its eleven-year cycle, and at the moment it is determined to remind us fragile creatures on the nearby blue planet who is boss.
According to Spaceweather.com it shot off an impressive four solar flares in one go this morning:
The quadruple blast included three sunspots (small circles) and a magnetic filament (big circle). This is called a "sympathetic solar flare." Sympathetic flares are pairs of explosions that occur almost simultaneously in different active regions. The widely-separated regions appear to be unrelated to one another but, in fact, they are linked by nearly-invisible magnetic loops in the sun's corona. This allows instabilities to rapidly travel from one to another, creating a chain reaction of explosions.
Today's sympathetic flare was not a simple pair but a full-fledged quartet, making it super-sympathetic. So much of the sun was involved, it's likely that at least some of the debris will be Earth-directed.
And yes, we are liable to see a geomagnetic storm during 25th-26th April due to the resulting coronal mass ejections, but it appears as if their trajectory is toward the southern hemisphere (be careful our antipodean friends!). On the plus side, those living in the region are likely to see some spectacular Southern Lights.
One of my regular readers, the lovely Laura W, commented on my recent newsletter about spring cleaning in regards to my shoe situation. Ah, dear Laura, my critical eyes finally surveyed their forms yesterday.
I never thought I had a shoe problem — after all, compared to the likes of Carrie Bradshaw on Sex and the City, I was a frugal footwear buyer— but I’ve had to reassess that supposition after yesterday’s pillage of my shoe stashes.
How many black boots does a woman need? It’s not one pair, it’s not even five pairs, when it comes to my wardrobe. I am a boot admirer, and wear them for much of the year. Living in the countryside in Ireland also makes this a supremely practical preference. I own a heavy pair of warm boots for the coldest part of winter, and when it comes time to don them I’m always so pleased to heave them out of the back of my wardrobe. They were an expensive purchase, and although I’m a bit of a bargain hunter, when it comes to coats/jackets and shoes/boots I consider them worth an investment if they are the best quality.
But when you analyse it by use, there are only one or two pairs of boots that I reach for the most. I own a copper-coloured pair I wear a great deal, so it almost falls into the ‘black’ category because it’s such a staple. I am a fan of wearing boots under dresses, because for me, comfort trumps style every day.3
But, it wasn’t just boots I had to consider: it was sneakers. Yes, I grew up using the American term for trainers4 (plimsolls was something I understood from the pages of Enid Blyton). I don’t purchase shoes to collect and keep in sterile boxes. I’m a ‘buy and wear’ kind of gal. But sometimes you purchase shoes that promise much in the looks department, but deliver badly when it comes to fit and ease. Still, I can’t part with my Wonder Woman Converses. They are not uncomfortable, but there are other options that are better suited most of the time. But they are a hit at a comic book convention.
I was never a fan of high-heeled pinchy shoes — as a tall person I don’t require the extra elevation — but I can rock a wedge shoe since I’m less likely to topple over.
And sandals… I’m somewhat ambivalent. I like them in theory but less in practice since no matter how padded they are at least one section will rub my foot raw.5 Even sandals I’ve broken in during the previous season. For the first week I have to pepper my skin with bandaids to cover up the abrasions. However, when it’s super hot, sandals are the only tolerable option.
Then there are the shoes for around the house: slippers, socks with grips, or nothing at all for the barefoot diehards. The giant, fleecy slipper socks I favour during the autumn/winter require a surprisingly large storage space. How many pairs did I really need? (All of them.)
Yesterday, as I sorted through my various categories of footwear, some of them hiding so far under my bed I was on my knees, head pressed to the floor, stretching to snag them, I came to the realisation that I owned far more shoes than I had admitted. Worse still, I had forgotten about some, because they were scattered in a few locations and some were hidden under others.
I was not in the obsessive range of a shoe collector, but when I assembled all the items together the resulting hillock did not indicate modest restraint.
I braced myself, thanked the shoes for their service, and created a discard pile.
GAA = Gaelic Athletic Association, and in this case a Hurling match was between Galway and Carlow.
Don’t say the COVID era didn’t bring a few positive changes — many food and drinking establishments in Ireland invested in excellent outdoor facilities that work even during our inclement periods, and are wonderful when the sun demonstrates its favour.
There’s a discussion to be had here about style vs fashion and what each means. A dress+boots combo can be a style or fashion choice after all.
As Martin pointed out, ‘runners’ was the more popular term for sneakers in Ireland in bygone days.
Plus, there’s the lack of protection.
Omg!!! Of course I love this!! I was first excited about you discussing the sun but then you mentioned me and the shoes! I'm glad I helped in some way with this and tbh completely-- I adore those converse! I am never not in my converse sneakers and a year ago they walked the roadway at Daytona International Speedway in Florida for the Welcome to Rockville festival.
Hey girl, Kudos on yet another great blog post! You have become my absolute favorite! ♥️
I think you should take to wearing sky high stilettos, Maura! You would look sensational and it would be such a statement!
Listen, you're not alone. I have nowhere to live and I still have ten pairs of shoes. They accumulate!