It’s been a slow week for me, but here are some small things I’ve enjoyed: listening to the birds singing just before dawn; watching the dappled sunlight reflect the new spring leaves on my bedroom wall; reading at the kitchen table; savoring chocolate ice cream in the evenings; and listening to vintage music from the 30s and 40s.
Your slow moments sound delightful and peaceful. I've been enjoying the May birdsong too ❤️ The chocolate ice cream reminds me to have my first mint choc chip of the season!
I've been really struggling to be still lately. I don't know if I happen to have a surplus of energy at the moment, or if it's just my anxiety bubbling up to a point where I basically can't sit still for 5min - probably the latter. I've been trying not to judge myself too much about this though, and also trying to make sure I get some rest, even if it means just lying down for 10min 'cause I'm too restless to actually try to nap. I miss being more slow and deliberate in my actions, but I'm promising myself some very deserved chill time in the coming months: an actual vacation after more than 5 years, and I'm soooo looking forward to it! Loved reading about your slow moments, and I'm curious: what is the name of this band you've mentioned? Your descriptions immediately made me want to listen to it! <3
Hey Ally, I can relate to what you said about feeling too anxious to take a nap. This was my default setting for yeeaars. All I wanted was to be able to nap 😢 It took a lot of trial and error but I eventually found things that helped calm my nervous system, and from there I've been able to slow down and enjoy a gentler pace. It's definitely not as easy as simply 'slowing down' when your thoughts go a mile and minute! I hope your vacation helps <3
The name of the band is Saor (pronounced 'Soor' - it's a Gaelic word that means 'free' 😊)
This week is the beginning of the short lived morel mushroom season where I am. I have been spending more time than usual in the woods, slowly picking my way through dead logs and leaf cover in search of them. No luck yet, but it has been a glorious May to be out in the woods for hours, enjoying the sun filtered through trees and the bright birdsong so sorely missed for months.
Ohh, this sounded idyllic. Even without the mushrooms, quality time in the May wood feels invigorating after a long winter. I'm so glad you got to enjoy the sunlight and birdsong.
“Having the courage to disappear”. I’ve been feeling so much of this myself, lately. Your words of courage have aided in my ever-deepening perspective. Thank you for all you share with us.
Sometimes it feels like visibility is essential to success, which is why I think many of us fret over not 'showing up' online. But I'm starting to feel that there's a quiet power in slipping under the radar! At least until I feel I can 'show up' simply as me, rather than the fraught creator who is only posting to stay 'relevant'.
Being on the sea is the one place on Earth that I totally and completely relax Kate. Not too long ago while out sailing, my wife and I saw dolphins, seals and a migrating whale swimming right past the boat. At that moment I thought, oh yes, this is how God meant us to live around nature.
Ah, that sounds magical Wayne! Not quite as wondrous as dolphins, seals, or whales, but I had a stonefly rest on my hand today while I was admiring the pond in the nearby park ✨
Beautiful. I felt such a freedom when I finally let go of the grip Instagram and posting everyday had on me. Now I just show up when I want (albeit to a much less engaged audience) and that's what feels good to me currently. Besides, Substack brings me so much more joy these days. I love the slow moments you shared, especially cycle syncing as I've been getting into that too lately!
Instagram had me in chokehold! It sounds so silly to say it, but I felt stressed if I didn't post for a few days. Now I think its been...months? Already I feel much lighter. Glad you're getting into cycle synching too! Acknowledging that I don't have the same energy levels week to week has already simplified my life.
Oh it totally had me in a chokehold too, I get it! You feel like you're keeping up with the Jones' over there. I feel much lighter too! And yes, cycle synching is a game changer!
I’m so glad to read of your quiet adventures. It’s so important to disconnect from social media so we can actually live life. I’ve been on a similar wavelength lately. 💗
We ate dinner outside last night and it was so peaceful. I’m loving being on the cusp of summer, even though heat and I don’t get along. I’m deleting IG for the summer and am so looking forward to it.
Eating dinner outside is one of life's little joys :) I've managed a few evenings in the garden, despite the weather in Scotland still being chilly and unpredictable!
“Pages to treasure, not measure” is just amazing. I’ve never been a fast reader and I’m able to take in everything better when I read at a slower pace.
How lovely! I have felt called to sink deeply this season as well. I am un-planting the choking grass, buttercups, hawkweed, and bishop's weed in my garden, making room for the wanted lady's mantle and other foods and medicinals: slowing down to the level of the soil. I can really relate to your river walks. I spent a year and a day visiting the small river that runs through my neighborhood and that river became my friend, elder, and teacher. Every day, I brought a gift of a prayer, a story, meaty bones to help the birds last the winter, and in turn, she gifted me wisdom, serenity, and story. I love that you are giving yourself permission to slow down in the face of society's pressure to live fast-paced and productive.
There's something special about knowing one place intimately. It almost becomes a part of you - or you are a part of it, perhaps! I love the idea of bringing bones to feed the birds in the winter
Oohh this post gave me a lot to ponder upon... "treasure, not measure". I enjoy logging my reading on Goodreads so that I can look back at it like a diary, but I've found myself not leaving ratings a lot of the time (with the exception of indie books as I know the rating helps the author especially!), because I find it so difficult to 'measure' my enjoyment of a book. An emotional response is difficult to distill into a numerical grade. As for gently stepping away from Instagram, I can completely understand that. Where you've felt the tug to 'retreat', lately I've felt the pull to 'share', so I'm following that for now. I do love how your Substack feels like a little secret corner of the forest where we can huddle and whisper about what our souls feel, without the watching eyes and unnatural mechanisms of large, chaotic platforms. As I sip my coffee and type this, it feels almost as though I were writing a letter to a favourite author (which is essentially the case!), and that is a lot more 'wholesome' than how Instagram can sometimes feel, right?
You get it, Katie! I know I'll feel the pull to share again but for now I'm content sitting on my mossy toadstool in the heart of the forest, singing away to myself - and I'm eternally grateful for the company of magical fellow fairies like you 🧚🏻♀️✨
My slow down routine is very early mornings reading when everything is total silence, 30 minutes of daily meditation and just sitting on my little sailboat sipping coffee at first light. Those are the moments I steal to let my batteries recharge.
Oh the cycle syncing- such power in our bodies to change how we see the world. Wonderful and yet I do find myself sometimes frustrated by it, longing to live on an even keel for just a little longer
“How many pages, hours, years are lost waiting for an answer? Better to begin with doubt in my heart than never begin at all.” - this hit me so hard. I love this concept of waiting for an answer, not feeling like we have to find it before we begin. Absolutely beautiful.
It’s been a slow week for me, but here are some small things I’ve enjoyed: listening to the birds singing just before dawn; watching the dappled sunlight reflect the new spring leaves on my bedroom wall; reading at the kitchen table; savoring chocolate ice cream in the evenings; and listening to vintage music from the 30s and 40s.
Your slow moments sound delightful and peaceful. I've been enjoying the May birdsong too ❤️ The chocolate ice cream reminds me to have my first mint choc chip of the season!
I've been really struggling to be still lately. I don't know if I happen to have a surplus of energy at the moment, or if it's just my anxiety bubbling up to a point where I basically can't sit still for 5min - probably the latter. I've been trying not to judge myself too much about this though, and also trying to make sure I get some rest, even if it means just lying down for 10min 'cause I'm too restless to actually try to nap. I miss being more slow and deliberate in my actions, but I'm promising myself some very deserved chill time in the coming months: an actual vacation after more than 5 years, and I'm soooo looking forward to it! Loved reading about your slow moments, and I'm curious: what is the name of this band you've mentioned? Your descriptions immediately made me want to listen to it! <3
Hey Ally, I can relate to what you said about feeling too anxious to take a nap. This was my default setting for yeeaars. All I wanted was to be able to nap 😢 It took a lot of trial and error but I eventually found things that helped calm my nervous system, and from there I've been able to slow down and enjoy a gentler pace. It's definitely not as easy as simply 'slowing down' when your thoughts go a mile and minute! I hope your vacation helps <3
The name of the band is Saor (pronounced 'Soor' - it's a Gaelic word that means 'free' 😊)
This week is the beginning of the short lived morel mushroom season where I am. I have been spending more time than usual in the woods, slowly picking my way through dead logs and leaf cover in search of them. No luck yet, but it has been a glorious May to be out in the woods for hours, enjoying the sun filtered through trees and the bright birdsong so sorely missed for months.
Ohh, this sounded idyllic. Even without the mushrooms, quality time in the May wood feels invigorating after a long winter. I'm so glad you got to enjoy the sunlight and birdsong.
“Having the courage to disappear”. I’ve been feeling so much of this myself, lately. Your words of courage have aided in my ever-deepening perspective. Thank you for all you share with us.
Sometimes it feels like visibility is essential to success, which is why I think many of us fret over not 'showing up' online. But I'm starting to feel that there's a quiet power in slipping under the radar! At least until I feel I can 'show up' simply as me, rather than the fraught creator who is only posting to stay 'relevant'.
Being on the sea is the one place on Earth that I totally and completely relax Kate. Not too long ago while out sailing, my wife and I saw dolphins, seals and a migrating whale swimming right past the boat. At that moment I thought, oh yes, this is how God meant us to live around nature.
Ah, that sounds magical Wayne! Not quite as wondrous as dolphins, seals, or whales, but I had a stonefly rest on my hand today while I was admiring the pond in the nearby park ✨
That moment was magical. Nature and the universe reaching out and acknowledging your presence and saying hello. Proving you are a part of it all.
Beautiful. I felt such a freedom when I finally let go of the grip Instagram and posting everyday had on me. Now I just show up when I want (albeit to a much less engaged audience) and that's what feels good to me currently. Besides, Substack brings me so much more joy these days. I love the slow moments you shared, especially cycle syncing as I've been getting into that too lately!
Instagram had me in chokehold! It sounds so silly to say it, but I felt stressed if I didn't post for a few days. Now I think its been...months? Already I feel much lighter. Glad you're getting into cycle synching too! Acknowledging that I don't have the same energy levels week to week has already simplified my life.
Oh it totally had me in a chokehold too, I get it! You feel like you're keeping up with the Jones' over there. I feel much lighter too! And yes, cycle synching is a game changer!
I’m so glad to read of your quiet adventures. It’s so important to disconnect from social media so we can actually live life. I’ve been on a similar wavelength lately. 💗
I agree Caitlin. Happy to hear you've managed to disconnect and enjoy slow, simple moments too 💗
We ate dinner outside last night and it was so peaceful. I’m loving being on the cusp of summer, even though heat and I don’t get along. I’m deleting IG for the summer and am so looking forward to it.
Eating dinner outside is one of life's little joys :) I've managed a few evenings in the garden, despite the weather in Scotland still being chilly and unpredictable!
“Pages to treasure, not measure” is just amazing. I’ve never been a fast reader and I’m able to take in everything better when I read at a slower pace.
I'm a slow reader too, Kayla. And a slow writer and driver 😅
Omg, same! Lol. Nothing wrong with that! 😊
Offline has never been so tempting. More slow moments for me from now on. Thank you for this.
I used to see the online world as an escape from reality...but now everyone's online I find myself escaping by going offline!
I feel the same, always escaping into a book.
How lovely! I have felt called to sink deeply this season as well. I am un-planting the choking grass, buttercups, hawkweed, and bishop's weed in my garden, making room for the wanted lady's mantle and other foods and medicinals: slowing down to the level of the soil. I can really relate to your river walks. I spent a year and a day visiting the small river that runs through my neighborhood and that river became my friend, elder, and teacher. Every day, I brought a gift of a prayer, a story, meaty bones to help the birds last the winter, and in turn, she gifted me wisdom, serenity, and story. I love that you are giving yourself permission to slow down in the face of society's pressure to live fast-paced and productive.
There's something special about knowing one place intimately. It almost becomes a part of you - or you are a part of it, perhaps! I love the idea of bringing bones to feed the birds in the winter
Oohh this post gave me a lot to ponder upon... "treasure, not measure". I enjoy logging my reading on Goodreads so that I can look back at it like a diary, but I've found myself not leaving ratings a lot of the time (with the exception of indie books as I know the rating helps the author especially!), because I find it so difficult to 'measure' my enjoyment of a book. An emotional response is difficult to distill into a numerical grade. As for gently stepping away from Instagram, I can completely understand that. Where you've felt the tug to 'retreat', lately I've felt the pull to 'share', so I'm following that for now. I do love how your Substack feels like a little secret corner of the forest where we can huddle and whisper about what our souls feel, without the watching eyes and unnatural mechanisms of large, chaotic platforms. As I sip my coffee and type this, it feels almost as though I were writing a letter to a favourite author (which is essentially the case!), and that is a lot more 'wholesome' than how Instagram can sometimes feel, right?
You get it, Katie! I know I'll feel the pull to share again but for now I'm content sitting on my mossy toadstool in the heart of the forest, singing away to myself - and I'm eternally grateful for the company of magical fellow fairies like you 🧚🏻♀️✨
My slow down routine is very early mornings reading when everything is total silence, 30 minutes of daily meditation and just sitting on my little sailboat sipping coffee at first light. Those are the moments I steal to let my batteries recharge.
Those moments sound so perfect, Wayne. Especially coffee on the sailboat! I've always found being near water to have a calming effect 😊
Oh the cycle syncing- such power in our bodies to change how we see the world. Wonderful and yet I do find myself sometimes frustrated by it, longing to live on an even keel for just a little longer
I know what you mean. The luteal phase runs roughshod over my emotions every month!
Beautiful writing. The tree peering into the river... lovely.
Thank you Jill. Your kind words about my writing mean a lot ❤️
“How many pages, hours, years are lost waiting for an answer? Better to begin with doubt in my heart than never begin at all.” - this hit me so hard. I love this concept of waiting for an answer, not feeling like we have to find it before we begin. Absolutely beautiful.
Aw, thank you Kerani. I'm so glad my words resonated with you ❤️