The Succulents on the Windowsill
An Ode to Succulents, Fantasy About Forbidden Berries and Tiny Monkeys
Hello everyone!
How’s your week been?
Hope you have had a fabulous week.
This week’s piece is all about a tiny thing right here in my flat- something I see every day on my windowsill and love. I will also chat about a great classic fantasy book I read last week, and give you a fun fact about the smallest monkeys in the world. In other words, it’s a pretty standard Mel newsletter 😂
Let’s grab a cuppa and take 5 minutes to focus on the little things! ☕
Mel xxx
The Succulents on the Windowsill
On my windowsill by my desk are three succulents.
They share a pot, a long grey stone oblong, filled with compost then scattered with tiny pebbles the colours of sand and earth.
I love being around plants inside. Any excuse to bring nature inside feels like the line between inside and outside is blurred, and it feels calming to something else growing in a space where you are growing too.
Each succulent is different to the others.
One has broad leaves, outlined in a deep red, the leaves themselves a mix of green and red-ish-purple.
The middle one resembles an anemone. Its tube-like stems all curve and point upwards, each trying to seek sunlight.
Then there is the final one, a much smaller succulent, pointed leaves uniformly in layers in a crown. It is humble and unassuming in comparison to its taller pot siblings.
But then something begins to occur. A rogue long stem protrudes from the middle of this smallest succulent, and reaches higher and higher each day, at least five times larger than the plant itself. Smaller tendrils sprout off it, reaching out into the air.
And then, one morning, I open the curtains to see flowers. Bell shaped tiny flowers, hot pink fading to neon yellow, hanging like a hidden treasure. They are there for about a month, beautiful, delicate and miniature.
And then, one day, just as quickly as they appeared, they finish flowering, ready for the next part of their life cycle. I wonder what will happen to the stem-will it flower again?
All I know is I can’t wait to find out.
What little things do you love in your home?
I want to hear from you!
In line with this week’s main piece, what little thing do you have in your home that brings you joy every day?
Maybe it’s a plant, or maybe it’s a photo or keepsake that makes you smile every time you see it.
What I’ve been reading
Lud in the Mist by Hope Mirrlees
I don’t read that much ‘traditional’ fantasy. By ‘traditional fantasy’ I mean the faraway lands, the magic systems, all of that. Tolkien, George RR Martin etc.
However, maybe I’m now more likely to after reading Lud in the Mist.
Written in the 1920s, this is one of the first fantasy books.
We follow Nathaniel Chanticleer, the Mayor of Ludmist, who one day discovers his son may have eaten a forbidden Fairy Fruit. Taboo in this world, the name of this fruit can’t even be discussed, but is said to send people insane. But how did his son get this fruit? And what happens when his son may not have been the only one to taste it?
Part fantasy, part comedy, part detective story, this story had me enraptured to find out what would happen next.
Perfect for anyone who likes:
📚 Fantasy
📚 Eccentric characters
📚 A little bit of mystery
Also the cover is stunning-look at it!
And finally….a weird animal fact!
Pygmy marmosets are the smallest monkey in the world, and weigh only 4 ounces.
However, despite their size, they can leap up to 16 feet to get from one branch to another!
That’s about 36 times their size- that’s a long way to go for a tiny monkey.
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed-let me know what you think, and what you’d like to see in future editions. If you know someone else who would like it, please share and let’s grow the newsletter!
Can’t wait to hear from you, and have a great day! ☀️