Hello everyone!
Hope you have had a fabulous week.
Somehow this is the tenth post I’ve done! Simultaneously, it now feels like something I’ve always done and also ‘wow how is this the tenth post?!?’. Time is weird.
For anyone after a gardening update-the potatoes and strawberries have been ready to harvest this past couple of weeks-and have been amazing. Can’t wait to see what else we can grow.
This week’s post is celebrating one of my favourite things to do in summer time- I’d love to hear yours.
Let’s grab a cuppa (or an ice cream-it’s warm) and take 5 minutes to focus on the little things! ☕
Mel xxx
The Best Summer Activity
It’s finally time.
I’ve been thinking about it for weeks as the wet weather continued. Each time there’s a bit of sunshine I’d go for a walk, but know the ground was too wet to sit outside, just yet.
Then, the time finally comes.
The sky is a blanket of blue. I focus on work in the morning to ensure I can get out there. There’s still a slight coolness in the air, and I take a cup of tea in my flask, my cardigan too in case of shade. Picking up my book and adding it to the tote bag, I wander outside.
I choose my spot in a secluded area of the park, surrounded by rhododendron bushes. Trees reach far above me, providing shade if I need it. Even though it is near the city centre, the road sounds feel a little more muted here.
I sit down and feel the soft grass on my legs. I wonder if it’s still a little damp, but at this point I’ve committed. All I want to do is sit and read. I open the book and calm washes over me. I smile to myself, focus in and sink into the pages, the smell of pollen in the air. Occasionally, I’m distracted as an ant crawls across my leg, or a shield bug says hello. I brush them away, and let them get back to their day. And I carry on.
Crows join me as I read, landing near me in the grass, then bouncing along, cawing and searching the ground for snacks.
I want to stay here forever but instead I just appreciate the moment, this time, connecting to nature and absorbed in a book.
Reading outside is a paradise.
What I’ve been reading
Ravine by Yoshikichi Furui (Translated by Meredith McKinney)
Bought as a gift for me from Japan, I loved this short story collection.
The four short stories here are deep and meaningful, the kind you want to take your time with and read over and over again, combing for meaning- you know there is more than what is said in those few words. From urban crowds to climbing mountains, Furui takes the everyday and takes it to a new level, creating something that feels surreal in its realness.
Perfect for anyone who likes:
📚 Fiction in translation
📚 Short stories
📚 Stories taking the real and making it feel surreal
And finally….a weird animal fact!
Koalas have very ‘human’ fingerprints!
Yep, it’s true! Despite being a very different creature to us, and the only non-primate to have fingerprints, theirs are so remarkably similar to ours that in Australia they can potentially contaminate crime scenes!
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! ☀️