little joys and little sorrows #14
reflecting on june: cosy games and sunshine healing the soul, missing art galleries, long hikes that make you ache, searching for a book that will reach the deepest parts of me
hello quiet readers. another end of the month is upon us (seemingly quite quickly?) and so it is time for us to look back and reflect on the month once again. summer is officially here, especially in london right now. as i write this, i am a little sweaty and there is a glass of chilled cloudy apple juice beside me. it was a little gloomy this morning but the sky quickly batted away the dark clouds to show off an almost blindingly blue summery sky. a tree is swaying to my right and a houseplant is leaning towards her. i wonder if they talk at night! i wait for these summery moments every year, and i have yet to be disappointed.
okay, okay, let’s get into the lists.
little joys
i feel like i always start these off with something about you. as kylie minogue would say, i just can’t get you out of my head. your kind comments, our little chats and your support of this newsletter is something i think about daily. i am just so happy to have you here and i hope you’re enjoying little old me pop into your inbox every week
using every opportunity i can to let my skin feel the gentle touch of mother nature. i’ve lost count of how many times i’ve said “shall we sit outside?” with a childlike grin to my partner
he and i went to winchester and saw stonehenge this month, and we stayed in a cabin which was adorable and had the most beautiful garden beyond some double doors. i wrote about it for a friday post here. i still miss the silence
celebrating my best friend’s birthday on one of the most beautiful days we had in june
going for a long hike with c to the point where our thighs just started to ache and loving that feeling
and also the array of animals we saw on the way! two lazy cats, two herds of deer, rabbits, horses and goats, and swapping a pair of binoculars between the two of us to get a closer look at them all, feeling like the only two people in the world as we walked along miles of grass under an empty blue sky that stretched on forever
feeling intensely a part of mother nature and the cycle of life as the herd of deer kept careful eyes on us. i said i was afraid to look away and c joked that it was like the weeping angels from doctor who. my laugh echoed into the breeze
i mentioned this in our subscriber chat but playing hokko life on the nintendo switch has me in a chokehold. it’s extremely similar to animal crossing but i got it for £4.99?! the game also forces you to go slowly and enjoy the pleasures of small town life. yes the villagers are a little creepy looking but just don’t look at them too long and you’ll be okay
why did no one tell me smooth radio has nothing but bops after bops?? feels like a very summer coded radio station
finding a slice of sunshine on your body and holding it in your palms
the joy of sandals. the blissful experience of feeling a breeze along your feet. i never used to wear sandals and i have been thoroughly missing out on such an integral part of summer. it is so freeing
little sorrows
i haven’t been to an art gallery for a while and i think somewhere deep inside of me knows this
i read a wonderful piece from celine nygeun earlier this week but it also made me sad because as much as i love to read, i don’t think a book has ever touched me as deep as proust touched her. i sat with that feeling for a long time after reading her piece. the secret history by donna tartt is probably the closest i’ve come but i don’t think a book, or any piece of art has been able to reach quite so deeply before. but i am still young, perhaps the right piece will come along soon
just knowing the sun is shining brightly outside isn’t enough for me anymore. i have to bask. i have to step my bare foot into the golden pools of it on my carpet. i have to feel it burning the back of my neck. so if i don’t make it outside on a sunny day, i can get a little grumpy
usually i start drafting this with the little joys section but this month i’m starting down here…
i’ve had the shortest cycle known to man this month which means by the time i felt like i was becoming a person again who could stick to her promises and be creative, i felt like crawling into a hole again about 3 days later. not fun
my youtube channel went on an unplanned hiatus without telling me but i am hoping to come back very soon with videos that are easier on my mental health and coincide with my slower-paced journey
one of my houseplants died and i am truly the pikachu shocked meme. my houseplants are always thriving, too much if anything. my monstera is practically climbing out of the window. please, if you would, hold a moment of silence for my little potted plant that has gone to the big tree in the sky
as always, please feel free to share your own little joys and sorrows in the comments as a quick reflection pratice. i always love to hear about them!
i’ll see you next week <3
A I get a lot of joy from listening to music, especially playlists that I curated myself. Recently I listened to one called My 90s Childhood and it was like traveling back in time.
A little joy: I made my second collage logging a book I finished, a practice inspired by you, Candice! It wasn’t as good as the first one (not false modesty, just observation), but it was still supremely satisfying to make—I think because it forces me to remember what I read, find the salient points and the parts that really resonated with me, and then pushes me to find images that match. Soooo fun!!