Surprised to see me in your inbox today? Let me tell you why!
Over the course of July, I set a goal for myself to note down the little things that bring me joy. I often feel like I’ve got a 101 thoughts running through my mind and creating this list forced me to slow down and appreciate the small moments that make up the fabric of our lives.
I had a lot of fun doing this and I wanted to share it with you all.
This is something I’m going to run on a monthly basis so that means you’ll get two newsletters from me at the end of each month - the regular 3pm Sunday newsletter and a sweet 3pm Friday newsletter.
Above all else, I hope this inspires you to create your own monthly musings and I’d love to hear some of your own in the comments below or tag me on twitter @natcrx_.
So, without further ado, here are my 20 things that brought me joy this month:
1: The crunch of fresh sourdough fresh from the oven
2: When the leaves jostle together in the breeze and there isn’t any other sound around.
3: Watching the five am sunlight stream in through your bedroom window and you can see a blend of pink and blue skies.
4: Getting lost in a book because it’s just that good.
5: My parents laughing together.
6: When my dog lays her head in my lap.
7: Finding a gem at a flea market.
8: To sit in the sun and read with no noise around.
9: The smokiness from barbecues.
10: Eating the entire menu of bao buns available at a restaurant.
11: When the weather is the perfect level of warmth that it feels gentle on the skin.
12: Achieving goals that you set in the beginning of the year.
13: Early morning drives and the roads are quiet.
14: Spray of salt water when paddling boarding and feeling the sun on your back.
15: Watching bees dance and bury themselves inside of sunflowers.
16: Watching friends who have known each other for years laugh together. There’s a special bond there and it’s a beautiful thing to observe.
17: Homemade chilli jam
18: Nailing a brown butter chocolate chip cookie recipe and everyone at work raving about it.
19: Irish Connemara smoked salmon. My dad brings back a massive box every time he comes home and it’s what we eat for the next three days with a loaf thick Irish soda bread.
20: Sitting outside in the late evening of a summer night with a book and a glass of wine. Crickets chip, the dogs are quiet, the sun sets so the sky is lit up in brilliant shades of pink and purple and it feels like the very definition of summer is bundled into that night (if that makes sense?)
So take note of your muses in August and let me know what brings you joy in life. It can honestly be anything; sound, sight, smell, feelings. Anything at all.
See you next month.
Such a gorgeous list!
Side note - I am travelling downwards through my email inbox, so read this after your paddle board story (which I also loved!) and I love that there is a joy on here from an otherwise tumultuous and unperfect adventure. That's often how these joys show up for me - sandwiched in between other things that can swallow them up. The trick, as you say, is in the noticing before they disappear.
I love this idea and your list. I completely understand and agree with #20; it does grasp the essence of summer.
A few of mine from this month would be early morning walks across the city when no one is out yet, stumbling across a beautiful garden of wildflowers in a park, an afternoon concert and “aperitivo” on a terraza, and eating as many fresh figs and cherries as I can get my hands on.