Brooke! This resonated so much for me (and I’m sure for others) and I’m glad you did share. Sometimes I feel like my slow living process is recursive: I slow down, practice mindfulness, feel grounded and intentional, and then the “living” you describe pulls me back into a racing timeline and to-do list, where even the good things feel like an extra chore. I think sometimes we may even feel shame around not being slow enough (at least I can), so reading this post feels validating. ❤️ Hoping you enjoy your time! My go to for desserts is always to pick up a box of cannolis from a local Italian bakery--ha!
‘Loose neutral linens’ cracked me up! Those bedsheets all styled just so, and the magazines where the family is all in matching loose neutral linens too, and my brain wonders how the conversations went with their kids 30mins before the magazine photographer knocked on their door. That brings me back to reality, it’s just not the real world, we have to let sone ideals float away, just like those Instaworthy linens wafting on the clothesline, when a Southerly buster hits. Thanks for a great read. Oh, and get to Aldi and buy 3 x Key Lime Pie desserts and vanilla icecream and a tin of peaches. It’s the business. When they ask, tell them it’s Uncle Aldi’s recipe.
You are speaking to me, Brooke. 100% everything you say. And I'm glad you posted because I think it needs to be said. I truely believe we haven't evolved to effectively deal with the busy techno filled lives that we now live. Society has evolved far faster than our minds and we are suffering because of it. 🙏💚
When we look so far into the future, it's like we have one foot out the door of our every day. I've been moving about quite a bit and am in the most charming town with everything my heart wishes for, really. And yet, I've found myself feeling like my experience here is somehow out of reach. I realized this is why. I've had one foot out the door trying to figure out what is next. And because of that, I've been missing out on the wonders that are here in each day where I am. I guess that's a long story to say, I resonate with this so much. :)
"When we look so far into the future, it's like we have one foot out the door of our everyday." Woah, so true! I, too, can fall into the habit of focusing too much of my energy on "what's next" and lose my connection with being fulfilled by what's happening now. Thank you for this :)
as i rushed to read this, while making coffee and getting organised to go to an appointment, looking at the time and working out in my mind the best order to do all the things, so as to make my morning as efficient as possible, I realised how I wasn't even really taking in what i was reading and perhaps your writing is speaking to my situation. grrr why is it so hard to do one thing at a time and let go of urgent things to make room for the important things?
Dessert is always some kind of fruit crumble or if you are feeling indulgent a cold rock ice cream situation with a tub of good vanilla ice cream and a selection of things for people to mix in what ever they choose.
Slow is living. Adopt the pace of nature. I’ve been pondering the trees point of view. How it is mathematically perfect, expanding from the Big Bang, withstanding storms and droughts, not analyzing speed & achievements. Just is. At ease and at peace. I try to be this. 🙏
I think focus on the thing that is right in front of you is best advice I was given when my energy gets so scattered that I don’t know where to start. It’s almost as though my mind just doesn’t do busy anymore, so it has to amble gently from one thing to another like a slow moving bumble bee. Anything else is just not cool and sets off alarm bells. It’s taken me a while to listen to that inner voice.
Thank you for writing this - we all need this reminder every now and again! Yes, sometimes the slow comes second to the living, and that's OK. I'm going to make a terrible analogy with walking/running because that's what I was doing this morning just before I read this! - walking is lovely and you can see everything and smell the flowers (and much more my speed), and slow running is also good and sustainable, but sometimes you find yourself running fast - maybe because you're going downhill and you haven't noticed your speed increasing, or you want to run past the noisy tractor that much faster, but you can't keep up that pace for long (at least, I can't!), so you have to actively slow yourself down again. But that doesn't mean the fast run was bad. There was a reason. As long as you can get back to a sustainable pace before you crash! I'm currently having to speed up to assimilate the change in season and routine after the summer holidays, but I'm hoping we can slow down again soon. As for the dessert, I'd second the apple crumble. Easy to scale up and make in advance, with ice cream if it's hot weather and custard if it's cooler outside! And easy to make vegan/gluten free if required!
I reckon a pavlova is a great feed-many option. It's not as finicky as other things on the ingredients front and if it cracks you just chuck cream and fruit on it and nobody is any the wiser 😉
Oh boy, this is me all over. Trying to adopt slow living and then feel guilty because I haven't cleaned out the fridge, tidied the pantry, pruned the garden etc. I find it hard to just sit and watch the clouds go by when a little voice in my head keeps telling me that I should be attending to all these tasks. I find this is when the 1% is handy, I tell myself to just do one of those tasks and I feel better, not so overwhelmed. Thanks Brooke xx
Hey Brooke - think I’m a bit late to the party (as I was having one of those weeks too...) but for the future I have two go to dessert recipes that are great for a crowd. My mom made them for 30 years before I took up the mantle! Banoffee pie; crushed digestive biscuits and butter base, layer of carnation toffee sauce, slices of banana and topped with whipped cream - add some grated chocolate to make it look fancy! The other one is pavlova - Delia Smith has a fool proof, easy peasy meringue recipe from her 1970s complete cookery course book (Google the recipe) - you can make it the day before with whatever fruit you fancy and put it altogether just before eating - always a crowd pleaser x
Brooke! This resonated so much for me (and I’m sure for others) and I’m glad you did share. Sometimes I feel like my slow living process is recursive: I slow down, practice mindfulness, feel grounded and intentional, and then the “living” you describe pulls me back into a racing timeline and to-do list, where even the good things feel like an extra chore. I think sometimes we may even feel shame around not being slow enough (at least I can), so reading this post feels validating. ❤️ Hoping you enjoy your time! My go to for desserts is always to pick up a box of cannolis from a local Italian bakery--ha!
‘Loose neutral linens’ cracked me up! Those bedsheets all styled just so, and the magazines where the family is all in matching loose neutral linens too, and my brain wonders how the conversations went with their kids 30mins before the magazine photographer knocked on their door. That brings me back to reality, it’s just not the real world, we have to let sone ideals float away, just like those Instaworthy linens wafting on the clothesline, when a Southerly buster hits. Thanks for a great read. Oh, and get to Aldi and buy 3 x Key Lime Pie desserts and vanilla icecream and a tin of peaches. It’s the business. When they ask, tell them it’s Uncle Aldi’s recipe.
Went straight upstairs and found this quote after reading your great post:
'Life is 10 % what you make it and 90% how you take it'. Isaiah Berlin
which I take to mean don't bother washing the curtains...
You are speaking to me, Brooke. 100% everything you say. And I'm glad you posted because I think it needs to be said. I truely believe we haven't evolved to effectively deal with the busy techno filled lives that we now live. Society has evolved far faster than our minds and we are suffering because of it. 🙏💚
Remember to tilt! 💜 (and definitely not towards the curtains 😆)
When we look so far into the future, it's like we have one foot out the door of our every day. I've been moving about quite a bit and am in the most charming town with everything my heart wishes for, really. And yet, I've found myself feeling like my experience here is somehow out of reach. I realized this is why. I've had one foot out the door trying to figure out what is next. And because of that, I've been missing out on the wonders that are here in each day where I am. I guess that's a long story to say, I resonate with this so much. :)
"When we look so far into the future, it's like we have one foot out the door of our everyday." Woah, so true! I, too, can fall into the habit of focusing too much of my energy on "what's next" and lose my connection with being fulfilled by what's happening now. Thank you for this :)
You’re welcome! 🩵
as i rushed to read this, while making coffee and getting organised to go to an appointment, looking at the time and working out in my mind the best order to do all the things, so as to make my morning as efficient as possible, I realised how I wasn't even really taking in what i was reading and perhaps your writing is speaking to my situation. grrr why is it so hard to do one thing at a time and let go of urgent things to make room for the important things?
Dessert is always some kind of fruit crumble or if you are feeling indulgent a cold rock ice cream situation with a tub of good vanilla ice cream and a selection of things for people to mix in what ever they choose.
Totally agree with the cold rock style dessert! Grazing platter of ice cream mix ins, sliced fruit, lollies, crushed biscuits, berries - ice cream in bowls... done!!!
Slow is living. Adopt the pace of nature. I’ve been pondering the trees point of view. How it is mathematically perfect, expanding from the Big Bang, withstanding storms and droughts, not analyzing speed & achievements. Just is. At ease and at peace. I try to be this. 🙏
I think focus on the thing that is right in front of you is best advice I was given when my energy gets so scattered that I don’t know where to start. It’s almost as though my mind just doesn’t do busy anymore, so it has to amble gently from one thing to another like a slow moving bumble bee. Anything else is just not cool and sets off alarm bells. It’s taken me a while to listen to that inner voice.
Thank you for writing this - we all need this reminder every now and again! Yes, sometimes the slow comes second to the living, and that's OK. I'm going to make a terrible analogy with walking/running because that's what I was doing this morning just before I read this! - walking is lovely and you can see everything and smell the flowers (and much more my speed), and slow running is also good and sustainable, but sometimes you find yourself running fast - maybe because you're going downhill and you haven't noticed your speed increasing, or you want to run past the noisy tractor that much faster, but you can't keep up that pace for long (at least, I can't!), so you have to actively slow yourself down again. But that doesn't mean the fast run was bad. There was a reason. As long as you can get back to a sustainable pace before you crash! I'm currently having to speed up to assimilate the change in season and routine after the summer holidays, but I'm hoping we can slow down again soon. As for the dessert, I'd second the apple crumble. Easy to scale up and make in advance, with ice cream if it's hot weather and custard if it's cooler outside! And easy to make vegan/gluten free if required!
Oh, this has been me lately. I don't want to be busy, or talk on about it, but everything just happened. I think I see quiet times ahead. xx
I reckon a pavlova is a great feed-many option. It's not as finicky as other things on the ingredients front and if it cracks you just chuck cream and fruit on it and nobody is any the wiser 😉
Oh boy, this is me all over. Trying to adopt slow living and then feel guilty because I haven't cleaned out the fridge, tidied the pantry, pruned the garden etc. I find it hard to just sit and watch the clouds go by when a little voice in my head keeps telling me that I should be attending to all these tasks. I find this is when the 1% is handy, I tell myself to just do one of those tasks and I feel better, not so overwhelmed. Thanks Brooke xx
Hey Brooke - think I’m a bit late to the party (as I was having one of those weeks too...) but for the future I have two go to dessert recipes that are great for a crowd. My mom made them for 30 years before I took up the mantle! Banoffee pie; crushed digestive biscuits and butter base, layer of carnation toffee sauce, slices of banana and topped with whipped cream - add some grated chocolate to make it look fancy! The other one is pavlova - Delia Smith has a fool proof, easy peasy meringue recipe from her 1970s complete cookery course book (Google the recipe) - you can make it the day before with whatever fruit you fancy and put it altogether just before eating - always a crowd pleaser x
Five days late to reading this...and I loved it!
I hope you spent your weekend in a swishy dress inhaling jasmine flowers with dirty curtains! :D
As always, thank you for your honest and heartfelt words. You always seem to write exactly what I need to read.