Slow & Simple Moments | 04.25
With April's arrival, growth is all around us, and with it, a simple gratitude for a life well-lived. It is ours for the taking if we are willing to slow down and notice.
Welcome to Rediscover · Reconnect · Re-Emerge. If you find the fleeting changes of modern life wearisome, maybe even overwhelming, join me on a journey, a path well-trodden, as I share heartfelt and often nostalgic reflections on living slowly, simply, and in tune with the seasons.
In this series, I share some of the things I’ve been getting up to, places I’ve been, and other beautiful and special slow and simple moments from the past month.
April, and with its arrival, suddenly the natural world has come alive again. The colours, once dormant, then muted, have put on a dazzling display. First the daffodils, then the tulips, the pansies, irises and dicentra; soon the alliums and roses. If nature puts on the most magnificent display of fireworks, this is at least the warm-up.
Inevitably, the glorious spring weather, the warmth and sunshine which we were blessed with in early April, gave way to something cooler and more subdued. At times like this, the garden, ceaseless in its growth and colour, still fills us with joy. The welcome drizzle was a joyous thing after such a long, dry spell; a beautiful reminder that just like us, the garden craves nourishment. Even a short spell of drizzle brings the greens of the garden to life, and just like us, a reminder to not overlook the small, tiny moments of nourishment to be found in the beauty of the everyday.
In Sonnet 98, Shakespeare wrote:
April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.
It’s true, the awakening of spring, of life renewed and refreshed, feels youthful. It offers us hope and vitality, that once again, we might scurry through the fields, leap across streams, and lie amidst the wildflowers in a rewilded sense of homecoming.
We’ll gather lilacs in the spring again,
and walk together down an English lane
It’s hard not to be moved by the nostalgia these words of Ivor Novello paint. The lilacs come once more, and those English lanes are suddenly alive and resplendent in their ceaseless return. In spring, perhaps more than any other season, we are blessed with a youthfulness which nurtures and nourishes us in mind and body: true food for the soul.
As the natural world comes to life, it draws us forward with the expectant hope of summer. It’s easy to get caught up in a race towards the next season, but learn to savour the tiny moments in the everyday, observed with peace and calm, and we can ground ourselves in gratitude for being part of something bigger.
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April 2025
This month especially, I’ve been reminded of the simple joys which, in our busy world, are so often missed:
The sudden but silent appearance of a robin sitting beside you on a garden fence.
The gentle pitter-patter of raindrops on the roof.
The first, tiny bud on the rosebush.
Growth is all around us, and with it, a simple gratitude for a life well-lived. It is ours for the taking if we are willing to slow down and notice.
Here are some of my slow and simple moments from April. I hope they might inspire and encourage you to seek out your own in the months to come.
Blossom
This year, the blossom has been simply magnificent. The beautiful pastel colours, every shade of pink and white imaginable, put on one of nature’s greatest shows. Perhaps it is nature’s way of saying it’s spring: I’m here; savour every moment.
Have you enjoyed the blossom this year? Which are your favourite trees and colours?
Hot Cross Buns
I adore the annual ritual of making hot cross buns. As time passes, it seems to come round alarmingly quickly, yet in its arrival once more, it offers a sense of welcome continuity in a changing world. Doyenne of 20th century cookery, Elizabeth David writes that hot cross buns first became popular in Tudor times, and following a decree from Elizabeth I in 1592, they were only to be offered for sale on the Friday before Easter, and at Christmas.
David reported that in 1972, a letter appeared in the Daily Telegraph stating that rather than being a Good Friday tradition, it was the consumer who was both hot and cross at being expected to pay 2p per bun: double the cost of the same pre-decimalisation!
These hot cross buns were homemade, so I have no idea how much they cost. They were, nevertheless, absolutely delicious!
Hot cross buns divide opinion: do you enjoy them? Fresh or toasted?
St George’s Gardens
Both here on Rediscover · Reconnect · Re-Emerge, on the A Life More Creative website, and over on Instagram, I write predominantly about slow, simple and seasonal living. You might then say that London isn’t conducive with that, that in fact, it personifies the exact opposite. For those who bemoan the noise and crowds of London, I would gently challenge you to seek out the real London; the hidden places where sanctuary and solace might be found.
For me, one of those is St George’s Gardens. The land was originally bought in 1713 to provide a joint burial ground for St George’s, Bloomsbury, and St George the Martyr, Holborn. Found confusingly in the Parish of St Pancras, it fell out of use in 1855 and was Grade II* listed in 1987. It opened as a public park in 1885. It is a peaceful sanctuary with beautiful planting, trees, benches, and a ceaseless parade of birds and wildlife. Not bad for five minutes walk from the Euston Road.
I look forward to seeing which slow and simple moments May will bring. Why not let me know in the comments some of your special moments from the month of January.
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This Spring has been wonderful hasn't it, helped of course by the gorgeous weather we've had.
I enjoyed learning a little about the history of St George's Garden. It's good to know that even in busy areas like London, places of solitude can be found.
This year we have had such a splendid 'Spring.' Last year was very wet so I have made the most of it these last two months by getting outside when I can. Love the writing about St. George's Garden, history and wildlife to be found in the busiest of cities. I feel quite sad Spring is almost over!