Slow & Simple Moments | 11.24

As the trees shed their final leaves, we walk on a beautiful amber carpet towards winter; a reminder that soon, nature will bow her head in grateful appreciation, and settle down to sleep.

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.

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How are you feeling right now?

I’m just emerging from what are probably the two busiest weeks of the year for me running the Lichfield Festival of Music, for which I’m the secretary. The same two weeks, every year. It is a huge amount of work, but nevertheless rewarding. But quite honestly, I’m worn out. As the world seems to be winding up for Christmas, I’m very definitely in winding down mode. I’m guilty at times like this of worrying that I’m not keeping up. I feel as if I’m on a constant quest to catch up, even though I never really do. But then, I look outside, and nature reminds me that all is well, that this is the time in the year for slowing down, hunkering down, and for conserving and preserving energy. Spring will come again.

I shared these as a note the other day, and I make no apologies for re-sharing them here. If, like me, you need to hear these gentle reminders right now:

• The cloud will lift and the sun will shine again

• You can only do what you can do, and that’s OK

• Surrender that which is beyond your control

• There is a time for everything in its own season

• Slow and simple living is not a magic bullet to perpetual calm

• Breathe deeply, accepting the moment

• We are part of something far greater, with a past, a present and a future

• There will be time again

If you’ve been busy too, then that very last point might ring as true for you as it did for me. However busy we are in this moment right now, there will be time again, and that time will come. Nature reminds us over and over again, that there is a time and place for everything:

‘To every thing there is a season…
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.’

These words from Ecclesiastes 3 seem to sum this up to beautifully

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November 2024

November has often been described as liminal month; not quite autumn, yet not quite winter. A few lone leaves cling to the evermore bare trees, and we walk with a glorious carpet of amber leaves underfoot. The colours are beginning to fade, and with it, the energy and vibrancy of the world outside. Soon, she will bow her head in grateful appreciation, and settle down to sleep.

And just as when Bagpuss went to sleep, so all his friends went to sleep.

By living slowly and simply, in mindful appreciation of the seasons, we can derive so much wisdom which can gently influence and enrich our own lives in the present. Nature is taking the lead, and in a world of busyness, and one which is only going to get busier in the month to come, we too can be like the mice on the mouse organ, Gabriel the toad, Professor Yaffle, and Madeleine the ragdoll, and settle down to rest.

Here are some of my slow and simple moments from November. I hope they might inspire and encourage you to seek out your own in the months to come.

Castle Ring

It’s true that it’s the places on your doorstep that you’re likely to visit the least (or not at all). This is the case for us and Castle Ring, just a few miles up the road on the edge of Cannock Chase. When we decided to venture there a few weeks ago, we were blessed with the most beautiful display of autumn colours. Evidence suggests that people occupied this ancient hill fort from the Iron Age. It is believed that the site was abandoned during the Roman invasion, but the earthworks nevertheless reveal a hunting lodge, possibly from medieval times, when Cannock Chase was a royal hunting ground.

Which places might you visit that are right on your doorstep? Perhaps there’ll be a surprise in store when you get there?

The First Frost and the First Snow

It feels like we’ve waited a long time, but finally, the first frost came, and with it, several dustings of snow. It has been a bit of a shock to the system, but suddenly, we have been blessed with crisp mornings, bright sunshine and blue skies: sublime nourishment for the soul. This morning, we woke up to a temperature of just -4c, a thick layer of glistening frost everywhere to be seen. None of us knows how the rest of the year might pan out, but this has certainly felt like an early winter blast.

Have you encountered the first frost where you are? Did you have any snow this past week?

Sulking Room Pink

My Word of the Year for 2024 was space, and whilst, as I’ve written elsewhere, that encompasses many different things, it also includes our physical home suroundings. At half-term,

Clementine Barton

and I finally decorated our bedroom. It’s our first decorating project as a married couple, and we’re absolutely thrilled with our new space. We chose Farrow & Ball’s Sulking Room Pink for the walls, on the recommendation of

Gaelle Jolly

(and I know that

Aimée Francis

is using it too) and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Although we’re still living with my parents and don’t have a whole house of our own, it’s been lovely to at least create a little sanctuary and to have a room decorated in the way we choose.

Do you enjoy decorating? It was hard work, but we really enjoyed it and were super-pleased with the results given we’ve never done it before! In fact, we did a much better job than any of the ‘professionals’ we’ve paid in the past (even if we were probably slower!)

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I look forward to seeing which slow and simple moments December will bring. Why not let me know in the comments some of your special moments from the month of September.

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In case you missed it, the autumn edition of A Seasonal Notebook is now out and it’s packed full of things to enjoy through the whole season:

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