Banana Bread and Gentle Self-Talk While Waiting for the Cuckoo
Banana Dark Chocolate, Coconut, Chia and Raisin Loaf Recipe - Tales from the Oak Table Tales 17/52
This week's letter is landing with you a little later than planned. I have been in survival mode; procrastinating, feeling overwhelmed, and caught up in that too-familiar tangle of busy days.
But on a quiet walk, I had a lightbulb moment. Things slotted gently back together, and the idea for this week’s newsletter unfolded.
Inside you’ll find some small seasonal ideas to try with your family this week, a little journal prompt to root yourself in the moment, and a fresh twist on an old favourite - "Flo’s Banana Cake" newly adapted by our lovely Flo.
After a warm start to spring here in the Northern Hemisphere, it feels as though we’re already teetering on the edge of summer. The cow parsley is shooting up, the grass grows longer underfoot, rhododendrons are dazzling, and the tulips are fading. I'm still waiting for the first sound of a cuckoo - maybe a little earlier than usual.
At this time of year, it’s easy to feel like time is running away…
A later Easter seems to blur the lines: suddenly we’re hurtling toward the May bank holidays, and calendars are filling with sociable plans, sports matches, and outdoor get-togethers.
It can make you catch your breath. An everyday stress builds into endless to-do lists, revision timetables, and packed weekends.
We start to repeat the familiar self-talk:
"I’m too busy."
"It’s too much."
"How will I get it all done?"
And our bodies respond as if it’s all true, dropping us straight into fight-or-flight mode.
But what if we changed the way we spoke to ourselves?
Sending the Right Signals: Gentle Self-Talk
Our words are powerful signals to our nervous systems.
Instead of feeding the narrative of 'I have too much to do’ and ‘I’m too busy’, we can gently reframe.
You might tell yourself:
"This isn’t my focus right now."
"Today, I’m choosing where my energy goes."
"There’s no rush. I can move at my own pace."
"This is not a priority."
Simple shifts, but deeply grounding ones.
A Small Reminder
“And if you can’t sing, at least try to hum along.
And if you can’t hum, then sit quietly and listen.”
Mary Oliver, Such Singing in the Wild Branches
Singing, humming, and even quietly listening to birdsong are powerful ways to ease feelings of stress and overwhelm.
When we hum or sing, we naturally regulate our breathing and stimulate the vagus nerve, helping shift our bodies out of "fight or flight" mode.
Simply stepping outside and listening to the birdsong, especially at this time of year when nature is so alive, can physically reduce cortisol levels and help us feel safe and more present.
Small Rituals That Help
Here are a few ways you might weave small pauses and care into your everyday..
Rather than feeling we have to overhaul everything at once, we can set up small anchors throughout our day to support a slower, kinder mindset:
Create a Morning Ritual
Set out your favourite mug (mine’s a bluebell one at the moment) with a tea bag, your vitamins, and plan breakfast for the next day.
When you come downstairs in the morning, everything is ready, helping you begin your day with a moment of care, perhaps even stepping outside to drink your tea in the garden.
Leave Little Invitations
Place a book - for you, or for you and your child to share - somewhere visible, indoors or outdoors. A quiet prompt to stop and savour a few moments of reading together or alone.
Stay Rooted in the Season
Bring the blooms that are flourishing on your doorstep into your home. Being grounded in what’s truly happening outside. Helping you stay connected and present to nature’s pace, not the world's hurry.
Set up Wholesome Activities
A simple flower press left on the kitchen table with a few gathered blooms in a jar nearby invites you (and your children) to pause.
You don’t need to ‘fit it in’ perfectly, if it sits there for a day or two, that’s ok. You’ll come to it when you're ready and appreciate it even more.
Top tip: Lay out the activity, whenever you naturally have a little breathing space to set the tone for your day.
Mark Gentle Days on the Calendar
Block out a morning, afternoon, or whole day for presence - just being, not doing.
(Next week's newsletter will dive into ‘micro-adventures’ if you need ideas!)
While you’re there, tackle one small admin task that has lingered.
For me, it was a long, overwhelming list of sports matches saved in an app.
A 20-minute sit in the sunshine with my calendar made all the difference.
Next up for me: my inbox - because clearing mental clutter makes it easier to feel spacious again.
The Heart of It All
It’s not about getting it all done.
It’s about feeling rooted instead of rushed.
It’s about noticing the shift of the seasons, both in the world outside and in the small world inside your home.
Maybe that’s reading a book on the lawn.
Maybe it’s pressing a flower.
Maybe it’s saying yes to the first "picky tea" of the year, eaten outdoors, plates balanced on laps, the evening light stretching a little longer.
There is still time to catch spring’s beauty.
There is still time to move through it slowly, without rushing headlong into summer.
Journal Prompt
Where do I feel most like myself in this season? How can I make more space for that feeling this month?
Flo’s Banana Cake
Banana Dark Chocolate, Coconut, Chia and Raisin Loaf
2-3 Ripe Bananas
1/3 cup of melted butter
1 large egg beaten
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 1/2 cups Self Raising Flour
1tsp baking powder
Drop of Milk
A good handful of dark chocolate chips.
1 Tbsp chia seeds
A handful of raisins
2-3 Tbsps of desiccated coconut
Mix the banana, melted butter, egg, and vanilla mixture, and slowly add flour and baking powder. Add a drop of milk to the mixture. Lastly, fold the chocolate chips, coconut, chia and raisins into the mixture, pour into a loaf tin and bake for 30-35 minutes at 160 degrees or gas mark 3. Test until a skewer comes out clean from the middle. Remove from the oven, cool in a tin on a rack, and then turn out, slice to serve.
It is a simple, comforting bake, the kind you can eat outside on a picnic rug, still a little warm from the oven, with crumbs scattering into the grass…
Let’s listen for the cuckoo, notice the cow parsley, eat banana cake in the sunshine, and reframe our self-talk along the way.
PS: I would love to hear where you are noticing the small signs of the season right now? Or what small rituals are helping you move a little more slowly this week? Feel free to hit reply and share, I always love hearing from you.
Love Charlotte x
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