The Week the Garden Changed
Tales from the Oak Table 15/52 - Spring Pause, old friendships, and how the garden reminds us to keep growing.
This week’s newsletter arrives just in time, landing on a quiet Sunday evening after the first full week of the school holidays. Rather than recipes and tips, it brings a softer offering.. a seasonal reflection and a moment to pause.
We’ve just returned from a week away in York, where we moved from nearly three years ago. It’s a 250-mile journey north from Devon - no small feat with a family in tow, but always worth the effort. We’re lucky to stay in a relative’s apartment, which makes the accommodation part easy, though the logistics of taking a family on the road are always a bit of a juggle.
York is where some of our dearest and oldest friendships live, those friends you slot back into life with as if no time has passed. There’s something so grounding about being with people who genuinely know you, and who’ve walked parts of your life alongside you. It reminded me of how rare and special those connections are, especially when they haven’t quite been replicated yet down here in the South West.
We were blessed with gorgeous weather, warm sunshine, and not a coat in sight (in North Yorkshire in early spring, no less!). Daffodils were still dancing in the verges, and the magnolias just beginning to bloom and slightly behind our Spring in Devon. I felt lucky to get to see them all in their glory twice!
Coming home late in the evening, we returned in darkness. But the next morning, the garden greeted us with surprise after surprise: tulip heads bowed and opened, the magnolia blossoms giving way to leafy green, the weeping pear tree now dressed in foliage. It felt like everything had changed in just a few days.
It struck me how time can feel like nothing when spent with lifelong friends, yet back home, nature reminds us that time is always moving. That contrast was a little jolt, and also a gentle comfort. We may pause and step away, but the world keeps unfolding, and so do we.
Simple Easter Ideas for the Week Ahead
Rainy Day Nature Mandalas
Use petals, leaves, twigs, and stones collected on a walk (or from the garden) to make nature mandalas on paper or directly on the ground. Take a photo, then let the wind scatter it.
The Smell of Spring
Create a little sensory tray or experiment by crushing herbs (mint, rosemary, lavender), grass, and petals to discover the smells of spring. Pop them in a mud kitchen for ingredients in their next creation.
Create a "Noticing Journal"
Encourage your kids (or yourself!) to start a journal with one simple prompt: What did I notice today that made me pause? It could be a bird song, a feeling, a flower blooming, or a quiet moment.
As we settle back into home rhythms, I’m reminded that even short breaks can shift our pers
pective and refill our cup. Whether you’re staying close to home this Easter week or adventuring a little further afield, I hope you find space to notice the small things.
Wishing you a peaceful, joy-filled Easter, and as always, thank you for being here and sharing the seasons with me.
With love,
Charlotte x
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