Hi Kim, so lovely to welcome you here. Thanks for reading and for letting me know my words resonated. I love your point of not trying to make sense of a world mid moult. I wonder when sense making is best left alone, certainly something I am not great at, the desire to make sense, am I grabbing for elusive control?
Gillian, I think you’ve named it so well—grabbing for elusive control. That’s the instinct, isn’t it? To smooth the feathers mid-shed, to label the ache before it settles. But maybe the work is just to sit with it. Not fix. Not frame. Just witness.
Sense will make itself known when it’s ready—or it won’t. Either way, the sparrow still sings.
So grateful for your spark. I’ll be keeping that phrase close: when sense-making is best left alone.
Thank you, Kei. There’s something comforting about telling the truth slowly, isn’t there? Like lighting a match in a quiet room. No rush, no need to tidy the mess mid-moult—just enough glow to keep going.
May the doona give you warmth and peace. Such a good idea. Question: Earl Grey scones??? Is there a recipe? My glimmer...chopping wood today. Next to mowing it is great therapy.
Rest is resistance , so you are still participating Gillian, by deeply resting. May your hibernation, be deeply nourishing and restorative to your creative spirit 💖
Oh yes, I’ve definitely been hibernating this last week or so. I even had a total tech detox last weekend and my nervous system was very grateful. I am listening to my body a bit more and only doing things in bite size chunks. Everything seems too overwhelming otherwise.
I definitely linger under the doona these chilly mornings, my glimmer to start the day ☺️
I like the idea of a total tech detox, but another part of me also flinches with anxiety! That must be the definition of totally addicted. Glad you are enjoying cosy mornings. xoxo
Thank you! That touches my heart you missed Lil Bean! I was also wondering how your trip was going, I’m so glad to be connected across the world with you!
Stay cosy and rest. Always do what the body asks of you; wise. High summer here, and I am full of beans. I suffer in winter. We are still creatures, and seasonal.
Creatures all! I’m glad you are full of beans, I’m not sure where I sit with the seasons, I’m trying to find my own pattern as winter is my busiest work season which is at odds with my body but then summer is so hot that it is not conducive to having any beans :). Spring and autumn must be my bean seasons.
I’ve been hibernating from Substack myself and just published a piece after a quiet break from here where composting the self is mentioned as a key ingredient to navigating big thresholds and then your piece was the first thing I read. Thank you 🙏 for being my glimmer tonight, we are so aligned🥰
Wonderful to be in alignment! Good to know others are on the same journey. As the world becomes more chaotic I am finding the dissonance between my awareness and my actions feeling sharper, I’m being asked to reassess the foot I have in the normal world. I’m sitting with it in curiosity, how to still engage with the systems but in an alive way. I’ll look forward to reading your piece. xoxo
I suppose it depends on which ‘systems’ you want to keep dancing with Gillian. After completely withdrawing from all games with the mainstream during my ‘long covid era’ I feel like my recent reemergence is a very different dance now. Time on country just listening and looking has given me new access to my own voice & rhythms again and my creativity is blooming. It’s taken me a couple of years of retreat to hear myself think clearly again though.
I’m glad you are finding a place that feels good. My block is finding a balance of being engaged enough to manage enough $ coming in but not selling my soul to the hustle completely. I don’t really WANT to stay engaged with most of the systems but feel I have to - mmm - probably more food for pondering there!?!
Yes! I'm with you on hibernating and allowing the season for composting. I think our planet will also welcome us slowing right down. Your daughter's earl grey scones sound delicious!
Today I listened to my body and what my body said YES to. I was in bed until about 9am, I wrote a letter to myself in bed (a new delicious experience) and spent most of the day lying in the sun on a rock at the beach. I fell asleep on the rock and was rather disoriented when I woke up! A quick dip in the cold water followed by a warm tea while sitting on the sand.
Sounds like the perfect day! My struggle is that this is my busiest work season which feels totally at odds with what my body is telling me, so I am trying to be as slow and gentle as possible in all the margins!
Oh Li’l Bean, I felt this in my bones. The composting, the doona, the quiet trust in things unseen—yes.
What is this season asking of me?
To stay close to the kettle.
To let the inbox rot a little.
To tell the truth, slowly.
To stop trying to make sense of a world mid-molt.
Your words landed like a glimmer in a very grey moment. Thank you.
Hi Kim, so lovely to welcome you here. Thanks for reading and for letting me know my words resonated. I love your point of not trying to make sense of a world mid moult. I wonder when sense making is best left alone, certainly something I am not great at, the desire to make sense, am I grabbing for elusive control?
Gillian, I think you’ve named it so well—grabbing for elusive control. That’s the instinct, isn’t it? To smooth the feathers mid-shed, to label the ache before it settles. But maybe the work is just to sit with it. Not fix. Not frame. Just witness.
Sense will make itself known when it’s ready—or it won’t. Either way, the sparrow still sings.
So grateful for your spark. I’ll be keeping that phrase close: when sense-making is best left alone.
Hilarious that we find not fixing so hard when honestly most of our fixing seems to go awry!
Ah, you’ve articulated it further for me, Kim. To just sit with it, not fix, not frame. Just witness. Thank you. I needed to read this.
I love this, Kim! What you say about telling the truth slowly and not trying to make sense of a world mid-molt resonates so much! Thank you!
Thank you, Kei. There’s something comforting about telling the truth slowly, isn’t there? Like lighting a match in a quiet room. No rush, no need to tidy the mess mid-moult—just enough glow to keep going.
Happy hibernation, Gillian. Take good care of yourself. 🍲☕
Thank you!
May the doona give you warmth and peace. Such a good idea. Question: Earl Grey scones??? Is there a recipe? My glimmer...chopping wood today. Next to mowing it is great therapy.
Thanks Ian, there is a recipe, I shall ask my daughter for it.
Thanks Gillian.
Rest is resistance , so you are still participating Gillian, by deeply resting. May your hibernation, be deeply nourishing and restorative to your creative spirit 💖
Thank you Susan!
Oh yes, I’ve definitely been hibernating this last week or so. I even had a total tech detox last weekend and my nervous system was very grateful. I am listening to my body a bit more and only doing things in bite size chunks. Everything seems too overwhelming otherwise.
I definitely linger under the doona these chilly mornings, my glimmer to start the day ☺️
I like the idea of a total tech detox, but another part of me also flinches with anxiety! That must be the definition of totally addicted. Glad you are enjoying cosy mornings. xoxo
With you!
See you when we do!
Enjoy the gifts of the season - and big thanks for reminding us all to do the same!♥️
Ha! See you when we emerge:)
I'm so glad you stopped by my Searcher post. I had missed this beauty while I was at sea, what a cozy lil bean.💜
Thank you! That touches my heart you missed Lil Bean! I was also wondering how your trip was going, I’m so glad to be connected across the world with you!
Yes. Knowing when to sink into the quiet is so important. 🪹 🪺 Nesting is good 😊
Stay cosy and rest. Always do what the body asks of you; wise. High summer here, and I am full of beans. I suffer in winter. We are still creatures, and seasonal.
Creatures all! I’m glad you are full of beans, I’m not sure where I sit with the seasons, I’m trying to find my own pattern as winter is my busiest work season which is at odds with my body but then summer is so hot that it is not conducive to having any beans :). Spring and autumn must be my bean seasons.
Loved this and understand entirely. May you get the rest you need—cheers from over here.
Thank you!
Yesss so deeply yes 🙌
I’ve been hibernating from Substack myself and just published a piece after a quiet break from here where composting the self is mentioned as a key ingredient to navigating big thresholds and then your piece was the first thing I read. Thank you 🙏 for being my glimmer tonight, we are so aligned🥰
Wonderful to be in alignment! Good to know others are on the same journey. As the world becomes more chaotic I am finding the dissonance between my awareness and my actions feeling sharper, I’m being asked to reassess the foot I have in the normal world. I’m sitting with it in curiosity, how to still engage with the systems but in an alive way. I’ll look forward to reading your piece. xoxo
I suppose it depends on which ‘systems’ you want to keep dancing with Gillian. After completely withdrawing from all games with the mainstream during my ‘long covid era’ I feel like my recent reemergence is a very different dance now. Time on country just listening and looking has given me new access to my own voice & rhythms again and my creativity is blooming. It’s taken me a couple of years of retreat to hear myself think clearly again though.
I’m glad you are finding a place that feels good. My block is finding a balance of being engaged enough to manage enough $ coming in but not selling my soul to the hustle completely. I don’t really WANT to stay engaged with most of the systems but feel I have to - mmm - probably more food for pondering there!?!
Yes yes yes 🙌 ... as Susan says above, rest is resistance ❤️🌳
Thanks Jackie! Thanks for popping in to say hi!
Yes! I'm with you on hibernating and allowing the season for composting. I think our planet will also welcome us slowing right down. Your daughter's earl grey scones sound delicious!
Today I listened to my body and what my body said YES to. I was in bed until about 9am, I wrote a letter to myself in bed (a new delicious experience) and spent most of the day lying in the sun on a rock at the beach. I fell asleep on the rock and was rather disoriented when I woke up! A quick dip in the cold water followed by a warm tea while sitting on the sand.
Yes to going slow! xoxo
Sounds like the perfect day! My struggle is that this is my busiest work season which feels totally at odds with what my body is telling me, so I am trying to be as slow and gentle as possible in all the margins!
Also, I really love the illustration of Li'l Bean sleeping! x
Thank you!
You’ve described it well, how I’ve been feeling. The real desire to hibernate. Every social activity is a push to engage in.