Open-hearted joys 開開心心 № 22

Capturing the tiny details of my everyday mundane and the small moments that weave poetry to my days.

Sundaze Book Café is the home of everyday magic, joyful living and conversations likely to be had over a hot drink with a friend in your favourite café, capturing the syrup-slow feel and glow of a Sunday. I’m Michelle, and I’ll be your host today.

Happy Friday, my loves!

It’s been an up-and-down week in my world. I’m COVID-free at last, which meant I got to see humans again, and that’s been a real joy for me. Longer dog walks, time visiting one of my cousins, and being back at the office… All wonderful things! On the other hand, I found out early in the week that I didn’t get the internal job that I recently interviewed for. If I’m honest, for many unprofessional reasons, I wasn’t surprised. But I am definitely disappointed and embarrassed and spent much of the week processing things. In rejection, though, I realised that I’m quite content in my current role and that I have a few other things I’d like to achieve outside of work – a novel, for one.

There’s a lot to be said for appreciating the smaller, not necessarily finer, details of the everyday mundane. Here’s to another list of petite, open-hearted joys, the moments that’ve brought and woven poetry to my days, this week.

一. Our Sunday morning walk amongst the bluebells. We’re blessed with ancient woodlands bordering our town, and it’s always the most magical few weeks of April when we can fully enjoy them. Have you been out to hunt for bluebells yet?

二. The drip drip drop of little April showers as I took care of our household chores on Sunday afternoon. There’s something really relaxing and perfect, somehow, about hearing raindrops on windowpanes after a sunny morning spent outdoors.

三. Finally perfecting my roast potatoes at the new house! It’s always a bit of an experiment to get to grips with making roasties a new-to-you oven, but I finally nailed it and we enjoyed a delicious Sunday roast at the weekend.

四. The sight of our Easter eggs all lined up on the kitchen counter.

五. Tending to the new-to-me houseplant that Dad gifted me last week. He gave me a gorgeous Jade money plant that’s an offshoot of the original (huge) one that once lived at our Chinese takeaway shop. The ‘mother plant’ is probably older than me!

六. Cosy evenings in my library room, squirrelling away at my novel.

七. Being able to taste again! We went to one of our favourite country pubs and I had the most delicious warm root veg salad. Made more tasty, I think, by the last two weeks!

八. An evening at my parents, chatting away with my sister in that inimitable way you can only do with your best-friend-and-sibling. It helped to ease some of the complex feelings I’ve felt since moving out.

九. Spring outfits! The fashion journo girlie in me will always live on.

十. 10 hours of sleep. Turns out that work worries and job rejection will make you the most tired human in existence. Sleep is the best remedy.

十一. And a bonus one, since I feel extra grateful for my little life, lately. The sight of swans nesting, swans gliding, swans living at our local lake.

Share a joy from your week in the comments, and I’ll see you again next Friday.