In May
Summer starts here! Well, nearly.
Over on my Substack newsletter The Clearing there’s a new subscriber giveaway box for May - see below! - and all annual subscribers receive my free ebook, Notes & Fragments • My latest podcast episode: Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris • Follow @theclearingpod on Instagram for podcast videos and extras • Join my online retreat on 16th May.
The air smelt of summer yesterday. I got up, opened the back door and there it was: the scent of warmth itself, of birdsong, of lengthening days. It was full of wiry, floral energy, the pull toward the ecstatic high of the solstice, the slow surrender to indolence. The bright half of the year was throwing out tendrils, trying to find its footing.
At this time of year, I start to dream of a life spent outdoors, meals eaten on my garden table, evenings spent reading under the parasol until it gets too dark to see. But we are not there yet. When I ventured out this morning in blazing sunshine, the air was still shockingly cold, the bite of a north wind concealed under golden light. I hurried back inside to pull on my coat and scarf.
No matter. There is an optimism to May, a dreaminess. We watch for the signs of summer, just a few degrees away.
What I’ve been up to
It’s been a quiet month for me as I recuperate from my hysterectomy: lots of time spent reading, listening to podcasts, and watching TV. I’m only sorry that it’s all fading away now, and the world is coming back in.
I take a slow walk every day, and can now get all the way down to the sea and back, but only if I have a nap afterwards. Healing is a slow business, and I’m trying to be patient, but in truth I’ve often been frustrated at the gap between what I was meaning to do and what I actually managed.
That’s to say: I’m doing really well. It’s not quite business as usual around here yet, but I’m getting there. By the time June comes around, I’ll be turning cartwheels. Probably.
Recent offerings
A conversation with Gavin Francis about the ways that mental health diagnoses can both help and hinder us.
A journaling prompt I set myself as I came to the end of my hormonal years and met my child self again.
The new season of The Clearing podcast has begun in spectacular form with Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane - listen to the version with ads here.
Paid subscribers to my newsletter get
ad-free episodes delivered to your inbox, as well as a weekly bonus episode - The Mini Break - starting this week.
Take out or renew an annual subscription in May, and not only will you get my special ebook, Notes & Fragments, but you’ll also get a chance to win this month’s giveaway box, which features the usual selection of delicious stationery (Rhodia notebook, refillable ink pen, Writer’s Blood ink, Blackwing pencils) - a signed copy of Enchantment, and our exclusive Clearing postcards and stickers - there is also a beautiful Folio edition of this month’s book-club pick, The Gastronomical Me by M.F.K. Fisher. No need to do anything; we’ll enter you into the draw automatically.
Congratulations to Helen, who won April’s new subscriber draw! A box of goodies will be winging its way to you very soon.
Coming up
Next week, I’ll be kicking off our latest book club readalong - M.F.K. Fisher’s The Gastronomical Me, a collection of essays from 1943 that chart the author’s love affair with good food, while slyly revealing her loves, losses and fears. It’s such an excellent read, and I hope you’ll join us.
On Saturday 17th May, I’ll be hosting an online retreat for my other newsletter, The Retreat. We’ll be resting together, while making contact with the seasonal shift towards summer, and trying to tap into the feeling of abundance that comes with it. More info here.
May notions…
Letting it go. I can’t primp the garden this year. I can’t spring clean. I’m just letting life be.
Ice cream. I’m not usually a huge fan, but right now I’m craving the cold stuff. My favourite flavour is hazelnut gelato with dark chocolate sauce (Kent folk will know this is a thinly-veiled Morelli’s reference), but I’ll give anything a go.
I’m experimenting with chia pudding. I have a feeling this comes to us all eventually. I can’t say I love it, but it’s good enough and has a positive effect on my digestive system.
I adored @andyjpizza’s Right Side Out podcast mini-series, which saw him exploring what it means to be ‘just like’ his estranged mother. A brilliant meditation on ADHD, creativity and outsidership.
I’m also loving Molly’s Naylor’s Making Trouble, a series of interviews with creative people talking about the difficult bits of making work. I think she’s recently joined Substack as @mollynaylor *waves hello*.
If you want me, I’ll mostly be moisturizing myself. Wow, sudden menopause makes your skin dry. I am currently being rescued by Byoma Barrier Repair Treatment, and Mixa Urea Cica Repair, which has worked miracles on my horrifying elbows. I know literally no-one looks to me for skincare recommendations, but just in case you’re desperate and have no access to actual skincare writers.
Until next month, take care,
Katherine
