Breakfast Chats: Seasonal Rituals & Movie Dates
And a tv show recommendation
“Breakfast Chats” is a lighter series, where I share short musings and conversational tidbits about life things. It’s a regular, monthly feature that I’ve made open for access, through the year of 2024, to all subscribers, both free and paid.
I spent the entire morning today clearing out my work email and I cannot tell you how satisfied I feel right now because I’ve been able to get my inbox down to just nine emails after months. I feel reborn, hah. Anyway, I just took a coffee break to reset my brain a little and now I’m all settled in to write this month’s Breakfast Chats. Let’s start, shall we?
1. Seasonal Rituals
Last year in winters, I had created a little ritual for myself where I’d make a big pot of chicken broth each weekend and we’d have cups of it throughout the week. Somehow this year, I completely forgot about it, until a few days ago when I was looking through my phone for something and found old pictures of it cooking away on our stove. I instantly wanted some and so when we did the groceries for this week, I also picked up the stuff for the broth and hopefully will make a big pot of it this Saturday.
I love having small rituals for our home, our life. I think in today’s world, we give away our attention to so many things, but I feel our rituals ground us and help bring that attention back to our own selves.
Anyway, I’ve got my stuff and I’m looking forward to an afternoon filled with the fragrance of all the spices and the comforting sound of it simmering away on the stove.
2. Memories You Can Hold
Last weekend there was a little celebration at our place, you may have seen it on my Instagram perhaps, for which one of my friends had made me a flower garland by hand. It was so beautiful, with roses in the most stunning pink-red color, and when I put up a picture of it, someone suggested that I should save it as a memory of that day.
I loved the idea so much that I immediately pulled out a book and pressed a couple of flowers from it. I’m not sure if I’ll leave them dry just like that or DIY something out of them later, but the whole experience of putting them away to rest within the pages of a book and then opening that after some days, is something I’ve always loved.
I used to press random flowers and leaves from my walks at one time and it’s still such a surprise to find them in different books when I’m least expecting them, and because they’re associated with my walks - something that I truly enjoy - they always give me the nicest feeling.
And while these flowers came from a garland, I think it’s also such a great way to preserve an important moment or day when you’ve bought or received flowers; like a birthday, anniversary, a promotion, new family member, a special family lunch. It’s almost like locking away a time capsule, preserving a moment, a feeling.
I’m really excited to see how mine turn out, will check in a few days.
3. Ordinary Life Adventures
Some days ago, Nabeel and I spontaneously decided to watch a movie at a drive-in cinema. It’s winters here so the nights are chilly and so we packed a couple of warm throws, picked up some burgers and fries along the way and settled into a very cosy, couple of hours in the car watching Deadpool & Wolverine.
You know, with your everyday people, it’s so easy to fall into doing things the same way that you always do, that you can forget how even something extremely regular can feel quite special, and for no other reason but the fact that you don’t do it enough.
I think as humans we keep thinking we’ll make the best memories through grander things; travel to another country, a fancy dinner, larger than life experiences. And honestly that is also true, anything done with love does create beautiful memories. But they can also live within regular life things that we just don’t turn to enough.
That day we just watched a movie with food bundled up in a car, it wasn’t something fancy or too extraordinary, but it’s not something we do often and that in itself made it feel quite special.
4. A TV Show I Enjoyed
Anyway, more on stuff I watched this month. I just finished this Australian show called “Fake” which is based on real events and was actually done so well, I wanted to share with you guys. So this woman who’s a magazine editor meets this successful farmer kind of guy on a dating app, they get together, start hanging out. And then each consequent episode builds into a gripping story around how emotional abuse and gaslighting can happen in a relationship. It may be triggering for some so keep that in mind, but the portrayals are really well done, you can practically feel the desperation through the screen. We watched it on Paramount but you can look it up for your location.
5. Weekend Plans
Our last weekend was pretty action packed so I’m really looking forward to a slow one this time. I want to do some cleaning around the house, put up a few things to sell on marketplace, and maybe go for a nice, long walk somewhere. I hope you have a lovely weekend ahead and if not, all my love to you, things do get better.
That’s pretty much it for our breakfast chat. I will see you soon.
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Music Credit: The music in my voiceover background is ‘Milky’ by Ninn Tendo.