Win of the week: Enjoyed more time outdoors

Looking forward to: Receiving my holds from the library

a week’s worth of shōkakkō

What is shōkakkō? 小確幸 (shōkakkō) translates to ‘a small but certain happiness’. This term, coined by Japanese writer Haruki Murakami, first appeared in his 1986 essay Afternoon in the Islets of Langerhans.

Shōkakkō refers to the tiny, diminutive pleasures in life. Consisting of kanji characters 小 (small), 確 (certain), and 幸 (fortune/happiness), this philosophy is about the small, simple, ephemeral joys found in the ordinary and mundane that can bring delight and happiness.

Sunday: Laughter and connection between friends

We had dinner at A & R’s house and we all had such a pleasant time. The kids got along and played together beautifully. It was a hubbub of laughter, babbling, and shouting. We talked about our lives lately, home education, mental and physical health, and so much more. The kids got especially giddy and rowdy during dessert time. It was fun to connect with friends and experience the joy of sharing food together.

Monday: A bowl of berries with whip cream

Blueberries with a generous topping of whip cream is a tiny feast for the eyes and palate.

Tuesday: The warmth of sunshine on my face

Felt like we experienced a proper warm spring day (I’m typing this as it’s just begun to snow…oh well)

Wednesday: The smell of fresh pine tree needles

We have a big pine tree in our front yard. We snapped pine tree needles in half to smell the fresh, woody scent.

Thursday: Max laying on his stomach playing with his toy car

An absolute joy to see him so absorbed in his own world. He’s just moving the toy car back and forth and that’s entertaining for him!

Friday: Holding hands and walking to the playground

I took the kids to the playground for a bit to let Nigel have some peace and quiet in the house. I want to remember holding the kids’ hands; I want to remember their heights, how they grip my fingers, how they waddle and jump. I want to remember the magic of these ordinary moments.

Saturday: Sitting at the dining table with my books, Hobonichi Weeks planner, index cards, pocket notebook, Muji pen, and cup of tea

A sweet haven, surrounded by the things I love. I read, I write down notes or words I want to look up in the dictionary, I sip my tea, I journal. The kids are playing in the background. I am invisible. This is nice.

what we did

• Returned items back to the grocery store
• Had a really lovely time at the library; nobody else was there so we had the whole library to ourselves
• Picked up Nana’s gift for Max — a bag of tiny vehicles. His favourite is a red and blue fuel truck. He likes to carry it around wherever he goes
• Did some drawing with the kids. We tried out the dot markers the kids got as a Christmas gift from A & R
• Experienced warm temperatures, really felt like spring has sprung even though there’s still ice and snow here and there
• Hung out on our front porch and basked in the warm sunshine most mornings; played with chalk, picked up rocks, pinecones, sticks, and twigs. Made pretend campfires and roasted pretend marshmallows
• Enjoyed post-nap walks around the neighbourhood
• Max caught a cold mid-week. Elora now has his cold
• Purchased a few clothing items for the kids
• Went to the playground a couple of times
• Went to the dentist to put in my crown
• Nigel went to Pre-sanctified Liturgy, returned the mattress and fitted sheet, and picked up some groceries
• Couldn’t go to our parish’s psanky event. Stayed home and had a slow, sick day.

content consumption

Reading — Books

Finished: The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Currently: A Thousand Feasts by Nigel Slater

Currently: Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy — I’m rereading a beloved book of mine. It’s been almost 14 years since I read it for the first time! I still have my copy; there are lots of sticky notes and highlighted passages so it’ll be interesting to see what I found important enough to annotate back when I was 14 lol

Reading — Articles

Harry Styles’ interview on running — I only read this because I was interested in Haruki Murakami lol I think there is great wisdom to be taken from living an ordinary life; a daily life that has rhythm and routine. A structured and orderly life doesn’t necessarily impede upon one’s creative life, it may even enhance it.

On Being Ordinary by Emma Gannon — Read a free article from The Hyphen and really enjoyed it. This is something I’m learning to embrace; being ordinary and settling quietly whilst also embracing a sprinkling of the unpredictable extraordinary.

Watching

The Godfather dir. Francis Ford Coppola (1972)

The Godfather Part II dir. Francis Ford Coppola (1974)

words worth remembering

“I am a part of all that I have met;
Yet all experience is an arch wherethro’
Gleams that untravell’d world whose margin fades
For ever and forever when I move.” – my favourite part of the poem Ulysses by Tennyson

“No matter what’s happening in the world, have your tea, make your list, plan your food preparation, read to your children, wash the clothes, do something creative for everyone and be a light for your home.” – Lydia Sherman

the good and the beautiful

Anything I found beautiful that’s worth mentioning

• Colour combination: Burnt honeycomb / olive smoke / pressed chestnut; The Barnhaven primrose ‘Spice Shades’

• The Easter Egg by Jan Brett; especially the back cover: