sublime #18

these are the things

there have been momentous things this year; the heat of Singapore, the hum of the flower market of Bangkok, celebrations in Hoi An, lazy days in Chiang Mai, near-tears of overwhelm in front of still life paintings in Copenhagen, hot baths in Kyoto, getting drenched (and lost) with friends in Kamakura, watching other friends saying ‘yes’ to each other in church and making dens with small nieces after long days at the beach.

moments gathered in the past few weeks:

• sunshine in my kitchen

• raindrops sparkling on the windows, at any time but especially at night

• the days after the solstice and the feeling of being on the ‘right’ side of things. every. minute. counts.

• watching a squirrel carry armfuls (?) of mushy leaves up to its new drey

• nature confetti drifting on ponds

• fog in familiar landscapes; not eerie at all but strangely comforting instead

• ripples in water, distorted trees

  

  

• a hot bath in cold air (outdoors, extra points for mountain views)

• watching skilled people do what they do; making, weaving, turning, moulding, painting, florist-ing

• steam rising over water

• light catching in the plumes from other people’s central heating

• grasses, browning and wet with crystallised mist

• three types of potato on one plate

• the cyclamen on the window in the icebox of a bathroom, petals strewn like discarded napkins crisp and white

• cobwebs in traffic lights, hedges, along a wire fence

• eating dessert with a tiny spoon

• a perfect cube of turkish delight

• satisfying colour combinations in streetscapes

• flowers, seen through handmade paper

• a tower of clementine

• the blue in the shadows

• snow fall enough to enjoy it and then melting with impeccable timing

• sunrise projected onto the white walls of my living room; eight minutes of fiery oranges and sherbet pinks

• risotto two days in a row

hoping for more moments like this for everyone in 2025

thank you for reading