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This week's letter is going to be a little shorter than some of my recent ones.
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Not because I have nothing to say — that is rarely my problem! — but because this has been one of those weeks where we've all been trying to remember where we're supposed to be, at what time, with what bag, wearing what uniform, and whether anyone actually remembered to make the lunches.
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In other words, we're back to school.
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After three long months of summer holidays, I had been looking forward to this.
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I was ready for a little structure again. Ready for mornings that had a shape to them. Ready to know that everyone was where they were supposed to be and, if I'm being completely truthful, quite looking forward to having the house to myself for a few hours.
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The door closed behind them.
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And the house was so quiet.
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I've spent the last few weeks looking forward to getting some time and space back in my days, and within no time at all I was wandering around thinking, I miss them.
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Perhaps that's just September.
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It always feels to me like a month of contradictions.
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We're ready for routine, but we miss the freedom of summer.
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We're ready for cooler days, but still stand outside when the sun appears.
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We want to get organised, but we're tired from trying to get everyone back into the rhythm of ordinary life.
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And I think I've been feeling all of those things this week.
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I've been trying to find my own rhythm again too.
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There has been work. Pilates. Housework. Laundry. Trips down to the pony. School runs. Lunches. The usual collection of ordinary things that somehow fill a day much more quickly than you imagine they will.
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I even confidently put washing outside one morning because the weather looked perfectly fine.
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I really should know better.
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And somewhere amongst all of that, I had one of those moments when I realised I was already beginning to expect quite a lot from September.
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The calendar had changed, and apparently some part of my brain had decided that meant I should immediately be organised, productive, back into a wonderful routine, on top of the house, working away on all my plans and generally sailing gracefully into autumn.
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It has been approximately three days.
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Perhaps we could give ourselves a minute. 😂
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Because that's what I'm reminding myself of this week.
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We don't have to find the new rhythm immediately.
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It can take a little while for everyone to settle.
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The house will get sorted.
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And perhaps these slightly muddled early September days are part of the transition too.
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There are still windows open here during the day. The garden is still very green. Some afternoons still feel surprisingly like summer.
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But the mornings are different now.
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There's heavy dew on the grass. The light has changed. It's getting dark earlier. Lamps are being switched on again in the evenings.
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Autumn is arriving, but it isn't in any great hurry.
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Maybe we don't need to be either.
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So that's my little Friday check-in this week.
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No grand plans. No enormous September reset.
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We're simply finding our feet again here at Our Little House — one school morning, one load of washing and one forgotten thing at a time.
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And actually, I think that's quite enough.
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I hope September has begun gently for you too, wherever you're reading this.
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And if it hasn't — if you're tired, disorganised, behind on something you thought you'd have started by now, or simply haven't quite found your rhythm yet — perhaps give yourself another week.
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P.S. A little something for your September
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I couldn't send a Friday Letter without leaving you something to print.
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A Slow and Intentional September | 30 Gentle Ways to Welcome a New Season
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I've chosen this one because it feels particularly right for these early September days — something gentle and useful rather than another thing to achieve.
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And if you do print it, I hope it finds a useful little place in your home this month.
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Stay in touch – I’d genuinely love to hear from you — This little letter is very much a two-way conversation. If something here resonates, if you have a thought to share, or if there’s something you’d love to see in a future newsletter, blog post, or printable, I’d really love to hear from you.You can simply reply directly to this email, send a message via the contact form on the blog, email me at hello@ourlittlehouseinthecountry.com, or say hello over on Instagram — whatever feels easiest.
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Comments on the blog or Instagram are always welcome too. I read every single one.Thank you, as always, for being here and for taking the time to read along.
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Explore my latest posts:
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September can feel like the beginning of the end of the year — autumn arrives, Christmas appears on the horizon and suddenly we're looking towards January. But there are still four whole months left. Not four months to catch up, optimise or make the most of. Just four months of ordinary life still waiting to be lived.
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Living in Two Seasons at Once
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September asks us to live between things: summer and autumn, freedom and routine, what has been and what comes next. A reflection on the strange beauty of allowing two seasons — and sometimes two truths — to exist at once.
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The Slow September Calendar (Free Printable)
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Welcome September with a beautifully illustrated free printable calendar featuring thirty gentle daily prompts, companion journaling reflections and simple seasonal inspiration to help you embrace a slower, more intentional autumn.
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The Quiet Gift of Beginning Again
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September has always carried the quiet feeling of a fresh beginning. This reflective essay explores why we don't have to wait until January to begin again and how small, intentional changes can gently shape a new season.
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Stay Here a Little Longer
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As August gently gives way to a new season, it's easy to find ourselves mentally rushing ahead. This reflective essay explores the quiet practice of staying present, noticing the beauty of ordinary evenings and learning not to leave a season before it has finished unfolding.
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