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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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What Are You Filling Your Life With?
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What are we filling our lives with? A reflection on attention, ordinary goodness and learning to notice what deserves more room in the lives we're already living.
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A Slower Life, Right in the Middle of a Full One
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Slow living doesn't necessarily mean having a slow life. An autumn reflection on intentional living, seasonal rhythms, full family days and learning to notice the life that's already happening around us.
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Slow October: 31 Simple Ways to Cosy Up Your Days This October
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Welcome to Slow October — 31 gentle invitations to notice the season, find little moments of comfort and connection, and enjoy the heart of autumn. Download the free illustrated and large-text October calendars plus the October Journaling Reflections page.
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When the Days Feel Like Themselves Again
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There’s something lovely about summer days losing their edges. But as autumn returns, I’m rediscovering the quiet comfort of the week finding its shape again — Friday feeling like Friday, Sunday feeling like Sunday, and ordinary life settling back into its familiar rhythm.
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Not Everything Ripens at the Same Time
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On a soft, drizzly September morning, the apples, pears and blackberries offered a quiet reminder: not everything ripens at the same time. A seasonal reflection on change, readiness and learning to let life unfold in its own time.
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