Podcast: Seasonal Notes
Seasonal Notes – A Slow and Seasonal Podcast
Seasonal Notes is my weekly slow seasonal podcast from our little house in the country – short, reflective episodes about simple living, seasonal rhythms, and finding what really matters in the middle of real life. New episodes every Sunday morning.
The Unseen Years – Seasonal Notes
Seasonal NotesSeason 2, Episode 2The Unseen Years: When Being Needed Is Not the Same as Being KnownIn this episode of Seasonal Notes, I’m continuing the conversation from my new five-part Midlife Essay Series over on the blog.Today’s reflection is inspired by the second essay in the series, “The Unseen Years: When Being Needed Is Not the Same as Being Known.”For many women, the years of midlife are filled with responsibility, care, and constant presence for others. We are needed in countless ways — within our families, our homes, and the quiet running of everyday life.But sometimes, beneath that sense of being needed, there can also be a quieter feeling.The realisation that being needed and being known are not always the same thing.In this episode, I reflect on that subtle emotional shift — the experience of moving through life fulfilling so many roles, while occasionally wondering where the deeper recognition of who we are as individuals has gone.This conversation isn’t about blame or regret.It’s about gently naming something that many women experience but rarely articulate: the quiet feeling of becoming unseen within the very lives we have built.As with the essays themselves, this episode is simply an honest reflection — not a set of answers, but an invitation to recognise the complexity of this stage of life.The Midlife Essay SeriesThis podcast season accompanies my five-part Midlife Essay Series on the blog.Each week I’ll share a podcast episode reflecting on one of the essays — expanding on the ideas and emotions behind the written pieces.Together they explore a journey many women recognise in midlife:• Part One: When the “By Now” Story Unravels: When Life Doesn’t Follow the Original Plan• Part Two: The Unseen Years: When Being Needed Isn’t the Same as Being Known• Part Three: The Hidden Cost of Holding It Together• Part Four: Still Becoming: Why Midlife Is Not the End of the Story• Part Five: Midlife Clarity: Choosing Deliberately, Living IntentionallyWhile these essays are deeply personal reflections, the response so far suggests that many women see parts of their own experience within them.Read the EssayYou can read the full written essay that inspired this episode here:The Unseen Years: When Being Needed Is Not the Same as Being KnownExplore the Full SeriesAll five essays in the series can be found on the Midlife Reflections hub page:https://ourlittlehouseinthecountry.comConnect With MeInstagramhttps://instagram.com/ourlittlehouseinthecountryBloghttps://ourlittlehouseinthecountry.comAbout Seasonal NotesSeasonal Notes is a quiet podcast about:• seasonal living• midlife reflection• slow and intentional life• the rhythms of home, family, and selfNew episodes are shared weekly throughout the current season.If this episode resonated with you, I would love to hear from you — either in the comments here on Substack or over on Instagram. Get full access to Our Little House in the Country at ciarawinters.substack.com/subscribe
All Episodes of Seasonal Notes:
- Seasonal NotesSeason 2, Episode 2The Unseen Years: When Being Needed Is Not the Same as Being KnownIn this episode of Seasonal Notes, I’m continuing the conversation from my new five-part Midlife Essay Series over on the blog.Today’s reflection is inspired by the second essay in the series, “The Unseen Years: When Being Needed Is Not […]
- Seasonal NotesSeason Two, Episode OneThe Return of the Light: When the “By Now” Story UnravelsIn this first episode of Season Two, Ciara reflects on the quiet unraveling of the “by now” story — the blueprint many of us carry about where we thought we would be by this stage of life.This episode explores subtle grief, […]
- Seasonal NotesEpisode 6 — Leaning Into WinterSeason One: WinterWelcome back to Seasonal Notes, and to our first episode of 2026.After a quiet pause over the Christmas season, this episode marks a gentle return — a moment to settle back into winter and meet it where we are.In this episode, I’m reflecting on what it means […]
- Seasonal Notes — Episode 5-The Heart of Christmas: Why Traditions Matter (and How They Evolve)Thank you for joining me for another Sunday morning episode of Seasonal Notes. Today’s conversation is all about traditions — the ones we keep, the ones we outgrow, and the ones that quietly evolve as life changes.This time of year can […]
- Seasonal Notes — Episode 431 Ways to Slow Down & Savour DecemberThank you so much for joining me for Episode 4 of Seasonal Notes.Today’s episode is all about the December calendar — “31 Ways to Slow Down and Savour December.”This little calendar has become one of my favourite things to create each month. It’s a […]
- Seasonal Notes — Episode 3The Story Behind Our Little House in the CountryThank you so much for joining me for Episode 3 of Seasonal Notes. This podcast has become a little Sunday space for real, steady, reflective conversations — the kind you can listen to with a cup of tea, in the car, or during […]
- .Seasonal Notes — Episode 2The Beauty of Doing LessWelcome back to Seasonal Notes.In today’s episode, we’re talking about the quiet magic of doing less as we move towards December — choosing gently, slowing down, protecting our energy, and making space for the moments that matter.I’m sharing how our own family shifted from an overwhelming December […]
- Episode 1 — How to Winter WellSeasonal Notes from Our Little House in the CountryWelcome to the very first episode of Seasonal Notes, a gentle, cosy little podcast from Our Little House in the Country. In this series, we’ll walk together through the seasons with simple ideas, warm reflections, and comforting, grounding rituals for slow […]
