Oh I love all of this. It’s magic in its pure form—chosen, somewhat effortless and in nature. Also the secret garden may also be the guiding force of my life as well. So looking at you is giving me excited for my own future iterations.
A fellow Secret Garden person! I knew you existed and I'm so glad you found your way here. There's something about that story specifically - the hidden door, the forgotten garden, the thing that was always there waiting to be found and tended - that gets into certain people and never fully leaves, right? I have a feeling you know exactly what I mean 🌷
I do! It’s real. I even read the book as an adult and it felt like it was some odd guidance. I mean Mary comes to life as the garden does and maybe that is what’s it’s about, unlocking magic and truly coming to life by tending to something beautiful.
What a magical experience for you all! This year was our first Easter on our Portuguese homestead and we set up an Easter treasure hunt for my 5-year-old daughter with various eggs (crystal, wooden, a few chocolate!) hidden all over the land. We felt so grateful to have 1.5 acres to hide eggs on after previous years not even having our own garden. Like yours it was nothing elaborate (in fact perhaps a little less fairytale-y even than a French chateau with bluebell woods!), but watching her weave through the wildflowers down to the stream at the bottom of the land in the early morning light was so special. Lovely to find your Substack, will check out your other posts :)
Crystal and wooden eggs hidden across 1.5 acres of Portuguese homestead sounds absolutely magical, and your daughter has no idea yet that this is not how everyone grows up. That realization will hit her someday and it will be a good one. So glad you found me - I'll come find you too!
“This is what real love looks like, and Hallmark has never once filmed this part.” This would make a great commercial for something. Loved all the magic of this story. Simply lovely all the way around.
Thank you, Kelley! And great question about the house - it's a tricky one to answer because like most old French properties it was built in stages over several centuries, with the oldest parts dating to the 1600s or earlier. It seems like every week we find something that raises more questions than it answers. It's one of my favorite things about it and also occasionally one of the more humbling things about it 😂
“Our five year old was in the back seat, listening to every word with the focused attention of a very small lawyer.” Loved this moment. Also happy you made it through the little detective’s Easter inquisition and that Carson joined you and added to the fun of this day.
We all know she has had that energy since birth! The focused attention, the strategic patience, the waiting until exactly the right moment to make her move - she's going to be formidable (and I say that with complete pride and only mild terror) 😂 And yes, Carson came. I'll have him come when you're here, too 💛
I love that you're carrying those memories still, Kate. Somewhere out there are adults in their late thirties who remember exactly where they found a particular egg, what color it was, who found the most. That's what this is all for, isn't it? Thank you for reading and for this reminder of why it matters 🤍
And, the bluebell forest is truly amazing. Turrets …. and bluebells? Which lucky star did you wish upon?
🥰
Oh I love all of this. It’s magic in its pure form—chosen, somewhat effortless and in nature. Also the secret garden may also be the guiding force of my life as well. So looking at you is giving me excited for my own future iterations.
A fellow Secret Garden person! I knew you existed and I'm so glad you found your way here. There's something about that story specifically - the hidden door, the forgotten garden, the thing that was always there waiting to be found and tended - that gets into certain people and never fully leaves, right? I have a feeling you know exactly what I mean 🌷
I do! It’s real. I even read the book as an adult and it felt like it was some odd guidance. I mean Mary comes to life as the garden does and maybe that is what’s it’s about, unlocking magic and truly coming to life by tending to something beautiful.
What a magical experience for you all! This year was our first Easter on our Portuguese homestead and we set up an Easter treasure hunt for my 5-year-old daughter with various eggs (crystal, wooden, a few chocolate!) hidden all over the land. We felt so grateful to have 1.5 acres to hide eggs on after previous years not even having our own garden. Like yours it was nothing elaborate (in fact perhaps a little less fairytale-y even than a French chateau with bluebell woods!), but watching her weave through the wildflowers down to the stream at the bottom of the land in the early morning light was so special. Lovely to find your Substack, will check out your other posts :)
Crystal and wooden eggs hidden across 1.5 acres of Portuguese homestead sounds absolutely magical, and your daughter has no idea yet that this is not how everyone grows up. That realization will hit her someday and it will be a good one. So glad you found me - I'll come find you too!
“This is what real love looks like, and Hallmark has never once filmed this part.” This would make a great commercial for something. Loved all the magic of this story. Simply lovely all the way around.
And what year what your house built?
Thank you, Kelley! And great question about the house - it's a tricky one to answer because like most old French properties it was built in stages over several centuries, with the oldest parts dating to the 1600s or earlier. It seems like every week we find something that raises more questions than it answers. It's one of my favorite things about it and also occasionally one of the more humbling things about it 😂
Lovely stories.
“Our five year old was in the back seat, listening to every word with the focused attention of a very small lawyer.” Loved this moment. Also happy you made it through the little detective’s Easter inquisition and that Carson joined you and added to the fun of this day.
We all know she has had that energy since birth! The focused attention, the strategic patience, the waiting until exactly the right moment to make her move - she's going to be formidable (and I say that with complete pride and only mild terror) 😂 And yes, Carson came. I'll have him come when you're here, too 💛
Love your Easter story. We used to host Easter egg hunts for our friends kids that are now in their late 30's.
I love that you're carrying those memories still, Kate. Somewhere out there are adults in their late thirties who remember exactly where they found a particular egg, what color it was, who found the most. That's what this is all for, isn't it? Thank you for reading and for this reminder of why it matters 🤍
How utterly charming!
Maybe the word you're looking for is: grace - unearned favor. :)
The video is pure magic and it's lovely to read the story behind it.
so lovely