Hi everyone, and hello if you’re new! I’m Catherine Greer, author of The Bittersweet Bakery Cafe, copywriter in Sydney, Canadian-Australian, wife of twenty-seven years and mum of two grown sons. You’re receiving this Sunday newsletter because you signed up after reading my books or finding me on Instagram.
You are so, so welcome here.
I have a little story for you today…
I was walking the pup, Evie, and I met a woman on the sunny autumn street. I was admiring all the Tibouchina trees…those purple blossoms, and how they stuck to Evie’s coat when she rolled in the grass.
(Evie loves grass the way I love making Sunday breakfast when the kids are home.)
“Love these trees,” I said, while Evie rolled in the grass. “I look forward to the Tibouchinas blooming every year.”
'“But the MESS,” the woman answered. “And they’re slippery on the ground and they stick to my car. I cannot get rid of them.”
She was right. And I was right.
Everything is bittersweet.
Maybe because it’s so easy to lean into the negative, I work hard to keep my mind trained on what’s beautiful and good. The research is pretty shocking:
I try to remind myself of this when the merry-go-round of my brain gets a little off-kilter, imagining the worst.
And I take comfort in the fact that I have some power over my thoughts — even when I wish the world would deliver continual sunshine and good news.
If you ever feel a little wobbly, like you’re leaning too much into thoughts that are making you unhappy, it’s good to remember what your brain is doing. 60-80% negativity is too much, right? And we need to pull that back into a more realistic picture of what’s going on.
I come back to the basics:
So many people in the world are good.
There’s always beauty around us, if we take a second to see it. (Even if it’s just messy petals on the driveway or on our car.)
And we have some control over our own brain, to direct it to a better place. (I always remember the “your brain is like a toddler with a sharpie / marker” analogy. Wrangle it in a bit!)
I know lots is happening in this big old world of ours, but I hope you have a beautiful Sunday. I’m going to make the Rosemary Olive Oil Greek Yogurt cake from The Bittersweet Bakery Cafe, above. It is so, so worth it.
Honestly wish you were here to have coffee and cake with me.
I hope something beautiful and unexpected happens to you today.
Love, Catherine x
P.S. The Fun Stuff!
Authors need readers like people need cake. Check page 371 of The Bittersweet Bakery Cafe for the recipe. American photographer Karen Pavone took the photo above after reading my book…so much prettier than my photo at the top!
You can find my new book, The Bittersweet Bakery Cafe, in Australia in all bookshops, at BigW and Amazon and here overseas. Reviews are strong and women are loving it! Thank goodness. And thank you:
One of my favourite spots in Sydney is swimming at Barangaroo at Marinnawi Cove, right by all the office towers. Have you tried it yet?
Remember from last week and how I’m not a make-up person? Well, I bought this Australis blush and it was on sale 50% off. Sorry, sale is done but this is fabulous. You can also use it for cream eyeshadow. Only in Australia, but this one looks similar.
Why are these shoes so, so comfortable? From last season and the black is all sold out (I’m so sad because perfect for work). But the taupe suede ones are still available and only in one size but 50% off. I love mine. Weirdly, you can walk 10,000 miles in these block heels.
Maggie Smith’s “Good Bones”. Oh, please take a minute to read this one! America, you have (and have always had) beautiful poets. I remember this, and repeat it to myself.
