Surprise! It's new!

Surprise!

Happy Sunday, everybody, and hello new people. You’re so welcome here in my little corner of the internet. I have some book news to share…

Small Steps Are Perfect: simple ways to find comfort & joy!

Isn’t it pretty? I love this book!

You might love it, too. Here’s why.

1. It’s practical.

2. It’s an instant pick-me-up when you need some encouragement.

3. It’s the perfect book for your bedside table—short chapters, fun stories, wisdom, reassurance…all the good things we need to feel better. Like a big sister to The 10 Minute Fix.

4. It’s a fantastic gift for a friend—lasts longer than flowers, and it’s pretty, encouraging and fun!

You can find it here!

• in Australia

• in Canada (selling out so fast!)

• in America

• in the UK

• in Germany

This book is dedicated to all of you (you’ll see when you open it!)

Here’s a sneak peek inside. Months ago, when I was writing the epigraph, I loved the synchronicity and magic of finding these words of Van Gogh’s. I’d never read them before. Amazing.

You guys, this beautiful book is like the little engine that could…we just keep chugging on, my friends, and sometimes we need a bit of inspiration and encouragement. Comfort & joy. That’s what you’ll find here!

I’m off to celebrate with coffee and breakfast! See you next Sunday…and I hope something amazing happens for you today :)

Love, Catherine x

PS.

• Welcome to the new people this week. So happy you’re here.

• Stay tuned…next week I’m sharing my EASY recipe for macarons that anyone can make. One batch is probably 40-50 macarons. Buy almond flour + butter + icing sugar + gel food colouring for next Sunday .

• Book love—with my whole heart, THANK YOU for your kindness and support! Sharing books with your friends truly helps authors keep doing what we love. I appreciate you!

Do You Ever Miss Your Younger Self?

Hi everyone and hello new friends.

Let me tell you a little story. Here I am at 34, plump baby in my arms — The Boy Who Never Slept. I spent the first eleven months of Luke’s life sleeping and waking, day and night, 40 minutes at a time like he did. I was so sleep deprived that I have photos of myself at parties and gatherings I can’t even remember attending. I’d call the Tresilian Sleep Help Hotline, they’d tell me it was a two week wait to get in for help, I’d think it was too long to wait, put the phone down and keep on keeping on.

I was an inexperienced mum and completely, utterly exhausted. Not putting my name on that waiting list was an indication just how incoherent I was. In fact, I look back on that time now as so traumatic it makes me feel PTSD about the lack of sleep. But there I was, alone in Australia, a new mum at 34, no real friends yet and no idea what to do.

It was hard. Today, I look at that younger me and think, “I wish I could help you! I know what to do now. Put your name on that sleep-help list because he still won’t be sleeping in two weeks’ time. Go to a hotel by yourself for 24 hours. Ask your husband to bottle feed the baby for a night — it will be fine for him.” But at the time, all I could do in my state of endless exhaustion was keep going.

Forward, forward, forward, trudge, trudge.

I wasn’t thinking straight, of course, but sometimes we all do this…forge ahead into a situation and keep going, instead of lifting our head above the mire and trying to take stock of the situation to change it. And sometimes we do this because, mixed in with the difficulty, there’s a lot of joy.

I was joyful here, in this photo. My baby was perfect. I was beloved. And exhausted and young and inexperienced…wow I was young.

Over to you today. Is there a time when you’d like to reach back to your younger self and gently give her some wisdom and encouragement?

Here’s the truth: we’re allowed to let go of old misunderstandings.

We can listen to ourselves.

One of my favourite free meditations of all time is Sarah Blondin’s Loving and Listening to Yourself. Sarah is a beautiful Canadian from British Columbia and you’ll love her. If you have 12 minutes to listen to this, it’s worth it. This particular mediation has 2 million downloads and honestly is so beautiful.

Loving and listening to ourselves: it’s just so important. We need to honour all the versions of ourselves we’ve ever been.

I wish I could tell this beautiful young Catherine that her baby will be 21 this week, that he’s doing two degrees in Law and Commerce, that he’s building a start-up, that he makes a mean American barbecue, that he’s an amazing cook, loves playing the cello, and personality-wise is almost an exact replica of his Dad. That it all turns out beautifully. That he even takes you for lunch at his favourite Vietnamese restaurant from time to time.

I’ve been a mum for twenty-one years, and I still carry all the versions inside of me of every person I ever was.

• The five year old who had a pet deer on the farm, and dirty bare feet all summer long.

• The ten year old whose hobby was “making books” in recycled duotang folders.

• The young teacher, the grad student, the Canadian, the Aussie, the ups and downs and struggles that, of course, no one sees in photos like these.

The struggles—we all have them.

The joys—we have those, too.

All this reminds me of a favourite poem. I’ll share it with you here today, and hope that it makes you remember yourself and love yourself (all the versions of you) on this fine Sunday.

I’m thinking of you.

Love, Catherine x

To My Nine-Year-Old Self

by Helen Dunmore

You must forgive me. Don’t look so surprised,
perplexed, and eager to be gone,
balancing on your hands or on the tightrope.
You would rather run than walk, rather climb than run
rather leap from a height than anything.

I have spoiled this body we once shared.
Look at the scars, and watch the way I move,
careful of a bad back or a bruised foot.
Do you remember how, three minutes after waking
we’d jump straight out of the ground floor window
into the summer morning?

That dream we had, no doubt it’s as fresh in your mind
as the white paper to write it on.
We made a start, but something else came up –
a baby vole, or a bag of sherbet lemons –
and besides, that summer of ambition
created an ice-lolly factory, a wasp trap
and a den by the cesspit.

I’d like to say that we could be friends
but the truth is we have nothing in common
beyond a few shared years. I won’t keep you then.
Time to pick rosehips for tuppence a pound,
time to hide down scared lanes
from men in cars after girl-children,

or to lunge out over the water
on a rope that swings from that tree
long buried in housing –
but no, I shan’t cloud your morning. God knows
I have fears enough for us both –

I leave you in an ecstasy of concentration
slowly peeling a ripe scab from your knee
to taste it on your tongue.

3 Fun Things & Remembrance

Friends, hello from Australia…and hi, new people! It’s Catherine (from The 10 Minute Fix book) writing to you, as promised.

It’s September 11 overseas and the 12th here in Australia, and I know the world still shares remembrances of this date. In honour of so much loss, I wanted to share three lighthearted, beautiful things amidst that memory of sorrow.

This is how I roll: when the world hands me hard, I pour back in something—anything—good.

These are tiny things, but small things also matter.

Fun #1: backyard bouquet

Today I wanted to pause a second and bring you into my kitchen. I cut some clivia from the back garden and they’re hollering Hello, Orange! on the table. Wherever you are, whatever the season, anything will do. Branches, leaves, even a few beautiful stones can look so pretty. Summer’s coming in Australia—actually feels like we’ve swooped right past spring and summer has been with us this weekend.

Fun #2: a fresh take on an old favourite

I learned the best way to cut watermelon sticks. I served them for dessert last night after a barbecue, and one of my sons said, 'Hey, it looks like a cake!’ Yes, it does, but it’s healthier and easier, too. Plus FUN.

Fun #3: poetry

When I was an English teacher in my twenties at a beautiful private school in Victoria, British Columbia, I loved poetry with my whole heart…and I tried to show my students that it’s available to everyone.

It doesn’t have to be too tricky or tough. It can be as easy to understand as a cake recipe. It can. Not always, of course, but choose what you love. Meander until you find a poet who speaks to you.

Today, here’s Mary Oliver’s “Watering The Stones” for you. Do you know it? Am I the first friend to give it to you? The thought that I might be the giver of this poem to you for the first time fills my English-teacher heart with adrenaline.

You’ll love this one.

Watering The Stones

Every summer I gather a few stones from
the beach and keep them in a glass bowl.
Now and again I cover them with water,
and they drink. There’s no question about
this; I put tinfoil over the bowl, tightly,
yet the water disappears. This doesn’t
mean we ever have a conversation, or that
they have the kind of feelings we do, yet
it might mean something. Whatever the
stones are, they don’t lie in the water
and do nothing.

Some of my friends refuse to believe it
happens, even though they’ve seen it. But
a few others-I’ve seen them walking down
the beach holding a few stones, and they
look at them rather more closely now.
Once in a while, I swear, I’ve even heard
one or two of them saying “Hello.”
Which, I think, does no harm to anyone or
anything, does it?

- Mary Oliver
From Blue Horses, 2014

Enjoy every second of this weekend if you can. I hope you and yours are okay, despite lockdown and any sorrow. American friends, the world still remembers your loss. We do.

Love Catherine x

PS.

• My favourite Mary Oliver poem is here.

• My favourite writer’s pencils are here. These pencils are so dear to my heart (and I know, expensive per pencil, but I love them). I’d rather have these than takeaway coffee.

• I’ve shared them before but I’ll say it again: my favourite exercise shorts / bike shorts are here, but I wish I’d ordered a size down. Still, love them so much. I have the buttery soft blue colour. They’re nice and long, so if you go out walking this summer, you might like them, too.

• If you’re new and wondering what’s in those frames behind my kitchen table, it’s my favourite four stanzas from Wallace Steven’s “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird.” You read about that in my book, too…xo

One Simple Celebration Idea

Welcome into my sunny kitchen this morning, and hello to all the new people this week! It’s Catherine writing to you (from The 10 Minute Fix). Thank you for being here…every Sunday morning Australia-time I’ll send you a little upbeat note as promised. Thank you for inviting me into your inbox.

It’s Sunday celebration time around here because it’s Father’s Day in Australia…and I know we’re still in lockdown and this means that extended families can’t get together. If this is you, I hope your day is filled with Facetime, a brisk walk, a treat you love and some plans about all the parties we’ll have when our world reopens.

I know the world is so unsettled right now (Covid-Afghanistan-all the news), but we can all bring a little instant joy with this.

1. Stand there and think about someone you love. (This sign above is in Saskatchewan, Canada!)

2. Chocolate and strawberries.

Want to know the secret to making the best chocolate dipped strawberries? So easy.

1. Melt chocolate in a glass bowl set on top of simmering water in a pan on the stove. (yes, it seems to work a little better than the microwave method)

2. Add 1 tsp vegetable oil for every block of chocolate for that nice sheen.

3. Wash and DRY the berries thoroughly with a tea towel or paper towel.

4. Let the melted chocolate cool a little. Then dip and place on baking paper.

5. Most important tip — DON’T place in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. Then pop the tray in the fridge. This stops the chocolate from cracking.

I hope you find the time today to enjoy your weekend, to rest, to treat yourself and to celebrate the fact that we’re here with a chance to love all the people we’ve been given to love.

Love Catherine x

PS.

• Happy Father’s Day to my guy (see below!). And here’s A Tale of Lockdown Hair. The salons in Sydney have been shut forever, and I have a husband who looks like Santa Claus, an older son who looks like a black-haired Einstein, and a younger one who looks like a wild man emerging from the Colorado wilderness. But I love them so!

• Fun stuff: it’s a little thing, but I think this is the best clothes shaver I’ve ever found, and all it takes is two AA batteries. Comes with replacement blades. Also considering these cute swimmers for summer…

• New favourite novel (from 2014?): The Paris Wife … about Hemingway’s first wife, Hadley. Hemingway was a huge part of my education. Really enjoying it, but also sad when I think about the women’s voices that were constantly overlooked throughout history.

• Favourite Raymond Carver poem: “The Best Time of the Day”. So romantic and true. Short and evocative. To all the Americans, your poets are so incredible.

An Easy Life Hack

Hello, everyone! Welcome, new people…

How are you? How has life been this week? I’m double vaxxed, and was pretty sick from my second Pfizer but I slept for 13 hours last night and now I feel ready to take on the world and get moving.

I hope you’re finding a few new ways to nurture yourself this weekend. For me, this always works:

• Making a special weekend dessert. Strawberries are in season—hooray—so for us it’s Strawberry Shortcake.

• From The 10 Minute Fix, asking, “How is this working in my favour?”

• Doing a gratitude inventory every night when I climb into bed. The soft blankets, the safety, these are my touchpoint to list all the things in my life I’m grateful for.

But today I want to share such a good Life Hack that I learned this week. Are you ready? It’s a total game-changer and it’s so simple. I heard it on a podcast and thought, wow.

That’s it. Just allow other people to be completely wrong about you.

• The family member who still thinks you’re the same person you were when you were 16 years old now that you’re 55? Deep breath. Let her be wrong about you.

• The person who criticises your parenting, your home or your life choices? Deep breath. Let her be wrong about you.

• The manager who doesn’t get how hard you’re working? Deep breath. Let him be wrong about you.

We’re not for everyone. I know this is true. But what I’ve learned is that we can just let people be wrong about us sometimes, and not have to argue it away, or defend ourselves, or even make it a big deal.

Sometimes people are wrong about us.

And that’s okay.

Hope you enjoy this beautiful weekend! I know there’s a lot going on in the world and in our lives, so let’s treat ourselves a little better today and find joy where we can.

Love Catherine x

PS.

• Need a little comfort & joy? YAY, exciting book news for you next weekend…

• Strawberry Shortcake, such a treat. I make mine as a cake (not individual muffins), in a 20cm round pan. Here’s a recipe similar to mine. Honestly, I don’t think gluten free flour would be very good... Perfect for afternoon tea during the height of strawberry season. It takes 20 minutes. Easy!

• Reaching out to anyone impacted by lockdown, illness, or the terribly sad events in Afghanistan. I’m so sorry if things are hard right now. Try to take a gentle walk in the sun today if you can. I know it seems simple, but walking always helps.

Let's Have A Big Catch-up

Hi everyone! It’s Catherine…giving you a big wave from deep in the heart of lockdown in Sydney. We’ve got beautiful weather this weekend in our Aussie winter, and though so much is going on in the world — Afghanistan, Haiti, Covid — I’m going to do my best to spread some joy around if I can.

I feel like we all need a big catch up. Wish I could host a zoom party right now and ask you how you are. I’m sorry the world is in so much turmoil and I hope you’re doing okay. Me? I’m missing connection with all the people I love but we’re optimistic. We’ve sorted out every nook and cranny for space and flexibility in our home: the teen skateboards in the garage in between zoom school, my husband works in there or at the kitchen table, my uni son is talking Law and Business nonstop over zoom, and sometimes I think….this house has never been so well used. I can barely remember the days when I was here all week on my own! My last jab is Thursday, and I’m hoping it doesn’t make me feel sick like the first one. That’s us. How about you??

Deep breath.

Let’s talk about fun, frivolous stuff and take a little break.

Blue nail polish!

If you haven’t tried it yet and you feel kind of sad this weekend, please do. Just get some blue nail polish and see how it makes you feel. Blue is fun, and we all need a little more of that around here. My favourite is Essie Bikini So Teeny.

In Canada, my family is celebrating a wedding this weekend (wish I could be there!). My sis, Dar (the gardener from The 10 Minute Fix and also the mother of the groom) sent me a photo of her gorgeous blue nail polish, which really made me wish I had the chance to dance the night away with all my family in the prairies at a wedding. I love to dance, and when I was a little girl I made myself the promise that if ever there was dancing, I would be on the floor. It’s one value I’ve held close to my heart for the last fifty years. If there is music on, I will dance.

(Photo source unknown…)

Rest!

This week, I rested. I’m basically never sick, but this week I felt unwell so I actually spent some time in bed.

While resting, I listened to a really great podcast on comfort eating. (Hello, Covid Lockdown. Come in and let me just eat all my feelings…and while I’m at it, I’ll decide it’s a great time to start baking buttermilk biscuits…ha!) The host said something really interesting about how we often tell ourselves, “I just can’t seem to xxxxxx.” She suggested we flip that script to this.

I love this idea! Does it inspire you like it does me? I’ve spent today flipping my “I can’t xxxx” into “I wonder if I can just xxx”

• I wonder if I can just wipe out the microwave while my coffee is brewing?

• I wonder if I can just have a mandarin instead of chocolate?

• I wonder if I can put on a cozy knit dress and tights instead of trackies?

Pretty in pink.

Galahs always seem to walk down the street in my neighbourhood. Why do they walk? True blue Aussies, please tell me why. I’ve only lived here for 24 years…

Okay, friends: blue nail polish, flipping the script, strolling galahs…that’s all I have for you today.

Thank you for being here, and for taking a little glimpse into my world.

See you next Sunday, and sending love.

Catherine x

PS.

If you’re Aussie and lockdown is hard, we’ve tried this:

• setting up a puzzle on the living room coffee table (excellent conversation zone!)

• making homemade pizza every friday night

• regular coffee break walks around the backyard during the day (“Hey, let’s go walk around the pool…”)

• reminding ourselves that older generations lived through war and loss (giving up their sons and lovers and so much more)

• recognising that people in Haiti and Afghanistan are truly, truly suffering

• reaching out with group texts and buddy checks on friends

If you’re overseas, wishing you a fabulous last week of summer before the glory of autumn sets in!

A Simple Pick-Me-Up

Hi everyone! If you’re new this week, it’s Catherine writing to you (author of The 10 Minute Fix) with some weekend inspiration…

Yesterday, wow, I was tired. Tired. It was Saturday in Australia, we’re in what feels like Week Seven Thousand of lockdown, I’d been working frantically on a secret surprise—announced soon!—AND all the things needed doing. Laundry. Floors. The kitchen windows. Our bedroom.

There were dust bunnies, actual dirt, piles of shoes everywhere…gahhhh!

I’m a tidy person, but I hate cleaning. You??

Some people love cleaning and I made myself a coffee and thought about why. Then I remembered the famous Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hahn. He wrote about washing dishes as meditation (prayer).

How often have you been sucked away into the future? For me, that’s pretty much every second of every day. Ouch!

I needed to “wash the dishes to wash the dishes” and notice what I have.

I started on my bedroom dresser. See it sparkling above?

• I dusted my wedding photo and let my heart swell. My handsome naval officer husband! The sunny autumn day. The mother of pearl flowers in my hair from my own mother’s wedding bouquet, saved from 1952. Being so young and so happy.

• I wiped off the “puppy” my then 7 year old son, EJ, sculpted in art class. He came home and gave it to me, wrapped in tissue, and said, “It’s pretty good, but I forgot that dogs have noses.”

• I sorted and cleaned my pretty earrings. How lucky am I have to have all these “jewels”? If I could tell 7 year old Catherine that one day she’d have trays of pretty earrings, the little-girl me would have been SO excited.

I cleaned with love.

It made all the difference.

This morning I woke up to sunlight through the timber blinds, clean sheets, a beautifully organised dresser, scrubbed floors, a pristine bathroom.

In cleaning up, I gave myself a gift. I don’t know about you, but I think I learned the secret of why some people enjoy cleaning. It feels so good to love what we have, to notice it, to “wash the dishes” with intention and care.

Just a little something to think about as you enjoy your beautiful weekend. Let’s be here today, and not get “sucked away into the future.”

Love, Catherine x

PS.

• Working on my fitness a little, and these are the best biker shorts on Amazon…you guys! I love these (so many colours), and I love this workout bra, too. I always size up a lot because I find they run small. So good for the price.

• Oh, lockdown! As our worlds get a little smaller—we’re down to a 5KM radius of travel now—I’m thinking about all of you here. I hope you’re still able to work. Our family is okay (we can work from home), but many aren’t and I hope you’re able to find the resources you need during these tough times.

• A photo from the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday…I appreciated the beautiful photography and thought all the overseas readers might be interested in seeing it.

Checklist for a Fun Sunday

Hi everyone, and welcome new people. It’s time for Sunday Funday around here…despite lockdown and feeling a little crummy from my vaccine on Thursday.

Here’s a checklist to make your weekend fun:

1. Afternoon tea: this is always a good idea. Fresh scones, cream and jam, put on the coffee or the tea. Perfect even if you’re on your own. Aussies have the most fun lemonade (7-Up) scone recipe.

2. Kitchen dance: by yourself with your earbuds in, or crank up the tunes. I loved rediscovering David Bowie this week… “Turn and face the strange ch-ch-changes…”

3. Make a dessert with Sunday dinner. These Lemon Pudding Cakes look amazing.

4. Go for a walk in the starry evening. Learn the story behind Van Gogh’s Starry Night.

5. Remember your favourite story as a kid: I loved The Little Red Caboose and “The Twelve Dancing Princesses.” Which stories have stayed with you your whole life? Remember them now for an instant happiness hit.

6. Polish your nails? See how often you take pleasure in noticing your hands. I love this Essie Lovie Dovie nail varnish! What a fun colour.

7. If you can, treat yourself to a little something-something. You know what you love: flowers, down time to relax, a delicious treat. Here in Australian winter, I’ve been cutting camellias to enjoy!

8. Give someone a compliment. Grab your phone, send a text now…3,2,1 go!

9. Remember your feet! Lotion, give yourself a foot massage, do some foot stretches. Our feet hold us all day long and need a little TLC and respect.

Enjoy your weekend, wherever you are.

We’re still here, we’ve got some people to love and really, that’s all that matters.

Love Catherine x

PS.

• How are you doing? Really, how are you? (I hope someone asks you in real life today, and takes the time to listen…)

The Best Advice I Ever Heard

Hi friends (and new friends who’ve found me from my book, The 10 Minute Fix!) I’m glad you’re here.

I’m Catherine, writing from Sydney, Australia: 55 and still going strong…freckles, wrinkles and a few extra Covid Lockdown Kilos but hey, here we all are: authentically us. Right?

Today I wanted to share some of the best advice I’ve ever heard. This little bit of wisdom is super old, but here it is:

This means that if we’re not failing, we’re not even in the neighbourhood of success.

It’s hard to remember when we fail at something that failure is necessary. It means we’re in the game. Success and failure go together, and you can’t really have one without the other.

We’re learning either way, but the truth is that we learn so much more from failing. Gahhhhh, I don’t like this but it’s true.

I love to be the pourer of the coffee or the bubbly, the friend who whips up a celebration cake, pops on a dress and some earrings and says, “YAY! Let’s celebrate!”

I’m wired to be a forever-cheerleader.

BUT we all fail. I certainly do. Oh, I could tell you some stories and cry you a river…

Failing is never fun, but it’s the quickest path I know to growing and learning. The key is to stay in the same neighbourhood and head off in a new, revised direction.

If you’re trying something new—or if you’ve recently had a ‘wee upset’ (like my British friend calls it)—I hope you’re still walking. Move, move, move, anyway you can. Keep that trajectory forward.

Thinking of all of us Aussies today (lockdown continues but our weather is lovely), and everyone overseas enjoying summer dresses and having barbecues. I’m going to make that Blackberry Cake from last week, walk our puppy, and work on a NEW book written just for you! Yipppeee.

I hope you’re well.

Love Catherine x

PS.

• Cry Me A River with the amazing Julie London. Her voice!

• Aussies, grab a package of frozen blackberries and you’ll have everything you need to make the most delicious cake from last week. Summer people, you’re in blackberry season. Lucky you.

• Vegan and healthy-healthy friends—can you help? I sometimes search for good desserts to serve vegan friends (because I’m a compulsive baker). Do you have anything to share? Email me here. All I have is the best recipe for Delicious Raw Brownies.

• Pink trackies above…I had a tracksuit almost identical to this one when I was 17, and I bought my sisters the matching blue, green and pink pastel sets for Christmas. This one is so soft and cuddly, and Aussies, it’s here on a fabulous sale (not an affiliate link). Thanks to my stylist-friend for letting me know! Love!

Hello, Sunday!

It’s a chilly morning here in Sydney, after a wild day yesterday. Our family is home, doing the usual during this extended Covid time: working on a puzzle of America, making nachos for dinner (yum!), watching some Netflix, reading in bed, working on my new book…

How are you?? If it’s summer where you are, enjoy!

Every Sunday I have a little family tradition: I make dessert with dinner. These past couple of weeks, I’ve made the delicious Plum and Blackberry Cake you see above. Can you believe I didn’t take a picture of what it looks like baked? It’s just as pretty, served with some thickened cream and dusted with icing sugar.

For summertime people, plums and blackberries are fresh for you. Here in Australia, you can easily use a bag of frozen blackberries (skip the plums) and the cake is still perfect.

Can I share?

Plum & Blackberry Cake

• 4 eggs, separated

• 185 grams sugar (divided into 150 g and 35 g)

• 110 grams flour, sieved

• 80 grams melted butter

• fruit: 4 plums (I slice off the ‘cheeks’) and a punnet of blackberries (OR 3/4 bag of frozen blackberries, around 400 grams)

Preheat oven to 160C (or 325 F). Line a 22 cm cake tin with baking paper.

• Whisk egg yolks and 150g sugar until thick and pale. I use a mixer!

• In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites to soft peaks, add in 35g sugar and whip until smooth and triple in volume.

• Mix the egg white, flour and melted butter into the egg yolk mixture. Don’t overmix.

• Pour batter into cake tin. Place plums on top and intersperse with blackberries. Be sure to poke some blackberries into the batter with a skewer.

• Bake for 40-50 mins, depending on your oven. Check that a skewer draws out clean in the centre and the cake is golden.

• Cool until just warm, and serve dusted with icing sugar and more blackberries. I also put pouring cream in a little jug on the table so people can add it if they love it.

That’s it! Trust me, this cake is totally worth it. It may look a little tricky, but it’s not — all you’re doing is whipping egg whites and egg yolks separately, combining it all together, popping in the fruit and into the oven.

Wherever you are, I hope you have a restful weekend. We’re cozy in Sydney, and I’m longing for summer…

Love Catherine x

PS.

• Hi to the new people this week — I do send recipes I love a few times a year, so hope you’re okay with that! I’m a baker and always have been :) I find it so relaxing and creative.

• A favourite extremely short poem about plums! “This is just to say…”

• I’m thinking of getting this long black beach cover up for our pool days! Roll on, summer.

• But right now, for Aussie winter, this lounge-around-home-after-a-bath set in blue looks super cosy. That long fuzzy cardigan looks so warm! Sorry, the pic is a little vavoom, but you’ll get the idea — ha! :)

• My fun baking photos on Instagram here! I loved posting on Insta for a long time, and now I rarely do…but if you scroll my feed, you’ll find apple pie, macarons, cakes, cookies, all the things…

My 17 Year Old Son Cut My Hair During Lockdown

A special hello to all the new people this week! I’m Catherine, and you’ve likely found me from my book, The 10 Minute Fix. Thanks for joining us as we Love Our Age together! I’ll send a note like this every week on my Sunday morning (Australia) or Saturday evening (America, Canada, UK).

But first: oh, Germany! The floods look terrible…and I hope the rains stop by the weekend.

Our news is that lockdown continues here in Sydney and I got pretty desperate on Thursday. I think hair stylists are considered essential services but I didn’t want to be out there in Covid-ville.

That’s why I asked my 17 year old son to cut my hair. Eeep!

He’s done it before (totally untrained, I might add). It was a teeny bit NERVE-WRACKING but my hair is easy—a simple bob with no layers—and he did a good job.

I may have kept shouting instructions (you know how much teenagers love this, right??? To be told what they already know???).

Oh we had some fun in that bathroom, I can tell you…

I don’t think teenage eyes could roll back any further in their sockets than what I saw during my haircut.

You guys know I’m my natural grey, right? I stopped colouring when I was 49, so I’ve been completely silver since I turned 51. In the photo above, my hair looks dark when wet but it’s more of a light silver. At 88, my beautiful mum is completely Mrs.-Santa-white, so here’s hoping!

I’m not saying you should do what I did—and honestly I love the look of coloured hair—but in case you’re curious, here’s what I also love about being grey:

1. I like my silver hair. Yes, I do look older than my friends but I don’t mind.

2. My colour-free hair is so much healthier. (You won’t believe the difference if you stop colouring.)

3. It’s easy.

4. I also love the ‘grab bag’ effect: your silver colour might be absolutely beautiful but you just don’t know that about yourself yet!

Here’s the After haircut selfie. Not bad for a 17 year old skateboarder, right?

To compensate for my lack of colour, I find that I need a little more make-up and definitely darker eyebrows…but I’m forever grateful for less time in the stylist’s chair. That’s just me!

Hope you’re well in your part of the world. However you decide to do it, let’s love our age together :)

Catherine x

PS.

• Thinking of you if you have friends or family in Germany. xo Also cannot wait til Covid settles down here in Sydney, and now Melbourne is isn’t great either. I hope you and yours are coping with our extended lockdown.

• We’re doing puzzles to feel connected to the world. We’re finishing our first map puzzle, and I just ordered Europe and America. Thought it was good for me to brush up on my Geography, plus people are drawn to a puzzle on the coffee table like moths to a flame. It’s a great way to relax, chat and be together. These trays from IKEA (see below) are perfect to sort puzzles. They’re stackable!

• Here’s an article on How to Learn Geography quickly. Pro tip: big stuff first!

• Do you like pearl earrings? Smaller similar ones to mine here!

• New people: I love that you’re here! For fun and inspiration, check out LoveOurAge.com. Older posts you may like: when you can’t sleep and how to take a micro-break anytime.

I Refuse To Be Sad During Sydney Lockdown

Hi from extended lockdown in Sydney, which has not been improved by the rainiest rainy weekend. This photo is from the freedom days (not this lockdown), when we could go try on cute jumpers and fake leather pants…

But I refuse to be sad.

I’m doing my best to make the most of lockdown and it looks like this:

• Losing badly at Scrabble while table dancing, listening to upbeat Simon and Garfunkel and Johnnie Cash, and doing the kitchen two-step with my son so he remembers how to dance if we ever get to attend a family wedding.

• Doing an easy puzzle of the world on the living room coffee table.

• Walking the puppy in between rain showers.

• Hauling in the veggies from Harris Farm. Have you ever seen a Broccoli Romanesco? Me either. Doesn’t it look like something you’d pick up on the beach, or find on a column in a cathedral? Nature made this. Amazing.

I’m also writing—stay tuned on that—and eating chocolate, drinking lots of coffee, and finding ways to keep our spirits up.

If you’re in the middle of summer and freedom, enjoy! If you’re weary, feeling small…sending you hugs from Sydney.

Love Catherine xx

PS.

• Upbeat Simon and Garfunkel…gee, but it’s great to be back home….

• Fun tip with tights…you know how they always work their way down, down, down and are so irritating? This winter I bought footless tights to wear with socks. Oh my word, so much better!! (See below). Nothing slips. Truly comfortable. I love these fleecy warm ones and these cooler ones, too.

• My favourite watch is here—I really love the rose gold + silver.

• My Melbourne friend, Emma Bowd, has a new picture book called Wonderful Shoes. So gorgeous for your mini people.

• Emma’s illustrator is the lovely Tania McCartney. Take a peek—such a gorgeous book!

You Can Start Over...

Hello, everyone.

What a week. In my little corner of the world, we’ve been under pressure. Covid lockdown continues in Sydney, and I’ve been growing and learning (which always means embracing hard things…ugh!).

When I feel off-course, I literally read my own book.

It’s true.

This is my favourite chapter of The 10 Minute Fix because I need it for myself. Maybe you need a little reminder, too. In a world where we can feel the pressure to succeed, and where we rush to make everything work, there’s something to be said for claiming our right to start over.

With a partner. A child. A work situation. A dream. All of it—sometimes it takes a few tries, and we need to give ourselves grace on the journey.

We can be easier on ourselves. What a relief.

I hope you rest today, and remember to have some fun (in the way that truly feels fun for you!). It’s a big weekend for North Americans…thinking of you all!

Love Catherine x

PS.

• A beautiful poem about the night from Robert Frost. Love!

• I bought this Essie Expressie quick dry nail polish and I love it! Try In The Time Zone or Breaking The Bold. Nail polish is always an easy, fun way to perk yourself up. And if you make a mistake, just swish-swish it off and start again.

• Happy summer if you’re in the other hemisphere. I wish! Winter’s getting to me this year. This little white dress would be cute to throw on after swimming!

• You’ve been such a huge support for my book—thank you!

Hello, We're in Lockdown...

Last week, I saw this beautiful photo of a mountaintop. I can’t tell you the exact source, but it was posted by Earthfocus. I wanted you all to see it, too.

The world continues to surprise us, and there’s so much beauty to enjoy if we look for it. Australian winter has been full of sunny, crisp days with camellias blooming, and cold, starry nights. Sydneysiders have mostly been healthy, but now we’re heading into full lockdown so we’ll all be expected to stay at home for two weeks and wait for Covid to subside.

It’s a time to turn inward.

Work on our projects.

Be kind to the people we’ve been given to love, whether that’s cranky forced-to-be-home teens or family via zoom, co-workers on Teams meetings or the grocery and Amazon delivery guy.

I’m trying to summon up a mindset of appreciating this lockdown: we’re healthy here, we have a freezer that’s full, books and board games and work we can do remotely. But still—lockdown always makes me want to plan a dinner party, do a day trip, go shopping for a dress—the opposite of what we’ll have to do.

If you’re freewheeling into summer in the other hemisphere, enjoy your barbecues and gatherings. If you’re living in our lucky country Down Under, I hope you and yours are healthy and well.

And if you’re in my hometown of Sydney, I’m wishing you a peaceful time in the next two weeks. I hope you get a lot of little jobs accomplished: wipe out the fridge, clean up your desk, soak the school shirts in nappy san, crack open the Monopoly or Scrabble. I hope you and yours are okay.

We face what we have to face, and even lockdown can be useful.

Love Catherine x

PS.

• Something to learn: books I’ve been planning to buy are Flavour, a cookbook by Ottolenghi (love the cover) and Atomic Habits by James Clear. I borrowed Atomic Habits from my library but I need my own copy as a reminder.

• Something fun: new socks. When was the last time you went through your own sock drawer and made sure you had enough new socks? I regularly do this for everyone else I live with but my own socks were woeful. So I did a full ‘range of socks’ shop for me. Feels so good to replace them all at one time! Look how pretty.

Up in the night?

Hi everyone! If you’re new, it’s Catherine Greer (author of The 10 Minute Fix) writing to you. Happy rainy Sunday if you’re in Sydney — so wintery and chilly!

Last night we went to the Darling Harbour Winter Festival and celebrated our youngest son’s 17th birthday. The teens went skating on a very wet, slushy temporary ice rink, then we had dinner and finished off the evening with a ride on this giant ferris wheel. Fireworks were cancelled due to the rain, but look — there was a snow machine! The Canadian in me chuckles at the Aussie in me…

But here’s the point: then I was up in the night.

What do you do when you can’t sleep?

For me, sleeplessness starts innocently with a review of the day. I was excited that our son had such a great night with us and his beautiful girlfriend, and I had a good time being out on the town. But soon I was up with all the worries of the world sliding into my brain — even though everything is going well. We have all the basics of happiness right now: health, jobs, a home, kids on track, the usual ups and downs but nothing heartbreaking…and still, I couldn’t sleep.

So this is what I do, and maybe these tips will help you, too:

1. I direct my thoughts from the past into the future. I find when I think about the past, usually I start to feel some regret or a little hopelessness, but when I wonder about the future and all the good that can happen, I feel better.

2. I stretch in bed. Nothing fancy here, and obviously it’s not so good to wake up a partner, but I often stretch right in bed when I can’t sleep. I’ve tried to find you a good link to some of the stretches that I do, and this is the best I could find. You might want to try some of these.

3. I remind myself that there’s nothing wrong with being tired tomorrow. Then I let my mind stay awake as long as it needs to, and I gently corral my thoughts into a more positive space.

That’s my go-to for sleeplessness. If you have any brilliant ideas, I’d love to hear them!

Happy Sunday, and I hope you’re going to enjoy this beautiful day.

Love, Catherine x

PS.

• More info on the Darling Harbour Winter Festival here.

• Have to share this amazing workout / yoga tank top I bought and absolutely love. Great for under workout clothes, too — so much support and really amazing. I got the black but I’m going back for the other colours. If you pair it with high waisted leggings, so good!

Take A Micro-Break

Hi everyone! Yes, Covid’s still hanging around our part of the world, and I thought you’d enjoy seeing this Aussie take on social distancing. Remember to stand at least one adult kangaroo’s distance from each other, okay?

Love this sign—it’s so Aussie in its humour and we all need to laugh more during these times! My husband and I saw it in Leura this weekend and I quickly snapped a photo for you. On the spur of the moment, we hopped in the car mid-afternoon and drove to the Blue Mountains because we needed a holiday. Instead, we took a micro-break.

This is the most brilliant idea.

When a true holiday just isn’t possible, can you take a micro-break instead?

Our micro-break consisted of road trip music and conversation, a quick drive to the mountains mid-afternoon and a stop at a quirky cafe for sticky date pudding with caramel sauce and a chai latte. Heaven! The whole trip took three hours.

Micro-breaks are possible for all of us, even in our own homes.

• A bath with a candle.

• An evening walk under the stars (if you normally watch TV).

• Afternoon tea with your china dishes.

• A drive somewhere, anywhere.

• Getting up to see the sunrise.

Anything different and outside of our routines can feel like a beautiful little micro-holiday. Try it if you can. Weekends are the perfect time to explore something new.

Happy Sunday, everyone. I know it’s not easy just now with Covid nipping at our heels, but let’s do our best to love these days together.

Catherine xx

PS.

• Fun stuff: we visited Josophan’s Fine Chocolates in Leura! Here’s their bespoke recipe for Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt Oatmeal Cookies. What’s not to love?

• I bought a new notebook this weekend: it’s simple but I love these guys. I tear through them at a pace of about four a year.

• And my favourite, favourite, favourite pencils are here. I think of them as writers’ pencils: my beloved Blackwing 602s.

Bigger or smaller?

Happy Sunday!

Look what I found yesterday…our dog, lounging on my laptop. Cute and totally unposed, though it looks like I put her there. In fact, I’d just gone to the kitchen for my third cup of decaf and came back to find Holly like this. She’s almost eight now and I hope she lives forever.

Today I’ve got something very simple for you: a little thought I’ve been having about my own happiness.

Our brains love keeping us safe and helping us do the same things over and over. For me right now, it’s time to try something new.

If you’re in the same place, ask yourself the bigger or smaller question. I know that happiness follows growth and stepping out, whatever the outcome, and that when we’re learning we feel the most alive.

Beginning again or daring to try is harder than seeking happiness, but it is always worth the journey.

I hope your weekend is uplifting, inspiring, and a whole lot of fun!

Love Catherine x

• I just finished a smart, rollicking, fun novel about Seattle — Where’d you go, Bernadette. Wow, Maria Semple can write and since we used to live in the Pacific Northwest, this book was a winner for me!

• Can’t wait to read Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun.

Tricking You?

Hello, new friends! Welcome to Love Our Age…I’m Catherine Greer and you’re here probably because you just read The 10 Minute Fix. I’m leading with a selfie today so you can see me! I’m always signing up for blogs and then not really knowing who’s writing to me :) So here I am, Catherine, standing in my study in Sydney mid-way through a big writing day.

I drink a lot of coffee, my friends. :)

Hi to everyone, all of you who I know and love, and new people from around the world and in my city.

I’m so glad you’re here! I have something really juicy to share today — an idea I read a couple of weeks ago that truly changed me. (You can find Mel Robbins at melrobbins.com)

I had to unpack this and ask myself if it’s true.

Yes, thinking about writing sometimes does make me feel like I’ve been writing — even when I haven’t put a word down on a page. Thinking about solutions in dealing with a teen really does make me think I’ve done something to improve our relationship…but I haven’t actually DONE ANYTHING at all.

I’m not suggesting that it’s not helpful to think.

I’m agreeing that my thinking and even deciding often tricks me into believing I’ve already done the thing and moved closer to my goal when I haven’t.

Do you do this? Think and plan and then somehow get tricked into believing that you’ve acted on your plan?

Most of life is about the doing.

Moving closer to our goals? Doing.

Getting healthier? Doing.

Writing a book? Doing.

Changing jobs? Doing.

Starting a business? Doing.

Improving a relationship? Doing. Acting.

I’m so excited about this idea. Here’s why: because now that I see it, I can change it. I can think and plan—of course—but also make sure that I act.

Enjoy your beautiful weekend! I’ll be here today helping a teen with a ton of assessments (not just worrying about him) AND doing some writing on my new book. Can’t wait for you to read it! If you enjoyed The 10 Minute Fix, you’ll love this one…

Love, Catherine x

PS.

• I overbought a ton of pears…wondering if I can make a pear pie for Sunday dinner? Does that sound terrible to you? Maybe mix it with apple? Here’s my apple pie recipe from my author website and blog. I am a serial baker—haha!

• It’s the book birthday of The 10 Minute Fix! That little book has been sneaking its way into women’s hearts around the world for exactly one year. If you want to celebrate with me and gift a copy to a friend, you can get it here in America, and here in Canada, and here in the UK and here in Australia. I love that this small book is helping women feel a little better about everyday life. To me, that’s everything. xo

How To Rest Your Nervous System

Hello, my beautiful friends who are probably also busy and maybe a little tired, can I give some unofficial, un-expert tips on what’s been working for me to rest my jumpy nervous system? If you feel a little tired or overwhelmed, this might help.

I’m not a healthcare professional, but here’s what I do for a quick rest and reset.

1. Exhale, deep sigh.

2. Touch (hand massage or hug…even hug yourself).

3. Hand on heart and breathe.

Let me explain: these are three little tricks you can use to calm down your nervous system while you’re in the middle of something hard. For example, you can use them mid-meeting, mid-argument, or in the middle of receiving bad news.

You can also set them up like a practice — that automatic response you do to soothe yourself.

• Exhale deep sigh — this one comes with a warning that if you do it regularly, you can become a little irritating to your partner! (I don’t want to be a person who sighs all the time — haha — and it was actually my husband who inadvertently taught me this one because his sighing was driving me CRAZY and when I asked, “Tell me about that sigh thing you do…” he said it was to release stress.) Anyway, exhale-deep sigh works, so go ahead and try that one now. Your nervous system will relax and you’ll get a moment of immediate release.

• Touch / hand massage / hug / hug yourself — this one is brilliant. Hand massage works anywhere. It’s unobtrusive and feels amazing. Hug yourself is perfect if you’re lying in bed worrying and can’t sleep. It will remind you that you’ve got your own back, that you’re always there for yourself, that you’ve “got you” no matter what. Hug someone else is as lovely as it always is, whether that’s a little person or a big person.

• Hand on heart — this one is like a touchstone for me. It reminds me that I’m okay. I can do it anytime, anywhere, and usually combine it with an exhale. Another great combo if you’re in bed worrying is ‘hand on heart plus hand on tummy’. This is a great time to do whatever your belief system urges you to do: meditate, pray, send good thoughts to someone.

I hope these little tips work for you. So simple, right? Yes they are, but I know from experience that small steps are perfect.

Enjoy your weekend,

Love Catherine x

PS.

You guys, I share fun stuff I love in the PS of my notes to you just because it makes me happy and I hope it brightens your day! I’m not a big influencer, and if I post an affiliate link to a product on amazon, it means about twice a year I get sent a $15 amazon gift card. That’s the extent of any earnings from affiliate links, but I just wanted you to know. :) If I link to Aussie items, these are never affiliate links — just beautiful, useful things. So, this week…

• If you’re Aussie, go check out these coffee mugs from Wheel & Barrow. I love them so much!

• For winter, my fuzzy sherpa-lined heart socks were a gift from my Aussie bestie this week, and oh man, I love pulling them on during morning coffee or if I go to bed with freezing cold feet. Similar ones here.

A Simple Reminder

Hi and welcome to Love Our Age! If you’re new this week, I’m so happy you dropped by. I’m in pjs with hot black coffee as I write to you, thinking of so many things.

• Goals.

• Plans.

• What we achieve and what we aspire to achieve.

I don’t know about you, but I’m heading into a season of getting some writing done. I’m excited about a novel I’ve been writing for you—my first try at adult fiction—and it’s aligned with the encouragement and wisdom in The 10 Minute Fix. It’s a story about a woman who finds her strength…it’s about reinventing ourselves in the middle of our lives and starting something new. The message? You’re not too old, and it’s never too late.

How are you doing? Is spring or fall making you think of pursuing something fresh and new?

Whatever you decide, I hope you remember the six words on this t-shirt.

Be good to yourself, inspire others.

If I’ve learned anything, it’s this: the first one has to come before the second. It’s the old ‘put on your own oxygen mask first’ cliche, and it’s true. Take care of yourself this weekend, have a few treats, be good to you.

You deserve it. We all do.

Love Catherine x

PS.

• Some fun for you…my favourite salad ever! You need fresh corn and quinoa and it’s worth it.