Spring had sprung!

It’s the spring equinox, one of my favourite days of the year. I love winter, with its cold, dark nights, perfect for hunkering down and reading spooky stories, but I can’t help but feel my spirits lift when we jump into spring.

And we’ve been blessed with some beautiful spring weather this week. Yesterday I sat and wrote in the garden all day, hitting the 92,000-word mark on the novel. Nearly there, although it’ll overshoot slightly, blowing my word count so I’ll have to carve it back. But sitting at the garden table from nine to six was a complete joy — here’s to more garden writing days.

With the novel consuming so much of my time, I haven’t been able to give the newsletter the attention it deserves. But rather than let the equinox pass without a note, I thought I’d point you back to last year’s Ostara post, which reminded us all — via the wonderful words of Glennie Kindred — to make plans, journey forth and take risks.

One thing in particular struck me as I reread the post: how I said that the beginning of 2025 had been brutal. The more things change, the more they stay the same! It’s like 2026 read that post and said, ‘hold my beer!’

But here’s the thing: we’re still here! We’ve made it to spring again!

That’s why marking the seasons is so important to me. It’s a reminder that, no matter how bleak things seem now, you’ve probably been through it before and will no doubt come through it again. The world keeps turning, and the light always returns, no matter how gloomy the days that preceded it have been.

Have a lovely Ostara and enjoy the spring days ahead!