Hello wonderful you!
I've some big news to share today.
It's coming to you from the heart of Buddhafield Festival (pictured!), which is gorgeous and heart-opening and all the good stuff.
Sadly though, it's time for me to say goodbye. I've decided to step down as editor of The Green Parent.
Which brings me so much grief, and anticipation for the next stage.
I started this magazine over 21 years ago, when my eldest two were tiny.
It's been a brilliant journey and I've had the best job in the world. And you've been such a wonderful motivator to keep the magazine fresh and interesting every issue. Thank you for all your support.
The magazine will continue under the careful stewardship of Director Jez Harris, who I’ve worked alongside for the last 21 years. You'll hear from us soon on what to expect in the coming months, The Green Parent team have lots of exciting plans ahead for you.
It's been a really hard decision for me to take. I was talking to a friend last week about how our businesses are our babies. It feels like such a big step to take to move onto to something new.
And yet, the timing is ripe.
I'm beginning my approach to menopause - Alexander Pope and Sjanie Wurlitzer Hugo call it the Quickening - and starting to feel the pull inwards and downwards.
My memory is no longer as sharp, my brain more foggy and my drive has bottomed out. Mainly I want to hang out with my family in the woods, watching the sunlight play in the leaves.
I want to swim in the sea with friends in the moonlight and talk about the big stuff. I want to really tune into what's going on for my kids, and be present for them. I want to go for long walks with my partner and hear what's in his heart.
Of course, it's possible to do these things and work too, but my capacity is definitely less than it once was. I have finite energy, attention and time. And I want to spend more of it with the people I love.
The latest edition of the magazine - my final issue - is out next week. It's our Simplicity special edition, and there's so much juicy reading in there. Get your copy here.
Here's What Else We've Been Doing This Week
Picking Blackberries
We've a prolific blackberry bush outside the house. I love making crumbles and pies, smoothies and sprinkling on top of porridge. And we're planning some blackberry ice cream.
And cake!
We often find ourselves at the chai tent in the evening at festivals with mugs of spicy tea and sweet treats. This year, I decided to bake some treats to take with us.
Here's the recipe for the blackberry and apple cake I made in advance (thanks previous me!):
Ingredients
- 2 medium apples, peeled, cored and chopped into small chunks
- 150g blackberries (fresh or frozen)
- 200g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 150g light brown sugar
- 150g unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp milk
- A tbsp of brown sugar (optional, makes a crunchy topping!)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C. Grease and line a rectangular cake tin.
- Cream together the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, adding a spoonful of flour if the mixture starts to split. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Fold in the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon gently, then add milk to loosen the batter slightly.
- Stir in the apples and most of the blackberries, reserving a few to press on top.
- Spoon the batter into the tin and smooth the top. Dot with remaining blackberries and sprinkle with demerara sugar if using.
- Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Cool in the tin for 10–15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Yum!
Reading Novels
I've got another pile of lucky picks from the main library in the city - and brought a whole bag of books with me to the festival. Probably won't get round to reading more than one, but... just in case!
Anyway, here's a few I've enjoyed this week.
The Best of Everything by Kit de Waal
I love Kit de Waal's writing - have you read My Name is Leon? Get your hands on a copy of that, and this wonderful new novel, fresh off the presses.
The protagonist, Paulette is the kind of woman who likes the future all mapped out - the wedding to Denton, the Caribbean honeymoon, the gingham quilt on the baby's crib. Until one morning Garfield, Denton's friend, arrives at her door with news that Denton won't be coming around anymore, that there won't be time for her to say goodbye.
Somehow Garfield finds his way into her bed, and sooner than anyone can believe there is a baby, and suddenly giving Bird, her son, the best of everything is what gives Paulette's life meaning.
So why is it another little boy, Nellie, who keeps Paulette awake at night? Nellie who is being raised a few streets away with no sign of a mum, with a grandfather who is obviously struggling. Surely Paulette is the last person who should be getting tangled up in any of that?
This is a novel about what it means to care, to learn to live in the aftermath of loss, and the love that can steal into our lives - in spite of the best laid plans.
Kit was born in Birmingham to an Irish mother, who was a childminder and foster carer, and a Caribbean father. She still lives in the West Midlands and has two children. She worked in criminal and family law, and used to advise Social Services on the care of foster children. Her writing about family reflects the depth of her experience. I couldn't put this book down.
Whale Fall by Elizabeth O'Connor
This was a delicious inhale of a book - I read it in one long (hot!) evening. In 1938, a dead whale washes up on the shores of remote Welsh island. For Manod, who has spent her whole life on the island, it feels like both a portent of doom and a symbol of what may lie beyond the island's shores. A young woman living with her father and her sister (to whom she has reluctantly but devotedly become a mother following the death of their own mother years prior), Manod can't shake her welling desire to explore life beyond the beautiful yet blisteringly harsh islands that her hardscrabble family has called home for generations.
Elizabeth lives in Birmingham and she was the 2020 winner of the White Review Short Story Prize. Whale Fall was chosen as one of the Observer's ten best debut novels of the year.
Speak to Me of Home by Jeanine Cummins
Another book about family dynamics - particularly the matriarchal line. It's a story of mothers and daughters that asks: how can three women who share geography and genetics have such wildly different ideas of where it is they come from? And more importantly, can they discover the common language to find their way home? A wonderful exploration of Puerto Rican culture and the bonds between women. Jeanine has written four other books and she lives in New York with her husband and two children.
Playing on the Beach
We've decided to have a weekly play on the beach with some of our home ed friends this summer. Usually the kids can play happily for hours on end, without any need for adult input.
But, just in case we need some inspiration for beach play, I found these ideas in the brilliant The Beach Book by Fiona Danks and Jo Schofield.
1. Beachcombing Treasure Hunt
Wander along the tide line collecting natural treasures - look out for shells, sea glass, driftwood, interesting stones. You could chose themes like “roundest pebble” or “most colourful shell.”
2. Rock Pool Safari
We live on the South coast, where the rockpools are epic - there's great swathes of the coastline that form a chalky, rockpool heaven. Explore tidal pools and look for crabs, anemones, little fish, or sea snails. Take a small notebook to record what you find. Be gentle and leave everything as you found it.
3. Make Beach Art with Found Objects
This is one of my favourite things to do in nature. Create land art using only natural materials—spirals of shells, sand mandalas, seaweed sculptures, or driftwood patterns. It's calming, creative, and a beautiful way to connect with the environment. Iris loves being made into a mermaid. If there's a sandy patch large enough, scoop out a seat and space for legs stretched out. Heap the sand over the mermaids legs, sculpt into a tail and decorate with seaweed and shells!
4. Nature-Based Games
Play games with natural elements:
- "Seaweed tag" using floating seaweed pieces
- Footprint races on wet sand
- Build a maze in the sand for shells or pebbles
5. Tide Watching
Sit quietly and watch the tide roll in or out. Try beach yoga or breathing exercises while listening to the waves. You can also look for patterns in the clouds or watch seabirds dive and feed - perfect for mindful nature time.
6. Drift Messages
Find pieces of driftwood or smooth stones and write messages or do drawings on them using chalk or charcoal. You could leave them for others to find, creating a trail of kindness and wonder along the beach!
7. Sand Habitat Building
Get creative by building little “homes” for imaginary beach creatures using sand, seaweed, stones, and shells. You could design crab castles, mermaid coves, or dens for blennies. Have fun!
Sending lots of love,
Melissa
ps: I'll be back next Friday, with my last newsletter. Hope you have a lush week.
