Hello!

How are things in your corner of the world?

I'm feeling refreshed and restored after a family holiday in Canada, where I re-discovered a piece of my childhood - and the magic of serendipity.

If you read my last newsletter The Art of Looking for Delight, you may remember that while we were in Canada a few weeks ago my husband and I visited Leaskdale Manse, the first Ontario home of L M Montgomery, the author of many books, including the beloved Anne of Green Gables series.

While I was there I couldn't resist purchasing the 8 books that make up the full Anne series as well as "Aunt Maud's Cookbook" written by Elaine and Kelly Crawford using Montgomery's own recipe ledger. (Yes, we did have to buy another suitcase!)

Re-reading the Anne books has been a revelation. Not only are they reacquainting me with my inner child, I am finding Anne's adventures even more interesting and entertaining as an adult.

I have also loved learning more about the domestic side of Montgomery's life in Aunt Maud's Cookbook. Whilst still on holiday, I was reading the first chapter and noticed a mention of a place called Norval, Ontario - a place that she lived and loved, but I had never heard of.

A quick search showed Norval was a suburb of Toronto located well outside the city. We were travelling on to Halton Hills and then Port Credit, and at first glance Norval was nowhere near the properties where we were staying. So I added it to my list of the places we plan to visit on our next trip to Ontario.

The thing is, there are plans, and then there are possibilities...

When we were heading from the shores of Lake Huron to our third stop on this trip, a beautiful rental property in Halton Hills that we had booked months previously, I popped the address into the GPS (SatNav). I had to look twice at the result.

Instead of saying "Halton Hills", the address came up as "Norval".

It turns out that Norval is a historic hamlet within the town of Halton Hills! Friends, our accommodation was less than half a mile from the Manse where Montgomery lived in her beloved Norval.

The property is currently being restored and is not open to visitors, but we drove past it several times during the days we stayed in the area and I was able to imagine her there.

Having only just learned about the Norval house from the cookbook I happened to buy, and having already decided visiting Norval was for another time, the serendipity of this delicious coincidence was definitely not lost on me.

Yes, it is likely that seeing the big green sign saying Lucy Maud Montgomery Garden just around the corner from the house would probably have encouraged me to do some research - but just the fact that we booked the accommodation with no knowledge of the Montgomery connection still seems rather serendipitous to me.

It got me thinking about how serendipity is not just about what happens to us, it is about noticing it when it happens, and even more importantly, making room for it.

So as we head into a new season, how can we make a fresh start and plan (as so many of us like to do in September) whilst still leaving room for the unexpected, serendipities that may await us along the way?

Maybe all it would take would be to allow ourselves to follow our curiosity, remain open to changes in our plans, leave a little white space in our diaries and allow ourselves the time to notice and appreciate when things seem to fall into place in a delightful way.

As for me, when I sit down with my diary this September, I'm going to make a point of leaving lots of room for possibility, and hope that serendipity will feel very welcome to make regular appearances.

That said, I'm definitely planning some baking!

A Taste of The Season Ahead

I'm easing into a little late summer baking with recipes that make the most of seasonal produce and incorporate some of my favourite fall spices.

Pear and Ginger Cake This lighter, milder spice cake is studded with juicy pears, and perfect with a cup of tea. (There's a gluten-free option too.) Get the recipe

Sweet Potato Bread This quick bread recipe may sound unusual but once you try it you will understand why it's a real staple at our house this time of year. Get the recipe

Pumpkin Gingerbread Muffins Enjoy these deliciously spiced treats as an indulgent breakfast or at teatime. They are a great way to warm up a fall day that has a bit of a chill in the air! Get the recipe

Links marked with an asterix (*) are affiliate links - If you purchase using these links I make a small commission. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This week I'm...

Reading - Uncharmed* by Lucy Jane Wood - a cosy fantasy about Andromeda Wildwood, a young witch who owns a popular London bakery, assigned by her coven with mentoring a troubled teenage witch.

I also enjoyed Lucy's first book, Rewitched*, about a young witch who works in a delightful old bookshop who has spent a lifetime hiding her powers. Faced with losing them, she needs to prove that she really has what it takes to be a bona fide witch. Both are perfect reading for this time of year.

Plus I'm still re-reading my way through the Anne of Green Gables series by L M Montgomery and Aunt Maud's Recipe Book by Elaine and Kelly Crawford.

Watching - After nearly 6 seasons my husband and I have finally started watching Only Murders in the Building Season 1. We were hooked from the first episode. I only wish we had started to watch it sooner!

Listening to - The Calamity Club* by Kathryn Stockett on Audible.

Excited About - the completion of a behind the scenes theme update to my website and blog at apriljharris.com. Everything looks the same on the surface, but the functionality is even better. Please do pop along and have a look!

That's all for now. Happy almost September! As you head into this wonderful month of fresh starts and autumn plans, I hope you will be able to leave some room for serendipity too!

Thank you so much again for being a subscriber. Remember you can reply to this email with any questions, comments, suggestions or just to say hi. I love to hear from you. Warmly, April x April J Harris | Helping you make the most of life at home and away. ​Website | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest​