52 things I love
+1 for good luck
Trees. Trees. Trees. Butterflies and bumblebees. Rocks, stones. Leaves and feathers.
The Sun. The wind and the rain. The Moon.
The sea and the sky. Autumn mornings and Spring evenings. Yellow and blue.
Birds, bees and ladybugs. Walks in the forest. The light shinning through the leaves. Plum cake and Darjeeling tea. My parents, my brothers - I'll count them as one. Friends, snail-mail, hand-written notes. Summer peaches and Autumn quince. The smell of fresh compost. Waking up to a new day. Falling asleep tired. Piqui, cuddling on my lap. The first sip of coffee in the morning. Chamomile tea before bed. Dirty fingernails after working in the garden. Walking barefoot. Clay. Books, blankets and biscuits. Blackberries, blue cheese and belly buttons. Dandelions, cats and rhinos. Lemon balm, nettle and sage. Finding his hand under warm blankets, meeting his eyes across the table. Our baby, no longer baby always our baby. Oh! That wasn't so hard! I'm sure I can think of 53 more! Can you?
In two days I will turn 52. And because it’s my birthday, I am running the following offers on my Etsy store: free subscribers get 15% discount; paid subscribers get 20% discount (email was sent last week, let me know if it didn’t reach you and I will send you a code). A 10% discount can be enjoyed by everyone using the code SUBSTACK at checkout.
I know the emails I sent said until the 31st of December, but the shop will actually be closed between December 20th and 31st (while I am in Portugal and unable to process orders) so I decided to extend the promotion one month, until the end of January 2026.
Keep checking the store, as I will be adding a few more pieces before I leave.




Believe it or not, this is the last letter I will send your way this year. As I mentioned above, I am going to Portugal for Christmas and will try to spend as much time off screens as possible. I will try to be back mid-January, but don’t hold it against me if it takes a wee bit longer.
Until then, wherever you are in the world, whether you are putting on a woolly hat or a swimsuit, I wish you a wonderful holiday season and may the new year bring you only good things.
See you in 2026!
-Sara
If you enjoyed reading and would like to further support my work:
🍂 Subscribe, comment, click the Like button, share; it’s free and makes my day
🍂 Upgrade to a paid subscription (less than €3/month & 20% off** on my Etsy store)
🍂 Purchase one of my pots (use code SUBSTACK at checkout for a 10% discount**)
🍂 Buy me a coffee but be advised I may use your donation to buy cake
**offers valid until the end of January 2026



Um poema! Um lindo poema! Obrigada ☺️
nice work! I, too, love clay!