Gentle Pastimes

Gentle Pastimes

Busy lives are rather the norm now for many of us trying to fit into each day the demands of family live, work commitments, helping others as we are able and, of course if we can, a little time to ourselves to wind down or enjoy our hobbies. Over this Easter holiday, with more time to relax and think, my thoughts were drawn to how our hobbies and passionate pastimes shape our lives or help us through difficult times. What do they say about us? How do they add to the fabric of our lives? 

2026 has for me been a very different year so far, and gentle pastimes have played an important role in keeping healthy. Many of our regular followers may know that our family decided to spend the winter months at our French second home 'maison secondaire' and leave the hot dry Australian summer behind. We were very much looking forward to spending another cold winter, hopefully with snow, and experiencing the joy of Christmas and New Year in our tiny farming village.

Christmas Day and New Year Day

The weather was a treat with gentle snow on Christmas Day leaving the village in a soft white blanket of powdery snow. The fireplace roared with thick logs and bright flames and our Christmas lunch was a wonderful family affair. Just as we dreamed it might be - magical, filled with family love and twinkling night lights throughout the village streets. All was not to stay like that though, as just days before we celebrated the coming in of the New Year, my eldest son had a serious accident.

Journaling, Interactive Paper Crafts & Watercolour Painting

Unfortunately, while at home my eldest son fell down one of our flights of stairs and broke his back. His spinal fracture involved attendance by numerous emergency medical teams, a ten day emergency stay in hospital and eventual medical repatriation to Australia with a dedicated trauma team. Our younger son delayed his return to Australia, my husband was left in France alone and I returned to Australia with my eldest son on one of the most stressful journeys I've ever undertaken. 

With this rather unusual start to 2026 with the first couple of weeks spent in hospital, then our French home, and then back home in Australia, rehabilitation continued and my son gained more movement. While in hospital and afterwards, gentle pastimes like journaling, paper crafts and watercolour painting has been a great creative outlet for me. Small projects that are relatively quick, colourful and pretty have been my go-to.

The bonus of one of my paper folding projects (the creation of tiny birdhouses) was that I was able to use them to decorate our Easter lunch table. Found in the delightful magazine Daphne's Diary, which is always filled with pretty interactive craft projects, and which has delightful sticker books available on Amazon, I thought the birdhouses would look rather cute hanging on freshly picked branches from my Callistemon tree.

Looking Forward into 2026

Now feeling stronger with my own autoimmune health issues that severely impacted the end of 2025, and with my son well on his recovery path, I'm turning back to creating new posts for A French Collection, however journaling and watercolour painting will continue to be my gentle pastimes. Making sure some quiet time is prioritised and added to my daily activities during 2026 and beyond is going to be my new norm. 

Some of my most beautiful journal and colouring supplies have been from Primrosia and Marin Montagut from Paris. Their boutique diaries, journals and marker pens are of the highest quality and so elegantly packaged, that I happily display them on my desk at all times. It's nice to have them so handy and not hidden away. If you've been thinking of trying journaling, adult colouring-in, illustration or painting, you'll find a curated selection of many of these pretty products in my Amazon collection My Office & Gift Ideas.

Further Resources - My journal is by Koko & Lynn which I purchased online. My pale blue metal watercolour paint box and brushes are by Charvin of Paris and I've bought them from their store at 57 Quai des Grands Augustins, 75006, Paris. Visiting this traditional family store on the Seine River is always a true delight, but you can purchase online too. My notebooks, pencils and porcelain painting palette are by Marin Montagut of 48 Rue Madame, 75006 Paris.  This store is close to my usual Paris hotel so I usually pop in to see his beautiful new products, but buying online is another great option.