Kettle On: April 2026 ☕️

On creating gently, snow that won't STOP, and a body that remembers

I have been feeling equal parts happy and untethered this month. It's my own doing… my analysis paralysis, if you will. In the pursuit of creating a regular publishing schedule for Aynsley Court Mysteries, I forgot the promises I made to myself at the beginning of my Substack journey. Writing takes time and it takes patience. Write first, plan later. The only thing I want to write on a schedule is "Kettle On" because it serves as a journal and a space to vent and express myself. Here's to reminding myself to be gentle, especially as my work cycle ramps up for the year.

Highlights ✨

• Cousins on my dad’s side visited from Vancouver and Ottawa for Easter. Their parents were away and they just wanted to spend time with family and it was so nice. We live so far away, but whenever we get back together we’re just like besties that never left. They took me rock climbing for the first time since I was like 7 in the 1900s… Vertical Adventures, anyone?

• I’ve read A LOT. At least a lot for me. Finished almost a fifth of my whole yearly goal in a month.

• My niece gave me kisses for the very first time and I could have passed away. She is such a sweet little angel. My sister and brother-in-law are such incredible parents and I’m so proud of them, and I’m so proud of P, she’s so stinkin’ smart!

• I started planning my Manitoba native wildflower garden, and then, as if on cue, it snowed just the other day… May 5… SNOW! I’d been lying in my grass for 20 minutes about two days before that! Right, this is highlights, so let’s get back to it.

• Went bowling with a large part of my mom’s side of the family for my cousin’s birthday. Hadn’t been in a while, and it turns out I’m better at bowling when I’ve been drinking. My sober self will have to get used to being a bad bowler… something I’m willing to accept for my health.

Challenges 🌧

• Funny that the emoji picked for this section is weather-related, because my biggest challenge (and I’m sure many other Winnipeggers share this) this month is the weather. It snowed two days ago… SNOWED! It’s also been cloudy for what feels like weeks, and I’m solar-powered, so I’ve been feeling very sluggish and tired.

• Ever since the pandemic and the severe health anxiety I dealt with, this time of year my body goes through a kind of trauma remembering, I don’t know if that’s a real term, but that’s what I’m calling it. It’s tied to the first festival post-pandemic: I was going through COVID fatigue, pandemic fatigue, starting to come around from my health anxiety through medication, AND preparing for a festival we hadn’t had in two years. My chest was in a constant state of heaviness. I explained it to my friend, who also happens to be a therapist, like this: my brain knows that I’ve got this and I feel so good and organized for the festival this year, but my body is still remembering 2022.

Lessons 🧠

• Writing takes time and patience, the schedule serves the work, not the other way around.

• Chasing structure can overwhelm the original purpose, joy and intention behind a project.

• The body holds memory, even when the mind has moved forward.

Letting Go Of 🔥

• The self-imposed pressure.

• Trying to fit my creative output into a schedule.

• Guilt about the gap between what the body feels and what the brain knows.

Carrying Forward 🌱

• Protecting “Kettle On” as a free, unscheduled space for journaling and expression.

• The warmth and ease of family connection with my cousins, more firsts with my niece, and simple activities.

• Reading momentum.

• The wildflower garden plans, weather willing.

Intentions for Next Month 🔮

• Be gentle with myself as the work cycle ramps up.

• Write freely before planning anything.

• Get the wildflower garden started once the snow finally cooperates.

• Show up to the festival grounded in how far I’ve come.

The kettle’s on. Pour yourself a cup and join me at the table.

---

Steeping in This Month ☕️

📚 Reading:

• Watch Me Disappear by Janelle Brown ⭐️⭐️⭐️

• Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

• Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

• The Midnight Library by Matt Haig ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📺 Watching:

• NHL Playoffs

• Law & Order: SVU on CityTV+

• Law & Order on CityTV+

• Temptation Island on Netflix

• Million Dollar Secret on Netflix

• Love Island: Beyond the Villa on Crave

🎧 Listening:

• Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. by Harry Styles

• “Left / Right” by Roya

• The Great Divide by Noah Kahan

🕹️ Playing:

• Wylde Flowers

---

Support My Work

Brittany J. L. May is where I think out loud, make things with my hands, and follow curiosities wherever they lead — through letters, creating, wandering, and everything in between.

If something here has made you pause, feel seen, or linger a little longer than expected, here are a few ways you can help keep this space alive:

💜 Leave a note or tap the heart — it helps this work travel further

💬 Share a favourite line, image, or moment with someone who might need it

🌿 Pass this space along to a friend who loves thoughtful things made slowly

Thank you for spending your time here. Trusting me with your time is an honour.