April Journal

May 07, 2026

Hi friends, I hope April treated you well!

I can’t believe we are already in May! It’s a bit disorienting writing this newsletter because I feel like we should still be in April.

I am currently sitting solo at a coffee shop getting some work done in Charlotte NC, staying with my parents while my husband is away on a trip. I miss him lots, but I have to admit I have been looking forward to getting some extra time to read/write by myself (and hang out with my parents! they’re the best). As an introvert, I love the occasional solo trip, especially if a great coffee shop is involved.

Nothing like a vibey coffee shop to get lots of work done

It’s always wild coming back to the city that I spent formative high school years adventuring in. For me that was over 10 years ago now, and that blows my mind. A whole decade. Sitting here thinking about how much has changed, and all the dreams that high school Abby was holding, I can’t help but feel so grateful and sentimental; so many of them have come true. I love the way going back to a place you grew up in shifts life into perspective…as if you can go back in time in your mind and look ahead at your future self. It might be the closest thing we have to time travel? Each time I notice this, it actually makes me glad we can’t go back (or even ahead) in time. Life plays out exactly the way it’s meant to. The hard and the beautiful. I wouldn’t change any of it. I’m so thankful to be able to say that.

But I digress; here’s what brought me joy last month!

Lots of family time and time outside!

We went to be with my family for Easter, my brothers visited (twice!) and David’s parents came to visit! We enjoyed live music with friends outside at the park Downtown, ate dinners outside, went on lots of walks, threw the frisbee, had picnics etc. etc.!

A girls night at the wine bar Downtown
Taking a walk to our local diner for breakfast on a Friday morning!
Finding a brand new book in a Little Free Library on our neighborhood walk! I found Theo of Golden! I’ve just started reading and it’s so lovely, have you read it??
Spending time at a new knitting shop, working on my latest project
Stumbling upon a new coffee shop in town on a lazy Saturday and getting some more more knitting done
Adding sweetened condensed milk to my afternoon iced lattes
Taking picnic lunch breaks in my backyard on work-from-home days

Reading: Poems by Mary Oliver

I have to admit I have quite a complicated relationship with poetry, but I hope to change that this year! I wish I were more “into” it, and I really appreciate it as an art form, but it’s always been a bit tough for me to engage with and especially write. I found a Mary Oliver book of poems though and read one or two a day. I think she is the perfect gateway into poetry, and I enjoyed reading her work after hearing about her for so long. If any of you resonate with these mixed feelings about poetry or if you’ve come to love it to, I’d love to hear your thoughts!!

Eating: Ridiculously Easy Raspberry Lemon Scones

I am an absolute sucker for any baked good that has raspberry + lemon in it. If I come across a pastry with either of these flavors, I’m choosing that.

I’ve always been a little intimidated by scone-making, and I personally hate dealing with cold cubed butter; (I think the messiness is overstimulating for me heh) but I found a recipe that uses melted butter mixed with heavy cream! And they came out SO GOOD. It’s a bit dangerous, how easy they were to make, so I’m having to restrain myself from making them every weekend. I’m so glad to have this on hand now though, and I will definitely be making them for summer gatherings, since it makes so many!

Bake 'em here

Wearing: The perfect roll neck sweater

Every once in a while, you find a piece of clothing on sale that is great quality, goes with everything, and is so classic that it instantly elevates any outfit. This sweater is that! (Shoutout to Gap!) I remember walking through Gap a couple years ago, seeing their lineup of new cotton sweaters and liking them, but I didn’t pick one up. A few months later, I wound up at an outlet and found one of them on the clearance rack for 75% off! It was a size XXL, but that did not stop me. I’ve washed it a few times so it’s shrunk a little in the dryer and now it’s got the perfect oversized look. I wear this thing all the time. It’s warm but not too warm, so it’s great for throwing over an outfit when I’m chilly in the spring and summer months! I’m so glad snagged it and I will be keeping it forever!