recent

name	recent
description	Summarize recent activity in the note garden by reading breadcrumbs
user_invocable	true

Recent Activity Skill

This skill summarizes recent activity in the note garden by reading the breadcrumb trail and producing an on-demand rollup.

Usage

When invoked with /recent (optionally with a number like /recent 5), this skill provides a summary of what's been happening in the vault recently.

Instructions

When the user invokes this skill:

1. Parse the command: Extract the optional number parameter (default to 5 if not provided)

   • /recent → look at 5 most recent breadcrumbs
   • /recent 10 → look at 10 most recent breadcrumbs

2. Find recent breadcrumbs: Use Glob to find all files in breadcrumbs/*.md. Sort by filename (they're chronologically named with timestamps). Take the most recent N entries.

3. Read the breadcrumbs: Read each breadcrumb file, following the linked list via the previous frontmatter field if needed for additional context.

4. Read referenced notes: For each breadcrumb, read the notes listed in the notes_touched frontmatter array to understand what was actually captured or modified.

5. Produce a rollup summary that includes:

   • Timeline: What happened and when (from most recent backwards). Show the timestamp from each breadcrumb filename and its summary.
   • Key topics: What subjects have been captured recently. Extract key concepts from the breadcrumbs and notes.
   • Emerging patterns: Trends across multiple breadcrumbs (recurring themes, growing topic clusters, connections between notes).
   • Active threads: Open questions and dangling ideas from the breadcrumbs (check the open_questions field if present).
   • Vault stats: Quick count of:
     • Total notes in the vault (.md files in root, excluding hidden/internal directories)
     • Total questions (files in questions/)
     • Total breadcrumbs (files in breadcrumbs/)

6. Present the summary: Output a nicely formatted text response to the user. DO NOT write this to a file—just return it as conversational output.

Important Notes

• This is a read-only skill: DO NOT push any events or write any files
• Focus on the breadcrumb trail as the primary source of truth for "what happened"
• Use actual note content to enrich the summary with real context
• If there are fewer breadcrumbs than requested, just use what's available
• Present information in reverse chronological order (most recent first)

Example

User input:

/recent 3

Expected behavior:

1. Find the 3 most recent breadcrumbs/*.md files
2. Read each breadcrumb and its referenced notes
3. Generate a summary showing:
   • Timeline of the last 3 captures/operations
   • Topics covered
   • Any patterns or connections
   • Vault statistics

Response format (example):

# Recent Activity in Note Garden

## Timeline (Last 3 Breadcrumbs)

**2026-02-13 14:32** - Captured ideas about spaced repetition
- Added note: [[spaced-repetition-principles.md]]
- Connected to existing note on Zettelkasten method

**2026-02-13 10:15** - Processed transcript about learning systems
- Created 3 atomic notes
- Generated 2 exploratory questions

**2026-02-12 16:48** - Captured thought on emergence
- Added note: [[emergence-in-complex-systems.md]]

## Key Topics
- Learning systems and memory
- Complex systems
- Knowledge management

## Emerging Patterns
- Growing cluster around cognitive science topics
- Multiple notes now connecting to Zettelkasten methodology

## Active Threads
- Open question: How does spaced repetition relate to network effects?
- Follow-up needed: Explore connection between emergence and learning

## Vault Stats
- 47 notes
- 12 questions
- 8 breadcrumbs