Saturday, 30 November 2024

November look back

 This was a present from a chum at QMU, We were part of a step count challenge team, for both of us now facing significant health challenges "keep on stepping" has quite a different meaning 
My swimming group the selkies are still sending a card a week, God I love those ladies
We are getting rid of some chairs to a local charity shop which picks up. I suggested we give them my gym equipment too, even before long covid I couldn't use my body pump set because of the lipidema, so I'm getting rid of all weights, bench and step, I have resistance bands and they will probably be my main thing apart from walking when I get to that stage, which will  be quite a while.
At first I felt sad as if I was giving up a part of myself but then I remembered that I have often had to pivot like this, lost Bud so had to get a bike, Rheumatoid arthritis so had to give up jogging, lipidema means no weight bearing exercises and now this?
Well I'll cope, when I'm able I'll see what I can do, this doesn't define me.
Thats them all picked up, they took a rocking chair which was one of the few things I had left from my first marriage, bittersweet but also cathartic, I don't miss my first marriage the slightest but it played a huge part in making me who I am, so I'm grateful to it for that
Scoobs loves messing about with Grey Donkey 🤣 I love them both scoobs will do anything to help me smile
Awww I miss the selkies so much, love them, I think the card sending might have stopped now but that's OK, they cheer me on in other ways

More fantastic cards from Jacky! She is truly the queen of card sending!

I tried these again, I'm low carb and low sugar and no gluten! It's difficult but these keto bakewell slices are ok and jeez it's nice to find something different. Grey Donkey agrees

Grey donkey gets another tuck in from the cleaners 🤣
Current quilt feels appropriate...
Well this just made my day, lovely Angel. She is the dog of a colleague I used to work with, he sent me a lovely message when he heard I wasn't well, during lockdown he would always make sure angel was in sight when we had a call, he knows I love dogs 
Paint chips and plaster dust!!! Made me smile 😊 
A chum was redecorating and saud this is what her weekend consisted of, I said "sounds rock n roll to me!" So she sent me some!!!! Love it!
The selkies chilly challenge! I'm now up to 3mins 4 seconds in the cold water
Keeps me connected and gives me some purpose 
This popped up on my Facebook feed .... 12 years ago, curly hair due to chemotherapy this was it growing back probably 8 months after I'd finished it. It serves to remind me that you can survive and go forward and God along knows this is beyond grim just now but I've never been defeated before and I'm not intending too be defeated now

Storygraph November 2024

So! I'm almost caught up 😊 November was a bumper month, my last 3 Jeffrey Deaver short stories, Ninth and nowhere got 4 stars, deservedly, i do love a plot with intertwined stories. The victims club also got 4 stars although I think I was being generous it felt a bit "dashed off" if you know what I mean? Surprise ending only got 3 stars this was such a mixed story some great bits then some "is the same person actually writing this" bits? 
Next up was Troy which I listened to on Audible with Stephen Fry narrating, just sublime
Next up The Waiter by Ajay Chowdhury, I loved this,  only 4 stars I think it could have been a bit tighter? But it was a close call but I will read more in the series. The deception of Harriet Fleet wonderful I loved this, don't know why I didn't give it 5 stars? So well written, true gothic novel,  characters I cared about a great sense of place and time, I think I knocked a star off  because I felt the ending slightly implausible but overall a great read. Leave the lights on, I'll be honest I skimmed this boo, and I really hated it ... the whole smart house premise left me cold, the heroine I was annoyed with I just wanted her to grow a backbone and say no to all the smart house tech and the plot became more convoluted,  I genuinely don't know why I didnt DNF it. Dragon ripper  hmm not awful but not brilliant either,  I liked the main  female protagonist but not the other it was just OK?





November furtle

Well! Not much to report for November,  yet again another month of buying rather than doing, but that's ok! We will be patient 
This is the subscription box from Innocent bones, I actually forgot to cancel my subscription but that's OK I like the box. This is the gift box which has extras like the notepad and the incense and healing stones, all very lovely but again some of it I can't use like the incense but I'll gift that forward 
I've also been buying lots of cross stitch patterns a lot of Christmas ones, I'm hoping I'll be fit to do some for Christmas 2025, here's hoping!

Saturday, 9 November 2024

November seasons

So here is November and blimey the back fence feels even more naked now! Scotrail have been cutting back even more behind us, I'm torn I loved our trees but we are getting back the lovely view we had when we moved years ago

I was going to pick another garden view for this next year but this is SO different I might stick with it and see how it compares

January

February

March
April
May
June
July
September 
October 
November