Lived Experience Forum

[Former-Member]

I'm exhausted tonight @Zoe7 @Faith-and-Hope , so am heading off to bed early. Perhaps something to do with early start to the day? 

Did you end up watching the NRL game tonight Zoe? My Raiders were too good for the Eels tonight. My son in law was not happy. 

Good night all ... @oceangirl @Shaz51 @BryanaCamp 

Sherry 😴

[Faith-and-Hope]

Goodnight @Zoe7 ..... ❤️

I am working on Complementary Colour blends and thinking of you ...... I hope you sleep well tonight.  Does snuggling with a heat pack help ?  I am going to try that.

Hey @Former-Member 👋💕

I hope you sleep quickly and well too ......

I will buzz around the forums a bit longer when taking breaks from my study, but wishing y’all a goodnight who are going to bed now .....

[Zoe7]

@Former-Member I must have just missed you last night 

Yes your Raiders were just too good - congrats on the win - totally deserved Hon.

Hope you had a good nights sleep. I was up and down again last night but nearly 7 hours sleep/rest all up. I am likely to go back to sleep for a while this morning but for now I am up and snuggled on the couch with Toby.

@Faith-and-Hope working with complimentary colours is fun - did  lot of that with the kids when I taught Art. Hope you had fun working with colour 🎨 Also hope you slept better last night - you certainly need a restful nights sleep 

I had a call from my mum yesterday. I have to pick her and my sister up from the airport this afternoon s my dad is taking a horse to trials and my sister's partner will be at work. It is not the ideal start to the week for me - really wanted a day at home but now I will need to make a trip to the airport and then another trip to my parent's place. I am not happy about it but it is what it is. Makes this week even busier. I'll have to clean my car out beforehand to fit them in - have the papier mache project we are working on with the grade 6s in the car so I can get a little more of it done in the holidays for them. Didn't plan on doing that until next week and was going to let it live in the car until them becuse of lack of room. Hoping to get some things sorted out in the house and make some room first but I will have to work around it now.

Today is gong to be a sad day as well - been trying to process some of that sad over the last few days - will write about that later today  - still can't do that just yet - need some things to fall into place first to do that. Having some time to process the sad has helped but it doesn't make it any less sad.

Last week at uni before you get a break @Faith-and-Hope so that will be nice for you. Are you going to head west for Easter? What are you doing for Easter @Former-Member ?

Sending you both huge hugs and much love. I love having this space to connect with both of you 

[Faith-and-Hope]

Morning @Zoe7 @Former-Member 

I knew from what you had said across the last few days that there was something sad lingering over you @Zoe7 , that you weren’t ready to talk about yet.  I expect it is affecting your sleep too.  Sometimes being a bit physically busy can help us with emotional processing, and / or numb it out a bit.

Yesterday made it clear that my course is helping to do that for me.  Work is probably helping you in that way too, and it’s part of the importance of keeping ourselves busy, but not too busy.

Easter will be here for us this year, and the baby dragons are all flying in, but we get two Easters this year..... slight variation in the church calendar sometimes.  One set of dragons will be here for both, the second for one of them.  Mr working out where to house everybody has meant (more) changes to the art space ...... should be good ongoing, but it’s more upheaval in the here and now ..... like trying to take papier-mâché animals out of the car and juggle things to find space for them ...... st a not-convenient time ..... I hear you ❣️

Do you do anything withfamily for Easter @Zoe7 @Former-Member ?  

There is a lot of associated traditional baking potential for us ..... but I just haven’t felt it for here ..... it doesn’t feel like a real home for me.  Losing our house is not something g I have felt any replacement for.  Maybe that will happen in the new space in the West, with enough home-things parked there, but even if it does, it’s a home out of reach apart from occasional visits ...... 

One step at a time.  D1 is organising the move over there ..... and I am trying not to overthink it.

[Former-Member]

Yes @Zoe7 , I missed you by mere moments last night.  Not a problem however.

Sounds like my night's sleep was similar to yours, up and down numerous times, and not sleeping well.

I ended up getting up around 6am and took Holly for a walk around our 2.5acre block to look for some rabbits.  Then fed the fish in the garden pond, topped up the budgies seed and water in the aviary, trimmed a couple of shrubs which have been annoying me as they extend into the driveway causing the car reversing camera to beep all the time.  Now I'm back inside twiddling my thumbs wondering what to do next.  Its a beautiful day however, really do love this autumn weather we've been getting lately.

Sounds like you have a few things on today Zoe.  I am sorry you are still feeling sad, but its good that you are managing to work through things over the past few days.  Any time you decide you want to talk about it, you have plenty of people willing to listen, advise, sympathise, and everything else in between.

You have another week before uni finishes @Faith-and-Hope ?  I guess its not aligned to school terms.  Or maybe it is, but your state's terms are different to NSW and TAS.  NSW schoold hols started last Friday, same as for Zoe.

Zoe, we wont be going anywhere or doing anything over Easter. Hubby is simply not well enough to risk going anywhere.  Its a dreadful time to be on the roads anyway, and best avoided if possible.  There was talk earlier that step-daughter and family (includes 6yo granddaughter and 8yo grandson) may visit during the school hols, but not confirmed.  I kind of hope they dont actually, not while hubby is so unwell.  It takes too much out of him.  So Easter will be a quiet time spent at home, just the two of us.  Three including Holly. 

Really hoping that hubby is well enough to attend the Anzac ceremonies this year though. He was in hospital last year, so missed it for the first time ever.  He is clearly not going to be well enough to march, but I'm hoping to attend the ceremony and maybe an RSL lunch afterwards where he can catch up with all his returned serviceman colleagues and friends.  I think its important for him to be able to take part in some way.  Anzac Day is a very important day for him, and he loves all the typical banter that goes on with his buddies.  And he's also very proud of his stack of medals which he sports every year on Anzac day. There are a lot of them, and they weigh him down a bit, but we will manage. Hope we can find a good jacket for him to wear, which fits ... he has lost a lot of weight the past month or so.  One good thing over the past few weeks is that he is now using a walking stick everywhere he goes.  Progress at last!  You wouldnt believe how much effort it took for me to finally convince him to use it.  But now, he uses it all the time.

Okay I need to make some breakfast now and wake hubby for his morning medications.

Waves to @oceangirl @Shaz51 @BryanaCamp  and others who pop their head in around the corner.

Sherry 💕

[Zoe7]

It is great that D1 is sorting out the move over west for you but I hear you with not hsving a 'home' to call your own @Faith-and-Hope So much moving and sorting of all places makes it extra hard to have a base you can call home as well. I know how important my home is to me and feel very sorry for you that you don't know have the same. I have also neglected our herb garden since I have been working but our mint and thyme are growing on itheir own without much care from me. Maybe that is a good analogy for your situation - some things will happen on their own whilst others need a little extra care to survive and thrive!

It is good that you will see all your baby dragons over the Easter period but I had hope you would be travelling west so you could be amongst friends as well. I do love you being in my time zone but am very much aware of how much you have had to give up to be in the east. None of that is okay Hon but you are handling it with your usual positive attitude and just getting on with life as best you can. Having your Art course has been a god-send and I am so glad you have that to keep you occupied and enthusiastic about something.

I will most likely be going to my parents' place for Easter Sunday. We do get together on that day with family. For many years I was away with softball over the Easter break but that is long gone and so we get together for the day. I will take Toby with me and he can run around in the back yard with one of my parents' dogs. They get on really well and have a lot of fun together. My sister will probably bring her dog too so there will be a lot of them to play together.

Yes the sad has been lingering and you are right - it has probably affected my sleep. I haven't slept well since finding out about the sad and that has co-incided with school holidays and also the dogsitting the other night when both dogs woke me up wanting to go outside. I have been trying to deal with the sad on my own but get the feeling that today will get some support in that so will be able to right about it later. It is hitting me pretty hard but it also is what it is and I have to deal with it. It will be good to be able to get it out but the time is not right just yet. I know that I have support here though and that it already helping.

I do think that my I am feeling as I am both mentally and physically because of the sad and also the end of term. There was a lot of illness going around school at the end of term so I am not surprised I am still not feeling well - and combine that with poor slepp as well it makes for a perfect storm to fall apart a bit. I am trying really hard to take each day as it comes though and deal with it all the best I can. I don't feel like I am falling backwards but more so that it is a bump in the road - so that is positive.

[Former-Member]

@Zoe7 

[Zoe7]

It is great that hubby is using the walking stick now @Former-Member It should help him from falling so often and gives you a little piece of mind too.

It is important you can take him to ANZAC day functions even if he can't do the march. That outlet for him to be with fellow vets is important and a good social thing for him as well. Gives you a little break as well.

You have certainly been up and about early and done some things already to start your day. It feels great when those things that have been on our list to do but seem to take time to get done are finished - so well done you 

Will talk about sad later today - still processing for now and the time is not yet right - but I do know I have support here so that really does help.

I hear you about visitors Hon - as nice as it would be to see family it is also very hard on you and hubby and he is not well enough to have that extra pressure in your life at the moment. It is also extra work you would have to do on top of everything you currently do so tht makes it a little harder on you too.

[Zoe7]

Thanks for the images @Former-Member yes it is just a bump - I can get through this 

[Faith-and-Hope]

Attagirl @Zoe7 ❣️

I hope its a gentle day for you @Former-Member .  Well done on the bits and pieces that go into daily management ..... in all directions ...... 💐💕