Living with Ourselves

Thank you @Sophia1 ... still waiting for the picture to come through. I actually spent some time in my garden this morning. Which was nice. You are very welcome to talk to me where ever you are comfortable. Although I just tagged you into the most recent post I made on my own thread, just to give you a quick update in case you were interested.

Much love and care coming to you from me, as always.

Emelia 🌸🤗💕

thank you lovely lady

@Emelia8

I was just across the way reading the latter posts in your thread.

Hence my hesitation in asking any questions about Holly. I was unsure.

Words are pointless quite frankly.

I know that I am not the first or will be the last to say that life just does not make sense when some people have to deal with so much sadness on top of trauma.

Emelia, you emanate love every time your name appears.

You have so much pain and yet offer so much support.

Our pets are our family and we grieve for them also.

I have my other two cats in a special place in the corner of our back garden. I have created a special area with bluestone from the area, plants and trees. I talk to them often. My remaining cat visits them.

We have CCTV or whatever the terminology is due to someone entering our outdoor room.

We also witnessed a night visitor as in a cat visiting the special area. Animals know.

I know that you will be talking to Holly and hugging her constantly. Precious time for you both. Perhaps your late husband wants her with him as a reminder of you.

I know that you will think of your own thoughts around this and they are yours to think of.

Thank you for including me over there. If you don't mind and remember to do so please tag me so that you do not have to wander all over the site.

Big hug coming your way. Hold on tight and so shall I.

Goodnight, Emelia and Holly.

Sophia 💜❤💚

Oh good grief.

Now I cannot remember how to start a new thread!!

I might have to go back to primary school!!

Help someone

anyone

Hello @Sophia1

Its always so nice to see you. I like the idea of your new thread. Here's some screen shots that I hope help?

Start by going to the Home page and then click on the lived experience or carers forum depending on which you want to post in...

Then scroll down to see the topics

Click on the one you would like to use

Once it opens you'll see "new discussion", click on it and away you go...

The above reflects lived experience forum / social spaces

Hope this helps sweets, tag me please when you post I'd love to read your letter x

@Sophia1

I am all for letter writing.... and essay writing ..lol

These are not the official ones. I no longer have them. Just give you an idea of the project. This is idea for current development.

www.land.vic.gov.au/maps-and-spatial/spatial-data/vicmap-catalogue/vicmap-imagery

is probably the equivalent now ... it was in Lt Collins St Melb used by surveyors etc.

I did not think them worth keeping cos I had moved into music teaching.

I lived in the area and the idea was suggested by lecturers.

My photos were not on an angle, but looked directly down on pier and groyne from a greater height and showed very clearly the sand movements and accumulations. Those teachers were also at my uni so I had the privilege of knowing them over 3 years, which I really appreciated. There was often a dredger going to stop the boat-marina behind the breakwater from silting up.

I went down to pier-breakwater with my mother and my youngest sister who was only 11 at the time. It was less than 10 mins from me.

The forum helped me move from extreme isolation to being better connected, so I am grateful.

These are definitely worth keeping @Appleblossom .

I am thinking an historian in the area might be interested.

A marine museum.

Photography association.

Keep them yourselves.

Frame them and hang them on your walls.

Be proud.

They are very good and you have definitely captured movement.

Considering also not digital cameras in those days.

I have started a letter thread and have my first new letter writing friend.

If you would like to join and write, please let me know and I will tag you or you can search and find as you are far more adept at travelling the forums than I am. Look forward to hearing from you again. 😊

Dear Sophia @Sophia1 ,

Hello, I hope this letter finds you well 🙂 I love the idea of a section where we can write
letters {though I think perhaps that's what I already do 😉 }.
I've just come back from a trip, well I think it's been a week now, I'm still recovering but
am feeling much better with the physical discomfort 🙂 I don't regret going, in fact that
discomfort made me more determined to go. I had a wonderful spot & house, the balcony
was right on the waters edge. When the tide came in, the water lapped the front yard! My
trips away are all about seeing large bodies of water, this one I was on the very edge of
the country looking out over the ocean - I can't think of a larger body of water! I wasn't
up to taking the dogs for many walks, mostly it was just around the yard for toileting
purposes. We did go straight out towards the ocean when the tide was out {it went out a
long way!} once. We didn't really go that far, but far enough that I could let the dogs off
for a free run . . . they loved it! 😄 I loved them loving it!! ❤️
The view from the balcony was magnificent! I could even see islands in the distance, I've
never been in a spot like that before & new things are something I really enjoy 🙂 The house
itself was fully sealed, no whistling winds sneaking through any gaps. So even when it was
a little windy & cool, we were still snug & comfy. I could sit on the lounge & still see the
water! Absolutely wonderful. The house also had an air conditioner! Flash! I did use it at
night, on 23 degrees & barely needed a blanket 🙂 This is the second time that I've gone to
a holiday house & I've got to say the electrical gadgets {I don't have mains power at home,
my choice, I chose to live where I do} have become a part of the holiday - especially the
toaster 🙂 I ate a loaf of toast in the 4 days that I was there!!
I do think I'll have to be more picky if I manage another holiday house trip, this one had
stairs {makes sense to get the best view}; I was completely 'over' those stairs by the end
of the holiday. I had to go down & up them about every 2 hours to take the dogs for a
'wee' walk! Each night while I sat on the flash couch, watching the huge flash TV, I found
myself falling asleep by 8-9pm. Considering I wasn't taking the dogs for many actual walks,
I think it was climbing up & down those stairs that was exhausting me! So next time {&
I think it's extremely healthy for my thought & emotional process to think about 'next
time'} I might have to compromise the view & ensure I get a ground level, flat place with
a fence, so I can just open the door to let the dogs out 😉
I had a bit of a disappointment when I stopped in at my Sister's this trip. I often go there to
break up the trip & this time I wanted to visit an elderly Aunt, who I knew the only way I
would get there would be if I went with my Sister. The visit went fine, that wasn't the
disappointment, it was the set-up with my dogs. My Sisters place is not fenced & is on a
steep slope, due to the discomfort I was feeling, I didn't want to push my body into
unpacking the dogs portable cages from the roof rack to set them up for the night & my
Sister had said I could put them in the garage; so I popped them in there with their
mattresses, blankets, hot water bottles & coats, but the morning I left, my brother-in-law
simply let them out. Luckily I was up {which bothered me more, he could have told me
he was going to open up the garage & I would have put the dogs on their chains} &
noticed he'd opened the roll-a-doors. The little fella had come straight to the front door
& luckily the Staffy was still in the front yard. But mine are country dogs, they would
have taken off & they don't understand suburban traffic! At that moment I realized my
dogs weren't safe there unless I was physically capable of unpacking & repacking their
cages. So I didn't drop in there on the way back, I did the return trip in one hit. I was
surprised that it didn't take too much out of my body, it was exhausting but I did it ok. I
now have an automatic car with cruise control. I think not having to hold my foot at the
right angle for the right speed for 1/2 a dozen hours or more, made all the difference.
Though I didn't unpack apart from a few essentials afterwards, so I'm thinking I might not
be able to go to the ocean & am looking for nice spots at rivers or lakes that aren't so far
away.
I'm happy this letter has turned out a bit like a letter 😉 I've enjoyed talking about my trip 🙂
I hope you don't mind my tagging a few others to save me copying or repeating this blurb.

Lots of love to you Sophia ❤️

@Mazarita @Zoe7 @Appleblossom @outlander @Shaz51 @Emelia8

Dear @Exoplanet

I managed to confuse you and many more no doubt.

Same in real life as I seem to speak a different language to everybody else laugh.

I have started a new thread, which also took some time and a cry for help.

Thankfully @Anastasia came to my rescue and could not believe how easy it was when I next tried.

Actually, yes I agree, you do write and talk about your adventures in a letter style.

That is what makes it so appealing to me along with all of the little faces in between the words.

Enchanting as is your icon.

A house on the sea shore would be wonderful. Watching the waves from inside the house as well mesmerising.

Your beautiful dogs would have loved their special holiday with their mum.

Packing for holidays along with organising and then travelling is tiring. More so on the way home.

Sorry to hear about the situation with your dogs in the garage.

He might not have even given it a second thought, just opened the door to get on with whatever he was doing.

Extremely frightening for you though. Your one dog heading straight to look for his mum. The other not wandering off too far; a huge relief for you.

Holidaying near large bodies of water is also synonymous with my idea of a getaway; to escape everything and everyone. Life seems so much different on those occasions.

You are sounding as though your energy levels are a lot lower these days and I apologise as I have not been able to read along with what is going on in the lives of those I normally communicate with.

My head is starting to behave and fog brain comes and goes less frequently now. Ssh don't tell anyone as it will come back just to taunt me.

The letter writing thread is over in social space. I will tag you.

It might read a little confusing as my two new friends, pen pals have decided to be part of Winnie the Pooh bear and friends' travels.

Actually you would fit in perfectly because you write about your adventures and travels.

So I will definitely tag you at the same time letting you know now that if too confusing for you I will understand.

It can be confusing remembering who I am when I write and which animal I am writing to.

It is a warm, cuddly, friendly feeling though.

Take care special lady and write to me from wherever you feel most comfortable. I hope to be able to respond to people more often now.

love to you from Sophia 💜