Hot Chocolate Anyone ?

Good evening fellow carers

So much to be grateful for in spite of our loved ones diagnoses. I have two fur babies snuggled up to me and I am so thankful that we were able to get them when we did.

@Faith-and-Hope, the blue Butterfly Pea flower tea looks spectacular! Butterfly Pea Cheesecake to g with it?

@Bezak482, I've got big plans for a shed-studio of my own one of these days. 🙂 Planning on it being "owner built", but not mudbrick. Council regs get more complicated as soon as you use any form of masonry.

Hi @Dove73, nice to meet you.

We've got an adult daughter with MI problems that scatter all over the DSM... including some psychotic-type symptoms, but not matching any psychotic disorders. We've found that her nastier thoughts tend to circle around those who care for her most. They haven't come out in the way that you wife's have, that would be so hard. 😞 But I wonder if sometimes if our MI beloveds zero in on those closest to them out of an unconscious fear of being betrayed or abandoned... and the fear blurs over into what seems to be reality for them. Dunno.

I have encountered a switch like that in my soon2bX hubby @Dove73 . That might not be very confidence-inspiring, but with my situation it appears to be personality based, and triggered a mid life crisis where spectrum of different disorders suddenly emerged - none of which he has acknowledged or sought support for. That part is now someone else's issue, because he discarded me and took up with someone else after a lengthy period of scheming and betrayal. It's all very different from what you are going through, but I think a lot of the feelings are the same. It's traumatic, and I feel for you so much ..... hang in there. Treatment and medication make so much difference, and you will have counselling and support around you.

One thing I can tell you is that self-care is probably your most important coping and recovery tool ..... caring for the carer is just as important as caring for the loved one.

Wow @Smc ... that cheesecake looks amazing ❣️ I hadn't been aware of this blue wonder-pea before finding this tea image .... it is appealing to me in a strange unicorn-world kinda way .... lol

I submitted another assignment last night ..... four more to go .... by Wednesday supposedly, but extensions are available to me if I need them.

👋💕 @Former-Member @Determined @Shaz51 .... anyone else around.

@Bezak482, same with our council. 10 square metres is the official cut-off size, so more convenient dimensions like 2.5x 4 are do-able. I've been saving up salvaged building materials. Planning on going with a mostly metal shell (fire, flood and pest resistant) on a masonry slab. Not poured slab- if I do a sturdy footing around the outside, I can infill with cement-mortared rubble etc. and save a lot on the cost/enviro impact of the concrete while still having a stable floor. And I might sneak in 30cms of masonry at the base of the walls.... the "no masonry" and under 10 sq. m rules are largely based on building safety. Such a small structure in lightweight materials is unlikely to end up catastrophically unsafe; a 2-3 metre high brick wall could be deadly if it's not built to code. But I figure 30 cms of masonry is low enough to be guaranteed safe, and would help make the walls above more structurally sound. 🙂

The first challenge is finding the "get up and go" to start on it. But we (Hubby and I) have managed to tackle some of our yard/house jobs that have been on the waiting list lately, which makes the prospect of shed building feel somewhat more attainable. 🙂

@Faith-and-Hope, I've got seeds for the Blue Butterfly Pea. Am hoping that my recently set up greenhouse might improve my chances of growing them. They really prefer somewhat warmer conditions than we get here. (I believe Sydney and northwards...) I wanna try Blue Butterfly Rice. 🙂

And all the best with the remaining assignments too. 🙂 End in sight!

Hi everyone.

I haven't heard this song in years (it's a beauty).

"I Can Help" (with a Cup of Coffee)?....

https://youtu.be/sD5HnHo7JbY

Hey did anyone see the news- the Queen had a virtual "cuppa" (casual tele-chat) with a bunch of UK carers. First time ever for something like that.

Dunno about others, but that makes me feel "acknowledged". 🙂

And a little teary. I'm not a royalist, but QE2 has favourably impressed me on more than one occasion.