Day 1190 a brighter day today… still under a FB ban 🫣

Another blog that hardly anyone will read but hey… as I said, if you find it here then thank you 😘

I’m still barred from FB until about 10pm and then hopefully tomorrow I’ll be able to plead my case and get them to take me off this horrible list I seem to be on. I just want to go back to my account, unhacked and WAY more wary of the vulnerability of it all.

If that’s not possible then I will consider leaving FB altogether and I’ll find another way of publishing my blog and photos.

So yeah, I feel different today. I feel like I’ve accepted the reasons for everything that’s being going on. I woke up this morning, opened my eyes and knew instantly that something was different. I’ve felt really hard done to in the last week or so. I’ve felt like everything seemed a bit hopeless. I’ve seen the negative in everything.

I can’t tell you how good it is to feel a wee bit better. Life doesn’t feel hopeless today.

I don’t know why I feel better. There’s obviously always things that happen to me that I can’t write in the blog. Things that affect me but are not my story to tell. The blog feels like a real chore on those days.

I’ve been so irritated by everything this last wee while and today I see the positive in everything, the reasoning behind everything, rather than the anger. It really makes such a difference. However the switch got flicked I’m not complaining. It’s so draining when you feel mentally rotten.

It poured with rain overnight last night. Absolutely stotting down when we went to bed. it was the same again this morning.

Mid afternoon the sun came out and it’s been lovely and warm. Long may that continue.

I’ll leave you with some Just Jules sunset photos again…. Because they make me smile!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Day 1189 WordPress renewal and another day chasing Facebook 😩

So yeah that’s WordPress renewed for another year. It costs me £100 a year to rant and moan 🤦🏻‍♀️😂 maybe I should just write it down on some paper, save a fortune and be done with it?!? 😂 Acht I know there are more positive days when I get to travel around our beautiful country and share photos of stunning beaches and sunsets!!

Also another day of being public enemy number 1 on FB. My account has definitely been compromised, to put it mildly. I’m still barred for another 29 hours or so. The majority of my readers are on FB… my new photography page is on FB. I know life does not revolve around Fb but from a positive point of view mine has recently. Maybe this is a lesson to rely on it a bit less and look for other ways to do what I do?!?

Hmmmm… I’m angry and upset and have struggled to come to terms with how difficult is for me to voice that opinion to the FB powers that be. The hackers keep finding me no matter how many times I change my password. I’m not sure how that can even be possible?!?

Anyway, it is what it is…. I’m home now and it’s pouring with rain outside so we have all the candles lit and none of it seems quite so bad.

I have a feeling my account will never be quite the same again. I feel like I’m on some list that is now easily targeted. I’ll see how the next few days go and maybe have to start afresh.

For those who read this tonight, thank you for finding another way…. And I’m sorry for the negativity!!

I’ll end with some Just Jules Photography shots just to brighten the mood! It works for me anyway. 😆😘♥️

Ahhh that’s better!

Have a good Monday night!

Stay safe everyone 🌧️🌧️🌧️

Day 1188 a gorgeous day and a longer FB ban 🤷🏻‍♀️🥺

It’s a beautiful day here today. It’s been the perfect temperature and I’ve spent all day outside.

So last night it would appear my FB account was seriously hacked and I’ve been blocked for 2 days which doesn’t sound that bad but I can’t do anything this time.

Once again for she who breaks no rules, ever….. this is a bit of a pain in the proverbial backside. Since the middle of June there been suspicious activity on my account. I’ve been blocked for days, here and there, about 3 or 4 times.

FB is the hardest company to try and get hold of. I’m exhausted going round and round and round in circles trying to get them to believe that I didn’t post those horrific pictures that actually did show up on my page last night. All of a sudden my time zone has changed from GMT to UTC+07 wherever that is.

I’ve changed my password about 4 times in the last few weeks and yet they are still getting to me. I don’t even understand how that is possible?

They’ve made me question my own judgement for weeks. Was it the start of the Just Jules Photography page? Was it the fact that I use positive quotes in the blog and maybe don’t reference the authors properly?

What am I doing wrong?

Then last night at 10.18pm I finally realised it most definitely wasn’t me. FB are still to catch up to that fact though.

I had just invited lots of people to my photography page and now I can’t even reply… I just look rude.

Anyway, I’ve reported the hacking about 100 different ways so hopefully they’ll get round to checking it sometime soon. The majority of my readers are on FB so none of them will even get this post. Hey ho, there are worse troubles at sea, my Gran would say.

We didn’t get home from Craig’s mum’s until after midnight, so I had a long lie until 9.30am. Check me. I had been up to let the dogs out so they were ok.

I pottered about in the garden, pulling weeds (there are millions of them) and cutting back bushes that were threatening to take over.

I took the dogs out over lunch time and actually it was maybe a bit too hot.

I love the clouds in these next pics.

They had a play in the burn to cool down for a bit and then we were on our way again.

For the rest of the day I’ve been pulling weeds and relaxing. This has really been the longest weekend as I’ve forgotten what it’s like to have 3 days off and be in the house. I’ve done 4 washing loads and they are all dry already!!! I love that!

The clouds are moving in now and we are due some spectacular rain overnight. Apparently I slept through a very loud clap of thunder last night….. Craig said it sounded like a truck had crashed out in the road. Oblivious!!

I’ve nipped in next door to feed the cats! Gorgeous boys.

As soon as I got back I the house Calaidh seriously sniffed me all over. You’d think I lay down next door and rolled around the amount of sniffing I got… I can assure you, I did not!

So all in all a lovely weekend once I got my head round being at home. I feel nice and refreshed and ready for a new week. Just need to get my FB account sorted once and for all…. Or leave it… that’s another option. 😆🤷🏻‍♀️

Hope you all have a lovely Sunday evening and the best week.

Stay safe everyone ☀️☀️☀️

Day 1187 two whole days off in a row and mother in laws birthday get together!

I must admit I could actually get used to this again. It’s only early Saturdays afternoon and I’m already off longer than I have been every weekend since September. (Except holidays… it does feel different when you’re in the house!)

I lay in till after 8.30am again and straight up and out with the dogs. I wore my sloth T-shirt today that my lovely friend Helen got me!

It’s a beautiful morning. It’s hot already.

I was roasting half way round!!

The thistles we’re looking lovely in the sun. The sun always makes everything seems a bit brighter. The key here is to staying positive and happy on the darker days too.

I went straight back out to the supermarket to do a quick food shop so I could keep eating healthily.

We’re off out to Craig’s mum’s this afternoon for her birthday.

Having a lovely afternoon and evening with family and friends.

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Day 1186 a day in the house!

It feels like ages since I had a full day off work just to be in the house. I got up about 8.30 but I’d been awake since 6.30, just lay and dozed.

Took the dogs out first thing and it’s really cloudy, overcast and damp here after last nights rain but it’s really mild.

I wasn’t up for a run, just a gentle walk this morning.

So I’ve had a super productive day and have done lots of things that I’ve been meaning to do for weeks. I’ve tidied out cupboards and drawers in the kitchen, hung out washing and hoovered.

Randomly I haven’t eaten all day and am coming up to 24 hours fasting! It wasn’t deliberate until I realised I was at 22.5 hours without even thinking about it.

I’ve been on the go all day. I only have a half hour to go so I’m going to hold off. It’s funny how some days it’s super easy and others I could eat my right at off by the time I get to 16 hours. 😂

In other news The little gift shop announced the closure of its Lochwinnoch shop. I work in the Beith shop but it means I might only be there one Saturday a month from now on. I’m super sad as I loved it so much but totally understand Gayle’s reasoning behind it. I’ve had mixed emotions today feeling grateful for the day off but thinking where I should have been.

I always worry that I don’t have enough time off so the positive way of looking at it is that I’ve just added 24 days extra holiday to my year!!!

Now to get planning what I can do with that!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Day 1185 more ramblings 😔😆

I feel the blog has been so half hearted this week… I’m sorry. There’s not much to say and you really don’t want to know everything that’s going on in my head as it’s been super self destructive this week.

SC Laurie of Butterflies and Pebbles is a great follow!!

“Life is more than giving yourself a hard time”.

In some good news, I felt so out of balance that I arranged a kinesiology session for tonight, so that has helped calm the tornado of thoughts swirling around.

I could sleep now. I love the calm that a kinesiology session brings me. It takes all the stress out of all the negative thoughts. It corrects my thought processes.

So yeah not much else to say tonight. It’s pouring with rain. I’d thought about going away as I’m not in the little gift shop this weekend, but the forecast didn’t look great. Heavy rain and strong winds again so I’m going to stay home and do housework instead! I might manage a wee trip away for some coffee and cake. 😆

I’ll leave you with a couple of sunsets from our holiday last week. As much to remind me of our lovely break.

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Day 1184 better day today!

I slept right until the alarm today. Didn’t hear the Scottish Dog Behaviourist get up to start work. I was out for the count!

I still felt really sluggish and couldn’t really wake up but I have to say I’ve had a much better day that I did yesterday. Thankfully.

I’m a lot less antsy. A lot more focussed.

I listened to a really good podcast today that struck a chord. It’s called “How do you cope? ” by Ellis and John.

The always start by asking each other “how’s your shame this week?” John put my life into perspective. 😂

He said he’d been at an event that finished later than expected and he was 25 minutes walk to the train station and was going to miss his train. He said it could of gone one of 3 ways.

1. Fume that the event finished late, try to rush for the train, which he was never going to make, talk down to himself the whole way saying how daft he was for not noticing the time, how ridiculous it was to try and catch the train. Of course typical that he is single and no one can come and pick him up. How useless he must be to not be able to keep a girlfriend… what a waste of space he is…. 😔

2. Take time to walk down the road for the later train, enjoying the view and appreciating the new surroundings 😊

3. call a taxi 😂

I often still end up in option 1 and that’s where my head has been these last few days. I’ve been all over the place and I’ve tried hard to calm the whirlwind in my mind.

I am so lucky that most of my life is spent living option 2 now. ♥️

Been with the crochet hookers tonight so this is a late one. It’s the calmest I’ve felt all night listening to the ladies talk about their week. They’ve all had such hardship recently with parents or in-laws passing away. Puts life into perspective.

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Day 1183 dog walk, work and village hall accounts

Not certain that I’ve add the best job of living in the present moment today. My head has been all over the place. I am super antsy, niggly, irritable and I feel like my back teeth are crawling. I just cannot settle. There are tears burning as I write this. They’ve not been far away for a fair bit of the day.

I’m just so unsettled just now that I feel like I’m caught up in a whirlwind of emotion and drama. I know I’ll read this back sometime (probably fairly soon!) and think jeez get a grip, way too much drama….

I’m in a right fankle since we got back, I feel like things are in a mess, I can’t find anything and I’m just irritated by it. I’m irritated by everything to be honest.

I’ve actually just had a wee smile to myself as we are sitting out in the garden and Craig is sitting opposite me and has no idea the craziness going round in my head. He is in oblivion which is sometimes how it needs to be. He doesn’t need to know, there’s nothing he can change to fix it. he’d probably tell you there was nothing wrong with me.

Again the main reason for my blog. Everything is a bit better when I can write it down. It calms the noise a bit.

I got up at 5.30am to walk the dynamic trio (is that even a thing?!? 😂) . We walked. There was NO way I was going to run today.

It’s cloudy but dry. We have a lovely walk and don’t see anyone.

I start to take photos of some lovely flowers and thistles.

These guys made me laugh! The one on the left was a wee bit intense and scary looking. 😂

I got loads of thistle pics this morning.

These are going to be amazing when they all bloom. They’re right across the road from my friend Anne’s house. She’d better keep a lookout so I don’t miss them 🫶🏼😂

Work was fine today too. We’re still super busy so every day flies by!

We’ve had a lovely salad dinner again followed by some Dime Bar cheesecake. It was pretty good!

We’re finalising the village hall accounts tonight…. Which I could see far enough but it will be great to get them done so we can arrange the AGM. Rachel two doors down is coming to keep me focussed 😂

I’m very aware there’s a stroppy teenager inside of me that’s just in a big huff just now. Probably coz she’s not a teenager anymore 😆 by a long time!

That says it all and I need to remember this. We are all just here to live.

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Day 1182 back to work and food shopping!

It’s nearly 7pm and I just sat down.

I didn’t sleep well last night…. That is, until about 4.30am where I knocked out for the count…. Thankfully the Scottish Dog Behaviourist got up early to walk the dogs! He’s a good lad.

Back to work this morning and surprisingly not the chaos that I expected. 😆 I enjoyed catching up on my spreadsheets and getting everything back in order. There’s not a single clean mug for anyone to use but hey, that’s the worst of it. 😆

Ellison and I went out and sat in Abbie the camper van at lunchtime as I had some soup to heat up. It was really nice to have a wee mini camping lunch and catch up after her holiday then mine.

Straight after work I headed to the shops and didn’t get home until just after 6. We’re stocked back up again.

I’d fasted for 21 hours and 45 minutes today which as great. I always find a Sunday afternoon into a Monday really easy for some reason. Tomorrow I will be ravenous by 10am 😂😂

I’m back out of Facebook jail, still none the wiser how I ended up there but I did have a new random FB page open on my account this morning. I finally figured out how to delete it. I think they think I’m infringing copyright by sharing my Just Jules Photography photos with a Just Jules copyright on them. It’s only because I don’t want people to steal them but it’s the only thing I can think of….

I’ll try a few without the copyright and see what happens.

Hope you all had a good Monday!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Day 1181 last day of holidays!!

I’ve honestly not done that much today. It’s 5.25pm and we’ve sold a desk that we had up for sale since we moved the house around, had Claire in for a quick cuppa and been out for lunch to the new The Canny Man in Lugton. Now that I write that, it seems like a lot. 😆🫶🏼

I obviously have a million things that I think I “should” be doing and don’t want to do any of them really. That old weekend chestnut. 😂

I seem to have found myself in Facebook jail again for some reason. I have NO idea what I’m doing wrong. I feel like it must have something to do with my new Just Jules Photography page as it seems too much of a coincidence. I start that page and I’ve been banned from FB twice in the last few weeks for breaking their “community standards”.

If you know me you’ll know I’m the least like ever to break any rule…. 🤷🏻‍♀️😂 the thing is they won’t tell me any more than that. If I could speak to someone and find out what they are not happy with then I would either stop doing it or stop it from happening. If you delve into it then you just wade into a massive list of general things that might be wrong and there’s not one that I think that applies to me.

It’s very hard for “she who breaks no rules” to be told she’s doing something wrong but we won’t be more specific than that.

I know I sound a bit grumpy today, maybe just post holiday blues.

Before I got jailed, my Rambling Sloth FB feed gave me lots of lovely messages.

Wow they’re all a bit wild and reckless. Definitely some kind of message for me in there. Still burning to travel some more but that’s not highly practical for us at the moment. I want to see every country in the world, I always have. The Rambling Sloth goes worldwide…. 😂 I wish!!

Hope you’ve all had a great weekend!

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Day 1180 back home, washing done, van cleared out and Starbucks with Gayle!

Once again it’s all in the title! 😂

I have to be honest and say I didn’t feel great when I woke this morning. I’ve been super dehydrated all week, not drinking enough while we were away, and have had tight neck and shoulders for a fair bit of the week. Either that or I was sitting in a draft 😂 It was so tense this morning. My head was thumping too…. But onwards and upwards.

We took the dogs out early on. It’s been like April today with sunshine and showers… we missed the shower thankfully. I cannot believe it’s actually July!!! How did that happen.

Wait till you see my next thistle pic…. I think I should call this one barbed wire instead. It does sum up the day!

We met a couple of neighbours along the way and everyone was feeling a bit down. Must be the weather. It was good to have a chat and a wee hug and try to cheer other people up, all the while feeling pretty grumpy myself.

I pulled the van over to the front door and emptied everything out. I cleaned all the seat pads, swept it out, cleaned the sink and hob. I love getting it all done after a holiday.

As I dumped everything at the door, Craig had it all moved and dealt with before I finished outside. He’d even hoovered up after Bhruic who is now moulting everywhere! He’s a good ‘un 😂 (well, for today anyway…😆😘)

I then went for a soak in a hot bath and actually took some ibruprofen to help loosen my muscles. That really did help. She who normally hates baths, loved this one. It was nice to just lie back and breathe for a bit.

I did have several interruptions…. The first was Craig telling me a lady had just stared into the dining room window as he sat working at the table…

Then literally a few minutes later to tell me she’d just walked in the front door and asked him if the pub was open as she fancied some pub grub!?!?! He was in a T-shirt and boxers as he ushered her out the front door!?!?! That’s a first. 🤦🏻‍♀️😂

I arranged to meet Gayle for a Starbucks at 2pm since Craig was making dog behaviour enquiry calls and I caught up on all the shop news. I see loads of new stock in which is exciting. She doesn’t need me this week as Lochwinnoch is closed for holidays so I get some extra days off. I’ll miss the shop banter but will be good to have a short week first week back.

So yeah, maybe post holiday blues, not sure, but my head is all over the place today. Guess I need to take some of this advice… just once I figure out exactly what it is….

Hope you all have a great Saturday night.

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️

Day 1176 a soggy day in Ullapool with a coffee and filled roll at The Bothy ☕️

Freya and I went for a lovely walk before we left Clachtoll.

We couldn’t stay at Clachtoll for the full week as they were fully booked on the Tuesday night so we used it as a chance to pop back down to Ullapool and get some supplies.

Ullapool is a beautiful village in the Scottish Highlands. Craig and I got engaged in Ullapool in 2009. We had done the famous North Coast 500, although it wasn’t called that back then. Craig tried to propose at every place we stopped but the wind was howling so waited until we were checked into our hotel that night.

In true me fashion I couldn’t let that just be all romantic and lovely as I freaked at how much he’d spent on a ring, but that’s another story 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️😂

Back to Ullapool. It rained all day… and it was pretty windy.

My first port of call was The Bothy which is a wee coffee shop that’s opened at the entrance to the Broomfield campsite.

It’s such a lovely space.

I had a haggis roll and Craig had a roll with link sausage. My decaf oat milk latte was just perfect, it hit the spot.

Since we had signal, Craig went back to the van with Freya to make some Scottish Dog Behaviourist calls, while I had a wee wander around the shops, as you do, with a keen eye on all things gift shop!!

They’ve widened the Shore road and it just looked SO different. I miss the quaintness of the original street but at the same time, like everywhere else, it needs to change to cope with the amount of visitors.

I had a great wee wander but got totally soaked. There’s no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes and I was definitely wearing the wrong clothes!

We decided to head to a couple of pubs for the afternoon. We started at the Arch Inn where we got engaged.

Now Freya has been exceptional this whole holiday. We have never spent any time with her alone. Freya does not like the inside of a pub. Totally spooked and scraping to get out. Wee soul. I’m much the same but marriage is about compromise and Craig spent the day on a beach with me yesterday 😂😂 not his favourite thing. 😂

We sat outside under cover in the Arch. Freya could just about cope with that, cured up in a corner, refusing treats the barman gave her…. In a total huff!

We then headed along to the Ferry Boat Inn. She came in but really did want back out so we didn’t stay long.

We then went to The Chippy for fish and chips to take back to the van.

It rained and blew a hoolie all evening. I did get out to watch the Loch Seaforth head out to Stornoway.

Couldn’t miss a CalMac ferry could I?!?

Stay safe everyone 🌧️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🌧️