Healing mental health during COVID-19 times and beyond
Author: Julie
I’m healing from anxiety and depression and exploring my way through a whole new lovely world with an abundance of awareness and a new love for life… and travelling the world!
I woke up at 5.55am to walk the dogs and was wearing my glasses?!?!? Random!
The dog walk was soooooo dark.
The light of the headtorch made for some amazing photos.
It is pitch black when these were taken.
Spotted this wee cat in the field as its eyes shone on the headtorch!
I came home from work and had a call about a her Travel Circle, then made 2 dog behaviour calls for Craig and then headed up to the Gateside Plant Centre for our wreath making class.
Sooooo randomly my lovely friend Carol-Ann was there too. I haven’t seen her is ages but we worked together in 2001!!!!
The finished article!
A lovely evening but I’m up for a run at 6am (we’re having a 15 minute lie in!!)
It feels like 3 minutes since August. The days seem so much faster in the dark of winter time.
I have also decided that I actually cannot see to drive in the dark anymore.
I drove home in dark, misty rain tonight and all I see is glare. I stick to my side of the road with a wing and a prayer. Feeling such a relief when I finally get back to streetlights!
Anyway, it is a December. We’ve had a tough October and November so I’ve decided my work for December should be Happiness.
Not least because 2 lovely people sent me the Action for Happiness link. Go take a look at their page.
I’ve signed up for 10 days of happiness. 😆
And finally a lovely oil or diesel spill that I saw today… so pretty!! 😆😆
Didn’t get to get until 11.30pm last night….. how late was that for me?!?! 😆
Woke at 7.30am surprised to see daylight.
It’s been a beautiful day.
Very cold but beautiful.
Craig made me a lovely breakfast with leftovers we brought home from his Mum’s.
Calaidh approves.
Craig and I went to the Gateside Plant Centre to pick up our Christmas tree today. It’s a bit early for us but we wanted to get the best pick of trees!
We then went up to the Gateside Wood Committee Store and got some “biscuits” in Craig’s van…. A biscuit is a piece of tree trunk that still needs cut down, I mean, who knew?
We loaded some into our wood store.
I then had my shower and got ready for St Vincent’s Hospice afternoon tea run by my next door neighbour Holly & her niece Aimee.
They both out so much work into it along with other villagers.
This is the Village Hall before arrival.
I literally spent an hour and a half folding raffle tickets.!!!! That is how many that were sold.
It was lovely to spend time with Lynsey and Rachel when we’re not running!
Holly made an incredible £2,600 so far, money always comes in after the event.
Everyone is so generous.
Back home about 5pm and we got the tree up.
We’ve gone for a smaller one this year and put it on a table!
The puppers didn’t obligatory Christmas Tree picture.
Putting up the tree has made us miss Khaleesi….
This is a dark photo but missing our girl.
So I finally have my feet up after a very busy weekend.
I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s been lovely to see so many people.
It was lovely to spend time with the lovely in-laws yesterday!
It’s been a full on morning. I didn’t sleep the best thanks to the caffeine coffee I consumed at 3pm yesterday. It was very lovely but I was dreaming like crazy all night.
It didn’t feel like a restful sleep.
The alarm was set for 6.25am and I got dressed and walked the dogs in the dark!
It was very dark!
But the head torch and the lightening sky make for some lovely photos.
Bhruic keeps on looking behind us which does creep me out one little tiny teensy weensy bit MUCH 😆😆 there is nothing behind us, but she keeps checking!
The light in the sky is a plane taking off from Glasgow Airport!
Back home to do some stretches and managed to kick Calaidh AND Bhruic is the face as I did my leg swings!!
I felt awful. Full on clatter.
I spent the next few minutes making sure they were ok and I was definitely more bothered than they were!
I met Lynsey for our Saturday 5.4kms at 7.30am. It was cold but a lovey run!
I was in the little gift shop this morning and it was HEAVING!!!
It’s so lovely to see so many lovely people supporting my favourite local business.
Calaidh is ready t head to see her Gran and Gramps for the rest of the day. Hope they are ready to throw the ball for her!
A lovely afternoon at our in-laws so far!!
There are only 4 of us here.
And main course!!
Having a lovely time so going to go off and enjoy it!
I have booked my first trip to Denmark at the end of April! Staying with one of our lovely founding members for 3 nights!
Super exciting.
We have members joining every day now.
It’s happening.
Another girl has just booked Christmas in Barcelona for 7 nights!
I sat with the puppers for coffee this morning
Then took them for a very cold and very, very windy dog walk!!
It’s wild!!
The sun tries to come through….
I came home to get ready to head out for the Crochet Hookers Christmas lunch.
We met in the Boatyard in Lochwinnoch which was more Christmassy than a Christmassy thing…..
Some photos and none of them do it justice!
There are lots of cakes in this cabinet!
This snow scene along the wall was breathtaking but it doesn’t come out in the photos.
I had garlic mushrooms to start.
And Gambas Pil-pil for mains.
Two of the lady’s had this curried chicken which looked amazing, again pics not doing it justice.
It was a lovely meal, even the soya flat white was really tasty.
Our gig was cancelled tonight as the band can’t get to Glasgow because of the storm. They come from Stornoway and the ferries were cancelled and the plain they got on had to turn around due to the wind!
Gutted, but you know me, nothing beats a lovely cosy night indoors, out of the storm!
So I have to say that I’m over the moon with how Her Travel Circle is going. There are some hiccups to be ironed out but every day is a learning curve.
So I’m sat in my jammies, full make up on, all ready with nowhere to go.
I’ve had a good day today and I’m off out tonight with 2 of the hookers to see Wicked 2…. from henceforth we shall be know. As the Wicked Hookers!!!
There will be no hooking tonight as we all leave our wool and crochet hooks behind!
I had a very cold and frosty 5k run with Claire this morning!
My legs were heavy but I still really enjoyed it. We look like miners!!
It was already defrosting by the time Craig drove me to work. The sky was red but the clouds had moved in!
All taken from a moving car remember!!
And then the heavens opened. It got dark, wet and misty and it’s been like that ever since.
Today I bought a light box.
I’ve been thinking about it for a while and I used birthday money from mum and dad. I think it might help me negotiate the dark days. We’ll see…. It could be a huge gimmick but I want to give it a go. I’m buzzing when the suns shines and half shut when it doesn’t!
Back to normal thank goodness…. Whatever normal is for me?! 😆
I’ve had a lovely day.
It’s such a relief to feel better.
I ran with the girls this morning and I really enjoyed it. I actually felt quite strong, considering I’ve barely walked the length of myself all week.
I’ve lost 8lbs this month so far and I’m really pleased with that. My clothes just fit so much better. I wore my new birthday leggings 😆
Claire took some lovely photos as I left my phone at home. I know right?!?
I then went straight out with Calaidh and Bhruic as Freya has a sore leg. She’s been limpy mclimperson for the last day or so. Bless.
It’s still not quite daylight. I met Holly just as I set off up the hill so it was lovely to have some company!
Back home and washed my hair for the first time in 6 days!!!! it feels so much better too.
I wore my new birthday jumper.
The little gift shop is so lovely at this time of year, it’s lovely to chat to so many people.
I came home and had lunch and then had a Her Travel Circle FaceTime with the lovely Kirsty who has joined.
She is really keen to help me get it moving. She says she’s a fantastic number 2 and I have to say after our call today, I think she’d be a great number 1. 😆
She helped reinvigorate my marketing and I’m back on it.
Such a lovely energy about her, just what I want for Her Travel Circle!!
I was disappointed my dodgy tum came back with a vengeance after my pasta last night…. But I slept like a log for about 7 hours so can’t complain.
I still feel very rumbly and gurgly but so far so good today.
I did manage out for a dog walk as it’s the last of the beautiful, cold weather for a few days.
It was a stunning sunrise just after 8am.
There’s a thick frost.
And some ice patches.
Love this light in this one.
Bhruic sitting like a boy dog 😆😆
And again, she’s been in the mud!
Shadows!!
The clouds are staring to come in from the coast.
Love this!
The colours are amazing.
I think this might be my favourite!
Cloud over our wee village.
This view again. 😆
The moss is covered in thick frost on the top of the wall.
It was just a lovely way to start the day.
I came home and showered and got into clean jammies and have worked on Her Travel Circle all day.
It’s costing us a lot of money a month and not much is happening. I’ve been annoyed with myself. I’ve been throwing myself into missing Khaleesi, being ill (twice in a month) helping Craig with dog behaviour calls… any excuse.
I know they are very valid excuses but I was avoiding Her Travel Circle. My plans for expansion weren’t as easy as I’d expected. I have to work harder at it. I have to think differently and I didn’t want to face it.
So today I did.
I decided to try and get everyone out of the chat that costs £150 a month and onto a WhatsApp chat. It took a bit of time but it was sooooo worth it!
I have two new hosts just by engaging in proper communication.
It’s the boost I needed.
I have a FaceTime with a lovely lady in Englandshire tomorrow. She wants to do everything she can to help this grow. We’re going to brainstorm!!
Then I have coffee on Sunday with Lesley-Anne, she’s a host in Gleniffer Braes.
So I didn’t grow the business today but I cemented some relationships and foundations which was what was needed. No point in getting more people to join something that wasn’t what I wanted it to be.
So I sat all day and I know it’s coming. I know what it can be with the right women around me who want it as much as me.
I’ve eaten a slightly wider variety of food today.. 🤞🏼
I’ve had so many lovely birthday messages, cards, and amazing gifts, honestly I’m so very grateful. I’ve been so very lucky.
We also had sunshine…. ☀️ how amazing that Craig even managed that!
I woke at 6.10 with the alarm that I wish I had switched off. 😆
Check my wrapping paper from Craig! Khaleesi is on it too 🫶🏼
We went out for brunch via the bank & solicitors in Irvine.
It was so frosty this morning, that’s thick white frost on the board.
We went to Gro Coffee for brunch…. Check all these cakes and we didn’t have a single one!
I had a breakfast taco. It was so good but very spicy! I was so full afterwards.
We had a lovely drive up the coast through Stevenson, Saltcoats, Ardrossan and West Kilbride to get to the sea.
There’s snow on the top of the mountains on the Isle of Arran.
It’s actual quite warm in the sun.
We headed up to Portencross next.
We sat right here…… for ages feeling the heat of the sun.
It’s so lovely. We sat here for ages… it’s the longest Craig has sat and doing nothing in a long time.
I love this photo…. It’s called “deep in thought!”
It was a lovely wee morning.
When we got home we took the dogs straight out.
I’m not really sure where the afternoon has gone. I’ve had the loveliest day.
For those of you who know Craig’s gift giving…. He excelled himself again. I am very lucky.
My main present was a solo trip to Nerja near Malaga, on 11th December. I knew about it as he’s been paying it up for months!
After I’d opened everything he presented me with a weekend for us both in Prague at the end of January!!!!!!! He’s been paying that up too 😆 then during brunch he “found” tickets for Face the West, an amazing ceilidh band, in 2 weeks time! I don’t think we’ve seen them live since 2014!
So .a great birthday. Humbling and I’m so very grateful.
Woke early as usual and lay in bed u til the sun was almost up.
We had a wee scare with Bhru this morning when she fell over and couldn’t get the purchase to get back up.
We hoth got down on the floor with her, I thought it was maybe a fit but she was with us the whole time if that makes sense, Craig helped her up and she’s been fine ever since.
So I took them all out for a walk and she was fine the whole time. I watched her like a hawk!
It was a beautiful morning but very cold!!
Sunrise at the bottom of the pylon!
Craig had a job this morning in Clackmannan so I drove him up and took a wee drive to Culross on the south coast of Fife.
It was absolutely stunning!
The tide was in and the winter sun was low in the sky.
It’s hard to imagine this peaceful scene as a bustling harbour!
I walked right out to the end of the pier.
Looking back to Culross.
It’s such a beautiful November day.
You have to walk over the railway to get to the harbour and to get back to the village.
I had a lovely wander around.
It’s quiet as it’s only 10am.
The Mercat Cross.
The is the palace of the Royal Burgh.
I wandered back to the sea before heading back to the the west car park. I could have sat here all day.
I love all the photos today but this one really hits me.
I pulled over on the way back to take photos of these lovely trees.
I picked Craig up and we headed to his brother and sis I. Laws for a few hours for coffee. It was really lovely to see them and the pups. T
This is the view from their front door!
Back home and Claire popped in for a quick chat before we headed to the pub for a drink… Craig and I that is.
It’s been a stunningly beautiful day and I’m so glad I went out and didn’t just sit in the house while Craig worked. I went to look for the beauty and I found it!
I hope you all had a lovely Sunday and were on holiday tomorrow woop woop!!
I’m too tired for lots of words so feel like I may resort to bullet points tonight 😆😆😆
6.30am very dark dog walk and headtorch died only a quarter of the way up the hill.
It’s lighter on the way back down!
7.30am – 8.25am. 6.37kms run with Lynsey and Rachel! It was a good one! Photobombed by a horse!
8.30-9.15 shower and hair dry
9.30 – 1.15 at the little gift shop! Great wee morning! How good does the door look? Gayle just threw this together. She’s so talented!
2pm – 8pm driving over and back to Mum and Dad’s in Penicuik! They were meant to be coming over but mum’s not feeling great so at the last minute, we decided to go there. I’m so glad that’s we did as I hope it helped.
The Rambling Sloth 🦥 