What's distracting Sarah? #4
I wrote this email in chuffin' APRIL but became distracted by a chunky spell of depression, so forgot to send it. Anyway, I'm out the other side of it now and full of energy, so brace yo self for a more regular dose of nonsense from me. Big hugs, Sarah xxx
April 2022
I've had a strange week trying to keep a bout of depression at bay. It's something that loads of us experience and I'm keen on talking about it openly. I think it's important to boot the idea of shame or failure associated with mental health, right up the jacksie. It's just chemicals in my brain that aren't at the right levels at the mo! I've got zero embarrassment talking about my depression, just as I wouldn't have in talking about any other medical condition - except something bum related, maybe. Dunno. I shouldn't be embarrassed about bums. We all have bums.
I seem to have gone off on an early tangent. Anyway, here's another round up of stuff that’s grabbed my attention and kept me as chipper as poss. Hope you enjoy. xx
PEOPLE: Two Chubby Cubs
I first became aware of these two lads on Facebook. They're a married couple who have an excellent group where they share food ideas, body positivity, posts about Goomba their dog, as well as a load of camp filth. Proper laugh out loud funny.
They've published 3 recipe books, as well as having a great website. Right up my rue, dears.
ACTIVITY: Adding the word 'club'
Our family made a daft discovery that turned into a comedy-esque tradition during the pandemic, when the 3 of us were shut in the house together for what seemed like 7000 years. And this is it: If you put the word 'Club' after an activity it somehow makes it seem a bit fun, or at least slightly less shit.
- Is your house a total shit hole? 'Tidying Up Club' will do the trick.
- Do you have a mountain of boring admin to do? Join 'Getting Organised Club'.
- Are you so shattered that you can't see straight? An hour of 'Nap Club' helps.
While this is just a silly way to re-frame some less than exciting tasks, it can also be a stratgey to create or join a community and turn a run-of-the-mill activity into something fun. I like gathering films with a common theme and making myself a playlist.
For example, Queen Sarah Ledger (@Sezl) and I are having a few days in Paris next week and in the run up, we're having our own film club. We're picking a Paris themed film to watch each day and encouraging Twitter and Faceboooook pals to watch with us and share their reviews. We're currently having murders over Russell Crowe's performance in Les Miserables. Sezl thinks he's 'The Tits'. I do not.
UPDATE: We had the best time ever in Paris and 100% met our goal of eating lovely food with excellent views. In fact we named it 'The Croque Monsieur Tour'.
LEARNING: The Open University
I remember the moment when I decided to join the Open University. My son was a toddler at the time and after a few years immersed in stay-at-home-mum world I was desperate for some grown-up structure in my life. I was also at a bit of a crossroads professionally, as I couldn't quite grasp the motivation to continue my writing career. So as a way to work out what I wanted to do I threw caution to the wind and signed up for an OU course.
From there I continued with any course that took my fancy, then began the route to an English degree which I completed a few years ago (the graduation ceremony was last week due to pandemic delays).
I loved having a solid framework to my studying and the OU's online resources and teaching methods are excellent. It's expensive (no more than any other university) but if you're committed to a learning pathway or gaining a new qualification I can't recommend it enough. I loved my Open University experience and will probably go back for more.
READING: The Maid
It's a page-turning murder mystery book. Bloody love a murder mystery! Written in the first person, Molly the Maid is a young woman who experiences the world in a unique way. Though there's no explicit mention of Molly's specific neurodiversity, it's clear that it is both an inclusion need and a superpower. I love the perspective of neurodiversity as powerful individual strength.
Molly the Maid is all alone in the world. A nobody. She's used to being invisible in her job at the Regency Grand Hotel, plumping pillows and wiping away the grime, dust and secrets of the guests who pass through. She's just a maid - why should anyone take notice?
