funnily enough today was supposed to be the hottest day of the year here... no warmer that 8 centigrade all day where im at.

painted and felt accomplished but got some on my clothes, reeeeeeeeeeeeee
less drinky, more painty
its all relative, shirley

nay! - more drinky, painty clothes for next season!

"everybody in decorators!" - Gap

People say it's hot, i say it's not but it works for better or worse.

I have had various mental issues over the years.....some that seemed insurmountable at the time.

My advice? Find/maintain a good support network(family/friends/etc)....it can make all the difference sometimes.

Yeah, lack of friends was a major part of the issue. Moved to another city, but kept working from home in my previous job because it paid the bills, and bills there were aplenty (higher living expenses, ageing and ailing pet, the expense of moving), so there weren't many options in that respect. Tried a few hobbies, but turns out that everyone was eager to just get in there, do whatever it was that were there to do, and then skedaddle as quickly as possible because it took forever to get anywhere in that city. No mingling around, and even if there was, it's pretty difficult to strike up conversation when you're depressed and nothing's happening in your life.

So we moved back some years ago and it's been better. Trying to look after myself better now, and while it's a balancing act at times, it's better than a slippery slope.

4 day weekend... and its stuffed up by sore knee triggerred by work.. laid up for all 4 days in time to go back to work....fmd..

It's impossible to get a vaccine in my country. Just hate the bureaucratic red tape and sheer incompetence of the government. I wish the right-wing understood evolution.

I hear ya on bills/etc....sometimes my own are like this massive mountain and I wonder how i'll ever tackle em all.

As for your pet: lost a pet about a year or more back, so I know what you're going through. Fwiw, your pet & yourself are in my thoughts/prayers.

Yeah it is...also good to hear you're doing a bit better. :)

Heard there's a drought in my area, but it doesn't feel like it.

(It's currently raining here, I believe.)

That's a great step in the right direction. Self care helps a great deal! I speak from personal experience. ;) Eating a bit better. Reducing sugar and junk food. Getting enough sleep. Treating yourself to a funny movie or a funny book. A bit of regular exercise. Even taking long walks in the park. It all helps a little. ;)

You're right about it being a balancing act. It will always be so. Life is wired that way. Never get discouraged by the downs, because you'll eventually be surfing the ups again.

Lost a beloved elderly family member to cancer. She passed within about a week of the cancer diagnosis after they tried to operate.
Please don't make the mistake I did: don't ever put off / postpone calling elderly family members if you want to converse with them. Before you know it they'll be gone, along with decades worth of stories and wisdom, as well as what would otherwise have been a cherished thought for the rest of your life: that you made their day each time you called them out of the blue just to hear how they were doing. Also consider recording such interactions.

Very true!
Got ahold of my uncle John (actually a family friend, but really extended family in that way) last year. Had a great chat with him - he was moving just round the corner into assisted living and looking forwards to new life after stagnating some years.
Died of a heart attack a few days later. Never did get to ask them all i wanted to know (they were a WW2 vet and well known archaeologist among other things) but i did get to make the call. Thats something.

Now if you'll excuse me i think somebody is cutting onions...

^ Me after reading the two posts above...
/picks up the phone to chat with my Mom/

Such sadness. I think most of us put off touching base with people in our lives, elderly or not. Maybe we take time for granted? Don't know.

Sorry for both your losses. :(

theres more to life than time. time is but a series of bubbles in our recollection and interpretation of things and its the opportunity taken or not that most affects us at points in our lives.
;)

Edit: and even your most bigoted, unbearable old person in your life is still a window into other bubbles of time.
Edit2: thats not about yer mam, just a generalisation of connection! O____o