Ooof what an epitaph

I never realised how 'normal' my family were until I met my bf and his horrendous mother and brothers

It takes a lot of pain for a person to finally go no contact, or be relieved when a family member finally dies

There are far too many shitty parents and siblings out there

I hope you're still having a good day today, because he's not here

Time alone

If I'm burnout then just sit, watch a podcast or my favourite TV show, fart around on the internet etc and hope my energy levels start to return

If I have some energy then I'll do some art, that seems to restore me quite well... right now I'm binge watching 'the delta flyers' podcast as that's all I'm capable of right now

I wonder whether this would apply to autism too, considering we're in the same family so to speak?

I found puberty and adolescence a horrific sensory nightmare and social hell scape, complete with crushing depression, and was expecting something similar

However I appear to be sailing through menopause with help from my hrt. Apart from moments when I definitely need space, I think I'm doing better than I expected to. Maybe I'm finally becoming a wise old woman lol 😆

So sorry this has been used against you in such a horrible way

I have a naturally resting bitch face, and the tone of my voice can sound pissed off even when I'm not. It really boils my piss having to justify myself when all I'm doing is happily being somewhere in my own head minding my own business

Self care via skincare

I've been neglecting myself for the last year, but had to do some urgent facial TLC over winter what with the cold, the radiators and age desiccating my skin to Egyptian Mummy levels

So now I've worked out a routine to hydrate, pamper and look after myself

Pro tip, if you have dry itchy skin, (hello menopause) then I can't recommend cetraben ointment enough, its a bit like Vaseline, but it actually 'absorbs/sinks in' without being greasy Even my bf will allow it on his skin and he hates creams etc due to the 'lard' feeling as he calls it

edit, actually I don't think this applies to the posts question, but nevermind

Shirley Manson, how she dresses, her music, her attitude...

Absolute Goddess!

Its not just the crying for me, its those random shrieks of delight that also get me, especially in supermarkets with all that noise and light reflecting surfaces

There are many reasons I never had children, but the crying would have been a special kind of torture

I've had a few quite profound experiences, one where I saw all the patterns in the universe, a peak behind the curtain of the maths that creates all natural phenomena. And another where I dissolved and became the northern lights

I also became the mushrooms once, I was in the ground amongst the soil particles existing as the mycelium threads, then decided to grow upwards as the fruiting bodies of the mushrooms above ground

I've had some amazing experiences of being other things in nature

What a beautiful experience, you've put in words a similar experience I had, but so much better. It triggered a very happy memory and a big smile 🥰

I used to have budgies, one of the males used to chat up his (male) friend whilst perched on my head... and then he'd start grinding away while still on my head

Fortunately he never left a deposit

Freaky little (head) fucker

I think old people are just not equipped to survive on the internet

I think its people in general

During lock down when people were at home and having to amuse themselves some made bread and did arts and crafts, whilst others ended up jumping off a cliff into conspiracy theories and right wing bollocks

One guy I know of suggested ivermectin and dog dewormers to treat my bf's cancer because 'cancer is caused by parasites.... there's plenty of information on the internet.... you can do your own research...etc etc'

I used to think the average person was mostly decent and sensible, but not anymore

Same hairdo for the last 10 years, long on top with undercut

Redyed it recently to tidy up my grey bits and a bit of self care

One day I may just say fuck it and shave it all off, or maybe a mowhawk would be cool to see in my mid 50s 🤟

Agreed....

[They have] a painful sting and symptoms similar to those of its prey [Portuguese man o’ war]. These include nausea, vomiting, and pain. source

Beautiful, but no touching

That's the problem with my ash brown hair, I'd have to bleach it before I could go mad with colour, so its basically too much hassle, which is a bummer

Oh to have a blank canvas to paint on!

I had 2 sindy dolls (a UK version of barbie, but slightly more realistic proportionally speaking)

I didn't play house with them, instead I made them armour from card, and cobbled together weapons- metal nail files were swords, and I made a bow from a knitting needle and an elastic band, the arrows were straightened paper clips (I really excelled with making these as they actually worked and could take out bits of plaster from the walls)

I also once made a Viking village, complete with longship, again out of card.

I still think the best toys are the ones you have a hand in designing and making yourself, but then I am an autistic creative nerd 😃

OMG I've got this one, different cover though!

I think I read it almost in one go and didn't give up half way through, which is a huge achievement for me

It really helped me understand my autism and explained so many of my difficulties as a child, teenager etc

Spoiler alert, the chapter on older women with autism is very thin, as let's face it we are a small, under diagnosed demographic, but here we are!

Weirdly, I've been thinking a lot recently of women on the margins of society historically, the spinsters, widows, the women who choose live alone because they function differently, and how they've been either ridiculed or treated with hostility and violence

I think I'm beginning my witchy part of life, and I intend to fully embrace it 🧙

edit, forgot to mention, she has some really good videos on YouTube if you find it easier than reading

Seconding this, sometimes you just have to sit down and draw/make even if the end result looks like shit, and even then you can rip it up, use it for collage, over paint it and make it into something else

Maybe go on a tangent? Explore colour theory? A different medium? Look at other people's work for inspiration?

Even a crappy doodle can be the start of something new and interesting 👍

Feeling the pressure, but managing to keep going

Not edible crustaceans though, apparently they taste like urine, probably due to the fact that they release ammonia...One of their local names I heard in Wales is 'piss the bed' Also...

In the Netherlands, they’re called pissabeds source

But, despite all the piss they're great little critters 😀

You're very welcome, I enjoyed looking through the many pictures of Velvet Worms, they're beautiful creatures with interesting lives.... they really should get more love and appreciation 😍