Two trees with pink and white cherry blossom, in front of a tall grey building

It's spring and suddenly my neighbourhood is briefly beautiful

that's awful, sorry the HA are being useless

Hope you had a lovely, belated Christmas dinner in the end :)

Well done the Netherlands! It's just been very rainy and miserable but this week it's got much nicer, we'd forgotten what the sun looked like.

Lovely to see you here! that all sounds good, have the Netherlands done well at the Winter Olympics? I like watching old things too. Hopefully I can do some nice things, haven't even been to the park this year yet, partly because it rained for 40 days.

sorry the joy has been smaller sprinkles rather than snowdrifts. i don't even remember the news at the beginning of the year, I'm sorry you got derailed though. I did too and haven't managed to get back on track yet, think I might start again on 25th March (Lady Day) like a Medieval person :)

I loved Last House on Needless Street too, I've got Looking Glass Sound on my TBR so will try to read that before the new one

2026 has not been a great year so far, this is me just starting all the things I meant to do in January, including being more intentional with social media and trying to post here more than the Bad Place. Hope everyone else's year is going ok xx

this is on my wishlist, i'd love to know what you think when you've read it.

was just thinking about him today, so many bad takes about drugs recently and he'd have wiped the floor with all the numpties. a huge loss in all sorts of ways.

thank you, it's been a wee bit stressful. he's been moved 6 times between four different hospitals but the one he's in now is the better one so we're relieved he's in the right place.

Yes, everyone is a bit tired so we're taking it easy. I prefer a modest celebration too.

I liked your Christmas card! I'm glad you don't have to cook anything. We are going to my partner's sisters but we're not doing a big event because his Dad is in hospital and so there's been enough stress. sorry about your IBS :(

I'm okayish thank you, not feeling very Christmassy yet. How are you?

Happy Solstice to you both :)

thank you! I'm excited to see what else scary will pop up this week, perhaps a tarantula or a ghost or my mother.

I got it but realised that when you're marked for reasons that are ultimately to do with 'managing' rather than helping then it's not going anywhere even if something more helpful to me was diagnosed. it has blocked me from things that would help eg. CBT for a phobia which i can't access

I think it usually was for me, but I've not been away anywhere for years. I would miss my routine if I did. I hope you can have some more restful days

Oh no! You need another holiday to get over this holiday.

hello, I am, I haven't been on social media much but I am back now :) how are you?

No I just want it to have a good home which is why I thought of you :) will email, thank you x

Not me but a friend came to my birthday night out once, in a pub, wearing her living room curtains! she wasn't sure what to wear, thought the material looked nice so took them down, wrapped and pinned them and then walked out the door in her new dress.

quilting sounds cool, i am going to do some crocheting once it's a bit colder. just need to survive the heatwave

i have mostly been being mental, this year has been a bit of a blur tbh. but i'm mostly ok, had a bit of a tarot slump but i am back to it again and enjoying that

yes none of this makes sense or is really workable or thought through, but none of that mwtters when Britain is having a moral panic which is an important part of our culture!

I understand what you mean about expected and unexpectedly, I'm glad she's no longer in distress but I'm sorry for you having to go through it all

i might try a VPN? my partner is a tech person so I'll give that a try. Otherwise they should just accept a video of my haggard face, but I will have to behave myself on the internet from now on :)

all the news is very grim but i'm glad things are at least better than they were x

i am ok, quite hot! how are you feeling with everything going on?

was just thinking of you and lovely phantom, what an unforgettable face!