Parklife.

Impromptu trip to the pub + bumped into friends walking home. I love living in this village.

It’s my kid’s gymnastics class time again and I’m having to bring the soothing forest sounds back – but this time it’s not so much the noisy children as the parent playing a video about motorbikes at full volume 🙃

It was incredible, right? A genuine moment of awe and wonder. I felt the same when I went to a drive through testing site for the first time. I would never want to go through that again but gosh, it showed you the best of people.

It was utterly overwhelming and I have never before or since felt so connected to my fellow man, or had such faith in the inherent goodness of humanity.

I will never forget it as long as I live. (9/9)

The gratitude I felt in that moment, for every volunteer, for every scientist and lab tech and coordinator and administrator and project worker who had led up to this… (8/9)

And here I was, one little person in the middle of all this, getting the vaccination that meant I no longer had to worry so much about my daughter being left alone. (7/9)

Hundreds and hundreds of volunteers ushering thousands of people through an incredibly smooth process, all held in this huge space that used to be the site of all the things we were missing so dearly – gigs and events and sports. Coming together in celebration. Being with people. (6/9)

What I do remember completely, though, was getting the first Covid vaccine. My nearest vaccination centre was the SSE Arena in Belfast, and let me tell you, it was a magnificent operation. (5/9)

And worst of all, being absolutely petrified that someone I loved would catch Covid and I’d lose them too. Or that I would, and my two year old daughter would be left an orphan. It was a time so awful I don’t remember a lot of it. (4/9)

Only 12 people allowed in the church for the service and nobody allowed to hug. Not knowing if my parents would be able to get here. Having to solo parent and grieve without my usual support networks. (3/9)

Having to do CPR for longer than I care to remember because there were no ambulances available, and the paramedics had to put on PPE before they could come in. Waiting weeks for his funeral because the crematorium was so backed up. (2/9)

One of the most meaningful experiences of my life was getting the first Covid vaccine (TW for Covid/cardiac issues). My husband died during Covid (of an unrelated heart condition) and it’s an understatement to say that it was an awful time to lose someone. (1/9)

Thank you so much, this is so helpful! I am definitely going to look into whether this is viable in NI. Please pass on my thanks to your wife!

I’m fatigued and insomniac and anxious and irritable and flat and sad and grumpy and demotivated and exhausted and completely lacking in any sense of joy or contentment for *half the time*. It’s becoming unbearable.

(Yes I’ve been to the GP and yes she has referred me to the menopause clinic but apparently the waiting list is 18 months+ and all I can do in the meantime is to double the dose of my antidepressants. And yes the pill helps some women with PMDD but it makes mine worse, so it’s not an option for me.)

I am honestly beyond FURIOUS that PMDD / perimenopause is sucking the enjoyment out of two weeks of my every month and there is absolutely nothing anyone can do about it, apparently.

this is a truly fantastic idea

“Inexcusable 90s electro” is basically the playlist for my upcoming wedding

Update: I think it’s working — my eye is no longer twitching, despite the fact that there’s a bouncy castle on the other side of the sports hall that’s pumping out the Black Eyed Peas at top volume 🙃

Listening to “relaxing forest sounds” through my noise cancelling headphones at the kid’s gymnastics class, in case you’re wondering how my day is going 🙃

CHRISSY WAKE UUUUP (you’re welcome)

CHRISSY, WAKE UP (Full Song) YouTube video by The Gregory Brothers

I still sing Chrissy, Wake Up to myself at least once a week. What a banger. youtu.be/noYBV61kh7s?...

Tomorrow I have to go and be measured for my wedding dress and it has sent me into an absolute spiral of self-loathing. So that’s fun.

(Again, very much a me issue and I will of course continue to host play dates anyway because it’s not fair for my daughter to suffer because of my weaknesses.)

(Some notes: my daughter’s friends are all lovely, this is definitely a me issue, and I’ve never cried where anyone can see me! I just really struggle with the pressure to be “on” and make it fun, and mostly with the noise and the mess.)

Sometimes I’m sad that circumstances meant that I only had one child – but then I remember that my daughter has never had a play date without me ending up overstimulated to the point of tears during or after and realise that I was definitely only meant to have one child 🙃

This Artemis II / Big Orange Warmonger section of our timeline is a whiplash-inducing headfuck, that’s for sure.

I flippin’ LOVED those mini mugs.

Joint between these two, though the second one is more niche for those of us who watched The Great British Sewing Bee. @hrfmichael.bsky.social @merrychrissmyth.bsky.social