Middle-aged, Free and Single

No More Sugar

I have osteoarthritis in the top joints of my fingers. The worst affected are my little fingers, but I get a bit of pain in most of them, apart from my thumbs. My hands look like I remember my Grandma’s hands looking. The joints of my little fingers are quite swollen. I don’t have much…

Dry January – Have You Wobbled?

My friend invited me to join a group of people online who are doing Dry January – even though I didn’t know anyone else in the group and even though I’m not doing Dry January myself… A few days ago, I asked if anyone had wobbled – and what they’d done to fight it. Here’s…

Spa Delay

Today I should have been having a Spa Day with my sister-in-law. Or more accurately, I should have been having a Spa Day with my ex sister-in-law. We get on well, and after my husband left we decided we wanted to continue to get on well – thus proving that you can, in fact, choose…

Walking in the Snow

I love the snow. I have happy memories of sledging on Beverley Westwood as a child. One year we were having such a good time that when the light started to fade we walked into the town for something to eat – then went back out and sledged in the moonlight. Magical. I’ve had adventures…

Dry January – Why?

Why are you doing Dry January? A friend invited me to join a group of people who are doing Dry January. I’m not doing it myself – but I have total admiration for everyone who is. So – I asked these lovely people why they are doing it. Here are their very, very honest answers…

How are you?

Do you feel that your mental health is suffering during Lockdown? Are you feeling anxious, sad, lonely, frustrated, angry, and the rest? We know that depression is low mood that’s not related to any particular event. So someone feeling low following a bereavement isn’t suffering from depression – they are simply and naturally feeling an…

Clap Trap

I won’t be clapping for the heroes. Firstly – although I’m beyond grateful for the work our health care workers are doing – I won’t be clapping. Clapping does nothing to help them. I will be adding my name to calls for a pay rise for them. I will be continuing to wear my mask…

Me Day – again

Two years ago, on 8th January, my husband told me he was leaving. One year ago, on 8th January, I wrote this. I decided that I would declare the 8th of January Me Day. A day to acknowledge that I’ve survived, that I’m not the woman I was. I wish I could go back and…

Dry January

Some people that I don’t know are doing Dry January, and I was invited to join the group. Well – that’s not quite true. I know one of them – and she invited me. I’m not actually even doing Dry January… When my ex and I first got together, he wasn’t drinking at all. He’d…

God Bless America

If there is a God, which I doubt. They certainly need all the help they can get. I have some questions about the events on Capitol Hill on 6th January 2021. Where was security? Why were people wearing sweatshirts printed with ‘CIVIL WAR 6 Jan 2021’ if it wasn’t pre-planned? Why do Trump supporters look…

Don’t Let Lockdown Win

It’s been a shit couple of days. We had such plans, you and I, at the start of the year. So we’ve fallen off the wagon – so what? That doesn’t have to be the end of the story. Let’s forgive ourselves and climb right back on board. Let’s remind ourselves of why we wanted…