Super Pooped: Adventures for the Exhausted

Tuesday, 15 November 2016

Tiny Hannah's Adventures: Richmond Wedding with Leanne

My good friend Catie got married this October. I was going to be bridesmaid, but obviously I couldn't be there in person so Tiny Hannah made her way, with my poet friend, Leanne, in my place. I got dressed up in my bridesmaids dress in Norfolk and listened in on the wedding via the internet, before having a very long lie down!
Some of Catie's friends were good enough to do that for me, and also record a video so I could see her and Ben get married. (Thanks Sarah and Jo!)
Leanne wrote a lovely poem called Starstruck for the wedding, that she performed on the day, which you can see here.
I actually wrote a poem as well, that Catie's friend Catherine read for me. Here it is...

Happily Ever After

I do not want a "Happily Ever After" with you,
Because then the story’s finished, and the credits roll on through,
I want some more adventures; New Zealand, Venice, and who knows?!
(And we can discuss who’s the sidekick as we set off on the road.

I do not want a "Happily Ever After" with you,
The reality’s much better, and I’d rather have the truth,
Of arguments about where the hell we put the remote control,
And laying close in darkness, quietly scrolling on our phones.

I do not want a "Happily Ever After" with you,
(Although if anybody else does, they’ll have to join the queue)
Just watching hours of footie, shouting “Come on, Liverpool!”
But making time for Poirot, Miss Marple and Doctor Who.

I do not want a "Happily Ever After" with you,
No glitter-covered castles (although I’m sure it’s a lovely view)
I want cats, and kids, and laughter, and yes, the tough times too,
Work and play, it’s all the same. I just want me and you.

I do not want a "Happily Ever After" with you,
I know that you’re the one for me, and I know you feel that too,
So let’s tell the films to stuff it, because as lovely as they seem,
They could never live up to what we have; we’re living the flippin’ dream.

Here are some photos from the day - there are still the photos from the professional photographer to come, so I'm looking forward to those as well!!

On the way!

Quick welcome drink

Mmm Bucks Fizz

Uh oh! Red wine!

With the Beautiful Bride!

The Bride and Groom

Sarah and Catherine

Sarah and Leanne

Ready to eat!

Beautiful leaves

Rachel and Leanne

Shoes off, ready to dance!

More booze. Naughty Tiny Hannah

Disco time!

Found a friend

Rachel and Paul

Polaroid time

Selfie with Dale!

MEANWHILE IN NORFOLK...

Down in Norfolk

The whole outfit

(Sorry, you're not getting any sleepy after photos! H)

Wednesday, 9 November 2016

Tiny Hannah's Adventures: Millions Missing London with Sarah

On the train!

At the Millions Missing Protest!

With Sarah <3

A tiny chair for a Tiny Hannah

Making some moves on some fellas (Naught Tiny Hannah)

There was even time for sightseeing!

BONUS!

Big Hannah sent her shoes to Nottingham's protest. Here they are.

(Thanks to Leanne who photographed them!)

Sunday, 6 November 2016

A Busy October and a Surprisingly Okay Sickmas

Hello my lovely loves!

It's been a little while since I've been able to write a post beyond a few words, and I miss it more than I thought I would!
This last month has been intense, and, to be perfectly honest, I was a bit nervous about how I'd get on, but it's actually gone pretty well!

October's always pretty busy (it's my birthday on the 6th, so there's usually a lot of excitement, and often visits from people), but this year was extra intense. Visits from family, a wedding via Skype (plus the emotions of not being able to go myself), a home visit from one of my many medical professionals, Christmas card making and Halloween Costume Funtimes meant that I had to be very, very careful indeed.
I had to make sure I didn't have my my usual hypnotherapy and counselling sessions for the whole month, just to make it even slightly possible. But, to my surprise, I managed every single thing bar one family visit, and hopefully that'll be happening soon!

I'm not going to discuss the month in too much detail (and you already know at least part of it, as I've already posted about the charity Christmas cards I've made), but the main things were; I turned 30, I had a home visit from my ME specialist nurse, and I had my anniversary of getting sick (which I usually call Sickmas) on the first of November. I feel like those all tie in pretty closely, because they're all things that make me look back on my achievements in the last year or so.

Last year, all of these things made me feel pretty awful. Although I had managed to stop my ME/CFS worsening, that was pretty much all that could be said. I had to cancel creating Christmas cards to sell, which made me very low, and, while I'd won the Midsomer Murders Cluedo competition, that couldn't stop the first anniversary of being housebound, and the 3rd year of being ill, hitting me pretty hard.

This year, I've managed to achieve a lot, lot more, and it feels wonderful. Don't get me wrong, I still had a few rounds of tears; while my friends do amazing things in their careers, visit wonderful places, get married, buy houses, and have children, I'm stuck here unable to leave the house, and on occasion my bed, and that feeling of being left behind hurts like nothing I could possibly explain.
But comparing this year to last year? (Which, by the way, is otherwise known as comparing my sick self to my sick self instead of to my well self, or other people.) In that case... I'm kind of rocking it.

Mum and I made a list of everything I've achieved this year. It's not been easy, and of course every single thing has had Payback following it, but I've managed it.
I've had some scary moments where I wasn't sure how I was going to make it through the Payback (after my birthday, which I dressed up for, I had a day where I wasn't sure I was going to be able to wash or not, and that was absolutely terrifying), but... I did get through it. And all without leaving the house.

So... well done me. And thanks to you all, for supporting me. There will be more posts to catch up on most of the individual things, but until then, I hope you enjoy looking through this list.

H

Bounced back from blood drain relapse

Embroidery for Catie and Ben

Making Tiny Hannah

Making Tiny Hannah introductory video

Sending TH on adventures to Edinburgh, Derby, London, Richmond and Venice (posts to come)

Joining Elevate, the local ME group, via Facebook

Taking part in Millions Missing (blog post to come)

Interviews with newspapers for Midsummer murders Cluedo (fame!)

Taking part (and winning) top vintage competition and therefore...

Winning my friends a honeymoon to Venice

Managing to create Christmas cards

Writing a poem for my friends wedding (blog post to come)

Writing an article for the Telegraph (fame again!)

Being quoted on BBC radio Scotland (fame some more!)

(Getting a request from the Jeremy Kyle show - and avoiding it)

Being featured on The Mighty (that fame, it just keeps on coming)

Writing a post for the ME Awareness blog, that then got featured on the ME Action website

Creating a Maleficent Halloween costume

Finishing and giving the Dear Ethan project books to Ethan and Kerry

Becoming more positive

Helping to design my mum's studio

Spending one night on my own in the house (bigger deal than it sounds)

Learning to make corn dollies

Successfully having one visit per month from a friend

Skyping my friend's wedding

Watching the whole of How to train your dragon 2 (in stages)

Advised other sufferers of ME

Joined the Chronic Illness Bloggers via Facebook

Did a product review, like a proper blogger

Worked on my blog

Worked on my calligraphy and lettering skills

Used the sewing machine once (without wearing ear defenders!)

Dropped down my antidepressants by one quarter

Had one shower (they became extra difficult after the Blood Drain for some reason, so it was sink washes and weekly/biweekly baths for some time)

Dressed up for my birthday

Carved my first pumpkin since 2013!

Read an actual book

Learnt to say "no"

Learnt to say when I'd had enough and trusted that my friends would be happy with this. (Thanks, guys.)

Wednesday, 26 October 2016

Achievement Unlocked! Christmas cards

Hello my lovely loves,

I'm very proud to say that this year I've managed to make some Christmas cards to sell.
Even though I had drawn out designs last year, I just wasn't well enough to to go through with the level of work that's needed to actually needed to get it done.
But this year? I did it! And I can't tell you how much it means to me to be creating and publishing art again.
I'm still not ready for commissions, but if having a chronic illness has taught me anything, it's that there are ways to do what you want without jeopardising your health, and you should bask in them.

I've been working on my two designs all year (slow and steady!) and I created an angel themed one, based around the hymn "Hark the herald angel sing" with a quirky, musical change to the lyric (and a guest appearance from a cute Elvis-styled Baby Jesus), and a Home Alone one, with items from the first two films incorporated into the design.
Both designs are wraparound pieces, so they cover both the back and the front of the card, and there is a printed message inside each as well.

10% of the profits will be going to the homeless charity, Crisis. I always give to them at Christmas anyway, but this year I hoped I'd be able to add onto my normal donation.

The cards are now on sale on my Etsy shop.
In fact, I've not had time to write this post because they're been selling so fast! I'm afraid all the packs of 10 have sold out already, as the angel-only packs of 6.
There are still plenty of 6 packs of mixed designs, and Home Alone-only packs in 6 and 10.
Single cards are available in both designs. Head on over to snap some up before they go!

There's also a separate listing for those who wish to give an added donate to Crisis on top of the 10% of the profits I'll be giving.