Real life is better

I still enjoy blogging, and I still enjoy social media, but both have changed hugely, and so has my life, and that means more online changes around here.

Probably less blogging. I have plenty of posts in draft, but I may never finish them, and I don’t want to put myself under that pressure either.

There will be more updates on the Facebook page, which you can find here if you’re not already following it:

https://www.facebook.com/oftencalledcathy/

I don’t like the recent changes to Facebook, especially the removal of the option to have friend lists, but it’s where most of my real life friends are, so it’s where I need to be. And I’m Facebook friends with almost all my online friends too.

I’ve mentioned before that Instagram was my new favourite place for a while until they changed the feed. Now I’m losing interest, so little of the activity feels genuine, except from my real friends. Who are on Facebook too!

Pinterest is my scrapbook and I ignore What’s App, Snapchat, Google Plus and the rest of them.

That just leaves Twitter: it’s chronological, and I can still use friend lists, but today the option to use hands free streaming (no scrolling required) on third party apps was removed, so I can no longer have it on in the background while I do other things. I had been chatting on Twitter more than anywhere else, and I loved catching all the breaking news. But that’s all ending as of now it seems.

Back to Facebook then. And that other old fashioned option – real life. I’m trying to reach out to my friends and meet them more often in real life. Because my love affair with social media has soured.

Real really is better. I get that now.

 

 

The Cliff Edge

How did I ever find the time to write? I really don’t know any more, and I don’t know what is to become of this blog. The more things I cut out of my life, the more stuff is thrown my way. And that’s mixed with all the challenges that are not going away any time soon either. Sleep deprivation has recently been added to the mix, and I *may* have vented on social media as a safe way to handle the relentless pressure. But so far, every time I think this family is going to fall off the cliff edge, I have a good day, or even just a good few minutes. And that keeps me going for a little bit longer.

So what has cheered me up recently?

I’ve reduced my exercise schedule to four times a week, and one of those sessions is usually assisted running. Which means pushing B in her wheelchair. Many of you will know that we took part in the Alanna Russell Memorial 6K race on the  Sunday before last, and we both had a wonderful time at this superbly organised event in memory of a very special young girl who died last year.

Promises have been made and some action has been taken – B now has a Personal Assistant for 8 hours a month to bring her out on Sunday mornings. That’s a busy time for me, and now she will have something more entertaining to do than watching videos!

A home visit to test out a domestic lift and see how it works, and I can report that B had to ride up and down in it on her own, which only worried her at first. It’s a neat and unobtrusive solution that stores the lift in whichever room you are not using at the time. It can also be used to transport all sort of heavy stuff between floors, not just people in wheelchairs! It does mean that a two storey home really could work for us, though obviously not as well as a bungalow.

A lovely walk in the sunshine with a very good friend and the chance to test out the fare at the Gourmet Food company near Portmarnock.

A Rainbow Junior Arch Club trip to Imaginosity, an interactive children’s museum in South Dublin, including a van disco on the way, with loads of dancing in the back! It wasn’t really suitable for B, but I was on duty for the Club and she enjoyed being my helper and watching all the children having a great time.

Hearing my daughter laughing with delight as she is wheeled up the path and home after another great day with her friends at the Central Remedial Clinic..

More reasons to be cheerful over at Lakes Single Mum.