Last time I posted was Day 41. Oops! Better late than never I guess.
Challenge Update
Obviously I’ve faltered on the blogging part of the challenge. But I’ve been keeping up with the dress portion of things. It’s still nice to not have to think much about what to wear. Sometimes I’ll throw shorts or different clothes on for yard work or other tasks (though I often wear the dress then too). Even when I do that, I know what I’m wearing after I’m done.
I did snag the dress and put a small hole in it recently. But then I got to use my art skills to pretty that hole up! It doesn’t look like the one in the YouTube video did, but good enough.
Oh, and I compiled all of my daily pictures into a video. Mostly you can tell time has passed by watching the length of my hair. I did get a trim in the back, but otherwise I haven’t cut it.
Mental Health Awareness Month
Things have felt heavy at work for a bit. I have a couple of family members in the hospital right now. Financial matters are also adding stress. That’s on top of patriarchal bullshit, white supremacy bullshit, capitalist bullshit, and Covid bullshit going on around the country/world.
I’ve been thinking about going back to counseling for a while. I’ve held off because I didn’t want to find a new therapist. I really liked my old one, but when I changed jobs and insurance companies she didn’t take my new company. For a while I paid full price, out-of-pocket to continue seeing her, but that wasn’t sustainable. And I’m not in the position to do that now. Honestly, my co-pay is a burden right now on top of a plumbing job that had a hefty price tag.
Anyway… Regardless of all of that, today I made the appointment. I’m not in crisis, but I realize that I need help processing what I’m experiencing. I’ve been in a slump for a minute, and I deserve happiness. With pride, with humility, I am back in counseling.
I know that going to counseling is a privilege. It’s expensive, and for folks without health insurance it may be unattainable. Or it may be unattainable with insurance. But I hope folks find ways to take care of their mental health to the best of their ability until our work to ensure everyone’s basic needs are taken care of bears fruit.
Raleigh Twenty
Around the time I last posted, I was working on a Raleigh Twenty project bike. Well, I finished!! I tore him apart, greased him up, replaced some things that needed replacing, and I put him back together again! I bought him for other people to ride, but I’ve been riding him quite a bit lately. He rides pretty smoothly for being older than me. He was “born” in 1973, and his name is Dr. Cornelius. I’ve gotten compliments on him, and I’m pretty proud of my work.
I even made him some accessories for him: a saddle bag and a bike lock holder. The saddle bag is nice for carrying my wallet if I don’t want to carry a bag, a set of tools, or even a Bluetooth speaker for some tunes. The bike lock holder is pretty self-explanatory. It was nice doing some leather work after a long lapse from that. I might still add more decorations to them, but they are good for now.
Urban Wildlife
And since it’s Mental Health Awareness Month, what helps with that more than getting out in nature? So here’s some pictures from my yard and rambles.
Oh, wait! Did you see the eclipse other night? I tried to get pictures on my good camera, but even on my tripod it moved a bit when I pushed the button. Still, I got some … interesting shots! It looks like Mother Moon is dancing!
Here are some birds that have visited my feeder in recent history, and a funny squirrel that visited my porch.
I bought and planted some milkweed and a native passionflower. I got the aphid problem under control on the milkweed, and the passionflower looks really good. I had a couple of small caterpillars on the milkweed soon after I bought it, but they disappeared. Something must have eaten them.
Summing up
It’s been a busy 20+ days since I last posted. There’s been *a lot* going on. It feels like a lot. I’m struggling right now, but feeling hopeful. I’ve had a ton of folks reminding me that they are there for me. My impulse is to turn inward. Considering that I’m already alone a lot, that can be a recipe for unnecessarily going deeper into the darkness. My mental health fuel gauge is a bit low, but I’m dealing with it sooner than I have in the past.
A lot of folks in my world are struggling right now, and I know that goes beyond my circle. I’m wishing everyone healing, rest, and love.