Just checking in.

[CheerBear]

Morning @Zoe7 🙂 Go you with your garage walling! Are you enjoying working on it? I think it's going to be hot where you are today (it is here too). Hope you and Toby stay cool with all you're up to.

Kitten is nameless at the moment as we are one crew member down and don't want to name her until all of us are here. I don't think I'll share her name here though so I'll have to come up with a forum name too. Right now it would be something like squeaker or sooky or won't-stop-whining 😉😆 So much noise for such a small creature! Mouse and Noodle aren't happy at all and little Mouse is pretty freaked out with it. Really hoping that settles down quickly.

Great to hear about your friend too. Lots of feel goods catching your updates there ❤

[Zoe7]

The wall is more a chore than a pleasure to work on @CheerBear but the getting it done is a good thing. I will certainly be pleased to have it done and then the big job of sorting out all my 'stuff' will take a bit longer to do. That is a big job too but I will have the space in the garage to do all that and that will be wonderful finlly to have. It will also mean I can do other things around the house as all my tools will be sorted and not piled on top of each. I do really like having things organised so you can imagine the garage has been very annoring for me so far. 

Things with friend are good - there is a real friendship developing and that is something that is both nice and still scary but I am just taking it as it comes as see what happens. There are no expectations and we are very open with each other so that makes it easier - it is a nice feeling and I am just going with it 

I am just going to call itty bitty kitty - Kitty for now until we have a name for her. What colour is she?

[CheerBear]

It will be great to have it all done @Zoe7. I love being organised and having everything neat and tidy. So great to hear that your friendship is developing. I heard you're planning on watching a movie soon? Would that be a going out movie or one at either of your houses

I took a photo of little kitty for you. She's black with big green eyes 🖤

She's very snuggly and ridiculously cute 😊

[Zoe7]

Oh she is ridiculously cute @CheerBear I want one too now lol Might need to head to the cat centre and play with some kittens myself. 

It will most likely be a movie at his or my house but that is yet to be determined yet - taking that one slowly.

I need to head out - nearly forgot I have an appointment this morning but will update you how it goes when I get back - lots to talk about today 

[CheerBear]

I made the mistake of playing with kittens while we were supposed to be looking at puppies @Zoe7. We made a few trips to see them but I kept finding myself back in with the cats ooohing and ahhhing. I held off from getting one until I eventually broke yesterday. She's a rescue kitty and will be very loved and well cared for in our home (especially once Mouse chills out a bit) 😊❤

Slow is good with friend 👍 I made a bit of a mistake there, though I did try and do slow. I'm not sure I even know what slow is really 🤔😏

Hope your appointment goes well today. I'm about to take two of mine and one of someone else's to the beach (maybe even wear those bathers!) before returning the one then having people come over to return the other of mine and stay for dinner. We might head back to the beach with them all again tonight but that will depend on how hot it gets and how tired (feral) the crew all are. Juggling a bit today!

Lotsa ❤ and looking forward to hearing how you go.

[Zoe7]

That is kind of how I got Toby @CheerBear - I went looking for a new fish tank and there were these two adorable little puppies at the pet shop. They were both taken out of the cage and Toby ran straight to me ...and hasn't left my side since - it was meant to be and I am so grateful to have him.

It is good that things with friend are going very slowly - he wants to travel when he sells his house and he doesn't know how long for - but in the meantime we are enjoying chatting and taking it from there.

The appointment went well - my psych is really happy the way I have handled some things lately - I'll write more about that on ANC.

It sounds like you have a very busy day planned - especially if you get to the beach twice in one day. It is a beautiful day here too nut we are unlikely to get to the beach with all the work I have to finish. Just chillin' a bit after my appointment and then will get stuck into it all again.

I hope you have an awesome day and enjoy the beach visit - whether you get out in your bathers or not 

[CheerBear]

I can see and imagine why psych might be happy with how you're doing @Zoe7 and it's great that you can recognise the progress you're making also 🙂

I just wore my bathers (on a busy beach!) and went for a proper swim because of it! 🙂 Might seem like a little thing but to me it's been a psych myself up to do one. It's been a long time since I've done that and it felt sooo good!

[Zoe7]

That is awesome @CheerBear I can imagine there would have been mixed feelings about wearing bathers but so good that you pushed through those feelings and actually did it - go you 

My psych today said I look like a differet person and she also said she wishes I could see what she is seeing. There is still a way to go for me - and work is the next hurdle - but other things I am dealing with much better.

Last week I was contacted through FB by one of the guys that abused me when I was little - it completely shocked me and I did find it hard to deal with in the moment but I didn't want to bother anyone here with it so I dealt with it myself. It wasn't easy but knowing I could deal with that I think has made life a little easier over the rest of the week. If that had happened a year ago I would not still be here - so that is how far I have come. I am not going to let what happened to me rule my life constantly and that is a huge statement to make. 

In todays session we also talked about potential triggers with returning to work and I honestly couldn't think of any myself - every part of going to a new school I am looking at the positives. I know it will be a huge adjustment for me with everything being new but I can't deal with those things until I actually am confronted with them - now use wondering or worrying about any of it until it happens.

[CheerBear]

Sounds like a great appointment @Zoe7. It's awesome that you did so well managing the difficulty of last week. Very understandable why that one would be hard but to know you can deal with those kinds of unexpected shocks would feel like a confidence boost maybe.

I can see how far you've come and how well you're going now compared to a year ago. Its so great to see and fabulous you can see it too. Maybe another boost to your confidence also to be able to look back and actually see where positive change has happened for you. Big yay to hear you excited about work at the new school too 👍

[Zoe7]

Psych thinks that the forum has been a real positive for me @CheerBear - having that support when I have needed it and helping to work through things with people who get it also. It is also good that she recognises that it has helped me and that despite it being online interactions I am interacting with people - and people I enjoy interacting with. Self-care has been so important here too - being able to take a step back when I have needed it and look after myself. That is something I have leant that has been transferred into other aspects of my life too.