As We Near World Mental Health Day – Tips For Looking After Our Mental Health 💆

StarryEyed · December 2025

Merry Christmas Christine!!! 💝🕊️✨🎄😘😁

Hopefully today is a beautiful day for you in some way. I'm sending extra large bunches of Christmas love for you and your past and present family and pets. 🎄😘🎄

ChristineC1 · December 2025

Hi Starry,

Oh babe you such a kind and supportive friend. I've had a horrible Christmas and didn't manage to post and so do apologise. Sobbing most of the day. I spent every xmas day with my parents and then Boxing Day with my sis and her kids and my parents. A very grown up affair dressed in my chocolate ballgown! and then mayhem the next. I just can't handle them not being here and spending Christmas and every day alone. At least on the other days I can immerse myself in jobs, the garden, my textiles, whatever.

I hope you had fun with your Spanish pals and had the phone calls you were waiting for. My call with sis became very fraught (we don't get along easily and I just can't understand why she is so angry with me) and she has ignored me since. Even when I was distressed and in floods of tears getting a hospital letter advising me to now proceed with radiotherapy, having been told I don't need it. My minor salivary gland cancer is rare and isn't radio sensitive so I could have the treatment and have long term damage with no effect and it return. Phone call to Macmillan nurses helped me get a new Q&A together for another telephone consult (waiting for them to get back to me about it). So distressing. Need photo's of the impact it will have. But there's also the logistics of transport and having sis accompany me. She said she'd be staying in a hotel and not with me. Very hurtful.

Sorry for the rant. Here's my church windows with light streaming in casting rainbows everywhere.

The 3D church comes out every year now in honour of mam and her church going. Didn't make it to church like I'd hoped. Couldn't stop crying and so couldn't leave the house. And that's Sweeties massive scrabbling box with her toys. She bangs about in there and loves it. Has already had her head stuck in the tiny chimney opening of the puzzle and caved it in. Here she is having a wash with her bald tum. Vet says it's seasonal. Have some treatment coming through the post. Such a pretty girl. And so loving. I get so many kisses while she waits for me to open her pouches of food. Oh, cat paste Cherru is such a treat. She got some as an xmas pressie from one of the girls in my bereavement group. Now has a big box (on offer through Amazon). Tuna variety or Chicken.

Tangerines have turned green

and mam and dad have been added to the Tree of Life. It was a Millenium black tie do. They look so young there.

And I have another puzzle waiting for me. It's all I've been able to do over xmas.

I hope you are well rested and have plans for the New Year, whatever that is. I'll be ignoring it as usual. Just find the whole thing very stressful. Another date to bear witness that I am without my parents. Just heart breaking. I know I'll crack on with life again in time but the fragility is always there. I don't know how anyone really lives a full life afterwards. But I'll be seeing my therapist tomorrow and that always helps.

On a more even keel now to be posting again.

Lots of love xxx

ChristineC1 · December 2025

Hiya babe,

Hope you had a good phone call with bro and enjoyed your xmas too. I find the whole festive season heartbreaking because it's a stark reminder that mam and dad are gone and my old life with them. Going through the motions doesn't stop the tears. Will be ignoring tonight too. Are you doing anything? Hope you enjoy it, whatever you do.

Wow, what a place to sit and rest! It's 2 degrees now. Had a bop about the garden and took some pics. My little robin joined me on my mooch about. Thought I'd close the year with some update pics. Batteries are low soo excuse the poor image.

Sparkling sunshine in wilderness corner (for habitat).

Thrilled to see the new structure at the small pond is still intact (using offcuts to steady the water tray) and the pump not frozen.

Bulbs are sprouting (hyacinth, daffs and tetes)

I assume the birds are using the hay in the strawberry bathtub to line their nests. It was very deep.

A casualty of the winds at windmill corner.

Wondering if the hedgehog house has still has it's family nesting there. A messy garden is a happy natural place for all the wild things.

Eggs everywhere from the foxes.

Topped up all the bird feeders, fat balls and flutter butters. Sprouting to be sorted another day in the bottom of the new feeders. So annoying.

Mother and child are nestled in the manger.

Hoping my little xmas trees have roots so I can stop buying them every year.

Violas giggled as I passed.

Delighted to see new growth on the roses

and buds on the hydrangeas.

Cushions have a frosting on them in the shade so couldn't sit and have a cuppa. Have been drying them out after all the rain. But enjoyed the sunshine and fresh air. Always gives me a boost.

Angels were stiff in the cold air. Nice to see them hold their structure.

You can see from the plates the foxes haven't been eating their dog food. I used to put out six tins and will now just do one. Been feeding my little cub, Spencer Matthews (named after the Sweet Pea variety and not the 'Made In Chelsea' bloke) since he was born when his mother brought him to the garden knowing it was a safe place. Sweetie arrived with them as a stray. It was so funny when he collected his egg and went squealing up the garden because Sweetie would torment him because he was smaller than she was. She's stand on her hind legs like a meercat with her front paws in the air! Hilarious.

Glad to see the big pond still has it's rain water. Has a big leak and a new liner is called for in the New Year. Not a job I'm looking forward to.

Still enjoying my winter pots adorning the patio (such a lot of work).

Looking forward to seeing my climbing roses all along the fence. Will have to create a raised bed infront and plant up in Spring.

A new tropical feel with spiky plants. Smaller scale to your paradise. Entry into the garden from the patio.

As you see I'm revived again after great news - I don't need radiotherapy! My salivary gland cancer was rare and just had to be removed with surgery. Data, although not huge, predicts this does not respond to radiotherapy and would create problems with scarring for any future surgeries to the same place. The relief is immense! The logistics alone of having to have hospital transport every day for 6 weeks would be a nightmare. And sis said she'd have to stay in a hotel because she gets very irate with me. I never understand what I've said or done. But she's an angel for wanting to do it anyway, wherever she sleeps! Have a follow up appt in 2 weeks and scans. Will see me 3 month thereafter for 10 years. So lovely too.

I'm exhausted with all I've been dealing with, and the stress of xmas grief. Just about to have a nap and hope Sweetie doesn't wake up from her textile nest (her very naughty hiding place).

Have a fun New Year babe and I'll catch you next year!

Lots of love xxx

As We Near World Mental Health Day – Tips For Looking After Our Mental Health 💆

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