The positive mental health thread:-pt 5

[tobee]

How's that?

I may seem like I’m being strict with myself but I’m not really! I’ve surface cleaned the kitchen but haven’t gone anywhere hear a cupboard yet.... just feel paralysed!! Have done a bit of clay modelling with my DD though which was a nice distraction.

@gingerbreadslice I bet its just a touch of hayfever. Hope you are feeling better after the piriton

I’ve had a weird kind of allergy thing this past couple of weeks, a scratchy throat and irritated nose. It responds to antihistamines, which is why I haven’t been panicking
We live on the edge of woodland, so I’m wondering if it’s a tree pollen

Just finished my zoom art class! It's my usual class but now online 😃. First one was last week and I hated it! New painting and using watercolour which I haven't used in ages. However this week it was lots better and my painting is coming along! There were about 6 of us working from home and interacting with the art teacher. I'm rubbish at painting but I tried quite hard today. But I'm absolutely knackered now after all that concentration and will be watching rubbishy telly for a bit 😆

@tobee that sounds like a really positive thing to have done. Challenging but mindful and relaxing.

I decided to do some baking today, and used the same Nigella recipe that I used to use when baking buns for my children’s birthday parties. The pages were all stuck together with years of icing and one bite took me straight back to those happy days.

Vanilla cupcakes with lemon icing and raspberries, chocolate cupcakes with chocolate and raspberry topping, and oaty choc chip cookies for the vegan among us.

It was very relaxing

Those look so delicious @pinkarsedfly !!

What kind of thing are you painting @tobee ?

I just went for a 20 minute walk in the lovely fresh air with ds. Have found going for a walk everyday gets some of my nervous pent up energy out and I will carry on once this is all over. The rheumatologist told me to go for walks but a) it was winter and b) I was frazzled and achy. But it makes me feel good.

Also fit in a little session on my acupressure mat while listening to my meditation app and 15 mins of yoga. So 👍

I'm copying a painting of a rainy street scene with lots of bright umbrellas etc!

I just went to pick up a bag of shopping from relatives who are helping us. Just as I was about to pull into my road, I pulled over to let an ambulance through (no blues and twos going thankfully). The driver waved thanks to me and I waved back. Felt a bit tearful thinking of his life right now.

That picture sounds lovely @tobee

We went for a nice family walk today and made rice crispy cakes. Am supposed to be losing weight for my wedding in July but keep baking and comfort eating so it’s not going very well! To be fair it may not matter if we can’t get married anyway. We’re supposed to be going up to Edinburgh for a private wedding/elopement just the 3 of us but don’t know what the situation will be then.

Hello all [waves]. Had a quiet day today. Ds had his final speech therapy session (via Zoom) forst thing, then we did some yoga together. Well, we did a kids yoga first, then I tried to do a stretching session but ds kept climbing into my lap ❤️ Then we mucked about a bit, watched a film then I made fish pie for dinner (dh went to the supermarket - and got wiiiiiiiine!) while ds and dh played with ddog in the garden.

Feeling pleasantly mellow now (wiiiiiine), considering what to watch on tv later. Or we might do some gaming. Something escapist, anyway.

We keep baking too, @riotlady, bread and flapjack today.

Next door neighbours (they're kind of behind us), who we're helping out because they're elderly called today to ask if I'd get DD an easter egg from them and take her round to their house to (distantly) collect it. We've lived here for 14 years and spoken to them more in the past few weeks than the previous years. Not that either household is unfriendly, it's just that we hardly see them. BFFs now though :D

I’ve done lots of baking in the last few weeks too. Ds1 likes to ‘help’ and he was very happy to make Rice Krispie nest cakes with me today. It was my first day potty training him today and it went really well so that’s a positive for me!

Daily round up of good news! Read to the bottom as it gets pretty good down there ...nothing to be scared of I promise.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/04/06/coronavirus-positive-good-news-round-up-videogames-rescue/amp/

Italy are on the up. Signs of admissions down here. Slowing in Australia too. Promising new treatments being trialled here.

In other good news my DH brought home a massive Hello Fresh box distributed to NHS staff (he works in hospital). He enjoyed cooking a dish with DD but there is absolutely loads still left!
It was delicious and lovely to open up a box of fresh food that you haven't had to shop for!

Made a delicious sweet potato chorizo and spelt bake.
And some chocolate crispy cakes with kids.
Had a lovely walk along the paths in the fields and then a glass of Sav Blanc in the sun, listening to the birds. Gorgeous.

I just made and ate a sweet potato, butternut squash and carrot curry with cucumber and onion salad. I thought it was very nice Lots of lime and coconut in it!

@Arcadia the penguin video in that news link has made my day!

@M0reGinPlease I must have skimmed over that, I'll have another look!

@GuyFawkesDay and @tobee I have a sweet potato obsession! Any chance you could post the recipes??

Ooh those cupcakes! I'll have a chocolate one please?

I have had a productive day. It was dull but I'm a step closer to having finished my work project. It is a bit grim chaining myself to the desk each day when i want to do fun things only but I'm nearly there! I had some delicious salmon for supper and had a smoothie lolly thing in the sunshine today. It was lovely. I also skyped a good friend and we spent some timing planning what adventure we are going to have when this is all over. We are planning on having a lot of fun.

I am so delighted that some countries have turned a corner. I don't want to downplay what some families are going through in this country right now because my heart breaks for them but the positive news is such a chink of light. It is helping me with staying in and being restricted.

Sleep well everyone. Sweet dreams.

Tobee I'd love that recipe too please! It sounds so good.

It's from a book called "the roasting tin" and I love it!

1 big or 2 small sweet potatoes, chopped into 1cm chunks
1 red onion, into large (8-10) segments
1/2 a chorizo ring, sliced into 1cm slices
5 cloves of garlic, whole
200gm spelt, washed
350ml chicken stock
Spinach. Fresh is better but I used frozen tonight. Needs must!

Put everything bar the spinach in a big roasting tin. Cover tightly with foil and bing in oven on 180 for 45minutes.

Add your spinach, re-cover and cook another 10-15 minutes.

It's lush. And so lazy. Whole book is amazing!!

@Arcadia and Noooblerooble this is the inspiration for the recipe but I adapted it a bit due to time and ingredient constraints.

www.nigella.com/recipes/butternut-and-sweet-potato-curry

Has anyone's throat been hurting lately? I know I keep banging on about it but it's really bothering me mentally. If this wasn't going on it wouldn't phase me but I've stopped sneezing now and feeling as itchy in the eyes and ears etc I'm just left with the sore throat on one side now and my right ear hurts on the same side

Hi @gingerbreadslice, you're describing my hayfever symptoms. I'm very allergic to tree pollen, particularly anything that cross-pollinates with birch.

Had a lovely day, marred by a bit of an emotional evening, which we won't discuss because we're being positive here. Calming down with my favourite app, I Love Hue, which is a really meditative colour matching game.