Cybergarden Open Day

[Nilgiri]

Hi all.

We realised there were people on the MH threads asking what on earth the cybergarden was, and could they "join".

The short answer is, Yes, come in and have a !

The cybergarden was started as a support thread for one person, and a bit of an escape from grim reality for those of us housebound one way or another. We just wanted somewhere peaceful and pleasant to relax and enjoy things we couldn't always do in real life.

It's generally a pretty positive place, although everyone needs a moan now and then. And we do lots of small, personal visualisations when the spirit moves us. It can get a bit whimsical, so if imaginary stuff makes your teeth itch we're probably not for you!

But if a large garden with companion animals and a sandpit for the children suits your needs, do come in and have a cuppa. The kettle's almost always on.

Well, there are benefits to unkempt RL gardens. The bottom end of mine is a big hedge and this year the brambles are atrocious. Which is great because I am getting tonnes of blackberries already, but a cupful today, and that's with the majority of the fruits under ripened and green. So, I shall be out daily to harvest and reckon I might get some good jam this year. I can freeze the fruits right? Until I do jamming?

I have CMHT on the end of a phone, so I am coping justabout. Had a horrid morning when I just screamed at my DD to get out the house, had just had an awful argument with my mum, and thought she'd hung up on me and it was all to do with my DD being naughty again. Fortunately mum heard and helped me to calm down, and I've had a little rest with DD at the local play group today, so feeling a bit better and got all my coping stuff in place. I really hate that the place my mental health goes the most is in coping with the kids though.

Have spoken to GP and she believes it was the very high dose of steroids that has had a major impact, it can make things very heightened, so I should find that over next few days this dies right down again. She said it had obviously been stressful with my DDs SS investigation triggering past issues, and I can go see them immediately if I am not coping too.

So it's just another five days until my next appointment, I think I will manage.

Glad the GP's being helpful Rabbits, and hope you do indeed feel better soon. Sure you'll be ok for the next few days, and assume you could phone the team if there's another bad day with DCs playing up. Hope other dependants are all doing well, and aid relaxation.

It's just been a reasonable day here thanks, greentrees, pottering around and stress-free but looking forward to some driving and shopping tomorrow.
Shame about parents' relationship, but things can get better with time, and I think it's a good thing to know what you'd like from a relationship even if this doesn't seem possible. Is there anyone else in family who could provide some positive support just now?

Hope it's a better day tomorrow. Cybergarden always looks good, as fairies are about at night tidying and cleaning etc. so all we have to do is relax and enjoy the view, including lots of scented flowers which always bloom well, and the Moorish fountain which we never have to scrub out or unblock.

Glad you like the fountain greentrees, someone decided we needed sound of water to be relaxing, altho others thought it would remind us of wees... As I remember, there's also a summerhouse with stove for cold evenings (fairies clean this out too), and some of those old-fashioned adjustable steamer-chairs along-side some hammocks, so we get choices. There used to be a sand-pit for youngsters, although seems to be unused now, likewise the trampoline which was used by a friendly beagle which joins us every so often, but unfortunately I'm not the most imaginative of the gardeners so not much happens these days.

Another lovely sunny morning in RL, where containers need watering, unlike cybergarden which doesn't need boring chores.

Hope posters and their families are all doing well, and welcome to DIY coffee-pot and brunch items (too late for breakfast).

Hello my fellow Garden buddies. I hope you have all been well recently? My health has unfortunately been bad (again!) and I struggled with labyrinthitis this week, caused by a medication I have to take, which I missed. Very unpleasant, but there was help there when I called, so for the first time in a while I felt like I didn't have to struggle alone.

My best friend's mother in law has just helped me to drop my DD of to her dad's house for the first time in a very long time. She was really very excited about it, and sounds like she is having a lovely time away. I am just adjusting to having no children in the house, I am semi-excited and semi-sad, it feels a bit strange.

Had my referral and assessment and been given an appointment to have my MH medication checked and fiddled with, plus given information so I could self-refer to the reablement team, who will help me with all the various niggling issues I have recently, like the DLA claim which has been waiting twelve weeks for a reconsideration, and a council housing application which has placed me in Band C when I could easily have had Band B and gotten more suitable housing much quicker. Plus with general organisation and budgets and the form filling I need to do. It will be much easier to do supported I hope.

I've been having heaps of blackberries from my bushes, filled two ice cream tubs so far, and even got some teeny strawberries from what I am informed is an alpine strawberry bush. Am considering doing some grow your own next year since I have enjoyed being able to pick my own fruit.

Sorry to hear you've been so unwell, Rabbits, and was thinking of you (and all the animals) just yesterday. Agree that having some support with form-filling makes huge difference, and am surprised there was none available for you much earlier. It must be 12 weeks since one of the Macmillan people offered to help me with DLA claim, just because she knows my helper who told her how much help I'm needing now, but I was warned there could be a delay, unfair when one has to spend now to survive, as you know.

It's satisfying to PYO, particularly when it's a good crop which will freeze for miserable winter days. I have the alpine strawberries, which grow like weeds but are very small, and between birds and Slugs of Doom, it's a tiny harvest.

Hope your DD's having a good time, and that you're enjoying a bit of a break before she comes home again.

Do have a , and tell us how your small and furrys are getting along.

I have had a letter today saying my delay was due to them requesting a consultant's report, so I guess I just have to wait and see now. I will be in touch with the rheumatology nurse and I see my urology consultant at the end of September, so hopefully I will be able to find out whether they have received and sent off to keep track. What keeps me going is knowing that it will be backdated when I finally get the award, which I will.

I shall upload some more pictures of the Furries. They are so cute and bring me so much joy.

Good news that you're confident about backdating of the award, and glad the Furries are giving you pleasure as well as being a responsibility - would love to see more photos.

You should see the pictures now.

Thanks for the pictures, Rabbits, I just love the bunnies. Hope little Tuck's still growing. Won't the boy-piggies be moving out soon?

Welcome back, greentrees, and hope you enjoyed relaxing break. Hope other cybergardeners are doing well, and not too dismayed by RL weather and garden disasters.

Meeting CPN and CRT could be big help in sorting various items, if you ask for advice, so nothing to be worried about - it's their job to get you feeling better after all!
Good idea at these times is just allocate yourself one task, with promise of something nice after, as you know, one always feels better crossing item off list (and I always need a list to manage).
Beautiful day here too, shame to be inside, so off to (hopefully) collect ordered DIY gadget for another item on list.. Hope you can get outside at some time while sun shines.

Apologies that I haven't been in for a while - and missing out on the Furries which are gorgeous!

Sorry meeting with CRT didn't go well, greentrees.

Hello again Nilgiri, good to see you're back and hope it's not too tiring. Big thanks for s.

No fun at all to be waiting so long for DLA. I hope everyone's comes through soon.

Macmillan nurse suggested helping me apply for DLA increase simply ages ago, and am now thinking it's just not going to happen. Hope others have more luck.

How are you doing, Rabbits, and the furry ones?