topic Hi there! - Nova in Welcome and orientation

Hi there! - Nova

Lady_Nova — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 04:26:32 GMT

Hi, I'll try this again. My original post in intros was, appropriately, moved to PTSD and Trauma, rightly so ... I can be intense lol.

I will try and be less drama & more "Hi There!"

I am a long time mental health consumer in my 50's. I have lived through childhood trauma & an emotionally abusive marriage. I have three children. I left my marital home in 2009 & I moved to a coastal idyll in 2012 which was most recently devastated by bush fires.

I care for my family of 3 full time. In my household there is autism, uncontrolled epilepsy, rapid cycling bi-polar, Major Depressive disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, anxiety, 2 forms of chronic insomnia, sleep apnoea, oppositional defiance disorder, diabetes, c-PTSD, chronic pain disorder, intellectual disability, expressive language disorder ... to name a few. The MDD, GAD and c-PTSD are mine ... lucky me?

I have managed to get 2 of my family on to NDIS, which if any of you know, is a whole new set of horrors and abusive processes. I tried to get it for myself, but when I was rejected & told I would have to PROVE why I have PTSD, I walked away from it ... no thanks.

My passions follow several routes:
1. Macro photography. I chase bees and other small creatures, I love close ups of flowers and I love playing with light. I find when I am focusing on tiny moments in the lens I have trouble focusing on my chaos. A therapeutic past time I highly recommend.
2. I am a bit of a foraging, growing, cooking from scratch, locavore hippy. I love to cook by the seat of my pants. One of my household is a qualified French Chef, retired, he never complains, so that's a win! It also keeps the budget manageable, another win.
3. Dungeons and Dragons! Yes that qualifies me as a Geek. As a family, with 2 friends equally geeky added in, we play DnD. My eldest is working on DnD therapy for youth with special social needs. We started playing to help my youngest with autism & expressive language disorder. Engaging in interactive story telling is helping all of us in so many ways.
4. I read a lot, mostly science fantasy these days, but I cut my teeth on pure Scifi. I will also indulge in classics, especially regency romance.
5. Gaming & social media are also up there, but not at all a priority, just something to do whilst in between my caring duties, cooking & bee worrying ...

I also have a pet duck, Daisy, who is lame & geriatric, & two hens past their prime, but indulged,spoilt & fat.

Well, that's me ... "hi there!"

Hi there! - Nova

StgCrw — Wed, 15 Jan 2020 12:15:17 GMT

Hey, nice to meet you!

That sounds like a pretty gnarly workload dealing with all that.

good to meet another photographer here though! I totally agree with you on the therapeutic effect. I mainly try and do landscape stuff, but more focused on the smaller details. Not quite macro though.

D&D has always piqued my interest (mostly since playing the old Baldur’s Gate games on pc) but somehow I’ve never given it a try.

fantasy novels though... who’s your fave author? I just finished reading all of Brandon Sanderson’s stuff pretty much back to back.

Hi there! - Nova

Lady_Nova — Wed, 15 Jan 2020 12:38:27 GMT

Oh dear many awkward secrets lol
Cut my scifi teeth on Heinlein and he is still a favourite read, even after all these years.
Cut my teeth on dragons through Anne McCaffrey then after I left Pern got marooned on Darkover before Zelazney and Peirs Anthony courted me with gods before unknown. I then stayed for the punny experience of Xanth before embarking on Eddings. Off to the past with Jean Auel and Julian May, and back again. Robert Jordan has a lot of lost time to answer for ... so many adventures ... I fit Arrakis in there somewhere and so much more

Hi there! - Nova

Peppermintbach — Thu, 16 Jan 2020 21:56:51 GMT

Hi Lady Nova,

I saw this thread and thought that I would come and greet you here...

I already know that you have a full plate. Being a carer of 3 cannot be easy, which makes me extra glad that you have a whole range of interests/hobbies that help you...

I don’t know too much about NDIS, but it sounds as though it has been a very tedious and painful process for your 2 family members...I’m glad they got on it though.

Your macro photography is intriguing to me. I don’t know much about that either, but I can imagine how playing with the light and focus can take your mind off your troubles for a bit...

I think it’s great that you enjoy reading. I enjoy reading, but I don’t necessarily gravitate towards any particular genre. For me, it’s the writing style, writers with sharp observations about humans/society and good character development that reels me in.

Your duck and hens sound as though they are very loved. Bird paradise for them here on earth 😉

Kind and caring thoughts,

Pepper

Hi there! - Nova

Lady_Nova — Fri, 17 Jan 2020 00:52:16 GMT

*waves madly (absolutely) @ Pepper*

I wish I could share some of my images. I am not really good at the photography, but now and then I get lucky. It is the thrill of the chase of that one good image that keeps me going. Some of my images have been published so I can be super proud of that. My profile image is one of mine, perhaps I can change it now and then just to show off lol.

Some of my recipes have been published as well. It is nice to have even a small audience for the things I do.

Hi there! - Nova

Peppermintbach — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 21:15:18 GMT

Hello and waves back,

I think as long as your macro photography brings you joy, wonder and a sense of personal achievement then you’re doing well with it 🙂

The chase sounds exhilarating. It must be exciting to not know what you might capture through your lens on any given day...

I think it’s impressive that some of your photos have been published. Definitely proud moments for you...your avatar has a peaceful and calming effect. I really like it 🙂

Oh yes, I remember you said that you like cooking. How special is it to be able to share your recipes. But perhaps, more than anything, it’s an opportunity to connect with people...

I’m trying to cook more this year, but easy and healthy plant based recipes. Ideally food that takes no longer than 30 minutes to prepare (laughs)...

How was your weekend?

Kindness and care,

Pepper

Hi there! - Nova

Lady_Nova — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 23:03:53 GMT

My weekend highlights were lunch out with my friend on Saturday, she was feeling well after chemo on Wednesday, and getting my boys back. My sons went to Sydney just before the fires, I was happy that they were safer, but I missed them terribly.

Only a week and a half before my baby starts year 11. This is going to be a challenging year for him, it's always a bit touch and go as to how he and his autism will cope, but he is full of surprises and such a champion at meeting his own challenges.

Hi there! - Nova

poorlydrawn — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 09:49:47 GMT

You got me with Heinlein! I don't like all of his works necessarily, but I love his short stories. Asimov is my current favourite in this genre, and I am appalled it has taken me this long to read much of his work.

Welcome, Lady Nova!

Hi there! - Nova

Lady_Nova — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 10:23:40 GMT

if you haven't already, add Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle and Poul Anderson to your to do list

Hi there! - Nova

poorlydrawn — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 11:03:32 GMT

Oh thanks! It's a long to do list already, haha, but I will do that 🙂

p.d

Hi there! - Nova

Peppermintbach — Fri, 24 Jan 2020 23:44:26 GMT

Hi Lady Nova (& a wave to all),

I hope it was nice catching up with your friend over lunch. What a brave person she is to go through chemo...chemo cannot be pleasant...

As is becoming apparent is your deep love and affection for your sons; that much is crystal clear. How was the family reunion, assuming your sons are back?

Exciting times ahead for your son in year 11. He sounds very resilient!

kind and caring thoughts,

Pepper

Hi there! - Nova

Lady_Nova — Sat, 25 Jan 2020 05:49:13 GMT

Hi Pepper

It was lovely to get my boys back. My eldest was a bit under the weather as his sleep had been very poor for over a week, he has chronic insomnia. My youngest is a constant joy to have around. I miss them both terribly when they arnt here.

Sadly my friend lost a house on Thursday. Now the self funded retirement she had worked so hard for is in ashes. I am not sure how resilient she can be, but we are here for her. These fires are destroying so many lives.

Two more catastrophic days ahead, Tuesday and Saturday, so the summer of our discontent continues unabated.

Hi there! - Nova

Croix — Sat, 25 Jan 2020 10:54:52 GMT

Dear Lady Nova~

I hope you don't mind me switching back a to an earlier subject but Xanth was a life-saver for me. I'd ended up suicidal and hospitalized.

My concentration was terrible. I'd been an avid and speedy reader before PTSD, anxiety and depression became rampant, and in hospital I simply lost the ability, I could re-read a page and get nowhere. Xanth, which basically is umpteen books make up of puns and plays on words on most lines captured my attention - at least for a line or so as the wordplay was appealing (more than a plot).

As time went on my attention span in reading increased. Now I'm back to where I was before (except I can't abide unhappy endings)

Can I suggest add L.E.Modesitt Jr to you list?

Croix

Hi there! - Nova

Lady_Nova — Sat, 25 Jan 2020 12:50:56 GMT

oh heck yeah! thank you! The Saga of Recluce is on my list, at the top!

Hi there! - Nova

Peppermintbach — Sat, 25 Jan 2020 22:09:39 GMT

Hi Lady Nova (& a wave to all),

What a lovely family reunion. Your eldest sounds as though he’s struggling; sleep deprivation can really affect our mood and coping capacity. I feel for him...

Your youngest sounds as though he lights up your days. What a difference he must make in your daily life 🙂

Words cannot express how I feel about your friend losing her home. I’m so sorry...words don’t really cut it, I know...the devastation and loss of it all is beyond words...

I’m so glad at least she has your support. But it must be hard on you too...

It must be so scary and alarming to witness so much loss & destruction around you...

Sigh, it has been such a traumatic summer this year for so many people...I‘m really looking forward to autumn and winter....

Even in the cities, many of which are geographically very distant from the bushfires, you can still smell the smoke some days and the sky is often grey and foggy...there have even been days of air quality warnings...

That just says how serious the bushfires are that even in faraway places, there are traces of it...

The uncertainty of each day must be so frightening and stressful for you, your family, local friends and community...

Thinking of you,

Pepper