50 Little Things

A few weeks ago I read a post by Mer over at Knocked over by a feather about 50 little things. It got me thinking about writing my own list…

50 random things about me

  1. I’m passionate about living a simple, sustainable and meaningful life with my illnesses. I do this by making as many things as I can at home, focusing on things that fit with my values, and making sure I prioritise spending time with my family and friends.
  2. My favourite colours at the moment are blue and green.
  3. I have only ever dated E, and he’s only ever dated me 🙂
  4. Even though I’m limited by my health, I still enjoy going for walks in nature when I can.wpid-IMG_20131207_121542.jpg
  5. Nortriptyline has helped reduce the number of crashes I have. Base level pain is still the same but I can do more before it gets worse.
  6. Foggy Frog is a constant companion. I may be getting more time where I’m in charge lately, but he keeps reminding me he’s there. Today for instance, I tried to start the car with the house keys and couldn’t work out why the keys wouldn’t fit in the lock.
  7. Sourdough bread is so simple to make, I’m not sure I’ll bother buying bread very often any more.
  8. I hardly ever wear heels any more. Summer I mainly wear my sandals and winter I mainly wear my Camper boots.
  9. I did solo singing as part of my Year 12 studies and performed in school musicals whenever I could at school.
  10. I do acupuncture every 3 weeks to minimise pain levels.
  11. Before getting sick, I would classify myself as an exercise junkie. I went to the gym after work almost every day and I’d walk everywhere I could.
  12. I still have my childhood teddy bear.2014-12-16 18.55.58
  13. I’ll be doing my first ever conference presentation later this year at the Australian Association for Environmental Educations biennial National Conference (I will be doing a poster on cross industrial and intergenerational collaboration for sustainable communities).
  14. I’ve lived in Adelaide my whole life.
  15. Our two adorable kitties keep me company most days.

    Photo (c) E. S. January, 2014
    Pepper, keeping me company while I have a nap. Photo (c) E. S. January, 2014
  16. We’ve adopted a worm farm from friends who have moved interstate.
  17. If you came to visit us, you’d likely comment on the amount of Lego in our house.
  18. I’m working towards a zero waste life. We haven’t put anything in the general waste bin in over a fortnight, the inside bin is not quite half full and so has not needed to be emptied.
  19. We go camping more often than we stay in hotels or bed and breakfasts.
  20. I like to be prepared. Before we got engaged, I’d already started thinking about ways to make our wedding as sustainable as possible. Today, I’m already researching pregnancy and parenting tips (both for doing things as sustainably as possible and with chronic illness).
  21. My wardrobe is down to less than 50 items, and still shrinking…
  22. I’m on the look out for Birkenstock’s in my size… Narrow 39… in either white, blue or grey for a reasonable price.
  23. I love making things… sewing, baking, growing, building 🙂
  24. I’ve never been good with band names, but I really like music from the Beatles, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Green Day, and many others…
  25. My first overseas holiday was a trip to New Zealand with E.
  26. I’m a life member of the Royal Zoological Society of South Australia thanks to a wonderful birthday present from my dad for my 21st.
  27. E and I have been together 13 years this month.
  28. I’m intolerant to gluten and dairy, and allergic to yeast, cats (yes, we own 2), wool and grasses.
  29. We are currently experimenting with adding gluten back into my diet. Sourdough (homemade with long fermentation period) appears to be ok, and we’re going to try slowly adding other glutenous items in.
  30. We have a cleaner who comes fortnightly which allows us to keep the house at a reasonable level of cleanliness.
  31. We have an orange tree, lime tree, mulberry tree, nectarine tree, apricot tree, peach tree and 3 apple trees in our garden.
  32. My electric bike helps me get out and about without wearing myself out too much.
  33. Life with a chronic illness is difficult but it can still be fun!
  34. I focus on being grateful for the things I can do and not focus on the things I can no longer do.
  35. I’m currently trialling Testosterone cream, so far no obvious improvement but, after a follow up blood test, I’ve been asked to double my dosage for the next month to see if that improves things.
  36. Dairy free dark chocolate is one of my favourite treats.
  37. I own stainless steel straws and cloth napkins.
  38. Today I bought a 12.5kg bag of flour!
  39. Experiences over things… where possible I try and allocate my money and my time towards experiences I’ll remember, rather than things that’ll just catch dust.
  40. We use a projector instead of a TV.
  41. I’m currently reading Kitchen Table Sustainability by Wendy Sarkissian.
  42. It’s been over 3 years since I last had a day with no pain at all.
  43. This year I’m aiming all presents from me to be homemade, consumable/living (e.g. food or plants), locally made, secondhand or fairtrade. So far this year I’ve made placemats and napkins, and bought plants and chocolates.
  44. I’m excited that the Foggy Frog and the Pain Gang book is almost finished!
  45. I now only own 2 dresses that don’t have pockets… Pockets are a new prerequisite, they make everything so much easier.
  46. I can tell winter is coming here, my aches have revved up a notch as the rain has set in.
  47. We are currently watching Vinyl, Game of Thrones and Silicon Valley.
  48. E and I went to the movies last night and saw the new Captain America movie. It was good, but a few big plot holes in it.
  49. Arg, I’m struggling now… I had a wonderful breakfast with the girls on Sunday.
  50. I’m looking forward to our weekend away this weekend, one night with friends and 2 nights at Hillocks Ocean Pod.

2 comments

  1. thank you so much for letting us into your life, it is always a pleasure to read about what you are doing and how you have been1

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