El
@turquoisespiff01.bsky.social
Perimenopausal autistic bookworm 🪱with a couple of bonus chronic conditions and oh the brain fog. LGBTQIA+ ally 🩷🏳️⚧️🩵🏳️🌈 (she/her)
Spouse makes many lovely things but sometimes it isn't immediately clear what they are!
Today, scrabbling through tiny bead bags, thought "I need a shallow tray". Prejudged this as a vitamin bottle tray. It did ok as that, but it's absolutely perfect in its new role.
Oh, and tis #TransAwarenessWeek
Today, scrabbling through tiny bead bags, thought "I need a shallow tray". Prejudged this as a vitamin bottle tray. It did ok as that, but it's absolutely perfect in its new role.
Oh, and tis #TransAwarenessWeek
November 15, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Spouse makes many lovely things but sometimes it isn't immediately clear what they are!
Today, scrabbling through tiny bead bags, thought "I need a shallow tray". Prejudged this as a vitamin bottle tray. It did ok as that, but it's absolutely perfect in its new role.
Oh, and tis #TransAwarenessWeek
Today, scrabbling through tiny bead bags, thought "I need a shallow tray". Prejudged this as a vitamin bottle tray. It did ok as that, but it's absolutely perfect in its new role.
Oh, and tis #TransAwarenessWeek
Husband is going through an absolute treasure trove of paperwork from his parents' home, including beauties like this: A "furnishing undertakers" that prides itself on "removals from hospitals and asylums punctually executed"! Paperwork was rather exquisite in 1904.
November 13, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Husband is going through an absolute treasure trove of paperwork from his parents' home, including beauties like this: A "furnishing undertakers" that prides itself on "removals from hospitals and asylums punctually executed"! Paperwork was rather exquisite in 1904.
I have just finished reading Refugee Tales (2016). The output of a project walking the North Downs Way with writers and poets and refugees and those who try to help. Slim volume, powerful to read. There must be so many similar stories we just don't hear. Worse now?
October 30, 2025 at 7:23 AM
I have just finished reading Refugee Tales (2016). The output of a project walking the North Downs Way with writers and poets and refugees and those who try to help. Slim volume, powerful to read. There must be so many similar stories we just don't hear. Worse now?
Nice idea. My week's been extremely variable, but yesterday my eldest and his girlfriend took me to Yorkshire Wildlife Park and it didn't rain and I got to take some photos and forget about stuff for a few hours.
October 25, 2025 at 8:34 AM
Nice idea. My week's been extremely variable, but yesterday my eldest and his girlfriend took me to Yorkshire Wildlife Park and it didn't rain and I got to take some photos and forget about stuff for a few hours.
As a belated birthday treat, my son and his girlfriend took me to #YorkshireWildlifePark for the day. Treat was going AND no moaning about me taking photos. Currently whittling but had to share some red panda shots, unedited. Apparently not easy to get a red panda to enter a crate, even with bribes!
October 24, 2025 at 7:53 PM
As a belated birthday treat, my son and his girlfriend took me to #YorkshireWildlifePark for the day. Treat was going AND no moaning about me taking photos. Currently whittling but had to share some red panda shots, unedited. Apparently not easy to get a red panda to enter a crate, even with bribes!
Apparently today is National Harvest Mouse day so here are some rather adorable photos I was able to take a couple of years ago, on the best photography day ever.
Harvest mice are astonishingly cute, and fast, and some of the other creatures I photographed that day would have loved to eat them!
Harvest mice are astonishingly cute, and fast, and some of the other creatures I photographed that day would have loved to eat them!
October 19, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Apparently today is National Harvest Mouse day so here are some rather adorable photos I was able to take a couple of years ago, on the best photography day ever.
Harvest mice are astonishingly cute, and fast, and some of the other creatures I photographed that day would have loved to eat them!
Harvest mice are astonishingly cute, and fast, and some of the other creatures I photographed that day would have loved to eat them!
I've ranted it before but I will rant it again: That is NOT "many ways to communicate", it is a phone number. A phone number which, last time we called it, reduced myself and my adult child to shaking, teary messes - and didn't deal with what needed dealing with. Happy Saturday!
October 18, 2025 at 7:32 AM
I've ranted it before but I will rant it again: That is NOT "many ways to communicate", it is a phone number. A phone number which, last time we called it, reduced myself and my adult child to shaking, teary messes - and didn't deal with what needed dealing with. Happy Saturday!
You ask this question and I give you: my child's timetable for Y2 of Computer Science and Game Engineering degree. By end of semester one we should be able to tell you all about AI!
September 14, 2025 at 12:48 PM
You ask this question and I give you: my child's timetable for Y2 of Computer Science and Game Engineering degree. By end of semester one we should be able to tell you all about AI!
Met up with my Mum's sister today, having not seen her in a long while. Just occasionally her smile or mannerism reminded me of Mum so much it brought a tear to my eye. 17 years Mum's been gone. Still miss her loads 😥
August 2, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Met up with my Mum's sister today, having not seen her in a long while. Just occasionally her smile or mannerism reminded me of Mum so much it brought a tear to my eye. 17 years Mum's been gone. Still miss her loads 😥
Just finished The Road to the Country by Chigozie Obiama. A fiction-based-on-truth story set in Biafra in the late 1960s. I think it was an excellent read but I am so harrowed it is hard to tell at the moment. Humanity really does do some awful things to other humans.
July 28, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Just finished The Road to the Country by Chigozie Obiama. A fiction-based-on-truth story set in Biafra in the late 1960s. I think it was an excellent read but I am so harrowed it is hard to tell at the moment. Humanity really does do some awful things to other humans.
Our agoraphobic cat is being really, really brave but never have I seen a cat look less comfortable and relaxed!
July 25, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Our agoraphobic cat is being really, really brave but never have I seen a cat look less comfortable and relaxed!
I like Madeira, but the best bits are the bits with fewer people.
July 12, 2025 at 12:08 PM
I like Madeira, but the best bits are the bits with fewer people.
I am reading a book from the Richard and Judy summer reading collection. It's engaging but can't help feeling the editor might have worked harder. "Shocking" 3 times within 3 paragraphs, and of those 3 times "shocking force" was used twice.
July 7, 2025 at 7:02 AM
I am reading a book from the Richard and Judy summer reading collection. It's engaging but can't help feeling the editor might have worked harder. "Shocking" 3 times within 3 paragraphs, and of those 3 times "shocking force" was used twice.
Awkwardly presented @robinince.bsky.social with one of our m.facebook.com/FidgetTurtles/ (in #trans colours) after hearing him speak today. In babbling, failed to mention that if you turn them over they spin really well - popular for ADHD folks when the calming worry stone isn't working/needed!
July 6, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Awkwardly presented @robinince.bsky.social with one of our m.facebook.com/FidgetTurtles/ (in #trans colours) after hearing him speak today. In babbling, failed to mention that if you turn them over they spin really well - popular for ADHD folks when the calming worry stone isn't working/needed!
@easyjetcom.bsky.social so much for "no planes are able to land, we have no choice but to divert" (and eventually cancel the flight after 11 hours on board and 9 hours flying). I am also furious at the total lack of customer service and information when we landed back in Manchester.
July 5, 2025 at 10:20 AM
@easyjetcom.bsky.social so much for "no planes are able to land, we have no choice but to divert" (and eventually cancel the flight after 11 hours on board and 9 hours flying). I am also furious at the total lack of customer service and information when we landed back in Manchester.
On my first plane journey in 8 years. It is apparent that my anxiety has got a lot worse in that time. Also, it's so stuffy and there are some horrible coughs nearby. I want to open a window! Not used to so many people in close proximity.
July 4, 2025 at 5:03 AM
On my first plane journey in 8 years. It is apparent that my anxiety has got a lot worse in that time. Also, it's so stuffy and there are some horrible coughs nearby. I want to open a window! Not used to so many people in close proximity.
I didn't know paracetamol was made from fossil fuels. They're everywhere. I have now found that Uni of Bath, in 2023, released info on their work in on making paracetamol from pine trees. I want that paracetamol!
June 30, 2025 at 7:32 AM
I didn't know paracetamol was made from fossil fuels. They're everywhere. I have now found that Uni of Bath, in 2023, released info on their work in on making paracetamol from pine trees. I want that paracetamol!
To Bradford this evening for a wonderful Bradford Literature Festival event with @genevievecogman.bsky.social and @shubnumkhan.bsky.social - and an excellent interviewer I failed to note the name of! Fascinating chat to listen to and Bradford looking rather fine in the sunshine.
June 28, 2025 at 8:15 PM
To Bradford this evening for a wonderful Bradford Literature Festival event with @genevievecogman.bsky.social and @shubnumkhan.bsky.social - and an excellent interviewer I failed to note the name of! Fascinating chat to listen to and Bradford looking rather fine in the sunshine.
In our real lives me and my grownup child have side project selling Fidget Turtles (see profile pic). I wanted a Pride t-shirt but couldn't find one I liked, so designed my own. Every turtle is a Pride flag (including straight) and I love it 😍🐢🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈
June 21, 2025 at 8:39 AM
In our real lives me and my grownup child have side project selling Fidget Turtles (see profile pic). I wanted a Pride t-shirt but couldn't find one I liked, so designed my own. Every turtle is a Pride flag (including straight) and I love it 😍🐢🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈
This happened a couple of evenings ago when I was cleaning the cat litter tray! She perched on the (clean) tray for 5 mins and was absolutely calm about us going really close to her. I hope she found her way back home. She brought me great joy ♥️.
June 21, 2025 at 7:29 AM
This happened a couple of evenings ago when I was cleaning the cat litter tray! She perched on the (clean) tray for 5 mins and was absolutely calm about us going really close to her. I hope she found her way back home. She brought me great joy ♥️.
Brrr. You'll need your big coat! Meanwhile in The North(ish):
June 19, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Brrr. You'll need your big coat! Meanwhile in The North(ish):
Aww, poor diddums! Replacing electrical goods every 5-7 years is ridiculous, but they certainly seem designed to fail in many cases. Meanwhile, here is our freezer. Bought for first house... 32 years ago! Ariston... and on...and on...
June 18, 2025 at 6:54 AM
Aww, poor diddums! Replacing electrical goods every 5-7 years is ridiculous, but they certainly seem designed to fail in many cases. Meanwhile, here is our freezer. Bought for first house... 32 years ago! Ariston... and on...and on...
Newport Pagnell services. Horrified to see this, which to me seems the very opposite of inclusive. It made me a mixture of furious and despairing and I'm not even #trans.
June 14, 2025 at 11:37 AM
Newport Pagnell services. Horrified to see this, which to me seems the very opposite of inclusive. It made me a mixture of furious and despairing and I'm not even #trans.
I couldn't find a Pride t-shirt that said exactly what I wanted so designed my own and got it printed. It arrived today and I am quite pleased with it, but bad at selfies! Fidget Turtles for the world 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈🐢
June 13, 2025 at 12:07 PM
I couldn't find a Pride t-shirt that said exactly what I wanted so designed my own and got it printed. It arrived today and I am quite pleased with it, but bad at selfies! Fidget Turtles for the world 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈🐢