Book Recomedation: One Million Lovely Letters

Something a little different from me today, I don't usually do book reviews, this isn't really a review anyway, more of a recommendation. The book in question is One Million Lovely Letters by Jodie Ann Bickley. I first found out about Jodie about a year ago on Twitter. Then last autumn, I heard she was on Surprise Surprise so as a fellow ME sufferer, I tuned in to find out more about her and her project, One Million Lovely Letters. [You can check out the site here]

After hearing her story I immediately fell in love with her and put her book, One Million Lovely Letters on my Christmas list. I was lucky enough to receive it and last week I started reading her book. It only took me two days to read it and is fairly short but I really really enjoyed reading it and found it uplifting and inspiring yet interesting, entertaining and easy to read. 

I found it really relatable too, not just because we both have ME but because she really is just an ordinary girl with a very big heart who wants to make people happy and the world a better place. 

I won't give away any spoilers, you'll have to read the book yourself (!!) but I think everyone could learn something from Jodie's story, whether you have the same illness or not. 

If you've not already read this book, I wholeheartedly recommend that you grab yourself a copy and give it a read.

Have you read One Million Lovely Letters? If so, what did you think?

An Autumn Walk

This morning we went for an autumnal walk at a country park near where I live. Here are a few pictures I took...

Chloe xx 

Things Lately

I try to keep my blog as happy and positive as possible and I like to think that I've come a long way where positivity is concerned but recently I've been feeling a bit stressed and a bit lonely too. Since finishing college, it upsets me that I don't really have any friends my age that I am able to meet up with often and although I have friends that I have met through Twitter, I would love some friends that live near me.

I feel really stressed about what I'm going to do in the future job/education-wise. I also feel really anxious about it and like I have no purpose sometimes. It scares me to think too far ahead to the future so I try to take every day as it comes. I don't feel like this as much as I used to but it's a big change not to be in education and not to see people my age and is something that is hard to get used to. I'm scared about never having a job, or being able to go back to education, never having friends or being able to do the things I want to do. I'm worried about what people will think if I'm not at college or working and it's making me so stressed. I feel like I need to have a plan but I don't and I really can't find anything that suits me which is so disappointing and disheartening that I can't do what I want to do. 

Don't get me wrong, most of the time I'm happy and positive but it's hard to be like that all the time and it sometimes gets to me. I try to apprieate the little things but it's really hard to see everyone else my age starting to drive and looking at uni's when I can't even walk too far or go shopping without suffering and being in a lot of pain afterwards. 

Chloe xx 

Dover Castle and Beach Adventures

A couple of weeks ago, I had a busy week and managed two full days out the house. The first was a trip to Dover Castle. 

Pondering over the meaning of life in the Abbey...

I climbed a LOT of stairs which was extremely difficult and painful but the view was worth it, do you think? 

 

Two days later we went to the beach for the day....

Typical English weather, the sky was very grey and so was the sea! 

I expected the second day to be the hardest and I thought I would feel worse because I would be suffering from payback from the first day but actually it was the other way round. The first day, I felt absolutely awful and didn't think I would make it out the car at first, let alone up the castle and I'm super proud of myself for how much I managed and how much walking I did, even if me and nan got left behind a lot! One thing I wouldn't recommend doing if you have ME/Fibro and are visiting Dover is going in the war time tunnels. We thought we'd just be wandering through but it was a guided tour and we had to walk super fast down slopes and there were automatic doors that closed behind you if you didn't move fast enough which was really horrible and I struggled so much. You couldn't drink down there either (although I did have to in the end because I felt awful and like I was going to pass out) and the tour was 45 mins so quite long and draining. There are also a lot of loud sounds, moving pictures and flashing lights so if I had know it was like that, I definitely wouldn't of gone! Silly me for not researching it properly beforehand. 

Both days out were super cold and freezing! Where has summer gone? I really enjoyed sitting relaxing on the beach though (even if I did look a bit of an idiot wrapped up in loads of layers including some of my nans clothes - lol my life is so elegant!). The beach is one of my favourite places to go, it's a shame I probably won't get to go until spring next year! 

I hope you enjoyed reading about some more of my adventures, I love sharing them with you all! 

Chloe xxx 

 

My Holiday - Part #2

On the Monday, we went to a Victorian museum called Bygones. My camera didn't focus too well with the dodgey museum light and as it was quite dark, I didn't get many pictures but I did manage to get one of my favourite bit  - the old make up!

We then went for a wander/wheel along the cliff tops.

 

 

On Tuesday we went to Babbacombe Model Village. I struggled a lot because we couldn't take the wheelchair as it was super hilly and there were a lot of steps - not fun!

 

I liked the Eastenders set...

 

And Will, Kate and baby George were probably my favourite part. We then went for dinner and came back in the evening when it was all lit up...

 

 

We also drove past the big wheel in Torquay on our way home when it was lit up too - pretty!

Chloe xx

 

 

 

My week #8

This week was very eventful to say the least! On Monday I went to tesco with my mum, I really want to build up the distance I can walk and the amount of time I can stand and I want to practice difference 'types' of walking which may sound a bit weird so let me explain... Sometimes you are walking constantly, if you have a destination, this is when you tend to walk quite quickly. Other times you are standing up quite a lot but may only take a step every now and again, this is when you are 'wandering'. I hope that makes sense but I want to be able to walk quickly somewhere and to be able to stand for a longer amount of time. 

On Tuesday, me, my mum, nan, brother and sister went to the beach and to the aquarium. The day started pretty early for me, we got up, dressed, picked my nan up and I did my make up in the car. Them when we were about 10 minutes away from the beach, driving through the high street/town centre, mums car suddenly cut out. She restarted it but it gave off this horrible smell and we had to pull into a bus stop. After a lot of checking the car over (mum), working out what to do and panicking (me), we called the RAC and the lovely man helped us, reassured me and we finally got to the beach. We had lunch on the beach and then went to the aquarium. 

On Wednesday I tried to rest for most of the day but took my rabbit, Poppy to the vets in the afternoon. Yes, I left the house 3 days in a row. 

We had another early start *groan* on Thursday because we had a dentist appointment at 9am, then my friend Lucy came to see me in the afternoon. 

Friday was my brothers 10th birthday, my mum made him this Minecraft cake. 

Saturday night was spent feeling like this...

I had bad payback for doing too much earlier in the week *slaps wrist*, so Sunday was spent resting, although I did wash my hair which is a super exhausting especailly as there is so much of it! 

There won't be a weekly post for the next couple of weeks, I'm going on holiday and am planning to write a post per day for the week that we are away instead and we're going to Colchester Zoo next Monday so keep your eyes peeled for a post on that too. 

How was your week? 

My Week #7

I don't really feel like there's much to report from this week if I'm honest.  I guess the most exciting thing would be that I managed a trip out the house on Tuesday to go shopping (again!). Tuesday seems to be my day for going out of the house! 

The mothership called... 

Then the rest of the week was mostly spent doing this... 

(Making loom bands - it's really addicting!)

And this.... 

Friday was exciting though because we had a technology-free day, played board games, had a water fight, made loom bands and just generally hung out as a family. 

M.E-wise I've not been too bad this week. The pain has been okay but my throat has been very sore and I've had lots of ulcers which really grosses me out - I'm really worried about accidentally popping them whilst eating! Gross! I've really been struggling to sleep this week (the hot weather hasn't helped) and haven't managed to nod off before 2am most nights so have been super tired in a tired-sleepy way, not just a totally-exhausted way. 

Next week I'm hoping to leave the house a couple of times, so we'll see how that goes. 

How was your week?

Chloe xx 

My week #5

I was freezing cold for the whole beginning of the week. My body really doesn't seem to be able to control or regulate my temperature at the moment. On Tuesday my fingers went blue/purple. 

My mum dropped me off at college to hand in an assignment, then we popped into Starbucks so I could get one of these bad boys ....

.... A mocha cookie crumble frappachino!  Yum!

We then went for a drive, mum popped to Argos whilst I sat in the car and then we went to matalan. I'm actually really impressed that I managed all this because it sounds like a lot, even though it only took a couple of hours and I was sat in the car for most of it. I felt so rough when I woke up that morning and I had a few moments, especailly in college and Starbucks when I just had to focus on the most random things and pray my legs wouldnt give way. I honestly felt amazingly ill. It's crazy how just waking up can make you feel so bad! 

Essie - Status Symbol 

On Friday it was my sisters birthday... Here's a picture of her cake... 

Me and my mum had a girls night in and watched About Time - love that film!! And I had the best Caeser Salad of all time..! Then this happened... Oops...! 

#sorrynotsorry 

On Saturday, I made my mum a birthday cake... (Is it me or is this weeks post basically just food?! I've kinda fallen off the healthy eating wagon!) 

Then on Sunday, it was my mums birthday and we went out for a pub lunch. 

 My mummy!!

How was your week?

Chloe xx