Zentangle Garden

With proverb!

Zentangle can be so relaxing to do - better than drugs I reckon.

I used to meditate for many years which was good but I find it so much easier and better for my anxiety to do something rather than do tricks with my mind. Zentangle was a real find!

Its cheap too - a very fine ink pen costs only around £2.50 - and any scraps of reasonably absorbent paper. Lots of patterns online - particularly on Pinterest to copy too.

Caroline
x



To learn more about me and Caroline's Cottage Gardens please visit my website. https://sites.google.com/site/carolinescottagegardens/

Cleaner House, Less Stress!

Hi there.

I have a sister who is 16 years younger than me and juggling work and young children and supporting a partner with a demanding career. She is encouraging me to share my method which has helped her so much. It seems obvious - but it makes such a difference. I promise!

I don't like cleaning!
I tend to put it off until the house is looking horrendous and its become a huge job
I don't have time for "spring cleaning" - windows, Cupboards - you know the sort of thing.
My sister was the same.


Cleaning an be a job that seems never ending - your home appears to always be filthy to you - this is about setting a limit to how much you do and being happier with what you have done. Its also about knowing that your house is cleaned to an acceptable standard and that you can rest!

So I adapted my cleaning list for her that I've used for years. She has found it invaluable and is quite evangelical about it to friends and family.

How to .....

For each room you list all the jobs that need doing including those that you think are spring cleaning jobs - hoover, mop, windows in and out, dust, clean out cupboards, mirrors, sink, bath, shower, doors, skirting boards, dado rails, cobwebs, change sheets, bath the dog, gardening, ironing, etc.

Then you think how often in a month you really need to do each task. The aim is to do each task as seldom as possible (to reduce work and stress) whilst keeping the house at a standard of cleaning you want. For example I feel that most rooms only want hovering once a week but some areas of the house - hall, kitchen, lounge, stairs, which get a lot of traffic might need a second hovering.

The more detailed the list - tasks broken down into small units - the more you will want to do them as in just a few spare minutes you can choose a few very short jobs to do and then. enjoy crossing them off  your list.  By the end of the week you will be amazed at how much you have achieved by just a few minutes at a time.

Some jobs you may want to set a manageable time limit to to encourage you to do it little and often -for example half an hour in the garden.

Sometimes you may also want to set yourself a time target per day for cleaning - for example half an hour. Setting a small amount of time often means you get more done. Not setting an amount of time often means that it takes ages and more and more appears to need doing as you look critically around your house.

Keep the list on your computer so you can print a new one off each month and adapt as you need.

Below is an excerpt from my own list you might like to use as a template.

Do give it a try - it makes such a difference!

Let me know if you found it helpful

JOBS TO DO

Wc monday	Wc monday	Wc monday	Wc monday	Wc monday
Kitchen Surfaces and sink Dust Wipe chairs vacuum mop Clean out a cupboard	Kitchen Surfaces and sink vacuum mop Low cupboard fronts cobwebs	Kitchen Surfaces sink vacuum Mop Windows	Kitchen Surfaces and sink High cupboard fronts Vacuum mop	Kitchen Surfaces and sink Vacuum  mop Skirting Doors
Landing Handrails vacuum	Landing Door vacuum	Landing Dado rail and light switches, vacuum	Landing Skirting, vacuum cobwebs	Landing Pictures, book case, vacuum
Stairs Vacuum skirting	Stairs vacuum Handrail Wipe over carpet	Stairs vacuum Skirting Marks on walls	Stairs vacuum handrail	Stairs vacuum skirting
Vacuum round	Vacuum round	Vacuum round	Vacuum round	Vacuum round
ironing	ironing	ironing	ironing	ironing

Remember yourself!

Paperwork	Paperwork	Paperwork	Paperwork	Paperwork
Interests	Interests	Interests	Interests	Interests
Relaxation	Relaxation	Relaxation	Relaxation	Relaxation
Social	Social	Social	Social	Social
Exercise	Exercise	Exercise	Exercise	Exercise
Crafts	Crafts	Crafts	Crafts	Crafts

Key words: clean, stress, family, children, cleaning, dusting, vacuuming, save time, efficiency, juggling, self help, spring clean. happy. chores, time saving, reduce stress, cleaner home, home. lifestyle, "work life balance" "reduce stress" housework

Celebrity inspires and gives confidence to those with Aspergers - including me!

Hello, how are things.

Did you have a chance to watch the BBC2 documentary/film with Chris Packham "Asperger's and me". My son, who is on the spectrum recommended it and I was so glad I watched it. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Reviews I found on line said it was "stunning, brave and ballsy, utterly fascinating and incredibly moving".   Absolutely!

I am in awe of all he has achieved in his life in spite of (or perhaps because of )his Asperger's. Being a celebrity and being on camera most of his working life and in the public eye given that he is likely to find social interactions difficult and painful and needs a lot of solitude is astounding to me. I have found that if I am really passionate about something - an environmental campaign I ran, selling Mental Health First Aid to the bosses in my work place - then I can push myself to speak in front of other people but this is a once a year type of thing, not every day.

I am outwardly sociable and am told I can be good company and very funny but I find it exhausting and it makes me anxious to socialise for very long particularly if it involves groups of people. Going to a concert or (in the past) to church, parties, big family gatherings, weddings, funerals, training events, work meetings. I really struggle with them all and find I can be exhausted afterwards often with a migraine and need to head to bed at 6 or 7 in the evening and will sleep for 12 hours or more. I find I just want to shut down my brain completely - no books, no TV, no people. I struggle to say no to invitations and hate appearing rude or unfriendly either by not going or by my behaviour at the event. I don't like upsetting people at all.

But I do admire Chris in the programme. At one point his stepdaughter wants him to come to her graduation and he stands up for the fact he won't enjoy it and doesn't want to go. He also doesn't live with his long standing partner and lives alone in a beautiful, isolated rural location with his dog. He stands up for himself in terms of what he needs and what he finds difficult or painful to do.

He has given me more confidence in protecting myself.  I firmly turned down too many big social gatherings this Christmas. For example I have recently struggled with two new potential friendships going horribly wrong and it made me quite down until I realised that I have enough close relationships in my life - and realised I don't have to push myself continually to make more if it is at such a cost.

Chris had a huge response to his programme. Below is the link to his reply to everyone.

http://www.chrispackham.co.uk/news/aspergers-and-me-thank-you

I love where he talks about people who worked on the programme. "These people deserve more praise than I do . . . all I did was go on, and on, and on about birds, battles, art, cars . . . more birds . . . aeroplanes . . . books . . ."

I agree wholeheartedly with everything he says. In particular that each person with Autism, Asperger's or ASD is different and that we owe it to each other to talk about it. This is certainly a key motivation behind my blog. Even if I help just one person along their journey of discovery it will have been worth while.

I hope you enjoy watching as much as I did.

All the best
Caroline

Keywords: Autism, ASD, Spectrum, Asperger's, Social Anxiety, Wildlife, Friends, Exhaustion, Confidence, Help. celebrity inspire ballsy

fascinating moving BBC inspirational story relationships friendships

An Asperger's New Year's Eve and my gardening New Year's resolution!

Hi again

Isn't the above photo just beautiful!

Being an antisocial and tired Asperger's person new year will be spent going to bed at my normal time of 9 pm, lights off at 10 and putting in ear plugs so we don't get woken up by fireworks!

I particularly don't like what I refer to as "the bongs" - the chimes of bells bringing in the new year.  I feel they say "Bong - that's another year of your life gone", Bong - you're another year older, Bong - doom, Bong... Bong"....   Bah Humbug eh! 

I rarely make a new year,s resolution either but this year I have and intend to stick to it. Here's how it came about:

For most of my gardening life I've prided myself on not spending more than £50 or so every year on my garden. My borders tended to look really good as I had big groups of each type of plant. I did this either by dividing, taking cuttings or spreading seeds from plants I already had.

But since I've started my gardening business, under the excuse that I'm learning about new plants I've been indulging myself with many' many new plants for my own garden. I've spent a lot! I'm not going to reveal how much. The effect in some of my borders is consequentially,  a bit "dotty". Just individual plants on their own all mixed together. Rather like the photo below which I confess is nothing like my garden but is just to make a point.



For the best visual effect multiple identical plants need to be planted together in clusters. So the colour of the flowers or the effects of the foliage is seen to its best advantage. Like the photo below (again not one of my borders - though I wish it was!)

As I've been doing lots of studying this winter I've also realised that I only use one or two propagation techniques on a narrow range of plants. So my resolution is to try different techniques of propagation on a wider range of plants in my garden (armed with my copy of "Geoff Hamilton's Practical Gardening Course") and cluster the plants I grow  for a better effect.

"Propagate not buy". Hopefully I will save a bit of money too!

I'll let you know how I get on.

Take care and happy new year.

Lots of love
Caroline
xxx



Keywords: Cottage Garden Design Asperger's ASD Autism Colour Propagate Save Money Frugal

Christmas on the spectrum

Hi

I do love Christmas - my favourite time is Christmas Eve. We have tea in front of a real fire accompanied by Carol's from Kings.

To keep my anxiety levels down tea is quite simple as follows:

Nice bread - I like Hovis seed sensations wholemeal
Real butter
Hummus
Cherry tomatos
Free range ham or chicken slices
Good crisps
Peppers ready cooked from a jar in olive oil or similar
Chutney
Tapenade.

People can make any sandwiches they want to out of the above at the table.

Ready made Christmas cake and chocolate log
Clementines
Grapes

Pot of tea ( or in my case redbush as I can't do caffeine)

With the tree lit, everyone round the table, the fire and the carols there is always a little Christmas magic about it all.

To keep my anxiety and even depression at bay - I can't have more than a sip of alchohol, have to watch my blood sugar, no late nights, and also make sure that am assertive about only doing so much socialising with the wider family.

There are 15 of us and mum likes us to be all together every day - but as I find this very stressful I have to be firm that I'll be sociable on Christmas Eve and Christmas day but Boxing day is quite and at home.

I substitute lovely spiced apple fruit teas, or earl grey redbush for the alchohol or make a hot spicy drink with apple juice and I don't miss the alchohol. To keep the blood sugar low I have to make sure I eat equal amounts of mince pie and extra thick cream!! Honestly it works. 

Happy Christmas to you all.

x

Keywords: Autism, ASD, Spectrum, Aspergers, Social Anxiety, Depression Alcohol, Caffeine, Blood sugar, Christmas, Stress,

Love is .....

When I'm with you I'm in the right place, the right time, I'm the right age. Its a taste of paradise, deep contentment and happiness and safety.

Enjoying sharing even the most mundane of days and making plans together.

Knowing I'm loved for who I am and also knowing that not only do I love and care for you but I really like who you are, admire you and am so proud of you.

Feeling so lucky to know you and to be with you.

You are the one I want to snuggle up with every night yet never sleep so I can be aware of you all night yet never wanting to leave your side the next morning.

I am lucky - I have Aspergers and life can be hard, but I have my lovely husband who I feel all this for.  💛

The illustration is a zentangle card I made for my husband.