Year we go...

Where Emma is back at it

Well hello! Welcome to 2025. Oh boy, I think we all know it will be a mad, mad year. That’s why you must tell all your friends, family and arch nemesis to subscribe to this place of wonder & delight swearing.

Anyway, enough promotion and on with January’s serious business.

No, before you ask there is nothing ‘dry’ or ‘vegan’ happening here. I’m not that crazy. We have already had a million weeks of snow, ice and chilly feet I am not about to inflict further pain on myself…however wonderous the benefits.

So how has the festive/wintery time treated us all?

Regular readers will know that the cold plays havoc with my PD symptoms. None of which has been helped by my having to travel around Scotland the last weeks. My youngest daughter is applying to drama schools across the land and that means auditions. Billions of them.

I had no idea the amount of hanging around I‘d be doing in dodgy areas of Scottish cities. I kid you not! As I don’t drive it’s all been facilitated by public transport. Fun.

I’m not a fan of resolutions, I tend towards the ‘just bloody live your life and be damned’ approach. But it has occurred to me that you, my dearest readers and supporters, deserve some vague attempt at improvement.

As a result, I thought it would be nice if there was a ‘directory’ of sorts for the Parkinson’s community.

Now I have attempted this project before but frankly, it was HUGE and impossible. My trimmed down proposal is:

A small handy directory consisting of:

• Bloggers/newsletter writers (like me!)

• Podcasts/YouTube etc

• Any other random :)

There are far too many charities, medical folks and the like to begin to list. But our little community of folks simply sharing living with PD could do with a home.

Many folks come here just after they have been diagnosed and are incredibly kind in sharing that they are so happy to have found a place where we talk about the real bits. (I do get the best messages!)

I would like you to share your own or other's writing, podcast etc either in the comments below or by hitting reply and I will build us a friendly handy directory.

Let me know if you think this is a mad idea or if there is one already (in which case...oops!) And any other thoughts.

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In other news, I wanted to talk a little about overwhelm. Especially its effect on chronic illness.

Essentially…what the fuck!! There is so, so, so much happening in the world and with the festive crap on top.

Yeah. No. Hide.

I hope you all survived reasonably intact. Does dopamine depletion mean we can’t filter this stuff out anymore? Or am I just in so much pain/exhaustion/menopause/fill in blank/ that I’m over-sensitive?

Either way - no thank you!

I wish I could be out in nature more but the weather is treacherous. Ditto for going to look at art and so on. I need a resilience manual!

And I know it’s ok, not to be ok. But arg. It’s so soul destroying.

I want to navigate the world and life without it killing me by either being upset at the bad stuff or falling tits over arse on the pavement - right?

Right-o, I’m signing off now as my little fingers are icy.

Take the greatest care out there.

with love

E xxx

P.S. I also want to say a special thank you to those of you who were incredibly generous with subscriptions, tips and messages. This newsletter really helps my limited funds. Your supportive messages and kindness keep me going in the darkest moments. Thank you.

P.P.S. I didn’t do much there but I have left insta (for fairly obvious reasons! Officially I’m meta free! But I am on Bluesky if you want a morning greeting and some nice things I occasionally share.