Fun?

    I was trying to think of a post to write for the letter F.  And the word fun came into my mind.

    As in, what do I do for fun?  And (I don't want to be a moany bitch, but...) I couldn't help thinking about how my chronic ill-health means I don't have the energy or time for much fun in my life.  Just work and housework, it seems like.

    I'm still (yes, STILL!) grieving my former physical good health and the activities I used to be able to do.  (The volunteering, the art exhibitions, the evening classes.  The tai chi, the running, the active social life.  The taking pride in doing my nails every weekend.  And just simply: the being able to get about by myself on the train/bus.)

    And then there's our ableist society which I recently experienced the crappiness of first hand, which was no f'ing fun AT ALL.  But that's a separate post.  (Actually, if you include the medical gaslighting then I've been experiencing this crappiness for about a dozen years or so already, but anyways.)

    Besides, this doesn't mean that I have no pleasure whatsoever.  So thank you if you've read this blog up to this point.  And now, I'll be writing about my leisure activities below.  If nothing else, it'll remind me that I do still have enjoyable things in my life.

Crafting 🧹
    My latest project was a life size besom to hang as a Halloween decoration!  I was so pleased with it -- you could actually use it to sweep a floor!  (Okay, not for long as the bristles are corrugated card, so they'd wear away pretty swiftly.  But technically you could do it!)

Junk journal making

    I've put this in as a separate entry from general crafting, because it's been my latest addiction really.
    One of the really fun parts is coming up with creative ways in which to use the junk to create an appealing journal.  (I'm still very much a beginner, but as I write this I have 2 almost completed journals.)

Live-action role-playing and cosplay
    These (and the swimming) are the last few physically active pastimes that I have, because I've refused to give up the LARP.  I'm clinging onto it, and making adjustments so that I can still keep doing it.    

    (The local LARP system I play at, there's at least one other member who has fybro so the game's now done in such a way that we 2 can bring a folding chair and be seated for much of the event.  It's run by a close friend, so this has been possible without too much embarrassment.  Plus, he -or one of the other members- picks me up from home for the events.  I like it when he brings me, as we very often get a latte on the way, or even a McMuffin.)
    (I'm still wondering about how I can have similar adjustments if I become a member of a cosplay group.  (Work in progress.))

Reading (or, podcasts and audiobooks these days)

    I think I've done previous posts about how Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld series is my comfort read.  I can't generally concentrate or be seated long enough to read much else (with the other exception being Stephen King).  So, I definitely don't read as much as I used to, regrettably.
    I do find podcasts and audiobooks a must have, now.  They're great for something to entertain me while doing chores.  Or if I have to walk somewhere.  Plus I can often learn a little something something while getting stuff done.  (And almost daily these are the only help for my insomnia, too.  The spoken word is the sole thing that seems to help!)

Sitting in the sun or at least somewhere where there's trees

    Might seem like an odd thing to put on this list, but this activity is the single best one for calming my nervous system if it's somewhere quiet.  Besides, I just really enjoy it, especially if it's somewhere in or

close to nature. 

Swimming

    My swimming buddy picks me up from home, usually on a Wednesday evening, and we try & do up to 20 lengths.  Before the pandemic I'd say we used to manage 3 out of every 4 weeks on average.
    Since Covid we've been struggling to get back into it a bit and it's been much more sporadic, but I really do love a swim so I hope we can get back into it.  (I love it even better when he & his wife pick me up for an ocean swim during a summer heatwave, but that's rare.)

TV and films (especially horror) 📽
    My favourite TV show is The Walking Dead and some of my favourite movies are The Skeleton Key, Jennifer's Body and Scary Stories to Tell In The Dark.
    I also enjoy watching The Handmaid's Tale and also things like Dual Survival.  (There's more, but I can't call them to mind right now).  And I wished they hadn't cancelled series such as Constantine and Midnight Texas.

Video games

    Occasionally, I can still find the time at weekends -or when I'm on annual leave form work- to play a video game.  My spouse would love it if we still played MMOs together, but it's rare.  I never did finish playing through the story of Diablo III and that came out back in 2012.  (Which -I realise as I write this- is 10 YEARS AGO!)  Latterly, I've been loving Baldur's Gate III though.  Recommend to fans of the genre.

YouTube
    I've got to be honest and put this on the list.  It's a bit of a guilty pleasure, because it's so easy to go down a Yabbit hole and waste away too much time.
    But over the past couple of years or so it's saved me an awful lot of scratching around for something on TiVo to watch.  And occasionally the algorithm will offer up something new and interesting besides my existing subscriptions.

    To add to the above list, some other rare pleasures are:

Afternoons out where there's trees &/or water (or a stone circle, or a ruined castle)

    These days I can only manage this if one of our friends or a family member brings me in their car.  But it's one of my favourite things to do, especially on a summer day.

Occasional cinema and very occasional theatre trips
    I say theatre, but what I mostly like to see is stand up comedians, when I can afford it.  My most recent cinema viewing was to see Smile (not as good as I'd hoped) and my most recent theatre trip was to see Derren Brown's Showman, as I'm a fan of his.

    My spouse says I really ought to add "being a crazy cat mama" to the above list because, he says, I am one.  And I do admit, I love my pusses to bits & I'll gladly talk to any friendly feline anywhere!  So there you go!  😸😹

All photos from Unsplash, unless otherwise specified in the image title (hover over, on a PC)

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