But how do you actually feel though?

As a child I got sick. A lot. I have memories of constant doctors visits, and spending time in sick bay waiting for my mum to pick me up. As you can imagine, dealing with sickness as a person and having a sick kid as a family is pretty disruptive. Recognising this, I slowly began to ignore what my body was telling me and soldier on when I was feeling less than stellar.

My earliest memory of this was around the age of 10. I woke up with a sandpapery throat, and I didn’t tell anyone. The only indication that anything was wrong was my teachers mild annoyance that I kept requesting to fill up my water bottle (the cold liquid on my sad throat was a mild relief).

These “ignoring sickness” behaviours a kid gradually saw me morph into an adult who doesn’t take sick days. If I can get out of bed, that means I can go to work, no matter how sore, uncomfortable or vague I feel. Until recently this wasn’t an issue. Almost everyone I know in my line of work (music teaching/tutoring) did the same. That is until COVID 19 hit.

If you’re sick, don’t go to work. Sounds simple right? Feel bad = stay home…. except, for me, it’s really not that simple. After almost two decades of ignoring sickness I don’t know what sick feels like. I often wake up with a sore throat. Is it dehydration? Am I sick? Did I sing too much or am I coming down with a cold?. I’ve spent so long ignoring my bodies signals, and now I’m suddenly expected to listen again.

It’s further complicated by the nature of my work. I don’t get sick leave, which means if I don’t go to work, I don’t get paid. Because of jobkeeper, that hasn’t been an issue recently, but once that ends, what happens when I get sick? I can’t afford to loose any income, and opportunities to get more work are few and far between. Community responsibility, or being able to pay my bills. Why is this something I have to choose between?

So how do I actually feel? This is a question I’ve been asking myself a little obsessively since lockdown. Luckily the answer is usually “exhausted, but fine”. The one time it wasn’t, I did the responsible thing and got tested immediately (I’m lucky it was at the end of my work week!). Touch wood I stay well and don’t have to take time off.

About the outfit: ANYWAY, lets step away from the doom and gloom of financial realities, and into the sweet embrace of whimsical fashion! This shirt is one of the best items I’ve ever thrifted. When I go thrifting I’m on the lookout for three qualities - Fit, material and quirkiness. The fit is perfect, the material/construction is sturdy and will stand the test of time, and there are some fun little details (like the gemstone collar button!?)

This skirt is the first pattern test for a small line of skirts I’ll be releasing at the end of the year. They won’t look like this one (I’ve secured a red velveteen for the official job). I’ve had this fabric laying around for years, and it’s been nice to put it to such a whimsical purpose.

A note on Friendship.

As an adult it's super easy to get caught up in the exhaustion of life and routine and trying to keep it all together and stop seeing people and doing things with those people. I know because that's progressively been my life for the past year or so. That's all changed recently, and it's so good. 

It's really nice having friends, and it's really nice being a friend. These people are your chosen family. They don't have to be with you, or care about you, but they do. Likewise, no one is forcing you to hang out, or be there for them, but you are anyway because you love them. 

Romantic love is such a major focus of our media and species. "Finding your other half" and settling down as a pair, and having a person who knows you like no other. Romantic love is great, but it's rarely forever, and when your forever falls apart on you, it's your friends that are there to catch you when you fall.  

I've had an incredible amount of support from friends over the last few months whilst I was ejecting a particular toxic human from my life. I honestly don't think I would have recovered nearly as well without all their love and support. 

As my friend Peter Lawrie would say: You are special, you are important and you are loved <3

She Came Home (an unexpectedly happy post)

I have had the craziest January. Thankfully the tragedy that I alluded to in my last post has been resolved! My dog noodle (who features quite heavily in this post) went missing for a second time, about a week after she ran away during the New Years fireworks. She was gone for 6 days, and at the time of writing my last post, I was convinced I'd never seen her again. 

As far as loosing a pet goes, there's only one thing worse than the act of them going missing. Being far away from home where you cannot physically search for them. The entire time noodle was out in the wilderness  I was glued to my phone, hoping my parents would call, or that somebody would respond to one of the many cries for help I'd posted across the lost pet groups on Facebook. 

The longer your pet (in my case, dog) is missing, the less hope you tend to be able to hold onto. I imagined her in all sorts of awful scenarios. In the wet stormy bushes dying of fear/cold, run over on the road, mauled by another dog, collapsing from starvation. I also cried a lot in private (I was on tour, surrounded by people constantly, so pretty much any moment alone was met with tears) 

Lastly, just to add insult to the crushing loss I was already feeling, I was aware that I had this set of photos to post. Ones taken in my backyard just before I left with noodle being silly and lovely and soft and gorgeous. Had she not come home, this post would have been devastating to edit. 

Thankfully she's home safe. A lovely lady spotted her on the side of a road not too far from our house, and chased her for a kilometre until she was able to catch her, then return her home. I'm so very glad she's home.

Hey hey hey, so it's been a little while. I've been away from home at a festival/ been on tour since just after Christmas, and a really sucky thing has happened twice (my dog went missing, she was found once. Hasn't been found again.)

(On the day I felt saddest, I managed to get enough alone time to record a tiny rendition of Scarborough fair. It was a nice distraction from the saddness hole I was in. You can watch it if you want : )