Finding HopeSeptember 2026 In Photos
Posted on October 3, 2026
Another photo challenge! I didn’t have a particular goal in mind for this one, just the day to day documenting of the month, which I’d always known was going to be a busy one. That plan kind of went sideways halfway through but I liked what I’d included so far so I decided to continue the post anyway. September was busy and inspiring and exhausting and frustrating and exciting and unimaginable and as the month drew to a close, I felt that that was more than enough of a reason to document and share it.
1. IN THE MIRROR – I’ve been wearing my makeup the same way for so long now: concealer, eyeliner, mascara, and sometimes a bit of highlighter. And some eyebrow tint very, very occasionally. It’s quick (unless the eyeliner refuses to cooperate) and relatively easy to do but I’m so short-sighted that I have to be SO CLOSE to the mirror; my nose practically touches the glass and I’ve knocked various products against the mirror more times than I can count. I’ve started needing to take an actual mirror with me if I ever have to stay at a hotel because, guaranteed, they’re always above a sink or desk and I CAN’T SEE THAT FAR.
2. AT THE TABLE – Having committed to a thirty day music production challenge – where I had to make something everyday throughout September – I spent a lot of time at my desk, working at my laptop with my recording gear. Now that I have a good, supportive desk chair, working at my desk is easier than it used to be but I still struggle with executive function of transitioning from one task to another, especially if it’s in a different room – so I’m often stuck at my desk or stuck on the sofa. ADHD is incredibly frustrating.
Read MoreMay 2026 in Photos
Posted on June 1, 2026
TW: mentions of depression and pet loss/grief.
As I’ve said in previous posts, I love a good photo challenge and I really liked the prompts posted for May: I felt like they allowed for more creativity than some of the previous months have (hence why I didn’t end up doing or finishing them) and, as a result, I enjoyed the challenge a lot more. I started the month in a really deep bit of depression so it wasn’t the worst thing for me to have something to do each day, even if it was as simple as finding something to take a photo off, and then, as I came out of that pit, it served as a good way to remember what a very hectic but also really special month…
Autism Dogs – Family Training and Public Access (Second Attempt)
Posted on March 14, 2026
In early April, two months after my new Assistance Dog, Daisy, moved in, one of the trainers from the Autism Dogs farm, Julia, came down to do the Family Training and Public Access work that I hadn’t been able to do back in February. It was split into two sessions over two days and at the end of the second day, Daisy would be fully qualified and my official Autism Assistance Dog. That was both exciting and nerve-wracking – to start going out into the world together as a team – but, as nervous as I was, I’d always known that this change, while difficult, was happening in order for new, good things to happen. I just had to get through the difficult to the new and good.
The first two months with Daisy were full of ups and downs and I think I spent most of that time feeling stressed and exhausted. It wasn’t bad and I wasn’t regretting her; it was just incredibly overwhelming. It was a big change when I’m not good with change and not only that, it was a big change in the one space where I feel safest and steadiest and suddenly that steadiness had been flipped upside down. My Mum and I were getting used to having two dogs, the dogs were getting used to each other, the cats were more than a little freaked out by Daisy’s size and enthusiasm… It was very stressful. And as much as I reminded myself that all of this would take time and that there was no reason why everything wouldn’t eventually settle, I was still so anxious that I was failing everybody by doing this, by instigating this change. It was very distressing and I don’t think I was prepared – whether I even could be prepared – for it to feel like that. That’s not to say that there weren’t a lot of lovely moments, lots of cuddling and playing and snoozing together. Daisy is the sweetest, gentlest soul (even if she can charge around the house like a horse at times) and she’s so patient, even when Izzy got wildly jealous of Daisy getting even the slightest bit of attention. But based on the time they’d spent together at the Autism Dogs farm, I had always expected the settling of that relationship to take longer than two months. Izzy has always liked to be close, has always been my protector and emotional support fluff, so it was never going to be easy for her to have to share that role. She picked up some of Daisy’s tasks really quickly, which was very funny; it was a bit like she was saying, “See! You don’t need her! I can do all of these things!” They did make progress but I was looking forward to Julia coming down and being able to give us some advice on how to help them bond.
