Joanne Simmonds

I'm thoroughly enjoying Sara Davies' craft hour on ITV catch-up. Well worth watching.

What's On | Taunton Minster, St Mary Magdalene Our TODAY Weekly News is the go-to place for news and things happening in the near-term. Print copies are available in the Minster on a Sunday, with the

If you live in Somerset, you can walk into church and have the flu and Covid jabs on Wednesday morning at Taunton Minster. You could stay and buy a gift or a book and have a cup of coffee. Put your feet up. 😀👍🏻 www.tauntonminster.org/whats-on/

TEXT READS: Medical conditions, such as thyroid disease, polycystic ovarian syndrome or menopause. Lifestyle factors, such as smoking, alcohol and caffeine consumption, diet and physical activity.

Can someone tell The Guardian that menopause is not a medical condition? I could show them one to compare and contrast.

What’s on Apple TV? It’s a great streamer if you love intelligent science fiction.

Free to read:

What’s on Apple TV?

It’s a great streamer if you love intelligent science fiction.

open.substack.com/pub/joannesi...

Can't seem to get backing for my film project "Noah: The Early Years". They all say the narrative lacks an ark.

A few things I like less than I did before I joined social media

Doctor Who
The idea of cake
Forthcoming books
Politics
Discussion of any popular TV series
Human nature
Social media
Myself

A lot of people genuinely don’t realize authors are paid when libraries get ebook licenses

We do get paid so please request our books from libraries

Highly recommend painting bookmarks 👍🏻

A poster showing City Hall in Bristol in the background with the words “Say No to decimating our city’s culture!” - it’s a protest poster about arts and culture cuts in Bristol. In the bottom right a hand holds a megaphone and there’s a QR CODE to scan for more info.

STOP BRISTOL ARTS CUTS
Weds 26 November
11:30am for 12pm

Bristol City Council are once again threatening to cut all cultural funding.
This cannot be allowed to happen!

Show up, make some noise & sign the open letter 👇

Here is full campaign information bit.ly/bristolcultu...

Fat doesn't affect pain. I've lost a lot of weight and still have the same issues although I can move around slightly better. Telling patients to lose is cheap and easy because they can't think of other answers. That takes imagination.

Lilian Westcott Hale (1880-1963), “Woman Resting” (c. 1920s), oil on canvas, 35.6 x 50.8 cm.

Good night, you wonderful, troubled, fantastic people.

From my #landscape #art, #illustrationart, and #photography portfolio: "Lonely Winter"

You can make art.

The biggest step isn't getting good at art, it's being willing to make art that doesn't match the idea of "good art" in your head.

Making a lot of imperfect art is an essential step toward making perfect art; a counterproductive goal you shouldn't have anyway.

Just make art.

Pluribus is excellent again this week.

It's Black Friday next week but I’ve already got a deal on a product. I've been waiting for the price to halve 😀

Website of artist & cartoonist Moose Allain Welcome to the website of artist & cartoonist Moose Allain. Please feel free to have a poke about. (Also @mooseallain is an excellent follow on Bluesky.)

It's Black Friday today, so you may be delighted to hear that we're offering absolutely no special deals or offers on our website.
www.worldofmoose.com

So interesting to see Billie on #totp. A bit like seeing Robbie at the start of his career. A little bit too young, perhaps?

A little slice of me A get-to-know-me post

Free to Read.

A Little Slice of Me.

A get-to-know-me newsletter:

open.substack.com/pub/joannesi...

‘Big Tech sexism must end’ – LabourList The technology, the method, may be new, but the issue, sadly, is not.  Women’s health has always been marginalised, questioned, deprioritised. Victorian doctors dismissed women’s…

CAN YOU SEE THIS POST? You wouldn't if we had used any actual descriptive words about women's bodies. Women’s health is being censored by the algorithms. This tech-led sexism has to stop says @emily4mk.bsky.social.

Friday-night drug deals helping Russian war machine, UK crime agency warns The National Crime Agency says a

For those BlueSky connections who are popping out to pick up some "I'm not harming anyone" drugs for tonight, a reminder of something known but ignored... the "vast criminal ecosystem that is funding some really bad things all around the world".
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

“Promotional graphic for The Ehlers-Danlos Society’s Giving Tuesday campaign. Text reads: ‘Giving Tuesday – December 2, 2025 – Two Weeks To Go!’ A stylized zebra heart replaces the ‘V’ in ‘Giving.’ On the right, a smiling woman holds a young child who has their arms around her. The background is white and purple with soft decorative shapes.”

💜December 2nd is Giving Tuesday, & your gifts will have double the impact!

We're thrilled to share that a donor whose family understands the journey of #EhlersDanlossyndrome (EDS) and #hypermobilityspectrumdisorder (HSD), is matching your generous donations— dollar for dollar—up to $400,000!

Write like no one will read it.
Edit like everyone will quote it.

You'll be unstoppable! 🚀

#WritingCommunity #AmWriting #AmEditing #BookSky #WriteSky

Wherever you look there are inspirations, books, literature, paintings, landscapes, everything. Just living is an inspiration.

—Gavin Rossdale

Text reads ROMANS 12:3-8 THURSDAY 20 NOVEMBER Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement. | ROMANS 12:3 | IMPOSTER SYNDROME Do you ever feel like a fraud? You aren't alone! In the late 1970s, two researchers identified "imposter syndrome" as the condition of doubting our skills, talents or abilities and interpreting ourselves as frauds. Even successful and brilliant people struggle with inadequacy, worrying that if anyone peeked behind the curtain of their lives, they'd see how much they don't know. Paul exhorts the people of the first-century church in Rome to be humble: "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement" (ROMANS 12:3). We understand the importance of not elevating our abilities. But when we doubt our own value, we go too far, robbing others of the gifts God wants us to use to serve Him. To think of ourselves with "sober judgement" (V. 3) is to have a sane estimation-a realistic regard—for what we offer. Paul nudges us to overcome our hesitancies, to embrace who we are "in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of (us)" (V. 3). In this way, God's body of believers may be built up (W. 48). Rather than degrading our offerings with imposter syndrome, let's embrace God's giftings within us. By gratefully accepting His grace, we can think neither too highly nor too lowly of our-selves. In doing so, we please our Father and build up Christ's body of believers. Where do you struggle with imposter syndrome? How can God offer you faith to overcome? Dear God, please help me to see myself the way you see me, in accordance with the measure of faith You give. BIBLE IN A YEAR / EZEKIEL 14-15;JAMES 2

Appropriate reflection today 🙏

Love looking at it like this. It’s true. Artists are less delusional even though sometimes we feel MORE delusional. Have to remember that. There’s a strength to being unsure about things. An excerpt in The Guardian from George Saunders’ speech from the National Book Awards last night.

2/ As we wait for the Government’s response to its consultation on copyright + AI, it's vital Gov listens to writers, other creators + the UK creative industries, who have spoken with one voice on the need for a model that protects + strengthens copyright in the age of AI

Men need twice as much exercise as women to lower heart disease risk, study finds Researchers suggest ‘sex-specific strategies’ after analysis of cardiovascular health improvements

A new paper using @ukbiobank.bsky.social data has been featured in the news today including BBC Radio 4's Today programme and here in the @theguardian.com 🔽

@iansample.bsky.social: www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Doubleday pre-empts Professor Turi King's 'myth-busting' book on the secrets of DNA

Doubleday has pre-empted geneticist Professor Turi King's "myth-busting" book on the secrets of DNA. The Secrets of Our DNA: How Genetics Changed the World will publish in May 2026 👇 #BookSky

Had a lovely day of arts and crafts. Christmas crafting at church and then art exhibitions at the library and the museum to see the William Scott (friend of Rothko) paintings.

Doctor Foster season 3 with Suranne Jones 'in the works' after 8 years Could it mark a return of the hit Suranne Jones drama?

So happy with this news my head is spinning around on my body www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/doc...