Amanda Shortman - she/her

WHEN LOVE BARGES IN by Bryony Rosehurst: And she couldn’t remember ever noticing the exact color of the autumn sun before, or the smoky smell that lingered on the cusp of the seasons. She couldn’t remember anybody ever looking at her and waiting for her to speak. She couldn’t remember ever feeling like she truly existed before now. So Piper said the things she’d always been too ashamed to say before. Because she could see her breath in front of her when she exhaled. Because she was here and she could

Looking for a sapphic autumn romance? WHEN LOVE BARGES IN is 99p/c this October & includes:

🍂 brother’s best friend
🍂 opposites attract
🍂 small town
🍂 canine friends
🍂 late bloomer
🍂 plus size mc
🍂 lesbian x bi+
🍂 family dynamics
🍂 secret relationship

books2read.com/u/3L5LK1

Oh noooooooooo!! I am so sorry 😢

Boosting for moots in the UK.

That is gorgeous!! 😍

White text on a red background that says "If you’ve had a hysterectomy for either Endo or Adeno, how did you get the gynae to agree to the surgery? Despite 3 laparoscopies clearly showing Endo and an MRI showing Adeno, I keep being dismissed. I have an appointment in Nov so need to plan to fight for it."

Please only give advice relevant to my request. I was first diagnosed in 2005 - I have tried all the treatment options. I'm already in perimenopause, and as I need surgery for the Endo I may as well have it all taken out. This is not up for debate. I just want tips on avoiding yet another dismissal.

Reposts was one of the things that kept me from using bluesky for ages. Not so much people reposting my stuff, but my feed ended up with a few people reposting tons of stuff I had no interest in.

Totally get why you don't want your personal stuff reposting ❤️

Time goes sooooooooo fast. Especially in these last 4 months of the year 😂

SPOOKY SALE: a quote from A HAUNTING AT HARTWELL HALL by Rachel Bowdler Blair might have been surrounded by death, but she carried so much life in her that Felicity couldn’t run from her now. So she kissed her again, tasting lavender soap and the woods and Blair, Blair, Blair. And it was enough to keep the ghosts at bay. For now.

A HAUNTING AT HARTWELL HALL will remain 99p/c until the end of October! If you’re looking for a spooky read, this one promises:

🕸️ sapphic romance
🕸️ historical setting
🕸️ opposites attract
🕸️ ghosts
🕸️ medium x sceptic
🕸️ family secrets
🕸️ ~130 pages

🔗 books2read.com/u/bxJNL6

also available direct 👇🏻

Like the Tories, the Labour government is trying to drive down the number of people who qualify for disability benefits by insisting there has been an epidemic of “overdiagnosis”: a favourite theme of the BBC and the junktanks of Tufton Street. Never mind the science: what outcome do we want?

Less grieving what I can't have, and cherishing what I do. Even if it is a totally mismatched living room that nobody else would celebrate.

7/7

All of it just serves as a reminder that life is short and nothing is ever guaranteed.

So I want to make the most of what time I have, with those I love. And carve out a cosy little life for myself.

6/7

I have spent so much time thinking "if only I could get back to x level" only to then get worse.

But I don't want another 10 years to pass by in that way. This year my parents turned 70, my dad was diagnosed with blood cancer, and my sister had a cancer scare of her own (thankfully she's okay)

5/7

And not just ME/CFS wise. Perimenopause fucked up my cycle, and my Endo pain has got worse year on year.

And it hit me the other day that I have spent the past 10 years grieving over the dreams I had for my life, and all that has been taken from us.

4/7

I have never been able to sit with them for a whole morning before.

These past few years have been really tough. Despite already being sick when the pandemic hit, 2020 marked a significant decrease in my baseline.

3/7

You see, I get less fatigued if I can sit with my feet up. I wasn't really comfortable sitting sideways on the sofa because of my hEDS. But now I can sit with my back properly supported and my feet up!

I spent two consecutive mornings in here, crocheting and chatting to the budgies.

2/7

A 2 seater beige leather sofa in a living room with bright green walls. There is an autumn coloured crocheted blanket on the back, and another blanket over the seat cushions. There is a normal cushion and a very shaped cushion on the sofa. And there is a large white and grey leather footstool kn front of the sofa.

This may just look like an untidy, mismatched living room to most. But to me it is a HUGE deal.

We found a footstool that was the perfect size and shape to go with the our sofa, and for the first time since we moved here in 2020 I have been able to spend more than half an hour sitting here 🥰

1/7

Thank you ❤️ it's so hard not to blame myself for doing too much, even though "too much" is so little.

Oh I'm glad. Fingers crossed 🤞

I am so sorry 😢 hoping you can get home and rest as soon as possible!!

I can't just lay here and rest either - I have reflexology this morning, GP appointment Weds (plus our 15th wedding anniversary 🥰), and blood tests Thursday.

I shall be resting as much as is humanly possible in between all those things though!!

So badly fatigued today 😫

It's my own fault. After weeks of ill health from Covid, recovery, and Endo/Adeno pain, I pushed too far last week.

Not only did I sit in the living room 2 whole mornings crocheting, I sorted out 2 wardrobes.

Now I pay the price 😭 ME/CFS sucks so much.

Thanks for sharing ☺️

I am a cozy reader first and foremost. I read a wide range of things, but I always come back to cozy books at some point.

I have a couple on my TBR already - The Lone Witch Cafe by Sydney Wilder, and Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood.

And outside of socials, but still online communities:

- I met @theajane.bsky.social via online dating 18 years ago
- I'm still in touch with bloggers I met almost 20 years ago!
- I'm still friends with people I used to chat to on a forum over 20 years ago

The online world gave me so much 🥰

So many things:

- I've made some amazing friends, some I have been lucky enough to meet in person
- I've been involved in multiple writing projects
- my son & I raised hundreds for charity by sharing his walking challenge
- I never feel fully alone, despite being mostly housebound a lot of the time

Photo of a hand holding a colourful crochet book sleeve

If you want an autumn-vibe book sleeve before I switch to winter colours now is your chance!

louwrites.etsy.com/listing/4374...

If you want to follow them on insta, this is their account. You can also help by sharing this post or reposting their posts on insta.

www.instagram.com/basma_mohamm...

There is more information on Basma's desperate need for medical evacuation there.

As a disabled person, I know how utterly privileged I am to have access to medical care and a safe home.

I cannot imagine being so ill, living in a tent, and having no access to life-saving care.

I am very worried about Basma. Malak also deserves to complete her medical training!

Donate to She’s Dying in a Tent — Help Her Survive Gaza, organized by Bassam Anbar My name is Malak, and I am writing this with a heart full of sorrow as the … Bassam Anbar needs your support for She’s Dying in a Tent — Help Her Survive Gaza

Please consider supporting Basma and her sister Malak, if you can.

I've been talking to Malak on insta for quite some time now. Basma is very ill and desperately needs medical evacuation.

Malak also needs funds to enroll in her next year of medical training.

www.gofundme.com/f/rtw3xt-urg...

It's ridiculous how hard it is to sleep in hospital, isn't it? Sleep is so important for healing, and yet nope, no sleep for you! 😂

👀👀👀