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I wrote this yesterday, stuck it on Facebook, primarily for all the mums of kids with additional needs who struggle with the school holidays, like myself.

Then I thought ‘not everyone is on Fb are they and someone who isn’t may still benefit from seeing it and feel a bit less alone’, hence me sticking it on here too.

I never really know what I’m supposed to use this space for so I just basically use it for anything I bloody like😂

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This is really brave, I respect your honesty, Julie. Another great piece of writing!

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Thank you Peter. I’ve had a little creative flurry this week.

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Love you julie!! Happy you've got some free time again 💜hope your well.

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Yeah - loads to sort for son with all these reports and stuff but just having more space is a blessing. Hope you are good too xx

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Mother in law died. Then sister in laws wife died. And my partner found the son of a family friend hanged but managed to save him. Quite a horrid month. trying to stay positive. Everyones feeling shitty here. Still doing my gardening to get in abit of cash. Bertie had to have an op because he ground 2 of his teeth loose.. General anesthetic whixh neither of us want to go through! Sorry all negative but thats just luck of the draw isnt it. Still life goes on.... 😂 I want some space so badly. Hope your son settled back to school well

. Xxx

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Wow! That sounds like a shitter of a month Lauren. Really does.

I understand you may be at the piano concert later this month? Hope so. Would be fab to meet you xx

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Yes! I cant wait to meet you and everyone. A nice break from the madness here xxx

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Haha! I feel the complete opposite like this week is the long slow cold dark downhill to Christmas and I have to be extremely resilient to keep energised running up to the 2 Christmas weeks which I absolutely hate as it is so dreary and I am alone two weeks and then the worst month ever, January which I hate as I spend it in the welsh valleys (which I hate) then two more blustery months before Easter finally knocks around! 7 months of purgatory for me! Rather pessimistic but after the fresh faced long days of idle summer paddling in the sea the darkening eves are horrendous. Last year I was still happily paddling in November, a helicopter came and checked me out, nosey sods! I have to wear more and more clothes .. I have bought a drumkit to distract me this autumn and I often sit just musing in candlelight which is soothing. I love living alone in a remote spot but winter is about the outside of enough!

Anyway, enjoy September! We'll meet again lols!! 😆🎼🎶

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There are wonderful joys to be experienced in every season!

And I shall see you at the piano concert xx

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Yes rather! I have a caravan for the week in Stamford Bridge, AshesThanDust is staying one night, I also have a week in a remote welsh farmhouse booked for January! It's just I get bored with the trend of my winter life, same old dreary same old year in year out. However your writings will cheer me! Can't wait for the meetup, just deciding what music to play + Lauren is coming up from Pembroke with her violin!!! I'm writing some arrangements so we can duo

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Oh that’s awesome! Yeah I’m staying over too so we can all make a night of it!

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It's gonna be a ball! I imagine by about 8 we will move off to a pub venue!

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I felt every word. Mum of 2 additional needs sons here too who has never been a member of the PTFA or fitted in at the school gates. Lol. Thank you for your honesty 🙏🏼

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We find each other don’t we?x

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Brilliant! And so true! Xx

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Glad you could relate x

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Ah good to hear you Julie. Grab your life back now with a vengeance! Your reflective honesty is really missed on Twitter (dare I say that name?) I know it’s cool to vilify it and people are rightly angry at the way it operates but there are still many good people on there with diverse opinions and we miss you.

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And I miss them too Janette. Here I am in my little old soap box in the woods with so many others, talking to anyone who’ll listen.😂

Twitter was like having coffee with friends and I miss my fix. We all knew the hangouts, the cafes we liked, who was a herbal tea sort, who did expresso shots, then of course we had the Smoothies…😂😂😉

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I’m not getting Truth at all. Everyone there seem to be exactly on the same page. There’s no diversity of opinion or real sharing of information. I always feel like a stalker joining people’s threads. 😂GETTR is a little better.

Anyway. My youngest grandson started school yesterday aged 4 years no months. Played merry hell at putting on the uniform. He’s gone along with it so far but I can see he might find conforming all day every day a challenge. 😂 strong willed lad.

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School never made any sense to me

From day one I wore my woolly hat indoors and wandered from classroom to classroom to see what lessons were going on, I thought it worked like a department store, you just wandered until you found clothes you fancied trying on .. no one stopped me - sometimes I found toys or books lying about

Break was very confusing - why did everyone suddenly go outside? I never got any of it! Later in my teens I saw it as a training ground for the battle called adult life and dropped chairs out of windows and set half the room chucking inky paper at the other half - livened things up! Often we locked kids in cupboards or teachers out of classrooms. I never wrote essays or anything, just counted the hours to hometime. Wasted 11 years!

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“Counting the hours til home time” would make a good title for a book wouldn’t it?😂

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Yes, it’s in my nature to enjoy a bit of friction. I want to rub up against something different as well as chat to ‘my tribe’.

Re your grandson- gotta love a strong willed character ❤️💪🏼🔥

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Absolutely!

Oh yes! He’s a dude! 👊

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September 10, 2022
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I appreciate your thoughts. I think there are too many people on here showing only one side of their character on these things. Well not me.

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September 6, 2022
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😂😂😂

I read it (my post) and I thought “Do I sound like someone who doesn’t love her kid?”😂😂

Raining here today but time alone in the house is BLISSFUL!!! Xx

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September 6, 2022
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Yes I’d call it “Economy Disney” but Disney aren’t that nice….😂😂

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September 6, 2022
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I think at some stage we may have to home ed as I won't be sending him miles away so hes sitting for hours on buses every day. I added an audio to this to try and give a little more context to what I've written as I didn't want it to sound heartless!

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