iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Our view at Sunday lunch today. Ely Cathedral in the background.

Photo taken from a formal garden terrace. There are flowers and shrubs in the foreground. In the distance there are views of fields and on the right of the photo is a river. On the horizon, but not very clear is a view of Ely Cathedral.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Youngest made spur of the moment decision to go to Lords today.

A picture taken at Lords Cricket Ground this morning before play started. The pavilion is in the background and there are players and ground staff on the pitch in the foreground.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Jesus College cricket ground last Sunday.

Statue of a hare standing on top of a cricket wicket. It is situated on the boundary of a cricket ground.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Stunning skyscapes at tonight's T20 Women's World Cup England v New Zealand game.

The Oval cricket ground. The photo was taken as the sun was setting, but it was raining slightly too, so there is no cricket being played and the covers are on the cricket pitch. The sun is shining through a break in the clouds .

A view of the Oval cricket ground showing a large bank of cloud with sun shining through at the bottom and the skyscrapers of London in the distance.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

Stunning Dr Who yeti cake made by our daughter a couple of years ago for youngest who has spent the day watching classic Dr Who, including the yeti episode.

Close up of a cake. It is made to look like the Yeti character in Dr Who. It has large white eyes and sharp white claws. The body is made of chocolate icing to look like brown fur.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

In hospital with my son. These poppies made me smile when out for a stroll whilst our son was in surgery. Bits of the hospital grounds are beautiful, but these flowers were growing in a rather unlovely area.

Two pale purple poppies growing by a road.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

A fox seen at Cambridge University Botanic Gardens earlier this week.

On the right of the picture is a fox with their back to the camera. There is a flower bed in the foreground with large purple flowers and some shrubs. There are trees in the background.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

Looks like the cricket season has started.

A picture of the driving pedals in a car. There is a pile of grass cuttings next to the clutch.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

It's so good when hospitals get reasonable adjustments so right. My son is at a hospital clinic & his doctor is running an hour late. Within minutes we were offered a quiet room to wait in. I didn't ask for this it just happened. 😊 #LearningDisability #DownSyndrome #ReadonableAdjustments

Young man in a wheelchair watching a video on a tablet.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

I had a meeting today near the Cambridge Botanic Gardens. I took the opportunity to have a walk in the gardens afterwards. Stunning as ever.

Close up snow drops growing in a boarder. There are some ferns in the background.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

Snow and snowdrops at Anglesey Abbey today.

Snowdrops growing in a flower bed which has a light dusting of snow.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 29/12/2025

Accidentally put the tablecloth on the wrong way round. It was made by grandmother. You wouldn't know without looking very closely because her stitching was so neat.

Close up of flowers on embroidered tablecloth.

Close up of embroidered flowers on a green tablecloth.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 29/10/2025

Anglesey Abbey looking glorious yesterday.

Row of trees by water. The trees are reflected in the water and some have golden leaves.

View of a river bank taken through the leaves of trees. The leaves in the foreground are green. Those on the opposite bank are mainly golden.

Cyclamen growing in a wooded are. The cyclamen are surrounded by fallen leaves.

Herbaceous border with green leaves on shrubs in the foreground. There is a small tree with red and golden leaves.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 21/10/2025

I managed to snatch a brief outing last week to Wimpole Hall. When my son was in better health, he always told me to 'look up' whenever we went out to walk in the woods near our house. Sound advice I think.

View of the canopy of trees taken from below.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 05/10/2025

I finally found some blackcurrant juice so I could replicate johannisbeere which I enjoyed on my trips to Germany earlier. this year.

Close up of a glass containing a dark red drink.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 12/09/2025

Meanwhile at my daughter's student flat they are watching the Muppets and eating cupcakes.😂

A plate of cup cakes decorated with green icing and smiley faces.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 07/09/2025

Owls in parks in Edinburgh and Freiburg.

Wooden carving of an owl. It is on a plinth which has the image of two smaller owls carved into it. There are shrubs and trees in the background.

Stone carving of an owl. There are shrubs planted behind.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

Yesterday should have been the first day of year 13 for my son, but he's been unable to attend school since March. Due to a decline in health, he now rarely leaves the house. Yesterday was his granddad's 80th birthday and we did manage an outing for celebratory cake. #LearningDisabilty #SEND

Three plates, each with a cake and fork on them. There is a lemon cake, carrot cake and chocolate cake.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 31/08/2025

Well, it truly has been a school holiday of two halves this year. Lovely trip with youngest to Freiburg to visit our daughter who was studying there. The rest of the time has been swallowed up with appointments and paperwork for our middle child. #SEND #LearningDisabilty

Historic city gate with a painting of St George and the dragon on one wall. There are branches of trees in the foreground and and tramlines going through the gates.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 31/08/2025

My son (when he was well enough and still had speech) used to tell us to look up whenever we went walking in the woods near our home. He was right.

A picture of the canopy of trees in full leaf taken from below.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 20/08/2025

Bit of a theme emerging here. Crocodile on the left is in Baden Baden (spotted yesterday) and the other one is in Freiburg.

Large green statue of a crocodile in a park.

Statue of a crocodile's head in a stream.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 18/08/2025

Visiting daughter in Freiburg today. Some quirky statues around the old town.

Statue on a wall by a city stream. It is an image of a face in the style of the Easter Island statues. There are trees around the statue and buildings in the background.

Statue of a the head of a crocodile with it's head out of the water in a small stream.

Statue of an ammonite fossil on a plinth on a pavement. There are parked bicycles in the background.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 01/08/2025

This popped up in my my memories today. A bit of peak nerding with youngest last summer when B was at respite.

Bowl of jelly babies on a table next to a Dr Who DVD.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 20/06/2025

Brief outing with my son this morning. He's pausing to look at some butterflies. #LearningDisability #DownSyndrome

Young man in a wheelchair. He has his back to the camera. He has brown curly hair. The photo was taken on a footpath with fencing and foliage either side of the path.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

It's wonderful what a few reasonable adjustments can do. My son had a gastroscopy today. It was undoubtedly uncomfortable and scary for him but the staff did everything they could to make it easier. #LearningDisability

Blue teddy bear with a colourful sticker on his chest which says 'I am brave'.

Blue teddy bear lying down. He has a cannula on his right paw.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

It's tough going at the moment with my son being very poorly, so I am taking whatever glimmers of joy I can just now. This is growing in our neighbour's garden but has come through our fence. It makes me smile every time I go into the garden.

Close up of a large iris flower growing next to a fence. The petals are white with purple at the edges.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 08/04/2025

Crossed the boarder into France today to visit the beautiful city of Colmar.

Wooden double doors to a shop. The is a bicycle in front of the doors and in front of it a wooden sign which says La Petite Venice. There are hydrangea plants in pots either side of the wooden sign.

Large sign in red letters with the city name Colmar on it. It is on a large piazza with historic buildings in the background. There is a row of flags in front of the buildings.

Upper stories of an old shop building. It is on a street corner and has a timber frame structure.

Two buildings with timber frame upper stories. There are Easter decorations in the windows, and some of the windows have flower boxes.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 06/04/2025

Wonderful day watching the Freiburg Marathon. Pleased to report our amazing daughter completed her first marathon and the atmosphere here was wonderful.

Sign for the Freiburg marathon. Some runners with their backs to the camera can be seen on the left of the picture.

A road which is closed for the marathon. It is near the finishing line and there is an illuminated sign directing runners to the finish.

University of Freiburg library buildings. The road in the picture is on the route of the Freiburg marathon.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 06/04/2025

In Germany visiting our daughter who is running her first marathon today. Never had complimentary Haribo at a hotel before.

Hotel bed. The photo shows a small packet of Haribo sweets on the pillow.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

Here's a couple of photos from the Cambridge Botanic Gardens.

Tulips in ceramic pots in a glass house. Those in the foreground are white, behind are some yellow and red tulips and red ones in the pot to the left.

Boarder in a flower bed with daffodils in flower in the foreground.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

Using language that is dehumanising to people with Learning Disabilities doesn't emphasise the point. It hurts people.

A page from an early twentieth century text classifying people with Learning Disabilities using what is now considered dehumanising language.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

These words are tossed around just now without much thought but were important to the early 20th century fashionable euthanasia agenda. It didn't end well.

Text from an early twentieth century text book categorising types of learning disabilities using dated language.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

Eldest back from university placement in Brazil. Best Christmas present ever.

Photo of a house stair case decorated with balloons saying 'welcome home' and bunting with Brazilian flags.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

Blusterous morning in Cambridge, but it was worth bracing the elements to hear Syeeda Warsi talk very powerfully about othering.

A photo of Newton's apple tree in front of Trinity College in Cambridge. The tree has lost most of its leaves and there are historic buildings in the background.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

Youngest's mock GCSEs nearly done, relaxing as a family watching Bake Off - An Extra Slice. It feels good.

Close up of an open fire in a living room.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

As my son gets older, he's been able to engage more with sport. He goes to Super 1s cricket and PanDisability football sessions. Both are brilliant. My son isn't very mobile but he can participate on his own terms. It's done a lot for his confidence.

Teenage boy holding a cricket bat. The picture is taken at the edge of cricket field, close to the boundary. There are large trees in the background.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 09/11/2024

Taken at Denny Abbey over half term.

Close up of a medieval sculpture of a lion's face.

Medieval sculpture of a man's face. He has a beard. The sculpture has been eroded so the features of the face aren't very clear.

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 21/09/2024

Bluesky now has over 10 million users, and I was #9,362,059! Gosh, a bit late to the game but I got there.

A virtual certificate with text "Celebrating 10M users on Bluesky, #9,362,059, Mary Cole ‪@dmcricketwidow.bsky.social‬, joined on Sep 7, 2024"

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Mary Cole @dmcricketwidow.bsky.social · 14/09/2024

My gorgeous son went out with his P.A. this morning. They went to the market and said P.A. asked what he wanted to buy. His response 'flowers for Mummy'. Here they are. 💖 #LearningDisability #DownSyndrome

Bouquet of flowers on a dining room table. There are sunflowers, roses, lilies and chrysanthemums in the arrangement.

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