iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Making a crochet neckwarmer out of yarn that frankly looked nicer as a ball of yarn than it does as a small scarf like thing. Nonetheless I have now invested heavily in 30mm buttons for it, which I'm hoping will be the making of it. 🧶

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Embarking on dog's evening "toilet time" and dog and I came face to face, less than a foot from the backdoor with a hedgehog. We all had a moment. Fortunately mine involved grabbing the dog's lead and leading a hasty retreat into the house. The hedgehog departed in its own good time.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

I hadn't read the Walrus and the Carpenter poem since my early teens. Opened my book at random and there it was, and I was ready to settle into it with a comfiness. Then I read the introduction and now I'm plain alarmed by the tyrant, the annihilation, the behaviours. Horrified.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Working from home in the dining room with a dog keeping my foot warm. It's not so bad.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

I'm making a slow crochet scarf / shawl thing. It has motifs. I am making one, then I am blocking it, and then I am weaving in the ends. Before I make the next one. None of this is like me. 🧶

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Reposted by SmileyAli

Sue Kirk @suekirk.bsky.social · 22/08/2025

Remember, as we enter Giant Spider season, that when people say 'they are more scared of us than we are of them' this remains unproven and is spider propaganda.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Tombolas. I've been to a local makers market thing at the Providence Church. There was a tombola, and as I had mooched around but not found any way of contributing to the economy thought I'd buy a Tombola ticket - which I did.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Reading a Mark Manson quote "Extreme productivity is just socially acceptable self-harm.". Resonates.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Say I were to have totally gone off podcasts on politics and self help, beyond the Rest is History, what is interesting listening, while not being too interesting?

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

It's hard to beat the joy of going through a bag of yarn related things and rediscovering your favourite crochet hook. 🧶

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

I made cashew nut sour cream and was amazed by how good it was. Even with substituting rice vinegar for cider vinegar.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

I am listening to a podcast which now has me questioning why as a little girl I had this whole raft of different teenager dolls and why I never wanted one of the boy dolls. Barbie but no Ken. I have no answers.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

My #MSFriday musings. I'm scared. I've had a bad few days. I had to stop work at midday yesterday because cognitively I had nothing to give. I couldn't even handle the routine tasks I save up for days like this. I just had to stop.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Congratulations to me on getting older - this is my final month of mortgage on my home.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

My 83 year old mother has put up a photo of one of our childhood teddy bears on the family WhatsApp and advised us that he's going in the bin. Watch this space for updates.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Picked up the winter jumper I didn't finish crocheting by the end of last winter. Now trying to remind myself which pattern, and which stitch. Maybe it'll be good for this winter, yes?

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

By way of experiment, I am listening to a Brahms violin concerto. Unexpectedly, I'm liking it. I have a rocking chair and a book too.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Copilot AI knows me well. "I just want the people paid to make the decision to make the decision". Spot on.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

I have, over the last 18 months, acquired three of the sturdy bags for life that have been discarded around town. All of them clean and looking like they've been used just once. I have no idea whether the utter lunacy here is people discarding them or me acquiring them.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Today on #MSFriday I boldly adapted an Overcoming MS muffin recipe. It substituted blackberries from my garden for raspberries and some leftover smoothie for passion fruit pulp. They maybe are a little soft but they will do.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

The dog has tipped up the bucket with the small balls of leftover yarn and the scrappy project. I'm kind of avoiding returning to the front room to observe the carnage.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Feeling the sadness, the horror, the loss (although not personal to me) of two deaths yesterday. Allowing the sadness to sink into my stomach and sit there, contained, feeling, reflecting, stretching to the actual friends and families who are without someone they loved dearly.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

My #MSFriday musings. I've always been someone a little hung up on dates (I won't forget dates of birth of my people). So, I can see hovering the three years since MS diagnosis mark in my calendar at the end of this month.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Chances that it'll be 22 degrees by reasonable bedtime tonight?

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

My entire day is trying to convince the dog to lie down. If I sit on the kitchen floor he'll come and lie next to me. If I sit on the floor in the dining room and offer him a hand stripping session (wirehaired pointer thing) he'll do that. The plumber is the most exciting thing all day.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Cannot find the little light for the dog's collar but as I'm not letting go of his lead it'll all be fine. Besides which, I'm only going out if the temperature drops below 22 and it's only so he can have a poo.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

There are things nobody tells you about dog ownership. Other half is observing that 5:30am morning walks aren't something he knew about. Personally, I'm at the other end of the day hoping that by 10:30 the temperature might be down to 21, and thinking about a torch for the evening poo walk.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Small triumph for today is that inside the house is 4 degrees cooler than outside (in the shade). Inside is just over 23C, shade outside is over 27C. I dread to think what it's like in full sun.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

I created and attached two new external solar fabric panels before 08:10 - the home office has been an absolute oven, and I am trying.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Musings on #MSFriday are that I now have a reasonable adjustment that makes me a home worker. I'm a mix of relieved and sad. I will miss face to face contact but I won't miss the management of my ability to do stuff for the next two days.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Right. Let's see if I can find the birthday card I bought for my brother last year but forgot to send and see if I can actually get that out there this year.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

My brother has taken up golf. His birthday is coming up. Just looking at golfing accessories makes me feel uneasy.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

My #MSFriday musings are that I've run out of words for tired.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

What did you do with your summer? #yarnbomb 🧶

Multi coloured crocket covers a cycle rack. Appliquéd on is a pale blue crochet chain ring. At the top is a multi coloured saddle decorated with two granny chairs. In the background is a striped crochet track pump, pink, purple, blue, with clumsily embroidered ROCK MILL running top to bottom. The track pump handle is pale blue on a cream, purple and blue striped upright.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

I appreciate the nuances of languages aren't that important to everyone but I am still trying to process a message from my neighbour where she described her 10 year old has having "failed" at a task. Not made a mistake, failed. This is going round my head a lot. Her 10 year old fixed her own mistake

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

One of my favourite things in the mornings when Other Half is out with Uz Dog is to open many windows and doors and see how much I can reduce the temperature in the back room by before he's back. Usually it's around a degree.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

I know I'm desperate when I'm drying tinned broad beans in kitchen roll in order to air fry them in an attempt to find a snack food I really really really like

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

AI has kind of revolutionised my ability to figure out what kind of expert I need to call to fix my problems. Today's moment was a van electrical fault. Messaged a guy, and fingers crossed.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

Not quite 18 months since Mr Sprocket, the German Wirehaired Pointer entered our house. Our life and our house was absolutely meant to have a dog in it.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

I want you to know what I did with the £1.17 saddle from eBay

Blue, yellow, orange bright crochet wrapped around a bicycle saddle sitting on scraped wooden floorboards.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

My #MSFriday musings. It's nearly three years since diagnosis with MS. There are times now when I feel I'm understanding how to work with my body. Which would be fine if I lived in a sealed chamber, but I don't. I live within my life.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

I am ridiculously excited that I might receive the £1.17 bicycle saddle I bought from eBay today. It has a yarn bombing role to play. Pray for me that it arrives before 13:40 and I can take it to yarn bomb stores in my afternoon visit to fit it out.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

I'm working in the dining room because other half is out on his bicycle and I'm expecting a delivery. I hadn't expected Uz Dog to relocate from his bed to lie down next to me, but here we are.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

I bought a summer dress for a fiver on vinted, no labels. It's lovely, and perfect, and I realise it's also hand made. I'm beyond happy with my purchase, and jealous of the dressmaker for being so good at what they do.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

My #MSFriday musings this week are that I've had normal people issues all week. Normal people problems with the heat, with the dog (and the heat), with work (and the heat), with finding time to do exercise (in the heat).

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

I like data. This reminds me of my junior school experience. We were the first year where the impacts of a baby boom ending were clear. The school shifted from two classes each year to one full class and one half class that was mixed with a half class in the year below.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

We now seem to have a dog who, when we're washing up lies down next to us and rests his head on our feet. It's the cutest thing and makes washing up much more attractive.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

I've booked myself a birthday treat of an introduction to trailing afternoon with Uz Dog!

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Actually reported a water leak for the first time ever. Did not like the website wanting an actual address as opposed to a pin on the map, and I hadn't taken a photo of the perma puddle and trickle so there's that too.

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SmileyAli @smileyali68.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Next door have a huge sun shade. They are careless with it, sometimes it overhangs into our garden. Today it seems to have fallen into our garden. It is huge. I cannot, from this side, heft it back to them. Is it wrong to not care if the dog decides it's a brand new tug toy?

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