Hi Posse! Today I thought we could all do with Something Not Related. No matter how much you love or loathe the season. Whether you are religious, non religious, another religion or just overwhelmed by the constant barrage, we can all do with a little brain clearance. So I’m going to write today about a favourite fragrance and how much I love to walk off my mental health hiccups. Also, there will be a couple of pictures of our beautiful, loving, sometimes still a bit naughty, aged greyhounds. Both of them turned 11 in 2025 and we can really tell they’re starting to wind down.
ARE YOU STRUGGLING? Here’s a survival post especially for you.
Something Not Related
CHANEL Coco
Today’s Something Not Related perfume is Coco vintage extrait by CHANEL. I’m guessing this was a 1993 or 1985 batch because CHANEL repeats every 8 years and the bottle stopper and shoulder shape fits the era. When I bought it the bottle was mostly full but it’s had some loving wear over the years. Seeing that Coco was released in 1984 it could be that old. Signed by Jacques Polge it is a spicy amber done in a very CHANEL style. Big but sophisticated and though it references many of its predecessors, Coco stands alone.
Walking
The best way to clear my head is to go for a walk. Embarrassingly I’ve started to have Tourettes like symptoms of needing to make sounds or kind of bark as I’m walking off a mental health dip. It’s actually a thing that will snap me out of the mire and make me laugh at myself. So a healthy spritz, often of something untried, and a wander outside the house. In Sydney at this time of year there will be a gazillion flies annoying me while walking, another excellent distraction. I only have to do about 500-1000 steps to get my blood pumping, some deep breaths and sunlight. Other times I’ll grab the dogs and make use of a nearby park bench to sit and just take in the view (while being the centre of a fly-nami). The dogs are so happy to be outside it kind of puts everything back into perspective. That we often go to the cemetery across the road also helps because it’s a good reminder that pretty soon I’ll be dead and none of whatever is troubling me will matter. I think this life is all about perspective.
Here are some photos taken in the past of wanders around the area.
Found this the other day too. Only really useful in low key lows. Kinda good though.
Greyhounds
Paris is my mainly black boy. Momo is Jin’s mainly white girl. We love them and they love us. None of us are perfect and often one or all of us is misbehaving in some way. We are all aging disgracefully and all grateful that we get to do it together.
I know my life is very small. It’s enough. We have love, home, friends and enough to share. Sure, the world is a mess and we are being manipulated by a bunch of sad assed, rapacious billionaires who seem to have everything except joy in their lives. Yet, in our small way we do our best to make the world around us a little better. Trying to leave people, and the planet, just a little better off than we found them and it. Nothing is perfect, especially us. We work within our parameters.
Hope you’re doing OK.
HUG
Portia xxx
If the Black Dog really gets its teeth in then here is a link to
USA and International HELP LINES.
They are waiting for your call. In fact, they’ve given up their time to be of service.
Make their day and make the call.
Them helping you could also be the thing that’s helping them get through it all too.
Oh Portia, this was a lovely, sweet post–and the pictures of the sky, the blush orange and clouds is beautiful. We are also living in our very small world, sadly without many friends and no family in this corner of California. We are not depressed, but we both miss the company of others and the general “family-ness” of the season. We are also in a flood zone right now and the rain is POURING. Just a few feet in elevation it’s snowing. So we alternated between strategically placing sandbags–and cooking today. But the tree is up, our several cats contentedly lounging along with our dogos. Thank you for sharing resources. Holidays are tricky. And this year with the hot mess and leader of the “not so free world”–even more stressful and dark. Nonetheless have a peaceful and joyous time with Jin, pups, and Co. I love Coco Chanel btw–perfect this time of year. I think I might wear that for today, Christmas morning.
Happy Xmas morning. It is dark, cold and windy but … it’s not raining (don’t want to jinx that). Thank you for your considered post, Portia. I think it’s particularly helpful this year.
I’ve now been retired for two years and I can say I am thankful for that. I’ve learned to slow down and really look at and appreciate things. The slowing down is a big deal after always being in a rush for whatever reason.
I am thankful for my blood and non-blood family. For the dog who keeps things real and makes me breathe. For walking — everyday all over the place. For my history being from immigrants and being an immigrant myself. We add immeasurably to things.
For perfume and the people you get to meet if only remotely.
For travel and how it changes things.
For laughter, silliness, joy, contemplation, but also keeping your eyes and mind open.
Oh, and for the local museum bringing a Grayson Perry exhibition to our little corner of the world in January. I’m ludicrously excited.
Hope it’s a reasonable day for us all.