Autumn mood, photo plans, perfume choices

 Last week I slept badly, ate vast amounts of chocolate and didn't feel like doing anything. I wondered if possibly I might be developing an illness or have caught some virus. But then it dawned on me: it's my old enemy, Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. I used to suffer very badly from it when I lived in Britain where cloud cover can be total for days on end, even weeks. It's one of the main reasons I moved to the Italian riviera where there are, in theory, 300 days of sunshine a year. When I was in Britain again in September and now back home in Italy it's done little other than rain and after six weeks of low cloud and virtually no sun, it's causing me this depressed mood. 

It's the first time in six years, ever since I moved to Italy, in fact, that I've suffered this, which is why I've only just realised that this is what's going on. If you've not experienced this slump in desire to do anything because the weather is overcast for an extended period, then you are lucky. 

I did have one of those powerful mood lamps that you are supposed to look at in winter to give you a dose of something similar to sunlight but I didn't find it very effective. It made an excellent desk lamp, though!

Fortunately, today the rain gave way to sun again and it looks to be set fair for the rest of the week. I went out this afternoon and it was a pleasant 22C (72F) and the sunshine felt lovely on my face. Hello old friend. So I'm feeling a bit better already.

The other remedy is to do nice things. I spent the weekend reading books, watching comedies and listening to music and podcasts, and to hell with the housework. And I've planned my Hallowe'en when I will be accessorising a witch's outfit. Yes, there will be pictures. But will the reality match the ideal? I'll need to employ a bit of magic, I think.

 

I'm also downloading photos from the original discs of my early photoshoots.

 

Pictured on a tossing ship. Or else my camera lady is drunk!

There are a lot of these photos and most of them have never been shared before. Watch this space on 18 November when it will be the 20th anniversary of my first makeover and photoshoot. 

One of the books I have been reading is a novel written by a sister of mine. She wants feedback. It's chick lit and I love and read a lot of chick lit but she doesn't know that I am trans. I shall have to be cautious in my feedback.

I also tried some of the free samples of perfumes that come with my weekly copy of Elle. I found Chloé eau de parfum quite overwhelming to start with - even the tiny paper sampler knocked me out - but it settled into a very nice warm scent over time, a hint of floral but not too much. There was still a whiff of it on my pulse points even after two showers, so use sparingly and not if you need to be in bloke mode shortly after. But as a fragrance that seems to work pleasantly with my skin, I think I shall add it to the list of perfumes that are suitable for TGirls. If you haven't seen my popular guide for selecting a good fragrance as a transgender women, here's a link to it: Perfume for TGirls.

Anyway, that's my remedy for SAD. Do happy stuff, smell nice and forget the To Do list. Oh, and leave off alcohol and caffeine (but OK I'll admit that choco is impossible to put down!)

Back to the weather. The rain has been serious this autumn. In Britain in September, fields in the West Midlands were under water and I was frequenty woken at night by drumming rain. Here in Italy the rain has been so torrential that it's caused flooding, landslips and damage to infrastructure. Not as bad as Storm Alex in 2020, but still pretty destructive. To be fair, October is storm season here and you do have to expect some trouble.

On Saturday, I checked the state of the clouds and dashed out between showers to get my newspaper and Elle. I was five minutes from home on my return journey when the heavens opened again and the steep uphill road I live on turned into a literal river with a torrent six-inches deep rushing down it that overtopped the kerb, knocked out drain covers and gouged out the tarmac - you could see road chips surging by on the boiling tide. It was spectacular! Fortunately I was under the shelter of the awnings of a small parade of shops and could watch it unfold without being swept away. It eventually eased off and we have several new potholes now. Regional elections have been going on this weekend and today's paper is seriously wondering why turnout was down on last time. Er, I can tell you why, Mr Journalist!

I'm hoping that's the last of it and the weather will stay dry and sunny. If I'm to be a witch you can hardly expect me to fly off on my broomstick in the wet now, can you?

Sue x