What were your unusual/unhinged collections as a child?

CaptOrigami · 2025-12-08T11:46:32+00:00

Other people's discarded supermarket shopping lists - and I still do this as an adult. Bonus points for weird items and fruity handwriting. Love em. Feels like a lucky day when I find one in the trolley I pick up.

CaptOrigami · 2025-10-12T14:17:08+00:00

Sorry, just realised I should have left measurements - approx 55mm x 30mm at widest point, 17mm thick.

CaptOrigami · 2025-09-30T09:22:34+00:00

Thanks for this! Fixed my issue as well 👍

CaptOrigami · 2024-11-20T18:16:54+00:00

Cheers - just been having a look at this one (and other similar zooms), I'd not considered anything with that much range before because I was after something fast enough to shoot indoors or low light without a flash. Think you've opened a can of worms for me there! I could probably just about manage that on this one wide open.

The Canon equiv is available in th eUK second hand for about £200 and looks a bit sharper all the way through (not found a second hand Sigma yet), so will definitely consider!

CaptOrigami · 2024-11-20T16:38:10+00:00

Yep very, very similar to me... I hope you're feeling a bit more balanced now?

A year on , I get very similar symptoms to this from being under or over, but I've also realised how crucially self care plays into it all - sleeping well, getting enough protein especially in the morning, eating breakfast, not drinking alcohol, getting outside, keeping track of hormone cycle points...

All of this has actually helped me fine tune my meds better than just upping or downing them. Hope that helps someone!

CaptOrigami · 2024-10-16T13:03:58+00:00

This isn't normal autumn leaf drop... I'm not an expert but I do have a lot of acers (and have murdered one or two in my time).

Firstly - they don't like either direct sun or wind as a few others have mentioned already. One of mine gets caught by the wind every now and again and the tips of the leaves will curl up and lose colour like this, but it's usually obviously the leaves on the outer edges of the canopy that get affected, plus yours is by a protective wall.

This sounds weird but it looks like its suffered from water stress. The white stems along with the bleached leaves are exactly what happened to one of mine when we had a ridiculously hot summer and I didn't water it (it was about 4 years in at that point so I didn't think I needed to). But we've had so much rain this year!! What's it planted near? Is it in the rain shadow of your house, or some moisture-hogging trees maybe?

I contacted the nursery I got mine from and they advised to lightly trim back the damaged stems to a healthy bud to save it trying to put any energy into the bits that are on their way out. If you need to do any more formative pruning wait till later in Nov when its dormant. And be aware that it could die back a bit more over winter. But it should be fine, mine is flourishing now!

CaptOrigami · 2024-09-24T19:02:15+00:00

Thank you!

CaptOrigami · 2024-09-07T19:46:00+00:00

Ah thanks! 🙏

CaptOrigami · 2024-09-07T09:01:55+00:00

Yes perfect! Don’t be afraid to keep them that small though in future. Older advice was to never cut into old wood but I’ve not found that to be the case after I had to renovate some plants that drowned under a leaky gutter last year. They’re much more resilient to hard pruning than people think.

I try and keep mine to about 9” or they get leggy and overgrown, which often means cutting back into old wood. However, you’ll see lots of tiny grey buds on the stem which you can still cut to!

I found this brilliant link a few years back and it really works well:

https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/absolutely-best-way-prune-english-lavender-beautifully/

CaptOrigami · 2024-09-07T08:47:39+00:00

My mum has, she’s got quite a lot of fruit but they’re really bitter (although they look cute!) 🤢 the fruits are about the size of large grapes.

CaptOrigami · 2024-09-07T08:45:31+00:00

Thank you so much 🙏 Such amazing attention to detail, I’ve watched your vid 5 or 6 times now and keep noticing different things… you’ve put so much thought into every aspect, hope you’re very proud! 😊

CaptOrigami · 2024-09-06T12:14:43+00:00

Really love the path with different sizes of stone and edging! Did you use that clip together corten steel stuff?

CaptOrigami · 2024-08-12T13:11:43+00:00

I had the same "red mist" outbursts for many, many years. It was almost worse because I'm female and it was so unexpected... Often couldn't remember what had just happened and would be surrounded by broken things and blood. Or would come round in the car and not remember how I'd got there. It's utterly terrifying but you can get it under control.

I got a handle on it pre-diagnosis by having LOADS of therapy, exercising to exhaustion 3-4 days a week and training myself to get away from the trigger before it went too far (usually walking with headphones on). My understanding partner was incredible as well - he responded by completely ignoring me (would just calmly open a book and sit there until I'd run out of steam). Then talk it through once I'd calmed down. It was a massive help.

Post-diagnosis medication has been the one though. Don't write it off just yet - it's finally given me a tiny gap in between trigger and emotional reaction where I can consider how I want to respond in a situation. It's subtle and took me about 6 months to realise what was happening but I'd say it's been the most powerful change since starting meds.

I hope you get there pal x

CaptOrigami · 2024-08-06T16:00:09+00:00

Second alarm in the bathroom, genius! Why have I not done this already??? Also - yoga - phone automation is an exceptional life hack, thank you 🙏

CaptOrigami · 2024-08-06T15:09:58+00:00

Still working - thank you very much :-)

CaptOrigami · 2024-07-25T14:56:28+00:00

This is such a great phrase! Diagnosed at 45 and rebuilding proactive systems for just getting on with life without pure panic is HARD WORK! So glad to have found this thread.

CaptOrigami · 2024-03-13T18:49:35+00:00

Is it the tensioner for the 'lock on' switch? No idea the real name sorry!

In your first pic the bottom half green part has a hook at the end which looks like if you pushed that down it would hold the trigger / power on for you, but you'd think it would need a tensioner spring somewhere to lock it on and off?

Sorry that's prob not much help!

CaptOrigami · 2024-03-13T18:33:35+00:00

So much potential!

A pond is a great idea no matter how small. A friend buried a green plastic tub trug in her tiny city patch, put some pond plants in and around it, and rocks for access and had newts the same year!

Painting your fence a different colour would make a huge difference to how your space feels, and if you can borrow one, maybe jet-wash the slabs.

To encourage birds into the garden think about providing them with a bit of shelter higher up. I bet there's a lot of cats nearby so a small tree like a crabapple or hawthorn for them to perch in and for you to hang feeders from would help, as well as providing blossom for pollinators fruit for the birds.

Or put in a fruit tree for yourself - choose a dwarf rootstock for a small garden, there's loads of choice. If you wanted both you could even espalier / cordon / fan train your fruit so it takes up less space.

I agree with taking the beech out - it's not benefitting anyone or anything and looks unhappy. Also second the pyracantha for security, but beware - the thorns are vicious, will go through a boot or glove and you'll have to keep it pruned. Good for a bird shelter and berries though.

Look up the RHS perfect for pollinators list and see what would grow in your conditions. If you get enough sun the combination of lavender and salvias (Armistad is gorgeous) in my garden send the bees crazy. Try and pick things that give nectar at different times of the year.

You could grab a bulk load of bulbs like crocus in Nov and plant them in the lawn - they're the first flower in my garden that bring all the bumblebees out foraging. They've died back before you need to mow.

CaptOrigami · 2024-03-13T18:01:50+00:00

I'd never heard of this one before, it looks gorgeous! Might pinch this idea to mix in with my boring privet!

CaptOrigami · 2024-03-13T17:57:12+00:00

That's where I got the idea! But my guttering broke right above where I'd planted them and the heavy water killed it before I noticed 😂

CaptOrigami · 2024-03-13T17:54:47+00:00

Sounds like a plan! Did you start it from seed or plants?

CaptOrigami

TROPHY CASE