50 and Not So Fabulous!
My vision board for 2022 is full of adventures, celebrations, and making memories. As I turned 50 in May, I wanted this year to be one I would remember and look back on with fondness.
Three days after the BIG birthday, which also coincided with the publication of my sixteenth title, The Last Princess, I fell down a flight of stairs fracturing my ankle and tearing the ligaments across the top of my foot.
I didn’t have THAT on my vision board!!
My spiritual background means I fully accept that the Universe was telling me to slow down. I knew I’d packed a lot into my schedule with work, speaking engagements, writing, and celebrations, but I told myself I could cope as it was all ‘nice stuff’. How wrong I was.
As an active person, it’s driving me insane sitting on the sofa wearing the Boot of Doom (which weighs the same as a toddler, btw!), which has had a huge knock-on effect on my mental health. I’ve always struggled with asking for help (survivor mentality kicking in), and suddenly being off my feet and unable to ‘pop’ to the shop, drive my camper, or even clean the kitchen was a nightmare.
I kept telling myself, ‘if you don’t write in the dust, nobody will notice it’s there!’
The dark cloud began to settle, and I stayed on the sofa watching old films and feeling sorry for myself. I rearranged my trip to Northumberland with my daughter, cancelled a boat trip and overnight stay in Poole over the Jubilee weekend, rearranged a day out on a Narrowboat, and cancelled my trip to Hever Castle. I’ve also moved a few workshops and speaking gigs to later in the year and am in the process of begging for lifts to events where I’ll still have my boot on.
Consequently, I sulked and switched off my phone. I couldn’t muster any enthusiasm to go on social media or check my emails.
That was a few weeks ago, and I’m slowly starting to feel like my old self again. I now realise it’s okay to step away from everything, especially when your body is trying to heal from injury.
The doc told me I’d got another four weeks in the Boot of Doom, and then it’s back to the hospital for another x-ray and (fingers crossed) I’ll get the green light to start walking and driving again.
I’m popping back on social media now and then and even sharing the odd meme, which is always a good sign. My sense of humour is returning, and I realise sitting with your foot up and having the kids look after you isn’t that bad – although they may disagree!
One of the things I didn’t get to do (because I was in a lot of pain and sulking) was to thank the fantastic book bloggers who supported the launch of The Last Princess, so if you missed any of the guest posts, reviews, extracts, or interviews, you’ll find them all below. Please pop along and support them:
Linda’s Book Bag: https://lindasbookbag.com/2022/05/25/shelley-wilson-introduces-the-last-princess/
Lynette Creswell: https://lynetteswebsiteblog.com/2022/05/25/the-last-princess-by-shelley-wilson/
Morton Gray: https://mortonsgray.com/2022/05/23/what-i-do-when-im-not-writing-by-shelley-wilson/
Jill’s Book Café: https://jillsbookcafe.blog/2022/05/27/five-on-friday-with-shelley-wilson-shelleywilson72/
Author’s Reach: https://www.authorsreach.co.uk/post/shelley-wilson-the-last-princess
Francesca Tyer: https://www.francescatyer.com/post/extract-from-the-last-princess-by-shelley-wilson
Olga Author Translator: https://www.authortranslatorolga.com/?p=14138&fbclid=IwAR250dALWwmBJPlisPPrLh5dcVYtzFSug-dVvN_n9hKy95tnHUGVZ-LfbDI
I’ve also loved reading the reviews as they start to trickle in for The Last Princess. Here are a few swashbuckling book reviews to tempt you to read the book.
Noelle Granger’s Book Review: https://saylingaway.wordpress.com/2022/06/09/book-review-the-last-princess-by-shelley-wilson-shelleywilson72-historical-fiction-saxons-vikings/
Terry Tyler’s Book Review: https://terrytylerbookreviews.blogspot.com/2022/06/the-last-princess-by-shelley-wilson.html
My ‘Fabulous at 50’ vision board might have been a tad optimistic as I’m now 50 and not so fabulous, but it does mean I’ll never forget 2022, which was what I wished for!
Thanks for the lovely messages I’ve received on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You guys have helped my smile return. On the plus side, I did manage to fit a few celebrations in before my big tumble! Enjoy the Gallery 🙂
Shelley Wilson Author 
Just think of it as a blip, Shelley, a hiatus, if you will. You’ll soon be up and about again, and at least you fitted in some fab things before your birthday. So glad to see you are mentally feeling much better about it all and I wish you a speedy recovery
Best wishes and take care
Georgia/Mary xx
Sent from my iPad
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Thank you, I’m referring to it as a ‘speed wobble’ in life, haha. At least the sun has come out for a few days so I’ll get myself set up in the garden – silver lining! Xx
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Glad to hear that you are over the slump, I’m sure there is something that will come out of all this for you.
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Thanks, Rosie. Slowing down and not taking as much on is a lesson I’ve needed to learn for a while. I guess I wasn’t listening!
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I fully sympathise, Shelley. I was out of action for three months and it was driving me mad. Fingers crossed all will be well after your next doctor’s visit xx
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We take for granted our ability to do what we want when we want don’t we! I hope you are fully recovered now xx
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We definitely do! I’m off the crutches but still going for physio so not quite back to normal yet xx
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Fingers crossed your recovery is speedy and you feel ‘normal’ again soon xx
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Thanks, Shelley. You too xx 🙏🏽
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I so empathise with you Shelley. I was out of action for several weeks after a hip op and wrote a blog series Words from a Cave. So I can understand that”s what it feels like! Late this year I am possibly having foot surgery and it is so challenging clearing my diary! I’m off to Australia for 2 mths on 16 Aug to see my daughter and sister in Brisbane – it was on my Vision Board and at the time I had no plans to go there at all this year…
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I love it when you manifest the things on your board!! I hope you have a brilliant time. We’re hopefully having another Socially Shared Meet the Author event in November so I hope you’ll be up and about for that x
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So glad you’re beginning to feel better, Shelley. Sounds like you needed to take a break (though probably not quite so literally!). Hope you’re back on the road in the camper van soon – there’s a cup of tea or something stronger waiting for you in Cenarth if you venture this way! xx
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That sounds fabulous!! I’m missing my Snoopy outings more than anything else. Thank you xx
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Wonderful news that you are healing up, Shelley. Foot injuries are the worst. I fell and broke a bone in my foot two weeks before a trip to Iceland, threw the boot of doom away the day we left (can’t navigate with the darn thing on a boat!), and hobbled. It healed up anyway.
But having a time to decompress is good for us all, and I think this was a reminder to slow down a little!
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I’m struggling to navigate around my own furniture so I can’t imagine being on a boat with this boot, haha. Yes, slowing down is a big lesson x
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I’m reading this post late – I’m so sorry about your injury! I hate asking for help – I totally relate to that. And like you, I hate being sidelined because of an injury – I have nowhere to place my energy. I also understand how social media and engaging becomes a lot less interesting when you’re not feeling up. I hope you’re feeling better now! By the way, we were able to add your Self Help for the Helpless to our digital library collection. I was so pleased to see it was available on OverDrive! 🙂
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Thank you 🙏 I’ve recently got my paints out as I can be creative sat with my foot up! It’s keeping me sane at the moment. Great news about adding SH4TH! Thank you 🙏
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