My Flatshare: Me, Helmut, Loki, the Buddha – and Susan, right in the middle

Welcome to my unintentionally spiritual flatshare! If you’ve just stumbled in, here’s the cheat sheet:

• Helmut isn’t my boyfriend – he’s my Parkinson’s.

• Loki isn’t my ex – he’s my dog.

• Stefanie is my physiotherapist – and my Buddha in sneakers.

• And me? I’m Susan. Perpetually overwhelmed, perpetually spilling tea – but somehow still pulling it off. (Well… most days.)

Helmut and Loki might ring a bell if you’ve read my older posts (think Netflix bingeing, but with more dog hair). But life never stands still here. Lately, my studio has become part of the madness: stacked canvases, jars of paint, brushes everywhere – and me, smack in the middle. Chaos with a splash of color.

Stefanie – my Buddha with a backbone

Stefanie is the kind of human who would rescue the teapot first if the house were on fire – and still breathe like a monk while doing it.

When Helmut scrawls rage across my face, she hands me one of her MyCub cubes and murmurs:

“Try this. And remember: anger burns through energy, my love.”

Me? I roll my eyes. Or mutter, “Fine. Then I’m broke.”

She just smiles. Stays. Believes.

The studio – where chaos turns into color

There’s one place where I get to drop the breathing and the tea rituals: my studio.

Canvases everywhere. Half-finished, overpainted, forgotten. Splashes on the floor, on my hands, sometimes on Loki (sorry, Loki). Loud music, louder thoughts.

When Helmut shakes me and Stefanie whispers Zen into my ear, I paint. That’s where I turn trembling into structure. Anger into color. And, just for a moment, I get a little bit of myself back.

Loki – the unflappable roommate

Loki isn’t a cuddler. He doesn’t dish out comfort.

But he’s steady. Loyal. He watches, stays quiet, just exists.

And sometimes that’s all I need not to unravel.

Life now: tea, tics & stubbornness

Once upon a time: caffeine-fuelled Susan, queen of morning chaos.

Now: herbal tea. Shaky hands. And a quiet, stubborn vow not to let Helmut win.

I lie on the yoga mat (which Loki has fully claimed as his own), breathe, bite back curses – and hear Stefanie whisper:

“Breathe. Roll the cube. Keep going.”

And sometimes, just sometimes, I actually do.

This is my flatshare.

A little spiritual. Pretty loud. Splattered in color – inside and out.

Helmut. Loki. Buddha-Stefanie. A few clever cubes.

And me. Susan. Messy. Creative. Alive.