The fibro is nasty this week, and I am having hand trouble, so sewing is haaaard! I ended up in A&E for three hours a week and a half ago: Friday evening in A&E is *NO* joke! Luckily it was early, so the place wasn't knee deep in police and drunks and the victims of drunk driving incidents. Just full of occasional busted writs and the like from sports and DIY accidents!
I woke with both hands in pain: the right one eased off over the day after a large dose of ibuprofen and my regular gloucosamine and evening primrose oil. Unfortunately the left one got worse over the day, and swole up round the base joint. Got to the nausea level... So trotted off to A&E to see if I'd dislocated/bust/sprained it. Nope: just an acute and very local flare-up of the fibro. It's got better again, but both hands and elbows are bad this time round, and I'm NOT a happy bunny. I dropped a prescription request in for another round of Arthrotec last Thursday, and it still wasn't at the pharmacy yesterday. Glum...
As I keep feeling I ought to get out a bit more and DO things, I hunted round and asked a walking group about walking boots. I got some excellent advice, and ordered a pair of boots so I can join Alan and James on some of their local walks. It'll be fun to go out all together... I've never before found boots I was truly comfortable with... My boot problems are caused by having feet that are very wide across the toe, high across the instep and arch, and narrow at the heel, so I slide up and down in most boots! I didn't want to pay lots either: I don't need heavy duty boots for field and footpath rambling. I'm not about to trek to Applecross and back over the Highlands one weekend - much as I'd love the scenery! Another problem I have is small feet: UK size 4-4 and a half, in a G fitting...
So I found these nice cheap wide fitting waterproof boots... £25! Partly their price is due to them beings kid's boots rather than adult boots, so they have no VAT! :) But... They are ice-cream & strawberry sauce pink! A bit yuk... James is going to make loud teenaged vomiting noises when he sees them! They arrived today, having been ordered on Monday, along with some suitable wool-free sock.
The borrowed pooch is very puzzled: WHY did Auntie Katie haul on her sock, lace on her new boots, and then SIT DOWN AND HAVE LUNCH??? The concept of wearing new boots round the house for a couple of hours every day for the first few days just to make sure they are RIGHT is beyond her, I'm afraid! And being short and wide and PINK, I look like I borrowed my feet from Florence in The Magic Roundabout...
And last night I got a call from the mother of a neighbour. This is a lady I've known for years. She hosts a quilt group, so the other day when she was here for a clothes party, I asked if they were still meeting and if they had a space for me. They start again for six weeks after the summer break NEXT MONDAY, from 2pm to 4 pm! and I have a space! SO! AT LAST I have a quilt group to go too. Not only that, it's also within walking distance, being a mile away up in the village! Close enough to walk, and close enough to take one of the little sewing machines too! I can pop an Elna Lotus in my briefcase and lug it up there, no problem! I shan't need it for the first week, but there is at least that possibility! :)
The ladies like a theme to work towards, and for this session they are going to be concentrating on appliqué and making a Christmas Three Wise Men wall hanging. Joyce (our hostess) suggested bringing along a bunch of fabrics to audition, so I shall do just that. I have visions of it being in rich spice-like reds and browns...
So. Things are a bit up and down at present, but with the quilt group and walks to look forward to, as well as teaching this Friday and next, and more in November/December, things are OK for the moment. Alan's weeks away are drawing to a close, so we may have him at home for a while until he starts another project somewhere else that takes him off for several days a week. Let's hope the next project isn't quite so mad as this one was!