0 comment Friday, May 23, 2014 | admin
For the first day today I felt a bit like my old self - namely, only vaguely tied as opposed to utterly exhausted. In celebration, I slung some leftovers and some organic produce from the garden and Abel & Cole into a quiche - I wanted something which would sustain me through the day, and thus a sausage, mushroom and cheese quiche - with a bit of nutmeg and some chives from outside mixed into the egg -was born.
While that was on the go, I cleaned the bathrooms - they've both been in a horrid state as ex never thought about cleaning up after shaving or bathing or anything, and after two weeks looked horrible. I've been embarassed to have the district nurses who come out and pack my wound wash their hands in my horrible sink. Therefore, I broke out the antibacterial spray (handmade lemon and vinegar wash), the baking soda, and gave everything a proper disinfect and scrubdown. Looks much better than it did! However I may need to get the industrial stuff out for the more stubborn staining.
What else arrived was the beginning "prototype" of some handwarmers - I have wanted to get back into crochet this year but I'm rather rusty at it and never learned how to do patterns. So, I decided to save myself some time I'd get a crochet kit of some sort and teach myself the basics. Hence, this rather nice kit from a online knitting site came, with a kit from France. Hopefully the instructions are in English! If it isn't too troublesome to do, I intend on adapting the pattern after doing the first pair - so I can mix and match different colours and maybe make them a bit longer/add fingers/etc. Should keep me busy for a while at least.
After a visit from the local disabled advocates - who are going to get me another assessment, done properly this time, as well as the local CAB to help me reapply for DLA - I managed to work on getting some sewing done. The Impractical Coat has now been hemmed, as well as some trousers I adapted with some of the leftover fabric from TIC - also now hemmed as they were a touch too long and starting to fray (I won't complain, for trousers to be too long for me is a miracle!). The fabric in both is quite stiff, being brocade, so I'm going to wash and gently tumble-dry both of them, with a bit of salt added to the rinse cycle (or, apparently, a bit of dry milk added as opposed to soap as a seamstress friend of mine once mentioned to me). TIC is so incredibly over the top I hope I've the guts to wear the thing now, but I'm working on my membership to the Eccentrics Club!
It's now about 1pm and I'm sitting back and assessing my energy levels; can I get another project done in the sewing room? The velvet coat is still sitting there...or do I dare to try and get some crochet done while the kittens are asleep and they don't see the giant ball of yarn as a challenge? I'm having a cup of tea for now, sitting back and chilling a little after what has been, for me, a burst of activity. I don't want to overdo it.
But this is where I am grateful for the freedom I have in my life right now which allows me to take time to restock and go at my own pace. I am working, but at home. I am busy and exhausted, but if I can't do something I just don't. My mum, who turns 66 next month, is looking for work - at her age - and has accepted a job she doesn't like because, well, she feels she has to. When I tell her I'm going back to writing and art, she wrote back: "Don't worry, keep searching, I'm sure you'll find a job." You know, since the one I have isn't actually a real one.
But if the difference between her life and mine - still rather poor in money terms - is to be working a job I don't like, and a job I actually love, I think I know which one I'd rather do. I rather think 66 is much too old to be doing something you're not enjoying.
So tea, maybe some crochet, maybe some more sewing, always more writing, a bit of sprog time, a bit of kitty time... and the quiche by the way was lovely.
While that was on the go, I cleaned the bathrooms - they've both been in a horrid state as ex never thought about cleaning up after shaving or bathing or anything, and after two weeks looked horrible. I've been embarassed to have the district nurses who come out and pack my wound wash their hands in my horrible sink. Therefore, I broke out the antibacterial spray (handmade lemon and vinegar wash), the baking soda, and gave everything a proper disinfect and scrubdown. Looks much better than it did! However I may need to get the industrial stuff out for the more stubborn staining.
What else arrived was the beginning "prototype" of some handwarmers - I have wanted to get back into crochet this year but I'm rather rusty at it and never learned how to do patterns. So, I decided to save myself some time I'd get a crochet kit of some sort and teach myself the basics. Hence, this rather nice kit from a online knitting site came, with a kit from France. Hopefully the instructions are in English! If it isn't too troublesome to do, I intend on adapting the pattern after doing the first pair - so I can mix and match different colours and maybe make them a bit longer/add fingers/etc. Should keep me busy for a while at least.
After a visit from the local disabled advocates - who are going to get me another assessment, done properly this time, as well as the local CAB to help me reapply for DLA - I managed to work on getting some sewing done. The Impractical Coat has now been hemmed, as well as some trousers I adapted with some of the leftover fabric from TIC - also now hemmed as they were a touch too long and starting to fray (I won't complain, for trousers to be too long for me is a miracle!). The fabric in both is quite stiff, being brocade, so I'm going to wash and gently tumble-dry both of them, with a bit of salt added to the rinse cycle (or, apparently, a bit of dry milk added as opposed to soap as a seamstress friend of mine once mentioned to me). TIC is so incredibly over the top I hope I've the guts to wear the thing now, but I'm working on my membership to the Eccentrics Club!
It's now about 1pm and I'm sitting back and assessing my energy levels; can I get another project done in the sewing room? The velvet coat is still sitting there...or do I dare to try and get some crochet done while the kittens are asleep and they don't see the giant ball of yarn as a challenge? I'm having a cup of tea for now, sitting back and chilling a little after what has been, for me, a burst of activity. I don't want to overdo it.
But this is where I am grateful for the freedom I have in my life right now which allows me to take time to restock and go at my own pace. I am working, but at home. I am busy and exhausted, but if I can't do something I just don't. My mum, who turns 66 next month, is looking for work - at her age - and has accepted a job she doesn't like because, well, she feels she has to. When I tell her I'm going back to writing and art, she wrote back: "Don't worry, keep searching, I'm sure you'll find a job." You know, since the one I have isn't actually a real one.
But if the difference between her life and mine - still rather poor in money terms - is to be working a job I don't like, and a job I actually love, I think I know which one I'd rather do. I rather think 66 is much too old to be doing something you're not enjoying.
So tea, maybe some crochet, maybe some more sewing, always more writing, a bit of sprog time, a bit of kitty time... and the quiche by the way was lovely.
Labels: Craft