Silly boots and a quilt group - on and off topic! Rather long.

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...
http://magicroundabout.com/Image.asp?ID=DF6.jpg

OK, so I hurt, but I have new boots. So far so good.

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!
--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

I hope that you will be feeling better soon so that you can go walking
around in your new pink boots! Maybe you could wear them when you join the
quilting group.
Barbara in SC
"Kate XXXXXX" wrote in message ...
The fibro is nasty this week, and I am having hand trouble, so sewing is
haaaard! ---sniped----
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. ---snipped---
.. They are ice-cream & strawberry
sauce pink!

Kate - don't forget you can get leather paint - you could tone them down
a bit!! (or you might decide you like them like that g)
Sorry about the fibro - that's horrid; but glad you have a quilt group
to be attached to. Have a look at getting some wheels for your sewing
machine though. If your hands and arms are painful, you don't want to
be carrying heavy-ish weights.
..
In message , Kate XXXXXX
writes
snipped

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.

--
Best Regards
pat on the hill

Patti wrote:
Kate - don't forget you can get leather paint - you could tone them down
a bit!! (or you might decide you like them like that g)

Unfortunately the yukkiest bits are fabric! I can live with them...

Sorry about the fibro - that's horrid; but glad you have a quilt group
to be attached to. Have a look at getting some wheels for your sewing
machine though. If your hands and arms are painful, you don't want to
be carrying heavy-ish weights.

Lugging the tiny sewing machine would be more of a problem on the rough
terrain in a cart: slinging it in my Lands' End briefcase and wearing it
on the long strap over my shoulder much less so. This was the option I
took one day when lugging it round London on the underground. The group
I wejnt to meet thought it was hilarious that I could drag a proper
sewing machine out of my bag!

But it's a good thought, and I do appreciate the suggestions.

I'm also thinking of getting some emu oil for the painful joints.

--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

Hi Kate,

I have found that aspartame (artificial sweetener) Equal in the U.S. really
aggravates my joints. I don't think that I have fibro, but I don't ache if
I don't use the stuff. I also use fish oil too with great success. Hope
you feel better soon!!

Nana
"Kate XXXXXX" wrote in message
...
Patti wrote:
Kate - don't forget you can get leather paint - you could tone them down
a bit!! (or you might decide you like them like that g)

Unfortunately the yukkiest bits are fabric! I can live with them...

Sorry about the fibro - that's horrid; but glad you have a quilt group to
be attached to. Have a look at getting some wheels for your sewing
machine though. If your hands and arms are painful, you don't want to be
carrying heavy-ish weights.

Lugging the tiny sewing machine would be more of a problem on the rough
terrain in a cart: slinging it in my Lands' End briefcase and wearing it
on the long strap over my shoulder much less so. This was the option I
took one day when lugging it round London on the underground. The group I
wejnt to meet thought it was hilarious that I could drag a proper sewing
machine out of my bag!

But it's a good thought, and I do appreciate the suggestions.

I'm also thinking of getting some emu oil for the painful joints.

--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

nana wilson wrote:
Hi Kate,

I have found that aspartame (artificial sweetener) Equal in the U.S. really
aggravates my joints. I don't think that I have fibro, but I don't ache if
I don't use the stuff. I also use fish oil too with great success. Hope
you feel better soon!!

I've hear that about aspartame too. I don't think I have a problem with
that, as I've always avoided it as far as possible. I think it tastes foul!

I've never found fish oils particularly effective, but as I eat oily
fish fairly frequently (love salmon and mackerel), I don't think I lack
fish oils. The more I read about emu oil, the more I'm tempted to send
for some to try it.

--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!