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| "Red Chair" - by: Johnel -Sold |
On a day-to-day basis, I manage. Rheumatoid Arthritis rears its ugly head every day. It drains you of every drop of fortitude you once had. It also conjures up depression and anxiety. Dealing with every day tasks is sometimes excruciating.
I never thought of taking a twist tie from a loaf of bread to be difficult, but some days it just doesn't work. Taking a pile of clothes to the laundry room can be an over-whelming task. Placing a large casserole dish into the oven takes a deep breath and a heave-ho! Walking to the mailbox is sometimes all the walking I can manage for one afternoon.
The days you do feel better, it's like GET ME OUT OF HERE and you want to do everything in one day not thinking that you may pay for a day of pleasure the next day with pain or swollen knees.
You also have to live with the fact that every time you move and hurt, you can't say anything to the people around you. They don't want to hear it. What does hurt is being left out of activities. I had to deal with NOT being able to participate in certain activities my children were involved in because of Panic and Anxiety Disorder. That was also debilitating and embarrassing when you had to stay at home because of the fear of an anxiety attack. No one understood and the kids were too small to explain and/or they just wouldn't understand, so you were sitting at home alone and missing out on their accomplishments and looking like the unconcerned or uncaring mother. All the while you are hoping that it is not hereditary and they don't have to go through it at some point during their lives.
Same with Rheumatoid Arthritis...you pray, as a mother, that your children or grandchildren aren't affected by this disease when they get older. I am grateful that I wasn't diagnosed until I was 55 years old. At 62, I don't feel old, but I think I am perceived as "old" because of this disease and how it affects my ability to enjoy life.
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| "Cemetery in New Orleans" |
Taking photographs is still a favorite pastime. My aunt, Margie LaGroue taught me a long time ago to "stop and smell the roses". She always found beauty in nature and was an avid gardener. She loved flower arranging and won many ribbons for her creative arrangements. We spent many an hour at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens and taking drives through the countryside. We always took a shovel and clippers with us on our road trips. We would spot a beautiful vine in the woods and go tramping through the brush to get a cutting or in some cases the whole plant, bring it home and transplant it in my garden.
I have to give credit not only to my grandmother for teaching me how to crochet, but Margie for continuing that craft with me. We spent many hours drinking coffee and crocheting until the wee hours of the morning. This is a photo of the "Ripple Afghan", now known as the "Chevron" pattern like the ones I worked on with Margie.
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| "Ripple" Afghan |
http://amray1976.blogspot.com/2012/02/crochet-classic-ripple-afghan.html
These was the closest instructions I could find to my original pattern that my aunt and I used. I prefer the single crochet in the back loop pattern and we used four rows of each color. There are many variations of this "Ripple" or "Chevron" pattern on the internet which are free, so just shop around.
Tunisian Crochet
Being addicted to "Pinterest", I came across instructions for Tunisian Crochet and decided to try my hand at this type of crochet. The stitches resemble knitting and will be good for scarves, easy to carry small projects to keep busy at the coffee shop.
Mary's instructions were very clear and easy to follow and here is the result of my first lesson:
Having Rheumatoid Arthritis tends to envelope you in anxiety and stress. Crocheting is a great way to occupy your mind. I tend to have several projects going at one time and having a small project that is easy to throw into your bag and hit the road is always a plus. When you nestle in to watch an old movie, grab a crochet project and you kill two birds with one stone. RA also makes you feel worthless some days and creating a project brings me back to life and provides a sense of accomplishment.
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| by Johnel |
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