"Quality of life"......a gift that just keeps on giving.

My goodness, gracious sakes alive!!!!!! I'm in awe of each of you! Every one of you wonderful women is talented, creative up a gump stump, extremely engaged with family of several generations and all ages, even still involved with community. I'm truly impressed. While I marvel at each of you, I'm feeling more depressed, alone, uninvolved and isolated!!!!! Think it's time to switch to another site!

I used to do needle work, in my much younger days, music...pianist since 7 years old, sang a bit....in church choirs all my life and acapella group, smaller groups in church, etc. Loved watercolors, hoped to pick it back up last couple years, but never could get to it. Hands don't let me do any of it anymore. Health and other issues in life just got in the way......But, you are bringing me joy through your joy! I hope and pray you each keep this so special part of your life active and center stage. Don't ever let go of these creative juices, keep them flowing until your last breath.

And, Chris, you tell that husband of yours his paintings brought joy and happiness to my life. I love those paintings showing us a special part of his private self. His use of color, interesting shapes and composition. I'm honored to 'know' even this tiny bit of his gift.

I'm off to bed now. It's much, much too late for me, but I got so caught up in your exchanges, I was stuck with you in your fabrics, recipes and the cooking process!

Resting tomorrow. Must work with HP and cell phone experts to figure out why I don't get most of my emails anymore. Not getting anything from Mayo, not even notifications of patient online portal messages. Don't get Connect notification, either.... Hate to mention things I have to address that have no smidgen of creativity in them, but my electronic life must go forward!

Keep up the creativity, ladies! Enjoy!
Blessings to you all.
elizabeth

A gift I gave myself for 2021 is an online gym membership. A great gift that keeps on giving !

@tim1028 Thats nice we need to give ourselves a gift now and then . With my problems with doing the floors I gave myself a Rumba boy has it helped me alot . During these times especially we need to be kind to ourselves

@suzanne2, Thanks for that tip, Suzanne. Although I am limiting my time at each knit session because I've feared increasing the pain, I have been happily surprised that the hand motion involved hasn't increased arthritic pain. Maybe, like docs encouraging arthritic patients to walk, this "exercise" is good for the hands as well?

@lioness, Yes, JoAnn's is a shop I look forward to visiting again too when it becomes safer for me to re-enter shops, etc. Your mention of embroidering a table cloth and placemats reminded me of a simple, early attempt of cross stitching a reg. sized bedspread. Oh my word, it took forever and I never attached it to a backing to complete for use.

I did develop a long interest in crewel embroidery and before changing hobbies again, had begun to create my own designs for occs'l pillows which once completed I used and also made as gifts for friends. While I still have the hoops and various needles, I'd need to buy new threads but another hobby to re-kindle once I tire of making hot pads and slipper socks to share.

Glad to be seeing your posts again! And yes, I've done very well through this long pandemic and so grateful to have had my first Moderna vacc. The next one is scheduled for Feb. 5th. Have you received yours yet?

Hi, joscelynk, Like you, I was nervous about needing to re-teach myself to knit after so many yrs away from it. I still had the initial instruction book and also found some "how to knit videos" on Utube for beginners which really made the start over process easier.

I agree that knitting is keeping my attention focused on the "task at hand" rather than ruminating on worrisome issues. Wishing you the best and hope you'll keep us updated on your approaching surgery.

@ess77, What a supportive post from you, Elizabeth! Most of my life I was very athletic and much like you, began piano lessons at age 7. In high school, I wanted to spend more time on tennis and "shooting hoops" than practicing. My piano teacher gave me an ultimatum and shared it also with my mom that I needed to either practice more piano or give it up. Thankfully, she and my mom prevailed because I was offered a partial music college scholarship.

Your post also touched me because of the nostalgia and regret I experienced in reading the posts of others in various groups who can still, gasp, jog and take long mtn hikes. Life and health conditions can certainly point our lives in new directions while vastly restricting activities that we once so took for granted. I appreciate your sharing honestly and do empathize because lost abilities are real and painful. However, I also salute you for the optimism and courage share in dealing with and finding "work around solutions" to continue to write and share with the rest of us. We can all learn from one another as well as celebrate and commensurate. Thank you for your contributions.

When it comes to electronics, if it doesn't turn on and work as expected, I just go into an anxious dither until a pro comes to my aid. If I can find the helps for staying Mayo connected from John and Colleen, I'll mail them to you in a private chat.

@artscaping- You make me laugh! My mother was the antiseptic queen. And to get back at her, (gone now for over 20+yrs), I'm not. After my first lung cancer surgery, I began watching cooking shows. In one show, Caprial's I cooked everything that she made and gained the weight that it carried too. After a while, still watching the show I did start dieting, but remember being this prepared too. lol, I believe that it's called "mise en place." (the preparation of dishes and ingredients before the beginning of service.)

By the way, the show was out of Portland, OR where my son lives. During one of my visits, we went there (not cheap! lol). I got to meet Caprial and told her my story.

@artscaping What your husband does is basically, "mise en place", or "everything in its place" which is what professional chefs do. It really does make things easier. Chefs take it a step further and have each ingredient measured in little bowls.

I would say the bottom painting is the more recent one. Are you going to have a big reveal?

When my cleaning woman is coming (I sure hope I can get her back once we have both been vaccinated) I always clear the clutter before she comes. I expect her to clean, she wouldn't know how to disposition things though.

Regarding needlework, I used to do crewel and needlepoint, I have been a sewer, but I had to do it when I was watching TV. Now with my close up vision failing, I can't do that anymore. I have a whole bunch of Elsa Williams kits that I never got to.
JK

@jocelynk Now may be a good time to get into a habit of taking care of yourself when you need to calm down, or distract yourself. There are many tutorials on beginning crochet, as my neighbor told me, on Youtube. I am left-handed but crochet right-handed, and after almost 15 years still consider myself a beginner, content with easy/simple patterns that use very basic stitches! The repetition is calming to me.

I am glad you shared about your upcoming surgery. One thing you might consider, is journaling about it all, to move thoughts and concerns out of your mind, as they do the little hamster wheel thing of occupying your time. Here is a discussion thread about that, that you may find interesting. https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/journaling-the-write-stuff-for-you/ Being able to write things down has helped me in my health challenges.

Please come back for more support!
Ginger