Extreme Knitting Redhead: Happy New Year to everyone!

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy New Year to everyone!

May 2011 be a happy, healthy and peaceful year for everyone.

I made a start on Two last night and I quite like the effect of the eyelet pattern. Apart from the heart pattern which comes next, it is a very boring stocking stitch pattern so I'll probably alternate between this and some bargello. I quite like to have some mindless knitting on the go as it's useful for if I'm watching TV and I don't need to worry about colour changes or counting stitches.

My first run in 2011 went well. I had to run 6 miles at my target marathon pace so I found a route that had at least a few (actually 3.5 miles) of flat ground which made it a bit easier. It's quite hilly round here and so chugging up the hills can really slow my pace down. I felt OK afterwards but I was quite sluggish this afternoon. I need to shake off this post Christmas lethargy!

2 comments:

Lee Ann said...: Hi, Susie,

I'm writing an article for Twist Collective magazine (an online publication) on knitters who are also runners, and would love to include you in the article. Would you mind answering a few questions via email, and if possible, sending me some photos to include? I'm in awe of your running and can hardly believe you manage to knit at the same time...I only just finished my first marathon, and I can tell you there was no yarn involved a-tall. Pulled muscles, but no yarn...

You can email me at leeann DOT balazuc AT gmail DOT com. Thanks!; January 3, 2011 at 6:28:00 PM PST
Susie Hewer said...: Hi Lee Ann,

Thank you very much for visiting my blog and I'd be happy to answer your questions. Well done for completing your first marathon! I'll email you now.; January 4, 2011 at 11:50:00 AM PST

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Mum's Story

In 1997 my mother, then aged 81, had a series of minor strokes. Shortly after that we started to notice behavioural changes notably memory loss and confusion over everyday items. We thought it was just old age finally catching up with her. Then she started wandering and had violent mood swings. Although she already lived with us it became obvious that she couldn't be left alone for long and so I left my job to care for her. The next few years saw a gradual decline into the blackness that is 'vascular dementia'. My normally placid mum became violent and aggressive. She had psychotic incidents where she would see imaginary people (children hiding in her wardrobe, Russians sitting on the stairs, women stealing her clothes) and she would shout at them and sometimes throw things too. She was so convincing that we used to go and check that there wasn't anyone there! When my sister died mum did not know who Judy was or that she was her daughter. There came a point when I suddenly realised she no longer knew that I was her daughter and this was a terrible time for me. In the last 2 years that she lived with us, life for us all became almost unbearable as she needed 24 hour care - she couldn't be left alone at all because she would either wander off or hurt herself, she never slept for more than 30 minutes at a time during the night, she became incontinent and incapable of doing anything for herself. Finally my husband and I realised that we could no longer provide her with the care that she needed and she went to live in a special care home where the team did a splendid job caring for her in the last few months of her life. There she lived a zombified existence unaware of who she was, what she was or where she was. It was heartbreaking. She died in March 2005, the day after her 89th birthday.

Thank you for taking the time to read mum's story and I hope you'll dig deep and sponsor me using the link below to help find a way of beating this destructive disease.