Extreme Knitting Redhead: One down one to go

Thursday, June 28, 2007

One down one to go

At long last I've finished my first ever glove knitted in the Fair Isle style of stranded work (I hope that's the correct way to describe it as I know that Fair Isle is just one technique of stranded colourwork).

I found it incredibly absorbing, very frustrating at times (when I couldn't work out how to do the fingers) but most of all enjoyable and I am looking forward to starting the next one. I love the colours and they will go really well with my winter coat. As we have already passed the longest day the nights are already drawing in!

I'm starting to feel much better about the 50 mile challenge now as Alison's stretches are starting to make a difference to how my hips/legs/back and groin feel. In fact, this morning was the first time for several weeks that I've got out of bed and haven't winced at the pain in my groin. I did 5.5 miles of hills on Tuesday and 3 miles cross country yesterday and felt OK so I'm taking a rest day today. I've got an appointment to see Mary Massage Lady on Monday next week and I know she'll help loosen up the residual stiffness in my lower back. In the meantime I've been using the Stick to massage my ITBs and piriformis and although I was quite sceptical about it's efficacy to begin with, I have to say it really has hit the spot. I was due to run the Bewl 15 this weekend but I decided against it as I don't want to cause any more damage. I emailed the Race director and told him my predicament and he replied by saying that he'd transfer my entry to next year. How very kind!

I couldn't resist snapping the two boys dozing. Barney's saying "he's my brother and I love him"

Awww, how sweet!

1 comment:

Steph said...: gorgeous glove!

congrats on your 50th & your marathon!

I'm training for Barb's Race in early August, a half ironman distance race for women only in Sonoma California.; July 3, 2007 at 1:23:00 PM PDT

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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.