Lived Experience Forum

[Owlunar]

Hi @Maggie @eth @Former-Member @Gazza75 

@BlueBay 

The appointment yesterday went very well and I feel greatly encouraged - he will most likely do facet joint injections but not until next year and I he is a very understanding person. He explained a lot to me and answered my questions  - this has not happened before 

I was exhausted laat night and fell asleep early  - the stress caught up with me as is normal 

He had to prod around all my sore spots and I really feel it this morning :face_with_rolling_eyes:ouch 

My daughter and son-in-law are coming here soon to do my garden and plant some things for me  - this will be great but otherwise I will be taking it easy 

Thanks everyone for your wonderful support these last weeks  - it has been a tough time for me 

Dec 🌸🌺🦋😊

[eth]

  @Owlunar  xx

[Gazza75]

Thats really great @Owlunar  🙂 

Hope the sore spots get better ASAP.  Have a good time in the garden with your daughter and son in law.  Wish I had motivation to make a nice garden.

[Owlunar]

Thanks @eth 

I am okay today - I feel a bit like a rubber band stretched too far and zip - d'un - I was really frazzled yesterday but got there okay and home again with two books to read and I love research

I am up now and having my first cup of coffee - there is nothing quite like the first cup 

You have been super-busy getting your Support Worker sorting - I hope this is going well - I haven't been on the forum much over the last couple of days - too stressed - sometimes I go to ground which is okay for me

But all the best and I hope your day is the best it can be

Dec

I send messages more quickly using my computer - speedy Granma Gonzales

[Maggie]

@Owlunar  Pleased to hear it went so well.

Rest up today. Sounds like you don’t have a choice there. New garden stuff will be lovely. 💕💜💕☕️☕️☕️☕️

[Owlunar]

Thanks @Gazza75  - the sore spots - yes - I know where the pain is and now so does the specialist - he took it very seriously but has ways to treat it - especially my right knee which is probably making the whole situation worse 

The garden - it is nice to have a good garden - my daughter is a gardener by trade - horticultural-advisor by profession - so with all of that she does an excellent job and has the right eye for it and magic green figures

And it helps to have a small garden - lately it has been too much for me and the weather hasn't helped - apart from pulling a few weeds on sunny days I haven't been able to do it

And I haven't got magic green fingers - I have a brown elbow - but if my daughter does a lo of hard work a couple of times a year I can maintain it until I get attacked by the triffid-like vines - which has happened with all the rain

And it helps to have a small garden too

Thanks Gazza

Hey - last night I saw your art-work - it's beautiful - I would love to do that - I need a stand for my piano keyboard so I could use the dining room table but still - I have arthritic fingers and my hand-eye coordination is not great - but I am sure they have easy kits for oldies in small units 

Fastastic work - I did look up their website then saw more with there advertising

Have the best day possible

Dec

[Owlunar]

Thanks @Maggie 

It did go well - it made a difference having a doctor explain so much - and examine the sore spots which feel a bit better with some brekky and a coffee - we have to feed ourselves - last night I had a snack and after sleeping for a long time I just went to bed and fell asleep again

So - I think one way of being our own best friend is to know our limitations and be kind and let our body have a say - I will take it easy today - I could push myself but the chances are good I will be shopping tomorrow and that is stressful - just being in the supermarket - but I do like picking my own meat, fruit and vegetables. And I like to see what's available. And I like getting out of the house with a user-friendly assistant who does a good job as a support person - we have become friends through the years

It will be great to see my daughter and her husband this morning - we nearly lost the family Dad and fix-it man early this year when he needed an emergency open-heart operation - but he is recovering well - thank God for that. I don't just respect him - I admire him. And he has quit smoking too - not easy - I know - I did it a long time ago now

Anyway - they did their garden over the weekend and they have a lot of plants they thinned out and they are planting them in my front garden - that will get me up on warm summer mornings to go out and water them - I am looking forward to that

And we had a lovely day in Melbourne yesterday and it seems as if we will have more of the same today - there are a few days left this spring - who ordered the weather this year - well for the last few months? And we can't send it back either

Thanks again Maggie

Dec

[Gazza75]

Hey @Owlunar ,

I'm sure your elbows are not that brown!!  🙂

With the paintings, you could definitely start out with a small kit and/or work on partials which are a bit easier than ones that cover the full canvas.  Best for you may be the ones that they call 'special drills'.  I will attach photo of one that I haven't done yet, but, I think it would be an excellent one for you to do as the canvas is very easy to see, the drills aren't to close together.

You could get an easel or rig something up to do the same thing.  A small piece of timber sitting on a container or something like that. Backlights really make life a lot easier, spotlight have small ones on sale now for $20.  I use a magnifying glass.  I got one for my mum that you can clamp to the table so you don't have to hold onto it.  

Other suggestion would be to put a 'pencil grip' on the painting pen if you don't get one with the kit you buy.  Hard to know on that one.  I am still using the pen /grip from the first painting I got.  You will always get the basics with every kit.

Its worth a shot, you might surprise yourself with how well it goes 🙂

The below cost me $10.50.. one of the few where I had to pay shipping of $1.50.  9/10 you get free shipping on AliExpress.  There is also some useful youtube vids which show you the basics and some useful tricks.

I'll try and remember to get a picture of the blank canvas so you get a better idea of what I mean.

[Owlunar]

Thanks @Gazza75 

If I have a kit that allows for people with arthritis and stong glasses I am sure I would enjoy doing that - I have looked at them and to me they are dazzling and I love artwork - I can sketch a bit but I am gifted in other areas - I can always start something new though

And thanks for the ideas - and easel would make it easier - I have a space in my living room for something like that - it's time in my life to start something different - apart from seeing the specialist yesterday I have a couple of important decade-type anniversaries coming up in the next couple of weeks - we need to treat ourselves - and it is Christmas soon as well and I always get myself a Christmas present as well

My daughter and her husband are working hard outside - apart from clearing space from the ground covering vines that covered the dirt outside my window they are planting agapanthus, african daisies, jade and a red-hot poker thinned from their garden - it's starting to look fab-u-lous

Dec

[Gazza75]

@Owlunar, they are much more sparkly and nicer in real life.  Videos make them look more natural and real to Me.  I think it would be a good treat for yourself and maybe a new hobby for you.  

I really like the flowers that are being planted for you, particularly the red hot pokers.  I did a lot of research and planting of flowers when I first got into keeping bee's 🙂  At one stage i had a zillion lavenders growing.