Reflections...

As I sit here sipping my warm lemon water, I can see the rain coming down in stair rods...

I can also see, RH and son and heir trying to get the sheep and lambs in because they are off to market with some lambs in a mo...

I am so envious.... NOT... omg as they say in text speak... I can't see me ever being able (or wanting) to do that again. Although I have done it many many times over the past few years and achieved such a fantastic sense of achievement. I know it sounds simple. But you spend hours and hours keeping an eye on the ewes when they are lambing. You help the lambs into life, all hours of the day and night. Watch them grow, then you let them out onto the fresh spring grass. But I have lost the desire and motivation because of RA. I realise how I have struggled over the last few years too, with the slow and creeping onset of OA and possibly flare ups of RA not realising. How the continual battled against the pains and stiffness have got me down. I now realise why I used to get so grumpy some days (ha some days! says RH).

The number of times I used to say to him, "I was ok until I moved down here with you"... and it was so true, looking back, I can pinpoint my first swollen lump on the back of my hand about 8/9 years ago (I moved in here July 2001), the pain and stiffness. Following the swelling I woke up the next morning, my fingers curled in and couldn't stretch them out. I used to massage them with Voltarol, warm water, but then they would stiffen up again, if I didn't use them all the time. I remember coming in for lunch that day, and whilst I was sat there my fingers had stiffened up again and they hurt for days, then just as suddenly it went away. But my fingers felt sore and tender after that for a while.

Then I would just carry on as before, but all the while my hands used to be painful when I did certain things. I now realise the pain used to make me miserable, which then made me grouchy, and poor old RH used to think that was how I was! I knew I wasn't, but it was so hard not to be grouchy some times and I was always looking for the reason why. I was homesick, - or not suited to farming life (as his blooming mother used to say - huh someone who has never stepped inside a cow shed!).

On top of that I had another flare up of plantar faciitis (I had given up running some years earlier because of continual problems with my feet). The physio blamed me wellies! So I invested in some expensive hiking boots with proper insoles - they lasted about 6 months in the mud - mud is a killer for boots, despite what anyone says... It dries out leather and they go all stiff, without continual cleaning and waxing and polishing.

I didn't realise that the pain in the balls of my feet and the metarsals could have been RA, they used to swell up and I actually went up a size in shoes and boots (I thought it was my big socks!)

So there, whilst I have been writing this, RH and son and heir have sorted out the lambs for market. They have just let the sheep out again, and they are all calling to each other. baaaa-ing and bleating. Time for brekkie methinks

Tara

Take care

Julie xxx

[cathie]

we have serious rain here, not stair rods quite, but enough for grandson to suggest he take his morning shower in the rain rather than the bathroom.

Julie, I was remembering with said grandson, that when he was little I was too ill to fetch him from nursery. I was really desperate. But things can get better, they dont go away, but now I can walk more than a mile and have a lot more stamina. So dont give up on doing things - I'm sure you wont - although baby lambs are quite strong little b****ers arent they.

XX Cathie

[Tricia-P]

Rain like stair rods where did that saying come from I wonder, wellie boots bad for your feet because no support for the arch in the foot.so you should wear those supports you can get from scholl, other brands are available.

Cor Cathie you can walk a mile I can hardly walk from my living room to my kitchen at the moment.. I will tell you why in my blog I'm writing.

I'ts not raining here in Stratford on Avon and I can see blue sky.

love

xTx

[cathie in reply to Tricia-P]

There was a time, four years ago, when I could hardly walk a few metres. When we moved to Edinburgh, I was more encouraged to walk to find new places, although I always kept money for a taxi in case I needed one. I have a lot of aches and pains, but provided that I'm careful I can walk further and do more things. I usually research routes and try to make sure there are seats or friendly ground floor cafes or whatever on the way.

Sorry Tricia-P to hear that you're not good at the moment, I hope things look up for you soon.

Cathie XX

[Tiasteph]

Hi Julie

For the times are a changing…

As Cathie says, things do & can get better. I can vouch for that too. That said I also tend to dwell sometimes, time on your hands does mean lots of thinking. Reflecting can be a good thing though.

Just cause you're hanging up your wellies for now doesn't mean you'll never don them again You wait the sun'll come out & you'll be having a god day & you'll happily join in for a wee while.

Much love xx

[Sheila_G]

Hi Julie

It's about time you packed in the farming, you have a lot of knitting to catch up on!! x