I'm immunosuppressed due to rheumatoid arthritis so my world changed drastically when Covid arrived because not only doesn't the vaccine work for me, it makes my arthritis flare up, which in turn, damages my joints, limits what I can do and leaves me in pain and exhausted for months.
I'm not asking for pity. It is how it is and most of me is still in good working order. Whining would be an insult to those who've died and their families. Complaining about people who think it's all over and I'm fussing isn't going to change anything.
So, it was up to me to build a new world which helps to explain why I've finished so many books this year. I decided I'd got so much that I'd promised myself I'd so someday. Now, between Covid and some of my caring responsibilities ending, there was time for a different sort of life so I'd get on and do all the fun things I'd put off because real life got in the way. One of those projects was to sort out all my sewing stuff, which has accumulated over half a century, and organise it so that I could 'shop' in my own stash, which contains all the things I love and not only didn't cost me anything but reminded me of good times and lovely places. The things I didn't love any more have found new homes with people who will love them, so this has been good all round.
Over the winter I wound all my embroidery threads onto floss cards and sorted them into colour order, not shade order because I do freehand embroidery not counted cross stitch so I use whatever seems right, or whatever I've got. Today, was the turn of my quilting threads because I picked up these gorgeous racks on Amazon Prime day. (Thanks, by the way to all delivery people. You have been so amazing that I've gladly said goodbye to real life shopping in favour of being spoilt rotten.)
And here they all are, organised into colour groups. The racks fold flat and will hang on the wall in the corner of the living room that's my sewing space. Don't they look tempting? Obviously, Amy has some like this too. I also think she has something like this...
This is my first workbox. I've got many more because people know that I love wooden boxes and pretty tins, but my mum and dad bought me this for Christmas the year I was six We were living in West Germany then and mum had a big dark wood box, which I now treasure, and I had this little one which has been used for more than half a century. It's seen loads of house moves and some new screws, and now it's been emptied of my threads and is getting a soak coat of polish before it holds my current projects as part of my sort out. My parents are long dead, but the memories are very much alive and using my lovely workbox links my present to my past and future, which matters to me. (And yes, I love the Repair Shop, even though it almost always makes me cry.)
It's barely 7-30 on a lovely sunny day, so while everyone else sleeps I've organised my threads and been out in the garden with the wax polish so I don't cause anyone breathing problems. It's absorbing polish nicely and by lunchtime, it will be shining and ready for this next phase of its life and I shall order some red felt to line it with. My darling husband will put picture pins up to take my thread racks and I will be happy whenever I look at them because I'll remember a lovely quiet morning when I did this.
Because I am happy in this phase of my life. There are things I miss, but I still have so much; even though, at least for now, my world is a lot smaller than it used to be. I hope you have as much fun today as I've had today, and can take a moment to remember good times and great people
Love to you all, and be careful in the sun and with Covid...