The Bog of Life

 

one repeat and borders of the Swedish Snowflake design

Recently I have been playing around with the 'Swedish Snowflake' draft.  One of the things I like to do is muck about and find out what other options are available within a threading draft, especially in the twill 'family'.

In the meantime, Life goes on, frequently more bog-like than a stroll in the park.

I don't know if I am my mother's daughter, or if she just taught me well - either way, especially right now - I have her advice running on repeat:  God helps those who help themselves.

It was one of her favourite sayings and I have had it embedded in my personality, I suppose, be it genetically, or just from constant repeats as I grew up.  And then learned that Life was always going to be more bog-like than park.

As I got older I learned other pithy comments that I absorbed.   The part 2 of the above sentiment is one I learned as a teenager:  Prayer is good, but while you are praying for change, pray for the strength to make the changes you want to happen in the world.

I asked mom one time what her comment meant and I don't remember her actual explanation, but as an adult I have used it to remind me that God is probably more likely to help those who are working hard to improve things themselves.  And if they don't have the time to deal with 'my' problem, maybe I could fix it without involving them?  So, praying for the strength to effect the changes I want to see in the world has always made perfect sense to me.

As a person, I would say that I am solution oriented.  If I see a problem, I will mull it over and try to work out an effective way to 'fix' it.  Or make it suck less.

This week has been challenging as I try - still - to get a grip on my current physical issues.  It took the best part of the week to talk to everyone I felt I needed to talk to, to help me get through this particularly bog-like section of Life.  I finally managed that this morning, after playing telephone tag, trying to juggle several medical professionals and their overbooked days.  I am blessed with an ever growing (it seems) group of health care professionals who are trying to give me the tools to manage my 'old age' and the culmination of physical challenges.

I can still weave - although at a slower pace than previously.  But neither do I need to produce at the same levels I did for the better part of 50 years.  So I have been working on my 'expectations' - what *can* I do, vs what I *want* to do.

Bottom line?  I still want to teach, if I can.  So writing for WEFT has been a god-send (literally!) and they seem to like what I've sent to them (so far).  I reached a point where I just could not finalize the current article, but after talking the doctor this morning, I feel like I've made it through the bog and have hopes of a 'hail Mary' change of medication next week.  He just needs to do some research before he approves the medication - which is off even the off-list pain meds.

I am eternally grateful I live in Canada where medical decisions are between a patient and their doctor (and pharmacist, other specialists) and zero interference by profit generating 'health insurance' companies.  And no, we won't vote Conservative as they insist that health care needs to be 'privatized'.  

Anyway, today I will finish the current warp on the loom, label the samples for the article, read through the text once more and then hit 'send', maybe Sunday night or next Monday.  Next week I have light duties for 3 days after my next back injection, so one of the things I will be doing is fine tuning the next sample warp for WEFT, then setting up the loom to weave the sample(s).  And hope that, by this time next week, I'll be feeling 'better'...

Wishing all y'all 'better', too...