Christmas

Happy Christmas, belated Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year everybody! Felis navidad e prospero ano nuevo.

I’ve had a lovely break so far, and some really ACE presents! One of my many New Year’s Resolutions is going to be to make more of an effort to give people things not on their Amazon wishlists as well as things that are, because although I’m always delighted to get anything off my wishlist (and I got some cracking presents off my wish list this year – an excellent mix of fiction, non-fiction and CDs), two of the best presents weren’t on there. Also I suspect the best present I gave was one that wasn’t on a wishlist either – a “Dr Who Scarf” crocheted for sister-in-law-to-be (aka Mrs Mooseface). It’s certainly the most appreciated!

My two ACE non-wish-list prezzies were an Encyclopedia of Machine Embroidery, which I’m actually reading cover to cover rather than using as reference book, it’s so good, and a little extra prezzie from Hubby (who got me a Spanish course for my main prezzie) – an NSD powerball. This is basically a gyroscope inside a plastic ball, but it’s also hopefully a muscle strengthening aid and definitely bloomin good fun! It took as most of Christmas afternoon to get it working at all as you have to start it off by winding a sort of shoelace around it and then swizzling it around until the energy builds up, and we just didn’t have the knack, but once Hubby worked it out and then explained it to me in words of one syllable, and with demonstrations to boot, we’ve really been enjoying using it.

If you want to see a demo they have a website here. I have to say though, I suspect most people with rheumatoid arthritis would be unable to grip the thing, either at all or at least once the energy has built up in the gyroscope, as it starts to feel like it wants to take off and take you with it. That’s a very strange sensation but definitely fun. I have to keep changing hands with it or my hands get too sore, but I am finding that I can hold it for longer and longer each time I use it – and I’ve only been using it for 48 hours, so it seems quite promising!

Perhaps I’ll take it into my physio when I see her later in the week to see what she thinks of it – but I’m scared she’ll say, ‘Good grief – you shouldn’t be using that. Stop it immediately!’ and it’s too much fun for that!