Forest Bathing.

A couple of days ago, I finally got to use my new toy camera, a Camp Snap, that I received for my birthday last year (a gift from Papa Bear). From what I've read, it wasn't the ideal weather for it - a little overcast, in fact, it rained and hailed towards the end of our walk but I got some nice shots considering I wasn't over thinking it.

 

 

 

 

The light effects are extremely subtle but I'm happy with the pictures I took. I think it'll do better in the summer with more colour on display and more sunshine. We walked up to the cafe and had a snack (me: dirty chai latte + ginger cake, him: pup cup and doggie ice cream) before getting rescued from the rain and hail by PB. We're lucky that we live so close to this park and I should walk here more often. 

 

My Sophie Shawl has been frogged and restarted, a few little fumbles here and there, and I just couldn't take it anymore. My inner perfectionist won out. To be fair, I'm much happier with the start of the icord edging now, it looks much neater which is important for such a simple design. I haven't accomplished an awful lot since Wednesday, a gentle flare up is urging me to move slow and do less so I've been doing a little bit of knitting, hand sewing and happily eating through a batch of cookie dough hummus (yes, I've become one of those people...) and this weekend, I'm going to see Opeth with PB and a friend which should be fun and a good test run for my stamina when it comes to the expo later this year. I'm hoping I won't need to use my cane but will take it along in case.

 

I am fortunate to be in a season where my fibromyalgia flares aren't so debilitating although I'm aware that can always change. The thing is, there's nothing I can point to as a reason for this development which is part of the overall problem, it can be managed...but it's management in the same way that balancing six spinning plates that need to go different speeds and change direction are managed. You can't just expect a routine (though those are helpful) to have the exact same result and that's why it's so frustrating when after a 'good' period, you have people saying "but you could do this last time..." or "you weren't like this the other time..." when things change for the worse. 

 

Yes, I know. I'm mourning the change, it never stops feeling devastating when I can't do something that I did easily the day before, the week before, the month before. As well meaning as those comments can be, it really does illustrate that people can't really understand it unless it happens to them and  I wouldn't want anyone to suffer with chronic illness or pain just to understand but that's been my experience and the experience of many others. 

Oof. I went off a little bit there unexpectedly. Anyway, at the moment I have a lot to be happy about and that is truly a privileged position to be in these days.