Geriatric??

I remember I had 10 days when my first was born and my GP attended the birth.

He also came round to the house on several occasions afterwards to see how I was coping.

When I had my twins of course that was a different matter, I had to go into the hospital as it was a double delivery.

After they were born I was transferred to the Nursing home where I stayed for 10 days .

I am going back to demand my three extra days!!

I too had 10 days in hospital when my son was born in 1974.

One day the staff couldn't find me when it was feeding time. I was located in the TV Room watching Wimbledon. They were not pleased with me for neglecting my son, but I explained 'I may never get the opportunity to watch it again' !!

My DS and I often laugh about this and I am still a tennis fan.

At 27 I too was elderly primagravida, and got l0 days in hospital - you woz robbed FlicketyB. I enjoyed every minute of my l0 days post delivery, specially as it was end November and we had no gas /heating at home because UK was changing to north sea gas. As for when is elderly I agree that its usually the decade ahead of where one is, and old a couple of decades
more. 65 is the new 45 after all specially if you are lucky enough to have good health. At 66 and fit, I still struggle to think of myself as elderly. I may reluctantly concede I might be midldle aged though - but then so might my sil who is 45. Dont forget we will never be as young as we are today, so enjoy it all.

I do read archaeology. I was bought up on Mortimer Wheeler and Leonard Woolley.

I sometimes do the DT crossword on line. I must try to find a news agent who delivers it. The last one folded years ago.

I read a lot, all sorts of books and of course my tribunal papers when the work is around.
At the moment I've a 26 page upper chamber tribunal on use of wheelchairs in relation to ESA to read and my papers for Monday, to say nothing of 8 one foot square squares to crochet to finish the quilt I'm making.

Very busy without stirring from my chair.

When I was very young and at the convent school, I became convinced that the most deadly sins were

Smoking
Drinking
Wearing make up
Playing whist.

I used to smoke
Played bridge at university
Sometimes wear make up
Drink? What? Moi?

I've not read through the whole post but have only one word of advice. Learn to play Bridge. There is nothing better for those lttle grey cells than playing this King of card games. You meet people, use your brain, you can play it in a wheelchair or with MS, and up to a very old age. In our Club the oldest member is 93.

I play in the club and now play every evening on-line for an hour or two a day with players from everypart of the world- free. Bill Gates is a Bridge player and I think he set it up.

I didn't know there was a word version Nonnie - it's a really addictive game I find.

Galen Do you have no intellectual or other hobby that can occupy your time and stimulate your mind? My passion is archaeology, which consists of much more than excavating on site (which I do not do). I attend talks and I am involved in the running of my local archaeological society.We run study groups researching different periods in our county. I also do extra mural classes at my local university, which nearly always involves at least one piece of written work.

I am not dismissing or downgrading craft activities, I do, and have done bargello work for years and have recently returned to sewing and have been doing a series of sewing classes tutored by May Martin, of Sewing Bee fame, but I would be lost without my more cerebral pursuits as well.

NanKate I love Rummikub too. The word version is not as compulsive though.

Galen they make brilliant cushion covers . You don't have to put them on a wall.

Elegran what lovely needle work . Bargello is such a pleasant soothing activity.

Galen have you heard of the game Rummykub ? Its fabulous and has really got my brain working. You can buy it online. I play it about 3 times a month with different friends.

The game is based on the card game rummy with Runs and Three or four of a kind. Tiles are used like scrabble.

Do you have any friends of neighbours you would like to invite round and teach them the game. It works well with 3 or 4 of you, but can be played with 2. I am sure you will get hooked quite easily.

If I lived near you I would come round (if invited) and we would have a good regular session and a bit of chat about our memories of Brum.

No doubt it can be played online too.

Outs?
Looks!

Outs beautifully, but not for me. I can't sew and I make things to be useful.
Might try sometime though.

Thanks Lona

Thank you, Jane It is also known as Florentine stitch. It has a long history, and I have seen the walls of a whole small room (well, a sort of closet/boudoir) covered with an old hanging made of it. It was in silk, in colours of dark greens and purples - really quite claustrophobic! If you Google "Bargello" and then choose the "images" option, you can see hundreds of examples of designs, some beautiful some frankly hideous.

I do bargello because my eyes are no longer up to the finer embroidery stitches. It is done on canvas in wool, and each stitch is about half-an-inch long. It bears the same relationship to fine embroidery as chunky knitting does to 2 or 3 ply. I have added a closeup on my profile pics to show the size of the stitches and the canvas, and how the stitches each overlap the ones in the previous row. It is easy enough for simple designs to be done by most children of seven or so, but the colours and the number of parallel stitches in each grouip of one, two, three or four (which determines the curves) can be arranged to make different patterns.

I've never heard of it either, but it looks stunning Elegran

Nonnie Agree with you on the daytime TV, though if you can't get out or even move around the house easily I can see that it would be useful. A pity so much of it is tripe, but if you taped things from the evening, when there are often three decent things on all at the same time, you could watch what you missed.

Elegran I've just looked at your photos, I've never heard of Bargello but what you have done is beautiful.

Never heard of bargello but it looks complicated and like you would need very good eyesight.

I think vegetating is when you start watching daytime TV (unless its the news). My radio is on wherever I am in the house, car or garden so I get plenty of news.

Most published bargello designs are like a row of icicles (look online) but I wanted a flower garden effect.

Galen I have loaded two photos to my profile pics, but I am having the greatest difficulty editing the caption of one of them. What I am trying to add is that one of them is in hot bright summer colours with a variety of summer greens, all much brighter that the photo, which has made it look as faded as the unfinished other one (autumn) is meant to be.

The stitch is basic bargello, very straightforward. The effects are achieved by the placing and colours of the blocks.

The true vegetables are the ones who think that their state is normal. If you know that you are bored, you are not vegetating. You are aware enough to do something about it.

Is the crochet losing its appeal? You could try other things. Bargello is quite absorbing and as quick to grow as crochet. I shall go and take a photo of what I am in the middle of and post it. I may be some time, don't go away..

I'm getting bored, staying at home! (No work) I can't crochet all day and I can't get out and about easily.
Do you think I'm vegetating?