I really wish I had danced more....

I've realised lately that I take a LOT of photos of my feet and that isn't really a particularly normal thing to do!

Horrible aren't they?

I have Psoriatic Arthritis and if you don't know what that is then please do not feel at all silly as a recent letter dictated by my GP says that I have Sciatic Arthritis....I explain that it's like Psoriasis (the flaky skin problem) and that instead of being on my outside it's on my inside!

Ouch! 

My days start in almost the same way every day, I never lie in even on days off - I wake up and prepare myself to *move*. One of the 'joys' of PA is that you never really know which joints will be affected and how...but mastering the one-handed bra application process is a particularly satisfying achievement! It certainly keeps me on my toes...

Why the pic of the knitting needles? 

I get up early and take a massive dose of Ibuprufen, it's huge, more than twice the recommended daily dose for a 'normal' person and while I wait for it to work it's magic I sit in my chair at the kitchen table and I tweet, read, work and sometimes I paint...with lots of tea to go with the pills!

It hasn't always been this way, I have always been a very active and creative person - I recently found this plant marker on my allotment. I sowed the Welsh Onion seeds exactly a month before THE DAY, the day I woke up, jumped out of bed to make a cup of tea and I fell over - my knees just kinda 'collapsed' and I got up, laughed a bit (I laugh a lot!) and it happened again...getting old I thought!

*family fortunes buzzer sound here* 

It seems that I haven't only inherited my father's good looks, charm and wit but also his psoriasis, it was just that mine had been hiding away inside me all these years.

This is Bob, he's great! Tiny but strong, used to going for long, long walks...when I realised that I could no longer do the walks he was used to I used to take him running alongside my trade bike but eventually that became too difficult and I eventually asked a neighbor and fellow dog owner to walk him, more about him (neighbor not Bob) later!

So, why start this blog?

*insert a random pic of wholesome produce from the allotment* 

I meet a lot of new people running Halfpenny Home and I get asked a lot of questions about what I have done, what I do and why I do things - at first I didn't tell many people about having PA! It's not very sexy and as well as struggling to cope with finding a medication that works for me I found it distressing describing something I was only just starting to learn about myself! I do now tell people about PA and try to let them see that it isn't the end of the world, it's unpleasant but I keep smiling and as I said before I laugh a lot!

I hope this isn't starting to sound too depressing as I can honestly say that I really can see positive things that have happened to me because of this! I also wanted to keep a record of the highs and lows as when my medication is working I forget that there is anything at all wrong with me and when things are very bad I like to be reminded that they will get better again! 

A very selfish reason to blog but at least it's an honest one!

Before the day *it* happened I was in a very unhealthy relationship with someone who was very controlling and insecure, the arthritis soon weeded him out! I worked alone and spent many hours working on beautiful fabrics making soft furnishings for interior designers and lovely shops - I loved my work and I did it for a very long time. The joints of my hands won't allow me to do this any longer but I now take enormous pleasure and pride in teaching others to be creative, artistic and crafty!

I also have a book! I have lots of books, mostly cookery but this one has me in it, on it and I am very proud of it - a great achievement! Not quite as satisfying as learning to write with my left hand as well as my right but pretty damn close!

I got to know my neighbor a whole lot better! Yep,the one who walked my dog Bob for me....how cool would it be right now to end this post with 'Reader I married him.....' ? Ha! As we often sign off messages to one another with, but we are still neighbors!

Thanks for getting to the end if you are indeed still with me.....Nic x