March goes out like a lamb....


Apparently not in Calgary. We're expecting 20 cm of snow tonight. This after a gorgeous sunny morning where I was sitting on the back deck in a t-shirt. Oh well... this too shall pass!!

Having said that I've finished my December piece for the Bead Journal Project. December for me started the last weekend in November when, for some as yet undefined reason, the muscles from my knee to my groin on the inside of my right leg seized completely. Despite the efforts of two friends, both of whom have massage techniques, we couldn't get the muscles to let go. In fact, the chiropractor wasn't having much success either. I finally ended up having IMS - a needle technique that forces the muscles to let go - done after Christmas. So Christmas wasn't fun; I missed work for a month; and I didn't get much sleep. Neither muscle relaxants nor codeine seemed to help much with the pain.

So my December piece is absolutely a reflection of that month. The background is burgundy silk, the beads represent the knots in the muscles and the silver stars represent the sharp pain that was a constant.

I guess I should say that my hip is now almost 100% and I'm spending more time finishing projects that should have been completed earlier.

On a much lighter note, I just finished Susan Sorrell's Fiber Collage class on Joggles. It was interesting. I really had to push myself to add the beads and the French knots. I like things to be simple and I really needed to push myself to go beyond what I thought was enough. Even at that I'm sure I could do much more. However, I'm not quite there yet. Maybe on the next one.

As for the BJP, I've designed the January piece and possibly March. Still haven't figured out what February will be. I might just have to cover a piece with beige beads and leave it at that.

Cheers!!

Comments

Tracey Leeder said…
I feel so bad for you! i live in chronic pain and I know a thing or two about what you are describing. It is torture! Every now and then my neck muscles down my shoulder and into my arm "lock up" like you desribe. It is sheer hell until it finally decides to let go. You poor thing! I like your piece. I think you did an awesome job with your bead choices representing the pain you dealt with. Nice work!
March 21, 2009 at 10:54 PM
Marty S said…
This is a powerfully expressive piece. I hope you continue to feel good. It's a contrast to the fabric collage. That one's so cheerful and upbeat.
Marty S
Crackpot Beader
March 22, 2009 at 11:09 AM
Robin said…
Good for you that you're back in business again... but sorry about the month of lost work and pain. No fun there. I recognized the hip shape immediately on your piece and when I clicked to enlarge (before reading your text) I saw the stars and thought ouch... pain... I wondered if you'd fallen and broken your hip. So congrats on your visual journaling! About that pain and prevention of a relaps, I suggest a good physical therapist to give you a short exercise routine and to analyze your posture and walking for minor corrections that could be preventative... Hugs, Robin A.
March 22, 2009 at 3:36 PM
KV said…
Incredible piece of work! Gosh, I sure hope you are doing much better and that spring will be just around the corner up there . . .


Kathy V in NM
March 22, 2009 at 8:15 PM
Sabine said…
Yes, I can see how you must have suffered. But even this has two sides, like everything else has: At least something beautiful came out of it in the end.

Sabine
March 23, 2009 at 3:13 PM
pam T said…
Very, very cool result from a not so cool happening! Love how you depicted it!
March 28, 2009 at 6:43 AM
Ellen said…
Wow, I love all your pages, sorry to know you have had such pain to deal with, life shouldn't be like that! I wish you a pain free year;)
March 28, 2009 at 3:55 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

January's bead project

Image
So I sat down and created a picture of what I thought this month's project might look like. It originated from the fact that I was laid off a few months ago and am still looking for work. It was about possibilities - which direction do I go now? Then I sat down with the different backing pieces and selected the piece I wanted. It was a very small circle/square piece in alternating black and white which to my mind is very chaotic and confusing. I was going to create the box from fabric and applique it onto the material but I found myself making a big black smudge in the centre with a black felt marker (a very odoriferous black felt marker!). Then I thought about where I wanted the path for each opportunity to go. Well, didn't that change as well! Instead of being straight lines to the opportunity, they meandered, disappeared and reappeared. Because I thought I might have to take some over the edge, I decided I would have to bead the edge first and then work on the front.
Read more

Marking Time

Image
I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out if anything stood out for me in February ... and nothing does. It was just a month - 4 weeks, 7 days each - nothing special! The most that can be said for it is that I marked off all the physio and chiropractic appointments I had to go to to for my hip. It was a very boring, uninteresting and nothing month. So that's what I made - a boring, uninteresting piece that was just about marking time!! Now that it's done I can move on to March - I have two ideas for that or maybe it's one for March and one for April. That could be it. Anyway, I should have them both finished before the end of May which would bring me right up to date. Yeah!!!!
Read more

When I grow up ...

Image
I'm going to be .... at 51 I still haven't figured that one out yet. Firstly, I'm still waiting for that "magic moment" when I'll know for sure that "I'm grown up" and secondly as I grow and change what I want to "be" also grows and changes. So it's hardly any wonder to me that time spent in January was thinking about career paths and what my next choice should be. My mother was always amazed by variety in my resume - it is a bit daunting - however, I've often thought I wanted to be a "renaissance" woman when I grow up so may that's still influencing my thought processes. Anyway, January is about "Opportunities" and trying to figure out which way to go. This time I'll keep my day job until I'm a little more solid about which way to go before deciding I want a change - new direction for me. More importantly, I've figured out the design for February. I need to back the piece and do the edging.
Read more