Time passes ( a bit of navel gazing. There hasn't been a lot of that lately)

 Between working with scraps, purging the studio area, and preparing to start a new pattern of EPP, there isn't a lot of  actual studio work to report. To be truthful, lately, there hasn't been much of any work being accomplished in the studio, other than purging. As I start stitching my latest EPP, I notice that my hand stitching just isn't as good as I would like, nor the quality it was in the recent and remote past.  So time to trouble shoot.  There are minor vision issues periodically, so I got out a pair of prescription glasses with a custom focal point designed for use at the sewing machine.  Could this help? Is there a lighting problem?  Dug out an old but functional table top Ott Light.  Let's give this a try.  Would using a work table help instead of working on my lap?  Okay, did a bit ergonomic evaluation.

Nothing really helped.  Next I looked at my mental/emotional status.  Yeah, yesterday was a rough day, but this isn't unusual this time of year.  Finally I faced the issue of my hand function.  Pain, arthritis and stiffness.  When I'm honest with myself, I have to accept increasing weakness of my right arm and hand.  Despite being strongly right dominant I'm now using mainly my left hand for computer activities, including mouse control.  Acknowledging this to myself put me in a bit of a panic mode.  I was alone and absolutely devastated for a few minutes.  In the "fight or flight" question I chose "fright", with the accompanying physical symptoms.  When I reclaimed control I started to think.

My skill with fine, delicate, exhibition quality needlework has been my source of self identity/appreciation since my late twenties.  I've known that much of that skill has gone as I age, but now I have to face not the diminishment, but maybe the complete loss?  This is going to lead to quite a bit of thought.  I didn't get much sleep last night, finally resorting to ZZZ-Quil at about 3:30 this morning.

To be continued.....

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