I'm putting this out to the cyberspace universe to see what happens.
I am/was a quilter and love to sew but because of Rheumatoid Arthritis my shoulders have degenerated, which makes sewing at a sewing machine almost impossible. I have use of my forearms and hands for the most part, I just can't raise my arms up and forward in order to sew the way most do. If the machine were at lap level it would be more doable but I'm in a power wheelchair full-time and couldn't handle the weight directly on my lap.
Here's what I'm asking: Is there a mechanical engineer, inventor, tinkerer, mechanical R&D, etcetera, out there that would be willing to work with me to develop something?
Please pass the word: you never know whose reading. Thanks.
Friday, September 18, 2015
UPDATE ON MY TABLET EXPERIENCE AND LOTS OF RANDOM STUFF
It ended up that the first tablet I got was Windows 8.1 and was very difficult to use, so I traded it in for a Fire HD 6.? and it works much better: it's an Android. I also just discovered that it has a voice recognition program so I can type more easily just by speaking. Hopefully I'll do more blogging because it's been so difficult and slow to do until now. As I speak, I'm sitting outside under the tree, with my dog, on a beautiful summer day, blogging . I could really get used to this, it's really fun . Now just to think of things to write about .
I planted a garden this summer. A local church offered free garden plots and they gave me two. I planted some Honey Bear squash, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, some lavender, herbs and some flowers. I'm already harvesting onions, a few potatoes, cutting flowers, playing hide and seek with baby bunnies, and looking forward to the squash and some more tomatoes .
The biggest challenge with the garden has been keeping up with the weeds. Either it's been too hot, or there's not been enough staff to help me. Now we're just pressing them down with "our" feet or when we do pull them out, we place the dead ones on top of the live ones. [Don't you just love the "we"? I can't do any of the physical labor, my staff does it all. LOL] I also had numerous "volunteer" plants come up, including cucumber, pear tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, spaghetti squash, other tomatoes..
I haven't been on Facebook very much this summer because I've been outside so much. It's hard to keep up with all the posts. I usually check in at least a couple times a day. Sounds like everyone's having a wonderful summer. I'm so glad.
I sure miss Tia [my Yorkie] this summer. It was hard losing her after 14 years. She was the love of my life. Tia's godmother got a hold of me shortly after she died, and told me of a lady who wasn't feeling well and needed to find a home for her dog. So on June 6, 2015 I adopted 5 1/2 year-old, 9 pound Ava Jo. I'll try to attach a picture to the blog .
She is a sweetheart and very very smart but she is a very different puppy dog from what I'm used to . They are two very different little beings and I love them both . Ava seems to be settling in well and we're both getting used to each other. She loves to lay outside on the grass while I'm reading or playing with my tablet. I am grateful for her love, for her being here. I believe Tia let go so Ava could have a new home. I have so many conflicting feelings: sad that Tia is gone yet happy that she was here, happy that I have Ava, but missing Tia deeply. I definitely feel torn at times.
I started going to the Courage Center again. I'm still having trouble with this wheelchair and it's been three years and still it's causing me problems . We may not be able to get a new chair yet but we're going to try and update the seating to see if that helps with the pain . I'll be going once a week for eight weeks. It's about an hour and a half drive. (Update since first writing this : I only went to Courage Center for a few weeks. They're sending me to a clinic affiliated with Gillette Children's Hospital where they have the ability to adapt the equipment on sight.)
I now have almost full-time personal care attendant (PCA) hours, though I don't use them all. There's been a large turnover of staff the last couple of months because of health issues. A couple blew out their back, one is going to be having surgery, another one's going on sabbatical for a while but she'll still be able to help fill-in, and one fell in love and moved up north (she has since moved back and has returned to my staff), so it's been trying but I'm very grateful for all the help I have and when I get discouraged I just remember I'm not in a nursing home, I'm in my own home with my dog, and I can come and go as I please. The girls I have are great, I love them dearly, but it is hard work. As my mom used to say, I'm a high maintenance broad.
About a month ago, on a spur of the moment idea, my PCA Cheryl and I drove out to our old lake cabin at Lake Jennie. I had the wonderful surprise of seeing one of the gals I grew up with next door out there. She's was there from Virginia with her family . It was good to see her. It was also nice to see that their cabin was still in the family. We wandered around the old place
for a little while and then said our goodbyes. It'd been a long time since I'd been out there and it was nice to see it again. I did a lot of my growing-up out there in the summers . It was a bittersweet trip.
It's been a beautiful summer here in Minnesota. I especially love the balmy warm evenings. On the hotter days I've been sitting under a tree, with Ava Jo lying in the grass, reading books or playing with my tablet a little bit ( I'm close enough to my apartment that the Wi-Fi works if I'm in the front circle of the building, so I can use it outside. It's kind of nice)
My niece, Elizabeth K, my brother Mark and S-I-L Julie's oldest daughter, got engaged while she was on the road trip of a lifetime this summer. I'm very excited for her and her family. She is one half of the Buffalo Lake-Hector Junior High Social Studies department. Her fiancé is the other half of the department.
She's been there about two years now, I think she's starting her third year this year. Next June brings wedding bells.
As for my health, it seems to be slowly improving . I haven't been in the hospital, except for elective procedures, for at least 2 to 3 years. When I went down to the initial appointment at the Courage Center this time, I could do much more physically than the last time I was there (3 yrs ago). That was encouraging. I'm in the process of getting what are called AFOs (ankle/foot orthodics), which are braces to keep my feet from rolling. They cast you with the casting material and then they make the braces from there. They're made out of plastic with some foam padding. Hopefully my legs will be much more comfortable after I get them. (I now have them and so far so good.) The recurrence of infections seems to be getting better, not as close together. I've had three separate skin cancers removed, two on my scalp and one on my cheek.
I hope you've had a rewarding summer/winter. I have enjoyed it.
The future brings many exciting changes for my family and I for one can't wait!
I planted a garden this summer. A local church offered free garden plots and they gave me two. I planted some Honey Bear squash, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, some lavender, herbs and some flowers. I'm already harvesting onions, a few potatoes, cutting flowers, playing hide and seek with baby bunnies, and looking forward to the squash and some more tomatoes .
The biggest challenge with the garden has been keeping up with the weeds. Either it's been too hot, or there's not been enough staff to help me. Now we're just pressing them down with "our" feet or when we do pull them out, we place the dead ones on top of the live ones. [Don't you just love the "we"? I can't do any of the physical labor, my staff does it all. LOL] I also had numerous "volunteer" plants come up, including cucumber, pear tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, spaghetti squash, other tomatoes..
I haven't been on Facebook very much this summer because I've been outside so much. It's hard to keep up with all the posts. I usually check in at least a couple times a day. Sounds like everyone's having a wonderful summer. I'm so glad.
I sure miss Tia [my Yorkie] this summer. It was hard losing her after 14 years. She was the love of my life. Tia's godmother got a hold of me shortly after she died, and told me of a lady who wasn't feeling well and needed to find a home for her dog. So on June 6, 2015 I adopted 5 1/2 year-old, 9 pound Ava Jo. I'll try to attach a picture to the blog .
I started going to the Courage Center again. I'm still having trouble with this wheelchair and it's been three years and still it's causing me problems . We may not be able to get a new chair yet but we're going to try and update the seating to see if that helps with the pain . I'll be going once a week for eight weeks. It's about an hour and a half drive. (Update since first writing this : I only went to Courage Center for a few weeks. They're sending me to a clinic affiliated with Gillette Children's Hospital where they have the ability to adapt the equipment on sight.)
I now have almost full-time personal care attendant (PCA) hours, though I don't use them all. There's been a large turnover of staff the last couple of months because of health issues. A couple blew out their back, one is going to be having surgery, another one's going on sabbatical for a while but she'll still be able to help fill-in, and one fell in love and moved up north (she has since moved back and has returned to my staff), so it's been trying but I'm very grateful for all the help I have and when I get discouraged I just remember I'm not in a nursing home, I'm in my own home with my dog, and I can come and go as I please. The girls I have are great, I love them dearly, but it is hard work. As my mom used to say, I'm a high maintenance broad.
About a month ago, on a spur of the moment idea, my PCA Cheryl and I drove out to our old lake cabin at Lake Jennie. I had the wonderful surprise of seeing one of the gals I grew up with next door out there. She's was there from Virginia with her family . It was good to see her. It was also nice to see that their cabin was still in the family. We wandered around the old place
It's been a beautiful summer here in Minnesota. I especially love the balmy warm evenings. On the hotter days I've been sitting under a tree, with Ava Jo lying in the grass, reading books or playing with my tablet a little bit ( I'm close enough to my apartment that the Wi-Fi works if I'm in the front circle of the building, so I can use it outside. It's kind of nice)
My niece, Elizabeth K, my brother Mark and S-I-L Julie's oldest daughter, got engaged while she was on the road trip of a lifetime this summer. I'm very excited for her and her family. She is one half of the Buffalo Lake-Hector Junior High Social Studies department. Her fiancé is the other half of the department.
As for my health, it seems to be slowly improving . I haven't been in the hospital, except for elective procedures, for at least 2 to 3 years. When I went down to the initial appointment at the Courage Center this time, I could do much more physically than the last time I was there (3 yrs ago). That was encouraging. I'm in the process of getting what are called AFOs (ankle/foot orthodics), which are braces to keep my feet from rolling. They cast you with the casting material and then they make the braces from there. They're made out of plastic with some foam padding. Hopefully my legs will be much more comfortable after I get them. (I now have them and so far so good.) The recurrence of infections seems to be getting better, not as close together. I've had three separate skin cancers removed, two on my scalp and one on my cheek.
I hope you've had a rewarding summer/winter. I have enjoyed it.
The future brings many exciting changes for my family and I for one can't wait!
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