Look on the bright side ...

I thought that it was going to be a lot worse!  Otherwise known as don't check your symptoms on the Internet :-)

What am I talking about?  Well, I went to the doctor on Tuesday to get a repeat prescription and to ask her about some problems that I had been having with my right hand in particular.  Having looked up the symptoms on the Internet, I thought that I had carpal tunnel syndrome.  The doctor ummed and aahed and made me put my hands in a funny position and prodded at my wrist - the upshot was not carpal tunnel syndrome, but repetitive strain injury!  Just when I thought that I was on top of my deadlines!

So I am now on anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen after every meal) and have bought myself a wrist support (to wear when stitching and typing).  The stop watch is now accompanied by the kitchen timer set for 30 minutes, to be followed by a 15 minute break doing something else.

Now you know the worst - on to the stitching.  The stop watch says that I put in 12 hours, 9 minutes, 43 seconds and 34 hundredths of a second last week.  Yes, this is less than the previous week, but that is down to the fact that I stayed up all night on Saturday on the computer (literally - I went to bed at 6am on Sunday to doze until it was time to put the washing  machine on and then went back to bed between loads of washing) and got no stitching done on Sunday at all.

Enchanted Garden lost out last week because of the debacle that was Sunday.  I put in 2 hours, 32 minutes, 18 seconds and 15 hundredths of a second over five sessions - all of them lunchtime sessions at work.  Fairy 1 is finished apart from the back stitch and the clover leaves etc behind her represent the left hand edge of the piece.

Carnation came next in the time stakes - 4 hours, 5 minutes, 59 seconds and 46 hundredths of a second over seven sessions.  Row 9 is finished and I am now into row 10 with the page end in sight.

Turkish Challenge won out last week, having come last the previous week - 5 hours, 31 minutes, 25 seconds and 73 hundredths of a second.  As you can see, the first flower is complete and the second flower is underway - another piece with the finishing line in sight.

The weather here has been atrocious and it is still freezing cold with a very nasty biting wind.  On Saturday I spent two hours at my local Morrisons supermarket, collecting for Marie Curie.  The lady in charge has sent me an email to say that I raised £100.11 during my stint, which makes me a very happy bunny.

And again on the bright side, IT have fixed my work computer today.  I got in from the doctor on Tuesday to find that it wasn't working and spent the rest of the week hot desking on other people's PCs due to IT staffing issues.  This was both annoying and uncomfortable.  My colleagues tend to be petite - I am 5'8" in my bare feet, in my work heels about 5'10" and my monitor and chair are set to fit me.  Cue neck and shoulder ache and a complaint to the Head of Office.

Well,  my tea is just about cooked and I want to get in some stitching after tea, so will leave you now with the fervent hope that the weather will improve, Spring will really arrive and plenty of stitching will get done.