Ugly hands....

[Guest guest]

Rhonda wrote: I use to try and hide my hands for along time when I was out

in public and alos try to hide my feet becasue they are so deformed. But I

try and hold my head up now and try not to let it bother me anymore. It took

years for me to do that.

Ardeith writes: Yeah, I know the feeling. It took me maybe ten years to

get over it. Now, I soothe my hands with lotion and thank them for all I

can do with them. I tell them they are wonderful hands. OK....so it's

kooky....but it works for me.

I crochet, sew, embroider, write little stories, draw, and carve clay. I

had to let wood carving go when it became just too painful.....but I can

carve clay just dandy....and one advantage to clay is, if I take off too

much, I can put it back! Can't do that with wood.

For all of you who are depressed over all the things you can't do

anymore.....go find something you can do to create beauty. Even if you

can't draw a straight line with a ruler, you can do something! Get thee to

the nearest Wal-Mart or craft store and check out all the great things you

can do to make something that expresses something you love, or something you

feel good about. I picked up a cute kit of a kitten hanging onto a branch,

and the legend says, " Hang in there, Baby! " It's on a pale blue background,

and I plan to put it on a pale blue tee-shirt for my granddaughter.

I just finished a design of an orca for one grandson, and I have a big

design of an eagle sitting on a branch in front of a full moon that I put on

a shirt for the other grandson. He's sixteen and big enough to wear the

larger design......got to wash those shirts and get them mailed!

I've got a pen and ink drawing my daughter did that I am going to turn into

a cross-stitch design too. I use tracing paper to copy the design, and the

paper is gridded for fourteen, or eighteen stitches per inch. Nice paper.

I bought a bag of wild bird seed, and spent days sorting the seed by all the

different varieties and colors, then drew a design on a cigar box, and used

the seed to fill in the design. Glued them down with Elmer's glue, and

painted the box with a " poly " paint to protect it from dampness. Those seed

are live and will sprout if they get wet! I could just spread glue and dump

the seed in an area, but I'd rather treat each little seed like a bead and

place it precisely. Takes forever to complete a design, but what else have

I got to do in the evening while Fred snoozes through TV shows?

Besides, if I don't find something to do with my hands, I chain

smoke....which ain't good for me either....

Ardy