Seeking a new hobby

Musicelf, Lewlew, you will like this - my grandson use to watch the Six Nations matches with me, my daughter said I hope Wales wins, he said - so do I , or Grannie will sing Myfanwy

Go for it Marrianne ?
MawBroon, yes Aberfan born and bred and at the disaster , realised my future g grandchildren will only hear of Welsh mining as history and perhaps see a film as awful as 'How Green Was My Valley' they will not know the closeness of the people.

mimiro, I will certaintly use that remedy

suggestion for arthritic hands(and feet)
large pot of water; boil
add:2 tablespoons fresh or dried grated ginger root(the stuff you cook with most produce places have it),cover and simmer for 15 minutes,let sit for 15 when temperature is one you can stand sink your hands into it and let soak for 15 min.
have arthritus all thru body.
was given this recipe years ago.
wont get into science of it but works great.
i have basin for feet to soak in also. add this to tub full of hot water and soak whole body.
leaves you a bit slippery but is worth it. just shower off after..for something like a knee or elbow saturate cloth in liquid and wrap the hurt bits.

other option for pain is eatting and soaking in capsicum
it is the active ingrediant in most hot chile peppers.
i crush peppers for salsa and mix it with my hands ,my hands dont hurt for weeks.
it is the ingredient in most topical pain killers you get for backache sprains etc.
as a career seamstress early onset arth. was terrifying. these saved my career
hope you feel better soon.and can get on with hobby

I like grandmattie's suggestion, anniebach
So many "characters" the like of which we no longer see today and anecdotes about Wales in your early days. You were at Aberfan, I think you said, well maybe that is too painful to use in your memoirs, but I bet your eccentric great aunt can provide you with material, and the minister.
I wish wholeheartedly that I had a written version of some of the tales my dad told me about people he had met, from shepherds far up the Ettrick and Yarrow valleys to the Archbishop of York whom he took to be the gardener and with whom he had a spirited conversation on roses!
Alas he "never thought anybody would be interested" and I, being young, forgot most of them.
You could always dictate if you find writing tiring.
This would be so interesting for the next generation (and might make you a bob or two!!)

I'm thinking of joining a Rock Choir.

Ack... but just because you are Welsh you can't sing. My DH can't carry a tune in a bucket!

When we go to events, like the Mass Choirs at Royal Albert Hall (every other year or so) I sign the anthem-- as almost everyone around me is and I'd feel odd. Having been raised Catholic during its Latin heyday, I can sing Land of Our Fathers phonetically

Anniebach, I'm a Welsh ex-pat, ex-music teacher and ran several choirs, which I absolutely loved! No-one loves their singing more than the Welsh.

So many suggestions I want to try so many , at this rate I will be too busy to visit Gransnet and thank you for such kind comments,

Lewlew, I think the fact the Welsh talk so much is linked to a passion for poetry and chapel! from a very young age and singing. Yes we have a women's choir in our town, and a male voice choir, and a Church choir, and a High school choir plus three junior school choirs , plus several orchestras , oh gosh , I'm off again

I'm another one with arthritic hands, and can no longer knit. I am (was!) a pianist, and sadly I can't play any longer, at least not as I'd like to play. The pain is too bad. Embroidery and tapestry are also no longer possible as I can't grip a needle.

Genealogy and reading are my two hobbies, and I also write. Thank goodness for keyboards! I love researching topics too - I keep learning! Languages are another option. There's a lot you can learn online.

Anniebach Oh I feel badly for you. You contribute so much to Gransnet and I look forward to your posts.

I have had trouble in the past with hands...I have a wee 'bump' right at my index/middle finger knuckle area and if I grip stuff too hard, I have nerve pain in the index finger for days. Ugh.

How about quilting? Do you have a sewing machine? If so you can cut and then stitch by machine. I have even seen some that use fabric glue. Quilts can be small, eg for cots, or as a wall hanging, eg a scene quilt that uses large pieces vs small squares or triangles.

This site looks interesting. I have not tried quilting yet on my own, but helped a friend stitch squares many years ago, but it's on my list. I kept my late dad's ties from work (he must have had over 100) in hopes of getting them into a quilt, but did not get the chance so gave them to my friend and she made a stunning quilt from them.

www.craftsy.com/blog/2013/10/quilt-patterns-for-beginners/

Yes, the Welsh have the lovely gift of the gab... and I can listen to a voice from the valleys all day. My DH is from S Pembs and been away so long his accent is gone. And the music! Are there any women's choirs in your area?

I had to give up quilting due to arthritis Anniebach, but started knitting just to keep my hands moving as I had been told to do. I now knit small items for charities. Knit for Peace mainly. Like you I could never master crochet. There may be a group near you, or classes if you don't knit. Good luck.

Thank you Jamila1108 for your post. I, too, have arthritic hands and am finding it difficult to knit or crochet. I thought I would try watercolour painting and, after reading your post, I've ordered the Ron Ranson book and can't wait to have a go!

The owner of a craft shop here runs courses on various crafts. I have just finished the crochet one, and, although I can understand the various stitches, accomplishing a 'granny square' proved too great a challenge. I was all thumbs! I think following a pattern, which I can do with ease when I knit, may also prove too much for my thick skull. I'm not much good at embroidery either despite the best efforts of my GM, who embroidered into later life,even with an arthritic thumb, to inculcate a skill with needle and thread in this stubborn head.

Dear Anniebach,
I am sure you have many wonderful stories to tell future generations about life in the Valleys. In this day and age you don`t have to be able to spell, that`s why `Spell-check` on your PC or Laptop is so very useful. Start by putting down the old stories your grandmother told you and soon your stories will be flowing like water from a tap!

What is it about crochet that some people can just pick it up and are soon making amazing things, and then there are others, like me, who no matter how many times they are shown, just can't get the hang of it? I can knit like a good 'un, sew, cross stitch, embroidery but I cannot crochet.

Oh, and by the way, bollocks to you're being "uneducated" - poor spelling isn't necessarily a sign of being either thick or uneducated. Your political & social posts & comments display a pretty good knowledge & you are obviously bright enough to be well informed - so there!

How about simple jewellery making - beading, macrame, simple bracelets with elastic, see Jewellerymaker TV & website. Many of the designers also have arthritic hands & there are lots of tools to make it easier to grip. I too have arthritic hands & "bent sausage" fingers, I find knitting helps to keep everything moving. I've also failed at crochet repeatedly - why? when I seem to manage most other crafts. Oh, also lace making, you only have to move bobbins around. Good luck!

How about writing, Anniebach if regular pens are difficult there are quite a few nice 'fat' pens around. Cult pens have a lovely fat wooden one (at a price but as a stationsry geek I'd buy it!). E-bay, and Amazon are worth a look as well as the shops that sell disability aids. You could write your family history, or keep a journal. Mine contains my rages against what is happening in the world, along with getting things off my chest, or sometimes a pain log. Bullet Journalling is a big thing now - lots of tips on Pinterest for really pretty designs.

Anniebach I have found some strategic and mind-bending games and quizzes on my I-pad as well as the simple fun ones. Usually simple screen touch stuff. Good luck and thanks for your many posts which I find so interesting.

S.d the spelling, Annie, just get on with writing your memoirs - or the stories of the eccentric aunts, uncles, grandparents etc. You would make a lovely job of it - even if it is for your family's eyes only.
And if you are too embarrassed, make sure you swear a trustworthy member of the family to hold on to the writings and not to look at the result for at least ten years after you die.
Good luck

I have audio books Alima, enjoyed listening whilst stitching ,sob.
Have worked in my fsmily tress for about fifteen years, have a few brick walls remaining.

willsmadnan, decoupage has always fascinated me but at present scissors are out.

Nananandgrampy , I will certaintly look up that ap.

Granoff, how kind, I am not educated enough to consider creative writing , have you not noticed my spelling ? I have written a few articles for a family history magazine, I did five years of transcribing for a county here in Wales, the introduction of the Poor Law gripped me , and made me cry, this took me to delving into the archives to learn more about workhouses , brutal.

How kind you all are, I have much I now want to try working on, and rabbiting away here have thought of family members I knew when young , an eccentric great Aunt, a g grandfather who had many newspaper reports for work he did as a minister,

See I have talked too much again, it's a Welsh thing, why use one word when you csn use ten. Thank you all, how blessed to meet such kind people X

Sorry, the word 'this' went astray.

Anniebach, I often enjoy your posts, your take on some of the threads that appear on Gransnet. Have you thought of Creative Writing if you don't do it already? I think you'd be good at it and you could get by with only using one or two fingers to type.

Good wishes to you and I hope the hands improve.

There is an app called Kindeo where you can record videos for generations to come Annie. It's free I think. And gives you loads of ideas about what to talk about. You could do it without hurting your hands and would be wonderful for your grandchildren and beyond .

Not much good if you suffer from arthritic hands, but I find decoupage is a great stress reliever, all that cutting and glueing can be very therapeutic . Unless you're foolish enough to agree to having a craft stall at the School fete in July, like me. Dining table is now covered in wooden boxes of all shapes and sizes in various stage of completion, and the kitchen work tops have become my workbench!
I'm thinking of having a go at making rag door wreaths for Christmas HildaW. Once the School fete is out of the way, that is.

Maybe not exactly a hobby but could you use audio books on your tablet/phone/iPad? There are apparently loads of websites/apps for these. Should be good for passing the time while you have a rest. We were looking into these when DH was going in for his hip op. With some, like book beat, you can start with a months free trial, others are free.
Have you done your family tree, I can spend hours on that.
Make up a scrapbook of your family to give to your children.
All I can think of at the mo, hope you find something.