Arthritis in a – long – nutshell

stickywicket

We moved house last October. Most able-bodied people would have got a washing line sorted fairly quickly but it's taken me until this morning to finally get my washing out. And I feel ridiculously proud.

1. The previous owner had taken her rotary line with her.

2. I knew where it had been fixed but the site wasn't good for me – on a wobbly lawn with a slight incline to negotiate upwards and skid down? Nah. I can wobble on laminate without raising my arms aloft to make it more likely.

3. The obvious place was just outside the back door where they had paved a lovely circular, patterned 'sitting out' area. A good, flat surface but first.....

4. I needed to buy a heated electric clothes horse to tide me over the winter.

5. I needed the three very steep steps converting to six shallow ones with a handrail.

6. Line, rotary or fixed pull-out line? I decided the latter was probably the best but, on the grounds that J Lewis agreed to let me see if I could pull it out before buying and return it if it wasn't suitable, we had to drive the hour to their nearest store to get one.

7. Then we went to visit our son in USA for a month.

8. We got back last week. I phoned our lovely Care & Repair people on Thursday afternoon and in less than 24 hours it was up and running. ( :idea: I wonder if they could fix me so quickly )

9. Today I planned on doing sheets but, as Mr SW was absent, settled for an easier trial run of trousers, his polo necks, socks and undies.

10. SUCCESS! My line is full, I've had loads of exercise getting up and down the six steps carrying my maximum load of three items per trip. And I'm stupidly happy.

dibdab

Hoorah....well done. those little bits of independence mean so much . Now you just have to repeat the process at he end of the day to retrieve it all......unless Mr SW is home and can be tasked to do it.
Deb

Slosh

Congratulations. As they say, little things mean a lot.

frogmorton

Ah lovely

Nothing like the sight of a line full of washing is there? Most gratifying

littlemimmy

That's fantastic! It must be so satisfying!

We have a permanent line down the garden but it's stupidly under some trees so I've never used it. It's also about 60 feet from the house - way too far away for a washing line!

Instead, I have two airers, which are large but lightweight, so I can hang the washing straight onto them from the machine and then move them outside or around the flat as desired.

This works really well for us, but to be fair, I've done this for almost four years - long before I was diagnosed!

stickywicket

I did get it in 'all by my own' as my elder son used to say. Had to really I had to show myself I could do the full job. Sheets tomorrow. That'll be harder.

Slosh

Good luck with the sheets, perhaps you should do what my Mum used to do, lay them out on the grass to dry. Mind you she had to check carefully after in case they had brought in any little (or not so little) friends with them!

GraceB

As you know only too well, life with Mr Arthur isn't an easy one! However, as usual it appears that you have found a way round the challenges that Mr Arthur throws your way.

Hope the sheets went okay.

GraceB

dreamdaisy

It is the supposedly 'little' things that make the biggest differences to our lives, isn't it? For me it was buying my first cordless vacuum - the revelation that provided was extraordinary! It's been a while now but I still grin as I trundle round the ground floor with ease. And he uses it too - another revelation.

Happy washing and hanging out my lovely! DD

Slosh

It does make you appreciate things more.
Many years ago, when oven chips first came out I remember my then next-door-neighbour telling me how excited her sister and brother-in-law were. They were both blind and for the first time they could cook chips themselves rather than having to go to the chippie when they wanted them.

MissKat

Those heated airers are the best aren't they?! I was beside myself with excitement when it arrived!

You remind me that we need to set our washing line up too, how did the pull out one work for you? Debating that for myself... [emoji848]

Anything that makes ones life easier with Arthur is good by my book!

Hurrah and congrats! X


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stickywicket

MissKat wrote:

how did the pull out one work for you? Debating that for myself...

It's working really well and the very able-bodied young chap who installed it for me is now thinking of getting one just because they leave the garden so easily free of washing line when not in use.

Having said that, mine will probably stay out except when we have visitors (Don't want to decapitate anyone - I have to have it fairly low) but I do like it and, obviously, had it set up at just the right height for me.

Many companies do them and some are cheaper than mine but I don't know how easy / stiff the others might be.