As my hands have stopped moving it’s time for some other movements to start in compensation. Yesterday Claire and I began making adjustments to the way things are organised at the castle and I’m sure more will be needed in the next few days. Here’s what we’ve done so far:

My drawers were full of folded clothes piled on top of each other, and this was fine while I could rummage through them to find what I wanted. But without working hands it’s tricky to do this so we’ve sorted through everything and kept out only the clothes I can wear easily at the moment. All the others I’ve put away for the time being.

We’ve rolled rather than folded the ones we’ve kept out, with an identifying mark visible wherever possible. They’ve been lined up in my drawers by type so I can see everything at a glance and more easily make a decision about what I want to wear.

My friends and family will be pleased to hear this sort-out’s resulted in a pile of clothes looking for new homes – first come first served!

From the time I lost the use of my hands on Boxing Day until yesterday, I’ve been in a state of shock, and today’s the first time I’ve felt ready to move forward.