Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Moaning about the weather

Friday’s promise was followed by a rather cruel let down on Saturday – dark skies, stiff breeze &, from mid afternoon, constant drizzle. The one & only jumper I was wearing wasn’t enough & shopping became an unlooked for disappointment as I needed to rush past any chilled cabinets ASAP.

On the bright side it is going to be easier than it has been for some years to find attractive new winter clothes: colours are far more to my taste & everybody seems to want to be more covered up – V-neck fronts, bracelet length sleeves, tops that don’t even cover your midriff, let alone kidneys - all gone in favour of longer lengths & higher necks. Bliss.

And there is a very distinct return to acrylic in place of wool. Perhaps it is just price, perhaps fashion gurus have had second thoughts about the green credentials of wool – but we are now spoilt for choice when it comes to lightweight but warm jumpers in colours which can be mixed & matched in as many layers as you need.

The Times carried an, in parts, rather odd article about the health problems which come with autumn (your hair might fall out because it grew thicker in the summer?), but I fell on the contribution from a rheumatologist who talked about all-over joint aches which may be a particular trial for Raynaud sufferers – I had not heard that before, thought it affected just hands & feet (plus ear lobes & nose tips for a few real unfortunates), & that it was just old age that made it such a relief to get home & replace clothes which now seem heavy or stiff with a soft warm dressing gown which places no burden on shoulder & other joints – that is why light weight, anything-but stiff acrylic is such a boon, one which does not need the care demanded by cashmere, mohair or angora.

What a selfish, least pain in my little finger moan about not very much – even our weather would be welcomed by those in Pakistan or Japan right now. Tokyo suffered another big disruption from a typhoon last week, as if they have not had enough this year. But there was very little space for this in the press when the world seems so terribly upside down in so many ways.

I shall however try to get more ginger in my cooking because, according to the Times rheumatologist, that may help relieve the joints.

There is probably no proper 'evidence' for this, but then 'proper' medicine is silent on both the cause & the cure for Raynauds.