Sunday Stroke Survival ~ All I Want for Christmas...

Actually, there are a lot of things I want for Christmas, but I ain't gonna get 'em. I realize this because I'm the caregiver in this house. You might call me Santa Incognito also because I do all the shopping and budgeting too. There is barely enough cash for groceries, house payments, utilities, and the occasional splurge for Mickey D's each month without borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. Drugs and doctor bills eat up the remainder of what would have been disposable income.

What I've been hankering for is a video camera. I started a YouTube channel years ago when I was making book trailers for myself and others. It has been gathering dust since my stroke. Being single (functional) handed takes a lot of time just doing what needs to be done. It's also a lot of trial and error on my part. What I wouldn't have given for someone to show me how to do in the beginning. It might have saved me some gray hairs. Whom am I kidding? I EARNED each and every one the hard way.

I have a lot of back to basic knowledge, and thought to start a channel on how I do things. Yes, I'd be joining a long list of homesteaders on YouTube, but my niche is different. I do it all now with only one working hand.

I raise a garden, chickens, and angora rabbits. We were almost totally on-the-grid, but off-the-grid in our home before my stroke and my husband's health downward turn. I've learned how to groom my rabbits for their fabulous wool, and yes, thanks to a fellow Raverly member, even spin that wool into yarn, single handedly. I also do everything that anybody else does like grocery shop, drive, cook, cleaning, etc. OTs can only show you so much. The rest you have to figure out yourself.

If I can do it one handed, I might just influence someone else who might be interested in doing it, but also serve as inspirational/instructional for other stroke survivors. Not that homesteading is easy. It's hard and doubly harder for a stroke survivor, but there are things that I do that have take away value.

Most of my new how-to knowledge has been garnered from watching videos on various sites and my stubbornness to do it. Let's face it, when you have an aphasic brain damage sometimes a picture speaks clearer than words. It is easier for me to understand if I hear and see the words, than read the words because of my dyslexia. So that's why videos are appealing to me. Quick less than ten minute segments that you can watch as many times as you want to. I must have watched the knitted Dew Drop Shawl video thirty times before and while making them.

Drool, drool, drool

Explanation aside, I still want a video camera because it would be easier to operate than a smart phone or tablet which would take a hand to hold leaving nothing to work with because there is only me to do it. Sure, I could run out to my local Wally World (Wal-Mart) with a hundred dollars or less and get a cheap model, but with electronics cheaper is not always better. I've been drooling over the GoPro Hero 4 video camera ever since John Anderson mentioned it to me.

Droo-o-ol, see how small it is?

It is compact and there are all sorts of mounts including one that fits on your head. This option really interested me because it eliminates the need for a tripod or hands holding it for filming. Wherever I focus my attention, it follows.

Now for the bad news, it's $400-$500 depending on the options you want. Talk about steep. It's way out of my budget. I can barely afford the head mount at $19.99. It might be worth it if I had a several thousand followers so YouTube would pay me. But I don't see that happening any time soon, but I can still email Santa...

So. dear, sweet Santa,
If you have a few extras of these GoPro Hero 4 video cameras with the head mount, I sure wouldn't mind getting one.

P.S. I've been a very good girl this year.

Notice the sugar dripping off the candy cane opening and the P.S.

Nothing is impossible with determination.