I: My husband is a disabled veteran. He has to take a lot of meds. and it's all a balancing act to keep his blood sugar and blood pressure, etc., normal-ish and he has clocked in a lot of hospital and doctor hours, especially over the last decade . About half the time he feels bad, physically; the worse he feels, the more irrational he is.
II: I buy what I want for my quilting and machine embroidery needs and I go to great pains to get quality items at bargain prices, for which I expect a pat on the back and not criticism.
III: When he is feeling o.k. and can putter around the back yard and the basement, he doesn't really get involved in my hobby expenditures, other than that he likes to pay the VISA bill on-line whenever an amount pops into the "payable" block.
IV: On the other side of the coin are the days that he is feeling unwell, is extremely edgy and, consequently, gripes a lot ... about just everything in general. This includes making snide comments about what I don't accomplish, what $$$ I spend, and/or how I spend my time. When he gets to that point, he is obviously not thinking straight because he might as well be poking a mean bear with a sharp stick!
V. Now comes the hissy fit (me) and the nasty screaming match, where I tell him YET AGAIN the facts of our life. After we vent, we then get on with our lives on a fairly even keel until he hits another low point.
Ain't life grand?