Welcome Bits and Pieces

I have proclaimed on others' blogs (Wendy's and Jennifer's)  that my word of the year for 2015 is WELCOME. I was inspired to choose this word from Anne Lamott's new book Small Victories.

I am not a fan of "sad" in books either real or imagined so I have to go slowly with these essays. Reading them one at a time with some space in between. But she never fails to get me to laugh out loud. Especially when she is writing about God or religion or faith. 

It's enough to make God "want to drink gin straight out of the cat dish." 

(I am paraphrasing the first few words since I have spent ten minutes trying to find the page on my Kindle. Drives me crazy at times and it is just these times when I miss a good old real book that has pages and page numbers and all can be found by flipping and scanning. )

A Christian might be offended by this line but I find she gives us permission to believe the God of our childhood really does have a sense of humour. I always wanted him to be capable of a joke or two at his expense and after I stopped believing there was such a man in the sky I still want humour from my spiritual guides. Don't we all feel closer to each other when we are sharing a good laugh?

So I welcome all that 2015 brings my way. I welcome new friends, old friends, new experiences, tried and true experiences, less money, more fun, more laughter and on and on!!

My new found experience with reflexology is what I would like to share as well. I have participated in "spa" reflexology one time years ago and found it much more relaxing than a full body massage. With the full body massage I often found myself all blocked up after a half hour with my face pressed into a hole. With reflexology you can sit up or lie on your back with your feet up a bit. I have completed five appointments with a massage therapist who does reflexology.  She is not of the spa kind. She works my feet like they are a chunk of clay that need to be moulded. They get pulled and pushed and squeezed and even pinched a time or two.

I am generally proud of my feet. They have held me up for a long time and are in pretty good shape. I avoided all bad shoes during my career. But they have been complaining of late usually just as I am in my deepest REM sleep. Then I have to jump up and walk around for five minutes or so until the cramping stops. I gently return to my bed breathing deeply hoping my feet won't notice I am back in bed. That works occasionally but what I really wanted is a full night's sleep without these antics.

So a friend (Barb) recommended her reflexologist and off I went. Wow did the first two appointments hurt. Not so much that I was going to tell her to stop. But what a surprise that so much bone could hurt that much! She did tell me to drink a lot more water than I have been accustomed to. Which I have as well as returning for more massages. I highly recommend to those who would like the feeling of a massage without the undressing and fussing with the position etc. of a full body massage. And especially to those of you whose feet complain frequently that you aren't caring for them as they would like.

I am WELCOMING  one reflexology appointment a month into my life.