(We got home late, I’m in a rush, can’t think of clever word play, just gonna add the card to the bottom of what I typed up last night; hope this damn thing posts on time! Tomorrow I’ll share our visit.)
Daniel and I get to argue about lots of different things. One of our favorites is my shoe situation. (Yes, Robin. We ARE going there.) He feels that perhaps some of them don’t fit my hooves properly. I think he’s wrong.
What I need, really and truly, is professional-style walking footwear, fitted by someone who knows what the hell they are doing. Sadly, we have not a peso to spare, so I trudge along in what I have. Some days it’s okay, and some days it is not. The reasons vary. Socks, that would be one issue. The swollen state of my hooves, that’s another factor.
Yesterday I grabbed up my supply of band-aids and prepared to leave The Burrow. Here is what the aftereffects of that project generally look like.
As I recently mentioned, I have a new baby toe blister. Those are the kinds of things which add to the billowing debris pile of paper slips and wrappers on the kitchen table.
On the plus side, it was not raining at ALL for the entire nearly 100 minutes I was out there. I cut the trek short because Dan texted that he was awake. Basically what he said was, “it’s amazing how well you can sleep without a dog in your bed.”
There were plenty of canine companions and their people, (both barely discernible in the above view), out with me on the trails and paths and sidewalks. I saw that absolutely freaking ADORABLE St Bernard puppy as I neared home. Gawd that poor girl, she hates walking with Mom. When she’s with Dad they get to visit with EVERYbody, but with Mom, it’s just walk walk walk, no chatting!
Next time I see her (and she’s with Dad, NOT Mom) I’ll ask him if I can take her picture. He’ll say yes, he’s THAT nice of a guy. Holy crap she’s a gorgeous dog.
Back to what I saw though. (FOCUS!) Do you remember when I said lots of shit was blooming and there were some I couldn’t identify? Well I got a good shot to share. (I hope it’s a good shot.)
These plants, with two varieties. One has purple-ish blossoms and the other has greeny/yellowy flowers. They look the same, just in different colors. I’ve spotted them in several yards recently. Not a clue what the hell they are.
Our card today is not one I’m familiar with either, but the message sounds very interesting.
“Jasper Red ~
nurture, care, protection, energy flow, life force.
You may soon find yourself drawn into a situation in which you feel compelled to care for and protect someone who is in need of help. This may be a person or a pet that has recently suffered some kind of trauma and is suffering from anxiety or depression. Your love and attention will help them heal and simultaneously you will subconsciously heal an aspect of yourself that is also yearning to be nurtured.
What is being healed is an emotional trauma you experienced in the past, possibly in your childhood, or it may even stem from a past life. There is no need to recollect the past or try to figure anything out. Remember that we each mirror one another and self healing automatically occurs when we care for another’s needs.
Trust in the healing power of love.”
Today’s Deck:
Crystal Oracle Cards by Toni Carmine Salerno
LateNight Addition: I went for a ride today before we left for dinner. When I started, it was raining. Within about one minute it had turned to hail. That kept up for about half my route. Turning in to snow by the time I was reaching the park. As I steered up our street, it was clear and sunny. Half an hour, four types of weather. Yes, it’s nearly spring here.
I think those flowers are columbines, the photo isn’t very close, but that’s what they look like to me.
~
Cool. Thanks, at least we have a place to start. Next time Dan is out with me I’ll have him peek at them much more closely, and let you know.
J
11:31 p.m.
3-18-12
~
Nope. Just checked, not the right shapes. But thank you!
J
2:05 a.m.
3-19-12
I don’t ever want to be the one to rain on your parade so – take what you need, if anything, of this and leave the rest. In other countries where big business isn’t king, studies have shown that the closer you can be to barefoot the better off you are, especially when running or walking. Here is a link to an article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1170253/The-painful-truth-trainers-Are-expensive-running-shoes-waste-money.html
One thing that might help you is to be very consciously aware of how you walk /run. Land on your heel and push up through your toes. Some years ago a fellow massage therapist helped me to become conscious of this and it does help me.
I’ll have to listen for someone who needs me as a healing vessel. Huh. Haven’t thought that way in a long time. Can still hear the voices of many teachers saying the same thing – We are not healers. We do not heal people. We only facilitate their healing of themselves.
~
I’ve seen similar stories, several recently written by Han. She’s been writing a series on BlissTree about barefoot, or near barefoot, running since she received a pair of shoes as a promotion last year. Since I still can’t run, it won’t apply to me, YET. But I’ve spent so much of my life NOT wearing shoes that I often wonder how folks DO wear them for hours on end. (Must be why you and I are so in love with our Birks.)
Thanks for the info, I’ll go back and read the entire piece as soon as I can, we are out of hours tonight, crafting time now.
J
11:44 p.m.
3-18-12
hmmm. be careful about the barefoot-shoes running. I think they’re fine for people who are just casual runners (a few miles a day), but Nell’s boyfriend is a really top-notch athlete. He trained for a marathon in them and then wore them to run the marathon, and almost ruined his feet. Had to have surgery last summer and is still dealing with the problems.
~
Yikes. This isn’t something I’ve seen in Han’s research, but now I’m going to ask her. And ya know, she may want to interview him too. Is he from Seattle?
J
9:39 p.m.
3-19-12
I have to check this out more fully cause that Merrell sight seems to say don’t land on your heel but on your whole foot. Gonna read some more and then check it out physically next time I’m in the pool.
~
The way you place your foot in these shoes is more along the lines of how you walk or run when your feet are bare, which is way different from how we do it with thick soled shoes. She did change her stride (gait? footfall?) after she began running in her new ones.
(Which is something I can’t even wrap my pea-sized brain around.)
J
9:42 p.m.
3-19-12
LOL! I clicked on the plant photo, looked at the larger image, and said “hellebores,” then read your next paragraph that you had “not a clue what the hell they are.” Well, you were already halfway there!
Gotta love a plant that has chartreuse flowers… and comes in purple, too! The existence of these darling flowers had kinda sorta slipped from my mind, and now I simply must plant some… if/when I have money with which to buy some… sigh. Here’s a link to a propagator/hybridizer who has some awesome color varieties: http://www.davidlculp.com/about_hellebores.htm .
Wonderfully validating card, and Red Jasper looks like a beautiful stone! The Universe recently surprise gifted me with reaquaintance to an old friend with whom I had lost contact, and this card is such an affirmation of what we are doing for each other.
~
YOU DID IT! That’s them!
(Lol, my bad mouth paid off this time.)
I really hope your mutual healing goes beautifully.
J
3:24 a.m.
3-19-12
Here in Germany these flowers are called “Christrosen” (“Christ roses”) or “Schneerosen” (“snow roses”). I have both purple and the white ones. They survive the winter cold and will even blossom in the snow (mine actually blossom several times each year). In the winter and towards Easter, they are often given as gifts when you are invited to someone’s house.
~
Welcome kkrein! And from Emma’s favorite foreign land. So glad you are here with us in JulieLand!
Thank you – now we know what these are in German.
J
3:51 a.m.
3-19-12
Actually, this is German Chocolate Betty — because of a goofy thing with WordPress now requiring logins when commenting, this came through without my usual moniker. Problem is now corrected.
BTW, according to one of the dictionaries I consulted, the English name is “Christmas rose”…although I must confess that wouldn’t tell me anything either. I have several of them, which I attribute to the previous owners having received these as gifts and planting them….
;>
~
I was thinking it was you, but didn’t want to ASSume.
J
9:45 p.m.
3-19-12
Yep, we had quite the mix of weather this weekend. At one point, it was snowing rather heavily, and sunny at the same time. At another, we went out to do some yard work, and Mrs. Denial ended up pruning roses in the snow.
Interesting card. Red Jasper lives in my bundle.
~
“…. Mrs. Denial ended up pruning roses in the snow.”
Oh please tell me you got a picture of THAT!
J
4:04 a.m.
J
3-19-12
Actually “kkrein” is German Chocolate Betty. Due to WordPress now requiring me to log in to reply (grrrrr….this is annoying), there was a mess-up. But its’s just me. I also checked and the German-English dictionaries translated these as “Christmas roses”…?! Never heard of them. I have several, which I attribute to the previous owners having received them as gifts and planting them. They come back every year, and are blooming now.
~
I’ve never heard of them being called that either, but I’m sure Dan will do some poking around for me now. My curiousity often infects him as well.
Still nothing back from WordPress, I’m very unhappy about the comment situation as well! (Thank you for pushing past it all though.)
J
9:48 p.m.
3-19-12
Judy, Judy, Judy sparked my brain with the barefoot issue. There were a couple of times in my running life when shoes just were not helpful. I have stripped off my shoes in the middle of runs and also gone out in my sock feet. It was ankle trouble and mid-foot trouble. Of course, during those times, I lived where there were sidewalks and a couple of pairs of socks took care of small objects. I just checked Hobby Lobby and JoAnn’s and they carry moccasin kits for $20 – $26. Yeah, spending more money. But maybe that’s the way to go for your feet. You have sidewalks, you should try strolling around in your socks and see how your body handles it.
Hellebore’s are tough and beautiful. This reminded me that a friend of mine was planning on breaking her’s up (too crowded) and promised me some. I hope she remembers! (I had forgotten, maybe I’d better make a phone call.)
Remember the Tiger Iron you pulled a little ways back? That is a variety of Jasper. Jasper is known as the “supreme nurturer”. It comes in many colors. I also have a variety known as Mookaite. It is raspberry and lemon chiffon colored. Mother Nature is quite amazing at the things she designs.
~
If I wasn’t such a damn magnet for any and all sharp pointy things I’d totally walk without my shoes for my trudges once the weather warmed up a smidge. More times than I can count over these many years I’ve stepped out of whatever footwear I had on and went barefoot, no matter WHERE we were (just ask my children, or my sister-in-law Teresa, or ANY family member for that matter). It’s likely to happen again and again, until I’m dead. But for the rainy seasons I really dislike mud between my toes or worms crushed under my heels.
Ooooh, I hope you get the Hell plant!
I figured there was a reason why Toni was calling this Jasper Red, and not just because it reminded him of someone with beautiful ginger locks.
J
10:03 p.m.
3-19-12
Were you the little kid running barefoot everywhere too? I bit the bullet and bought a better running/walking shoe and put in an extra support for the arch (high arches) and not problems now. Pretty flowers coming up everywhere. So glad it is spring in a day or two. So Glad!
~
Oh yes, I WAS that kid. Not my brother or sister though, they put shoes on first thing to start their day and didn’t/don’t take them off until bed. My hooves would sufficate if I did that!
J
10:10 p.m.
3-19-12
It is amazing how much space dogs can take up and then the snoring. Or I come back from the bathroom to discover he’s taken over the whole bed.
As a kid I never wore shoes in the summer. Ever. Once I was in high school because of dance and gymnastics I didn’t wear shoes in school most the time either. I love bare feet.
~
So true! Or in Max’s case, it’s amazing how many toys he can drag up there. I’m still finding sweaters of his in the covers!
Oh me too, I’m a barefoot girl from WAY back! First thing in the door: shoes go off (if I even had them on at all).
There is a mountain of them there, in fact, none have ever lived in closets in any house *I* ran. They all pile up in entryways. ALL the Pentacle People are like this.
J
10:14 p.m.
3-19-12
great card today, it spurred some thinking for me about my friend with the brain tumor. also the idea of not always having to be conscious about emotional healing, sometimes it just happens. which is so true.
I think I’m caught up now. I’m still in moderation though!
~
Doesn’t it feel wonderful when you get all current again?
J
10:16 p.m.
3-19-12
Oh, no I’m not! maybe it was just because my user name got changed somehow. yay!
~
I let you out, as you were posting practically. There is a (stupid and unasked for) new feature that tells me in my header when a comment shows up. I happened to be sitting here writing tonight’s post when that blinked, so I released you.
(I’m distractable like that, which is maybe why I hate that addition. Also, I don’t like it when they “upgrade” me without asking first.)
J
10:20 p.m.
3-19-12
Again, this is not me. And again, nothing yet from WordPress.
J
It’s a good thing all these other Betties have you covered, because I have been hella-busy and my Google-fu, she is weak. Speaking as one who wears shoes or slippers constantly, I have no idea how people go barefoot. Magnum does it all the time, but for me it’s crazy-making. No matter how clean my floors are, there is always something to stick to my foot. Makes me nuts. I hope you solve your hoof problem soon. Probably if you save all the money you spend on band-aids, you’d be able to buy new shoes.
Delia
~
Well it certainly has nothing to do with how clean my floors are! LOL!!! And I can honestly say, nothing much sticks to my feet. Maybe it’s BECAUSE I never wear shoes?! Yours are soft and moist perhaps? Mine are dry and papery?
Ha, not likely with the band aid purchase money. I think in the last few years I’ve maybe spent four whole dollars. I buy VERY cheap ones. In large numbers. Also though, and you MAY have noticed this about me, I kinda get more scrapes than the average
bearwitch,so I’m gonna need ‘em anyway*.
J
10:27 p.m.
3-19-12
*THAT is an old Jeff Foxworthy line. From a stand-up routine that is far older than I’d like to acknowledge.
J