Stretch Those Toes, Baby!

Nothing will ever be as dear to me as my sweet mother was and the lingering memories of her.

She has been with Jesus since 2010....I can't believe she's been gone that long.

Although I didn't inherit her meek and mild spirit or her quiet demeanor,

I did, however, get a few things from her...

...her chin, her hairline (and I passed that on to Adam and his Olivia) and I hate to say this...

...but something that I wish I hadn't gotten.

Her bunions.

Let me rephrase that...

Bunions that I don't ever want to become like hers.

Even my earliest memories of her include finding my little girl self gazing with a puzzled face 

as to why her feet (specifically her toes) looked like that.

Of course these are not actually her feet but they are remarkably close to what hers looked like, 

including the numerous bunion and corn pads.
I do declare that someone snapped a shot of her feet and sold it to the internet...seriously!

source

Mom, if you happen to be looking down on me now, please forgive me...
I only want to help others by sharing this.

I remember it nearly causing me physical pain just to look at them.

She had the hardest time fitting into shoes, to say the least.

But what I don't understand is she always wore sensible shoes...never high heels or pointed toes.

Maybe just ill-fitting ones but no doubt she was on her feet a lot raising those eight kiddos!

~

I guess I probably noticed the beginning of bunions forming in my late 30s to early 40s.

I have always had a thing for cute shoes and for quite a few years

I was guilty of cramming my feet into those high heeled, needle nose torture chambers.

But only for short amounts of time to church or special occasions...never on the job.

In fact, my favorite "shoes" were the ones I was born wearing.

Then of course, there were my flip-flops....still, my go to favorites.

When I first started noticing the bunions, I became determined to keep them at bay!
~
Just so you know, I have never done a review post on any certain product,
although I may have simply offered my humble opinion about this or that.
I am not getting paid and no one affiliated with the product has asked me for a review.
~
So let me tell you how this post all came about...

Probably more than ten years ago, I came across an ad in the back of a magazine.
It was for Yoga Toes and they immediately got my attention.
Yes, they have been around a good while.


Fast forward to...whenever...I cannot even locate my order on my Amazon account.

I thought for sure that's where I got them but I may have ordered from the Yoga Toes site.

Like I said, I have had them for at least 10 years and used them often...that is until...

I lost them somewhere in a messy drawer I misplaced them and couldn't find them anywhere!

That would be until just a couple of weeks ago and I nearly jumped for joy when I found them!

If you think I was going to order another pair for over thirty bucks...uh...probably not...
...but now that I think about it, maybe, just maybe I would have!

I knew they had to be here somewhere...and, of course, they were.
I do realize I'm telling on myself for not keeping things in order like I should. 😏

So yesterday I got those babies out of their cute little mesh bag with the drawstring top

and plopped them on my feet for a couple of hours while I watched my afternoon cooking shows.

Really though, you don't just "plop" them on...it takes a little bit of work to get 'er done...
...and it probably also depends on your specific toes.
If they are long and skinny, I'd say it's much easier than prying apart short, fat ones like mine. 😖

Immediately after I posted this photo on Facebook while I was busy "Yoga Toe-ing",
it evidently sparked an interest in my friend, Lea from Cici's Corner
and her interest in them encouraged me to write a post about them......so here it is!
~
In all honesty, I had forgotten just how wonderful my feet felt during and after the stretch.
These are not something you can wear to walk around in nor wearing them to bed for the night.
The instructions tell you to start out wearing them for short increments of time...
...maybe 10-15 minutes at first and gradually work up to an hour or longer.
I had mine on for probably at least 2 hours, maybe a bit longer.
It's also important that you get the right size so they aren't uncomfortable but give a good stretch.

Over time, my big toes have become more and more numb, due to bones pressing on the nerves.
I always wear silicone toe spacers with closed-in shoes and socks and also while sleeping.
They do keep the big toes more in line and they have also helped me greatly over the years.

 I purchase these at Walmart and they are soft, comfortable and do a great job.
But the thing about the Yoga Toes is the actual stretch they provide for your feet and toes.
It is highly beneficial to exercise and stretch other joints and muscles in our body, right?
So why not our feet and toes as well since they carry all of our burdens all day long!
You can read about the therapeutic benefits by clicking here.

  And when it's chilly outside and I want to keep my feet warm and toasty while I stretch,
I have these cozy socks as well, which also provides a comfy "posture" for your toesies.
(The socks are manufactured by Hithop, not Yoga Toes.)

Amazon

So...there you have it...everything you always wanted to know about...

...but was afraid to ask.

Have you ever tried them??
Have a wonderful week, my friends!

A Medley of Brothers & Sisters

Hello and Happy Wednesday, my friends!
After missing a couple of weeks, 
I'm glad to be linking back up with Terri's...

Today is... 

NATIONAL SIBLINGS DAY

 and you can read all about it here.

Just copy and paste the questions from her blog to your blog,
plug in your own answers, and then link back up to the Medley.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

1. How many siblings do you have? Are you rivals or do you support each other in all you do?

Most of you already know this if you have followed me for very long...I am the "baby" out of eight siblings. My oldest brother (we were 20 years apart) passed away in 2017, leaving a huge hole in our family. We have never been rivals in any way, shape of form and have always supported each other in every thing and in every way. There have never been any family squabbles that I can recall, just a whole lot of love...and I don't say that to brag or boast. I say that out of a most thankful heart to the Lord for allowing me to be blessed by belonging to this crazy bunch. I look forward with great anticipation to every chance I get to visit with my dear siblings and try to up get to Ohio at least once a year. Here are some pictures of us throughout the past several years...I couldn't find any of the old black and whites from the early times where we were all together. Bob had already left home by the time I came along and gathering the rest of us was no easy task to get snapshots, when the old Brownie camera had film in it, that is! 

From left to right...Bob, #1; Doug, #5; Lois, #2; Janet, #6; Ruby, #3; Barbara, #7; Jerry, #4; Me, #8

One of the last reunions when Mom was still with us.

The year brother Bob was to ill to join the reunion. A little photo editing brought us all together again.

And then there were seven...

 2.  Have you heard of the Birth Order Book?  What are your thoughts on the premise that your birth order affects everything you do in life?

Yes, I have heard of this book but I don't know that I ever really thought much about the subject. I do think there might be something to it in a family where there are just a few children but not so much when there are many. I think it also depends on how the parents relate to the children. I personally have not experienced a birth order thing but can certainly understand that it could be an issue in some family situations. All I know is that we just loved each other and thoroughly enjoyed growing up in a large family. I've shared this photo before but I just love it so much. This is the flip-side of the "birth order"...the oldest and the youngest.

3.  Is there something that you still do that drives your siblings crazy?

Using the word "crazy" and my "siblings" in the same sentence would be a bit redundant... for the simple fact that we ALL crazy. I haven't lived around my family since we relocated to Kentucky in 1981 and moved even farther away to NC in 1992 but when we get the opportunities to get together, there's a whole lot of crazy goin' on! I'm sure there are many on the outside that just may not get our brand of "crazy"...lol! Being the baby of the family had many perks and getting away with murder was one of them. Just let me say that I have mellowed over the years.👼

4.  Are you closer to your siblings now than you were when you were younger?

Although there was never a time when we were not a close bunch, through the years we have all gotten closer in our spirits. We all love Jesus and we live our lives accordingly. The six siblings between the oldest and the youngest have always lived close to each other in Ohio, a few of them even worshipping at the same church. My oldest brother who passed away in 2017 had lived in South Carolina since I was a tiny child when he went into the Air Force...and then we moved our family to KY in '81. As we all grew in age, our relationships to each only grew stronger and with the help of Facebook, our connections were strengthened even more due to the ease of being able to see what see were all up to on any given day.

5.  Would you dare to tell us an embarrassing story about a sibling?

Of course this story is no longer embarrassing to my dear sis, Barb since she was just a young girl when this happened but all of the brother and sisters sure gave her a hard time about it for many years. We had a favorite aunt who lived in the country and we would often go and stay with her for days and play with our cousins. At that time, there was no indoor toilet and the outhouse was your only option...we actually thought this was kinda fun. Anyway, it seems there was this nest of yellow jackets living under the rim...I think you know where I'm going with this. That day she became their target.  They (I don't actually know how many) butt but all I do know is at least one of them stung her on the butt hit that target......and out she ran, crying to Aunt Clara, panties and all still down around her knees! Not too many years later, Aunt Clara was blessed with a nice indoor potty. 😉

6.  Tell us something random about your week.

A couple of things, actually. Jim and I had just finished dinner the other night and all of a sudden we heard that all too familiar, unmistakable sound of a bird hitting the glass patio door. Jim thought the little thing was dead and I rushed out to swoop it up before one of the feral cats had him for dinner. It was a beautiful baby downy woodpecker...and I immediately went into "bird whisperer" mode.

It didn't take long for this little one to get his/her bearings back...only a little dazed and confused and soon flew off my hand and onto a tree branch a few yards away. I consider this a blessing from the Lord to be able to do this on several occasions and there is nothing quite like having that amazing, wild creature sitting in the palm of your hand.

And on another subject altogether, I finally made good on a gift certificate to a local nail salon that was gifted to me for Christmas from Adam and Carrie. I started feeling so bad after the first of the year that I really had no desire to go get that much needed pedicure.

All I can I say is ....AAAHHHHH! 

~

So that's pretty much it for me this week!

Spring is finally popping out everywhere and I'm feeling good!

Hugs and blessings to ALL!

APRIL FOOLS'! (a day late)

I'm B-A-A-A-C-K...

...and it feels really good to get in to my routine of life again...

however mundane as that might be.

It took me a while to regain my strength but I am getting more of my zest back every day.
The steroids and I seem to be getting along pretty well...at least no crazy beard whiskers yet!
I just hope and pray they are doing what they are supposed to do.
I will find out later this month when I return for a CT and to see my doctor.

But in the mean time....

...it seems that April Fools' Day is hanging around for another day...

...IT'S SLEETING AND SNOWING AS WE SPEAK!!

"The sun was warm but the wind was chill.

You know how it is with an April day.

When the sun is out and the wind is still,

You're one month on in the middle of May.

But if you so much as dare to speak,

a cloud come over the sunlit arch,

And wind comes off a frozen peak,

And you're two months back in the middle of March."

~Robert Frost, Two Tramps in Mud Time, 1926

BUT...it is definitely springtime on my dining room table!

Aren't they gorgeous?

And just yesterday, although quite chilly, I picked a handful of these lovelies

 that are growing in patches all over the yard. 

"When the time is ripe for certain things,
these things appear in different places in the manner
of violets coming to light in the early spring."
~Farkas Bolyai 

They are only about the size of a fingernail so I had to get in real close.

One of my favorites things in the spring is when these sweet little bluets begin to take over.



They are currently growing profusely in thick patches all over the yard.

Don't they make such a sweet little bouquet?

I have to threaten Jim with bodily harm ask Jim to mow around them until the blooms are finished.

He keeps telling me he might accidently forget to do that. 😣
~
Even though April has played a dirty trick on us, it sounds like it will be short-lived.
Tomorrow is to be sunny and 70 degrees and it only gets better from there...
...it's supposed to be close to 80 this weekend.

So what's spring doing in your little corner of the world??