Change is hard. The Life Change Scale notes that both positive AND negative changes can add up to making one vulnerable to "physical and psychological stress-related" illness. I SEEK some changes. I'm going to go visit some wheels today. I flee from other types of change.
Changing my stiff little toe into a functional unit is more than hard. It hurts. Have you ever heard of ice massage? Take a Dixie cup. Fill it with water, freeze it. Cut off the top of the cup so that two inches of ice are exposed. Run the flat part along the bottom of your foot by your toes. Use the angled part to weasel in between the toe spaces. Are you screaming yet? An ice-cream footache ended with what could only have been frostbite. Yes, change is difficult.
I embraced a good change this weekend, when I went back to my personal trainer. The DH and I share a session. After I met Armand two years ago, my husband would look quizzically at my sorry ass when I dragged it back to the house after a workout. "Can't you pay him to leave you alone?" Despite knowing what he knew, the DH signed on also.
The garden started its midsummer lull early this year. There are a few stalwarts still preening.
This is Clematis 'The President'. I post this purple in honor of Norma's purples today.
Interweave Knits had a security breach on their website on May 31st. Ten days later, they notified me that my credit card number had been stolen, and I should cancel it. I received the replacement yesterday. A small modicum of retail therapy is what the doctor orders today. Too many changes have occurred, and too many changes are coming up for any kind of comfort level to be found.
"Soon you'll attain the stability you strive for
in the only way that it's granted
in a place among the fossils of our time.
Life is Change
How it differs from the rocks
I've seen their ways too often for my liking
New worlds to gain
My life is to survive
and be alive
for you."
--Crown of Creation, Jefferson Airplane
I still maintain my position that a wheel would add to your range of toe movement, thereby speeding up physical therapy and your recovery. Very good investment.
Whoops. What I meant was, you should go and look and get some ideas before buying, and make a decision in the fall. Around Rhinebeck time. ahem.
Posted by: Cassie | Tuesday, June 21, 2005 at 07:38 AM
Don't listen to her - the wheel will choose you, you are just the conduit.
I used to ice massage my face - supposed to be good for the skin, but mostly it gave me a wicked sinus headache, plus I looked like an idiot hopping up and down, shrieking in self-inflicted pain.
Nothing makes my trainer happier than a report of the pain he has caused me. If I come in and he says "How were your legs" and I say "not bad" it just crushes him - and next time he crushes me.
Change is brutal indeed, but you know the only alternative is a Very Bad Thing.
Posted by: Juno | Tuesday, June 21, 2005 at 09:09 AM
Life is hard, get a wheel? Is that what you're saying? I might have to stay away from my new spindle and go knit. My trainer thought I was stronger yesterday. I say it's the wool;-)
Posted by: Margene | Tuesday, June 21, 2005 at 12:50 PM
Ice massage; I understand. My ice of choice has been cubes in a baggie, crushed, then put it in the palm of my hand. I think it helps because the annoyance of the freeze takes your mind off the original pain.
On Armand: Can I go with you? I'm thinking I need a trainer. With that kind of motivation, I might learn to love exercise.
Posted by: Lorette | Tuesday, June 21, 2005 at 01:30 PM
Uh, thanks for the purple clematis photo, but my attention was a wee bit distracted by that darker number above......Suddenly I want to exercise. Where do I sign up?
Posted by: Norma | Tuesday, June 21, 2005 at 02:20 PM
Oooo. Armand.
Nice.
Listen to Cassie. Both of her.
Posted by: claudia | Tuesday, June 21, 2005 at 05:46 PM
Good lord, I just added up to 285 on that scale, at least that was back when I was still planning a wedding on top of everything. Good thing we postponed, that knocks 50 points off my score. :)
The ice massage sounds brutal. Still, think about how far you've come!
Posted by: Andrea | Tuesday, June 21, 2005 at 07:05 PM
Ah the stress scale. Sometimes to relieve stress you have to make changes! I am up around 300 on that scale - it might explain why I like spinning so much at present and knitting my sock.... And why I need to make changes, like let my almost qualified PT friend practise on me.
Ice massage sounds yucky.
Posted by: lynne s of oz | Wednesday, June 22, 2005 at 06:53 AM
I like to avoid change at every possible moment, and also denial is helpful. Plus, if those don't work, I know I can always pitch a hissy like you have never seen. HATE CHANGE.
Yet, my daddy says the only thing you can count on is change.
Damn father-platitudes that are true!!
Hope you are well and happy and not too stressed out to sniff some yarn.
Posted by: laurie | Wednesday, June 22, 2005 at 03:37 PM
Is it change, or return to former fitness?
My garden is edging toward summer too, peonies finally gone by, with kousa in bloom and roses under full sail.
Posted by: julia fc | Wednesday, June 22, 2005 at 08:37 PM
THAT is your trainer???
gaaaaaahhhh.....
And yes, I tried ice massage when I had stress fractures in both ankles from running. Who the hell knew you could have icecream foot-arch aches? Supposedly that intense icecream ache in the head is what happens when you have a migraine. Oh, yeah, that's therapeutic, alright...a migraine in the Foot. Awesome.
I'd take the trainer any day of the week. :-)
Posted by: Lee Ann | Thursday, June 23, 2005 at 09:50 PM
HOT!
is that your trainer or your DH?
Posted by: SF Knitter | Saturday, July 02, 2005 at 08:32 PM