Chinese massage

Yesterday I had a big chunk of time to myself in preparation for the next several days when I'll have very little time to myself, as hubby is off on a well-deserved trip to the east coast. I spent some time doing grocery shopping, browsed at Goodwill, generally lollygagging, enjoying my time. At the end of the day, I found myself at Foot Finesse. Weeks earlier, a colleague had recommended this place for massage, and her description of her experience made me melt. A week ago, a few other friends told me they had been there--one loved it and the other didn't. I finally had an opportunity yesterday to sample their skills.

It was definitely different from any other massage I have had. There were several red leather reclining chairs in the dimly lit room, all of which were occupied. They led me to another room with three empty chairs. I sat on one, and the other two were filled shortly after my massage started. First my masseuse (a Chinese man with curly hair) reclined the chair, rolled up my pant legs above the knees and soaked my feet in hot water. While I was resting there, my scalp, face and ears were massaged. He took my feet out of the water, dried them and rubbed an oil on them, then covered them with a towel. He moved back to work my shoulders, hands and arms, using repeated, firm movements. He returned to my calves and feet, focusing on each toe, rubbing the bottoms of my feet in ways that hurt and felt good at the same time. He slapped my feet vigorously from several angles, then used a steamed towel to wipe the oil off. (This was my personal favorite.) He pressed my quadriceps in strategic points. Then he asked me to lie face down. He did some pretty heavy pushing on my back, stretching me diagonally from both sides. He actually CLIMBED UP and knelt on my butt, using the leverage to get even deeper into the muscles of my back. He used his knees to massage laterally from my spine through my hips. This part was a very new experience for me, and somewhat painful at the time. He climbed down and dropped my legs from a height several times, then told me I was all done.

I felt so good and relaxed. I will definitely be returning again soon, and now that I know better what to expect, I can really relax.

Journey

I recently made a trip to visit my paternal grandparents in Chicagoland--the grandparents who have so generously given so that Grace's gym could be completed. They are in their eighties, and have spent their lives very industriously and frugally. They have been on many bicycle trips, including one with me in England about eight years ago. My Grandpa's frequent answer to the question "how are you?" is "If I felt any better I wouldn't be able to stand it!" Therefore, it is hard to see this same Grandpa moving slowly, taking naps, being unhappy about his health problems, which seem to have multiplied recently. I remember the family reunion in Hawaii in 1991 when Grandpa would walk past all of our cabins at 6:30 AM, cheerfully announcing that it was time to get up. I was a college student at the time, and never saw that time of day, and was always annoyed, but I would give a lot to be able to hear Grandpa with that much energy again.

The trip was enjoyable otherwise--I love talking to my grandparents, learning about their lives and childhoods. My Grandpa talked about his father's alcoholism, his best friends since childhood, all the places he lived in Chicago. Grandma tends to be less talkative about herself, but her skills as a homemaker are unparalleled. In her words, she knows how to make "something from nothing". She grew up on a farm in Iowa during the depression, and those experiences stood her well raising seven kids--she never wastes anything. She always seems very organized and calm, energetic, but never hurried. I really admire her.

I also got a chance to go to the Ikea in Schaumburg. There was one in Plymouth Meeting near where I grew up, and I furnished my early apartments with their inexpensive but well-designed furniture, and still actually have a number of those items. I found a treasure trove of sensory stuff for Grace there, including a few swings and a placemat that is a vinyl mirror on one side. I was itching to buy a ton of other stuff, but my better judgment kept my purchases under $30.

I also visited an exhibit on Hal Foster at the Schaumburg library . Foster was the creator of Prince Valiant, and I have been enjoying collecting these stories, so I thought it might be fun to see this exhibit. Unfortunately, all of the art displayed were what appeared to be blurry, laminated photocopies of his original drawings. In addition, about 1/3 of the exhibit was hung immediately behind computer tables, all of which were occupied, so that I couldn't actually get close enough to see the art. However, they did have wifi, so I was able to check my email and browse the internet on my iPod touch (which I can't live without).

On my way home from Chicago, I was able to stop and visit some friends I hadn't seen in a while, and that was a lot of fun. Their kids are adorable, and they live in a great old house in a tiny town--kind of idyllic. It was really fun to talk with them and revive a friendship that had gotten a little dusty since Grace was born. A lot of my friendships have gone this path in the chaos of dealing with Grace's needs, but I need to make friendships a priority, to give and receive support, to expand my own horizons and take care of myself so that I can take care of my family.

Leavenworth

I am now enjoying my long-anticipated vacation, but I was surprised yesterday evening to find myself feeling lonely, not knowing what to do with myself. I just needed a little time to adjust, and am now fully enjoying the time for myself, though I find myself wanting to call home more often than I need to.

This place is so beautiful--rolling hills, green trees and grass, with many varieties of birds to watch. I am not a "bird-watcher" per se, but could become one, I think. This morning at breakfast I watched several birds eat at feeders outside the restaurant. Their social behavior is fascinating--cardinal pairs feeding each other, blue jays hogging the feeder, males puffing themselves up. I suppose humans are fascinating in the same way.

There are four horses in the pasture overlooked by my deck. I enjoy observing them and their interactions. They stick together, following each other around. Earlier they were all napping in the sun, two standing, two lying down like dogs. I had thought that horses always sleep standing, but I was apparently mistaken. I wonder whether they have a schedule they follow, moving to different areas for shade and sun and moist grass as the sun moves.

I am spending some time getting to know the fingerboard again, starting with Schradieck. I usually skip over the first exercises, but today I discovered with alarm that even those are difficult for me now. Intonation and evenness are my goals. Later I'll work on some Tartini bowing exercises, to remind my arm where each string is. It's almost humiliating to need this, but I will benefit from it.

As I was practicing the Schradieck, I saw the date markings made by my teacher that summer at Meadowmount, Mrs. Vamos. It brought back a flood of memories. I remember being terrified of my teacher, because my violinist uncle had made some offhand remark about teachers there making passes at their students. I was young--13--and took most things literally. I kept waiting for her to do something inappropriate, which of course she never did. I think it got in the way of my really learning from her. Other memories also sprang from that memory, like Sarah Kwak, the Curtis student that lived with us for six years when I was younger, and who had a nickname from Meadowmount--"Spider Crackers"-- which she had put on a t-shirt. I asked her to explain it to me every time she wore it, but she always refused. What an annoying kid I must have been!

Isn't it funny how memories work in cascades?

Countdown to solitude

I am counting down the hours until my vacation. For a few days my temper was fairly high--I think I was terrified that something would prevent me from taking my trip, which I need so badly. I have determined that I am definitely going regardless of my fears of disaster falling upon the household while I'm away, and I'm letting go of those fears so that I can truly rest during this well-deserved break. This means trusting that my daughter's cold will be satisfactorily handled by my husband, that he will make good decisions regarding his own health and rest, and that they really can get along ok without me for a few days.

I've been spending some time downloading music to feed my soul while I'm gone--Beatles, Mahler, Edgar Meyer, Anonymous 4, my friend's harp music. I intend to really take care of myself, to nourish my body and soul.