All of a Rush

Suddenly things have really started to happen in my clinic. Last week I had a call from Kings Flooring in Newark saying that they had a cancellation the following day and would I like them to screed the floor? ‘Yes Please’ I replied. I rushed home to clear the rooms for them and discovered a slight problem. An old table that had been taken into the old house many years before, and that Dave had been using as a work bench, would not come out of the new slightly narrower door. After some swearing and a couple of dents in the new paintwork, (Aaagh) we resorted to sawing bits of the table off and the floor was cleared for action.

Then Dave and I went to Belvoir castle for the CLA Game Fair where we were working on the High Ropes and Parachute course, and we had a great weekend. The photos are of Dave but I did do the ropes course too and had repeated goes on the Parachute jump.

When we returned home the screed had been laid and now a new problem has arisen.........The door is too close to the floor, or the floor is too high for the door, it’s not too clear which. Anyway there does not appear to be room for the flooring! I am awaiting the expert’s opinion.

And Then There was Light

In the meantime we now have the electrics finished with some rather great little spot lights. (It will be great not having to peer at people’s feet under the energy saving bulbs that appear in everybody's home.) In the therapy room there will be a dimmer switch so that a gentler atmosphere is available. Emergency lighting and fire alarms have been fitted too courtesy of electrician Tim, and of course the ever faithful labourer, Dave.

In addition the colour is appearing on the walls and woodwork. A pale Barley Twist on the walls and Terracotta on the woodwork. Over the fireplace will be a paler Tuscan Terracotta. So far it feels light and warm, which is what I was aiming for.

I am going away in the morning for a weeks sailing in Norfolk, leaving my wonderful husband Dave, to deal with the flooring and the Building Inspector! Good Luck Dave.

To the Foot of the Matter

More painting has been done in the clinic (I promise that there will be some pictures soon). Anyway this is an opportunity to tell you about Reflexology and Chiropody.

Reflexology was the very first therapy that I studied and offered to the public way back in 1994. I am a Member of the Association of Reflexologist. http://www.aor.org.uk/

Reflexology is a gentle therapy that works entirely on Reflex points on the feet. The idea is that there are points on the feet for every part and system of the body and that by working the whole of both feet it gives the body a balancing work out. It has been found to help with many ailments especially stress related ones such as migraine and IBS. A Reflexology session is a very relaxing occasion and it is not unusual for the client to doze off. However even without that ‘sleeping bonus’, Reflexology retains it great popularity in my repertoire. Some clients find that a weekly or fortnightly session helps them maintain their equilibrium whilst others like to see me monthly. To find out more about Reflexology follow this link http://www.aor.org.uk/index.php?page=what-is-reflexology

Moving On

Whilst working on some feet I noticed various problems that as a Reflexologist I didn’t know how, and wasn’t qualified to deal with. So I studied to become a Chiropodist/ Podiatrist. (I am often asked what the difference is and the simple answer is the spelling! It is a matter of preference and I stay with Chiropodist simply because that is how I started.)

As a Chiropodist I can deal with the basic nail cutting and hard skin removal and also the more complicated in-growing toe nails, correction of stance problems, and many other foot problems. Often some advice or provision of a simple orthotic or exercises is enough to alleviate a painful problem that has been around for years. The number and frequency of sessions depends entirely on the client’s requirements. Sometime a one off appointment is sufficient, others like to see me a couple of times a year for a check up and still others find that a monthly or six weekly appointment is essential for the comfort and health of their feet. In a few cases I will refer to other Chiropodists who specialise in different fields.

Despite those who think that working on another’s feet is completely gross, I get tremendous satisfaction at watching a client who has had great pain or problems, sometimes for years, almost float out after I have worked with them. And that satisfaction is worth a great deal to me too.

The competition is going great with some wonderful ideas from you. Keep it up, it could be you cutting the ribbon to the clinic on opening day.

I have been continuing with the painting inside so no pictures until I have done, otherwise it really would be like watching paint dry!

In the apparent lull I thought that it would be a good idea to tell you a bit more about the different therapies that I do. Many of you know me as a Chiropodist but I actually started out as a Reflexologist. However today I thought that I would tell you a bit more about the massage that I do and in particular the No Hands Massage.

I first trained as a Therapeutic Massage Therapist in 1997 and loved it. I quickly found clients who enjoyed the relief that my touch gave them and all was apparently rosy. However, because I did not have a clinic of my own I used to lug a heavy massage bench to their house, and that soon spelt disaster for my back. For a while I could not even stand and was visiting the Osteopath every other week just to cope with everyday life. The portable massage bench found a new home. I discovered Pilates (fabulous) and that, together with the Osteopath, regular massage and some very necessary emotional releasing techniques have meant that I was healthier and stronger than ever before. However the type of massage that I was doing at the time still took a toll on my hands and wrists so when I experienced No Hands Massage for the first time I literally jumped up with excitement, (frightening the poor girl who was doing it). She was a volunteer at the Breast Cancer Care Ribbon Walk and I was lucky enough to flop onto her bench at the end of a very gruelling 20 mile walk. That massage was the start of my journey with No Hands Massage.

So how is No Hands Massage different? Well, for the client it is a relaxing and therapeutic therapy that can work deeply into the tissues and muscles. Or it can be light and invigorating or indeed any combination that you need. As a client you learn to take what you need from the touch and each massage is as different as you need it to be. Sounds too good to be true but really the only way to find out is to try it.

For me as a therapist it is a way of delivering the touch with out having to ruin my hands or wrists. A lot is delivered using the soft part of the forearm but the whole thing is about my posture and using judicious amounts of weight, or not, depending on the client’s needs. To find out a bit more follow this link to my No Hands website. http://tinyurl.com/kl3y4d

Clinic Name Competition

Well, the whole idea of a competition for the Clinic name has taken another turn. How about this? The person who comes up with the clinic name will be the one who cuts the ribbon at the Grand Opening!

Get your thinking caps on, everyone! Adrian Green has very cleverly set up a link for this (thanks Adi) http://tinyurl.com/nametheclinic where you can email me directly from my contact page, or you can, of course, ring me on 01522 704294 or text me on 07974 580 262. Remember to let me know your name and contact details as well. Best of luck, I know that you will come up with some great ideas. I look forward to receiving them!

Inside the clinic things are taking somewhat longer than I anticipated. It took 6 hours to get the place cleaned up and the first thin coat of paint onto the new plaster but it really looks so much better now. (photo of before I started) I then went over the plaster with filler to cover any tiny holes and dents. During the hot weather it really has been great working in there as it is so cool because it faces North. Roll on next summer, no more getting into a baking hot car to drive to the next client.

I had this really odd feeling as I worked, that the old house was beginning to expand and feel wanted again! Certainly the whole yard feels different and looking out onto the new work from my kitchen window is much pleasanter than looking at a derelict house. It is intriguing to learn that it is one of the oldest buildings in Harby.

I have received a letter from the council asking for the name of the new building so that they can let the postal service and emergency services know. At present it seems to be Lime Grove Clinic because our house is called Lime Grove, but I think that there needs to be a better name for the clinic. Maybe a competition amongst my clients will come up with something suitable.

Both Dulux and Crown will send out A5 colour samples if you go to their websites which saves painting the walls but does mean that you can’t mix white with them to get a lighter shade, however it is narrowing the choices. By the way Crown charge a small fee for the service and limit you to five colours, whereas the Dulux service is free.
http://www.crownpaint.co.uk/
http://www.dulux.co.uk/

Whilst I have been collecting colour charts and flooring samples, Dave has been hard at work with some tarmac. He has created a lovely disabled car parking space right next to the door. Not many of my current clients need this facility but the planning stipulated that it should be there so it is. There needs to be a person in a wheelchair painted onto it and that will probably be my job. I wonder if I can put a smiley face on it. I love these projects where I learn so much about new skills….. and Dave learns the new skills!