This rainy weather has really been getting to me.  I can’t go outside and play in the dirt, I can’t take the dog for a walk, nor can I just look outside and dream of the time when I will be out there, warm and sweaty from the exhaustion of gardening, with a smile on my face.

Yesterday I decided to look into my jar of “things to do on a rainy day”.  I pulled out “pedicure” and decided that was exactly what I needed to do.  It is almost spring and that means sandal time. I do not do flipflops because I detest them. I do have a spare pair that I take with me if I go do a professional pedicure. Don’t you hate it when you get a fresh pedicure and have to put your socks back on and the pedicure is then corduroy?

I got out my old hospital sponge bath basin and ran the hot water.  I sat on the counter and dipped my feet into the warm water.  I scrubbed down with this wonderful sugar scrub that I made which has sage and coconut oil in it.   My feet were “oohing and aahing”.  I had to wash them with soapy water to get all the oil off my feet. I scrubbed them down with a rough towel and they felt like velvet.

What is it with feet?  We travel miles and miles on them in our lives but hardly ever give them the queen for a day treatment.  I remember back when I was about thirty something and I realized that I would never have nice fingernails and so I decided to start dressing up my toes.

Once when we were at the beach a little girl said to me, “Oh, you have makeup on your toes.” That was so precious.  We all should put makeup on our toes.  Even guys.  Feet are just the most wonderful appendages.  We use them every day and do so take them for granted.

I have had two surgeries on my right foot.  The first was a neuroma between my second and third toe.  It took some time for that puppy to heal but it was nothing compared to the second operation on that foot. I had to have the neuroma removed again and then I had bunions on the inside and outside of my foot taken care of. (I have the prettiest right foot which I refer to as Frankenfoot.)  It took over six months just to get over the swelling of the darn foot. I had to wear these socks that I could barely get on, they were so tight.  My hands hurt so badly just getting them scrunched up to put on my foot.  And then I had to smush my poor scarred foot into the vise sock.

People ask me if I am going to get my other foot done and I can tell them plainly, “Only if I get shot in that foot with a shotgun.”  Or jackhammered.

The point I am trying to make is that we should have an “Appreciate your feet day”.  We all get foot massages, pedicures and do “legs up the wall” for ten minutes.  Maybe even just go swimming and get off of them for a while.  We could wear outrageous socks.  Get flags painted on our toenails.  Fly foot flags outside.

When I was in my younger days and did really stupid things (yes, I did) I could light a Zippo lighter with my toes.  I could also pinch someone really hard with my toes.  My feet must have taken revenge on me for doing stupid things with my toes.

I have three dear friends who are reflexologists.  These people are martyrs.  They tend to the most disgusting part of a person’s body to help make them well.  If you aren’t familiar with reflexology it is a science based on the theory that there are reflex points in the feet relative to areas of the body.  It can be painful but it is also quite effective.  There is something quite sensual about having your feet attended to.

And so, dear reader, I attended to my own feet yesterday and gave myself a pedicure.  I couldn’t decide on the color.  I went with teal first but when I opened the jar it was a little dry.  I dumped that and decided on a very pretty orange.  I once got a pedicure in Arizona and they did a Cincinnati Bengal theme on my toes.

I did a base coat, two coats of color and two top coats.  That should last me for about four weeks.  When I will give it up and go have them done professionally.

Life is good.  I have feet that work, even if they are very ugly.  I appreciate my feet.  Please appreciate yours.

Peace be with you.

Photo is of my Bengal  pedicure because I still can't find my photos from my intelligent smart phone.