My blogs 1st birthday and my hats!

I cant believe March has come and gone in a blur of craziness, builders and mess and I was remiss to come on and say Happy 1st Birthday to my blog!

My blog started in a slue of words, creativity and energy and well life has got hectic of late and burning the midnight oil to get posts done has been errmm somewhat taken over by my tweetfests! I'm sure many can own up to that!

I am going to start sounding like I'm giving a rather sugary awards acceptance speech right now, so you have been warned!

I want to show gratefulness to those last year who helped get me started and supported me in the early few weeks when I was a blog virgin , so thank you Monique from Escape hatch & Barbara from Candy Hearts and paper flowers . We may not speak often , but you were very helpful and it was great to make connections across the pond!

Chloe , my lovely friend from Yorkshire who owns the lovely and funny craft & jewellery blog Mee , we often are on the same page with many things in our lives. Shes the one who always is interested in what I do and is always supportive and when she can, with her very busy household , always comes on and reads & comments here. I'm sure if we lived near each other we would see each other often.

I don't know were my Gifted Hand blog is going lately and I'm on a path of new discovery right now which means I'm having to take much more contemplation time. Its like I'm learning how to be a new version of me. Sometimes I think wow great I really have something to contribute to this turning world , other times I just want to hide and lick my own self imposed wounds!

I'm really enjoying using my Reiki connection at the hospice and despite treating patients and some carers who are dealing with all sorts of cancers, I find it very rewarding.Many friends and family have been wary of it, asking; wouldn't it make me sad or upset? I don't feel that at all. I'm facilitating others to relax, reduce their pain and more importantly give them some time that isn't about doctors and hospital appointments, I feel very privileged to be able to be a channel for that. It seems to help me as much as them so its not all an altruistic act!

My mediumship abilities still astound me and I cant yet see a picture of where this skill is going to take me , sometimes I don't even know why I'm doing it!! I think Ive been going for over 2yrs and was definately guided to go there. Sometimes I feel like Im doing for doing it , and other times I come home blown away by energy and information. Despite that my classes are challenging and fun all the same. I get a real buzz when we do our podium style practise evenings and Im the one doing readings and getting lots of validation of who and what Im seeing. To help others connect with ones they've lost is also a moving experience.

The mind work is proving also to be a double edged sword. On the one hand Im tapping into all sorts of layers that I didn't connect together and its such a relief to get it out of me and deal with. Earlier in my blog I spoke about sabotagin myself and doing things to stop my own light shining. Like the words from Tyra banks in Americas next top model cycle 11 (yes she can be profound even if it is only a fashion thing) ; "You are standing in your own way".Opening up and sharing what Ive held in, which is preventing my own progression, is helping me to tear down some of my own self imposed blocks. Sometimes I'm finished for a week and I'm like aaaaahhh big sigh of relief to offload, other times I think it would be easier to just get off the social wheel and go hide from it all!

Lastly there's my family , my girls give me so much too as I see them develop. They are both very loving and affectionate creatures and I hope that's a reflection of my own parenting. Don't get me wrong , they're angels with devilish ways also, little pickle is getting extremely picklish lately, expressing her self as a person in her own right! Right now eldest has just shouted from the conservatory that pickles is doing something naughty; he the mans and I have walked in to find chocolate ice cream smeared all over the floor tiles and down her face and clothes and a look of "who me" on her face! My eldest also does things that just blow me away. I fell over the other day at home , and little cupcake came and put her hand on me and said she was doing what I do by giving Reiki, I was so touched.

Wearing several hats can be rewarding and exciting and it makes you feel like life is moving and not stagnating , but it also means I'm spread thin and don't have much time in there for me to just be. Small things like being OK with pyjama and TV time , or just sitting in the bath for an hour once my girls are in bed or even having some spa or holistic treatments. Something is always niggling and I seem to feel I should be busy tidying or organising or writing or being something (a new modern times phenomena?). Like what I do for my patients ; give them back some me time, I need to allow it for myself . I'm working on that and making sure I don't put my needs aside to often, because if I don't recharge then I cant put on all my hats and that will not do.

How do you put your many hats down? Whats the thing that helps you tune out? Is it a huge bar of chocolate and a hot bath or are you a constant on the go person?