The Year of Self-Nurturing

I hereby declare 2025 the year of self-nurturing.

I need it after the year I had in 2024! Perhaps you do, too.

Since my last hospitalization, I’ve begun a daily morning ritual that feeds my soul. It started in the hospital, shortly after my usual 4-5:00 am blood draw. That’s how a patient’s day begins in the hospital, as the doctors want to have the results prior to their morning rounds. Around the same time, if I was awake enough, the nurses would give me a “sponge bath” with the special body wipes designed to keep the area around my PICC line sterile. (A PICC line is a long, flexible tube that is inserted into a vein in the arm and ends in a large vein near the heart. It’s used for whatever fluids, blood or medications are in the IV or otherwise being injected.)

At home now, I’ve recovered enough strength and mobility I’m taking a mini-shower once or twice a week. The other days, I take a bag of wipes, my anti-perspirant, and a bottle of lotion into bed with me and give myself a morning sponge bath.

I’m not sure why this ritual has become so important to me. After wiping with the cloths, I gently and thoroughly massage lotion into all parts of my body I can reach, before getting out of my robe and dressed for the day. Having spent so much time on my back in bed over the last 9 months, I suppose nurturing myself in bed this way as the day begins feels healing. Like I’m taking care of myself, luxuriously. And like I’m making progress in my recovery (until the next surgery, anyway). I’ve been putting on makeup many days, and body spray or perfume.

This ritual won’t last indefinitely – it’s for now while I’m still spending a lot of time in bed, albeit now sitting moreso than laying supine, like I am right now with my laptop propped up on a pillow.

What rituals can you create, or are already doing, to nurture yourself in the new year? I’d love to hear in the blog comments!

Here are also a couple of simple and nurturing recipes for you to enjoy.

From Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home (https://www.moosewoodrestaurant.com/)

BLACK BEAN SOUP

-10 sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)

-1 C boiling water

-1 ½ C finely chopped onion

-3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

-1 jalapeno chile, minced, or ¼ tsp cayenne

-2 TBSP vegetable oil

-1 tsp ground cumin

-1/3 C water

-1 large (28 oz) can undrained chopped tomatoes

-2 cans (15 oz) undrained black beans

-1/4 C chopped fresh cilantro

-Additional water or tomato juice

-Yogurt or sour cream

In a small bowl, cover the sundried tomatoes with the boiling water and set aside. In a soup pot, saute the onions, garlic and chili or cayenne in the oil for about five minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent. Add the cumin, 1/3 cup water, and the tomatoes. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add black beans and liquid and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally.

Drain, chop and add the softened sun-dried tomatoes. Cook 5-10 minutes longer. Stir in cilantro and remove from heat. Optional: puree half the soup in a blender and return to pot. Add additional water or tomato juice if soup is too thick.

Serve with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream.

CORN SCONES

-1/4 C melted butter

-1/2 C milk

-2 TBSP brown sugar

-1/2 C cornmeal

-1 ½ C unbleached white flour

-1/4 tsp salt

-1 tsp baking powder

-1/4 C currants

Preheat oven to 375. Mix milk and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Add melted butter. In separate bowl, combine cornmeal and flour. Sprinkle in salt and baking powder and thoroughly mix. Stir in currants. Add liquid mixture to flour mixture and stir just until combined.

On a floured board or countertop, press dough into an 8-inch circle about ¼ inch thick. Slice into eighths. Separate the eight wedges and place them on a baking sheet that is greased or covered with parchment paper. Bake 15-20 minutes, until puffed and golden.

Love Your Voice & Voice Your Love,

Laura