To all the kind commenters who warned me not to order a tawse - you were absolutely right!!
This is what we have been trying out lately - it's 14 inches long and wider and thicker than our other strap and is slit like a tawse with five fingers.
It is noticeably more thuddy and stingy than the strap, too. I can really tell the difference and I can take far fewer spanks from it before I react.
At first Lash used it at the end of a spanking - after quite a few spanks with the strap, maybe 60-70 or more. It only took a few spanks with the tawse (less than 10) before I wanted to move out of position. Then he tried it at the beginning and I could take more. Today he gave me 10 with his hand (for the first time since surgery - Hooray!), 40 with the tawse and the rest with the strap. It was painful but tolerable.
I'll be so glad when he can use his hand more. We both love hand spankings best of all! It wasn't long ago that 5-10 strokes with the strap after a hand spanking was a pretty strong punishment. Now he can give me over 100 with the strap.
Lash likes to spank me almost daily when we are able and these spankings with both straps have pushed my limits. I want him to push those limits, I've asked him to do it, but damn, it hurts!! It's what I asked for at the beginning, but now it's entirely in Lash's hands. He decides when, what to use and how hard to use it. I haven't really been punished in a long time, but the daily (reminder, maintenance, whatever) spankings are much more severe than punishments used to be.
Be careful what you ask for, little girl........
I'm not complaining - just cogitating about the changes in our DD path since we started in January. I had no idea where we were headed, but I'm very, very satisfied with where we are now! I wanted Lash to be in charge and he certainly is!!
PS: I wrote this a couple of days ago and wanted to add a "Thanks!" to all who sent words of encouragement to Lash after his fall. It's pitiful to see the poor man slowly and painstakingly get into position on the bed, protecting his ribs..... and then whip the hell out of my bottom with both straps!! His right arm doesn't seem to be affected at all! Poor me! (grin)
PPS: Lash thinks that, on our drive to the Midwest, we might look for an outdoor spot for a bare bottom switching. I think the forecast calls for rain, thunderstorms, maybe a typhoon!! Not outdoor spanking weather, for sure!
PPPS: I talked my way out of a punishment this morning. Lash couldn't reach me when I promised to have my cell phone plugged in, so I was going to get several punishment spanks on top of our usual daily spanking. Ouch! Fortunately, the truth worked and I didn't get punished. I really did have the phone plugged in, but we were driving separately and I must have been out of range. Coverage can be spotty in the mountains. I remember having to get the phone out of the car the next morning, so it really was plugged in! Really!!