The Knitting Lesson

I got some yarn and a knitting kit for Christmas this year and it was quite possibly one of the best gifts I could have gotten. Not just because knitting is fun or because I picked it up quickly, but because it’s teaching me to cut myself some slack.

My first project was a scarf. A multicolored piece that showcased my progress; mistakes and all. I started it the day I got back from New Orleans so I was beginning to adjust to being back home and lots of energy from my trip went into it. A nasty habit I have is to berate myself, even slightly, when I make a mistake with something. Since I didn’t know how to pick a stitch back up when I dropped one, I either had to try to figure out how to pick it back up or continue on and leave the mistake alone. This was hard to do at first because I am a perfectionist by nature, especially with my art. But every time I dropped a stitch or tied an extra knot or whatever else, I’d sit there for a moment and say, “It’s ok. The mistakes will give your scarf character, and it’s your first scarf ever. Cut yourself some slack.” Little by little, those words are starting to help.

My scarf isn’t complete, but you can see where I have dropped stitches, mistakenly increased or decreased rows or didn’t follow the technique when creating a stitch. The hardest part about this process has been telling myself, “This is your first project. It’s ok to make mistakes,” because I want everything to be perfect. But, allowing myself to learn how to do something right and PRACTICING will help me create beautiful pieces over time, and even then I will still mess up. But I’ll know how to correct my mistakes without the internal put-downs.

So even though knitting has become a hobby that I enjoy very much, it has also started teaching me some lessons that I can apply to other aspects of my life.

I’m going to start taking dance lessons soon with people who are much better than me. Keeping that inner voice that tells me I’m not good enough quiet will be the biggest challenge, but I think I can do it thanks in part to the lessons that my knitting is teaching.

30 Day Healthy Eating Challenge

Tonight, as I lay in bed trying to go to sleep, my mind can’t help but race. I had a fabulous day in Manitou Springs and at Garden of the Gods and I’ve been thinking about what what I can do to become healthier. My eating habits have changed dramatically over the past few months with the elimination of red meat, poultry and pork. I’ve been drinking more water and less sugary drinks. All of that has made me feel healthier, and get sick much less frequently. While all of this change has been good, I’ve noticed that, even though I’ve been eating a mostly vegetarian diet (I still eat fish from time to time), there are certain foods that I still love to eat that aren’t really doing me any favors.

I’ve decided to challenge myself to 30 days of eating nothing but healthy food. My goal is to have a vegetarian breakfast and a vegan lunch and dinner. My alcohol intake will also be dropping substantially and I aim to drink only once a week for the next four weeks, if at all. Considering my birthday is on October 12 and, well, it’s me… there will be tequila flowing that night. Anyway, back to what I was saying.

My 30 day challenge is something that I have decided to do in order to ensure continued health and wellness, stimulate some weight loss, and ultimately get in the habit of eating healthy enough to the point where bad food no longer tempts me. They say it takes 30 days for a habit to form and I think that if I can make it through the next month, it will have a domino effect and begin to influence other parts of my life.

So… here are the steps that I am going to take. Your help and encouragement will be welcome throughout this challenge and after.

1. Wake up and drink a tall glass of water before eating breakfast.

2. Cook the majority of my meals and eat out sparingly.

3. Hoop, hike, meditate or go to the gym after work at least three times a week. Hiking to the top of a mountain and then hooping for 20 minutes before going back down? Challenge accepted.

4. Limit alcohol intake to two drinks a week (except for my birthday).

5. Record progress in a journal.

I think five steps is enough to think about for now, however, if you have techniques that work for you I would love to hear about them. I’m well aware that my challenge will be exactly that. I may fall, but it will be absolutely crucial that I get back up. I welcome text messages, words of support, a verbal ass kicking if necessary, and hugs.

Oh… and I suppose that I should declare a beginning date for the entire world to see… my challenge begins Monday, September 24th at 7am.

Thank you in advance for your support, my friends.

What Did I Do to Deserve This?

“We’re havin’ such a good time together and it’s only just begun… my heart’s never smiled so hard, baby… lovin’ you is fun.” – Easton Corbin, from the song ‘Lovin’ You is Fun’

 

I’m smiling from ear to ear as I write this post because I’m sitting here thinking about all the things I could have possibly done to deserve the amazing man I have. I still haven’t quite figured it out, but whatever it was, I’m glad as hell that I did it. If you’re reading this thinking “Oh dear… here comes another sappy love post,” well, you’re damn right! I’m ecstatic. I’m running around singing country tunes, dancing in my underwear, shouting from the tallest mountain I can find, “No, you hang up first”, straight up happy.

My friends who have seen me lately are scratching their heads because they’ve never seen me so girly. They’ve never seen me blush so much or smile so big whenever I talk about him. They see a spring in my step that wasn’t there before. They see a light inside me that shines brighter when I’m with him. I’ve always been Rachael, but it seems that he brings out the best in me. If there is anyone out there who I feel totally whole with, it’s him.

When we first met in November 2011 at my friend Hannah’s birthday party, he and I noticed each other right away. However, due to our circumstances at the time we couldn’t say anything. We just had a blast together. Unbeknownst to either one of us, we never forgot about each other nor did we know what would happen six months down the road.

In May of 2012, I was getting ready to take myself on a date. I wrote a status on my Facebook page asking if anyone would care to join me for dinner and if so, they needed to respond in 20 minutes. He was the only one to respond. We went to Watercourse (of the BEST vegetarian restaurants in Denver) and again, had a blast.

We hung out a couple days later at a beer tasting that he had invited me to. As usual, hours of fun ensued and by the time we left the event, we were holding hands. It just naturally happened and I was pleasantly surprised. I had not expected it.

The butterflies started fluttering their wings in my tummy and for the first time in two years, I felt completely at ease with someone. Although it’s only been a couple months since we started hanging out, I feel completely content. We decided that we wanted to be together in June and I whole heartedly believe that that was the best decision I could have made.

He gets me. I can be stupid around him. He makes me feel beautiful. I make him laugh. We talk… and I mean really talk… about everything. It’s like Christmas every time I get to see him. We joke around. We cook delicious food together. He kisses my forehead and cuddles me when I’m feeling sad. I push him to be a better person. For all those reasons and more, we fit.

If there was anyone that I could so easily give my heart to and trust to take care of it, it’s Dylan. In such a short time, he’s made me see why it never worked out with anyone else. It was natural to fall in love with him and I could not be more grateful. Once again… I have no idea what the hell I did to deserve him, but whatever it was, I’m so beyond glad that I did it.

Building Blocks to a Happy Life

Reblogged from BA Expat:

I'm a great worker. I haven't always been that way, but a combination of better-defined goals and a genuine love for my job has made it relatively easy for me to sit down and crank out a solid six hours of productive work per day. But six weeks ago, I examined my day-to-day life and I realized that this was the only constant that I could point out - the only action that was reliably repeated day in and day out.

Read more… 1,037 more words

This blog is definitely worth reading & subscribing to. I feel like each post I read from this guy is exactly what I need at that moment. I may not read them in order, but eventually they all get read.

10 Simple Pleasures That Make My Life Awesome

I’m sitting here munching on some applesauce and thinking about my day. Although I’m currently fighting a cold (again) and my throat feels like I’ve been gargling with battery acid, aside from that I’ve really got a lot to be thankful for. I decided to write this blog because I’ve been having some pretty fabulous experiences lately. It’s easy to get in a funk sometimes and easy to forget about all the cool shit that makes this life awesome. So, I came up with ten reasons why I’m thankful to be living the life I do. Some things are standard… others aren’t. Even the simplest pleasures can make every day rad… it’s just about taking a moment to remember what those pleasures are.

1. My morning coffee. There is nothing like kickin’ it on my bed enjoying some Mystic Monk java in the morning before I have to go to work. It tastes like heaven… especially the Amaretto with a bit of honey added in. I’m not a morning person at all and whenever 5:30am comes around, I generally want to punch it in the face. My coffee curbs my morning attitude problem.

2. Cheesy songs from my childhood. I am not ashamed to admit that I’m currently bumpin’ the Backstreet Boys and singing (as much as my sick ass can) along while bouncing around on my bed. I haven’t listened to these guys since I was probably about 13. I had a good childhood and songs like these remind me of those times. Don’t put it past me to put Hanson’s “MMMBOP!” on the speakers here in a second.

3. My friends. My core group of friends are more like family. There are those people who, no matter where we live, when we see each other it’s like we were never apart even if it’s been years. Since I’ve moved to D-town, I can’t tell you how many times a friend has dropped by to take care of me when I was sick (whether from a cold or way too much tequila). The homies in CA did that too, but it’s a long drive for them nowadays.

4. Green olives. I’ve developed an affinity for these little things. They’re delicious. Thanks for that, Chanelle.

5. Writing. I get to do it every day now. Whether it’s journaling or writing content for my job, I do something I love every day. I’ve dropped out of college four times and vocational school twice because I was studying things that, in retrospect, never fueled my fire as much as writing does. Writing comes naturally and I truly believe that I was meant to do this.

The big bro.

6. My family. What a crazy bunch of people. My big brother and I can never take a nice picture together. My mom, dad, and stepmom love me no matter what kind of shenanigans I get myself into. The little bro is smart as hell and more like me than either one of us probably care to admit… and my sister, we are so opposite of each other that it’s kind of endearing. We’ve all got our quirks and for whatever reason, they work together. It’s pretty awesome to be part of this family.

7. The smell of wet cement. Or rain in general, really. It smells fresh and it puts me in a good mood. Even if I’m already in a good mood, it puts me in a better one.

8. My little apartment. It’s my home. It’s my sanctuary… I love being here. It may not be much, but it’s one of my favorite places to be.

9. My health. Yeah, I’m sick right now… but on most days I’m not. I’m healthy enough to ride my skateboard nearly every day. I can go out and enjoy good food and spend time with family and friends without worrying about being too sick to leave the house or injured in a way that would prevent me from doing those things. There are a lot of people who aren’t able to experience that…

10. Hats. I love my hats. Fedoras. Beanies. Paperboy hats. They look good on me. They compliment my outfits… and they just freakin’ make me happy.

While I could go on and on about all the things that make my life awesome, I’d like to hear about what makes yours awesome. Make your own list. Maybe share them with me in the comments section. I’d love to know about the simple things that make you smile.

Love is Genderless

Love knows no bounds. Love knows no gender. Love knows only love.

It’s Sunday afternoon and I’ve spent the day watching documentaries on Netflix… I have a soft spot for documentaries. There was one in particular that I wanted to see called “Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement”. The film focused on a lesbian couple that met in the 1960′s and followed their journey up until Thea’s death in 2009. At only a little over an hour long, this film brought me to tears. It was absolutely beautiful to see this couple still in love and happy together despite ever evolving social standards and opinions, a devastating illness, and the every day problems that come with being in a relationship. It culminated when the two women married in 2007. It was inspiring to say the least.

The second film I watched was called “Chris & Don: A Love Story” which was also about a gay couple living in Southern California. Having met in the 1950′s, their relationship was somewhat different due to a 30-year age difference between them, but this didn’t change the beauty of their love. The story was told by Don who was just 16 when he met his lover, Chris, during a time when homosexuality was still heavily frowned upon even in a fairly liberal state like California.

I highly recommend both films because I feel that they are very representative of what love is in its true form. Both couples stayed together “til death do us part” and showed that it doesn’t matter whether one is gay, straight, transgender, or otherwise… love will always find a way.

Hearing stories of anyone staying (happily) together for decades makes me smile. A lot of people strive to find love that will last a lifetime and anytime I see an elderly couple holding hands because they’re truly still in love with each other, it reminds me that unconditional love does still exist. It reminds me that even through sometimes fierce opposition, if two people are willing to fight for love, who is anyone else to stop them? As I watched Thea & Edie together, their love was so apparent and real that I thought to myself, “How could anyone oppose something so beautiful and passionate?”

Love is love. It always finds a way whether we want it to or not. I believe it was John Lennon who said “Life is what happens when we’re busy making other plans”… and I’d like to modify it to “LOVE is what happens when we’re busy making other plans.” None of us can help who we fall in love with. All we can do is give it our all and see what happens.

I hope to one day find a love so deep that it sets my whole world on fire. I hope to grow old with that one person who shares such an unconditional love. I hope to die having known that kind of passion. In due time, I believe that it can happen to all of us if we let it. Love knows no boundaries, it knows no gender. Love only knows love.

My Latest Musical Obsession: Chain Gang of 1974

Did I really even need to tell you? Check out the video for “Hold On” and see why I’ve fallen in love with this band.