Personal History


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This is one of my favorite photos from my childhood and not just because I was dressed as an angel (when I was really more of a devil) but because of the hidden parts of the photo you barely see.

Just to the right hand corner, you can see the barest peek of someone's foot and bathrobe. My Mom can't remember who is hiding in the corner but I love to imagine who it could be.

And just behind me you can see my Mom's friend's legs and shiny silver shoes. They surely wore short skirts in the late seventies. SHORT SKIRTS! But my Mom's friend had the legs to carry them off.

And for a woman who claims to not have a crafy bone in her body, you can see that my Mom was crafty enough make me the angel costume. One she made with a white pillowcase and tin foil.

This photo also captures me as the blonde haired, blue eyed girl I once was before my eyes turned to hazel around age 7 and my hair began to darken around age 12.

Artist's Way Week Four



Week Four's biggest hurdle for me is the "reading deprivation". Throughout week four, recovering artists are asked not to read anything. Now for someone who lumps reading along with other daily activities like eating and sleeping, this will be difficult. Not impossible but difficult.

Last night knowing a little bit about what Week Four had in store for me, I did some binge reading. I finished "The Long Walk", I read ahead in the bible (I'm reading the entire bible this year and there are daily readings to keep up on.), and I scanned newspapers and magazines. And now the drought begins which also means no blog reading SO don't do anything cool this week! I'll still be posting, just not reading like I want to.

Ahhhh, serenity now!

Artist's Way Week Three: Artist Date and Weekly Check-In


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Today I went on a near perfect Artist Date. I first stopped at St@rbucks for some liquid energy. Then I headed over to Paint Away for some pottery painting.

Last night I downloaded the perfect font and typed out some french words. I wanted to paint a new canister for my bathroom. I currently have one I painted long ago with an ex-boyfriend that holds my hairbrushes and it is time for a replacement.

I decided to use my two favorite colors (pink and brown) to create a french inspired canister. I gathered the paints and brushes and quickly set to work. I had such a good time painting and I can't wait to see my finished piece.


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Weekly Check-In:

1. Morning Pages: I did my morning pages 7 out of 7 days. I'm really enjoying them but I still need to learn to get up earlier so that I don't have to rush through them.

2. Artist Date: As you can see above, it was great!

3. Synchronicity: Honestly I was too busy with work to notice anything this week. I do hope that next week is a bit slower so I can actually take some time to sit down and think.

Baby Sweater Knitting


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This morning I headed out to the fabric store to select a ribbon for Kim's Baby Sweater. I think the sweater has come out adorable and I can't wait to make the matching hat!

Yarn: Mission Falls 1820 Cotton
Gauge: Spot On!
Pattern: Plymouth Yarn Baby Raglan Cardigan
Things I would do differently: Nothing! I love making this sweater!

Project Details (as always) can be found here.

Sweater Knitting

Just a quick sweater update (sans photos). The finished sweater will resemble this one. It's Plymouth Yarn pattern (Baby Raglan Cardigan)

I'm moving quickly along on this project. I've knit one sleeve and have started on the second one tonight. Of course I have made the sleeve too long but that is quickly remedied.

Artist Way -- Detective Work

1. My favorite childhood toy was my Barbie Doll House built by my father in the middle of the night as a surprise for me.

2. My favorite game was Candyland.

3. The best movie I ever saw as a child was the "Song of the South".

4. I don't do it much but I enjoy visiting the spa.

5. If I could lighten up a little, I'd let myself lose control.

6. If it weren't too late, I'd be a writer.

7. My favorite musical instrument would be the violin (I used to play as a child and while I never mastered the instrument, I still love how graceful it sounds).

8. The amount of money I spend on treating myself to entertainment each month would be about $75 (mainly on dinner with friends, movies and books).

9. If I weren't so stingy with my artist, I'd buy her paints.

10. Taking time out for myself is something I try to do everyday.

11. I am afraid that if I start dreaming, I'd get lost in my dreams.

12. I secretly enjoy reading trashy romance novels.

13. If I had the perfect childhood, I'd have grown up to be exactly who I am.

14. If it didn't sound so crazy, I'd quit my job and travel the world.

15. My parents think artists are wonderful, creative people.

16. My God thinks artists are are people who know how to share beauty with others.

17. What makes me feel weird about this recovery is telling people that I am doing this and worrying about their reaction.

18. Learning to trust myself is something that comes easily to me. I tend to trust my gut even when there is clear logical evidence otherwise, so far though, my gut has never led me astray.

19. My most "cheer me up" type of music is Brit Pop -- Starsailor, Keene, Coldplay.

20. My favorite way to dress is fashionable in clothing that makes me feel beautiful.

Babies and Sweaters



I'm busy right now. I have 16 days until my college roommate's baby shower and I must have a handknit gift in time for said shower. In order to alleviate this potential problem, I quickly cast on for one of my favorite baby sweater patterns.



It's going quite well. As soon as I log off, I'll separate for the sleeves and begin inserting my secret weapon. Oh this will be a great hat! I just need to knit until my hands begin to ache and my wrists feel like they may break. But it will be worth it. It will be.

Personal History

As I flipped through family photos, I selected the following as some of my favorites.

As a child, I was daddy's girl and in fact in many ways I still am. I know that my Dad will always be there for me. He's driven me miles and miles in order for me to start a new job, met me to help me with a flat bike tire the night before a race even though it was midnight, told me that I was wonderful and could do anything myself, made me do things myself but did things for me.

Here I see how young my father was when I was born. He was only 25, younger than I am now. I can tell he is enjoying my antics and those curlers always bring a smile to my face since my Mother used to put those in my hair all the time. And she wonders why I am a girly girl!


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Even though I was deeply attached to my Dad as a child, I adored my Mother and wore her to a bone. She was even younger when I was born, barely 20 years old. I had endless energy and much mischief. She tells stories of my antics which now make us laugh until we cry. My Mother shaped much of who I am today.

I can see the exhaustion in my Mother's face in this photo. It looks like it was Christmas time and in the background you can see the Muppet Couch. We had it recovered when I was 10 years old. I cried and threw myself on the couch. It was as if a dear friend was being taken away and changed forever. The couch was never that orange or that fuzzy again.


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If I wore my Mother down when it was just me, she must have been near death when my brother came along. He quickly became my partner in crime. We would canvas the neighborhood, going places we were not allowed, having fun times and creating memories that make us smile to this day.

I love this photo because I'm showing my brother off. He's my little brother and while I may beat him up and call him names, you can not. I will protect him as necessary.


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Artist's Way

I'm late to the game but I've decided to still play it. Last week, I joined the Artist's Way group over at Kat's Blog.



Since this is week 3, I did week 1 & 2 together last week. Week 1 eased you into the 12-week program and Week 2 was about finding a sense of identity. Week 3 is about "Recovering a Sense of Power".

So far, I am really enjoying the program. The morning pages give me time to brain dump and while it is difficult to get them done before work, I've managed it so far. I can feel my creativity expanding and my view of the world coming into focus. I'm also working on better handwriting skills and easing the hand cramp that develops while writing my morning pages.

On Saturday (before the iPod purchase) I went on an artist's date. I visited a few thrift stores between my home and University Village. I poked around the shops, some were disappointing and others were full of excitement. Once I arrived at University Village, I visited Anthropologie and Barnes & Noble. My artist's date wasn't everything I wanted it to be but it was freeing and inspirational. My plans for this week's artist date are even more inspirational!

Meme Day!

I've been seeing this Meme making the rounds and since I don't have much to speak about today, today is Meme Day!

4 Jobs You Have Had in Your Life
1. Coffee Slinger
2. Waitress
3. Reporter
4. Public Relations Star

4 Movies You Could Watch Over and Over
1. BBC's Pride and Prejudice
2. Heart and Souls
3. Lord of the Rings
4. Breakfast at Tiffany’s

4 Places You Have Lived
1. St. Paul, Minnesota
2. San Antonio, Texas
3. Yellowstone National Park
4. Seattle, Washington

4 TV Shows You Love to Watch
1. Lost
2. CSI
3. What Not To Wear
4. Medium

4 Places You Have Been on Vacation
1. France
2. United Kingdom
3. Amsterdam and Brugge
4. San Diego, California

4 Websites You Visit Daily
1. http://www.dooce.com/ (so very funny)
2. http://www.bloglines.com/ (where I check blog feeds)
3. http://mail.google.com/mail/ (email)
4. www.nytimes.com (Need to check in for my news!)

4 of Your Favorite Foods
1. Cheese!
2. Sushi
3. Teriyaki
4. Mexican Food (any and all!)

4 Places You Would Rather Be Right Now
1. Knitting at Home
2. Café Zoka
3. Chilling with Zubin and Julie
4. The Bookstore

4 Bloggers You Are Tagging

If you want to do this meme, go for it!

Sushi and Knitting – What More Could A Girl Want?

Last night I met up with a friend for dinner. I’m currently dog sitting her neighbor’s dog so the commute was quite easy! We headed over to Chinoise for some sushi. It was fantastic!

The best part of the meal was the sushi with Quail Eggs on them. They were delicious!



After that delicious meal, I headed back to my dog sitting location for some television and knitting. This picture is for Meg and Carrie. BRING IT!

Here is the bag of my felted bag:



And here is a close-up of the tape measure reading:


Can you see what the tape measure reads? Yep 16.5 inches baby! I just need 8 more and I'm done with the bag back. Knit Faster girls!

Super Easy Warm Leg Warmers



During Mot's Finals, she avoided studying by reading some of my knitting books. After looking at them for awhile, she announced that she wanted me to make her leg warmers (if it wasn't too much trouble). Since the pattern was from "Last Minute Knitted Gifts", I knew they wouldn't take too long and so I quickly ran off to the yarn store for supplies.


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This weekend, I finished the leg warmers and Mot agreed to model them for me. She even called me late last night to thank me for keeping her legs warm. Mot lives in a drafty house and anything that keeps you warmer is a great treat.

Project Details (as always) can be found here.

Knit-Along!



Today I met up with Carrie and Meg to start our Felted Hobo Bag Knit Along. We met up at Cafe Ladro for knitting, coffee and talk. It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.



I know that I am going to love this bag when it is done though I have been told by Meg to knit slower. Ha! I'm going to knit faster!

National Delurking Week



Any lurkers out there? Leave a comment. Now forgive me, I must go and comment away on the blogs where I lurk too much!

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I believe these photos were taken around the same time. Each of them feature my best friends. Each of them involved a trip.

The one to the left shows Matya and I at Old Faithful. Matya had come to visit me when I was working in Yellowstone for my second summer and our trip turned into an adventure. After a new starter for the car and an unplanned stay at the Lake Yellowstone Hotel, we had finally made our way down to Old Faithful. It was pouring down rain but we were not about to let water ruin our visit. We put on our coats and headed over to the geyser. I was wearing an atrociously colored jacket and Matya's skinny legs were blindingly white. We asked some other brave tourists to take our photo and we smiled so big because we knew this was a trip destined to star in our memories. This was also the day that my nickname, ReeBecki was born. Matya decided she would call me Park Ranger ReeBecki. The Park Ranger bit dropped off by the ReeBecki bit stuck.

The photo on the right shows Louise and I with the Pike Place Market Pig. Louise came to visit me from England after my first summer working at Yellowstone. It was our first time meeting in person though we had been writing to each other since we were 14 years old. I took Louise every where but it was at Pike Place that she was able to see the city she had already studied in movies. We re-enacted scenes from "Sleepless in Seattle" and had some great laughs.

These photos sit on my dresser so I can see my best friends every day. It has been years since these photos were taken but I am happy that I can still see each of my dear friends everyday even when they are far away.

Le Sock



Le Monstre is modeling Le Sock. I finished the first sock for my friend's baby (the baby is expected in March) and I just love it. Luckily Le Monstre agreed to model it for the blog. He's quite the model.

Slip Stitch Scarf



It's the first FO of 2006! My International Scarf Exchange Scarf is finished and ready to be mailed off! I do hope my recipient enjoys this fluffy piece. It was certainly fun to make.

Best Better Pal

On Tuesday evening, I arrived home to see a large box awaiting me. After a long day getting back into the swing of things, I was excited to see what was waiting for me.

All I can say is WOW! Better Pal! WOW!



Even Destiny received a great little present. She made sure to quickly inspect it.



Then she was ready to pounce!



Thank you so much Better Pal! You really spoil me!

Reasons Why It Is OK To Love A Dog More Than A Human



Over the past week, Zubin has been ill. He slowly lost his ability to walk and began to drool uncontrollablly. His Mum took him to the vet where they discovered that he has Degenerative Myelopathy which is quite common on German Shephards (as I told Julie, he didn't tell us about this before he snatched our hearts).

Degenerative Myelopathy is an autoimmune disease which attacks the nervous systems of dogs and leads to progressive neural tissue damage. Most dogs benefit from medication and go into remission, leading near normal lives.



Luckily Zubin is now at home and I am planning to visit him once I am done at work. I'm happy to know that he is doing so much better because life wouldn't be the same without him.



Zubin is the only dog that I've ever had boss me into going on a run. Few dogs would let me dress them in sweaters and then blast that image over the internet, but Zubin isn't like other dogs because he's special to me.

Today is Self Portrait Tuesday and this month's theme is "Personal History"

Next to my bed, I have a reading light and these two photos. They show me at two different periods in my life.


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The photo on the left shows me in my Aunt's room dressed in her boots. I guess I've always had a tendancy to enjoy the boots! When she gave me this photo, she told me that when I used to visit, I would run into her closet and start trying on her clothing and shoes. This sounds like me. I was a desparate snoop and while I've tried to cull it over the years, the desire is still there!

The second photo on the right shows me in front of Anne Frank's house in Amsterdam. I loved her book as a child and when I was given the opportunity to visit the city she spent her last few years in, I knew I had to visit her house and see the cabinet. This was a fun trip and this photo reminds me of Anne.

Cross posted to my photo blog

Just a Brokenback Day

No goals were met today and no crazy attempts at insane activities were completed. I did however finish up half a knitting project and complete another quick project. I purchased "Weekend Knitting" about a year ago and have been lusting after the Flower Washcloths since then. So last Friday when my company let us head home early, I made my way to the Fiber Gallery and I scooped up some Crystal Palace Chamois yarn. That night I began knitting up the washcloth and by Saturday morning, I was binding off!



And that blue project at the top, that is one completed leg warmer for Mot. The second one is on the needles and while I am still awaiting the second skein of needed yarn (darn that errata in knitting books!) I am going to see how far the first skein will take me.

Meg and I went to see Brokeback Mountain today. It was a bit slow and ehhhh. It was good and all but I was a bit bored. Hmmmmm, I was hoping for more but it was wonderful to spend time with Meg. She even gave me a present for helping her with her blog. Though to be honest, just reading her blog is present enough! (I'm not giving the present back though, you can't make me!)

Chilly Waters

This morning, I met Mot at Matthews Beach for the 2006 Polar Bear Swim. We arrived at 11:15 a.m. and quickly registered. We then stood around for awhile pretending that it was balmy and not chilly or windy.



As the time neared and my toes began to freeze, I began to have nervous anticipation. Five minutes to Noon, we stripped down to our swimsuits and made our way to the beach. There was a girl from England next to me who agreed with me that we were all crazy. The horn sounded and the surge into the water began. Mot's long legs carried her far ahead of me and I quickly lost one flip flop. I quickly dipped myself up to my neck and began the sprint back. I located my flip flop near the shore and ran to my towel. Along the way, I picked up my official Polar Bear patch.



And that is one 31 in 31 goal accomplished!