Friday, February 28, 2014
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
The Time I Escaped Death
STORY TIME!!!!
So Becky (my coworker and friend) and I decide to go to Anchorage on Saturday. We gassed up my jeep, got coffee and we were off! Jammin' out to Boyce Avenue and anyone else we demanded to rock our ear drums along the way. Being me, and having the parents I do - I of course do a road conditions check and it looked good, with the chance of running into some snowy roads along the way. Well, there was no heads up of the snowplows on the road kicking up thick clouds that seemed impassable, I questioned if it was safe and worth the slower speeds to continue on - but thank goodness after a ways of torturous slow speeds, the plows pulled off and we were back on track. Speaking of tracks - Becky had this FANTASTIC idea (hint the sarcasm - and foreshadowing)to climb rocks on the ocean side of the highway. I pulled over when advised and we hopped out of the car, waiting patiently to cross the highway over the guardrail (I stopped here - following my gut feeling that it wasn't a great idea) down the snow covered rock trench over the railroad and ascending a icy rock formation. I took pictures from my safe distance. Anyways, 10 seconds after Becky had crossed back over the tracks this train came whizzing by! all the while I'm shouting for Becky to pick up the pace, she's laughing and fixing her hair - but then she looks up and realizes her near death encounter and gasps! My response, "YOU ALMOST GOT CREAMED BY A TRAIN AND I, I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE POOPED THEN PUKED."
So we cross back over the highway and I smiled to myself praising me for listening to my own intuition and my Jiminy Cricket. We made it to Anchorage and it seemed as though every intersection was a near collision - I HATE the city and traffic and driving. And why are streets 5 lane 1 way. Traffic flows just as well going both directions in single or double lanes people!! We hit up each and every stop we wanted to and then it was time to go home. BUT oh snap! it's snowing, kinda hard. LAME. Good thing it was ingrained in my brain to drive as the conditioned allowed for and for what I felt safe. Thanks Dad! For those of you who have never driven from Anchorage to Soldotna, there is only 1 turn. That's it. Other than that it's a straight shot (obviously this includes the natural curves in the roadway) BUT ONE TURN - the intersection is lit with supposedly 3 BIG GREEN SIGNS....that I missed. ALL OF THEM. (They didn't exist that night...I'm convinced.)
So we are driving along and I casually say, "Hmmmm, I didn't see a speed limit but there are a lot of houses, I feel like I should slow down a bit"
Becky, who was texting looks up and starts FREAKING OUT! "why is there a bus stop sign? there is no bus stops on the way to Soldotna"
"But Becky," I say reassuringly, "it's Alaska, there are trees and homes on the road normally anyways, of course there are school bus stops"
"NOT LIKE THIS!!! THIS ISN'T RIGHT!! WE ARE LOST OMG WE ARE LOST WE ARE IN SEWARD." and she keeps going on and on and at first I thought she was playing to my absolute fear of the dark and being lost in the wilderness and the gremlins - I started panicking too both of us just yelling and screaming and then Becky thinks of the genius idea to pull over and flag down the coming car.
I looked at her and said "DO YOU WANT TO DIE?!?!"
She looked back "No, I just want to go home"
I called James, he laughed and got us squared away. despite our detour, we didn't lose much time. :)
the end!
Much Love,
Rach
So Becky (my coworker and friend) and I decide to go to Anchorage on Saturday. We gassed up my jeep, got coffee and we were off! Jammin' out to Boyce Avenue and anyone else we demanded to rock our ear drums along the way. Being me, and having the parents I do - I of course do a road conditions check and it looked good, with the chance of running into some snowy roads along the way. Well, there was no heads up of the snowplows on the road kicking up thick clouds that seemed impassable, I questioned if it was safe and worth the slower speeds to continue on - but thank goodness after a ways of torturous slow speeds, the plows pulled off and we were back on track. Speaking of tracks - Becky had this FANTASTIC idea (hint the sarcasm - and foreshadowing)to climb rocks on the ocean side of the highway. I pulled over when advised and we hopped out of the car, waiting patiently to cross the highway over the guardrail (I stopped here - following my gut feeling that it wasn't a great idea) down the snow covered rock trench over the railroad and ascending a icy rock formation. I took pictures from my safe distance. Anyways, 10 seconds after Becky had crossed back over the tracks this train came whizzing by! all the while I'm shouting for Becky to pick up the pace, she's laughing and fixing her hair - but then she looks up and realizes her near death encounter and gasps! My response, "YOU ALMOST GOT CREAMED BY A TRAIN AND I, I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE POOPED THEN PUKED."
So we cross back over the highway and I smiled to myself praising me for listening to my own intuition and my Jiminy Cricket. We made it to Anchorage and it seemed as though every intersection was a near collision - I HATE the city and traffic and driving. And why are streets 5 lane 1 way. Traffic flows just as well going both directions in single or double lanes people!! We hit up each and every stop we wanted to and then it was time to go home. BUT oh snap! it's snowing, kinda hard. LAME. Good thing it was ingrained in my brain to drive as the conditioned allowed for and for what I felt safe. Thanks Dad! For those of you who have never driven from Anchorage to Soldotna, there is only 1 turn. That's it. Other than that it's a straight shot (obviously this includes the natural curves in the roadway) BUT ONE TURN - the intersection is lit with supposedly 3 BIG GREEN SIGNS....that I missed. ALL OF THEM. (They didn't exist that night...I'm convinced.)
So we are driving along and I casually say, "Hmmmm, I didn't see a speed limit but there are a lot of houses, I feel like I should slow down a bit"
Becky, who was texting looks up and starts FREAKING OUT! "why is there a bus stop sign? there is no bus stops on the way to Soldotna"
"But Becky," I say reassuringly, "it's Alaska, there are trees and homes on the road normally anyways, of course there are school bus stops"
"NOT LIKE THIS!!! THIS ISN'T RIGHT!! WE ARE LOST OMG WE ARE LOST WE ARE IN SEWARD." and she keeps going on and on and at first I thought she was playing to my absolute fear of the dark and being lost in the wilderness and the gremlins - I started panicking too both of us just yelling and screaming and then Becky thinks of the genius idea to pull over and flag down the coming car.
I looked at her and said "DO YOU WANT TO DIE?!?!"
She looked back "No, I just want to go home"
I called James, he laughed and got us squared away. despite our detour, we didn't lose much time. :)
the end!
Much Love,
Rach
Deaf Ears?
Has my blog landed upon deaf ears or blinded eyes? Either way - I will write on!
Well January came and went rather quickly, and February seems to be going faster yet!! The snow is mostly ice now as weeks of temperatures in the 40s eclipsed most of these months, however, Jack Frost seems to be putting up a fight as temps have dropped into the negatives this week. This just in, I could totally be a weather/news anchor (If you missed why, please revert back to the beginning of this post) ;P
For those who don't yet know or for those who need the reminder, I will be embarking on a trip to the homelands, to my roots, to my 406!! yes, folks! In 11 sweet sweet days from now I will be on Montana soil. I hope to find time to visit with you all, but more than likely, with spring break in the mix - that just isn't going to happen and for that, there is Alaska Airlines!! (hint hint, wink wink)
I'm learning my limits at work - actually, it's more like I am learning my frustration tolerance, and for some things, it's really quite short. I was reminded that I can't reason with a 5 year old and that how I talk to them and treat them largely helps them form their view of the world. Do you highlight the things the kids in your life are doing by lifting them up in praise and encouragement or are you spending the majority of the time focused on correcting the wrong and negative things (don't get me wrong here, I do believe in there being a place and time for disciple and consequences.) There is a model schools are taking on here called PBIS which stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports for the foundation of disciplinary action. It focuses on specific expectations and what we want youth to do and rewarding them for the desired behavior, through verbal affirmation, a fuzzy little pom pom, a high five, etc. It's rather cool, as it crosses all environments in detail broken into 3 simple key words: Safe, Responsible and Respectful. Each student knows how to behave accordingly in the classroom, the hallway, the lunch room, the bus, the lobby to meet the domains of being safe, being responsible and being respectful.
I encourage you all to look at your relationships, with friends, family, coworkers - are you praising them, stirring each other up to keep on keepin' on? It's easy to point out the errors, the hardships, the complaints, the negatives, but that's where we get stuck, isn't it? digging deeper into bitterness, complacency and disgust with ourselves and each other, our jobs, the weather, traffic, gov't, healthcare, rights. Step out. Lift your head to see the beauty around us, the little things like a child's laugh, the beauty of grey hair (I'm serious - this world says that aging is a horrible thing - but I find beauty in it.) Go on a search for the gold at the end of the rainbow, dance in the rain, stand in the silence of a snow shower. Walk down town watching the fast pace life in the traffic and the slow meanderings of those on a stroll. Curl up on the couch with your soul mate and work on a crossword problem or sudoku and learn to tap into the life skill of teamwork that seems to be evading all of us.
Much Love,
Rachel
Well January came and went rather quickly, and February seems to be going faster yet!! The snow is mostly ice now as weeks of temperatures in the 40s eclipsed most of these months, however, Jack Frost seems to be putting up a fight as temps have dropped into the negatives this week. This just in, I could totally be a weather/news anchor (If you missed why, please revert back to the beginning of this post) ;P
For those who don't yet know or for those who need the reminder, I will be embarking on a trip to the homelands, to my roots, to my 406!! yes, folks! In 11 sweet sweet days from now I will be on Montana soil. I hope to find time to visit with you all, but more than likely, with spring break in the mix - that just isn't going to happen and for that, there is Alaska Airlines!! (hint hint, wink wink)
I'm learning my limits at work - actually, it's more like I am learning my frustration tolerance, and for some things, it's really quite short. I was reminded that I can't reason with a 5 year old and that how I talk to them and treat them largely helps them form their view of the world. Do you highlight the things the kids in your life are doing by lifting them up in praise and encouragement or are you spending the majority of the time focused on correcting the wrong and negative things (don't get me wrong here, I do believe in there being a place and time for disciple and consequences.) There is a model schools are taking on here called PBIS which stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports for the foundation of disciplinary action. It focuses on specific expectations and what we want youth to do and rewarding them for the desired behavior, through verbal affirmation, a fuzzy little pom pom, a high five, etc. It's rather cool, as it crosses all environments in detail broken into 3 simple key words: Safe, Responsible and Respectful. Each student knows how to behave accordingly in the classroom, the hallway, the lunch room, the bus, the lobby to meet the domains of being safe, being responsible and being respectful.
I encourage you all to look at your relationships, with friends, family, coworkers - are you praising them, stirring each other up to keep on keepin' on? It's easy to point out the errors, the hardships, the complaints, the negatives, but that's where we get stuck, isn't it? digging deeper into bitterness, complacency and disgust with ourselves and each other, our jobs, the weather, traffic, gov't, healthcare, rights. Step out. Lift your head to see the beauty around us, the little things like a child's laugh, the beauty of grey hair (I'm serious - this world says that aging is a horrible thing - but I find beauty in it.) Go on a search for the gold at the end of the rainbow, dance in the rain, stand in the silence of a snow shower. Walk down town watching the fast pace life in the traffic and the slow meanderings of those on a stroll. Curl up on the couch with your soul mate and work on a crossword problem or sudoku and learn to tap into the life skill of teamwork that seems to be evading all of us.
Much Love,
Rachel
Monday, January 27, 2014
the best is yet to come
I was driving to a friend’s house the other night to join her family for their weekly Saturday night Pizza feast. I’m not kidding on the feast part; there were at least 8 or maybe 10 homemade from scratch with the freshest of ingredients for just as many eaters. Anyways, on this drive, the sun was setting, Audrey Assad was hosting a personal concert in my Jeep and in the distance, and I saw fireworks. Literally, which seemed to have awakened in me the realization of the joy and peace I have in my heart and soul which continued to be revealed throughout the evening as conversation rallied between various topics of history and current events. It’s refreshing to talk about work and collaborate on various views of the school system, social construct and family ties and the implications that has on today’s youth from the food that is served to the very structure that education takes on with the No Child Left Behind Act.
There was a guest who was an elderly gentleman and every time I looked at his face all I could see was the face of T. Moe, one of the residents from the Lodge. I couldn’t help but smile at him bashfully like a child with a grand secret. I looked over at my friend Melissa repeatedly through the night bright eyed and probably bordering on the cusp of shedding a longing tear for my dear residents and the fond memories I hold so close to my heart. Ask any of the kitchen staff at camp and my rants on the elderly are gold.
If you remember back, one of my resolutions was to become more organized – which means I have to take the time and put forth energy to put things away regularly and well – I can boil it down to 2 things: Urgency and Assertiveness. Urgency: be mindful of the time it takes to do something (so simple such as putting my dirty clothes in the clothes bin rather than the middle of my floor) or putting my clean clothes away right out of the dryer, putting books back on the shelf. A banker friend of mine once advised me to live by the “30 second rule” which is this: if it takes 30 seconds or less to put away DO It IMMEDIATELY!!! Which really makes sense in the long run – a bunch of 30 second items are going to add up over time to becoming 20 minutes of work or more!! (I can see my Dad throwing his hands up praising the Lord that it may have finally sunk it – but he’s also more than likely saying “I’ll believe it when I see it”) HAHA. Assertiveness: I would explain this as owning it. Being confident and utilizing the resources you have to get it done – in other words the 4 little minions roaming around the house who want to hang out in my room all the time and actually offer to help me clean. Just Kidding. I am learning to have a sense of pride in the order of my room. I have a lot of stuff – from clothes, books, office stuff, toiletries, and craft supplies shelved into a small space – but when it’s all put away – my room is actually a fun place to hang out in with the munchkins or by myself, and there is room to breathe – plus it’s not on the never ending To Do List like working out and doing the dishes and laundry.
I am taking small steps toward self-improvement, plus, I’m finding that with all the stress of not knowing where the thumbtacks on my floor are or completing a goliath leap from hallway to bed gone I have more creative flow to put towards a gorgeous blank canvas. FREEDOM and I have a hunch the best is yet to come!
It’s been reaching record highs here lately – I think we are going into our second straight week of temperatures in the mid to high 40s. People in Homer, AK are actually mowing their lawns, the bears are rousing from their slumber, the river is breaking up and well – it’s still only January. I am a little mad about it, but it’s nice not having to wear my coat :P
So far I have only slipped and fallen 3 times (2 of them should be illegitimate but I will let you decide for yourself) The first I was walking up the 4 steps to my office with coffee cup in hand – I caught my toe and down I went. The second, I had taken my clients ice skating and didn’t fall once!! That was a proud day for me (for quite a few reasons). Anyways, I had to deliver a kiddo to a sandwich shop and upon taking 3 steps into the dining room of this fine establishment (which was FULL of strangers) I had successfully concluded that gravity still does exist and that cement is still very hard. Finally, and most recently, I was walking around the lake with a friend of mine and with all the melting ice, I went down. A few weeks back, I was encouraged to throw my hands up and yell “Go Team USA” when such times occur – but I forgot.
I guess that’s all for now, that I can think of anyway. Hope you are all doing well.
Many Blessings & Much Love,
Rachel
There was a guest who was an elderly gentleman and every time I looked at his face all I could see was the face of T. Moe, one of the residents from the Lodge. I couldn’t help but smile at him bashfully like a child with a grand secret. I looked over at my friend Melissa repeatedly through the night bright eyed and probably bordering on the cusp of shedding a longing tear for my dear residents and the fond memories I hold so close to my heart. Ask any of the kitchen staff at camp and my rants on the elderly are gold.
If you remember back, one of my resolutions was to become more organized – which means I have to take the time and put forth energy to put things away regularly and well – I can boil it down to 2 things: Urgency and Assertiveness. Urgency: be mindful of the time it takes to do something (so simple such as putting my dirty clothes in the clothes bin rather than the middle of my floor) or putting my clean clothes away right out of the dryer, putting books back on the shelf. A banker friend of mine once advised me to live by the “30 second rule” which is this: if it takes 30 seconds or less to put away DO It IMMEDIATELY!!! Which really makes sense in the long run – a bunch of 30 second items are going to add up over time to becoming 20 minutes of work or more!! (I can see my Dad throwing his hands up praising the Lord that it may have finally sunk it – but he’s also more than likely saying “I’ll believe it when I see it”) HAHA. Assertiveness: I would explain this as owning it. Being confident and utilizing the resources you have to get it done – in other words the 4 little minions roaming around the house who want to hang out in my room all the time and actually offer to help me clean. Just Kidding. I am learning to have a sense of pride in the order of my room. I have a lot of stuff – from clothes, books, office stuff, toiletries, and craft supplies shelved into a small space – but when it’s all put away – my room is actually a fun place to hang out in with the munchkins or by myself, and there is room to breathe – plus it’s not on the never ending To Do List like working out and doing the dishes and laundry.
I am taking small steps toward self-improvement, plus, I’m finding that with all the stress of not knowing where the thumbtacks on my floor are or completing a goliath leap from hallway to bed gone I have more creative flow to put towards a gorgeous blank canvas. FREEDOM and I have a hunch the best is yet to come!
It’s been reaching record highs here lately – I think we are going into our second straight week of temperatures in the mid to high 40s. People in Homer, AK are actually mowing their lawns, the bears are rousing from their slumber, the river is breaking up and well – it’s still only January. I am a little mad about it, but it’s nice not having to wear my coat :P
So far I have only slipped and fallen 3 times (2 of them should be illegitimate but I will let you decide for yourself) The first I was walking up the 4 steps to my office with coffee cup in hand – I caught my toe and down I went. The second, I had taken my clients ice skating and didn’t fall once!! That was a proud day for me (for quite a few reasons). Anyways, I had to deliver a kiddo to a sandwich shop and upon taking 3 steps into the dining room of this fine establishment (which was FULL of strangers) I had successfully concluded that gravity still does exist and that cement is still very hard. Finally, and most recently, I was walking around the lake with a friend of mine and with all the melting ice, I went down. A few weeks back, I was encouraged to throw my hands up and yell “Go Team USA” when such times occur – but I forgot.
I guess that’s all for now, that I can think of anyway. Hope you are all doing well.
Many Blessings & Much Love,
Rachel
Monday, January 13, 2014
Sense of it all
I got a text today from a friend informing me that a girl we grew up with from an early age and played softball with passed away. What's worse is that she took her own life. Stop. Don't you dare judge, saying it was selfish and whatnot. Put yourself in her shoes. What depth of pain and loneliness accompanied her? How many hopeless nights did she spend awake trying to find an awakening in her soul? How many days did she go about the mundane with the facade that everything is alright? I'm not patronizing her, I'm not making her out to be a hero or a villain...I'm just trying to make sense of it all.
I hope your soul has found the rest it was longing for.
Much Love,
Rachel
I hope your soul has found the rest it was longing for.
Much Love,
Rachel
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Lyrics
These words brought comfort and healing this weekend over strife at work this week....read through them, youtube the song, dance and let is all go. Much Love, Rachel
Live Like A Warrior by MATISYAHU
Feel like the world don't love you
They only want to push you away
Some days people don't see you
You feel like you're in the way
Today you feel, as if everyone hates
Pointing their fingers, looking at your mistakes
You do good, they want great
No matter what you give they still want to take
Give your love and they throw it back
You give your heart they go on attack
When there's nothing left for you,
Only thing that you can do, say
Today, today, live like you wanna,
Let yesterday burn and throw it in a fire, in a fire, in a fire,
Fight like a Warrior,
Today, today, live like you wanna,
Let yesterday burn and throw it in a fire, in a fire, in a fire,
Live like a Warrior
Some things you should let go, they're only gonna pull you down,
Just like weight on your shoulder they are only gonna make you drown
We all swing high, we all swing low,
We all got secrets people don't know
We all got dreams we can't let go,
We want to brave, Don't be afraid
Ohh
Today, today, live like you wanna,
Let yesterday burn and throw it in a fire, in a fire, in a fire,
Fight like a Warrior,
Today, today, live like you wanna,
Let yesterday burn and throw it in a fire, in a fire, in a fire,
Live like a Warrior
Your heart is too heavy from things you carry a long time,
You been up you been down, tired and you don't know why,
But you're never gonna go back, you only live one life
Let go, let go, let goooooo, Let go, let go, let goooooo,
Today, today, live like you wanna,
Let yesterday burn and throw it in a fire, in a fire, in a fire,
Fight like a Warrior,
Today, today, live like you wanna,
Let yesterday burn and throw it in a fire, in a fire, in a fire,
Live like a Warrior
Today, today, live like you wanna,
Let yesterday burn and throw it in a fire, in a fire, in a fire,
Fight like a Warrior,
Today, today, live like you wanna,
Let yesterday burn and throw it in a fire, in a fire, in a fire,
Live like a Warrior
Live Like A Warrior by MATISYAHU
Feel like the world don't love you
They only want to push you away
Some days people don't see you
You feel like you're in the way
Today you feel, as if everyone hates
Pointing their fingers, looking at your mistakes
You do good, they want great
No matter what you give they still want to take
Give your love and they throw it back
You give your heart they go on attack
When there's nothing left for you,
Only thing that you can do, say
Today, today, live like you wanna,
Let yesterday burn and throw it in a fire, in a fire, in a fire,
Fight like a Warrior,
Today, today, live like you wanna,
Let yesterday burn and throw it in a fire, in a fire, in a fire,
Live like a Warrior
Some things you should let go, they're only gonna pull you down,
Just like weight on your shoulder they are only gonna make you drown
We all swing high, we all swing low,
We all got secrets people don't know
We all got dreams we can't let go,
We want to brave, Don't be afraid
Ohh
Today, today, live like you wanna,
Let yesterday burn and throw it in a fire, in a fire, in a fire,
Fight like a Warrior,
Today, today, live like you wanna,
Let yesterday burn and throw it in a fire, in a fire, in a fire,
Live like a Warrior
Your heart is too heavy from things you carry a long time,
You been up you been down, tired and you don't know why,
But you're never gonna go back, you only live one life
Let go, let go, let goooooo, Let go, let go, let goooooo,
Today, today, live like you wanna,
Let yesterday burn and throw it in a fire, in a fire, in a fire,
Fight like a Warrior,
Today, today, live like you wanna,
Let yesterday burn and throw it in a fire, in a fire, in a fire,
Live like a Warrior
Today, today, live like you wanna,
Let yesterday burn and throw it in a fire, in a fire, in a fire,
Fight like a Warrior,
Today, today, live like you wanna,
Let yesterday burn and throw it in a fire, in a fire, in a fire,
Live like a Warrior
Sunday, January 5, 2014
January: a new beginning
We have made it to 2014! Remember when 2000 was the verge of the World's doom? Haha. In a way it is I suppose, as I look around there is a loss of wonder and adventure in youths these days. Last night at the stroke of midnight there was a gathering of folk to toss around a tennis ball soaked with lighter fluid and lit. The children that were around took more interest in playing on an iPad than with fire.
I fear that as time continues, this sickening dependence on electronics will further separate people from unity and harmony. Sitting in a room with friends begins to become uncomfortable without the screen to hide behind as a blanket gives security to an infant. Am I alone in this? Am I blowing smoke into the wind for seeing this in my own life. That as I type this on my phone, my friend is putting together an appliance and I have yet to offer my assistance.
So with the new year, comes new ambitions. A fresh start. A new beginning.
I want to be in the moment and present amongst family and friends and even strangers. I want to be less dependent on my smart phone for keeping me company and amused.
To do this? Burn the phone! Drown it in the river! Maybe that day will come, but for now I can get rid of the social applications, despite the numerous petty reasons to keep them. I can learn to shut off my phone, pick up a book, my paint brushes, my needles and yarn....go for a walk or run. Learn to enjoy the silence and solitude and embrace it rather than avoid it.
I don't want to be a zombie or raise little zombies when I have that opportunity come. I want to be a physically and socially active woman and mom teaching my kids the art of making forts inside/outside and play make believe and limit the garbage of social media.
Time to implement those changes.
Much Love, Rachel
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