raederle-phoenix - Tumblr blog

[raederle-phoenix]

Being American

I’m an American. I mean that in the best of ways, but as an American, I am subject to some of our follies. I only speak one language and I shop online. I’m not much for walking; I prefer a car to public transit. I don’t know how to convert miles into kilometers. I love huge supermarkets like Whole Foods Market. I dream of living in a bigger house with more space for all my hobbies and interests. 

I’m an American. I’m neither blue or red, but purple – almost literally since half my wardrobe and possessions are purple. I believe in the right to choice – whether that’s the choice to drink raw milk, to ride without a seatbelt, to have an abortion, to build an idiosyncratic home, or to own a gun. I believe in the freedom of choice so long as it only impacts your personal, individual risks.

I’m an American. I believe in freedom of speech and freedom of action in the pursuit of personal happiness – so long as that pursuit does not impede the happiness of others. I believe a human body is an individual temple that should never be forced to ingest or otherwise consume something unwanted. A human should never be forced to attend a school or workplace that feels unsafe. When a human – of any background or appearance – voices their experiences these should be validated and heeded by allowing that person to change location or vocation as needed. 

I’m an American. I believe that people of all kinds can grow into any career or social class they wish to attain. Whether it be through marriage, a degree, hard work, apprenticeship, self-study, several of the above or other means, people should rise and grow into the place in the world most congenial to their individual strengths and preferences.

I’m an American. I believe in business in the traditional sense: an operation of mutual benefit to providers and consumers. A business of mutual benefit must look after its own health (profit), its employees and consumers (people), and its environment (planet); care-taking the ecosystem is merely an extension of care-taking its own long-term best interests. Taking care not to pollute, to clean up after oneself, to be kind and honest, and providing a sustainable service is an extension of southern manners as well as northern values. 

I’m an American. I may not want to ride a bike, but I believe cities should be designed so that others may. I may prefer home-schooling and self-study for myself or my own family, but I believe that education should be free for all. I may prefer a single-family home, but I believe our building codes should never prohibit the construction of mixed-use buildings, duplexes, or other types of dynamic structures.

If this is the land of the free, then it is the land of making your own choices – so long as those choices do not take away the choices of others. — Raederle Phoenix 2022

[raederle-phoenix]

Flying home was exhausting. I spent the first day back cleaning. It seems to take me a while to acclimate to a new place even if it's just reacquainting myself with home. Cleaning does that for me. As I remove dust and debris from objects I come to know those objects again and claim them as part of me again. Now that I have burned up a day in frantic, manic cleaning, I am now taking a rest day. I still feel like my reality is revolving around the trip even though I got home the day before yesterday. #travel As an interesting side note, Lytenian and I have decided that we think we might rather drive than fly even though it would take us a week to drive to California. Flying is just way too excruciating. Not being able to stretch, or even reach your own baggage comfortably, or use the bathroom within a reasonable time frame, or acquire water if you desperately need it, is just way too much stress. Not to mention the stress of airport security, and the weird social pressures from being surrounded by so many strangers. And the whole thing is loud. And one is bathing and radiation the whole time. And the air quality is always terrible and you always get flooded with jet fumes, and sometimes you are unlucky enough to sit near somebody wearing a lot of perfume. Almost as bad, sitting next to somebody who overflows their seat into yours. And, it's more ecological to drive. So, we think that's what we're going to do next time I want to visit my boyfriend in California. (at Ithaca, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/CaYH-3BLIMT/?utm_medium=tumblr

[raederle-phoenix]

at San Jose, California https://www.instagram.com/p/CaLKf8NvjkS/?utm_medium=tumblr

[raederle-phoenix]

Change of costume, change of fragment. Who knew that loud motorcycles amplified underneath bridges could be freaking awesome. They would suck ass if I was wearing any other outfit. #fragmentation #partswork (at San Jose, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CaJcTkvLTEu/?utm_medium=tumblr

[raederle-phoenix]

Root beer kombucha #rootbeer #kombucha (at San Jose, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ-S4FYPq2q/?utm_medium=tumblr

[raederle-phoenix]

To be honest, photo shoots are one of the primary things that ever get me to go anywhere. 😂 But there's a really positive message in there: take motivation wherever you can get it! #motivation (at San Jose, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ-N8woP05n/?utm_medium=tumblr

[raederle-phoenix]

I still feel like a noob when it comes to makeup even though I've been experimenting with it since I was 9. It seems like the techniques keep evolving faster than somebody who only rarely wears makeup could possibly keep up with. Just got some new stuff from bareMinerals and I'm trying it out. Their mascara and eyeliner is definitely higher quality than what I got from ecobela a few years ago. #makeup (at San Jose, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ5CuF_v-68/?utm_medium=tumblr

[raederle-phoenix]

So far this is my favorite set of wrist warmers and leg warmers that I have knit for myself. #knittersofinstagram #knit #diy (at San Jose, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CZqSWV-r1T4/?utm_medium=tumblr

[raederle-phoenix]

#breakfast (at San Jose, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CZpTICgPC6c/?utm_medium=tumblr

[raederle-phoenix]

I had a lot of fun painting all of these miniatures. #diy #miniatures #boardgames (at Ithaca, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/CZYGAILL50v/?utm_medium=tumblr

[raederle-phoenix]

Today is my 33rd birthday. We celebrated with friends and board games yesterday. Today it'll just be my family. A lot of women are afraid of telling their age, but this doesn't scare me. Aging does scare me, but the number is really no sign of how aged I am. Signs of aging are what can be found in my body and mind. The more limber and healthy my mind and body, the younger I really am. And in the last year I have actually made many gains in my mental and physical health. I feel far more robust than I did two years ago, so that is what matters to me. #birthday #health #aginggracefully (at Ithaca, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/CZXNeZqujvD/?utm_medium=tumblr

[raederle-phoenix]

Sabatuer, the game of mining dwarves and hidden identities. #boardgamegeek #boardgameoftheday https://www.instagram.com/p/CZVTSYWLch4/?utm_medium=tumblr

[raederle-phoenix]

This is one of those types of games where I can never beat Lytenian. 🙁 #boardgames #hive #gameoftheday https://www.instagram.com/p/CYz31kYL9VS/?utm_medium=tumblr

[raederle-phoenix]

Playing race for the Galaxy with friends. #boardgames (at Ithaca, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/CYw-EIsPbFF/?utm_medium=tumblr

[raederle-phoenix]

I like that my new dress matches I favorite leg warmers that I've made so far. #ecofriendly #organiccotton (at Ithaca, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/CYp_abIu4F0/?utm_medium=tumblr

[raederle-phoenix]

I am now knitting myself my fourth set of leg warmers. #diy #knitting #knittersofinstagram By Raederle Phoenix www.raederle.com (at Ithaca, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/CYiRAqSup-k/?utm_medium=tumblr

[raederle-phoenix]

This post is a small celebration of a new set of leg warmers completed. (at Ithaca, New York) https://www.instagram.com/phoenix_raederle/p/CYdVXErMTsx/?utm_medium=tumblr