Simultaneous …

No, not that!

On my last coffee-refill trip, I saw the sun rising behind the east mountains [the Appalachians, actually] as the moon is setting behind the other [our little local hill known as Zion Mountain]. There is no common word for sunrise and sunset [I was searching the handy-dandy thesaurus widget for something like equinox], so you are left with an ellipsis in today's title.

So the February issue of KnitNet is up. Or maybe it's the April issue, early. Nah ... they tend to run behind in their publishing schedule.

[Aside: I worked in the publishing industry for many years, and for each hour that we missed our target press time, our company was charged massive amounts of cashmoneybucks. I guess having no press deadline is one advantage for web-publishing.]

At any rate, the editor's column this month is most insightful. She writes about learning life lessons from knitting in ways I had not looked at previously. I immediately related her points to my healthy-lifestyle project.

She talks about staying power, and that giving up means failing. How well do I know this! I've tried umpteen different weight-loss plans in the past half-dozen years or so, and as soon as I stopped working them – because the losses stopped or because I was bored or because of the new moon – I gained even more weight. I'm not unique; you read about people like me in the supermarket tabloids and women's magazines all the time.

She points out that the easy way leads to boredom, and that challenges help keep you interested and motivated. For me, this means I need to try different foods and workout routines. I could do better with the food, but I'm following a prescribed menu plan and have been reluctant to substitute. With a good food-count book and some common sense, that shouldn't be hard to do. The workouts shouldn't be a problem. In the last few weeks, I've bought four new and completely different exercise DVDs, as well as some resistance bands. I've no excuse to get bored, either physically or mentally, with my intentional activity.

She says fast doesn't last. Please, don't remind me. Or, rather, hit me over the head with it! The last time I lost weight, nearly 60 pounds vanished in about five months. They stayed gone for about five minutes. I've mentioned before that as soon as the scale hit 128, the pounds started climbing back on again. What did I learn from exercising like a maniac and eating no fat? I learned that I don't like exercising like a maniac and that fat tastes good. I've learned this time around that slow and steady really does win the race – or at least I'm hopeful it will – and that a little fat goes a long way. Back then, I also ate no sugar, but started using it again once I got to my goal. For me, sugar is not a Good Thing. So I am learning to live without it. Millions of people don't eat sugar. I'm one of them. Or at least I'm trying very hard to be.

She finally talks about making a good investment in tools and supplies. I take that to mean buying the best quality fruits and vegetables in the market. I take a big chunk of time out of every day for intentional exercise. I choose sturdy walking shoes and if I need to spend $11 for cushioned athletic socks, then I do. Because I don't care for the taste of our well water, I buy and drink bottled water. What it comes down to, for me, is that finally … finally … I'm worth taking this extra time and spending this extra money to get where I want and need to be.

I'm feeling pretty good this morning. Last night's meeting at the prison was so uplifting. Those women handle the toughest of situations – being told what to do every minute of their day, being torn from their families, knowing their children are suffering more than they are – with such grace and dignity and courage. They can choose to be pissed off and resentful, and some do. But those who walk tall, one day at a time, are the winners. They inspire me.