Thursday, September 30, 2010

Girl Power

To steal a line from Winnie the Pooh,
"Oh Bother".

I only have a few minutes to post
which is not enough time
to tell you about the amazing lunch I had yesterday, 
but I will try.

Yesterday was my first blog buddy meet-up IRL!
It was so exciting!
I wasn't sure what to expect. Should I be nervous?
Would we all recognize each other?
Would we have anything to talk about?

Beth, Juliette and I
met for lunch at La Brioche.
We found each other right away,
picked a seat outside (yay!)
and instantly started chatting away.

The conversation flowed easily
and I felt as if I was lunching with two old friends.
They are both such fun, talented and beautiful women.
It was a lovely, lovely day!

Beth is a gifted photographer
whose way with the written word is as 
stunning and moving as her photographs.
Juliette is a talented mixed media artist
with a fun and fresh style. 
She enjoys inspiring and helping others with their art
as much as she enjoys making her own.

Beth and Juliette are smart,
beautiful, talented and so much fun!
(did I already say that?)
I could have stayed for days.

I drove home refreshed, energized and giddy
as I was filled with Girl Power!!!
What a wonderful re-charge
with two amazing women.

A brilliant afternoon.
Thank you ladies!!!
So glad I met you.

Me, Beth, Juliette 
I was going to say something snarky about how I look, then I remembered yesterday's post!

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

The Perfect Disease

A disease too important not to post about. It inflicts all of us to some degree. 
You can learn all there is to know right here.

A huge thank you to Caroline for informing me about the pandemic that must be stopped. 
You can help. 
Get Real today.

You can also get a button to help raise awareness and fight.


Thank You Dan Pearce
a.k.a. "single dad laughing"

Monday, September 27, 2010

Featured Artist

Mondays don't seem to hold
"favorite day"
title with too many.
 
Today will be different.
 
This Monday is a special day
as I am going to introduce you (if you don't know him already)
to a wonderful artist, fellow blogger
and cyber friend of mine.

Today's Featured Artist is John Gibson!
John lives on the Canary Islands of Spain.


He is a talented artist whose work you can find
here and here.
You can learn lots about him through his blog

I was lucky enough to find John in the blog-o-sphere where
I have been enjoying getting to know him and his art better.
He is caring, wise and talented.

This past Friday I received a much anticipated package from John. 
It contained an original piece of art
along with a print of another.
The colors are wonderful, the words brilliant,
the pieces precious.

I am currently admiring them propped on a chair
near my desk so I can meditate on the words each morning.
Soon they will find a more permanent place in my home
where they will be shared with all who enter.

Thank You So Much John!

~ Blessings To You and Yours ~





p.s. John - Lennon thanks you for the fun packaging!


Friday, September 24, 2010

Photo Friday


She woke with a tooth so loose it was bloody and dangling. We pulled it. Later I picked her up from school. She hops in the back seat and says very matter-of-factly, "You don't have to worry about pulling my other tooth Mommy. It got knocked out at recess."

Say Whaaaat?
My baby! Lost her two front baby teeth in one day.
Sigh.
How fast they grow!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Time

It's been one hell of a week here. The down time taken from my blog this week has been much needed. The events of this week have me thinking about time. About how very relevant it really is. As I walk around my house thinking about time, I look at the clocks. They are everywhere. We look at clocks and think, "Oops! Better hurry. Going to be late for school." or "Don't forget about that 2pm appointment." or "Boy, that time sure flew by!".



As I look at the clocks I notice how they differ in time. Some hold true, some are a bit delayed or fast, yet others have run out of battery and no longer tick. That reminds me of a poem I wrote a bit back.

Hands of the clock
Tickety tock
Seem to be mocking me
As I live on borrowed time
I am forever soul
But the mind wants more
Tick tock
Tickety tock
                  ~Lynn Retzlaff

Our time on earth is limited.  The dance cards are handed out, some with more room than others. What do you do when you find out someone you love has a card that is almost filled?

You dance with them. You don't worry about what song is playing, who is watching, where you'll go to eat later, what time it is. You take their hand, hold them close to your heart and dance.

It is sad how we rush through life dwelling on the past, worrying about the future, filling our time with appointments stressing about maintaining perfect houses. A child wants to hear a story but there are dishes to be done. Bills to be paid.

Time is relevant.

"Time flies when you're having fun."
"This test is taking FOREVER!"
"The kids have grown in the blink of an eye."
"Will this light ever change?"

But it's only relevant when it's there. It's only there for a limited time.

I found out someone very close to me has stage four incurable cancer. The amount of time? Unsure.
I will do my best to be present, really present in every moment I am blessed to spend with him. I will dance and I will pray.

May you read this and think of your loved ones, of your time with them. Take their hand, hold them close, ask them to dance. We must practice mindfulness, slowing down, spending time. Real, conscious, in the moment time. Practice makes perfect.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Roller Coaster

The roller coaster is moving too fast. I'll be back when it comes to a hault (or at the very least, slows down).

Sincerest thanks for hangin' in there with me.


With Love,
Lynn

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Quote

I'm just so tired lately! Too much to do. Can't keep up. Can't think, can't sleep. In honor of needing a break so I can gather myself, I leave you with a picture and quote.



"Writing is easy:  All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead."  ~ Gene Fowler

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Life

I work my hind end off lately and feel as if I'm getting nowhere. Life has been busy and challenging, throwing me curves and wrenches. Curves and wrenches? What am I supposed to build with that? I feel as if I've been swimming in mud.
It occured to me this morning to stop swimming and make some mud pies! Take that!!!

SpLaT!

and THAT!!!!

SPLAT!!!

tee hee!

Enjoy your messy, fun, beautiful life.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Through the eyes of a child


It never ceases to amaze me how children see the world. The innocence they carry, the magic they see, the unfiltered reality and honesty they carry in their words and visions.

My daughter walked into the room the other day and said, "Look, Mommy. See my charm? I have this bag to hide it so no one will steal it. Just like my shirt says. Since I am a real live princess after all!" (she was holding a shamrock she inherited after my grandmother passed away which is now her "lucky charm"  -   see #5 on her shirt?)

Holy Crap! Did my heart melt!!! I just laughed and hugged her and said, "And a very smart princess at that, My Dear!"

I always wish I could see the world through child eyes once again. I promise myself to stop and look and listen and slow down. Try to get to their level. Try to imagine. Try to be free of adult worry and busyness and preoccupation. Then I forget and I get busy and worry and find myself preoccupied.

Until a little princess stops me dead in my tracks and grabs my heart with both hands and shakes it free once again.

I dedicate this week to childish expression, imagination and freedom of dreams!!!! May you join me and soar.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

And the winner is....

John!

Had my boys do the drawing. They put the names in a bowl, one held it, the other drew. One in four chance of winning. Not bad, eh?
Congrats to John and to everyone, thanks for being here.
John, please send me your mailing info. and I will get your package off to you promptly. Thanks.

Friday, September 10, 2010

This Moment...

Inspired by SouleMama.
In her words - "{this moment} - A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."


p.s. don't forget to check out (and enter) my first ever give-a-way!!!

Thursday, September 9, 2010

My First Give-a-Way!

I apologize in advance for the scattered condition of this post (words & pics). I have picked up a childcare job to try to make ends meet here and with four of my own and now an extra (1 year old), I am really scrambling to find time for everything.
I joined Shannon at Free Spirit Knits in her "reduce clutter create space" campaign (see button right hand column). This month's theme is "The Basement".
Oy Vay!
The basement. (breathes in heavily and sighs)
Feng Shui has it that the basement represents the past. Getting that baby cleared out not only helps your household function better, but your spirit and mind. It's a hard area as it's often "out of sight, out of mind".
A few years back my husband finished the once concrete basement (I think I may have posted about it before, but no time to look!). My "studio" is also in the basement. During construction, everything in the entire basement ended up in my studio. Since completion I have gotten some items purged, some organized and a lot still remains to be done.
I use the term "studio" loosely as it is also the laundry room, the furnace room, the storage room etc...

Working on my de-cluttering project and being faced with the monthly topic of basement, I can no longer ignore my area as the rest of the basement is clutter free and minimalist already.

Care to see my before pictures? If you are faint of heart, you may wish to look away!


Aaak! and... Egads!
I need to organize and purge as is quite obvious!
In the spirit of Shannon's Generosity at purging,
I am holding my first ever give-a-way.
It is aimed at a mixed media artist, a collector of antique/vintage, or any other creative, collective soul.
I am giving away a vintage collection of Finds.
 
Included in the give-a-way...

1. Page (front & back pictured) out of a vintage scrapbook of someone revering fine art.
2. Vintage book
3. scrap assortment of various papers (only thing not vintage)
4. Vintage Bingo card, game money, keys
5. Page from sketchbook (painted w/ lady) from a deceased art school teacher (wish I knew his name, but I only know a bit of his story)
6. Vintage stamps from around the globe









I am offering these items out of appreciation for my blog readers and also to get a kick start on selling and using my collection of vintage finds.

I will be drawing a name on Sunday. If you would like a chance to win, please leave a comment and share a little about what you think of my first give-a-way.
Is it inspiring? Interesting? What are some ideas of what you might do with some of the items? What's your favorite?
Please pass along the link to this post if you know of someone who would be interested in giving new life to these little pieces of history.

Thank you so much!!!!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Introducing...

I would like to introduce you to a talented, sweet, generous artist.
Her name is Julie Haymaker Thomas.
She is a mixed media artist and teacher.
You can find her website here.
Her blog is here.
Etsy here.

I love her blog profile pic. It's the cutest!

And here is something I won from her blog!
It hangs above my stove.


Isn't it sweet? 
I was trying to decide if it was a spoon full of magic, wishes, or perhaps love.
Better yet, a spoon full of generosity as Julie mad it with her own hands
and offered it as a give-a-way on her blog.
I decided it was a spoon full of goodness which covers it all ;)
She simply calls it "A Spoon Full of Stars".
She offers a tutorial here.
There were kits offered as well.
I must be off to seek her guidance on how to purchase.

Have a wonderful day
with a spoon full of goodness
on the side!

~ thank you as always for visiting ~

Friday, September 3, 2010

Shit!


I just spent the last 1 1/2 hours trying to play with this photo in photoshop.
Thought I was on to something.
Total failure!
Instead it's being posted unedited.
Perhaps you would like to try? Feel free to use it.
• ∞ • ∞ •
Trying to teach an old dog new tricks is one thing.
Try getting that dog to teach himself!
Now that's a real challenge.
• ∞ • ∞ •
I am self-taught on most everything in life
as that's the way the cards have unfolded for me.
Not a lot of advantages, not a lot of educational opportunities.
Therefore, I teach myself.
I am learning.
• ∞ • ∞ •
Today is teaching me patience.
• ∞ • ∞ •
I am working on a list.
My birthday is coming up.
It is the tenth anniversary of my 29th birthday.
My list will be 40 by 40.
Forty things I want to accomplish by my 40th birthday.
My present to myself is to feel good about 40.
• ∞ • ∞ •
My list will now start...
40 by 40
#1. Learn Photoshop
• ∞ • ∞ •
This post seems rather random in thought.
Guess that's been my thought process lately.
How about you?
What have you learned lately?
What are you working on?
What do you wish to achieve?

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Perspective

Have you read Eckharte Tolle's "The Power of Now"?

It is a priceless book
teaching us how to live in the moment we have.
The Present moment.
It is called the present because it is just that. 
A gift. A present.
It's all we really have.
The past is gone. Dwelling wastes the moment that is.
The future is not yet. Don't waste this moment on what is not.
This moment.
This is what we have.


I was looking at a few shots I took earlier in the year and I was thinking about perspective.
I was walking along a path behind some houses and fell in love with an old glass door
resting against a house. A timeless backdrop for new and fleeting flowers.
I couldn't decide what to focus my camera on as they both were beautiful.

This first picture focuses on the door. It is old, from the past, behind the flowers.
It seems to represent the passing of time, history,
what could have been, what is no longer,
what little remains.
Yet it is beautiful.

This next picture focuses on the flowers.
They are young, new, fresh, alive and alert.
They deserve attention as they are the present moment.
They weren't there a bit ago, they won't be there forever.
They are here, Now.
They are also beautiful.

If I consider one step closer, 
I could think of me.
I am the one behind the camera.
I am the action, the future, the decider of what is to come.
I am the future of the picture.
What perspective to take.
What to do with the end result.
That is a beautiful thing.

That got me thinking.
Past, present, future.
How blessed we are as humans that our eyes, our minds
have the ability to see, to focus, to decide.

past, present, future
we can decide what to focus on, when, and how we view that which we see.
I choose NOW.
This moment.

The past is there. I see it. There are troubled times and there are great times.
The past helped form today. Who I am, where I am.
Memories are a part of us but they are not us.
I acknowledge and respect and I move on.

The future is yet to come.
There will be good and there will be bad.
I cannot control it but I can hope for the best,
dream of a beautiful life, look ahead, even plan ahead, 
but not too hard.
I don't want to get lost in what is not.

Above all, I choose now.
I acknowledge past and future.
They are part of life.
But I choose NOW.
This moment.

As far as the pictures?
The door, the flowers, me.
I see them all right now and it is beautiful.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

And They're Off!!! (plus a give-a-way link)

Three of my four started school today. Princess starts tomorrow. Bitter sweet I tell you. 

Such a strange summer.
The weather was off.
Our luck up and down.

But boy did we have fun!
(warning: pic heavy)

(1. awesome houses  2. baking bread  3. beaches  4. birthday parties  5. carving shows  6. catching critters  7. evening drives  8. fairy gardens  9. family  10. fishing  11. Fourth of July  12. games w/friends  13. mountains  14. nature walks  15. storm watching  16. strawberry picking ... to name a few)



Whew!
You made it through!
You deserve a reward!

Rhythm of the Home
is celebrating their first full year of publication.
They are family and earth friendly, full of wonderful information, how-to's, warm fuzzies, cooking, crafting and so much more! 
They are holding a generous give-a-way
so head on over and join me at a chance to win!
(click on the link above)
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