Wordless Wednesday

Just Because

Took this random shot in the yard the other day.
I fell in love with it.
Why?
Just because.

A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song. ~Chinese Proverb

A Bit Lost

If you know my blog, you know I have been MIA finding myself on hiatus for personal reasons.

While I was gone...
~ my heart broke but is now on the mend
~ I feared for my life then found hope that all will be well
~ I almost drown in a river of tears until I finally landed ashore
~ I realized I was blind to much and have since opened my eyes
~ I nearly lost faith only to land deeper in than I ever imagined


I have grown in self and in spirituality.It has been a very personal journey and it has changed me. I have been back for a few weeks now and am eager to jump back into blog mode, yet every time I sit down to the blank page, it feels different. I'm not sure how to approach the page anymore. 


I've sat and pondered, created and deleted, ignored the page, attempted a don't-think-just-do post, all with the end result being trashed instead of published. Today I decided the best route back is the route of honesty. This post might not be my best, it might not even make sense, but it is honest.


Things I have been working on...
affirmations
gratitude
attitude
intention
self-love




I thought the following quote would make a wonderful affirmation. It is supercharged by the addition of one of my children's hands holding a piece of childhood magic gifted by Mother Nature. We call them "blow flowers" in our house.

Photo of my son's hand holding a "blow flower" as we call them.   © Lynn Retzlaff 

Thank you to all who have read my blog in the past and for those of you who are still hanging in there. Your love and support means a lot. Please bare with me while I find my footing. I am hoping to settle back into a comfortable posting routine again real soon.


Love to all.

One of THOSE days

(NaNoWriMo Day 2)

spirit's low

money non-existent

word count lacking

body aching

chaos surrounds

covet others' brilliance addictively

lack action with self

 muse calls

pop pill

must

write

representation of my current state of mind

Couple

I want to do something with this picture.

Write a story.

Play in photoshop.

Crop it.

Blow it up.

Add thought or word bubbles.

No time to play.

Going away for the day to help a friend in need.

Any grand ideas for this couple?

What's their story?

   

Took this photo while sitting in the passenger seat in the rain waiting for Darling Husband to come back to the car.

Fantastical Fun!

A

weekend

full of

fantastical fun!!!

Ferris Wheels.

Fabulous Finds

 

Fun with photos.

What did you do with your weekend?

 (I searched for a good quote about weekends but found none worthy of adding. Instead I will search the comments to this post for brilliant weekend ponderings. Care to indulge me?)

 

Wordless Wednesday

Photo Friday

Darling Daughter's Hair Salon

Waiting Area

 Gossip

Guerilla Art-a-flopagus

I finished my final assignment for the class

Experimental Art e-course

Buah ha ha ha!!!

What a flop!

Well, not a total flop.

I met a friend!!!

Like as in... met for the first time ever.

We've been chatting through e-mail.

I found her art at a local gallery.

The owner said she was painfully shy.

Naughty me snooped around the internet.

Found her e-mail address.

Approached her via e-mail.

Told her I am also a self-taught creator and lover of encaustic art.

Explained that I understand her discomfort with meeting new people

but thought perhaps we could be e-mail buddies.

We could learn from each other.

She agreed.

We chat often. Sometimes daily.

For my final assignment in the Experimental Art e-course

I was assigned come up with a guerilla art project.

I decided my theme would be 

Random Acts of Loving Kindness.

I chose some pictures I had taken.

Played with them in photoshop elements.

Added positive affirmations and a little note in the corner

(a gift for you - a gentle reminder).

Due to my physical struggles this past week they were not perfect.

I did what I could. I decided that was enough.

I would send them into the world as is.

The printing cut off a letter, cropped a picture too tight.

Some of the font is too small.

It's the thought that counts, right?

So I asked my e-mail buddy to meet with me.

No uncomfortable-sit-across-the-table-and-stare-at-a-stranger meeting.

An artsy meet-up with a project to keep us busy.

We would be placing my photo cards in a public place.

Little gifts for others to find.

Pretty pictures and positive sayings to brighten their day.

Perhaps they would find the right owner.

Someone who would take it home.

Someone who needed the message.

We decided on the library.

It was uber busy.

I spread the picture cards around.

One on the steps.

One on the bench. 

A book shelf here.

A movie shelf there.

By the computers.

On and on.

We parked our fannies, chatted, and watched.

Most people walked right by.

Some people looked.

A few picked them up but set them back down.

Afraid to take them?

Not understanding they were a gift?

Then.....

along came....

'dum dum dum'

THE LIBRARIAN.

She spotted the cards, walked around picking them up

and proceeded to deposit them in the waste basket!!!!!

Seems she did not find our idea cute in the least.

Litter. Solicitation.

Whaaaaat?

She totally crapped on my random act of kindness.

What a jab. Ouch!

Thank goodness my new friend was with.

We decided to laugh instead of cry.   :)

I picked them out of the garbage.

An afternoon in the library and not a single card adopted.

We left.

We went to a cemetery to take pictures of old headstones.

My camera died after a couple shots.

Luck was not on my side.

Time to call it a day.

I dropped my new friend off at her car.

Thanked her for her help and for a fun afternoon.

I headed off to run some errands and left the pictures in random places as I went, this time with no worries as to whether they would be found or thrown or simply blown away.

After all, it's the thought that counts.

That reminds me.

My surprise for today.

I wanted to send two sets of my 

"Random Act of Loving Kindess"

cards out into the world via my blog.

They're not perfect

but

they're filled with

Loving Kindess!

Possible uses

bookmarks

send via mail anonymously

give to those you love

give to total strangers

stick in library books

stick in random places around town

keep them for yourself.

If interested in receiving a set let me know in a comment.

If there are more than two people I will draw names by Friday.

p.s. Thanks to all my loving friends who sent well wishes this past week. My pain is receding, mind clearing and I am on the upswing. Hugs back atcha!

I'm Baaack!!!!

Hello Blog World!!!!

I missed you!

Boy was that break good for me!

My defeatedly overwhelmed state has been replaced

by optimism and positivity.

I don't blame Blogland for the ugly state I was in.

Quite the contrary.

I find you all inspiring and loving and oh so wonderful!

You may have noticed me lurking around in the shadows.

;0)

Rather I needed a break from the pressures I put on myself.

Needed a chance to step back.

To play. To enjoy. To re-prioritize.

Here is what I've been up to.

The kids and I stained string with various ingest-able items

Playing with art with Amelia (experimental art e-course).

For more info click on button in right hand column.

Helping my man sell his wares.

check out www.loraxcarving.com

sitting around fires

Watching storms and tracking their damage.

catch and release (far, far away) cute garden critters

for the record, we have relocated 15 ground squirrels,

one chipmunk, and this cute fellow below?

He was too cute to move. :) We let him go on the spot.

Lots of visits to the library where I found this cool bike!

Don't know why but it reminds me of Mr. Bean.

Lovelies picked for me by the kiddos.

watching linemen

wildflower (and invasive) spotting

daytime drives

evening skies

perfect shots

swimming at the lake!

Yup. That's what I needed. Some fun times and time to think. I also found inspiring freebies I wanted to share with all of you.

Downloadable positive affirmation page to frame and hang.

Fun positive thoughts page for home, office, anywhere!

more positive freebies from Kind Over Matter

Spiritual reading "Journey of a Soul"

That's it for the freebies.

I know, I know. I hear your screams of "more! more!!!"

How about some great websites to visit?

A blog for photography and editing.

The Coffee Shop Blog

 Hilarious new blog on parenting HERE.

A super cool museum I am going to visit for my birthday

because I'm a geek like that!

Hamilton Wood Type Museum

and a video about the museum.

A glimpse of what we will be up to today

can be found here.

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~ 

On the flip side of all this fun and inspiration

I am feeling much better and am hoping that somewhere

amongst these photos, links and freebies

you have found inspiration as well.

Peace Out My Friends!

Motherhood Is Beautiful

I drove through downtown last week and spotted this bird nesting on a cross light.

She found a warm spot with a roof over head to build her nest.

The traffic is hustle bustle and the light blinks...

On   Off   On   Off   On   Off

The day was so hot and muggy she had to keep her mouth agape to cool herself.

With all the chaos and discomfort she stayed vigilant.

I was completely taken by her.

Motherhood truly is beautiful.

More Random

The weather outside is a great representation of my week.

The word I would use to describe both is...

s  c  a  t  t  e  r  e  d.

So I present more RaNDoM

in honor of my scattered week.

1. Don't shoot me!!! I know it's a picture containing snow but it's one I have been meaning to play with and I am allowing myself that luxury today. I love this picture and I love this quote! Together they are rather magical, don't you think?

2. I heard Pink's song "F*ck!ng Perfect" this morning on the radio while dropping the kids off to school. I just love her! Her songs share such strong and important messages. When I arrived home I looked up the video. Have you ever related to something so much it hurt? I cried like a baby.

3. Darling Daughter presented me with some lovely flowers she crafted after reading Creative Crafts For Kids.

 

 

 

4. In honor of National Poetry Month I am going to share a few poems of my own.

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

 

~ ~ ~ ~

My heart is an ocean

swelling with love.

My soul young and innocent

pure white like a dove.

My eyes are cool copper

giving glimpses inside.

My brain is a wall

where I'm accustomed to hide.

 ~ Lynn Retzlaff

Creativity Kickin' In

Been playing

and

it feels GOOD!

Have some gorgeous vintage apothecary bottles

that I put up for sale 

HERE.

I am finding it extremely hard to part with them.

I want to keep them.

I have been collecting them.

I love them.

Need for income is beating down desire of posession.

My loss.

Someone else will gain.

So I got creative.

 

Took pictures and played.

Used a quote from

HERE

and backgrounds from

an uber talented and generous blogger

HERE.

Now I have a wonderful picture of my beloved apothecary bottles!

Playing

Hi all.

I hope I was not misleading with my lettuce flower picture from my previous post. Nope. I don't live somewhere dreamy and warm. That picture was taken during the summer. My back yard currently looks like this!

The past few days have seen quite a bit of downtime. Mother Nature has dished out a small snowstorm and a couple of viruses have chosen our house to host their latest party. With the weather outside being frightful, I've been spending a few stolen moments doing something delightful!

I have been rediscovering photoshop thanks to Kim Klassen and her awesome Skinny-Mini course. She offers several other great Photoshop courses as well and is a wonderful teacher! She also offers textures and tutorials. You really must check her out.

Here's an example of what I have been up to.

The picture from last post...

The picture with textures added and played with. I also added a quote from John's E-book My Eternal Journey which you can find more information about at the bottom of his blog page.

 How cool is that?!?!?!!!!!

Wordless Wednesday

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!

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?

Random

Woke up with horrid back pain,
chiro doesn't have opening until tomorrow.
Looked out the window to see that four letter word...
S N O W!!!!
Must find energy and umph to clean house as company is coming for the weekend.

Strangely, my mood is not bad at all. ;)

Actually, I'm
feeling pretty random!
(wait a minute... is that a feeling? it is now!)

So here

is

a

random

photo!

Whatever!!!!!

Here's to Randomness in all it's fun and glory.
Go with the flow.
Be spontaneous.
Throw something random out there.
You never know what you'll get back!

What do you have for me?
Give me your best random thoughts :)

Joint Effort

This is a collaboration piece. The cardinal is a chainsaw carving done by my uber talented husband. I took the picture, printed it, glued it onto a 5x7 canvas panel, applied a layer of encaustic medium and added oil paint to the surface (then removed the oil paint with the only paint remaining being that which fell into the crevices).
I love encaustics as it adds texture and depth that otherwise would not be there. I'm self-taught and still in the beginning phases of discovery. My husband has only done a small handful of carvings. This was by far his best! It's really fun to live in a creative household with all members being extremely supportive of each others endeavors!

...continued.

I went back to the nesting site mentioned in my earlier post and took some more shots. I am not sure if it's my camera settings or my eyes, but most of my pics have been turning out blurry lately. Also, my super-duper-pull-it-closer lens (yup, more high tech words...ha!) ended up being not so super duper. You can definitely see the Herons but it's not as close as I was hoping. Did not have waders on so did not attempt to walk closer. Bummer. Here's what I got.

P.S. Click on any of the pictures below for a closer view ;)