Quick Quote

Came up with a quote one day.

Actually, a jingle came with it in my head.

Happiness is hard to find

when you live your life through someone else's eyes.

~Lynn Retzlaff

This is for everyone who worries what others think.

A quote for the inner critique.

For anyone trying to live up to the standards of another.

You get my drift.

Stop worrying about what others think, what others may perceive,

stop self-criticize. Live authentically.

See the world through your own eyes.

Embrace it.

You get my drift.

Hoping it finds its way to the top baby!

Look at the world through your own eyes today

and

Happy Day To You!  :)

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

Sharing Random

My mind has been a mess of random thoughts lately.

Rather than fight it and try to pull together a centered post,

I thought I would share some random with you.

A wonderful NEW WEBSITE for those in need of healing

or those who wish to become healers.

I recently shared an original quote of mine
and now I will share a quote from my husband.
It is food for thought.
"Do not judge God by the religions of man."  ~ Scott Retzlaff

Pencils! I love new pencils!!!

They're even better when made from recycled items.

The green are old money, the blue are jeans!!!

Birds!!!!!

Finally, something to leave you smiling...
Laughing Babies!!!!

A Cranial Purge

I recently discovered Elizabeth Berg. I am transported every time I open the pages of her books. How is it possible I haven't discovered her sooner?  I just finished "The Year of Pleasures". It is a touching book about love, loss, friendship and self-discovery.

I took pause at a passage about death.

"I thought of the priest who'd told me that many religions hold that it is easier to be closely connected to people we love after death than before."

It really had me thinking.

Have you ever lost someone you deeply love? When you think about them now, do you remember all the good times? The love you felt? Their funny ways, gentle words, generosity? Are there memories of less than pleasant times? Do you have to dig for them or are they just below the surface? When they arrive, do you brush past the unpleasant, excusing it for being in the way, and run straight to the good, spending your reminiscence rolling in love, elation and happiness? I know I do.

I think of my grandmother often. She is no longer 1000 miles away. A phone is no longer necessary to reach her. Now I simply open my heart and ask for guidance, look to the memories and pull out her wisdom.

Perhaps that is not always the case. When we truly love someone who has been hurtful and hard, the memories are not all butterfly wings whispering in our ears. Perhaps there is pain in remembering. Perhaps there are questions left unanswered that beg from the corner to be released.

Even then, is it not easier to see the possibilities of why they were the way they were? Is it not easier to talk to them in spirit than it was in the flesh, whether seeking answers, releasing anger, or working toward forgiveness?

I'm not exactly sure where I'm going with this post. It is most definitely a cranial purge. A pondering dumped onto the page as it works its way around the folds of my brain.

I am going to keep the quote nearby for a bit. To keep me thinking. To remind me to hold my loved ones close to my heart here in the flesh, creating connections strong enough to be felt beyond any space time continuum.

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.

NaNoWriMo 2012 - Day 6

NaNoWriMo Day 6 - I voted, I wrote, I hurt, I ate chocolate. What more do you want?

"Write your first draft with your heart. Re-write with your head."  ~ From the movie Finding Forrester

* bonus quote from yours truly *

"I'm learning the only kind of chocolate that is guilt free is the kind you don't admit to yourself you ate." ~Lynn Retzlaff

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

Bittersweet

photo and quote original   -   ©Lynn Retzlaff

In Memory

 I ♥ My Mac

 Thank you Steve.

Rest In Peace.

Dream, think, believe, achieve. 

Steve Jobs Quotes

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle."

"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."

"Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderful … that's what matters to me."

"That's been one of my mantras -- focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it's worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains."


“My job is to not be easy on people. My job is to make them better.”

“We made the buttons on the screen look so good you’ll want to lick them.”

“We don’t get a chance to do that many things, and every one should be really excellent. Because this is our life."

“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

Inspiration

found this quote - had to play - pic is darling daughter two years ago

Inspiration

I have a self-discovery partner.

Is that cheating? To have a partner at "self" discovery?

Maybe I should phrase it like this...

A good friend and I are keeping each other inspired and motivated

while simultaneously working on our own self-discovery.

(More wordy and precise, but also more stuffy, no?) 

At any rate, "J" and I are making art dates. Choosing local artistic venues and setting the date. Keeping each other inspired through e-mail. Sharing inspirational links, motivational words.

A few weeks ago, "J" sent me a package in the mail. The package included a card made by a participant of The Very Special Arts Center (Madison, WI) which works with disabled individuals on self-growth through art. Inside the card was a note explaining how "J" had been going through some of her creative books in order to "organize her mind and space" to focus on her goals. In the process, she had found several books she thought fit my path better than hers. 

What a wonderful and lovely surprise it was to receive her package of inspiration!

Yesterday I sent a package in return. I had fallen in love with Mind's Eye Journals we had come across at an art fair we attended a few weeks ago. I mean IN LOVE!!!! They were gorgeous! They were also not in my budget. Being an at-home-mom of four does not often allow for such extravagance. I vowed that some day I would own one. For now, I will settle. 

I went into the dungeon (my basement studio) and dug around a bit. I came up with some raw materials and an idea. I watched YouTube, watched a library video and read a few books on book binding. Then I went to work. I created a journal for "J" and a journal for myself. They are not professional, they are not perfect. They are simply a loving place for each of us to start our journey of self-expression. Words, painting, collage, who knows what the finished journals will hold. 

Each journal is covered with a quote specific to its owner. May they bring us creativity, freedom and peace.

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!

NaNoWriMo 2012 - Day 20

NaNoWriMo Day 20 - 

     Three days of rest, massage and chiropractic seem to be doing the trick. Fibromyalgia is a fickle disorder that I must learn to play nicely with. When I push it around, it always wins.

     Yesterday I jumped back into the game getting in slightly over 1300 words. Rather than fretting over a five day weekend with four kids at home, I see five days of kids sleeping in while I wake before dawn to gently caress the keyboard in hopes it responds in kind.

     I chose today's quote because it's fitting and feels good. Smile with me. ☺

"There are few things, apparently, more helpful to a writer than having once been a weird little kid." ~Katherine Paterson

Found in a friend's garden still hanging on.  -  November 2012

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?)

 

NaNoWriMo 2012 - Day 5

NaNoWriMo Day 5 - What a fabulous and wonderful weekend! I was invited to spend an evening at a bed and breakfast in the western hills of Wisconsin with a couple of other ladies. I enjoyed beautiful scenery, lack of cell service (which meant no interruptions), wonderful conversation, sisterly love and great food. It was relaxing and recharging beyond belief. Upon arrival home I grabbed the family and headed off to visit a family friend who invited us over for dinner and a movie. It was a second late night of friends and fun. Yesterday was all about food and football. I managed to eek in writing all weekend but still fell behind my daily goal. This morning I logged onto my regional NaNoWriMo group on FB and found a gentleman looking for a word war! We set the clock for one hour and we were off! I won the word war and nearly caught up with my word count. I am feeling so happy today!

My past experiences with NaNoWriMo left me feeling down in the dumps as I quit on myself. This year, all the stars have aligned. I'm in a good place of personal growth for the challenge, my believing mirrors and cheerleaders are out in full swing, serendipity and inspiration are blowing under my wings and I am soaring!

Today I chose a giggle quote.  :)

"I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork."  ~ Peter De Vries

Thank you to all who are cheering me on and those joining me on this writing journey. I grabbed this image off an old sign hanging on a fence at the B&B this weekend. I couldn't help but think of  all of you. You are my net of support there to catch me if I fall. Thank you!

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?!?!?!!!!!

Silent Listening

"The word listen contains the same letters as the word silent." 

~Alfred Brendel

I really love that quote. I have been sitting with it for some time. I have been reading (slowly) a book about listening. "Seven Thousand Ways To Listen; Staying Close to What is Sacred" by Mark Nepo.

Slowing down, appreciating all that is around me, practicing silence, learning to really listen. Silent listening certainly allows for a closer connection to life.

I am not a silent person. I am a talker. Whether I was born that way or it is a condition, a reflex, a coping mechanism I developed due to the harshness of life, I cannot be certain. This past year has found me to be much quieter. I have been doing a lot of soul searching, reflecting and personal growth. I have been trying to discover my authentic self in order to save myself. I am learning the importance of listening. Not just listening to all the 'noise' that slams at our ears every day (chatter, the blaring radio, traffic), but genuinely, slowing down and taking notice of the most minuscule of messages listening allows for.

If you slow down and really listen, you can hear the subtleties of life that might normally pass you by. The slight sigh from a loved one that lets you know they are content, or perhaps the sound of a slightly heavier sigh that declares subtly but certainly, "I need a hug". 

You hear the true meaning behind someones words. What used to sound like gossip now sounds like someone who is unhappy with their life, therefore talking about others to take the focus off their own issues.

You hear your own heart. Its happiness and joys, the fears, the sadness. You hear it more clearly allowing for changes to be made.

Mother Nature offers a plethora of sounds to meditate upon and if you sit in silence listening long enough, your soul will answer in response to all that nature provides.

Last night I insisted the entire family pile into the van in snow gear with sleds in the rear. We drove to a local sledding hill. The sun was setting, the snow on the hill packed to a solid, slippery base. Luck had the hill empty upon arrival. The sun was setting. I stood at the top of the hill and silently observed.

The sun was setting. Orange filled the horizon stacked with yellow, followed by a baby blue sky. Dark cirrus clouds completed the top most layer. The colors were brilliant. There was a line of trees in front of the setting sun. Deciduous trees barren of their leaves while they stood sleeping the winter away. They appeared black standing majestically up against the magic sunset.

In front of me were five amazing, lovely, brilliant human beings sailing down the hill over and over. Whoosh went the sleds. Screams and/or silence on the way down exchanged with laughter upon landing safely at the bottom. Chattering their way back up for another round, traded for huffing and puffing the closer they reached the top of the climb. Sitting, shifting, preparing. Down, down, down again.

The sky filled with darkness. There is a light at the top of the hill. As they made their way to the bottom, they appear to disappear as the darkness enveloped them one, two, three, four, five. After some time, a train was heard off in the distance, its whistle piercing the cold, quiet air. The kids stop, turn, listen, wait, watch. Weighing heavily on the cold steel tracks, the earth moves and rumbles and shakes.

Reaching their fill of observation, the family turned once again to climb the hill. Once again they sail to the bottom with only the sound of sled on snow, reaching their destination upon which time the chatter and laughter would begin again.

So much to listen to on that hill.  The sound that stood out the most in that moment of presence, of silent listening, was the sound of my own heart filling with joy, happiness, pride. Love was swooshing from chamber to chamber, whispering "This. This is what life is about."

Self-doubt

I swear I have the strangest thought process at times.

It was years ago that I was pondering the subject of self-doubt.

I came up with this quote.

Buah ha ha ha ha!!

I crack me up!!!!

 Today, don't take yourself so seriously.

Let your inner-freak fly.

Laugh a little!

Enjoy life.