More scrapbooking fun with…. Aldous Huxley in the House

Tags

art, Huxley, Inspiration, scrapbooking

Hi All!

Man, I hate to keep sounding like a downer, but we just had to have the talk with my mom about moving her into an Retirement home. Yippeee… Truth is, she realized the time had come and with hugs and tears between her, me and my husband, I’m sure we will all muddle through. So, I am telling all of you right now, as soon as I start peeing my pants and forgetting what day it is, park me in the Caviar and Champagne Rest Home and call it a day.

And because I hate feeling sorry for myself, I dug up another favorite quote, this from Aldous Huxley, puts it all in perspective. And playing in the photoshop sandbox always makes me feel better.  Enjoy!

Mr. Huxley kicks some serious butt

Thanks for stopping by, I love hearing your comments, even though it takes me some time to get to them, time zones and all. All my best wishes go out to you this day.

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I Am a Princess… Come on Girls, Say it Loud, Say it Proud

Tags

fairy tales, Love, princess

Which one really holds the power in this picture?

Okay, so I was not born into royalty, my mother is not a “queen” although I went to high school with a bunch of them. I’ve read my share of fairy tales, I’ve even met a Prince Charming or two. But I love the line from “Into the Woods” by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine where Prince Charming explains: “I was born to be charming, not sincere.” We’ve all dealt with our fair share of those sorts of Princes.

In one sense, I am a princess by birth because I was the only child of my parents marriage, they each had children from other marriages, but I was the last one, the “baby” spoiled, not rotten, but spoiled. I also benefitted from the fact that my parents had raised other children before I came along, so when I did show up, they knew what they were doing. Too many princesses we see today, those celebrity chicks running around on the red carpets, prancing through the “reality” television stratosphere, all look to me like they could use some parenting, and quick.

It doesn’t surprise me that there are a slew of “Snow White” remakes coming out on television and in film, because the archetype is such a powerful one. She’s the prize, she gets to wear all the best clothes, every one wants to be near her, she is special! Doesn’t every girl want to be special? She’s royal, she will be queen and she will rule her kingdom, anyone interesting in having that kind of power?

But, just as Spiderman learned that “with great power comes great responsibility” so too, there is great responsibility being a princess. Look at Kate Middleton, if I had that many people watching me at my wedding, I’d go Bridezilla-ballistic. For the rest of her life, there will never be a day when she can walk out of her house in her sweatpants with no make-up without it making headline news the next day. And let’s not even talk about Princess Diana, no one wants Kate to suffer that fate.

I’ve had the idea of Princess on my mind as I’ve been researching the life and times of Victoria Kaʻiulani Kalaninuiahilapalapa Kawēkiu i Lunalilo Cleghorn (1875–1899). Her story is a sad one, born into the Hawaiian royalty, Heir Apparent to the Hawaiian throne, only to see her country stolen out from under her when it was “annexed” by the United States.  She was raised to be a ruler, to lead her people, and never had the chance to do it. She died at age 23, a young, beautiful woman who never got the chance to see if she could live up to the expectation of what being a ruler really means.

But is it possible to be the princess of your own life? Without submitting to all the forces who would be more than happy to make us look like a princess on the outside. Billions of dollars are spent every year by women (me included) on the right make-up, the right hair products, the clothes, the shoes, the Botox, the tummy tucks, the vanity of it all.

I’m no beauty queen (I save that for my drag friends, they do it so much better) but I do care about how I look, not so much that I worry about being judged by others, but because I care about myself. When I know I look good, I’m more confident, and when I’m more confident in myself, I can give more of myself to others. It’s sort of nobles oblige by Sephora.

Okay girls, let me know, how do you care and feed your inner princess? What makes you feel special, in a royal way, that lets you do all you can for your friends and family? Can we promote “princess power” in our families and communities? And guys, tell us what you think of when you think of a real life princess. Thanks for stopping by. All comments will be sprinkled with princess dust, 100% guaranteed.

 

Still in a Thanksgiving Mood…and it’s NOT the Turkey Talking

Tags

gratitude, Love, Thanks

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner and of course, I ate too much, the turkey was awesome, the conversation light and entertaining, the desserts, plentiful and delicious. But now, the dishes are clean, the silver is stowed for another year. But I’m still in the mood to give thanks. Many of you may know that I recently traveled to San Diego, for the memorial service for my half-sister, Patricia Anne Trimble. It was a lovely gathering of family and friends, and I was quite moved by a quote that the Pastor read to us at the close of the ceremony. It is called, “What will Matter” by Michael Josephson, and I am quoting it here, as it is fitting for this time of year when we have the opportunity to reflect on what is really important in our lives.

“Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end. There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days. All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else. Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter what you owned, or what you owed.

Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear. So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire. The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away. It won’t matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end. It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant. Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.

So, what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?

What will matter, is not what you bought, but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave.

What will matter is not your success, but your significance.

What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.

What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage, or sacrifice that enriched, empowered, or encouraged others to emulate your example.

What will matter is not your competence, but your character.

What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you are gone.

What will matter is not your memories, but the memories that live in those who loved you.

What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom, and for what.

Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident. It’s not a matter of circumstance, but choice.

And so, the challenge to us all is to choose to live a life that matters.”

I would like to add that I choose to offer up these words to you, friends I’ve met in person, and friends I’ve made through this wonderful digital world we share on the internet. Human connections are so very important, no matter the medium. Thank you so much for stopping by and I’d love to hear what matters to you.