• About

Rachel Funk Heller

~ Social Alchemy: There's Magic in here….

Rachel Funk Heller

Monthly Archives: November 2011

More scrapbooking fun with…. Aldous Huxley in the House

30 Wednesday Nov 2011

Posted by Rachel Funk Heller in Inspiration

≈ 11 Comments

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.

Advertisements

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

28 Monday Nov 2011

Posted by Rachel Funk Heller in Inspiration

≈ 15 Comments

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

25 Friday Nov 2011

Posted by Rachel Funk Heller in Transcendantly yours

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

gratitude, Love, Thanks

There is so, so much to be thankful forWe 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.

 

 

← Older posts

The New Social Alchemy

Social Alchemy: is my version of the digital salon. Where interesting ideas are bandied about, where opinions are appreciated. Where all that makes life interesting: art, creativity, writing, love, and compassion are explored in many facets. And it's also a place to come and relax. When you want to turn off the digital noise, kick back, relax, and just be yourself. Thank you so much for visiting.

Topics I Love

  • astrology for writers (2)
  • Goofball Nonsense (7)
  • Grattitude (8)
  • Hawaii (3)
  • Inspiration (37)
  • Transcendantly yours (10)
  • WANA Love (5)
  • Writing (16)
  • Writing Tips (14)

Archives

  • March 2013 (2)
  • October 2012 (5)
  • September 2012 (10)
  • August 2012 (10)
  • June 2012 (1)
  • May 2012 (3)
  • April 2012 (1)
  • March 2012 (4)
  • February 2012 (3)
  • January 2012 (4)
  • December 2011 (4)
  • November 2011 (9)
  • October 2011 (10)

8000 words Aaron Hotchner art artists astrology Beatles blogging book reference caregiving Castaneda characters creativity Criminal Minds death detectives dogs Dramatica dying egg timer emotions failure fairy tales false eyelashes first draft food Forbidden fun funk goals gratitude Hawaii Heller humor Huxley Inspiration Jung Lennon life Love Mark W. Travis Mockingbird mom mother movies Mr. Spock murder mysteries mystery mystery novel novel novels P.D. james princess Rachel reading rejection Rumi scrapbooking sharing sillyness solstice celebrations Star Trek story storymind support Thanks theater travel trust videos WANA winter solstice workshops writer writers writing

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,066 other followers

Blogroll

  • Dramaticapedia Everything you want to learn about Dramatica Story Theory
  • Jenny Hansen's MORE COWBELL Blog Because face it, in this life you can NEVER have too much Cowbell
  • Kristen Lamb Blog advice maven
  • Mark W. Travis An amazing storyteller and teacher
  • WANA International To learn all you need about WANA, along with craft, tech, business & lifestyle classes
  • WANA Tribe Where all the WANAs frolic, come and join the fun

Blogs I Follow

  • Rachel Funk Heller
  • Hiking Photography
  • Julie Glover, Author
  • Catie Rhodes
  • Youth Speaks Hawai'i
  • The Daily Post
  • LEANNE COLE
  • Canadian Hiking Photography
  • Word Hunter
  • Bayard & Holmes
  • BundlePost
  • Chad Carver
  • renée a. schuls-jacobson
  • jansenschmidt
  • To Be Aware
  • STICKY WORDS by Jay Squires
  • nataliehartford.wordpress.com/
  • Brian Mercer - Music of the Soul
  • tommielyn.wordpress.com/
  • Ingrid Schaffenburg's Blog

Fast Draft Survivors unite!

oh yeah!

WANA logo

A Proud Supporter of WANA Tribe

Twitter Updates

  • Hanging out with @kristenlambtx you know, doug each other’s hair, girly stuff #writersofinstagram @ San Francisco,… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 4 days ago
  • Looking forward to classic San Francisco cuisine. @ Sam's Grill and Seafood Restaurant instagram.com/p/Bt12m1mBAVp/… 1 week ago
  • Hello San Francisco! It’s cold out there, it’s a three scarf kind of trip #layers #travel @ San Francisco, Californ… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 1 week ago
  • Can’t wait to see “Nothing On” at DHT. Sardines all around!!!😘 #breakaleg @ Diamond Head Theatre instagram.com/p/BtKQ01aBBVg/… 3 weeks ago
  • My dynamic duo, the crack editorial team hard at wor... #dogsofinstagram #lifeisgood instagram.com/p/Bs6IzfXAmjo/… 1 month ago
Follow @RchelFunkHeller

RSS Rachel Funk Heller

  • K. B. Owen’s own Alchemy: “Dangerous and Unseemly”
  • How To: Throw Your Wake BEFORE You Die
  • Gr8ful4: Mom is home and on the mend
  • Gr8ful4: Thoughtful Nurses
  • Friday Fun: Recycling Flipflops & Cast Reunions
  • Writing Matters: We Are Not Alone: WANA’s Rock!
  • Loving Family Traditions: Knowing When to Let Them Go
  • Friday Frivolity: Craft Disasters, Buddy Cole, and Billy Connolly
  • Writing Matters: “Several Short Sentences on Writing” and Why You Will Hate It
  • Gr8tful4: That My New Chair Found Me
Advertisements

for more Social Alchemy


Social Alchemy is a an island of inspiration in a sea full of digital snark. Thanks for stopping by, hope you had some fun.

Blog at WordPress.com.

Rachel Funk Heller

Social Alchemy: Celebrating the Creative Spirit

Hiking Photography

Beautiful photos of hiking and other outdoor adventures.

Julie Glover, Author

Catie Rhodes

The Kid Your Mother Warned You About

Youth Speaks Hawai'i

existence persists through language

The Daily Post

The Art and Craft of Blogging

LEANNE COLE

Art and Practice

Canadian Hiking Photography

Word Hunter

exploring the writing world

Bayard & Holmes

If you're in a fair fight, you're using poor tactics

BundlePost

Social Media Content Management

Chad Carver

Stories, Poetry and Reflections

renée a. schuls-jacobson

because life doesn't fit in a file folder

jansenschmidt

BLOGGING FROM THE EDGE OF ETERNITY. Where imagination abounds, nothing is impossible.

To Be Aware

It's all about disbelieving your thoughts

STICKY WORDS by Jay Squires

nataliehartford.wordpress.com/

Brian Mercer - Music of the Soul

Reflections on the human experience.

tommielyn.wordpress.com/

Ingrid Schaffenburg's Blog

Threadbare Gypsy Soul

Cancel
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy