Miscellaneous Collection by Gretchen Bernet-Ward
Mahatma Gandhi, Indian political and spiritual leader (1869-1948) said “The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems” and “Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it” because who knows what is around the next bend…
♥ Gretchen Bernet-Ward
Daydreaming is my addiction. “Well, if one’s going to daydream, one might as well make it a good one, don’t you suppose?” says Danielle Paige.
My biggest vice is the real estate section in Brisbane News or weekend supplements. I drool over million-dollar homes, daydreaming how I would rearrange the décor, or daydream about refurbishing an old mansion. Of course, I enjoy daydreaming about being effortlessly rich, benevolent, eccentric and having a chauffeur to drive me everywhere. Until Lily Amis reminds me “Daydreaming is a way of escaping from reality. But you can’t avoid the reality forever! Sooner or later you have to wake up and face it!”
Still, my mind wanders no matter what, usually while doing domestic tasks. My focus regularly trails away into the realms of daydream when I am reading, writing or watching a movie. As Neil Gaiman says “You get ideas from daydreaming. You get ideas from being bored. You get ideas all the time. The only difference between writers and other people is we notice when we’re doing it.”
A cautionary note comes from Jasper Fforde who says “My mind wanders terribly. I’m not wholly annoyed by my daydreaming as it has been of immense use to me as regards imaginative thought, but it doesn’t help when it comes to concentration. And writing needs concentration – lots of it.”
♥ Gretchen Bernet-Ward
P.S. Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (Le Corbusier) a 20th century architect said “Une maison est une machine-à-habiter” or “A house is a machine for living in”.
“An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered.”
Quote from G. K. Chesterton who was an early 20th century British writer, poet, philosopher, dramatist, journalist, orator, lay theologian, art and literary critic and biographer. Apart from many literary works, Chesterton is well known for his book series of Catholic priest-detective Father Brown. These books were produced for television by BBC One with Mark Williams in the lead role.
Here is a small selection of Chesterton novels:
The Napoleon of Notting Hill (1904)
The Man Who Was Thursday (1908)
The Ball and the Cross (1910)
Man Alive (1912)
The Flying Inn (1914)
The Return of Don Quixote (1927)
Chesterton once said “Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another.”
♥ Gretchen Bernet-Ward
“What I do for my work is exactly what I would do if nobody paid me”…
Gretchen Rubin is an American author, blogger and speaker and has written several books including “The Happiness Project”, “Happier At Home” and “Better Than Before”.
The only thing Gretchen Rubin and I have in common is our first name. When I was growing up, my name was a burden among all the Anglo-Saxon children during my school years. I was never ashamed of my first name, just upset with people when they couldn’t come to grips with it, and I didn’t understand why people had so much trouble pronouncing it. Now, thanks to the global village, it’s a cinch.
As for working, I’ve always worked for financial reasons and if the job was a good one that was a bonus. From insurance, travel, advertising, promotions, administration and library positions, I am now at the stage where I am free to pursue my writing career. I can sit and pound away on the keyboard to my heart’s content and nobody pays me.
♥ Gretchen Bernet-Ward
“The future generations deserve clear water and clean air that will sustain their bodies and sustain their souls…” attributed to Barack Obama, former US President.
Chart supplied by Queensland Urban Utilities 2017.
Statistics may vary according to region.
♥ Gretchen Bernet-Ward
Doctor Who number thirteen is Jodie Whittaker. After media speculation and BBC misdirection for several years, the first female Doctor has been revealed. The newly appointed Doctor, Jodie Whittaker, has been quoted as saying:
“To be asked to play the ultimate character, to get to play pretend in the truest form: this is why I wanted to be an actor in the first place. To be able to play someone who is literally reinvented on screen, with all the freedoms that brings: what an unbelievable opportunity. And added to that, to be the first woman in this legendary role.”
Note: The series “Doctor Who” is a British time-travelling science-fiction television programme produced by the BBC since 1963.
Quote: Rolling Stone magazine Monday 17 July 2017 : Photo BBC
♥ Gretchen Bernet-Ward
…the famous French poet, journalist and novelist said “If fifty million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing.” I guess social media has compounded that figure.
Anatole certainly looks worried about the situation…
♥ Gretchen Bernet-Ward
Quotable quote from Rebecca Jamieson, Brisbane editor of Peppermint magazine: “Skinny, fat, tall, short, smooth, bumpy, pretty, ugly, strong, weak – we all give ourselves far too many labels, when what we really need to give ourselves is a break”.
Forget labels, enjoy your life without a tag.
♥ Gretchen Bernet-Ward
Author Sally Piper’s quotation is a writer’s block-buster:
“Procrastination is a defence mechanism. It allows us to avoid the terror of other people reading our work. It protects us from criticism. It keeps us safe from failure” and I would like to add “it stops us from growing” so don’t let procrastination dictate the terms.
Mindfulness blogger David Cain of Raptitude wrote:
“It turns out procrastination is not typically a function of laziness, apathy or a lack of work ethic, as it is often assumed to be. It’s a neurotic self-defence behaviour that develops to protect a person’s sense of self-worth.” Don’t put it off, your writing is always better than you think!
♥ Gretchen Bernet-Ward
Thoughts Become Words 