catnipoflife

Observe life at its best, Listen to life’s songs, Embrace life’s bounties, Breathe the breath of life, Savor life to its fullest!

CATNIP OF LIFE on the ROCKS (Literally)

Last week I had a photoshoot along the jetties at Panama City Beach, FL. This was scheduled to accompany an article I was asked to write about the Catnip of Life, which will be published during the month of June (Stroll Grand Lagoon – Delivering Neighborhood Connections). The photo shoot was an absolute blast! There are always stories to tell and of course, there is a ‘doozy’ behind this photo.

There were quite a number of photo shoots going on the day we were at the jetties. Some photographers had their professional equipment set up in the sand, while others were shooting with their phones. Mandjo Brokaw had just finished a shot when I turned around and spotted a young man standing tall on top of the same rock as depicted below. Another young man was snapping pictures with his phone.

Without even thinking twice, I turned to Mandjo Brokaw and exclaimed, “I want a photo on top of that rock (pointing to the young man as he stood proudly upon the rock, which was about 6 ft above the sand)! In an instant, I approached the young man with the camera after he finished snapping pictures.

Yes! I introduced myself and asked a favor. “I want a picture on that rock but need assistance getting to the top.” He grabbed me by the hand and up we went! I was barefoot so had to be careful because the sand was slippery on the rocks. He was steady as could be and led me right to the top, stepped aside, and I raised my hands to the glory of our Heavenly Father! (The young man’s name is Colin and very handsome!) 🙂

My only regret is that I didn’t have more pictures taken while I was there, perhaps sitting, instead of only standing, and on one foot, instead of both feet! hahahahaha Tomorrow IS another day and the jetties are surely not going anywhere soon!

Observe. Listen. Embrace. Breathe. Savor. Life to Its Fullest!

http://www.catnipoflife.info

#jetties #beachlife #nature #fun #photoshoot

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Live from the Catnip of Life

This is a FB live I completed on Thursday, May 11,2023. Even though wishes are expressed for a Terrific Thursday, the message holds fast any day of the week: Marvelous Monday, Thrilling Tuesday, Wonderful Wednesday, Terrific Thursday, Fabulous Friday, Super Saturday, and Splendid Sunday.

Step outside into the catnip of life! Need help in learning more about this catnip? Visit catnipoflife.info Click the tab Books & Contact for the new release Catnip of Life! Grab your copy today! You can walk hand in hand with Mother Nature regardless of a bright sunny day or amidst grey clouds and stormy weather. Like the effects catnip has on the cat, reel with excitement or relax in tranquility!

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Life, Decisions, Paths and Choice

Life is busy!

Yes! Life is very busy and full of noise. It’s essential to find moments of stillness and reflection. 

Today, I invite you to reflect the power of choice and its impact in your life. Choice requires decision making.

The Power of Decision

Whether we choose to act or not to act, making a conscious decision is powerful. 

To choose = to have power. 

It’s a declaration of ownership over our lives and an acknowledgement of our ability to shape our future. 

Each choice we make, big or small, contributes to the person we become and the experiences we have.

Two Paths

In every decision we face, we can imagine our options as two distinct paths

One represents action, and the other, inaction. 

Yes, or no. 

Both paths lead to different experiences and opportunities. 

By acknowledging the consequences and rewards of each choice, we can trust our intuition and make decisions that align with our deepest desires.

Embracing Choice

As you continue with your day, let the power of choice guide you in your decisions. 

Remember, you have the power to shape your future, one choice at a time. 

Whether you choose to act or not to act, know that you have control over your destiny.

You are powerful. 

Take a moment to reflect on the choices you’ve made in your life, and consider how they’ve shaped your experiences and who you are today. 

Embrace the power of choice, and know that each decision contributes to the rich tapestry of your life.

Note: Credit for this post goes to the inspiration provided by Mike Knott, Life Coach, Spiritual Advisor, www.AttractingGrace.com

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Friends vs. Friendship

Piggies1

Piggies can be our friends!

During a lifetime, each person will encounter innumerable friends. They will come. They will go. Some will be remembered. Some won’t. Many will be real. Thousands will be virtual. Yet, we call them all friends. There is really no separation. Some we see. Some we don’t. These are our circle of friends.

What makes a person a friend? Can someone be called “friend” yet not truly be a friend, only act friendly? Everyday conversation occurs during which someone will reply, “Oh, he’s my friend!” or “I know her. She is a friend of mine.” Has this happened to you? Have you ever paused in wonder as to what made you identify a person as a friend? Each of us will have different thoughts and answers to that question.

We have work-friends, buddy-friends, intellect-friends, fun-friends, the talker-friend and the listener-friend. There is the big brother or big sister and of course, the friend who is like a mom or dad. Some even earn our trust as we accept them into our hearts without question. Each plays a significant role in life.

Now turn to friendship. Any difference?

Friendship is a form of love, passionate in the sense of caring and understanding but not erotic. It is resting your head on someone’s shoulder and crying out of sheer happiness or sobbing uncontrollably in times of sorrow. It is that person holding you so tight you do not want them to let go for you are no longer capable of separating one person’s tears from the other. It is disagreeing and finding harmony in disagreement. Those are the personal lasting friendships.

Today, with the advancement of social networking, friendship does not get applied to many situations. The friends in this environment are acquaintances that people do not even know and probably will never know. Yet, comfort can still be found, it is simply within written communication, rather than in person.

Each of us can be a friend, associate with friends, and form lasting friendships. Those that last are the ones which we truly celebrate. In other words, a celebration of friendship is when you are not only told you have dirt on your face but your friend helps you clean up your mess! This is our blessing of friendship.

Angel of Friendship

friendship_angelstar-divider-lineA cloud floats from Heaven
To rest upon a shoulder
A soft, billowing pillow
Where an angel abides

Quietly, gently resting
‘Til needed to leaven
Heaviness like a boulder
Laying worries aside

Who is this angel?
Quintessence of loyalty
Bearer of charity
Who offers companionship…

Listener with quiet understanding,
Sunbeam smiles radiating harmony,
A messenger of amity
Ensuring a lasting relationship

Who is this angel?
This angel is the angel of friendship!

Echoes©2004 Echoes
Sharla Lee Shults

 

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Catnip word of the day: “petrichor”

Enjoy the simple things in life. . . learn to dance in the rain! Rain is fascinating. Rain is refreshing. Rain is rejuvenating. Rain is. . .

You finish the sentence as you see, feel, hear, even smell the rain. Speaking of the smell, while water is odorless, there is a distinct smell to rain, particularly after a dry spell. It is a pleasant, earthy smell that has a name – “petrichor.”

Did you know there is science behind rain? Yes, it is much more than simply water falling from the sky at which point you usually run so you don’t get wet!

As a kid, you probably loved to play in the rain. Run, jump, splash, even dance. Why should such joy be limited to days reminiscent of childhood? Afterall, you have an inner child that never grows old living and loving life to its fullest.

From the Catnip of Life. . .

Rain dances to many rhythms from drizzle to sprinkle, steady flow to downpour. It makes its own music as tiny to big raindrops scatter or merge gracefully like a ballerina or eye-catching as a flash dance. What about that sweet, pungent smell? Is it truly the rain emitting an odor, the rain interacting with the air, or the reaction of rain striking the earth? There’s definitely a fresh, earthy smell well before first drops fall. Actually, with an approaching rainstorm’s climb in humidity, the odor rises up from its earthly embrace. That’s the moment you say, “It smells like rain!”

SMELL THE RAIN

Ah! Nothing like the aroma
Of fresh-baked homemade bread
Or that distinct powerful scent
Warm cinnamon rolls spread!

Such succulent senses
Can dull any pain
But have you ever stopped
To smell morning rain?

Peace abides in the meadow
’Til twilight in the countryside
Where wet spicy fragrances
Of newly-cut timbers abide

Subtle, soothing perfumes
The colorful wildflowers yield
But have you ever stopped
To smell rain in a grassy field?

With morning light
A bracing essence drifts by
As sunbeams peep
From behind clouds in the sky

A bold rainbow arches
O’er a weather vane
But have you ever stopped
To smell lashing rain?

A farm road embraces
An afternoon shower
As dusty mist bathes
Each tree, every flower

Within a few moments
Freshness of senses is bestowed
But have you ever stopped
To smell rain on a dusty road?

What is this rain smell
Of which I so speak?
Somewhat surprising
And always unique

Breathe in the rain smells
Part of Mother Nature’s domain
Dance in the puddles
Left behind by the pouring rain

When the forecast is rainfall
Break away from daily routines
Let the rhythms of falling rain
Compose a song of tranquil scenes

Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with liquid silver drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby.
—Langston Hughes (American Poet, 1902–1967)

Visit catnipoflife.info

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Touch of Catnip. . .

Catnip is all about life. The excitement. The wonder. The tranquility. Most of all, it is awareness of knowing that all three abound in conspicuous, as well as inconspicuous, places. Some glare you right in the face but go unnoticed, yet await your personal discovery.

The cat chases the mouse

cat-mouse-horizontal-line

The frog catches the fly

Frog-fly-line

The dice keep rollin’

rolling-dice

As tunes rock on by

music-line-animation

*****

Such are happenin’s
That daily life brings
With chases and captures
Come emotional stings

*****

Within ties that bind
Bumps and knots along the way
Thoughts of sights ahead
Bring smiles at close of day

smiley-line

*****

Perhaps it’s ocean waves
Stars twinkling in the night sky
The hugs, the tender kisses
The dance you can’t deny

*****

Maybe it’s none of these
Perhaps they’re all rolled into one
Within each day that passes
It’s life. It’s love. It’s fun.

 Advice-from-the-cat

All part of the Catnip of Life!

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Comment on Comments

With the launch and availability to obtain a copy of the Catnip of Life comes time for feedback in the form of comments on social media and reviews. What I have been receiving has been a mixture of pluses and minuses, which is to be expected. Writing is an art and oftentimes the intent of the writer vs. that of the reader mismatches. Also, to be taken into consideration, are the multiple genres available for reading. Most people have a favorite author or genre.

Catnip of Life is poetry, a hard sell but an easy read. The second page of the book makes the theme of this book of poetic verses very clear: Your gateway to understanding Mother Nature’s footprints by Sharla Lee. The end of Catnip of Life is YOUR beginning as you hopefully walk in the footsteps of nature with a newly found perspective.

Bottom Line: Grab your copy of Catnip of Life! Understand it is a book of poetry devoted to bringing deeper consciousness and awareness of nature to the forefront and the impact Mother Nature has on human nature.

LinkedIn

Overall, my impression of Catnip of Life by Sharla Lee is that it is a beautifully written and well-formatted book of poetry that offers a thought-provoking and meditative experience for the reader. The focus on nature and the invitation to appreciate its beauty and connect with it is a refreshing reminder in our busy modern lives.

— Len Tien 2nd degree connection2ndSales Staff at Viettel Group

I am not a fan of poetry, but I was impressed by the beautiful graphics on the cover. After sampling the introduction pages and reading the review on OBC, I gained the impression that ‘Catnip of Life’ is very well-written with enormous attention to detail. This book of the day would be great for those who enjoy poetry, those who are just starting to explore this art form.

— Anna H. Education Consultant

One thing I like about poems is that they help us understand important themes in a simple and lovely manner. Although I am not keen on reading collection of poems, I might give this one a try.

— Selmug Voruma, Student at University Diego Portales

Review on Amazon from the United Kingdom

This has to be one of the most impressive books of poetry I have recently read. Sharla Lee’s motivational artistry imprints the soul. She observes with a calm keen eye and a quiet soul. Wisdom lifts the spirit—perceive with a listening call.

Be appreciated by your friends. Gift them a copy of this book: lyrics pulsing with such rhythm will become a blessing.

— Eliza E., United Kingdom

Review on Amazon from the US

Every poem in this collection reads exactly like a motivational poster hung eye-level across the toilet of your beachside AirB&B. Each of these delightfully repetitive verses (seriously, a person can only read the words “bird”, “tree”, and “Mother Nature” so many times). . .

— Bo

My Overall Takeaway: Thank you for taking the time to post a comment. If we were all lovers of the same genre of reading, where would be the diversity?

From the Catnip of Life:

Do you witness the splendor of a sunrise or face just another day?

SPLENDOR OF SUNRISE

It is morning. Just another day.
Or is it? How do you see it?
Rising early, sleeping late?
It’s all in how you begin it.

I arise with the sun
Etching depth into the hour
Promising, eventual
Wondrous, splendid power

The sunrise

It’s gorgeous. It’s glorious.
It amplifies. It deifies.

Poetry Vs. Fiction

There are four major genres of literature: poetry, drama, nonfiction, and fiction. While poetry might be the first mentioned, it is not necessarily first choice. Poetry relishes in moments of time and space, keen observation, and acute listening in order to make sense of the world around us. It is very emotive usually in small doses, small moments, of minutiae. Fiction, for example, focuses more so on people and represents more of a character study. It can also be very emotive but in much larger doses with character sketches, scenes, and beginnings/endings of stories.

With fiction, we always seem to begin with the end in mind. Our thoughts wander throughout the reading as to what will happen next and how will it end. Poetry is different. A book of poetry can be read from its beginning page to the end. OR poems can be randomly selected according to the mood of the moment with a single poem being read over and over again garnering new emotions with each new reading. With fiction, it is what it is.

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CATNIP OF LIFE – Book of the Day

Catnip of Life was submitted to OnlineBookClub.org for review. Catnip received a 4/4 review from a level 4 reviewer, which made it eligible for Book of the Day. At the time of the review, the highest level was a 4. Since that time, the 4/4 has become 5/5, which makes the two equivalent.

Thank you, Scott Hughes, for OnlineBookClub.org and all followers for your engagement and downloading of my book. Have a blessed day! Enjoy the catnip!

Remember, the intention of Catnip of Life is
for you to experience through nature
what cats experience through catnip –
that intense excitement or effortless tranquility. 

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CATNIP OF LIFE Hot Off the Press. . . It’s official!

The book Catnip of Life was launched March 02, 2023 @ Amazon!

Your own dose of catnip is now available for purchase!

Kindle $.99 through the weekend.

Paperback $19.95 for those who prefer book in hand.

The intention of Catnip of Life is for you to experience through nature what cats experience through catnip – that intense excitement or effortless tranquility. Using poetry as a tool to spread happiness and positivity, I am already working on two sequels (smaller versions) titled A Touch of Catnip and Voices in Nature. These serve as daily quick reminders and refreshers as you continue to Observe Life at Its Best, Listen to Life’s Songs, Embrace Life’s Bounties, Breathe the Breath of Life, and Savor Life to Its Fullest!

NOTE: I am publishing under my maiden name Sharla Lee. Most people misspell my last name, Shults, because they simply have a difficult time understanding Shults can be spelled without the “c” and/or the “z.”

Then, of course, there is the matter of pronunciation. We will stay away from some of those, for many could be deemed x-rated. LOL, My publisher said, “Let’s keep it simple. Hopefully, only a few people can possibly misspell or mispronounce Lee!”

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The Pulse of Life

heart_beats

From the first heartbeat to the last, there’s a rhythm to life known to us all in the form of music. . . slow beats, rapid beats, beats out of sync, skipped beats, irregular beats, beats that make the heart flutter. The pulse of life changes as moods swing and bodies sway in accordance with the sequence of stressed and unstressed beats until the final beat falls silent.

Remain on-beat thwarting those off-beat moments that attempt to set you off balance. Keep upbeat with a pep in your step as you reach out for the sun or walk in the rain. It’s all in the music…the music called life

And, what better way to enjoy life than hand in hand with Mother Nature. That is the Catnip of life. . . reel with excitement or relax in tranquility! Just like the music, ride the waves like dancing the Jitterbug or flow along with a mountain stream like the Vienna Waltz. 

Music-Heart-Beats

Heartbeats

Observe life at its best, Listen to life’s songs, Embrace life’s bounties,

Breathe the breath of life, Savor life to its fullest!

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