…is the beauty of the day itself.
This post was inspired by Penny Coho @TheWhyAboutThis. Visit Penny’s site for Sometimes all we need to start the day. . . You, too, will leave with inspiration just as I did.
Have a wonderful day, evening, and all through the night!
“The beauty of life surrounds us, open your heart and see through the eyes of your soul! ” ~catnipoflife
See on Scoop.it – America & Beyond
This site is not just about jewelry but a project a young woman is supporting to benefit the homeless in America. 15% of all jewelry sales will be donated to Art4TheHomeless.
Art4TheHomeless is a 501(C)3 Nonprofit Organization founded by The Gem Diva that unites artists of all venues to promote homeless awareness in the USA.
It is sad that anyone in America goes hungry or without shelter but it happens every day all across the USA. There is hope and you can help.
See on Scoop.it – America & Beyond
There are love stories and there are love stories and then there are TRUE LOVE stories. Many have been passed down through the ages from generation to generation. Some begin and end in bliss, others begin and end with hardships. Often times it is those encompassing hardships that have the strongest bonds. This is one of those times. . .a TRUE LOVE story withstanding an extreme sacrifice!
A must see video. . .A Love Story in 22 Pictures!
Next time you meet a soldier or a veteran extend a hand in gratitude for the service he or she is giving so YOU can enjoy all the freedoms offered on a daily basis in America.
See on awakenings2012.blogspot.com
This video was featured on catnipoflife in May, 2012 but for those of you who may have missed it, here it is again, this time from Alastair. You may also want to visit or perhaps revisit 10 Cutest Cat Moments!
ENJOY!
Here we are in the first month of the new year and catnipoflife is overjoyed upon receiving the Reader Appreciation Award from Alastair. Yes, ma’am and yes, sir! I do visit Alastair on a regular basis and leave comments often, very often as a matter of fact. His posts naturally draw me into commenting on his writing, poetry, music and awesome photography. What? You haven’t visited Alastair’s Blog? Well, no time like the present…click HERE or any time you see his name for his is also an award-winning blog!
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As with any award, there are rules. The “rules” for this award state that
1) catnip cannot award someone who has already been awarded. Now, that is a tough one! Some bloggers receive awards and do not display the badges plus it would take an immense amount of time to go to all my followers blogs to see who and who has not received the award. As for catnip, she was a recipient in 2012 but this is her first in 2013. I suppose it is okay to accept since it is a new year.
2) And she cannot give the award back to the person who bestowed it upon her.
With those thoughts in mind, I would like to thank all of the people who comment on my blog, but especially Alastair who honored catnip with this award. Alastair is an avid catnip visitor and his comments are always welcomed and enjoyed.
To my recipients, here are all the rules for this award:
Catnipoflife bestows the Reader Appreciation Award to. . .
Marilyn @Seredipity
Raani @Raani York.com
Len @myownheart.me
Ute @Ute Smile
Amber @Lady Lovely
Valerie @Valerie Davis
MESSAGE FROM CATNIP: My deepest appreciation extends to ALL my visitors and readers. The one drawback I see to the blogger awards is the limitation toward paying each award forward. While I may have listed only a few, the names missing does NOT mean your visits go unappreciated. Should anyone want to grab the badge and pass it on to your own readers please do so! After all, it is all about paying it forward: joy is in the giving!
| affection, affinity, alliance, amity, attachment, benevolence, closeness, concord, familiarity, fondness, friendliness, good-fellowship, goodwill, harmony, intimacy, love, rapport, regard |
To me, there is a very strong word reflected in the quote that does not appear in the list of synonyms for friendship:
| abundance, alleviation, amenity, assuagement, bed of roses, cheer, cheerfulness, complacency, contentment, convenience, coziness, creature comforts, enjoyment, exhilaration, facility, gratification, happiness, luxury, opulence, peacefulness, pleasure, plenty, poise, quiet, relaxation, relief, repose, rest, restfulness, satisfaction, snugness, succor, sufficiency, warmth, well-being |
Do you see any synonym of comfort that does not lie within the boundaries of friendship? Where would we be without friends? The need to reach out to someone is ever present whether in times of happiness or despair. These are definitely the times and places where hugs are universal!
If these pictures are true representations (never can tell with the capabilities of technology today), why is it humans have such difficulty coexisting?
This is a great opportunity for bloggers to come together, make new acquaintances and share their writing. NOT just for women…men definitely have an eye for the beauty in a woman!
Words, stories and music… I struggle to think of entities more powerful. When I was enduring the darkest time of my life, the eating disorder I shared in my last post, this poem struck me like a dart between the eyes, pinning me to a wall of “What if?” What if its words hold true—not just rationally or solely for other people, but in my heart, soul and beliefs? What if we’re all beautiful and the truest, deepest beauty has little to do with shape or size? What if the “something more” so many of us long for exists inside of us, waiting to be unlocked and cherished? What if I wasn’t afraid of being large, but living large? And in doing so, missing out on the most remarkable beauty of all? Read MORE. . . and SIGN UP!
AWAKENINGS from THEN ’til NOW is officially available @Amazon.com as of 12:01 am this morning, January 22, 2013.
Click HERE!
Get into the swing of things…
Always a touch of catnip!
This is America’s story. . . YOUR story in poetic verse for inspiration toward understanding the sacrifices made in establishing and maintaining America’s freedom.
Awakenings is a journey through time. Within the pages of this book is a chance for you to uncover how past experiences, as well as your ancestry, connect to the present and ultimately define your future.
Embrace the past, empower the present, enrich the future. You are not an isolated individual but a thread binding together with countless other threads to create a rich and colorful tapestry of life. From the far reaches of America’s past, we can all, in some way or another, connect to someone who set foot upon America’s soil looking for a land of promise. It is through laughter and tears that the yesterdays of centuries past paved the way for today’s future.
PERSONAL NOTE: Proceeds benefit Wounded Warrior Program and Veterans of Foreign Wars. This is purely a personal decision and in no way connected to either program for advertisement or endorsement.
Len of myownheart.me has asked that I join her for a cup of coffee…
1) How many cups of coffee per day?
One cup in the morning…half at the time: 1/2 before breakfast, 1/2 with breakfast. THEN, one to two cups of cappuccino in the afternoon!!!!!
2) What is your favourite caffeine delivery system?
That would be chocolate…chocolate covered caramels! Of course, the frozen Twix is to die for!
3) What was your best cup of coffee?
Definitely the cappuccino…yum!
4) What was your worst cup of coffee?
Starbuck’s YUCK!! Don’t ever order black coffee!
5) What does your favourite mug say?
Mickey Mouse…LOL 
6) How do you take your coffee?
BLACK in the morning!!
7) When was your first cup?
I have absolutely no idea. I do remember taking it with cream and sugar but got rid of both through the years.
8) Have you ever gone on a coffee tea date?
Nope. Is this one? If so, it is my first
The most difficult part is not the receiving the invitation nor thanking the sender. It is not even the questions for these require fairly simple answers without a great deal of thought and are truly fun to think about. Hardest for me is the giving…who to invite? Who not to invite? Is there anyone I would NOT like to join me in a cup of coffee?
Since joining the blogosphere I have met so many wonderful people and established some of the best friendships ever! I want to THANK all of my visitors and followers for stopping by for a little catnip to hopefully carry you through the day with a smile.
My Invitation…
It is with thankfulness and gratitude that I invite all readers of this blog post for coffee. In accepting the invitation, Like and/or leave a comment, copy the questions, answer and post to your site along with your invites.
Have fun and have a cup of coffee while completing your post and invitations. If you don’t like coffee, have a cup of tea or whatever you prefer. Just enjoy the day and smile 🙂
Complete this sentence: A morning without coffee is…
With all the posts catnip has been featuring lately about hugs, she was not aware of the National Hug Day. Well, there is one and it is today, January 21. Visit Awakenings for information about this national day. Don’t leave without watching the two videos.
Click the picture!
Also here are the links to the prior “HUGS” posts from catnipoflife in case you missed them:
Of course, I have to leave you with a new video. In this one, be sure to look closely at the expressions on the animals’ faces. Don’t tell me they do not have feelings!
Inspirational Poetry
Inspirational Poetry
Historical Poetry
catnipoflife 