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!

Apr 30

Awakenings: Louisiana: Cajun, Sugar & Pelicans along the Bayou

by catnipoflife

See on Scoop.it – Awakenings: America & Beyond

This Day in History: April 30, 1812

 

Louisiana, The Pelican State, aka The Bayou State, The Creole State, The Sugar State

 

Louisiana has a rich, colorful background with a multicultural, multilingual heritage. The state has become a popular tourist destination with New Orleans being the major attraction, known particularly for its picturesque French Quarter and the annual Mardi Gras celebration, held since 1838.

Visit Awakenings for information about Louisiana and its special poetry, Louisiana Bayou.

Sharla Shults‘s insight:

Louisiana’s state painting was a collaborative father-son effort. The painting titled "Louisiana" contains a representation for all symbols and commonly accepted icons of the state. The painting is dominated by the state colors of gold, white, and blue.

See on awakenings2012.blogspot.com

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Apr 29

Awakenings: Melody is Memory

by catnipoflife

See on Scoop.it – Awakenings: America & Beyond

This Day in Music History: April 28

 

Every day is a day of music. Whether a song makes the charts as a #1 hit, a new song is released or recordings take place for future announcements, music is in the air. Today is no exception as we span four decades from the 40s through the 80s.

Sharla Shults‘s insight:

Check out which songs made the charts, new releases and recordings of releases yet to come. See which ones make your music memories sing.

See on www.awakenings2012.blogspot.com

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Apr 28

Awakenings: Pie! Pie! Pie!

by catnipoflife

See on Scoop.it – Awakenings: America & Beyond

My! My! My! It’s Pie! Pie! Pie! Not just any pie but…

 National Blueberry Pie Day

Blueberries, or star berries as the Native Americans called them, are one of nature’s super foods. The humble blueberry is one of few blue foods, found in nature, and it is native to the Americas. The state of Maine is the larger producer of blueberries in the world with more than 60,000 acres being farmed. In the United States and Canada, harvesting season can run from early May in the warmer portions to the end of August in the northern-most area.

Sharla Shults‘s insight:

Scrumptious recipes just a click away @Awakenings! Don’t want to bake a whole pie? Check out Blueberry Pie for One! YUM!

See on www.awakenings2012.blogspot.com

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Apr 28

Resilience

by catnipoflife

resilience-logo

Do you sometimes feel like a rubber band…stretched to the limit ready to snap at any given moment? Have you been burned scorching with doubt as to whether you can gather yourself up from the ashes and move on? What about having the feeling of standing on the edge where the only way out is down? Dangling over the cliff of life definitely tests our resilience but at the end of the rope is the possibility of bouncing back stronger than ever. At some point in time, we have all probably been at that crossroads.

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We can read article after article, seek counseling, cry until there are no more tears, but out of it all surfaces the basics heard over and over again: maintain a positive attitude, be optimistic, regulate emotions, and see failure as a form of helpful feedback.  Perhaps there is good reason behind this repetitiveness.

The more I ponder that which is written and spoken repeatedly, the more it makes a lot of sense. Life throws us curve balls. Nowhere is it written that life will be endured without hardship, without trials, without tribulations. We seek to remain positive for if we don’t, a negative approach or Why Me? attitude will only push us lower, lower, lower until the depth is so severe, hope vanishes of ever rising above.

We change course, soldier on!

Some of us have natural resilience, while for others it must be learned. Have you ever stopped to examine where you stand on the resilience ladder? Are you strong with the ability to stand balanced on the top rung? Or do you find yourself teetering even with the first step? In other words,

How Resilient Are You?

To put it simply…

Resilience

“Man never made any material as resilient as the human spirit.” ~Bernard Williams

Inspiration Reflection

4 Comments »
Apr 26

It’s Caturday

by catnipoflife

Thank you for stopping by catnipoflife where any day is a ‘caturday’, especially on a Saturday!

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Cats & Catnip Humor Slideshow

7 Comments »
Apr 26

Awakenings: ‘Copycats’ & Fun Facts

by catnipoflife

See on Scoop.it – Awakenings: America & Beyond

Today in Music History: April 25

It’s not just about the music, the words and the melodies, but also the stories behind the music and the performances that set the stage for MTV and DVDs yet to come. Some of the most interesting trivia comes from songs of the past that were covered by other artists whose renditions are more remembered than the original. For some, the beginning we know may not be a song’s beginning at all.

Sharla Shults‘s insight:

Who do you associate with the song ‘Such a Night’ – Johnnie Ray, The Drifters, Elvis, The Four Lovers? Wait a minute. Four Lovers? Never heard of them…Oh! They are the Four Seasons! What about ‘Stuck on You’ – did you know there is more than one version? And the music goes on beating to the rhythm of the changing times…

See on awakenings2012.blogspot.com

Awakenings Scoop.it

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Apr 26

Because we all need something to DO…

by catnipoflife

to-do-list3How many of us carry a ‘to-do’ list around with our every step –  inside a pocket, tucked away in a wallet or purse, or in a notebook like Indiana Jones? I remark carry it around vs. simply making a list because normally a ‘to-do’ list is relatively long seemingly never ending as we keep adding to the list. Is there ever a day when thoughts engulf our very being of “What am I going to DO?” Perhaps that is why it is necessary to make a list in the first place, we need to stay busy.

Flip side – with so much happening on a daily basis, a list is absolutely necessary in order to get everything done without forgetting something. The list becomes a mind tool, either ensuring we do not have too much free time on our hands or as a reminder lest we forget to pick up the kids from school, the hoagie rolls for sub night, or the bacon.
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Prepared to-do list templates make it easy to keep track of what has and hasn’t been done. Not only are the items numbered but usually there is also check boxes to mark off each item as it is completed. Neat. Right? YUK! Remember…to-do lists are never ending so each time a new to-do is added to the list following order becomes a mute task.

Let’s have some fun because we all need something to DO that is normally not found on a daily to-do list. Some of the ideas below are cr-r-r-razy but #1 really sounds terrific! Of course #7 would work on Get a Different Name Day. Are you game?

To-Do-List

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 little things

Don't-Forget

Because we all need something to DO… and we all need to DO something!

Humor Inspiration

5 Comments »
Apr 25

Awakenings: Are you ready for this?

by catnipoflife

See on Scoop.it – Awakenings: America & Beyond

Are you ready for this? Today is…

NATIONAL HAIRBALL AWARENESS DAY!

In February, at the beginning of the What’s Happenin’ posts, a comment was made about not being surprised at the crazy things being celebrated. Today is one of them! Have you ever gotten up in the middle of the night to a wet mushy feeling as something oozy squishes between your toes? If yes, then you have already been initiated, so GO TO catnip’s sister site AWAKENINGS!

Sharla Shults‘s insight:

OK, all you cat lovers! Bring on the soft, bristled brush and the grooming mitt…purr-r-r-r-r!

See on www.awakenings2012.blogspot.com

Awakenings Scoop.it

9 Comments »
Apr 24

Awakenings: Embrace the Music Memories

by catnipoflife

See on Scoop.it – Awakenings: America & Beyond

Today in Music History: April 24

So many memories, so much music! This walk down memory lane will take some time, so kick back, relax and just enjoy iconic tunes: rockin’ in the 50s, rollin’ in the spirit of the 60s, groovin’ with sounds stuck in the 70s, dancin’ to the best of the 90s on into the 21st century.

Life without music is life without a voice!

Sharla Shults‘s insight:

And the music goes on beating to the rhythm of the changing times…

See on awakenings2012.blogspot.com

Awakenings Scoop.it

1 Comment »
Apr 24

Simplicity

by catnipoflife

“Simplicity, clarity, singleness: these are the attributes that give our lives power and vividness and joy.” — Richard Halloway

Simplicity: What does simplicity mean to you? Artless. Plain. Dull. Monotonous. Boring. Naivé. WHOA! Let’s change the words… Natural! Unfussy! Effortless! Genuine! Humble! Honest! Does such a difference add complexity to simpleness? Perhaps simple is not so simple after all. Then, it simply may be all in the manner in which it is perceived. That perception varies by which one might view something as being simple.

Let’s examine a word along with simplicity that has not been mentioned. Think about this question: Would you consider simplicity as powerful?

There IS power in simplicity. It allows the flow of creative juices to become less complex leaving out all the fussiness that often muddies the water. It allows us to examine the ideas that are truly important, those that really matter. We then toss aside the rocks within the river bed that break the flow making the way fluent, not choppy, thereby being creative within simplicity!

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Another question to think about: Does beauty exist in simplicity?

There is awesomeness in simplicity as so beautifully put in the photography by Alastair! The photos featured below are the winners in Alastair’s monthly photo contest. All are his photography as his readers vote on which is the best fit for each month. Visit Alastair being sure to return and cast your vote for the month of April @

A Mixed Bag

A poem … A story … A Photo … Something Else

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Time to go! I must stop now in order to keep the message simple.

Find simplicity in your day today and every day!

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What simple things have guided your thoughts today?

 

Featured Photography/Photographer Inspiration Reflection Slideshow

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