PEACE. LOVE. JOY.
From our house to yours!
Jim & Sharla
Awakenings: And the music goes on…Merry Christmas from Heaven
See on Scoop.it – Awakenings: America & Beyond
Awakenings: Loving memories of those who have passed on are rekindled everyday in music that lives on and on and on…
Sharla Shults‘s insight:
To all who have loved ones in Heaven this Christmas, may you find joyful peace with family and friends.
See on http://awakenings2012.blogspot.com/2013/12/and-music-goes-onmerry-christmas-from.html
A Bird’s Eye View
Have you ever thought what it would be like to view the earth as a bird? Ever dreamed you could fly (not in an airplane!) soaring about the treetops capable of touching the clouds (other than fog, of course)?
*****
Here are 30 incredibly fantastic views you could see if you were a bird…
Ever wondered while you were that bird how you would manage getting food? Takes patience and a lot of perseverance…
A Bird’s Eye View
Wings expand with the gentle breeze
Soaring through the blue
Blade and bloom grace the meadowland
Nothing like a bird’s eye view
O’er rolling hills, down into valleys
Sleek, graceful, strong, light as a feather
Exploring recently harvested fields
Elegant in flight, no matter the weather
Seeking, searching, forward, backward
Circling what’s captured in sight
Watching for the right moment
To begin a natural fight
A chameleon crawls along the ground
Changing color, shifting from brown to green
Searching fervently for grasshoppers and worms
Camouflaged, barely visible, almost unseen
Swift, agile, virtually without a sound
Crawlapin sighted, playing hide ’n’ seek
A sharp dive, graceful swoop upward
Renders barely a snippet in the beak
Nature has a way of caring for her own
Ventures unconquered start anew
With a keen eye and unblemished spirit
Perseverance – from a bird’s eye view
©2004 Echoes
Sharla Lee Shults
If you were a bird, a different perspective…
Christmas Time
Christmas is a time of celebration. The reasons for this celebration differ from person to person, place to place. Everyone in the world is not of the same belief thus Christmas time holds personal meanings varying from culture to culture. A common thread, however, seems to be the festiveness of the season, which permeates the air with cheer, wonder and amazement.
Whether you are celebrating a secular or a religious Christmas, catnip wishes you a season of happiness, joyful times with family and friends. Sharing precious moments together is more important than any tangible Christmas present. Anything man-made can be destroyed by man. It is tangible. Love and good will from the heart moves with the spirit. It is intangible.
As you move about with the season, spread good cheer but also be mindful of those whose Christmas may not be reminiscent of joy. There are those who are less fortunate, homeless, down-trodden, depressed and suffering. Be aware that some people can find Christmas a difficult time, especially in cases where a loved one is ill, there are family problems or a loved one has died. Do your best to comfort them while including them in your good wishes for better times in the future.
Christmas is indeed a time of giving. Unfortunately, commercialism has taken away some of the true joy of Christmas. We hustle and bustle, fight the crowds, stake out the best sales, still overspend and all for what reason? More presents? More, more, more…. Instead, do something generous in the spirit of spreading joy and kindness, beauty and love. Give to someone who has, better yet, expects nothing. Cook for those who barely have enough food for the family, visit someone in a nursing home, volunteer at a homeless shelter, help with a toy or food drive. The possibilities are endless. Give of your time from the heart!
For many, Christmas is filled with tradition—Christmas caroling, watching Charlie Brown’s Christmas, reflecting on Christmases past, creating homemade gifts, baking Christmas cookies, decorating the tree, hanging Christmas stockings, wrapping presents, enjoying Dad’s special Egg Nog (or not!), waiting impatiently for Santa, and so much more.
Whatever your traditions may be, Embrace the Past…
Toys ‘n Things
When it came to holidays
Mama had everything under control
Baking cookies, wrapping presents
Even decorating the hall
Christmas Eve kept everyone busy
The house full of holiday cheer
Papa and Jimmy left at daybreak
On the hunt for the perfect deer
We’d wake up Christmas morning
Feeling the keen sense of surprise
Excitement in our hearts
The minute we opened our eyes
Still in our pajamas, hair all a muss
We stretched, yawned, still half asleep
Out of bed before Mama and Papa
We managed a sneaky little peek
Catching sunbeams through the open window
Were the branches of a scrawny little tree
Underneath were handmade toys ‘n’ things
The most thankful sight we ever did see
©2010 Remembering
Sharla Lee Shults
“Christmas is for giving, being thankful and giving from the heart.” ~SLS
The Moments Before I Fall Asleep
NOTE: Not only before I fall asleep, but this post was actually written BEFORE hubby’s critical care hospital confinement and BEFORE the Farewell to Bootsie. [Be sure to revisit, or first time visit, the post to Bootsie, I added some new photos I found when searching for something else.]
Dreams…fantasies, awakenings of hidden memories, desires…occur only once REM is achieved. But, what do I do before falling asleep? Is there a key or magic dust, which allows me to fall asleep calmly, enhancing the dream, thus preventing a nightmare’s tale? Wish I could provide THE answer but of course, I can’t. What I can do is think about what I actually do perhaps finding the trigger to falling asleep without counting sheep. Um-m-m-m? Let’s see…
Do I have a glass of warm milk? NO! (I don’t even like milk, let alone warm.)
Do I have a nice warm bath? NO! (The bath has only a shower…no tub.)
Do I meditate for at least 15 minutes? NO! (My mind won’t rest for that long.)
Do I read a few chapters in a novel? NO! (If I pick up that novel, I will still be awake at 2am!)
Do I watch television? NO! (I hate TV these days. Same-o, same-o. Know what is going to happen before it happens. Get some NEW material, producers!)
What do I do? I work on my writing (sometimes just trying to get caught up on 
email…UGH!) until my eyes are so tired I cannot focus any longer, take a sleeping pill and crash! OK, you may laugh but many of you reading this are writers and I know you know about the difficulty in shutting down the mind. Sometimes I am already in bed but before going to sleep I grab the ever ready pad and pencil on the nightstand quickly jotting down ‘words of wisdom’ fleeting in and out like a bee seeking pollen flitting from flower to flower. I do not want to awaken in the morning remembering I had some terrific ideas but not remembering what they were!
On a more serious note, before I fall asleep, I definitely count my blessings instead of counting sheep…like the ol’ Bing Crosby song! No way my mental sheep will cooperate. More stressful trying to count them anyway. I do read – my Bible and say my prayers for all who need the comfort of angels’ wings! Hubby is usually fast asleep well before I am along with Foxie, our calico cat. So Bootsie (the grey long hair kitty) jumps in bed as I lay my head upon my pillow. She kneads and kneads and kneads, then gives herself a bath and finally snuggles against my leg. I give her a usual love pat and she purr-r-r-r-rs softly while settling down for the night. Once final prayers are said I gently give hubby a good-night kiss and smile with thankfulness of our having another wonderful day together. After 29 years, he is still my last kiss goodnight! Then, I am ready to go to sleep. . . [Rest in peace my little Bootsie. I still miss you immensely!]
This is a story requested by, Raani York, some months ago when Storylane was THE place to hone in on writing skills. It was fun, it was challenging to respond to topics provided by fellow writers. Then, Storylane joined forces with Facebook and lost its unique identity. For all visiting, be sure to stop by Raani’s blog (http://raaniyork.wordpress.com/). She is a terrific writer and will have you laughing until your sides hurt with her letters to celebrities. Then, of course, there is Jake who writes in his diary, The Diary of a Cat Prince. You do not want to miss any of Jake’s entries!
Nighty-night! Sweet dreams…z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z…
A Pristine Side of Winter
©2012 catnipoflife
Sharla Lee Shults
Awaken inner thoughts of beauty and solitude even in the bleakness of Winter. Put your imagination to work with some new, rather unique, visions of Jack Frost. While it may be br-r-r-r cold outside, there is so much beauty to behold during the season of Winter. Yes, that’s right! Don’t be misled by visions of the drab, dreary, gloomy side of Winter but look around at the amazing sights that can only be encountered in the coldest season of the year.
Relish in the Winter spirit. The cold, crisp air refreshes the lungs with a quiet walk where the only sounds are the crunching of ice crystals underfoot. Listen to the wind-chimes as the North Wind sends a swift brush of cold through the air. Examine every tree, shrub, plant and field as it displays its own uniqueness having been gently touched by nature’s paintbrush of downy white.
You can find solace deep within yourself once you are lost in a daydream that explores the magical mysteries of Winter. Cleansing, refreshing, invigorating! Then, enjoying the warmth of a cozy fireplace after such an exhilarating experience invites a steaming hot cup of white chocolate cocoa spiked with a stick of cinnamon.
Even within the bitterest cold of winter one can find breathtaking beauty.
Inspiration: Butterflies or Dragons?
Life is drama personified with episodes of both butterflies and dragons with a few butterfly dragons being tossed into the mix along the way.
Butterflies or Dragons?
What are your triggers for inspiration…things that are seen or that which is unseen? Emotions through experience or feelings from the gut? Touchables or untouchables? Mirrored images or broken glass? Butterflies or dragons?
Dawn’s early light. With eyes barely open, you stretch and yawn, afterward rubbing the sleepy matter crusted in the corner of each eye. Toes wiggle trying to ease foot cramps, legs ache from being in the same position too long, shoulders feel tired from the weights not being lifted from the day before. Your feet hardly hit the floor when thoughts awaken your senses flitting and fluttering through the corridors of your mind. They dance angelically, yet fervently, much like the atala butterflies seeking the sweet, sweet nectar from summer’s enticing florets or greet you with a horrid headache as a result of fighting dragons all through the night.
Triggers of inspiration. With the day just beginning, what triggers those thoughts exactly, so early with daylight scarcely visible? Hey, you are hardly awake! You haven’t even had the tiniest hint of caffeine to jolt your brain cells into action. What inspires those first thoughts of the day to emerge as fact or fantasy, butterflies or dragons? What brings them on? Are they thoughts of sweetness waiting with open arms to be tasted like the nectar for the butterfly in summer or thoughts of dread where sights of such sweetness died with the butterfly in summer being replaced by dragons of bitter winter?
Life is drama personified with episodes of both butterflies and dragons with a few butterfly dragons being tossed into the mix along the way. For the latter to be dominant, life would be all sunshine and roses, ice cream and lollipops, puppy hugs and kitten kisses, no challenge, no risk involved. You would move about in a state of bliss, tippy-toeing through the tulips, singing in the rain, dancing with the wind. In other words, on a perfect day in a perfect world, butterfly dragons would teasingly frolic without worry, totally carefree! Of course, such a perfect world does not exist.
Life as we know it equals risk. Taking chances is as common as roller skating and surfboarding. Both require balance and the ability to maneuver within tight situations. That’s the way it is with life. You may not be on roller skates or riding the crest of a breaking wave toward shore but chances are you will experience your share of ups and downs, positives versus negatives, good with the bad. You WILL fall, your ‘skates’ will throw you off balance, you will not always ‘catch the wave’. Within any good experience resides the possibility of an event turning sour or resulting in a bad ending. At the same time, out of a bad situation can actually erupt something good! Thus, a butterfly dragon!
So, back to your first awakening, morning thoughts & triggers of inspiration.
Isn’t how you
greet the morning a trigger for those initial thoughts? For example, let’s look at dreams. “Wow, what a dream!” may find you replaying in your mind passions of pleasure or acts of violence. Some dreams are so vivid the dreamer finds it difficult to distinguish fantasy from reality. But, that dream may be the inspiration for the rest of the day. It may follow you through the day lively as a butterfly or attack you like a hungry dragon gnawing away at your senses.
Each day begins after the night before. It is important to embrace the past for its impressionable effect empowers the present. Memory triggers can bathe your entire being in the finest perfume or reenact the feeling of sinking your teeth into the bitterest lemon. You can smell the freshness of the outdoors or the odor of innate fear, feel the warmth of the sun or the biting coldness of a hard heart, listen to the song of the nightingale or the beat of a distant drum. In other words, you can tune yourself on or tune yourself out! You can flutter with the butterflies or fly with the dragons.
Enjoy the catnip of life. Igniting the senses, thereby becoming attuned to the world around you, gets those creative juices flowing.
Observe life at its best, Listen to life’s songs, Embrace life’s bounties, Breathe the breath of life, Savor life to its fullest!
What thoughts begin your day?
Wake up! Wake up! Sleepy head!
So much to be discovered, explored
Let inspiring thoughts engulf the day
No butterflies or dragons ignored
Face the day full force ahead
Looking for sights unseen
Relish splendor met with candor
Everything in between
Enjoy the catnip—
Observe life at its best
Listen to life’s songs
Notice the little things
That which truly belongs
Embrace life’s bounties
Outside daily strife
Enjoy the surroundings
Breathe the breath of life
Morning sun, evening moon
Don’t find yourself clueless
Reach for the stars
Savor life to its fullest!
©catnipoflife
Sharla Lee Shults
Imagination is the doorway to creativity! ~catnipoflife
Observing Sunrise to Sunset
It is so awesome when I can match my poetry with photos from such wonderful photographers. Today, catnip features a couple of her own, along with Alastair Forbes and Barbara Beacham. You can tell whose is whose by the watermarks. Of course, that is a feature catnip is yet to learn so the first two are hers, unmarked. Be sure to visit Alastair @A Mixed Bag and Barbara @Life in the Foothills. You will not be disappointed and probably will not leave without following! Tell them catnip sent you!
Dawn ’til Dusk
Whispers of Dawn…
Awaken a new day
As watercolor skies
Replace night’s gray
Figures of light
Dance into view
While pre-dawn colors
Fade into metallic blue
Heat of Midday…
Emanates sun’s bright glare
As vivid natural colors
Create balance in the air
Cool afternoon breezes
Relinquish the noonday heat
As an allusion of rain
Renders the day complete
Serenity of Twilight…
Brings closure to the day
While red-orange hues
Emerge without delay
A surreal saffron hue
Casts an illusionary show
As soft billowy clouds
Reflect sun’s fading glow
Music of the Night…
Stimulates harmony in the soul
While a symphony of sounds
Performs melodies to console
Subdued radiance
Slowly transcends the darkness
As night comes, light disappears
In an awe of bitter sweetness
©catnipoflife
Sharla Lee Shults
Change, like sunshine, can be a friend or a foe, a blessing or a curse, a dawn or a dusk.
—William Arthur Ward (American inspirational writer, 1921–1994)
Melancholy Mood
Decide if you think this sounds like something out of the 70s…
There is a touch of sadness
When the skies are grey
Storm clouds approachin’
No sunshine today
Mood turned melancholy
Feelin’ the blues
Watchin’, waitin’
Wantin’ good news
World is sad
Time for heavy thinkin’
Life even sadder
Age comes a creepin’
Hauntin’ melodies
Pierce the dank air
Voices of the past
Reflect despair
Youth is over
New wrinkles in sight
Dreams vanquished
Blackened like night
Midlife crisis
Knockin’ at my door
Gone’s immortality
I’d been hopin’ for
©catnipoflife
Sharla Lee Shults
As long as it retains its sense of failure and impending loss of youthful optimism, Gerry Rafferty’s “Baker Street” will likely continue to be celebrated as the ultimate anthem of despair for every generation ever after.
catnipoflife 