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!

Kitten in the Snow

With winter comes days that chill right to the bone. Unlike our furry friends, we don our heavy coats, boots, woolen socks, mittens and scarves to ward off the bite of the frigid air. Of course, we know the soft fur of our little friends keeps them warm without the need for all the extra ‘gear’ but that does not necessarily mean they do not feel the cold.

BUT… does the cold inevitably keep them indoors? See the slideshow ‘Come play with me!’ after the poem!

WhiteKitteninSnow

Winter’s Berth

A mound of silky white fur
Amid cushions of bottle green
Reflects hues of icy blue
Off crystal dewdrops barely seen

Teeny tiny silver moons
Draping from hairy stems
Tickle a pink little nose
Like frosty pearlized gems

Stretching and yawning
Rising above home turf
Tiny paws reach forth
Scratching in winter’s earth

Within a few steps
Visions begin to blur
Chilly winter winds
Softly lift the long fur

Delicate hints of sunlight
Peeping through bleak gray skies
Grant fleeting moments of warmth
Around wide-open eyes

Suddenly through the bitterness
A little hand reaches down
“Nosy Nettie, why are you here
Among plumage turned gray brown?”

With a special purr-r-r
Ever so thankful to be found
The snow white fur ball
Bids farewell to the cold, cold ground

©2012 catnipoflife 
Sharla Lee Shults

The purr from cat to man says, ‘You bring me happiness; I am at peace with you.’
—Barbara L. Diamond (Writer, n.d.)

Touch of Catnip: Come play with me!

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28 Comments »

Free Write Friday #19: Image Prompt

free-write-friday-kellie-elmore

Welcome back to FWF. If you are new here, feel free to read the intro. Otherwise, let’s get started.

Here is your prompt…

Credit: Richard Baxter

Credit: Richard Baxter

Here is my contribution. . .

After the Storm. . .

Like a memory
The home place
Was swept away
In an instant
A flash
Without warning
In a dash

Gone but not without hope

The structure
Tattered
The windows, doors
No more
Boards mere splinters
A roof without a floor

Yet still a feeling of hope

While no material
Will soon
Be left to see
I still have you
You still have me

There indeed lies hope

We can rebuild
Start anew
The image will fade
But we hold hands
In our old age

 ©2013 catnipoflife
Sharla Lee Shults

Now, as usual, I am off to see what others have contributed. Come back later to check out the links to some excellent, creative writers!

Books & Art – Spirit & Soul – Lesley Fletcher says:

http://inspirationimport.wordpress.com/2013/02/15/i-felt-it-before-i-felt-it-fwf/

terry1954 says:

19 Comments »

A Catnip Valentine’s Day

AnimatedHeartswithHugsValTo all my visitor’s and followers in blogland…

A Valentine filled with hugs and wishes for a purr-r-r-r-r-fect Valentine’s Day!

This day is a day of love with the word of the day being HUG!

Hug those who are near you, send a hug to those far away,

let them know your thoughts are for a Happy Valentine’s Day!

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The automatic slideshow advances too quickly to read the poem. Wait for the slide that says Pause HERE or use the arrows to move ahead or back manually, then pause.  From there, advance each slide manually using the right arrow which allows ample time to read the lines.

Visit Awakenings for the history of NECCO Candy Hearts and the written form of the poem.

15 Comments »

Licking the Bowl

Admiring Family Ties

What common thread binds families together?
Must be those silent unspeakable memories
Which hide in the attics of our minds
Gathering dust, but never brushed away

Episodes of loving, laughing, defending each other
Strengthen emotions to immeasurable depths
Wanting not, wasting not treasured moments
That natural instinct directs along the way

Domestic chatter that may breed bitterness
Welcomes forgiveness with open arms
Knowing a quarrel is momentary
Quickly resolved and not for keeps

Times with friends, pets, even the common cold
Bare little resemblance to a naked forest
But instead resemble a sheltered canopy
To inherently stay even while winter sleeps

Recollections of coveting Mom’s cake batter bowl
Hiding tooth brushes, locking the bathroom door
Borrowing money without any vision of payback
Reveal frowns only later lifted with a kiss

Family ties shed radiant lights like chatoyant gems
Making us at our absolute worst look our best
Are never meant to be broken
And ultimately become bondages of bliss

©2009 Remembering
Sharla Lee Shults

Discount/Autograph Copies Available
Contact poetrybysharla@gmail.com

Also available on Kindle

9 Comments »

Laughing at Yourself

LOLSmilie

Life is a Journey

Today I needed a memory jog
I looked for the ice cream
And found a peanut log

Candy in the freezer? Okay
Certainly not a BAD idea
Ice cream in the candy jar, NO WAY!

Life is a journey, enjoy the ride
Laugh at yourself, take it all in stride

Laughing is just good for the soul. If you can’t laugh at yourself, then how can you expect others to laugh along with you? As I get older, I have to laugh at the ‘silly’ things I do sometimes without even thinking – putting the milk in the panty and the cereal in the fridge, thinking one thing and saying another, calling my own phone number, driving to the grocery store and realizing I am at the post office.

I can’t help but laugh – literally LOL! That’s right, laugh out loud! So hard, my sides hurt! I just stand there, look at what I am about to do or where I am instead of where I am suppose to be and just totally burst out laughing!

Someone once said doing such crazy things was a sign of old age. Most of the time it is simply a case of just too much mental clutter! It’s the day I go to the pantry and find the milk that has been there for several days that worries me! That would mean all the things that should have gone into the pantry are now…um-m-m-m? Where is the bag of potato chips? Peanut butter, where are you? Is that the sour cream I spy in the corner?

What about you? Have you experienced any “I can’t believe I did that!” moments?

“Great events make me quiet and calm; it is only trifles that irritate my nerves.”
~Queen Victoria

24 Comments »

Free Write Friday #18: Word Bank

free-write-friday-kellie-elmoreWelcome to another Free Write Friday! Today Kellie Elmore’s challenge is . . .

Word Bank: Opal, Vague, Whirl, Dream, Sheer, Conjure, Bare, Allure

With Valentine’s Day only a short time away, emotions of love and the beauty of the opal gemstone just seem to go hand-in-hand. So, thank you Kellie for your latest challenge and hopefully I live up to your expectations.

The Opal…

A gemstone of rare beauty
Alluring to the naked eye
Never vague, always unique
This surely one cannot deny

Colors of the spectrum
Whirl and twirl in the light
Conjuring bare opalescence
A dream of sheer delight

My Love…

Precious and rare in beauty
The opal of my eye
Never wispy, always strong
This no one can deny

Poignant emotions
Dance and cry with joy
Bare opalescent smiles
Readily you deploy

Happy pre-Valentine’s Day!

Now off to some other postings so I can link them here. If you arrive early, be sure to come back and check out other contributions!

terry1954 http://terry1954.wordpress.com/2013/02/08/fwffree-write-friday-word-bank/

Annie’s Musings http://www.anniestexasmusings.com/45/post/2013/02/finding-marie.html

Joseph Hesch http://athingforwordsjahesch.wordpress.com/2013/02/08/siroccos/

Charles Mashburn http://charleslmashburn.wordpress.com/2013/02/08/riding-the-tilt-a-hurl/

Gray Poet http://graypoet.wordpress.com/2013/02/08/open-eyes-fwf-word-bank/

Susie Clevenger http://confessionsofalaundrygoddess.blogspot.com/2013/02/only-eight-words-fwf.html

Mark Schutter http://malekoarts.wordpress.com/2013/02/08/alluring-dreams/comment-page-1/

18 Comments »

Awakenings: Southern Fried Chicken

See on Scoop.itcatnipoflife

Nothing says Southern like fried chicken! It is the epitome of the southern America comfort food. It is a staple, its own food group…fried to a golden crisp with juicy mouth-watering goodness at first bite, simply just too ‘ba-a-a-li-i-i-cious’!

Sharla Shults‘s insight:

Can’t eat the fried like I want to but sure enjoy it when I can every now and then!

See on awakenings2012.blogspot.com

Enjoy the poem Echoes in Wartime (Good Ol’ Southern Fried Chicken) which was featured in Poetic Bond II, 2012. The poem depicts the love and loss of Southern fried chicken before, during and after war.

7 Comments »

Reflections on a Rainy Day

Rainydayreflections

Touch of Catnip: Rain, please stop, so I can go outside and play!

The view outside
Emanates expression
Dour, eerie, solemn
Poetry in motion…

Winds of winter
Bite and sting
Whips of nature
Dance and sing

Rain’s pounding pelts
Soulfully align
Promising a rainbow
Traces of sunshine

Birds in flight
Soar above ground
Moments of fear
Thunderous sound

Barren trees, broken limbs
Silhouette the plight
Beaten, battered, torn
Well into the night

Morning view outside
Emanates expression
Ghostly resonance
Poetry in motion…

©2013 catnipoflifeSharla Lee Shults

©2013 catnipoflife
Sharla Lee Shults

12 Comments »

Seven Wonders

“Every moment and every event of every man’s life on earth plants something in his soul.”
~Thomas Merton

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Windows to the Soul

Eyes twinkle as smiles unfold
Opening windows to the soul
Lips of kindness softly speak
Shedding wisdom for the meek
Ears send sound waves to the mind
Listening as thoughts unwind

Sights and sounds of nature’s rare beauty
Keep us attuned to faith and duty

Arms stretch outward opening wide
Inviting warmth and comfort inside
Hands keep loved ones secure and near
Clasping tightly those held most dear
Legs and feet, a firm foundation stand
Holding steadfast through every demand

Mind and body should always remain in sync
Being in control of what we do and think

Heartfelt emotions triumph to never subside
Waning not, enduring forever to abide
Love and devotion join firmly hand in hand
Echoing solidity, not shifting sand
Memories unite the heart with the soul
Relishing that moments never grow cold

Windows to the soul reflect who we are
Opening portholes for those near and far

 ©2013 catnipoflifeSharla Lee Shults

©2013 catnipoflife
Sharla Lee Shults

6 Comments »

A Treasury of Thoughts: Inspiring Quotes To Live By

A treasury of thoughts
To inspire your way
To savor, to cherish
Today, every day

Thoughtful reflections
To carry you through
To sooth, to comfort
In times that are blue

Words of wisdom
A beacon they provide
Shining day & night
Always life’s guide

Like footprints in the sand
Soon washed away
Only to return
The very next day

  
©2013 catnipoflife
Sharla Lee Shults

16 Comments »