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!

Imagination: Pilobolus Dance

[Don’t miss the video!]

“In the world of words, the imagination is one of the forces of nature” (Wallace Stevens).

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Without imagination, creativity would be nothing but a mere shadow…  a shadow without meaning. Yet, we know with each shadow that is cast comes ideas that are spawned out of the shadows themselves. Each shape draws attention as one envisions similarities and differences from one shadow to the next or within each shadow itself. Imagination brings the dark shadows out of the darkness as they dance naked in the moonlight.

Much like the shadow, the details of a silhouette are not seen, only imagined as its shape becomes absorbed in creative motions. A winter tree’s naked branches form a silhouette against the backdrop of moonlight piercing the haziness of a cloudy sky. Should the wind start blowing the branches will surely sway in a rhythmic motion to the music of the night. A gull in flight enhances the view with its own silhouette whose wings appear dipped in silver.

The dance of the shadow and the pose of the silhouette each strike the tip of imagination creating the light for the patterns of beauty to be seen inside and out.

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The Power of Simple Words Presented Correctly

QuestionHow many times have you been engrossed in a conversation to find yourself at some point totally somewhere else, in your mind anyway? What made you completely lose interest leaving only a blank stare on your face as you try to recover? The only thought remaining – what is this person talking about? Now, I ask you, is this feeling of being lost limited to only the spoken word?

Flip the coin.Reading

How many times have you been engrossed in a book offering a great plot, exciting characters, vivid imagery, only to STOP before reading it in its entirety? Perhaps you were at the beginning, maybe into the most exciting part, perhaps even near the end, but you still STOPPED reading. WHY?

There is a ton of power in the spoken and the written word. Both have the power to paint the most vivid picture, the purest essence of abiding love or the most morbid replication of horror. Word choice can make or break a scene but that is not where it stops. Within the verbal word, we are able to evoke emotion simply by a change in the pitch or tone of our voices.

But what determines the voice of the written word?Exclamation_Mark

Ah-h-h! It is not only the word choice but the nature of the grammar incorporated. Yes, the exclamation mark does make a difference! And, the comma, the period, the question mark and of course, correct spelling. Without the correctness in presentation, concentration is broken, which results in rereading, rereading, rereading to the point of total loss of interest.

Bottom line…

EditRemember to edit. Find someone else to edit. Have that someone else find someone else to edit. Never leave your writing riddled with outrageous errors or wording that requires a thesaurus to understand. After all, your objective is to entertain, not frustrate!

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Life Takes Courage

Each of us faces challenges on a daily basis in our own way, sometimes in the midst of others, sometimes alone. A challenge can be dubbed the music of life, simple, hard, gentle, harsh, loving, painful, out of sync, melodic, even poetic. With challenge comes the willingness to try and the courage to accept the outcome. May the will to accept each challenge be a contagious spirit inspiring us to be the best we can be, setting an example for others as an essential part of life.

It takes courage to make your own kind of music!

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Stutley Tales http://stutleytales.com/2012/10/29/magnificent-monday-24/

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Worst Christmas Gifts Ever

With the Christmas season comes shopping and hopes of selecting just the right gift, as well as receiving the right gift. The thoughts on behalf of the giver are not necessarily synonymous with the thoughts of the receiver. Of course, ’tis the season to be jolly, enjoying the humor, but foremost being thankful…even if the gift is not what you wanted or expected.

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The Regifter

Of course, not in the picture is the obvious regift. While one might initially be delighted to get an elegant Italian dress shirt, beware. There may be initials monogrammed on the cuff gone totally unnoticed since it had never been taken out of the box and unfolded. Priceless? I would use a different descriptor. Thoughtless.

The Statement Maker

In a bizarre twist on the regift, a husband gave his wife the same Gucci purse — literally the same exact purse — two years in a row.

Wife: “I loved that purse, it was the best gift I’d ever gotten. I loved it so much I didn’t want to use it because I had two small kids and you know, it would get dirty,”

Husband: “Sure I rewrapped the purse and gave it to her again. Since she hadn’t used it, heck I thought I might as well just give it to her again — now maybe this year she’ll use it.”

The Non-Gift

We have all seen the ads of the car with the big red bow. I suppose there are actually those who gift a car for Christmas. A bit of caution here: One husband did. More than likely the idea came from one of the eye-catching ads. That big red bow did look pretty cool. Turned out it wasn’t anywhere near a perfect GIFT. The wife is still making payments of the Christmas gift they BOTH drive. Is he always this dense? Maybe it was that darn bow!

What’s the worst gift you have ever received? Better yet, have you surprised someone with a ‘trick’ gift that was awful?

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LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW

While we may not necessarily be excited about the snow, we will always enjoy the music of Frank Sinatra!

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Effervescence

 Effervescence

Transparent tiny bubbles
Those lucent little pearls
Trickle and tickle the nose
Of giggling little girls

Soap bubbles, sparkling water
Sarsaparilla, root beer
Dispense tingling sensations
Any time of the year

A twist of the wrist
Releases a soda’s fizz
Hissing and spitting
All to the tune of “Gee whiz!”

Lovely bubbly champagne
The fizz everybody knows
Launches a warm feeling
All the way down to the toes

Unique, lively, bubbling
Essence of a sparkling escape
Incites genial conversation
Leaving no room for debate

The feel of fizzy fizz
Sometimes incessant
Describes life at its best—
Effervescent!

CatnipLogoSm©2013 catnipoflife
Sharla Lee Shults

Effervescence—Aughey, John H. (Reverend, author, Civil War prisoner of war, 1828–1911)

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Misty Morning Fog

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Early Morning 11/02/2013

Images appear subdued
Amidst the dense, pesky fog
Softly kissed by stratus clouds
Disturbed by a croaking frog

Figures in the far distance
Emit varying shadowy hues
A feel so melancholy
Reminiscent of ol’ country blues

The highest peak of a mountain
Enshrouded within the thick fog’s bed
Converges with the sky’s splendor
Striking patterns of gray overhead

Just a mere touch of fog
Steamy haze in view
Evokes mystical thoughts
Chilling through and through

Silhouettes against a blue sky’s backdrop
Endure nature’s transformation
Misty morning fog amid dawn’s glory
An object of fascination

From the sky to the terrain
Trickling rays of sunlight drift
Transparency emerges
As the fog slowly lifts

©2013 catnipoflife©2013 catnipoflife
Sharla Lee Shults

The fog comes on little cat feet. It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on.

—Carl Sandburg (U.S. biographer & poet, 1878–1967)

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Awakenings: Prelude to Veteran’s Day 2013

See on Scoop.itAwakenings: America & Beyond

Veteran is an all-encompassing word.

It is feeling absolute pride, joy, exhilaration and emotional gratification for serving one’s country. It means extreme sacrifice for both self and family. It bears pain and anguish during times of separation. It means not knowing sometimes when you will be coming home or even if you will ever make it back home. It brings on happiness and tears at the birth of your child when you are not there to hold him or her for the first time. It recognizes the sufferings of family when shunned by others. It means…

Sharla Shults‘s insight:

As you approach the celebration of Veteran’s Day, take time to inquire, research, discuss what it truly means to be a veteran, especially in  terms of those who not only laid the foundation and established the platform for our American freedom but also those who sacrificed to maintain that freedom. Know what this day will truly celebrate and be a knowledgeable part of the celebration.

See on awakenings2012.blogspot.com

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Natural Symmetry: Mother Nature’s Kaleidoscope

 Time to take 5! Stop what you are doing, maximize the screen, take a deep breath and relax!

 “Take a wild journey into Mother Nature’s Kaleidoscope! This is a visual exploration of the wonderful world of symmetry, using clouds, waves, and sunsets to create a mesmerizing mosaic of shifting, churning colors.” ~Mother Nature Videos

clouds lazily drift
waves ebb with the tide

sunsets mesmerize

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Reflections on Breakfast Time

A look back on Sweetest Day. . .

The day begins as usual with the smell of coffee brewing at the crack of dawn. With each pulse is called forth thoughts of not wanting to wait another minute to enjoy the enticing brew. I stretch and yawn, then, smell bacon! What could possibly be more wonderful that when the hubby brings on a surprise breakfast all of his own cooking! The aroma of sizzlin’ bacon is enough alone to whet the appetite. A nice omelet laced with red peppers and onion does its best to outdo the bacon with its own scent of succulentness. Creamy grits bubble with a whiff of fresh corn and bits of sharp cheddar cheese top it off. Add a slice of fresh tomato along with butter toasted English muffin and the scene is complete. Almost…

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The table is set and on comes the plate, not empty, but full. Blessings are said in thankfulness for both the food and the ‘chef’. I take a bite and see the word ‘Chocolate’. Cool! I love chocolate. The next bite uncovers the word ‘Mocha’ with yet another yielding ‘Latte’. Then, it starts all over again but this time it is bite, bite, bite, ‘chocolate, chocolate, chocolate’.

I start to laugh and hubby asks what is so funny. In reply, I explain the breakfast is wonderful and the food tastes GREAT but once the food is gone all I will have left is a craving for chocolate!

With a grin, outstretched arms yield a box of chocolates with a note saying “Happy Sweetest Day!”

I LOVE surprises!

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