Siblings are often the very best of friends…
Check out a personal posting for my brother and the history behind National Sibling Day @ Awakenings!
Wes & Me 🙂
Eskimo Kisses
Teeny tiny little kisses between family, loved ones, too, have been tradition since exposed in film in 1922. These express fondness in lieu of passionate emotional kisses. Children especially enjoy Eskimo kisses since a tickling sensation nose-to-nose warms the heart inciting smiles, giggles, happiness. Such kisses are not limited to human factors alone. What about the velvety touch nose-to-nose with a kitten or the wet, sloppy kiss nose-to-nose with a puppy? By chance you may find some odd couples in nature… a horse rubbing noses with a goat, a baby fox with a doe, a dog nuzzling a rabbit.
Eskimo Kisses
Gentle little kisses
A brush of the nose
Soft, tender caresses
Everybody knows
Language without words
Bids hello or adieu
Sweet, childlike kisses
Emanate “I love you”
Sensuous simplicity
Merely a breath apart
Wisps like butterfly wings
Tickling right to the heart
From eye to eye
To nose to nose
Joyful feelings
Smiles do expose
Both giver, receiver
Sigh with a grin
Nuzzles on a cold day
Glow from within
Sweet, tender kisses
Forever lifelong
Whisper sweet nothings
As part of life’s song
From the tiniest baby
To your most beloved pet
Little Eskimo kisses
You don’t easily forget
©2015 catnipoflife
Sharla Lee Shults
A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous.
—Ingrid Bergman (Swedish actress, 1915–1982)
For the funny bone…
Simplicity
“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!
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
Time to go! I must stop now in order to keep the message simple.
Find simplicity in your day today and every day!
What simple things have guided your thoughts today?
Something to Smile About
Do you always NEED something to smile about or does a smile come naturally, just happen without a great deal of thought or reason behind it? Perhaps you wake up in the morning and smile even before your feet hit the floor. Ever ask yourself “Why?”
When someone smiles at you, how does it make you feel? Flirtatious? Warm? Do you wonder why that person is smiling? All kinds of thoughts can possibly fleet through your mind often depending on your mood at the time. If a smile is taken for the right intent, it can surely make a cloudy day full of sunshine.
The beauty of a smile: blazes, amazes, teases, pleases, warms, never harms, satisfies, gratifies, an ever burning flame of love, hope, desire! That’s something to smile about!
Simple MomentsIgniteLife’sEmotions
[Someone may have a camera!]
Don’t forget your GREEN!
Today is…
Top o’ the mornin’ to ya!
[Scroll down to the recipe of the day!]
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Check out A Bit of the Irish!
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A few words to the wise from Maxine!
Recipe of the Day:
Simplicity
[The links provided within today’s post provide additional insight into the world of simplicity as they connect to previous catnipoflife postings. For Eskimo Kisses, the link directs you to catnipoflife poetry within which you will need to scroll for the new poem.]
Have you ever given much thought to the word, simplicity, other than relating it to the little things, those being easy to understand or do? There is simplicity of the world around us, simplicity of the moment, simplicity of thoughts, simplicity of actions, simplicity of trust, simplicity of values, simplicity of character, simplicity of respect, simplicity of generosity, which all fall within the complexity of love. None of these are hard to achieve. All reign within the realm of beauty, simple beauty, beauty of heart, mind, soul.
The mindset of beauty, its purity & clarity, forms the simplicity of elegance. To be elegant does not necessarily demand gaudiness for beauty is found in the humblest of things – beauty of a smile, beauty of wiping a single tear, beauty of an Eskimo kiss, beauty in the taste of a wild berry, beauty within the aroma of a freshly cut rose, beauty within the embers of a campfire (Read catnipoflife poetry below).
Then, there is the power of words, those which are penned for posterity.The most powerful expressions can be written in the simplest form yet be truly austere, most humbling, undemanding, fully generated from the heart.
Around the Campfire
Nothing like the burning smell
Of a cozy open fire
As amber-glowing embers
Displace any chilling ire
A cup of rich piping hot cocoa
Eases bitterness of the cold
As vapor rises to the nostrils
On downward deep into the soul
All bundled up in sweats
Cross-legged on a woolen rug
Wisps of newly burnt ash
Land softly in my coffee mug
Smell of toasting marshmallows
Tempts all senses, typically taste
When golden brown in color
Ready to be eaten post haste
Simple aromas of nature
Sentimental thoughts do aspire
As wintry pine needles and cones
Sizzle, snap and pop in the fire
Old favorite campfire songs
Snuggling, ghost stories and such
Echo with smiles and laughter
Of memories loved so much
In the magical hour of midnight
No stronger time doth inspire
Than the gripping taste of hot cocoa
Around the blazing campfire
©catnipoflife
Sharla Lee Shults
“One can enjoy a wood fire worthily only when he warms his thoughts by it as well as his hands and feet.”
—Odell Shepherd (American professor, poet & politician, 1884–1967)
Winter’s Berth
With winter comes days where chilling winds are felt right to the bone. In some areas, snow and ice envelop the landscape leaving the only color in sight for miles being white. 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!
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!
Special Care After Play Time
After being outside, especially playing in the snow, little paw pads become very cold, often leading to numbness. Upon return to the indoors, cuddle time is first on the agenda. He or she will be happy to have a little bonding time with you. Once the furry little fellow (or gal) is cozy and warm in your lap next in the order of care is the purring pal’s paw massage. This stimulates the nerves making sure all feeling is restored to the toes. Speaking of toes, it is then time to inspect the space between each one, examining for possibility of debris or maybe a cut on the paw pad. Remember, there is a lot more to those cut little feet than just razor-sharp claws!
“Purr-r-r-r-r-r, purr-r-r-r-r-r, purr-r-r-r-r-r!” Gotta go. Someone’s calling…
catnipoflife 