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!

Sep 2

Awakenings: Labor Day

by catnipoflife

See on Scoop.it – Awakenings: America & Beyond

What are your plans for Labor Day…to slave away doing laundry, cleaning house, cooking, sewing, mowing the grass, working, working, working? Well, why not? The day IS all about LABOR!

Of course, that is totally the wrong perspective! Labor day is a celebration…a holiday…a day of festivities and it is today!

More than a day of rest, a backyard barbeque, a three-day weekend or the unofficial end of summer today has a larger meaning. A step back into the past provides footprints of history leading to the freedom of celebration honoring honest toil and the rights of labor.

Embrace the Past. . .(Continued @Awakenings)

LaborDay

Sharla Shults‘s insight:

On this Labor Day, take a moment to remember and reflect upon those who came before you toiling and laboring in harsh environments with little wages as compensation and without benefits enjoyed today. Inspire and support younger generations in their quest for justice in future employment and ultimately retirement.

See on awakenings2012.blogspot.com

Awakenings Scoop.it

15 Comments »
Sep 2

Awakenings: Rainbows and Raindrops

by catnipoflife

See on Scoop.it – Awakenings: America & Beyond

All across America, the world in fact, is indescribable beauty often referred to as visions of grandeur. Each day presents itself in living color with sights, sounds, even smells that tempt and tease innermost emotions. Skies may be crystal blue and cloudless, or dark and dreary with hints of an impending storm. Even within the storm lies beauty…a calm at the end of which one may be lucky enough to sight a rainbow.

What awakens your senses of a forthcoming rainbow? Is it the sight of cloudy skies, the smell of oncoming rain, or the sound of raindrops pelting the earth? Perhaps lightening pierces the haziness of morning and rolling thunder disturbs the short-lived stillness of the air with news a storm is approaching.

Each sense brings on anticipation of sighting that well-known arc across the sky whose splendor boasts a colorful array of pastel hues. Have you ever taken the time to count how many colors you see in a rainbow? Is there a set number or a continuous innumerable spectrum of colors? Speaking of colors, what about Roy G. Biv…ever heard of (him)? Are the colors the same for every rainbow that comes into view?

Sharla Shults‘s insight:

“May each rainbow sparkle with colors of strength, joy, sunshine, harmony, faith, wisdom and spirituality.” ~SLS

Visit Awakenings to embrace the past, pick up nuggets about the rainbow and enjoy the poetry The Rainbow.

See on awakenings2012.blogspot.com

Awakenings Inspiration PoetrybySharla Reflection

4 Comments »
Aug 31

Relax: Let Nature Be Your Alarm Clock

by catnipoflife

Word of the Day: Relax

Life is filled with schedules and deadlines. Most mornings begin abruptly with the harsh, annoying sounds of an alarm and first words of the day are often “Hurry, hurry, you [we] will be late!” Routines govern every minute of every hour and life in the moment is lost within chaos. 
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STOP! In order to maintain sanity, RELAX! Throw aside senseless thoughts of “I will never get caught up!” Because you probably never will. The only true form of ‘catch-up’ is red, comes in a bottle and is labeled Ketchup! You will get done what you can get done, nothing more (perhaps less if you procrastinate)! The 24 hours, 1440 minutes, or 86,400 seconds (however you look at the course of a day) will pass regardless. You cannot add to it…that is all there is! So…slow down, chill, loosen-up, unwind, RELAX!
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Embrace the Craziness of Nature

“Blue seeks peace and tranquility above everything else, promoting both physical and mental relaxation. It reduces stress, creating a sense of calmness, relaxation and order – we certainly feel a sense of calm if we lie on our backs and look into a bright blue cloudless sky. It slows the metabolism. The paler the blue the more freedom we feel.”

 The Earth. An ocean planet. Our home.
Color image showing the full disk of Earth.
A true-color NASA satellite mosaic of Earth.

Enrich the Moment

Do something exciting before you relax!

Nature Video Clip

10 Comments »
Aug 29

Awakenings: A Trip Down Memory Lane: The 50s

by catnipoflife

See on Scoop.it – Awakenings: America & Beyond

Stepping back in time is fun . . . just plain and simple fun! Not boring as some might think or say. It is who we are, how we have evolved and in some instances, where we are going [again]. Making comparisons of how things were ‘back in the day’ to present day is often hilarious. Even looking back/reflecting upon sayings about the future, which is now the present, can have one doubling over with laughter. Perhaps the following trip down memory lane will bring it on for you. . .

Sharla Shults‘s insight:

Today’s GUEST: A visit to Sweet Americana opened the door for this trip down memory lane. Thank you, Phill Senters, for your insight into the America We Love!

See on awakenings2012.blogspot.com

Awakenings

4 Comments »
Aug 28

Interview with writer Sharla Lee Shults

by catnipoflife

See on Scoop.it – Water the mind – READ

“Hello Sharla, I want to thank you first of all for your readiness to be part of this interview and permit me to publish it on my blog. I did choose you because I have heard of you before and would would like for other people to know you and your writing better.” ~Raani York

http://raaniyork.wordpress.com/2013/08/28/interview-with-writer-sharla-lee-shults/

Sharla Shults‘s insight:

Thank you, Raani, for this wonderful opportunity to share writing tips/ventures with others. It is through opportunities, such as yours, that each of us can share our knowledge and experiences while learning from others at the same time.

See on raaniyork.wordpress.com

Awakenings Interview PoetrybySharla

5 Comments »
Aug 27

Free Write Friday #28: Pick a Title

by catnipoflife

free-write-friday-kellie-elmoreYes, I know today is NOT Friday. It is Tuesday. So-o-o-o, since Friday and the weekend were not conducive to writing I declare today a Friday Tuesday [or is that a Tuesday Friday?]. In either event, when I finally filtered through my massive email and read Kellie’s latest challenge, my mind was immediately fired up!

From Kellie: Here is your FWF prompt…

Select a title from the list below as your inspiration:

“Dandelion Season”
“Phone Call at Midnight”
“The Green Years”
“The Human Zoo”
“The Fires of Spring”
“The Ivy Covered Gate”

Here’s to you, Kellie, my contribution, which was inspired through your challenge regardless of the day or hour. I do hope you will accept in spite of the lateness:

“The Fires of Spring”

Butterfly of the Day for the 2nd of October 2012 from Rockey & Dee, on Flickr

Awakening from Winter’s sleep
Mother Nature bursts forth in song
Calling out her intense colors
Bidding ashen days so long

Buds and blossoms explode
In vibrant shades of rainbow hues
Igniting senses of emotion
From white-hot to passionate blues

Atala butterflies emerge
Hovering amid soul-scorching bliss
Flitting moment to moment
Donning petals a velvety kiss

Creatures of the earth
Fervently greet balmy ground
Fire in their hearts
Tempers as passions abound

Fiery sunrises, flaming sunsets
Mirror warm hues of wood fires
Bright oranges, blazing reds
Unleash Spring’s burning desires

©2013 catnipoflife©2013 catnipoflife
Sharla Lee Shults

“I am amazed at this spring, this conflagration
Of green fires lit on the soil of the earth, this blaze
Of growing, and sparks that puff in wild gyration,
Faces of people streaming across my gaze.”
–  D. H. Lawrence, The Enkindled Spring 

Free Write Friday Inspiration Uncategorized

13 Comments »
Aug 25

Animals that are masters of disguise (camouflage) – Part 1

by catnipoflife

“Arlen Shahverdyan. Author’s Blog” has outdone himself this time. What a challenge! Within each photograph is an animal that is a master of disguise. See if you can find them all. Some are harder to spot than others, especially the Snow Leopard and possibly the spider. Arlen ensures us the photographs are real and natural, not photoshopped!

NOTE: Remember Arlen is Armenian but he includes the English translation on his blog!

Reblog

7 Comments »
Aug 25

Awakenings: Timeless B&W Photography

by catnipoflife

See on Scoop.it – Awakenings: America & Beyond

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

A continuous range of spectral colors engulfs the Earth, sometimes pastel, oftentimes bright and bold, but such is not true for the beginning of photography. Yet, the images captured are nothing short of spectacular – delicate, pure and detailed – and that is simply the black and white (B&W) of it!

During the 1890s, black and white photographs became commonplace in seed and nursery catalogs shortly after Kodak introduced the first handheld camera in 1888.

Sharla Shults‘s insight:

Visit Awakenings for the video The Photography of Timothy H. O’Sullivan: After his start capturing the horrors of the Civil War for Mathew Brady’s studio, 19th century photographer Timothy H. O’Sullivan uncovered the beauty of the great expanses of the American west.

Guest Photographer: Marilyn Armstrong @Serendipity

Awakenings Video Clip

9 Comments »
Aug 22

Cattitude Tip #1

by catnipoflife

LOVE YOUR CAT! PURR-R-R-R-R-R-R…

CatitudeTip1

Point of first note, IF our Foxie ever sat calmly near her carrier, she would deserve double treats! The only time she actually likes her carrier is at the vet. She had rather be in the carrier than in the hands of the vet! Secondly, a stranger will never get near Foxie. She is much too fast and has her own special hiding places. Does that mean she does not get treats? Heavens NO! She loves Whisker Lickin’s!!

FoxieinCarrier

What is your impression on this Cattitude Tip?

Cattitude1

Me? Cattitude? Nah!

Cats & Catnip Quick Post

11 Comments »
Aug 21

Chicken Soup by Kenneth Weene | The Write Room Blog

by catnipoflife

See on Scoop.it – Sizzlin’ News

“What a pain in the ass.” Trudy put her iPhone back into her pocketbook.

It wasn’t much of an expletive or very loud, but coming from the lips of my wife it was enough to make me look up from my snack, a piece of Trudy’s latest chocolate-pecan pie, and ask, “What is, Dear?”

What happens next you can only read at The Write Room Blog! Do leave a comment 🙂

Sharla Shults‘s insight:

Whoever thought trying to share how to make chicken soup could be so comical! Hilariously funny!

Kenneth Weene is a great writer with just the right twist to keep his readers reading with anticipation for an often unpredictable ending! Ken sees life as very much a laughing matter. You can find more of his writing at http://www.kennethweene.com

See on www.thewriteroomblog.com

Author Connections Scoop.it

6 Comments »
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