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!

Don’t Give Up!

NeverGiveUp

Have you ever thought about just giving up, throwing in the towel, dumping the whole batch, starting all over again? I suppose at one time or another we have all found ourselves at the bottom of the barrel with no hope of climbing out sinking deeper and deeper or swimming around in circles.

bth_dividers

At the end of every rope
Is a single strand called hope
It may be frayed even torn
Yet hangs on for the forlorn

Next time you’re down
Losing your smile to a lonely frown
Remember that strand called hope
Grab on, hold tight , ne’er let go the rope


©catnipoflife
Sharla Lee Shults

12 Comments »

Faith Squared

Faith Squared brings you the 2012 Virtual Advent Calendar

FaithSquared

Click the link above or the image for access to Faith Squared: a kind of cyber sanctuary where you can stop, take a break from the everyday wackiness of life…where Faith shared is Faith Squared. Once on the site bookmark the calendar for quick reference each day. During a few quiet moments of reflection or medication, access the calendar and simply hover over the pictures to reveal the hidden links. Each new link will appear one day at a time from now until Christmas. By virtue of this calendar being virtual, you won’t be able to peek ahead.

[Just as a little upfront notice, catnip’s Sharla Shults was invited to contribute to the calendar and is being featured on December 22.]

We invite you to slow down for a few moments each day and open a window…savor the images, listen to the lyrics, ponder the messages. Spend a little time with God and engage in the miracle of this sacred time.

Happy holidays, everyone!

[The links from the calendar to the post go live sometime between 6:30-7:30 a.m. PST each day.  If you are a subscriber, you will get an e-mail notification when the post is published.]

8 Comments »

Blog of the Year 2012

With the holiday season comes blessings galore and a time of giving/receiving thanks, giving/receiving presents and giving/receiving awards! The blogosphere is bursting at the seams with ways of sharing with others that which is so graciously received.

CatnipLogoSmDoesn’t that make the blog awards more special that any other? Think about it: you don’t put them on a shelf, display them behind glass doors, store them in a box, hide them in a closet or hold onto them to use later only to eventually have them become used up, tattered, torn or wasted away.

CatnipLogoSmWhat do you do? You pass them along, pay them forward, share with others to be shared with others who share with others and the beat goes on.

There is definitely something to be said about this virtual world of ours: it is a world of sharing, caring and preparing: Sharing around the world, Caring for others, Preparing for the future. Whatever endeavor you are engaged in at the present moment or seek in days to come, there is always someone willing to tell you his or her story which will in turn provide a beacon of light down a sometimes dark highway.

So, without further adieu, let’s get to the next award…one that requires very little demand and keeps on giving.

Believe it or not…

Yes, an actual “current” Blog Award!

Thank you Jana @cjanas Dreams for my first nomination of the “Blog of the Year 2012” award. Thank you Penny @TheWhyAboutThis for my second and Alastair @Alastair’s Blog for my third.  As you will learn in the information to follow, catnipoflife has earned Three Stars. It is amazing how many wonderful, creative and talented bloggers there are in the blogosphere.

I’m guessing, no actually I know, that every single blogger I’ve met in my blogging journey so far should have this award. As with the receiving of any award, the difficult part is deciding who will be on the receiving end.

So here is what you need to know about:

‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award

(This has been copied word for word for accuracy. It is suggested you do the same…makes posting easy!)

Do you know a blog that deserves an award?

Do you have special blogs that you love to read?

Which blogs do you bookmark and follow?

Would you like to give them an award this year?

Then the ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award is for you!

The ‘rules’ for this award are simple:

1 Select the blog(s) you think deserve the ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award.

2 Write a blog post and name/tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen – there’s no minimum or maximum number of blogs required – and ‘present’ them with their award.

3 Please include a link back to this page Blog of the Year 2012 Award and include these ‘rules’ in your post (please don’t alter the rules or the badges!)

4 Let the blog(s) you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the ‘rules’ with them

5 You can now also join The Facebook group – click ‘like’ on this page ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award Facebook group and then you can share your blog with an even wider audience

6 As a winner of the award – please add a link back to the blog that presented you with the award – and then proudly display the award on your blog and sidebar … and start collecting stars…

Yes – that’s right – there are stars to collect!

Unlike other awards which you can only add to your blog once – this award is different!

When you begin you will receive the ‘1 star’ award – and every time you are given the award by another blog – you can add another star!

There are a total of 6 stars to collect.

Which means that you can check out your favorite blogs – and even if they have already been given the award by someone else – you can still bestow it on them again and help them to reach the maximum 6 stars!

‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award Badges

There are six badges for you to collect – you can either ‘swap’ your badge for the next one each time you are given the award – or even proudly display all six badges if you are lucky enough to be presented with the award six times!

~

Need to know more? Check out the FAQ page

And Congratulations! on being chosen for the ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award!

~

‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award – thumbnails

Here are the 6 awards in thumbnail size for your sidebar – feel free to Right Click and save any of the images on this page:

        

          

So there you go those are the rules and the name of the game.

The blogs listed below possibly have at one time or another bestowed and/or received an award from catnipoflife or her sister site, Awakenings. Some responded with the utmost gratitude, some do not venture into the award arena and some simply did not respond. Those of you who enjoy playing I look forward to your own post and those of you who chose not to that is okay, too. I have fulfilled my desire to let you know how deserving you truly are and how much you mean to me. :)

For those of you who want to play, the ball is in your court!

[BTW If you want to play and I have somehow missed you, I hang my head shamefully but will raise it proudly and promptly add you to the list!]

A Hairdresser’s Diary

Alastair’s Blog

Arlen Shahverdyan

Aspire. Motivate. Succeed.

A Writer’s Journey

Being Chirpy

Brian T Shirley

brucelouisdodson

Books That Sow

Chief Writing Wolf

clairecappetta

Cosmuse

Country Side Poet

DeirdreTolhurst

Dicy McCullough

D J Stutley

Don in Massachusetts

Extraordinary Ireland

Forever Poetic

Fortyteen Candles

Free Tag Zone

Greatpoetrymhf’s Weblog

Gys

Hot Rod Cowgirl

Inspiration Import

I.O.U. Sex

Jana’s Dreams

Jeanette S Andersen

Jen Owenby

Jen’s Thoughts

Kick Back Moments

Life in the Foothills

LadyLovelyBlogger

linneann

Lori’s Song

Magic in the Backyard

Make Something Mondays

Maleko’s Art

Marbles in my Pocket

Menopausal Mother

MyOwnHeart.me

Northwest Photographer

Pieces

Poetree Creations

Potato Chip Cats

Queen’s End

quirkybooks

raaniyork

Sandie’s Snippets

Serendipity

shadetheraven

Shirley Sorbello

Solid Happiness

Some Assembly Required

Stutley’s Tales

Surviving Life My Cats

Susan Ekins

Taylor Made Thoughts and Doodles

Texas, a Cat in New York

The Blazing Trail

The Fat and the Skinny

The London Flower Lover

The One Thing I Know For Sure

The Thoughtful Life

The Why About This

Thoughts and Prayers

Valerie Davis

Writing My First Novel

37 Comments »

Daisy Award, for you and for me!

It is on rare occasion that a connection is available to the creator of an award. This time the beginning link in a chain of unknown number of recipients is Subtle Kate. In Kate’s own words on June 28, 2012, “I would like to start a new award. It’s called the Daisy Award.  Daisy’s are very sweet flowers, but they are stealth with hardiness. They’ll come up anywhere and beat the frost.  This award is for the brave.”

So with out further ado… there are of course rules to follow:

Number1Thank the person who nominated you. Thank you, Claire Cappetta .

Claire is a creative writer having recently retired from the financial world to concentrate on the dream of publishing a first novel. That dream has just come to fruition with the release of A Broken Ring. CONGRATULATIONS, Claire! (Read the First Chapter.) Claire’s story follows a woman’s journey through relationships, domestic abuse, inspiration and empowerment. Although a difficult topic to cover, the story is heartwarming and inspiring.

Number2Tell your readers seven unusual things about yourself. Alright I’m having a tough time with this! Because what is unusual about me?! There are ‘things’ that we all like and dislike but it is the word ‘unusual’ that has me stumped. I don’t have six toes (on one foot) nor one eye in the middle of my forehead! But, I DO have. . .

1. one grey streak in my hair that has been a part of me since I was a teenager

2. the wasp waist of the 19th century

3. Morton’s toe

4. a love for cappuccino but my morning coffee must be black – NO cream, NO sugar

5. a fondness for iguanas

6. an affinity for cats that is hard to explain

7. the heart of a tomboy

Number3Nominate several worthy bloggers: Since my ‘number’ is 5 I have elected to bestow this award upon 5 brave bloggers. As I pondered the recipients of this award from catnip, the following immediately came to mind with reasons why they are the bravest of the brave:

1. Serendipity: Marilyn Armstrong tells it like it is…no fluff, lays it on the line, whether you like it or not, tells it like it is. She will tease you with her humor, enlighten you with her photography and will shower you with tidbits of knowledge just to test you and see what you think. She has endured her own personal hardships being a cancer survivor.

2. A Hairdresser’s Diary: Chris Hannon is a victim of a major car accident that took her livelihood away as a hairdresser, make-up artist and model. She is a self-taught artist who learned to paint to help her deal with daily chronic pain. She is also a poet and has published a new book ‘Versify’. Amazing stories of her life as a hairdresser are published in her book A Hairdresser’s Diary.

3. A Writer’s Journey:  Micki Peluso began writing as a catharsis to heal the wounds of the death of her 14 yr-old daughter at the hands of a drunken driver. She has recently released her first book, a memoir – about her daughter’s death – . . .AND THE WHIPPOORWILL SANG. It’s a funny, poignant celebration of her daughter’s life more than a eulogy of her death.

4. Northwest Photographer: Bob Milke is a veteran. He served his country, your country, my country in Vietnam. He is also a great photographer. He makes you feel you are there when you view his photos. He frequents the Portland, OR Zoo and I do believe the animals await his visits. You will see what I mean when you visit Bob @ Northwest Photographer. Check out the expressions (‘smiles’) on the animals’ faces!

5. Taylor-Made Thoughts & Doodles: Taylor Fulks’ story is one of turmoil through a childhood of sexual abuse. Her debut novel My Prison Without Bars: The Journey of a Damaged Woman to Someplace Normal has just been released. On her blog, Tayor hopes to share the bits of information gleaned from her journey and encourage others, hopefully, to share their knowledge and expertise.

CONGRATULATIONS brave souls and keep writing!

11 Comments »

Message of Inspiration

This is a message of inspiration…a message of unconditional love! Thank you, Raani, for sharing on your blog so its message can hopefully be reblogged, reblogged, and reblogged many, many more times.

10 Comments »

The Bench in Waiting

Today as I visited Serendipity, which I do quite often for her excellent photography, interesting articles, candid humor and wonderful musings, The Bench in Waiting immediately captured my attention. Thank you, Marilyn for your inspiration that guided me to reflect on The Ol’ Bench. . .

Photo Credit: Marilyn Armstrong

The Ol’ Bench

A resting place, a stopping-off point

Relief from labors along life’s way

The bench beckoned moments for solitude

To ponder reveries of the day

How many have passed this way

Stopped for a moment or two

Rested, mused, wondered

Contemplated what to do?

What decisions were made

Changes to start anew

Thoughts and reflections

Begin again, redo?

Beaten, battered, broken

Life’s pain abates

It holds a lifetime’s worth of stories …

And still, it waits

Awaits the next visitor

To settle down, to rest

To ponder, to wonder

Tomorrow — life’s next test

A resting place, a stopping-off point

Relief from labors along life’s way

The bench beckons moments for solitude

To ponder reveries of the day. . .


©2012 catnipoflife
Sharla Lee Shults

34 Comments »

The Masters Award is presented to Ed Parkinson (and Invitation to his Exhibition)

See on Scoop.itcatnipoflife

The Masters Award

The Masters Award is passed along to ONE blogger at a time.It began with Barbara @ Life in the Foothills (http://salmonfishingqueen.wordpress.com/?s=masters+award).  Its journey so far has included stops, enduring visits and accolades to…

The Masters Award (http://thewhyaboutthis.com/?s=masters+award)

The Masters Award (http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com)

The Masters Award (https://catnipoflife.wordpress.com/2012/11/13/the-masters-award/)

The Masters Award (http://greatpoetrymhf.wordpress.com)

Today, the announcement of the latest recipient of The Masters Award is made by Mary Helen Ferris to Ed Parkinson @www.spiritualartblog.com.

See on http://greatpoetrymhf.wordpress.com/2012/11/25/the-masters-award-is-presented-to-ed-parkinson-and-invitation-to-his-exhibition/#comment-6840

Leave a comment »

Free Write Friday #10: Gratitude

This week the Free Write prompt from Kellie Elmore is the word “GRATITUDE.”  If you are not familiar with the free write challenge, feel free to read the intro on Kellie’s website. In short, here is what is expected. . .

  • Do not think. Do not edit. Do not pay attention to spelling, punctuation or form.
  • Just allow the moment, your feelings, your imagination to run free and…
  • Do not stop until you find yourself forcing your words or trying too hard to complete a thought.

Free Write Friday Prompt

We are taught from early childhood to say “please” and “thank you” to the point the words flow as naturally as chocolate syrup being poured over ice cream. If someone should ask why you reply as such, a common response would be “Because my mother taught me to say so.” But, is that all there is to it? Is simple saying “thank you” enough? Are those words being used from learning simply because it is the right thing to say, the way we were taught?

Thanksgiving brought with its celebration heartfelt thanks for the many, many blessings bestowed upon each of us on a daily basis as we journey through life. Echoes of thoughtfulness, thankfulness and gratitude resounded throughout the day as family and friends gathered in fellowship and prayer. In thinking back over the day, a question comes to mind: “Isn’t giving thanks being thoughtful in expressing gratitude for what we have?” So, what is the difference in being thankful and expressing gratitude?

When I was a young child, I was among those who were taught the right thing to say, the “please” and “thank yous.” But, I cannot remember ever being taught gratitude. Did its meaning evolve as my vocabulary bank received deposits of new and unfamiliar words? Perhaps with recognition of both the good and bad in life an awareness was evoked for all the things I was truly thankful. As for today’s experiences in the blogosphere, I am thankful for the words that sometimes flow more easily that others which offer inspiration for purposes unknown to me at the time written. Most importantly, however, is the gratitude I have for those who choose to read and follow the musings I so thoughtfully share. To me, being thankful is learned whereas gratitude is a choice.

My challenge to you: Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing today, pause and reflect on whom or what you are grateful. You may find it easy to name coming rather naturally or you may find it takes some time for the right choices. Just remember, regardless of whether easy or hard, the goal is still giving thanks and being grateful for all you have. Isn’t there a lot to be thankful for…all you have to do is put a little catnip into your life:  Observe life at its best, listen to life’s songs, embrace life’s bounties, breathe the breath of life and savor life to its fullest!

That’s it, folks…no rereading, editing or mulling over whether I accomplished what I intended. Let it fly. . .

 

16 Comments »

…for love, age does not matter!

OldWoman&Cat

… those blessed little creatures will always find a way to remind us that we matter….

Matters of the heart care not whether young or old—
A yearning for love, desire to be wanted, longing to be needed
A rekindling of joyful moments long ago gone cold…

Analogy for Aging

Aging—an ever-changing presence
Mirrors life’s essence

The view atop a mountain’s peek
Echoes not a single word
Music of a baby’s first cry—
Sweetest solo ever heard

Ocean waves during a storm
Crest majestically on their own
Vision of a child’s first steps—
Rocking and reeling, never alone

Fiery aura of dusk and dawn
Casts brilliant hues with every view
Youth’s outlook on love and life—
Promising, yet demanding debut

Natural ambiance of early spring
Unleashes new living entities
Expressive power of a young adult—
Racial, ethical identities

Falling leaves of autumn
Whirl whimsically through the air
Age of midlife crisis—
Unsettled over graying hair

Time for sweet reflection
Sets inner smiles aglow
Twilight years of old age—
Wisdom youth should know


©2012 catnipoflife
Sharla Lee Shults

“Aging is an inevitable process.
I surely wouldn’t want to grow younger.

The older you become, the more you know;
your bank account of knowledge is much richer.”

—William M. Holden (Author, n.d.)

5 Comments »

Aw-w-w Precious Moment

On November 3, Penny Coho posted Precious – the moment – A  Mother’s Love

This is my Aw-w-w Precious Moment…thank you, Penny, for rekindling a wonderful memory!

Our daughter Nicole and granddaughter Natalie – First Kiss

Kiss of Promise

A gentle kiss on the head
Brought feelings of joy
A new life, the miracle of birth
A promise to always enjoy

A soft kiss on the forehead
Brought security to the night
Tucked in bed, sweet dreams
A promise to always be the light

A playful kiss on the nose
Brought giggles and laughter
Smiles that cheered away the blues
A promise to be there before and after

A sweet kiss on the cheek
Brought strength to cope
Leaving home, on my own
A promise of faith and hope

 A loving kiss on the lips
Not from Mama, Papa, sister, brother
The start of a new life
A promise of belief in another

©2012 Remembering
Sharla Lee Shults

10 Comments »