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!

Aug 20

Twilight

by catnipoflife

Barb Beacham from Life in the Foothills has graciously provided some awesome photographs to accompany the catnipoflife poetry Twilight. Barb was one of catnip’s featured photographers last month. If you missed her great photographic match to You have but one life, LIVE it! then, I encourage you to check it out. NOW! Yes, right now…just click HERE!

Thank you, Barb! You truly outdid yourself on this one!

Twilight

bth_dividersBetween dawn and sunrise
Where time seems to stand still
The sun not yet visible
Ascends in slow motion until…

Twilight1

Sunlight scatters along the horizon
Where clouds catch the first rays of dawn
Erupting into a blaze of color
Only heaven could possibly spawn

Twilight2

Standing on the edge of silence
A sense of calm penetrates the soul
Hovering between darkness and light
Sheer magnificence to behold

Twilight3

Between sunset and dusk
Day’s last light seems to stand still
The sun barely visible
Descends in slow motion until…

Twilight4

Intense color splashes across the horizon
Where the sky catches the sun’s last rays
Illuminating a thin veil of haziness
Below the clouds that are now ablaze

Twilight5

A silhouetted figure lost and alone
Against the pending backdrop of night
Grasps the last red-orange rays of the sun
Fervently kissing the day’s twilight

Twilight6

With radiant images now past
The world becomes shrouded in grey
While the twinkling of night’s first stars
Engulfs the glories of the day

©2013 catnipoflife

©2013 catnipoflife
Sharla Lee Shults

AND as an added plus to help you relax at the close of day. . .

Then, to top it off, introduction to a brand new blogger:

InspirationalVideo

“Twilight drops her curtain down, and pins it with a star.”
—Lucy Maud Montgomery (Canadian author, 1874–1942)

Featured Photography/Photographer Inspiration Nature PoetrybySharla Video Clip

21 Comments »
Aug 17

Unspoken Rules Everyone Should Know

by catnipoflife

There are those moments when we simply shake our heads, roll our eyes or sometimes even scream! What is it these days with common sense or should I say without common sense? Has it been thrown out with the baby’s bath water, flushed down the toilet or scattered in the wind? Just simple courtesies that everyone should know seem unheard of, unspoken, out of sight, out of mind!

See if you have encountered any of the ‘unspoken rules everyone should know‘ presented in the slideshow below or perhaps leave a comment of one of your own.

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Common_Sense1

“The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense.”
― Thomas A. Edison

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When, where and what unspoken rule have you witnessed lately that left common sense biting the dust?

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Inspiration Reflection

8 Comments »
Aug 1

More Than “Just Photographs”

by catnipoflife

A step back. . . recall, reflect, remember:

In March, Megan @ Make Something Mondays blessed her visitors and followers with some photographs that are more than “just photographs.” Megan always enlightens her readers with posts representing the most unusual to the most inspiring! She features a blog about art and design, tutorials and creativity. I encourage you to pay her a visit and enjoy her uniqueness!

Below is a slideshow of the photographs from Megan. Each is special in its own way carrying its own unique message:

A message of love.
A message of hope.
A message of challenge.
A message of surprise.
A message of remembering.
A message of loneliness.
A message of laughter.
A message of comfort.
A message of joy.
A message of awesomeness
and the list goes on.

These are photographs that you do not simply glance and move on to the next. Ponder each one with thoughts of what it represents and how lives are touched within each snapshot! If you must, pause the slideshow and continue at will. Capture the feeling behind each photograph: smile, laugh, shed a tear for the emotion is there within each and every one…

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http://www.yesemails.com/interestingemails/morethan/

Life is filled with messages
Cued with the rising of the sun
Veiled in the shadows of twilight
Waiting for just the right moment
To be captured and remembered
Rather than lost within the blink of an eye

©2013 catnipoflife© 2013 catnipoflife
Sharla Lee Shults

Inspiration Slideshow

5 Comments »
Jul 25

Observe Diamonds of the Morning

by catnipoflife

MeetSkyeMeet Skye, who is a recent recipient of the Very Inspiring Blogger award from catnipoflife. Skye not only showcases awesome photography but she is also a writer of poetry. She manages two blogs: The Sanctuary of My Heart for her writing and Oh, The Things We Shall See for her photography. One of my favorite poems from Skye was posted to her site only a few days ago. Check out Happily Ever After!

Skye is like so many of us who aspire to become good – great – writers. Within the writing world is a lot of fear, fear of acceptance, as well as rejection. If we are accepted, do we have the fortitude to move ahead with swiftness and accuracy of the mighty pen? If we are rejected, do we thrust that mighty pen aside or push that much harder for acceptance? Here are the words of Skye that will allow you into her world of fear.

Fear, lack of self-confidence, FEAR, has kept me from going confidently into anything. Settling for the status quo because it is comfortable and safe keeps me in a bondage like no other. I watch others boldly going forth. Grabbing at the brass ring and sometimes falling to the ground ~ other times attaining that ring and rejoicing. As I watch. Afraid.

Visit Skye at The Sanctuary of My Heart and Oh, The Things We Shall See. Follow and provide her encouragement to move forward toward achieving her goals as a writer. Her writing is pure and touching. You won’t be disappointed as you watch the beauty of her words unfold.

Now, a little touch of catnip poetry accompanied by the wonderful photography from Skye. . .

Dew on a Rose

(As Skye puts it: Diamonds on the Rose)

Sparkling and dancing dewdrops
Sway lazily with a slight breeze
Falling deftly toward the earth
Lightly touching petals and leaves

Rose1bySkye

Dew’s wet water droplets
Quench life’s thirsty pups
Resting on a spider’s web
Before sunlight erupts

Dew-laden leaves and foliage
Grace the picturesque scenery
Within morning or evening
Visions of pearlized greenery

Rose2bySkye

Pale light and soft shadows
Enhance the morning hue
As nature’s teardrops reflect
The day’s first hints of blue

Dew sparkles at first sight
As it silently settles on a rose
Colors burst forth in song
Sunbeams gracefully compose

Rose3bySkye

A dew-kissed morning
Magical and fresh in its view
Revitalizes the inner being
As the rose opens wet of dew

CatnipLogoSm©catnipoflife
Sharla Lee Shults

“May each day unfold for you like roses, sparkling in the dew, that open to the morning sun and bloom until the day is through. And may each passing moment bring a song as pure as angels sing but may there be above all things a peace that only God can bring.” —Author Unknown

A Quote for Today Inspiration PoetrybySharla

17 Comments »
Jul 23

Dare to Dream!

by catnipoflife

Dare to dream the impossible for it too may one day be possible!
Life is no life at all without dreams…

Dream a little, live a little – Live a little, dream a lot – Dream a lot, live a lot – Your choice!

“Life is a song – sing it. Life is a game – play it. Life is a challenge – meet it. Life is a dream – realize it. Life is a sacrifice – offer it. Life is love – enjoy it.”

—Sai Baba (Indian leader, 1838–1918)

bth_dividers

“The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream. The oak sleeps in the acorn, the bird waits in the egg, and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of realities.”

—James Allen (British philosophical writer, 1864–1912)

bth_dividers

Life is a trail of tears, the will to cope
A mountain of discomfort based on hope
It is a highway of dreams, a road very demanding
Out of balance at times, but not without understanding

—Sharla Lee Shults, catnipoflife

A Quote for Today Inspiration Monday Musing Video Clip

8 Comments »
Jul 10

❤Happy 29th Anniversary!❤

by catnipoflife

That’s wedding, of course, not blogoversary! Even with my husband’s 63rd day of hospital confinement in a critical care facility, we can still celebrate 29 years together. July 10, 1984 marked the beginning of our marriage that has definitely had its share of ups and downs but weathered the storms always welcoming the rainbows of better days.

To my Jim. . .Happy 29th Anniversary!

For the Love of You

With the dawning of each morning
I awake amid yawns and smiles
Thinking how much I adore you
How every moment’s worthwhile

Rising amid sunbeams or teardrops
Melodies stir within my heart
Reviving songs of togetherness
Even more so now we’re apart

In times of minor differences
Okays override any nays
Such as life’s phases come and go
We keep happy most of the days

A gaze outside the window
Catches sight of misty rain
There is no sun to be seen
Just grayness, dowdy and plain

Toward the distant horizon
Gray skies disclose bits of blue
A crystal-clear ray of sunshine
Glistens for the love of you

You are the smile
Still warming my heart
Inspiring, loving
’Til death do us part

“Here’s my love, take it. Here’s my soul, use it. Here’s my heart, don’t break it. Here’s my hand, hold it and together we will make it forever.”

—Author Unknown

5thAnniversary

PoetrybySharla Reflection

19 Comments »
Jun 22

Farewell to Bootsie

by catnipoflife

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Boots, aka Bootsie (May 30, 2009 – June 21, 2013)

Today I had to say farewell to my precious companion, Bootsie. She was missing for 14 hrs a couple of days ago and when she returned home she was very loving. Normally she would go right to her food bowl completely starved and scoff up a whole can of cat food. This night was different.

I heard her little bell attached to her collar and looked up happily to see her after being gone so long. She walked straight toward me and hopped onto the recliner where I was sitting and gingerly put her head in my lap. That is where she stayed for a couple of hours. When I got up to get ready for bed, she got down and meandered toward the bedroom. I heard her throwing up during the night and thought it was the usual hairball. The morning disclosed her on the bathroom rug where she sometimes loved to nap and I could tell she was really sick.

I immediately dressed and took her to the vet on my way to the hospital to visit my husband. Upon returning home later that afternoon, I stopped by to see how she was doing. She was dehydrated and still had not eaten any food. She was being given fluids to rehydrate her. I petted her and told her how much I missed and loved her but she was not very responsive. Not like her usual self anyway. She meowed but did not purr.

Upon my return home from the hospital today I stopped in for another visit. This was around noon for I had come home early. Never did I envision this would be the last time I would see her. She had to undergo surgery because of the appearance of a mass in her internal organs. There is a lot of complex long medical jargoneze that I cannot repeat, let alone spell. I did decipher that part of her intestines had literally died. It was a very unusual case according to the vet. At least she died peacefully and did not have to endure long time suffering.

Bootsie came to live with us four years ago after being abused and abandoned. She literally decided to live with us.

Hey, did you know
Cats actually choose you?
You don’t choose them
They stay because they want to

You may give one a loving home
No matter the time or season
He may just choose to go away
Without any rhyme or reason

It’s like virtual catnip—
Feline friends may elect to remain
If the home is inviting
Strongly attractive, not too mundane

Here today, gone tomorrow
A sad refrain so often misunderstood
Why did he choose to leave, not stay?
You did everything to make him feel good

It’s not what you did or didn’t do
Cats are finicky needless to say
With a mind and will of their own
The choice is theirs to leave or to stay

Bootsie

Thank you, precious Bootsie, for choosing to stay and bringing such joy into our lives! You will be deeply missed!  

“With the qualities of cleanliness, affection, patience, dignity and courage that cats have, how many of us, I ask you, would be capable of becoming cats?” —Fernand Mery (Veterinarian and wildlife writer, 1897–1984)

Cats & Catnip PoetrybySharla Reflection

42 Comments »
Jun 5

Philosophy of Life

by catnipoflife

Flower1We never get what we want,
We never want what we get,
We never have what we like,
We never like what we have.
And still we live & love.

That’s life…

Flower2The best kind of friends
are the kind you can sit with on a porch swing,
Never say a word,
And walk away feeling like it was
the best conversation you’ve ever had.

Flower3
It’s true that we don’t know
What we’ve got until it’s gone,
But it’s also true that we don’t know
What we’ve been missing until it arrives.
Flower4
Giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they’ll love you back!
Don’t expect love in return;
Just wait for it to grow in their heart,
But if it doesn’t, be content it grew in yours.
Flower5
It takes only a minute to get a crush on someone,
An hour to like someone,
And a day to love someone,
But it takes a lifetime to forget someone.
Flower6
Don’t go for looks; they can deceive.
Don’t go for wealth; even that fades away.
Go for someone who makes you smile,
Because it takes only a smile to
Make a dark day seem bright.
Find the one that makes your heart smile!
Flower7
Always put yourself in others’ shoes.
If you feel that it hurts you,
It probably hurts the other person, too.
pagebreak
The happiest of people
Don’t necessarily have the best of everything;
They just make the most of everything that comes along their way.
Happiness exists for
Those who cry,
Those who hurt,
Those who have searched,
And those who have tried,
For only they can appreciate the importance of people
Who have touched their lives.
Flower8
When you were born, you were crying
And everyone around you was smiling.
Live your life so that when you die,
You’re the one who is smiling
And everyone around you is crying.
Flower9
Please share/reblog this message
For those people who mean something to you,
To those who have touched your life in one way or another,
To those who make you smile when you really need it,
To those that make you see the brighter side of things when you are really down,
To those who you want to know that you appreciate their friendship.
pagebreak
And if you don’t, don’t worry,
Nothing bad will happen to you,
You will just miss out on the opportunity
to brighten someone’s life with this message…

The true blessings of life are free. Savor. Share. Smile.

Inspiration Reflection

17 Comments »
May 27

Always Remember Our Soldiers…

by catnipoflife

Happy Mewmorial Day

Peace to each manly soul that sleepeth;
Rest to each faithful eye that weepeth…

— Thomas Moore, How Oft Has the Banshee Cried

A Quote for Today Cats & Catnip Reflection

8 Comments »
May 17

The Eyes of Love

by catnipoflife
grandmagirl

Source: Missouri Botanical Garden

A grandmother and a little girl whose face was sprinkled with bright red freckles spent the day at the zoo.

The children were waiting in line to get their cheeks painted by a local artist who was decorating them with tiger paws. “You’ve got so many freckles, there’s no place to paint!” a boy in the line cried.

paw  paw paw paw paw

paw   paw  paw

Embarrassed, the little girl dropped her head. Her grandmother knelt down next to her. “I love your freckles,” she said.

“Not me,” the girl replied.

“Well, when I was a little girl I always wanted freckles” she said, tracing her finger across the child’s cheek. “Freckles are beautiful!”

The girl looked up. “Really?”

“Of course,” said the grandmother. “Why, just name me one thing that’s prettier than freckles.”

The little girl peered into the old woman’s smiling face. “Wrinkles,” she answered softly.

daisy divider photo: Daisy Divider-1.png

This story reminds me of the saying, “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.” Its meaning can be taken literally as ‘the perception of beauty is subjective.’ In other words, it depends upon what one sees as beauty transpired from the heart. . .feelings of joy, peace, contentment or sadness, agitation, unhappiness.

LightfromtheHeart

The freckles of life are those little annoyances which if not perceived differently, lead to aggravation, frustration and unhappiness. The little girl in the story thought others saw her freckles as ugly which left her with a sense of unhappiness. This perception was challenged and changed through the eyes of her grandmother.

As a person ages, wrinkles are inevitable. They may be fine lines around the eyes or deeper almost rutted areas formed through years of hard work, worry and stress. The wrinkles of life add character but are too often perceived as making a once very attractive person ugly.

OldWoman&Cat

Whether freckles or wrinkles, true beauty is present when seen through the eyes of love. This is beholding to both humans and animals. Have you ever seen a cat or a dog with a blotch on one eye but not on the other, a straggly coat of fur that looks like it has never been brushed, a crooked jaw maybe stemming from an accident, one-eyed or eyes of a different color perhaps even crossed? How many times have you said, “Look at that UGLY cat?” or “Man, I would never own a dog that UGLY?” Are they ugly when someone cures them of hunger, heals their wounds, or cuddles them at bedtime?

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The ugliest person, place or thing can be the most beautiful in the world when seen through the eyes of love. Next time you see someone or an animal to which your first reaction might be “UG-LY!” stop and think about the fact that that person is loved by someone somewhere in time. To them, they are beautiful!

May you have a blessed day enjoying the beauty of the world through the eyes of love!

Beauty

Inspiration Reflection

35 Comments »
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