“Walk among the wilds, gaze at the sky, understand nature and feel the spirits as they pass you by.” ~SLS
Stop and Smell the Flowers
Papa walked along life’s rocky path
Where no flowers lay beneath his feet
Tired and weary bones from toil and pain
Found rest only during winter’s sleep
End of day brought Papa home
To Mama waiting at the door
With a faint-hearted smile he entered
Then wanted to leave no more
No dust, grime, or smell of sweat
Not a place drab and dreary
Sweet fragrances of lilac and roses
Made the air bright and cheery
Mama’s laugh made Papa smile
Ending the drudgery of the day
Early morning sun came too soon
Once again finding Papa on his way
He stopped and smelled the flowers
Along side the dusty road
On the way home he picked a few
To lightened his heavy load
A tradition handed down…
Mama worked hard each day
Some days ready to explode
Papa brought Mama flowers
To lightened her heavy load
I would add #32: Find time to meditate and be thankful.
What would you add?
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.
Happy Easter to all and may your day be filled with blessings beyond words!
We have been blessed with my husband now off life support, out of ICU and resting in a private room. If fact, he was helped out of the bed yesterday and has begun sitting in a chair. He is very weak and cannot walk on his own. We still have a long road ahead but the way is filled with light and hope for a full recovery. Thank you all for your intercessory prayers, thoughts and concerns.
Not being in the frame of mind lately to keep up with catnip, I am reposting Easter greetings from last year.
Regardless of the year, the message is still the same!
Sometimes we ponder and ponder in hopes of eventually mustering the right words to tender an emotion, offer inspiration or purpose newfound knowledge. That is exactly where I found myself today as thoughts were enveloped in the “spiritual essence of Easter.”
Ah-h-h-h! The wonders of the Internet directed my fingers toward exploring its limitless boundaries in search of something overpowering. Webcrawlers fetched page after page delivering data, information, pictures, videos, etc. At the end of the day, a plethora of windows had opened stroking my heartstrings with sights and sounds of wonder and passion. For every time a window opened a new window was discovered that led to another window and . . . Oh, my! Sounds like something venomous caught in a silky web waiting to be a tasty appetizer while life begins to ebb! Doesn’t it?
Needless to say, my efforts were not in vain. The words of my heart had already been written and laid to rest upon the sands of time to be revisited and never forgotten. Now, I share with you, my readers and followers, what thoughts I discovered on the Easter Lily. . .
“Rightly the lily is the flower of Easter. It lies buried in the ooze of pond or stream. There is the grave of the dead lily that appeals to nostril or eye. But silently the forces of life are dark and the damp to prepare a glorious resurrection. A shaft of green shoots upward toward the sun. This is followed by a cluster of tiny buds. One day the sun smiles with special warmth upon the dank, black ooze, and there leaps into the light a creature of light and beauty; it is the lily, an angel of the earth, whose look is light.”
How did the lily come to grace the fields of America? The cultivation of lilies did not originate in the United States for the lily is a native of Japan. History reveals the account of a WW I soldier, Luis Houghton, bringing a suitcase full of hybrid lily bulbs to the South coast of Oregon in 1919. Houghton freely distributed bulbs to his friends and neighbors. Because of the events of WW II, the Japanese source of bulbs was abruptly cut off. Therefore, those growing lilies as a hobby noted the value of lily bulbs sky-rocketing and many decided to go into business on their own. At that time, Easter lily bulbs were known as “White Gold,” resulting in cultivators attempting to cash in on the crop. By 1945, there were about 1,200 growers producing bulbs up and down the Pacific coast, from Vancouver, Canada to Long Beach, California.
Of course, this post cannot end without my own personal atonement to. . .
The Lily. . .
Sounding of trumpets Extol the most high Rallying a crowd No one should deny
Calls to drill and battle Resound a time nigh Echoing surrender Or a battle cry
No white, just crimson Adorn the fields Beds of blood and bone A battle yields
Within times’ passing Ghastly signs disappear Blades of bright green Awaken thoughts held dear
Slender stalks emerge Rising from earthy graves Flaunting scaly bulbs Pompous as ocean waves
Milky-white trumpets Surge with praises toward the sky Spiritual essence of Easter Extols the most high
While TGIF is a most familiar acronym, has this day always represented the “end” of the work week?
In today’s society, “weekends” are taken for granted. However, that luxury has not always been recognized. The work week was once Monday through Saturday with work, especially on farms, starting before the sun came up and not ending until sundown. Jobs ‘back in the day’ consisted of positions, such as …
Read poetry, ‘Before TV, Nineteenth Century’ and MORE @ Awakenings…
Learn who was responsible and where the catchphrase TGIF originated!
As Rudyard Kipling so noted with his famous quote, there is power in words. Verbally words can make or break a situation, render heart-warming tenderness or hurl the harshest of cruelty. Do we say what we think or do we take a breath and think before speaking? Most would agree the latter is best but at the same time, more than likely all can relate experiences with the former.
Wisdom guides us to choose words wisely because once they are said they cannot be undone. Even the written word once passed forward has its impact the minute the words are read. Right to the heart! That’s where they go. They do not pass go, they do not collect $200. They land either softly as a feather as it graciously glides through the air or as hard as a rock hitting the bottom of a shallow pond.
Life is full of surprises, thorns, ups and downs. Laugh and smile at the surprises, enjoy the rose in spite of its thorny stem, look upward for guidance and make the downers uppers simply through thoughtful interpretation and perception.
Choose your words wisely and be a witness to the difference!
Today is a day of celebration and catnip is all dolled up for the occasion:
catnipoflife‘s 1st anniversary!
This past year has been incredible in the blogosphere! So much joy is received each time a Like or comment is posted with recognition that one of YOU has truly enjoyed my inspirational poetry, novice pictures, impromptu writings and humorous catnip. The purpose for this blog has always been to inspire:
echoes of the heart, remembrances from the past and catnip of life.
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Thankfulness from my heart to yours!
Without you,
This blog would no longer be
Without you,
My words no one would see
Without you,
The cat would cease to purr
Without you,
Catnip would no longer spur
Because of you
The cat seldom whines
Because of you
The sun always shines
Because of you
Catnip whirs and whirs
Because of you
Vision never blurs
You’re the inspiration
Soft fur and sharp claws
Spurring me onward
To write just because
You’re the inspiration
Through which I write
You’re the reason
I’m up late at night
There is no advance notice for inspiration. It comes within a moment’s time without notification, without hesitation. It comes from near, it comes from afar: As close as one’s backyard, as faraway as across oceans and continents. catnipoflife is blessed with many wonderful followers across many divides, each of whom presents his or her perspectives on life, experiences of life, joys, sorrows and personal reflections.
Today while visiting press-inside, I was inspired by the video, Danube Delta, Romania: a unique region in Europe – where one still may find, at least in certain places, untouched wild nature, unaltered by civilization. Not only did it provide so much beauty of the country but it was set to background music by Enya. By truly listening to the lyrics of Enya’s music, you will understand the catnip of life!
Enjoy and marvel in the wonders of nature within a world of endless possibilities!
so much beauty
so much beauty
outside as well as within
waiting to be explored
inviting you to begin
looking and listening
reaching for touch
laughing, singing
enjoying so much
away from the noise
the hustle, the stress
knowing inside and out
when moments need rest
abiding in the heart
deepening in the soul
waiting for the time
to unleash and behold
What common thread binds families together?
Must be those silent unspeakable memories
Which hide in the attics of our minds
Gathering dust, but never brushed away
Episodes of loving, laughing, defending each other
Strengthen emotions to immeasurable depths
Wanting not, wasting not treasured moments
That natural instinct directs along the way
Domestic chatter that may breed bitterness
Welcomes forgiveness with open arms
Knowing a quarrel is momentary
Quickly resolved and not for keeps
Times with friends, pets, even the common cold
Bare little resemblance to a naked forest
But instead resemble a sheltered canopy
To inherently stay even while winter sleeps
Recollections of coveting Mom’s cake batter bowl
Hiding tooth brushes, locking the bathroom door
Borrowing money without any vision of payback
Reveal frowns only later lifted with a kiss
Family ties shed radiant lights like chatoyant gems
Making us at our absolute worst look our best
Are never meant to be broken
And ultimately become bondages of bliss
catnipoflife 