It’s the little things… The moments… The sighs… The smiles… The cries.
The times unforgotten… Laughing at yourself… A lover’s sigh… Smiles from a stranger…A baby’s first cry…
Kitty Kallen (born May 25, 1922) is an American popular singer who performed with a number of big bands in the 1940s, and scored her biggest success, a number #1 hit in 1954, with the song “Little Things Mean a Lot“.
The visual inspiration (photography) for this writing comes by way of Vate @Consonancias y Disonancias o el Eco del Murciélago de Abril Estados de Alma y Espíritu frente a la época actual de nuestra Humanidad
With the help of our friend, Google, translation at its best is Consonance & Dissonance States of Soul and Spirit against the current era of our Humanity. Unfortunately, there were some parts that did not translate sensibly and my Spanish is low, very low, on the totem pole. That, by no means, takes anything away from Vate’s site. I encourage you to visit and read more HERE!
I first saw the photograph last evening and immediately wrote…
Aged with Time
The chair
so empty and bare
What good are you
just sitting there?
Aged with time
paint chipped and peeling
Who would want you
discolored, unappealing?
Your back’s not straight
Resembling a sick tree
What’s with those legs?
Much too short I see
There’s a hint of beauty
beneath your scarred skin
Why were you abandoned
in the shape you’re in?
Eying you closer
I ponder and ponder
A little love and care?
I wonder, I wonder
I’ll take you home
make you mine
Where will I find
time, time, time?
Time to repair
Time to mend
Time together
When, when, when?
©2014 catnipoflife
Sharla Lee Shults
What inspiration did you gather when you first saw the photograph?
How many times do you stop to ponder “Where will I find the time?” If you could recapture those moments and add them all together, you might be surprised at how much time you’d have on your hands!
“I had found a kind of serenity, a new maturity… I didn’t feel better or stronger than anyone else but it seemed no longer important whether everyone loved me or not–more important now was for me to love them. Feeling that way turns your whole life around; living becomes the act of giving.” ~Beverly Sills
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Find Serenity
Serenity has not one color
One place nor one time
It’s sunrise and sunset
Blue waters of storm or calm…
Cloudy and cloudless
Tina ripples upon a lake
Silence within when tossed about
Breaking waves amid a wake…
Distant as the farthest mountain
Atop the highest peak
Closest as the sweetest kiss
Nearby a rocky creek…
Velvet touch of the crimson rose
Touchless like the thorny vine
Happily ending love story
Tingling goosebumps up the spine…
Find serenity
Within your heart, mind and soul
Easily seen on the outside
It’s the inner beauty to behold
©2014 catnipoflife
Sharla Lee Shults
January seems to be on the speed track with the month already at its halfway mark. Time is moving right along at a pace much faster that we probably all prefer. Yet, with the passing of time lies the anticipation of the natural elements of early spring. Glory in the springtime initiates countless visions: greening hills, warming sun, tulips, pansies and wildflowers popping!
But, WAIT!! Am I being somewhat premature? The presence of ol’ man winter is still felt, chilling to the bone. That is, of course, unless you are relaxing on the beaches of sunny California, along Florida’s Emerald Coast, in the Florida Keys or perhaps cruising the turquoise waters of the Caribbean. Ah-h-h-h! Sandy beaches, lounging chairs, suntan oil, basking in warm sunbeams, diving into cool waters—pleasure within an oasis of calm & relaxation!
Okay! Okay! Okay! Back to reality. . .
Before even splashing our mental coloring books with the hues of springtime, we must endure winter’s final chill or last blanket of pure white. As Terri Guillemets once quoted, “The color of springtime is in the flowers, the color of winter is in the imagination.“
So, put your imagination to work with some enduring visions of Ol’ Man Winter leading to the new birth of spring. Visual images featured today come by way of Marilyn Armstrong @Serendipity. Marilyn is an awesome blogger enlightening her visitors and followers with her unique, often humorous writing along with her own awesome photography. She is also a published author. Check out her book The 12-Foot Teepee: A Survivor’s Tale @amazon.
Visions of Ol’ Man Winter
January brings ice palaces and snow
With plants lying dormant underneath
February stirs the depths of winter
Echoing sounds of chattering teeth
Cold sun amid afternoon shadows
Heralds colder temps at night
Warm blankets, cozy fires
Beckon cuddling up oh-so tight
Winter time glistens
Adding its own personal glow
Pulsating with magic in the air
Creating mosaics in the snow
Attuned to the winter cold
Hibernation’s a natural affair
With shorter days, longer nights
Sleeping resembles that of a bear
Sentiments of the winter season
Affirm human nature’s lassitude
Reflections echo the past and present
Offering a melancholy mood
Nature in its own pristine beauty
Soon flourishes after winter’s thaw
Prickly, bristly thorns and spiny things
Will emerge cloaked in springtime’s awe
©2014 catnipoflife
Sharla Lee Shults
Can you imagine a world without music? It would be a world void of colors and textures, thus soulless. There would be no form, no expression. Thank goodness we have music or life would be a total bore, empty, useless. Music is all around us with melodies whispering in the wind, carrying along the harmonies of the songbirds. Each note captures the human heart penetrating deep into the soul leading to some of the best compositions imaginable. All you have to do is enjoy the catipoflife, listen to life’s songs! That includes singing in the shower!
Do you sing in the shower giving yourself top billing on Broadway? Are you a rock star or a diva? Did you know singing in the shower has become a widespread phenomenon?
Think about it. You can be what you want to be, as good as you want to be, an overnight sensation if you like since something magical happens when you sing in the shower. Have you ever noticed you actually sound better singing in the shower vs. out of the shower? For some reason, angelic pitch-perfect harmonies echo around the shower walls rather than bouncing through midair resounding of a croaking frog. That is the truth and there is a science of music to prove it!
That is not the only thing magical about the shower either…
Time for a shower…
FaLaLa…TraLaLa Boom De Ay…Boom Boom ShaBoom…NaNa-Nana-NaNa…everything before and after, as well as everything in between. Where would we be without music on the scene? Can you imagine a world without melody? Even the sounds of nature carry musical tones in harmony. Where there is sound there is rhythm from the clanging cogs of wheels definitely not ‘in pitch’ to Brahms’s Lullaby so relaxing one could sleep in a ditch. It keeps the sane man sane and lifts up the insane. MORE @awakenings about the beginnings of music…
Most visions of a mermaid are those of beauty—mystical, mythical and magical. There are numerous legends surrounding mermaids and dozens upon dozens of books written about their lives and times. Of course, there are also accounts of the Sirens who were both dangerous and beautiful. They were known to bewitch sailors with enchanting music luring them into the ocean depths.
Mermaids are a timeless curiosity. There is and probably will be endless questions without definitive answers concerning the facts vs. fantasy surrounding the mermaid. Their mystical nature continues to inspire, awe and fascinate the human psyche. Legends surrounding mythical mermaids date as far back as 1000BC and will more than likely continue until oceans no longer exist. Mermaids, along with the butterfly dragons, may change over time in appearance within story telling but will always maintain a magical quality unsurpassed in mysticism.
What inspiration do you gather from the mermaid?
Did you know someone in our history actually thought he saw mermaids swimming in the water, documented such in his journal, and even made the statement “the mermaids were not as pretty as imagined?” Yep, it really happened…January 9, 1493! Go to Awakenings to learn more about this sighting, who was at the helm and how such a mis-sighting could have happened. What sea creature do you think might be misunderstood as a mermaid? Of course, how can this be when a mermaid is no where near 12ft long nor weighs in at 1200 lbs? Here’s a hint…
Awakenings: Manatees vs. Mermaids
Related Article:
Photo Credit: Marilyn Armstrong @Serendipity
How do you greet Winter—
Bitter, drab and dreary
Frosty sights and sounds
Anything but cheery…
A silent ghostly presence
Chilling to the bone
Outwardly uninviting
Wishing it ‘Be gone!’?
Br-r-r-r-r is the sound
Silvery is the sight
From dawn to dusk
Bitterness through the night
This hoary side to Winter
Is that all there is to see—
A shroud of dreariness
Heaviness of heart to be?
Solace in Winter
Restores warmth to the very soul
Lifting up heavy hearts
As magical moments unfold
©2014 catnipoflife
Sharla Lee Shults
Yes, indeed, Winter brings chills to the bone but with it comes extraordinary beauty, grace and even a sense of magic. For those encountering snow, early, early morning reveals a new dusting of silvery white from Nature’s paintbrush swishing over, under, around and through everything in sight. Ice-glazed water glistens in the daylight as tiny birds peck away for a single droplet. The gracefulness of snowflakes whirl and twirl around and around floating effortlessly, landing softly one atop another. Person after person stroll in the midst, bundled up like Eskimos, giggling as the cold bites each nose and resemble the main characters within a magical snow globe scene.
Of course, we know there is a flip side to the coin depicting this scene. Whipping winds, fast-falling stinging snow, blizzard warnings, subzero wind chills do not seem so inviting. Shoveling snow, scrapping windshields, steering away from snow banks, donning three to four layers of clothing are commonplace when treks outdoors must be made.
Regardless of the coin’s side, there is solace in Winter that touches the soul even in its coldest moments…
Where do you find solace in Winter?
2013 presented itself with many ups and downs. Yet, we survived! Hubby and I are enjoying a quiet evening in celebration of all the blessings received, especially during his illness. Thank you to my virtual family for being here thoughtfully and prayerfully supporting both of us. The visits, especially the comments, have been entertaining and inspirational.
Looking forward to moving ahead in 2014! Blessings to all and Happy New Year!
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 21,000 times in 2013. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 8 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
[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)
This post is published on Awakenings, catnip’s sister site, but decided to also include it here since I can post it as a slideshow. Enjoy! It is interesting and also amazing how many people are involved in decorating for Christmas all around the world. What about the number of lights? Astronomical!
Be sure to visit the link Christmas Traditions Around the World!
After all the decorating and enjoyment, Santa definitely needs a rest. Do you think he will help with the clean up! WHEW!
catnipoflife 