♥
What a Wonderful World it is when people find a way to share their Heart ... music, words, a smile, a touch a caring gesture, a reminder of love and peace.
My inspiration today actually came from a lady’s T-shirt I spied while checking out at Walmart. The drudgery of walking back and forth from one end of the store to another (more than one time mind you because something was missed on the list or thought of after the fact) finally ended or so I thought. OOPS! Forgot the cream cheese and sour cream for the cheesecake:>(
[Hubby bakes KILLER cheesecakes for friends and family on birthdays and one is coming up next week.]
He waits in line while I trudge one more time to the lower forty for the forgotten items. Along the way, I see the graham crackers needed for the crust and don’t remember if we have any at home. Grabbed a box plus a box of powdered milk. Needed four 8-oz packages cream cheese and one 8-oz carton sour cream. Got those. Turned to head back to checkout and noticed the butter. Oh, dear, do we have extras in the freezer? Not sure, snatched up one pound. Made a right-hand final turn toward the front of the store and there it was – Hershey’s Syrup in the can! Glaring down at me with imaginative signs of oozing chocolate waiting to be licked! [When hubby bakes cheesecakes there is always enough for a tiny cheesecake sample for all the hard work. Wouldn't that thick, rich Hershey's Syrup be great drizzled over the top? And, o-o-o-oh, it is so much better in the can and not always available or that easy to find.]
Reinactment!
Now, remember, I already have a box of graham crackers and one of powdered milk, four 8-oz packages cream cheese, one 8-oz carton sour cream, and one pound butter. What’s one more item? Shifting the items, cradling them in my arms which are crossed hoping to keep everything secure, I slowly turn my body to the right, reach up with my right hand that is only mobile from the wrist to the fingers, and voila I ease the can off the rack onto the pile and neatly tuck it under my chin. Only thing left is the walk down the longest aisle of the store to checkout where hopefully hubby is patiently waiting. It was definitely the longest aisle and took the longest time to trek than any other during the entire shopping spree.
Whew! Almost there. Hubby is in sight and thank goodness he is the next in line for the conveyor belt. That was in my favor. He hates lines and if he had to let someone ahead because I was taking too long, heaven forbid! As he turned his head and spotted me coming toward him, all I could hear was this roar of laughter as he (not whisperingly) exclaimed, “That’s my wife, octopus arms!”
I know by now you are wondering what all of this has to do with the lady and her T-shirt…
As all of the items plummeted from my arms onto the conveyor belt. I turned around to begin unloading the grocery cart. That is when I spotted the lady and focused on her T-shirt. Think about it. Had I not gone back for the forgotten items and took the amount of time I did as I spotted other items along the way hubby and I would have already been out of Walmart and on our way home never having seen the lady, the T-shirt or read its message.
All of a sudden thoughts of how everyone is so in tune with today’s advancements in technology, gizmos, gagentry and gear, ‘techie’ tips at every turn, flooded my mind centering on how appearances of hearts and minds no longer yearn for the simple things in life. One cannot leave home without a cell phone, Tablet, iPad, iPod or as I just learned about yesterday, the Livescribe Smartpen. They have become as much a part of daily life as the quill and scroll, pen and paper of yesteryear, used to be. Where messages and love notes were once penned, now they are texted. In other words, where messages and love notes were once hand written, now they are generated electronically.
Are you seeing a connection? Recall the title of this post, The Original Text Message?
It was these words, The Original Text Message, that appeared across the front of the T-shirt. Why was I so focused on those words? I don’t even text. In fact, I had text-messenging added to my new cell phone over six months ago in order to receive a code for activation. Received the code along with 500 ‘free’ whatever and I haven’t used it since. I do have a computer (in fact, two, desktop and laptop) but no iPad, iPod or the newly learned Livescribe Smartpen. [The pen does seem worth investigating. I hate losing random thoughts.]
The lady with the T-shirt obviously felt my stare. I abruptly stopped unloading the grocery cart, totally oblivious of anyone else in line and as I walked toward her, she began to walk toward me. . .
OMG! There it was! The message and its true meaning. . .
The Original Text Message
Thank you for visiting catnipoflife. . .Please leave a comment!
From catnipoflife
“Hugging has no unpleasant side effects and is all natural.
There are no batteries to replace, it’s inflation-proof and
non-fattening with no monthly payments.
It’s non-taxable, non-polluting, and
is, of course, fully refundable.”
~Author Unknown
Inspiration and Imagination - A Blueprint For Writing
An open window’s unique view
Thrusts awareness upon you
Look up, look down, look left, look right
Inspiration lies in plain sight
Make note of what you see
There’s magic in imagery
Spirits of inspiration
Whisper through imagination
*************
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http://www.likelitelife.in/2012/06/inspiration-and-imagination-blueprint.html
the nightingale glides across a twilight sky
a symbol of love and longing in flight
it exhales in a melodious love song
shattering the solitude of the night
~catnipoflife
Since ancient times birds have been considered a connection between heaven and earth. They are known to reach deep into the heart and the soul through symbolism and spirituality. For some cultures, their symbolism is one of immortality, while some myths declare every bird in the world representative of a departed soul. Birds have been immortalized in art throughout the world and in Christian art, birds often appear as saved souls. They also provide inspiration for remarkable stories written in both prose and poetic meter offering time for solitude within deep repose.
How many different birds can you match with their key word significance? Here are just a few. . .
The most renown bird in America is, of course, the Bald Eagle. As our national bird, it bestows freedom and courage to look ahead being forever watchful. It signifies strength while conveying powers and messages of the spirit. Special significance is placed upon the Eagle and its feathers by Native American Indians often becoming an iconic symbol and tribal logo.
The eagle or one of these below just might be your inspiration for tomorrow. . .
In water, one sees one’s own face but reflection goes much deeper than simply looking upon the water’s surface. Have you ever thought about the depth of that reflection? How deep does your reflection go, physically and spiritually . . . into the heart, mind, body, soul? Beyond the depths of imagination, into optical illusion, can one experience reflection upon the water.
The mind is a gallery of reflection: Open it through life-changing lens. ~catnipoflife
When you look upon the water, what do you see?
“The brightest light moving away from us, unless it be reflected, is darkness to us.” ~Author Unknown
“Whatever you want in life, start today. Not tomorrow – today. Let it be a small beginning – a tiny beginning. Your happiness depends on starting today – every day.”
Need nourishment? Visit my new Pinterest board, Daily Soul Food!
“A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.”
~Tenneva Jordan
To my mother, Anita Louise Weston Lee (1919 – 2010):
Sometimes you seem so far away
Memorable moments shorten the way
Moments you firmly held my hand
Guiding me along life’s hardened land
Distance spans an epic terrain
Visions of your smile block out any pain
Smiles of delight as well as tears
Carrying us through the roughest years
As tears fall with each passing day
Voice of memory keeps sadness astray
In other words. . .
Though you seem so far away
You are as close as my thoughts
Thoughts remaining ever so clear
Never to fade from year to year
Images implanted in my mind
Lift my spirits at any time
Spirits to refresh my soul
Keeping me toward life’s goal
For you see. . .
Thoughts of you eternally stay
You don’t seem so far away
Echoes ©2012
Sharla Lee Shults
From: catnipoflife
To: all Mothers near and far
May your sons and daughters
Know how special you are
It is indeed an honor to receive this award from Claire Cappetta, who is in the process of completing her first novel, Ride to Liberty. A truly compelling story is about to be shared! In her own words, “Claire is a creative writer and has recently retired from the financial world to concentrate on the dream of publishing a first novel, which follows a woman’s journey through relationships, domestic abuse and empowerment. Although a difficult topic to cover the story is heartwarming.” Be sure to visit Claire’s blog for her 10 nominations for this award. All are inspiring and who knows which one might tug at your heartstrings:>)
Now, it is I who get to GIVE the award by paying it forward again to bloggers who inspire me and bring Sunshine into my blogging life:
May your week be blessed and filled with inspiration!
Roadsides are dotted with clusters of brightly colored daisies engulfed in rain-aided green grasses. The smiling face of each flower brightens the view of fields and ditches along nature’s highway. Butterflies flit and flutter from flower to flower beckoning “come dance with me.” ~catnipoflife
Here we are at the beginning of a new week and where will you seek/find inspiration? Perhaps you need only to simply stop, look and listen within your ordinary surroundings for its discovery may take little or no effort at all. Within our daily midst, sights, sounds and smells are waiting to be awakened, explored, enjoyed and shared.
That which is seen with the naked eye is often interpreted differently from individual to individual. With each vision comes thoughts and emotions that may strike an emotional chord of harmony or cast shadows of discord. Through these visions comes the ability to put what is seen only once into words that can last for a lifetime. Of course, thoughts might instead shift to that of a camera with the old adage ‘a picture is better than a thousand words’ immediately coming to mind. But, oh-h-h, how many times has that miraculous once-in-a-lifetime Kodak moment been missed? How many times has it been said or heard, “If I only had my camera. . .” More times that can be counted for sure! Yet, the vision is still there, stored in the scrapbook of the mind. Each time a page is turned in the mind’s diary that vision reappears. The recourse: write about it!
Nature is overflowing in its natural awe-inspiring, breath-taking wonders, none of which more
mystical, nor mysterious, than the butterfly. What is it about this delicate insect that unites the heart with the soul? Some might say it is its symetrical beauty, others feel it has sensory powers of healing, while many purely delight in its wispy nature. Its beauty is consuming, none of which more captivating than when feeding on sugary nectar. (View Beautiful Butterflies from around the world.)
One of the butterfly’s favorite sources of nectar is the flower, especially the daisy. Butterflies and daisies go hand-in-hand within the natural wonders of nature. Watching the butterfly feed is a wonder in itself as it perches atop the flower dipping deep with a strawlike tongue into the rich 
nectar, opening its wings wide, bringing them in again, all the while savoring each drop. Ah-h-h, but this sweet fluid is not the only treat these little insects enjoy. Did you know they also love fruit? Of course, that is totally understandable since the fruits of nature are filled with sweet, natural juices.
Book Connection – Echoes
Inside my book Echoes, Chapter Three reflects poetry surrounding the beauty of nature. Within this chapter is the poem Butterflies ‘n’ Daisies. As you read its verses, Do you see what I see? It is hoped through its reading, you will be inspired as its words guide you toward meeting the challenge of your daily inspiraton!
“Butterflies count not months, but moments, and have time enough.” ~Rabindranath Tagore
