Chasing Butterflies, Ladybugs & Sleep ...

I have just discovered a new 'natural' sleep aid.  It is called "Deep Sleep" and it is made from extract of California Poppy.  I was skeptical at first, because most natural sleep aids have little effect on me.  They make me drowsy and sometimes take the edge off, but my natural instinct is to fight sleep ... so they usually don't help me to actually sleep.  The latter aside, I am willing to try new things because I don't like taking medicines of any sort --especially sleeping pills-- long term. 

Image Source & Poppy Info

So I gave this "Deep Sleep", natural sleep aid  a try.  It takes awhile to kick in, but when it does it knocks you out.  It kept me out for a good 6 hours, which is a good night of sleep for me.  It took me awhile to shake off the grogginess afterwards too, but maybe my body just needs to get used to this new input?  I need to do some more research on this form of sleep aid.  I mean don't they make hard core drugs from poppies?  Opium, heroin?  So I have to wonder if taking this sleep aid will have detrimental side effects in the long run?  But in the meantime, I may see some nights with more than 3 (or zero) hours of sleep --and zero seems to be my norm of late-- in my immediate future.  I guess that's something, right??????

Photo of my own feet shortly?

Image Source

I love poppies ... always have.  Used to love running barefoot through fields of these, in Northern California, chasing after butterflies and lady bugs =) ... So perhaps it is fitting that poppies are now enabling me to find peace in the form of restful, regenerative sleep.

Here's a song that seems to go rather well with chasing butterflies, sleep or whatever you may be after.  This song has such an upbeat whimsical, almost child-like innocence to it, from my perspective ... Have a fabulous weekend, ya'll!

~M



Song: "Wax & Wire", By Loch Lomond

I found a piece of home ...

This image came up as a search tag for my blog?  Such a beautiful painting, is it not?  Wonderful illuminating vision by the artist, Elizabeth Osborne.  She surely transports me right into the middle of this field of glorious poppies.  I love poppies.  They are so wild and free.  One of my favorite flowers.  I have many wonderful memories of running through fields of these beauties ... barefoot of course ... chasing after ladybugs and butterflies.  This was during my days in northern California at about 9-11 years of age.

Image Source

I saw this painting and instantly felt such an overwhelming sense of peace.  This scene was a piece of home for me, a piece of me ... my own personal religion.  Think, this Spring I will have to drive down to California, kick off my shoes and go running through a field of poppies once again.  Been awhile since I went chasing after butterflies.  This will definitely be a photo capture for inclusion in my "finding my religion" photo series.

I did finally sleep and last night I dreamt of Syria.  I was a young mother, living there with small children ... My dream was so very real:  It was as if I was seeing the nightmare currently unfolding in the real world, in Syria, through the eyes of another.  In my dream it was the French who stepped up to the plate and finally got the ball rolling with respect to actually helping these people by sending in ground troops with NATO backing. We shall see if my 'vision' comes to pass?  In the meantime, I am still diligently and wholeheartedly praying for the women, children and men of Syria.  May God Bless them, each and everyone, and keep them safe until the rest of the world finds the courage to finally take decisive and meaningful action.