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.

These Feet ...

A poem that evolved from yesterday's ponderings.   This is a work in progress, as am I ...

Image Source

"These Feet"

1    Walk, skip, run ...

2    And when I'm lucky, dance with these feet  the Creator,

3    In His infinite wisdom unto me so gifted.

4    I will walk through this journey, my so-called life,

5    Joyful arms out-lifted on a glorious adventure unscripted. 

6    Free-will  our inheritance enlisted,

7    These feet carry a warrior with a gentle heart,

8    Willfully serving His higher purpose.

9     His voice ever near and endlessly heeded,

10   I am an empty vessel waiting  to be filled ...

11   A burning spirit, sealed in fire, watching, waiting,

12   Listening, ready to be used as I am needed.

13   Renouncing Fear , these feet journey ever forward

14   Knowing full well moments there shall call

15   Where these feet shall scarcely find the will to crawl.

16   To my knees then will I swiftly fall, but even then

17   Fear will NOT rule:  my will remains immune to worldly strife.

18   Unyielding Faith in the Creator breathes me Life.

19   My spirit calls unto Him to fill up the

20   Empty wanting that in this darkness is me ...

21   In my Valley of Darkness safe from harm

22   The Creator will me keep.  With His Infinite Love

23   And Merciful Grace, He renews a weary me.

24   Therefore, I shall not with worldly tears weep. 

25   Fortifying my strength, opening eyes, mind, heart and soul:

26   He fills me up and makes me once again whole.

27   Thus renewed, these free-willed feet

28   Choose to resume His Divine Bidding.

29   Joyful steps these feet trace in the sands of a so-called life,

30   Mindfully infused with Heaven's Eternal Pace:

31   The Cosmic Beat set with Supreme Perfection

32   Unto Nature's Rhythmic Feet  ...

33   With Nature, I strive to be One.

34   So move these feet, ever forward in motion,

35   A glorious notion in aid to simple hands;

36   A paired will awaits:  there to do as He insights.

@Copyrighted Poem, 2012.  All Rights Reserved:  Isabelle Black Smith.

“It is the marriage of the soul with Nature that makes the intellect fruitful, and gives birth to imagination.” ~Henry David Thoreau

The Shoes Make the Man?

I seem to be beating this cold.  It doesn't stand a chance.  Doomed to fail ... It picked the wrong host. ; )

Not many images and words flowing from me these days, but I did finally sleep some.  Now, I am feeling restless and need to go for a run.  So that must be a sign that I'm on the mend.

Image Source

Thinking about shoes today and how I'm not a big fan of shoes.  I love being barefoot ... well, when its practical and sometimes even when its not.  Anyhow, I am thinking about feet ... How they carry us where we want to go.  They enable us to 'pursue our dreams' in a manner of speaking.   Then my thoughts skip to the saying "The shoes make the man."  Do people really a judge a man by his shoes?  How shallow ... to my way of thinking anyhow.  Then the image of Jesus washing Peter's feet (I posted a painting of this story image from the Bible a few days back, in my post labeled "Jury Duty") comes to mind.  The latter Bible story really struck a chord with me as a small child and does even now to this day.

I often have dreams where feet are a part of the dream.  What does that mean?  Just a few days back, I wrote a post about reincarnation and a dream I have had of late that revolves around a pair of stolen shoes. I have also had a recurring nightmare for many years where I am running barefoot through the night and my feet are being cut and badly bruised along the way ... then in the middle of the dream my feet are washed just before the real horror of the nightmare unfolds.

I know 'feet' seem an odd thing to ponder, but at times my mind has a will of its own.  Although, I am quite often surprised at some of the profound places my strange pondering ends up leading me.  Where will this pondering of feet ... shoes ... go?  I haven't a clue.  I'm off to go for a run now; I'll let you know if I reach any profound conclusions along the way.



Peace & Love,
~M





Early morning ... It is nearly my magic hour of 3:00 a.m.  I seldom can sleep before this time unless I take sleeping pills which I don't like to do.  Well after my run, my fingers found a movie centering around the dance of Tango.  Very apropos ... Feet dance when the spirit is so moved.  Our feet carry us through life and if we are lucky ... fortunate ... enough we get to dance along the way, right?  It also occured to me while watching this movie, that dance is perhaps something that can bridge cultural and regional lines or differences maybe?  Dance is a language unto itself and a universal language at that?  Throughout the ages, and around the globe, are there not countless instances of man engaged in  dance?  We all share perhaps the inate ability to be moved to motion ... to dance ... when the music moves us.

I have to smile.  The universe moves in mysterious ways does it not?  Tango anyone?