Slicer Party #SOL23 RSVP

Slicer Leigh Anne Eck is an exceptional hostess. Once again, she is hostessing an online slicer party during the last weeks of the 16th Annual March Slice of Life Challenge. Below is the beautiful invitation that was posted on Leigh Anne's blog, One Day in the Life, on March 16th. 

This year, Leigh Anne is inviting slicers to think about our best colors. In 2021, she found a slice by a fellow slicer, Deborah Dillon, and decided that her thought, "The best colors are everywhere because they are in the things I love.."  would become our RSVP to Leigh Anne's party. 

to the party, I will bring:

a poetic bouquet of springtime colors

scented in lavender

against nature's fields of green-

twigs of cherry blossoms

from Virginia's trees-

delicate forsythias to

add to a funnel-shaped vase-

spring adds colors to

liven earth,

freshen each heart,

offer renewal

©CVarsalona, 2023

Photos from Unsplash

Robin Williams stated, "Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party." Yes, thank you Leigh Anne for suggesting a party of colors. May the colors of the earth provide a joyful experience for all at your party.

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Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Story Challenge Day 21.

Pennsylvania Welcomes Tourists

As we traveled to Pittsburgh for a framily wedding, I saw this sign and knew I had to photograph it. It became the opening of the photo album I created for the wedding couple. It is an inspirational slogan created by the Pennsylvania Tourism Partnership. Karen Winner Sed, Co-Chair of the PTP stated, "Happiness is a universal aspiration. Whether you are looking to explore the outdoors a historical attraction, or an urban setting the overarching motivator is happiness." Happiness flowed throughout the wedding weekend. Smiles were everywhere but it did not take a sign to bring out the sunshine that lit up faces. Happiness is an inward emotion that does bring smiles.

 What made me happy this weekend in Pittsburgh?

• The Priory Hotel was a beautiful setting for an elegant wedding. It was built in 1888 and was refurbished beautifully.

• It was such a joyous moment when I was able to hug all my framily friends and enjoy special times with them. There are now several new little ones to bring love and laughter into our group.

• The wedding was a beautiful celebration of a dear couple who were embarking on their own pursuit of happiness journey.
• We took a brief walk through a part of Pittsburgh's history, the Strip District filled with boutique stores, larger shops, and restaurants. While it was cold outside, it was still fun seeing what Pittsburgh shopping offered. The long street reminded me of shopping in China Town in New York City.
• The drive home was pleasant and we had a delicious meal in a restaurant we love that is only an hour away from home. 

Because we were busy all weekend, I missed a couple of slices. Tonight, I am joining, Two Writing Teachers for their Slice of Life Story Challenge, Day 20.

Slicer Meet Up

The power of a Zoom meet-up is the conversation, exchange of information, and comfort of talking from home. 

Late yesterday afternoon, I read that Two Writing Teachers offered teacher workshops on Zoom. I missed the afternoon class but signed up with the thought that the windstorm would cease and my husband and son would be able to chase down the cushion to my patio chase lounge before the meet-up began. So at 8:00 pm, I turned on Zoom but the strangest thing happened. I could hear Tammy Evans and Erica J. speaking to each other but the video kept going on and off.  I tried the restart and the update buttons but that did not resurrect the video. After about 5 minutes of trying to Zoom with the slicers, I finally accomplished the task and had a wonderful hour of constant talk. It was like being with friends I have not seen in a very long time. 

It was great chatting about new formats we found at other slicers' blogs, how we get our ideas, and slicer blogs that we enjoy reading. I started to use the "Currently" format then changed my mind. I decided to use a simple poetic format, the hay(na)ku, that I shared at my recent professional development keynote address on Zoom for RSCS- Reading Specialist Council in Suffolk County, Long Island.

A new format for writing challenges: the hay(na)ku

-PD slide I provided for classroom or personal use-

Other samples for student use during  

SOLSC for students and National Poetry Month:

writing

small poems

celebrate students' thoughts

***

poetry

lifts spirits

beyond printed pages

***

celebrate

slicer stories

gifts to friends

Hay(an)kus written by ©CVarsalona, 2023

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 It's time to join Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Story Challenge - Day 15.

Museum of Happiness

Today I read a fantastic blog post written by Jama Rattigan for Poetry Friday.  Jama ended her post with a question based on the poem, "Happiness" by Stuart A. Paterson.

What does your Museum of Happiness look like?

What an exciting query to ponder. I know that happiness exists in different stages of my life but have I paused to shine the light on it? Where does it exist? I love to visit museums but would mine be filled with artifacts of life that others would be interested in viewing? Questions and thoughts fill my head at the beginning of this day. I need time to reflect on Paterson's poem.

Invitation

come, visit my

museum of happiness.

the show starts now.

in boxes, in an attic

memories spill out-

artifacts of time-gone-by 

found and resurrected,

Wait, for the pitch, "just be".

Wait at the roaring ocean,

at galleries of artistic expressions

lining walls of internet space.

a new show opens.

in these sacred places,

silence brings peace.

writing flows freely.

take a ticket, find a seat.

share the experience.

happiness awaits 

as the pen flows 

a state of mind grows

a slice of life penned,

new poems ascend.

©CVarsalona, 2023, draft

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Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Story Challenge
Day 12