Time To Be Thankful

Yesterday, I walked out into a darker-than-usual sky. Fresh leaves were strewn across the lawn and tucked away in the corners of my car. I quickly dashed for the inside of my car as the rain continued to flow and an unusual coolness was felt. I paused to enjoy a slow-down moment not because it is National Gratitude Month but because it is uplifting to be one with nature and the beauty of the Earth. Ralph Waldo Emerson offered a touch of uplifting gratitude.

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude."

With Thanksgiving almost here, the cookies baked for this weekend's Friendsgiving, and my little grandgirls visiting on Sunday, I feel blessed beyond measure. My house is ready to give thanks as is nature.

Mary Lee Hahn invited poets to write a #haikuforhealing. Since our mixed-up world, needs healing on many fronts I decided to join in. My thoughts begin with autumn sharing its last breath.

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Now it is time for me to join Poetry Friday with our host, Karen Edmisten, who sends us a poem that we all need and this thought: "Hug each other, stand for what is right and good, and keep creating and embracing beauty."

Blessed Beyond Measure

 

It's nearing Thanksgiving and our community is having its first Friendsgiving event. I decided my offering would be seasonal cookies from the heart of my kitchen. My son is my assistant. As I search for recipes, I remember baking with my Nonnie as a little girl. Memories of her rolling dough on her large breadboard come to mind. For many years of her life, my mother would make holiday cookies with me, using the Susan Branch cookbooks or recipes she found. One year my aunt passed down Italian cookie recipes from my Nonnie who did not read, write, or speak English. I laugh now reading that all of those recipes used lard, a staple during the war years.

 

Like my grandmother and mother, I enjoy being creative while baking. Above is a new group of pumpkin spice chocolate chip cookies I made this morning with a pumpkin that was previously roasted. To get the right taste I added various spices. Tomorrow I will add a dark chocolate frosting.

"Baking is the poetry of the kitchen."

Jean -Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

I was delighted to find this quote this morning. Baking is not only an art but a tradition in my family. It is a way to express creativity, emotion, and feelings as does poetry. 

Baking Memories

Memories float through my kitchen today

as sweet smells waft through the air.

Nonnie's large breadboard sits in the corner

reminding me of loving hands

that kneaded the dough to create

delectable cookies and honey dolls.

I pause to offer my son finger licks

of the leftovers in the bowl,

an after-baking tradition.

The art of baking has become

a blessing beyond measure.

draft, ©CVarsalona, 2024

August 2021

SPECIAL NOTE:

I am passionate about baking. I love the art of baking so much that I wrote a children's poem, "Would You Like To Bake?', that was published in "Clara's Kooky Compendium of ThimbleThoughts and WonderFuzz". This fabulous book was recently published by the amazing duo, Sylvia Vardel and Janet Wong, high-spirited and talented poets, authors, and editors. Frank Ramspott illustrated the book with clever designs and artwork to delight children. This is a book that you will want in your classroom and school libraries.  Stay tuned for my full review of the book. 

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This is my Tuesday's Slice of Life that I send to Two Writing Teachers,

a meeting place for a world of reflective writers.

November Thoughts

November rides the winds searching for Autumn's last breath before the season transitions to another. The change in weather adds to the beauty of blue skies and golden blankets beneath our feet. There is a sense of solemnity outdoors as people come and go doing their civic duty. 

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Photo created with Graphite

Returning indoors, news flashes, polls roll on by, and political talk sweeps across the stations. Voices become louder and emotions stir like leaves blowing in the wind, scattering here and there, and crunching beneath feet. Darkness approaches, polls close, and neighborhood streets become quiet once again.

Television anchor teams continue offering information late into the night. Smartboards load with two colors but results take their time in coming. Another beautiful November morning arrives and I fill our minds with more news and data. We pause with pride thinking back on the Preamble to the Constitution and hope that this presidential term will not be divisive. It is important to honor what our Founding Fathers wrote in the Constitution.

"We are the people of the United States who must establish justice, domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity."

We vote because "Voting is the expression of our commitment to ourselves, one another, this country, and this world". -Sharone Salzberg, American Author

May November winds circulate across the states, bringing the spirit of togetherness and unity.

autumn pause

election

commitment

quiet vote

in private

voice matters

cast ballot

stay informed

proud to vote

©CVarsalona, 2024, tricube

It is now time for Poetry Friday with Cathy Mere, our host. She offers a powerful poem on intergenerational women. Click here to find poetic goodness in Cathy's and the Poetry Friday's blogs.

Old-Fashioned Halloween Fun

       Halloween is always our family night of fun.       

This year we are having a Halloween sleepover with the little grandgirls so we have been busy preparing. There's a Halloween wreath on the door with a little ghost smiling. As my little costumed characters walk through my front door I will  shout out Happy Halloween. The foyer will have a variety of Halloween artifacts collected over the years. Every room will be decorated for the scavenger hunt. Dinner will not be ready so the grandgirls will have time to roam the house having  old-fashioned fun. After dinner, we may even enjoy a walk in the dark to see what lurks outside and then they will put on their Halloween jammies and watch a Disney magic Halloween movie before bedtime. Regardless of age, Halloween is a time for memories to be built and Jack Prelutsky's It's Halloween book to be read.

 Bringing Halloween to Life at Grandma's house! 

out comes the broom

and more decorations

little tricksters will come soon

to visit Halloween stations

smiling ghosts float around

creating dazzling scenes

in their wispy gowns

there are no haunting dreams-

Halloween is a magical night

without ghastly fright

©CVarsalona, 2024

•   Happy Halloween!  

Poetry Friday is hosted this week 

by the wonderful children's author/poet

Patricia Franz.

Click Here

My World, Your World, Our World

Wake up world. It's the last day of October. Excitement is in the air!  Meteorologists announce good weather news. Today is a sunny, 83-degree day. What a boost to living Nature provides!

For the past few days, I pondered how to connect the beauty of Autumn with Linda Mitchell's Spiritual Journey challenge, My World, Your World, Our World. I ended up jumping around many topics. The words I wrote did not find a straight path to the topic but then again, neither do the different ways we look at life. For the moment, my world is messy. There are assorted stacks of paperwork, multiple phone call messages, and medicine bottles from another respiratory infection found in between my autumn decorations. Each night, the news shares topics of immediate concern from across the globe. Our world is suffering. I decided to pause again to find words that would bring positivity. Below is a draft of a poem that I have changed many times. Comments are always encouraged.

I step into my world

breathe in Autumn's fresh air

soak in the sun's radiance

watch trees sway back and forth

as I awaken to Autumn's spices

I pause, open my heart to a new moment

the spirit of the season invites me

to be present, be thankful, be in love

with our beautiful world

-our only world-

More voices need to be raised against

destruction, hate, and divisiveness

my world, your world,

meld into our world

 let us find peace as

brilliant sunsets close

each night on a

spiritual journey 

©CVarsalona, 2024 draft

Thank you to our Spiritual Journey community for tackling different topics monthly with wisdom and inspiration. I look forward to reading friends' blog posts at Linda Mitchell's site.

October's End-Catch The Vibes

There's a whisper of Autumn's magic as she gracefully prepares to turn October's evenings into November days. Before November arrives, Autumn gathers colorful leaves swishing by her feet and throws them playfully into the wind. Then, she continues to tread lightly because ghastly ghosts might appear on her Autumn walk. Are you ready for a Halloween treat?

Would you like to see the above-animated poster? Click here to find the Buncee I created. If I lived in Louisiana, I would see mysterious Spanish Moss hanging over bushes. Last Wednesday, slicer Margaret Simon, shared a photo for This Photo Wants to Be Poem. One of her talented students, Avalyn  created a poetic format. You can click here to read the format. Moving on to Hallow's Eve, you can find another animated  Buncee.

Enjoy Halloween. I do every year and can't wait to see my grandgirls' costumes. 

This is my Tuesday's Slice of Life that I send to Two Writing Teachers,

a meeting place for a world of reflective writers.

Since I have another respiratory infection, I will spread slices and send comments tomorrow.

Autumn's Abundant Gifts

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Welcome to the Autumn Edition

of Poetry Friday

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Once again, Autumn unfolds in brilliant color and poetic thought. There are many ah-hah moments to enjoy because Nature understands the need to nurture life.  I am delighted to host this week's Poetry Friday. 

RELAX and REFLECT

There is a nostalgic feeling and a breath of autumn in the air and carried into my home. As you browse through my blog, you will most likely agree with me that:

If you have followed my blog each autumn, you will find Autumn Galleries of Artistic Expressions that I created. Many Poetry Friday authors offered their original image poems and photography to delight gallery guests. I honor all the writers and poets who shared their work integrating the arts, technology, and poetry. You can click on the titles of the underlined galleries. It's my Halloween treat.

2014  -   Finding Fall

2015   -  Autumn's Palette

2016   -  Autumnventure

2017   -  Autumn Ablaize

2020 -  Abundant Autumn

2021   -  Bedecked in Autumn

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Another treat is the debut of Janet Wong's and Sylvia Vardell's book, Clara's Kooky Compendium of Thimblethoughts and Wonderfuzz. Janet and Sylvia have created a unique anthology of poems from a 150 poets. I was delighted to have one of my poems, Would You Like To Bake?, published in this amazing collection. Each set of poems includes an interesting ThimbleThought and a wonder question, WonderFuzz. Students will enjoy the illustrations by Frank Ramspott and the exercise journals. Since I recently received my book, I will review the book soon. Then, I will send it off into the universe of KidLit. You will enjoy getting kooky with Clara. Thank you, Janet and Sylvia, for creating a book that will dazzle students, classroom teachers, and families.

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Poetry Sister October Prompt

Write a poem in which you literally build and/or take apart something for your reader. Focus your attention on constructing or deconstructing your object, taking into account technical terms, instructions, perhaps even the source of your materials.

I created a quick trinet poem sequence about constructing a spooky but fun scavenger walk through my house for my grandgirls. 

Halloween spirit

Floats in.

Boxes of decorations will mesmerize grandgirls.

Scarecrows, costumes, ghosts, create fall magic.

Spirits unleash.

Scenes created.

Spooky ambiance!

Ready for

Halloween party?

Not yet, where's the orange light?

Who'll stack boxes in the garage?

Crazed search.

Weekend hunt

Trickster's treat!

©CVarsalona, revised 2024

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Over the years, it has been a pleasure to present the colors of Autumm through a poetic and artistic lens. Autumn is the time to curl up reading. Enjoy the range of writing from the Poetry Friday community.  Enjoy the range of writing from the Poetry Friday community. Happy Halloween! 

NOTE: I tried out a new company for link-ups but I a glitch occurred. If you left a comment, it might be deleted so please add it again, Click to Enter, again.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

In Awe of Autumn

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It was a crisp mid-October day that opened its expansive blue sky to the beauty of Autumn. We drove on the country road bordered by a canopy of huge green trees splattered with the colors of fall, umber, russet, gold, maize, crimson, pine green, and raw sienna. The rows of trees stood close together like crowds watching a parade. One leaf danced in front of our car and another followed the leader. I paused and wondered. Do leaves whisper to each other?

We continued to drive in awe of Autumn's beauty. Gravel roads took us to Wegmeyer Farm with a quaint barn that led us to pumpkin fields. The orange pumpkins against a backdrop of green trees enhanced the beauty of this magnificent fall day.

Outside the barn was a glorious array of nature's finest farm-raised items and a cutout board for photos Inside the barn were wooden bins of gourds and pumpkins in various sizes. The large bumpy ones I had never seen before. Little Lila did not enjoy those gourds.

Goosenecks were fun to pick up and share with the little grandgirls. Outside there was a glorious array of nature's finest farm-raised items. There was even a cutout board for photos in the cutouts outside but our baby was not in the mood.

It was time for the hayride, so the family climbed into the wagon and sat on large haystacks. We traveled through the farmland. The ride was bumpy but the scenery was lovely. The grands were delighted with the scavenger hunt that encouraged them to find interesting objects in the woods. Besides farm tools and a group of tiny scarecrows lined up like a football team, Halloween characters were hiding in the trees. After twenty minutes of a fun bumpy hayride, the farmer returned to the corn maze and the barn. The ride was delightful but getting up from the haystack was difficult for me; the barn's bakery smells led us forward. There were apple cider and glazed donuts for a treat. After taking in autumn's magic at the farm, we traveled to the next stop, a brewery and a playground for the children. The slogan Virginia is for lovers is a true statement. We bid the little girls goodbye with kisses. The spirit of autumn was in the air.

Virginia's scenic roads led us to discover new country places to wander and pause while Autumn was all around. Perhaps next weekend we will find more hidden gems to explore.

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sunshine spilling,

leaf-dancing

nostalgic memories of crisp autumn mornings

recall kaleidoscopic scenes that changed weekly-

nature's invitation:

gather outside

find fall

©CVarsalona, 2024

trinet poetic form

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INVITATION for WRITERS:

Join me at my blog as I host Poetry Friday on 10/25/2024.

My topic is Awe-Inspiring Autumn.

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This is my Tuesday's Slice of Life that I send to Two Writing Teachers,

a meeting place for a world of reflective writers.

Halloween Digital Delights with Poetic Flare

There is a trickster in the house.

Boo! It's Grandpa!

Halloween is an experience down memory lane.

I remember it well-

present (above) to past years (below).

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 Let's move backward in time to college days. 

With flashlights, we trod lightly on the cemetery grounds.

 Teaching days brought a Harvest House

scenario for the entire school. There were

decorations, read out louds, refreshments, and fun.

In the neighborhood, 

families gathered together for trick and treat. 

Adults enjoyed costume parties.

Little grandgirls chose their fashionable wear as Disney characters.

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Halloween's Coming!

It's time to light up your imagination.

Now that the digital artwork has been presented, I turn to poetic flare.

Halloween Delight

Momentum rises. 

Halloween is around the corner. 

It specializes

Not as a mourner,

A magical night it is.

Are you ready

dear little miss?

If not, go steady.

Walk down the streets

But beware

Of gobbly treats.

and smells in the air.

Laugh and enjoy

The darkness of night

Don't destroy

Or cry with fright.

Halloween dances

In clothes of black

As he prances

Call him Jack.

©CVarsalona, October 2024, quick write

Country Living

I hope you enjoy a taste of my Halloween-inspired digital art and poem for my little grandgirls. You can see more of my Halloween digital artwork taken in my Long Island neighborhood before we moved by clicking here.  

"l love Halloween and I love that feeling: the cold air, the spooky dangers lurking around the corner." 

Below is a song for little children to sing on Halloween.

I presented my treats so now I share a Halloween trick: 

Find me as a costumed character in the above digital artwork.

Have a Fa-Boo-Lous Halloween!

Now, I am turning the Poetry Friday corner to link in with one of my favorite poet friends, Matt Forrest Esenwine who hosts today's Poetry Friday. Click here to find out what Matt is sharing. You will read a plethora of good news about Matt's success in the Kidlit literary world. I always enjoy book reviewing his work so stay tuned!

I invite everyone to join me next week as I host Poetry Friday. 

Bring your delightful photos, quotes, digital artwork, and poetic goodness. I am excited to share our poetry community's wonderfilled offerings.

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Let your imagination take you wherever it wishes to go. - Carol