Frosted Memories

Christmas has always been a very special time for me. There is something about the shining lights, the decorating, and the baking that reminds me of how faith, family, and love intertwines to bless the house with joy. 

One feature of my new house that brings family and friends together is my kitchen with its huge space. It is here that I spent much time preparing the annual cookie bundles this year. I dabbled with different flavors and types of cookies but saved some time for the traditional sugar cookie making. First, I needed to find the cookie cutters that hold years of memories. Next, icing was needed so I searched the internet to find a delicious peppermint icing,  Sprinkles were needed after several attempts to cut out the cookies. This process brought me back to memories of baking cookies with my mother. As an artist, she easily decorated her cookies with different types of nibs. No matter how hard I tried, I could not create a design like hers but I heard on TV that a cookie's decoration did not need to be perfect. All you need to do is have fun. 

When I opened the sugar cookie container on Christmas, my granddaughter, Sierra, quietly snuck up next to me, peeked into the cookie container, and softly said.

"Grandma, you make beautiful cookies." 

After that sweet statement, my heart leaped for joy. I knew that my kitchen would be the place where baking happens with the little grandgirls and new memories would be born. 

Try a cookie. 

Make your own.

Enjoy the art of baking that brings 

loved ones together in a special place.

Baking Steps

in the kitchen

gather to bake

decorate with care

taste the cookies

frosted with sweetness

remember Christmases past

smile with love

compliment your efforts

bake another batch

©CV, 2021

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"Kitchen. Noun - A gathering place for friends and family. A place where memories are homemade and seasoned with love."

This is my Slice of Life forTwo Writing Teachers. I end with recollections of every bite of Christmas cookies I taste-tested this holiday.

Grateful for Treasured Moments

 We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” -Thornton Wilder

Treasured moments are small ones

filled with thanks for life and living. 

Within these small moments, 

families come together, 

snap photos for posterity, 

and mindfully enjoy the present. 

©CV, 2021

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Pausing-in-prayer before eating allows us time to give thanks and open our hearts to what we are grateful for in life. 

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Thanksgiving:

While Thanksgiving 2021 brought only part of the family together, it was a delicious, memorable meal that was a welcomed break from my husband's rigorous medically-prescribed diet plan. This was our pre-party for a weekend event that would bring a  surprise twist for our family gathering.

A Few Days Later:

Imagine our surprise when we awoke on Saturday morning and the turkey did not thaw out in time. EEK! Plan B was put into action. My husband drove to the local grocery store to search for a fresh turnkey that would feed seven. Upon entering the house, he excitedly told his tale. 

"There were at least 75 frozen turkeys and only one fresh one in the bin. The other good news is I only paid $3.60 for this 17 1/2-pound fresh turkey!"

A phone call let us know my daughter, son-in-law, and grandgirls would arrive.  The call was interrupted by an excited 4-year-old who could not wait to tell her news to Grandpa.

"Grandpa, we bought a chocolate cake for Grandma."

A few hours later, two pretty boxes came into the house. I could hardly wait to see what was inside. When it was time for dessert, the boxes were opened. Sierra decided to add four colorful candles to the chocolate cake. These were placed next to the birthday girl sign. 

"Mommy loves red," Sierra said.

I replied, "Did you know that I love red too?"

Aurora wanted to be raised higher to see the "happy" (short for a happy birthday party). The girls and I squished on one swivel chair for the traditional family event. An off-key tune was sung (so says my husband) and I along with my two little loveys blew out the candles. A bite into the chocolate cake brought me to another happy place. The yumminess of the chocolate and the creme layers was just too delicious for words!

Reflection:

The events of Thanksgiving 2021 seemed to erase the sting of last year's pandemic life and channel a new feeling of being blessed. 

🍁🍃🍂

Thanksgiving

a holiday

to gather together

with good food

family conversation

harmony 

©CV, 2021

Note: The above poem uses a hay(na)ku and reverse hay(na)ku  poetic form. A hay(na)ku has lines of one, two, and three word(s) for lines one, two, and three respectively. A reverse hay(na)ku reverses the order.

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The Power of Gratitude:

November ends a month of gratitude but in reality, it does not stop on November 30th. Let us all remember this. 

Thank you to my friend, Laurie Saurman, who shared this graphic on gratitude at her Facebook post.

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Thank you to my son, Derek Varsalona, for taking this beautiful photo in West Virginia while on a mini-vacation with his sister, brother-in-law, and little nieces.

weekend plans develop

inspiring an

autumnwatch

©CVarsalona, 2021 & Photo by ©Derek Varsalona, 2021, West Virginia

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Gratitude for the weekly Slice of Life offered by Two Writing Teachers.

Hay(na)ku of Gratitude

Lately, I watch November winds shift chilling the air and tossing crumpled leaves into garden beds. Days grow shorter and the sky darker. These are task-filled, ordinary days, yet they are days of thanks for small accomplishments. 

During gratitude month, I join other writers who find time to recognize earth's beauty and praise small moments through writing. I use a simple, contemporary poetic format, hay(na)ku, created by Eileen Tabios in 2003, and a photo by my daughter to create a gratitude poem.      

november

pauser of life

shifting our perspective

©CV, 2021. photo by Devin Hartnett 

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” -William Arthur Ward

My little grandgirls turn any day into sunshine by their presence and joyful spirits. I am thankful for their smiles, their love, and how they change my perspective on life. 

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I join Two Writing Teachers for Slice of Life Tuesday.

November Gratitude

November continues to celebrate National Gratitude Month. I indulge into morning reading. Karen Eastlund's post for Spiritual Journey Thursday catches my attention with the addition of a Mary Oliver poem, Mindful. Gratitude flows throughout the poem. 

A couple of Mary Oliver's lines

to lose myself

inside this soft world

©Mary Oliver, Mindful

 lead me to write a Day 8 gratitude poem

daylight saving time

offers a slowing-down pace

evening peace flows

©CVarsalona, 2021

I pen a gratiku above and a golden shovel poem below.

each day becomes shorter for a to-

do list of endless tasks. I need to lose

"supposed musts" and find time for myself.

 ©CVarsalona, 2021

At eveningtide, earth rests.

Sky shares its painted wonder.

A crescent moon shifts its glance -

Masterpiece of peace!
©CVarsalona, 2021

-Dodoitsu Poem-

After a long day of crossing off items on my to-do list, I once again fall asleep while writing. It's time to visit Two Writing Teachers to share my gratitude for Days 8 and 9. Good night moon!

The Spirit of Halloween

Halloween 2021 came to a close after a weekend of fun. A party, neighborhood gathering, and a parade of young children and families brought back the joy of Halloween. I found inspiration in the delight of donning a costume and enjoying each event with those family and friends. 

In the mood? Listen to This Is Halloween here.

"Halloween is not only about putting on a costume but it's about finding the imagination and costume within ourselves." 

Disco Pumpkin Dolly

White Walker

Prize-Winning Happy Fall Pumpkin

Sweet Little Princesses

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halloween spirit

spreads sheer joy each year

costumed constancy

©CV, 2021

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Join me in celebrating the season

at my Global Gallery of Artistic Expressions,

Bedecked in Autumn,

Share your image poems, inspirational quotes,

artwork or digital designs (or your students' work)

by November 19, 2021.

A Sneak Preview will be shared at Two Writing Teachers.

Send to cvarsalona at gmail.com.

Connecting with October

There is something magical about October's crisp air and a countryside outing. When the weather report changed from rain to sunshine this past weekend, the family took advantage of the weather to celebrate autumn. What awaited us was a few hours of unequivocal joy. 

We packed up the grandgirls who stayed with us throughout the weekend and followed their parents to Buckland Farmer's Market. The country store was filled with the tastes of the season but I first followed the little grandgirls to the playground area. It was filled with large bouncy areas, slides, and structures to get lost in, like the huge corn maze. Excitedly, I edged myself toward the corn maze. 

I took the lead into the first pathway. My son, daughter, and youngest grandgirl were immediately immersed into a maze of corn stalks taller than any of us. Corn was all over. Being dazzled by the sunlight and walking paths, we sauntered through row after row. At times, we stopped to take in the sights. Other times, we tried different walkways only to find a dead end with no further path. Aurora was amazed by what she saw inside the maze.

corn maze connection

nature trail filled with pleasures

little eyes open wide

©CV, 2021

Upon leaving the corn maze, I joined my four-year-old grandgirl who was enjoying her Sunday funday time on the farm playground. A huge series of tires embedded in the earth awaited her. The first time trying to climb up was unsuccessful but determined to stand on top of the tire, she tried again. I could not believe how proud she looked as she found her balance.

poised above the earth

she finds her balance and smiles-

stability

©CV, 2021

autumn memory

child and pumpkin connect-

hued splendor

©CV, 2021

Nature shines in color during the autumnal season inviting us to connect with the earth.

Autumn that year pained the countryside in vivid shades of scarlet, saffron, and russet, and the days were clear and crisp under the harvest skies.

-Sharon Kay Penmann

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I've wanted to join the Inktober and Poemtober challenges this month but never seemed to find the time. The prompt for October 25th is connect. Since I love the word, connect, I made time to compose my ideas both in digital art form and poetry.

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Today is Slice of Life Tuesday at Two Writing Teachers.

Thankfully, I join the writing community.

Along the Nature Trail

My toddler grandgirls arrived mid-morning on a bright October day this weekend. The sky was filled with sunshine and Mother Nature dressed the day in assorted leaf wear. 

It was one of fall's "just right" days to take a slow walk on the nature trail. Our first stop was the muddy pond?  "Where are the ducks, Grandma?", my four-year-old granddaughter asked. She kept looking but they were no where to be seen.

"I guess they are hiding from us," I explained and so we moved on to find fall on the trail. Emily Dickenson's poem, Fall, Leaves, Fall, was on my mind. We were off to see if "every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree."

Interesting-looking leaves, some wildflowers, and our shadow in the sunshine were found along the trail. In the distance, a little bridge appeared like a magical entrance into the woods. Yet, there was no walking trail further on. It was time to find another trail. 

As the sun hid under the canopy of trees, our shadows played hide and seek  Sierra shouted, "Where is my shadow?" We laughed and raced to the sunny spots while stopping to pick autumn's treasures, artifacts of the season. When hands felt cold and shoulders needed an extra layer, the girls cuddled in my shawls and sat on the bench by the muddy pond once again searching for the elusive ducks. 

on the nature trail

sunshine dressed in autumn leaves

celebrate fall

©CV, 2021

What happened to the artifacts picked along the trail?

Stay tuned to find out what type of project Sierra created.

(Next blog post will be ready on Thursday night.)

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Today is Slice of Life Tuesday at Two Writing Teachers.

Thankfully, I join the writing community.

Summer Gone-Finding Fall

Each year, Autumn approaches with a brush in hand. I wait in anticipation of its artistic masterpiece. This holiday weekend, my son traveled to West Virginia with my daughter and her family to find fall. He captured its splendor with his iPhone camera. I added a bit of digital magic to his glorious photo and penned haikus after delving into the photo.

it's sweater weather

fall dresses in turning leaves

nature celebrates

©CV, 2021

in this place of peace

nature brushstrokes a canvas

autumn resplendence

©CV, 2021

Autumn is a Slice of Life that transforms the world into a living museum of artistic pleasure.

I add my thoughts to Two Writing Teachers' Slice of Life Tuesday. 

Please join me this autumn as I celebrate this season of transformation and joy.

Consider offering a photograph and poem or inspirational thought of

autumn's brilliance for a fall gallery of artistic expressions.

Visit to a Pumpkin Patch

October entered and the pumpkin patch lured our family and little toddler grandgirls

to find its autumn gifts. 

It was a day like no other

dipped in sunglow.

Sightings of fern green,

fiery orange, and orangeslice pumpkins.

plumply lay in fields of asparagus-colored vines.

The sky billowing with cornflower hues

gleamed brightly onto goldenrod haystacks.

October entered in harvest glory

with summer's heat following.

 

Stepping lightly into the patch,

we laughed as we tried to balance.

Among the clinging vines, we

searched for just-the-right pumpkins

to grace our doorsteps.

It was a day to remember-

autumn heat blazing,

granddaughters frolicking,

slight sunburns and

a wagon full of fun.

©CV, 2021 

The quote of the day came from a 4-year-old as she struggled to carry her large pumpkin to the cart. "Grandma, it's teamwork!" If only each child could remember that line when trying to accomplish something that is just a bit beyond their comfort zone. 

Join me at Two Writing Teachers for Tuesday's Slice of Life.