Noticing Life's Beauty

As the last days of Springtime, turn a corner, a gray sky triggers inspiration. It's time to bring nature inside. A vase of flowers from the past reminds me to notice small moments. 

nurtured by nature

spring florals nestle inside

a peaceful moment

©CV, 2026

I celebrate 9 years of life with my oldest grandgirl and her sisters on the first days of summer vacation. We swim, have chocolate pudding, blow out a candle, and engage in artistic activities. Colorful pictures appear with crayons and a magic pencil as the birthday girl creates her own floral display, a mix of live parsley flowers and blue hydrangea legos. It's amazing how live the hyrandea bouquet looks in the crystal vase (and the quick speed that it took for Sierra to create the display).

The little grandgirls and I are off to make chocolate cake for the birthday party. It's a family weekend but I will catch up with the Poetry Friday Roundup blogs. In the meantime, I excitedly moved to Buffy Silverman's blog that she states is the Soggy Edition of Poetry Friday. Click here to find our what the gardener, nature lover, poet is offering. 

Be of peace everyone!

Summering on the Spiritual Journey

The art of summering is captured in the wonder of morning light, the darkness of a starry night, and the awe-inspiring beauty of nature. Poet Wallace Stevens stated, "The summer night is like a perfection of thought." I agree! 

My love for summer dates back to my early childhood when I summered with my Nonnie. Each week was full of small excursions such as walking to the library and church, running around the multiple flower beds and vegetable gardens, and pinning laundry on a rope as the breeze flipped and flopped our wash. Each activity was an uncomplicated, valuable memory of summertime. 

As an adult, the art of summering lifts my spirits. I wander through nature, finding ordinary items to dazzle me. Even a tiny dandelion, as simple as it is, brings joy. Now that June is here, with its kingdom of beautifully selected skies, beds of colorful flowers, and my magnolia trees, I can slow down with a more mindful approach. 

Yesterday, sunlight opened the day. I felt the pangs of loss more so than before, so I decided to go on my first walk in months. I breathed in June's fragrance of fresh-cut grass and hint of lilac and lavender. I listened to the sounds of birds and the swish-swash of the water pond. I paused for a short time, just to stare at the majesty of this summer-like environment. Knowing that June is "busting out all over, I need to renew my one word commitment to enjoy life.

"It was June, and the world smelled of roses. The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside."  - Maud Hart Lovelace 

Three reading women in a summer landscape by Johan Krouthen, 1908

So what is summering to me? It is savoring stilled golden moments (as seen above in the artwork), time to enjoy the sounds of nature and the ebb and flow of the ocean, and inhale the scent of flowers. It is also a time to relax, barbecue, and enjoy life with family and friends. 

Ecclesiastes 11: 7-8 reminds me to delight in the light of day, while acknowledging the limitations of life. (AI) On my spiritual journey, there will be stumbling and confusion but hope shall help me find a new path as summer blossoms unfold.

I wake from sleep

stumble to see the light

alone with thoughts

I feel confused

what was once is no longer

yet life moves on

seasons change

the sounds and sights

of June usher in renewal

©CVarsalona, June 2025

Thank you to book lover and writer, Ramona Behnke, for leading our Spiritual Journey community this June with the theme of Summering.

Since time is precious, I am also offering my blog post for Poetry Friday. Thank you to nature poet, author, and photographer, Buffy Silverman, for hosting today's Poetry Friday Roundup. She is reviewing two books: Flurry, Float, and Fly! by Laura Purdie Salas and Wonder Why by Lisa Varchol Perron. You will also see there are many other poets who are sharing their poetic goodness.

Nostalgic Thoughts

Educators are in back-to-school mode, so providing students with a fresh perspective on the curriculum is important. My back-to-school thoughts are ignited by a conversation with my granddaughters. 

How was the beginning of school, Sierra (2nd grader)? What did you learn? 

             Obviously, I learned, Grandma! 

                   Then, I turned to Aurora our PreK student. What did you learn at school?

                       I don't know!

To step into the back-to-school mood, I blended mathematics with simple poetic formats to bring back the wonders of summer. I chose the Fiib poem format which has a syllable count following the Fibonacci series (1,1,2,3,5,8,13...)

Nostalgic Thoughts

sand

tucked

in toes

remnants of

sand-blown, childhood days

whirling in fabulous, sun-baked

shorelines, swishing alongside

a school of baby fish

©Carol Varsalona, 2024

Then, I found a lovely quote from a Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis poem that provided a title. You can read the rest of her poem here.

Nostalgia - that's the Autumn

Dreaming through September

Just a million lovely things

I always will remember.

There are many other simple formats for students to remember their summer memories. There is a haiku below.

Happily, we bask in this warm September sun, which illuminates all creatures.

-Henry David Thoreau

For more poetic formats for students, please peruse the new book, Picture Perfect Poetry, An Anthology of Ekphrastic Nature Poetry for Students designed by Carol Labuzzetta. You can see my book review here. 

Carol Labuzzetta, editor self-publisher, poet

I turn to the Poetry Friday Roundup hosted by a fabulous author, poet, and nature lover, Buffy Silverman.

Path to Renewal in Late Autumn

Looking back to my teenage years, I remember falling in love with fall. I enjoyed walking alone through the leaves listening to crunching sounds while breathing in the scents of autumn. I became a Central New York autumnophile who observed and reflected on the beauty I saw.  

Two weekends ago in Virginia, Autumn brightened the sky. Temperatures were warm and inviting. When my husband suggested taking a country ride to Shenandoah National Park I welcomed the trip. After all, I had years of memories of New York autumns. The short trip was filled with Aha moments. The countryside was dotted with multi-colored trees in brilliant tones. I don't think I ever saw such splendiferous beauty at the end of October. I felt renewed energy as I breathed in the warmth of autumn air and was astonished by the breathtaking beauty found on Skyline Drive as we drove upward stopping at various elevation sites.

copper-colored, regal red, and cinnamon paints

splash across the blue-bonnet sky

nature unveils her autumn gift

along a mountaintop trail

splashed across the blue-bonnet sky

darkened hues edged in white cotton puffs

along a mountaintop trail

offer nature's expansive wilderness view

darkened hues edged in white cotton puffs

above rows of fieldstone edging along the trail

offer nature's expansive wilderness view

a mute testimony to a cultural past*

above rows of fieldstone edging along the trail

majestic trees blaze in brilliant colors

a mute testimony to a cultural past

of copper-colored, regal red, and cinnamon paints 

©CVarsalona, 2023

*Shenandoah National Park: From Idea to Reality article

*****************

Breathe in Autumn's breathtaking views.

Feel RENEWED.

Be grateful for the Master Painter's artistic touch.

"I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles."

-Psalm 145:5

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Be mindful:

Fallen leaves on the ground are the golden song of immortal creativity.

~Amit Ray

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I am grateful that this month's Spiritual Journey host, Fran Haley, teacher-leader, and writer, suggested the theme of renewal as our prompt. It is the right choice for the first days of November which allow us to breathe in crisp air and watch the leaves fly by. 

My path to renewal of mind, body, and spirit began with the trip to Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park and continues each time I step outside into nature's freshened pathway. I reflect on these slowdown days of Autumn that showcase Earth's beauty and provide renewed energy to partake in nature's gifts.  

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day." -2 Corinthians 4-16  

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Because my time is running out this weekend, I am adding my post to the Poetry Friday Roundup. Children's Author/Poet Buffy Silverman is hosting today, She is celebrating the publication of her newest children's book     ==================>.  

November enters with gratitude for life and living.

TIME TO CELEBRATE POETRY FRIDAY

#smallpoem for Anastasia Suen's November Challenge

Thoughts for June Days

"June is the time for being in the world in new ways, for throwing off the cold and dark spots of life." - Joan D.Chittiste

The floral beauty of June

arrived at May's edge. It was

quietly waiting, not

overstated with unmade,

messy beds for 

days of restless wind.

It busted in with bees and

abundance for days of minimal stress.

©CVarsalona, 2023

The strike line for the golden shovel poem is "June was not made for wind and stress" from  Why Was June Made? by Annette Wynne.  Click here to read the poem. 

June is bustin' out all over!

Enjoy the lushness of each June day because ↓

Springsations Gallery is singing its swan song so pause to see the range of poetic tributes to the spring season. Click here to see the Springsations Gallery. Thank you to Marcie Flinchum Atkins and Donna Smith for adding their image poems to the Gallery. 

It's Poetry Friday with our host, the nature-loving poet, children's author, and  photographer, Buffy Sliverman. Join me at Buffy' website for an exploration of poetic goodness.

Blessed and Holy

With its mixed media delights, November is Gratitude Month, a time to pause and reflect on being thankful for life's blessings. When Fran Haley, teacher-writer slicer, introduced the word holy as the prompt for the Spiritual Journey Thursday community (SJT) this month, I paused to ponder the meaning of the word in my life. Holy is a word I learned during  catechism studies as a child. As I grew, I remained in faith and heard the word holy repeated often but I never intently considered the significance of this small word. With this in mind, I searched for quotes that would bring clarity. I found one written by a revered Jewish theologian and philosopher, Abraham Joshua Heschel. "Just to be is a blessing. Just to live is holy."  

I have tried repeatedly to "just be", meditate quietly, and pause often to find small delights  to be thankful for but my impatient side often has me racing toward a lengthy to-do list. It is difficult to just be when there is an ominous pressure surrounding me. Piles of papers dealing with household tasks and my son's disability case detract from the beauty of Thanksgiving decorations and memories of sun-golden days of autumn like the scene below.

🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂

In my last blog on gratitude, I explored the following idea by Eckhart Tolle. 

"Just be and enjoy being."

Perhaps, the act of just being is one I talk about but it is not always part of my actions. I think of myself as a work in progress, pausing, reflecting, and acting. I question the constant movement so now, I sit still in between tasks remembering the quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything this is beautiful for beauty is God's handwriting." Even the rain tapping against my windows reminds me to look and find thanks for earth's gifts. For a few minutes, I enjoy the silence after the rain. Being in the moment is a sacred act of thanksgiving.  I thank my fellow SJT writers for their perspective on Fran Haley's reverent and inspirational prompt holy that you can access here. As I reread the words of my fellow SJT writers, I discovered a line or two from each of their blogs and created a poem.

Setting the Rhythm

Open the soul to seeing.

Holiness can be found in any place.

The soul should always stand ajar, 

Ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.

Beauty is God's handwriting.

Live your life in ways that help others and

At evening's end, feel the movement of the earth

Gracefully bowing down to heaven;

Utter a silent prayer of gratitude,

worship deep, and

Be thankful for the blessings bestowed.

©CV, 2022

Credits

Line 1  Fran Haley

Line 2 Bob Arjeha

Lines 3-4 Emily Dickinson

Line 5  Ramona Behncke

Line 6 Bob Arjeha

Lines 7-8 Carol Varsalona

Line 9 Chris Margocs

Line 10 Margaret Simon

Line 11 Carol Varsalona

🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂

🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂

Enjoy your pre-Thanksgiving preparations. This time of year is always filled with the spirit of family, beauty of the earth, and blessings from a bountiful harvest.

🍁🍃🍂🍁🍃🍂

For now, I turn my thoughts to the fabulous kidlit author, poet, and nature photographer, Buffy Silverman as the host of this week's Poetry Friday. She is sharing a sneak peek of Laura Purdie Salas' upcoming book, Finding Family. It is sure to capture the heart of readers. Please click here to access Buffy's blog post filled with more poetic goodness from the Poetry Friday community of poets.

SJT Community, I extend my apologies for 

being a week later than our due date.

Celebrating Poetic Writing

How often do poets and writers praise the writing of the masters and strive to use their voice and the magic of word play to bring verve to their own work? I am excited to share information about two poet friends who have exciting news.

Buffy Silverman's poetic book On a Gold-Blooming Day Finding Fall Treasures, made it's debut on September 6, 2020, National Read a Book Day. I recently found a special mailing from Lerner Publishing Group, a copy of Buffy's poetic book to publicize.

The hardbound book that will delight both children and adults is

a stunning one to display on a coffee table.

When reviewing Buffy's book, I fell in love with both the gorgeous nature photographs and the accompanying descriptive words, like a sun-dazzling day. Since I started decorating for the autumn season, I plan on leaving Buffy's book on display as a welcome-to-my-house treasure. When my little grandgirls come to visit, they will spot the book, take it in their hands, and be mesmerized by the beauty within each photographic page amidst a flow of poetic thought.

Hopefully, my grandgirls will lift their voices in celebration of Buffy's

pre-school to grade 3 book.

Another poet-teacher-publisher friend living in Switzerland, Bridget Magee is celebrating her one-year book anniversary of The 10*10 Poetry Anthology: Celebrating 10 in 10 Different Ways this October. Bridget single-handedly edited and compiled her first anthology of 87 poems. I am happy to say that I am one of the 10*10 writers celebrating alongside Bridget. 

Bridget writes that in the past year, her "humble wee words inaugural poetry anthology earned Five 5-star Amazon reviews and multiple bloggers have sung collective praises". I was particularly impressed by a wonderful review by Karla Wendlin of Poetry Studio.

Bridget Magee focuses on the number 10 through clever use of language, humor, and heartfelt sentiment. The 87 poems are dived into 10 sections, each with an introductory quote that sets up intention (nod to Bridget!) of the poems that follow (e.g., "The qualing of strength lined with tenderness is anunbeatable combination..." Maya Angelou).The 10 topics address vocabulary (tentative, tenacity, tension), common phrases (take ten, I wouldn't touch that with a ten-foot pole), and more. The poems, written by established as well as debut poets, reflect a wide variety of poetic styles. Brief biographical sketches of the poets are appended. Keep a copy of this book handy, as students will want to reread selections and read aloud their favorites, and possibly use poems as models for their own writing. The entire book might be an inspiration for a class writing project, celebrating a different number, such as "one" (e.g., one-sided, one-up, one of a kind, we're number one, one-hit wonder, etc.

Stay tuned to the month of October when Briget will put the spotlight on the 10*10 writers. Don't miss Bridget's wee words for wee words blog and business Facebook page. 

Below you find my poem that was written with my 2 1/2-year-old granddaughter Aurora in mind. I like to sing the poem to her instead of just reading it out loud. We laugh when I sing because I use gestures and movements to make Aurora giggle. Thank you, Bridget, for all the work you put into this wonderful poetry anthology. 

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Join me for the Poetry Friday Roundup hosted by my Australian poet friend/kidlit author, Kat Apel. Before reading the array of poetic goodness linked to Kat's blog, pause to read her post. She is sharing her successes and summer poem swaps (with beautiful haikus and nature poetry), along with her new books and presentations .

Featuring "On a Gold-Blooming Day"

In all things of nature, there is something of the marvelous. ~ Aristotle

I fall in love with fall all over again each year. It's a golden feast of brilliance and rich colors. Mother Nature lays down the red carpet to celebrate the season's natural delights. In anticipation of fall, my friend, poet Buffy Silverman captures the vibrance of the season through the combination of photos and words in her new publication.

Published by Lerner Books

“With hashtags like #NaturePhotography, #Fall, and #NatureWalk, Twitter will light up on September 6, 2022, when Buffy Silverman's book, On a Gold-Blooming Day - Finding Fall Treasures, is published. This stunning book combines poetry and photography to create a visual feast for young readers, parents, and teachers. 

As a poet and photographer, Buffy's keen eyes spot nature scenes that want to become a poetic expression. Verbs combine with nouns for the creation of new words, rhymes flow, like rattle and skedattle, and photos share the limelight with nature herself. 

In addition to  the richness of the photo-poem book, Buffy adds back matter that enhances the reading experience for young children who are growing their vocabulary. Nonfiction descriptions of rhymed words and scenes provide content for young researchers to expand their knowledge. A glossary and further reading resources are also a bonus feature for explorers, writers, and readers. 

There is an artistic quality to the book that should not be overlooked. The visual choices of what to include are inspiring. Color photographs enhance each page. 

I recommend post-reading activities, like collage-making, narrative writing, researching  fall around the world, or creating photo books of class or individual walks, as creative endeavors. Introducing the next season through Buffy's previous book, On a Snow-Melting Day, provides students with a journey through winter as opposed to fall. 

Considering that nature photography is the art of capturing earth's beauty, Buffy excels as a writer of children's nonfiction books on seasonal beauty with this publication. In a conversation with Buffy I offered several inspirational quotes to ponder. She chose Ralph Waldo Emerson's: "Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience."

This quote resonates with me most.  It's easier for me to be patient with a camera in hand, watching bees buzzing in goldenrod or waiting for a crab spider to emerge from its hiding place, looking more closely as I click away. I think the appeal of photography for me is that it reminds me to slow down and observe closely.-Buffy Silverman

Buffy also mentioned that was thrilled Millbrook included a few of her photos in On a Gold-Blooming Day.

It just so happens that September 6, 2022 is not only the publication of On a Gold-Blooming Day but also National Read a Book Day. Perhaps, you will  read this book to a child or another book in anticipation of fall.

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Today is Poetry Friday and children's author and poet Tanita S. Davis is hosting the event. Join me at her blog to celebrate poetry goodness this week.

She and the Poetry Sisters wrote a Bop poem for this month's challenge. Not sure what that is? Find out at Tanita's blog. Her poem is very interesting in content and context. Perhaps, I will try out this format when I have more time.