Easter Preparation

With the return of warmth and sunshine, this week is an ideal one for holiday preparations. I busily prepare for Easter both reflectively and decoratively to remember that it is Holy Week. While the house is decorated with bunnies and flowers, there are also blessed palms, and crosses. It is the time to fast and feast with the family as we move through Holy Week. 

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Spring has arrived bursting forth with color and joy. 

I Invite YouTo:

Join my Springsations Gallery of Artistic Expressions Vol. 2.

Please click here for more information.

Easter

is hopping with

springtime joy and blessings,

baking, decorating, shopping

stop by

©CVarsalona, 2023, cinquain

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I created a Springsations Gallery of Artistic Expressions-Vol. 2 for NPM 2023. Please click on the link here for further information. The deadline is 4/30/2023.

Throughout the week I created a variety of poems using different formats that you will find on my padlet.

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Linda Mitchell surprised me this week with a lovely NPM 2023 poetic greeting with one her words. 

One of my Decorated Areas with Linda Mitchell's poetic collage art.

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Thank you to Margaret Simon for wearing many poetry hats and still hosting Poetry Friday today. Travel over to Margaret's blog here to discover her different poetic projects. Margaret shared the following graphic 

Solemn Springtime Morn

In the solemn silence of springtime,

a cooing bird sings his morning song.

Light streams golden glints on tinkling chime.

Path softens as creatures walk along.

Earth whispers softly, sweet voices praise

resurrection's gift-nature ablaze!

©CV, 2020

May the blessings of Easter's Resurrection Morn

spread light on everyone's pathway

during our quarantine life.

Thank you, Linda Mitchell, for nudging me to use take the first line of this poem and write a new poem. (This line was an option I wrote for the Kidlithosphere Progressive Poem and not chosen.)

Bringing Back the Bonnet

When growing up, Easter Sunday was always a day for being fashionably dressed. A bonnet was an essential piece of clothing so when I had children it followed that my daughter would have a beautiful bonnet to wear for Easter each year. 

Now that my daughter has a daughter, the ladies in the family needed to find the right bonnet for Sierra's first Easter. One day last year, I found in the attic my daughter's baby coats and matching bonnets that my mother had lovingly packed away. My sister had them cleaned so we could choose one that would be just the right bonnet for Easter Sunday. 

Sierra is a wonderfully pleasant and happy baby and has the just right temperament to allow me to dress her in style. For Easter Sunday Mass at the Cathedral in Syracuse, she wore he new dress and her mother's bonnet. As a quiet, little observer of life, Sierra took in what was happening around her in church. Many parishioners stopped to comment not only on her quiet mannerisms at Mass but her stylish bonnet. 

While you may think that this bonnet was her only chapeau for the day, you would be incorrect. There were two other surprises for Sierra. My sister and I both bought the same hat for her but in different colors and I bought bunny ears that Sierra enjoyed wearing throughout the day. 

Bringing Back the Bonnet

"wearing of" 

springtime adornments 

a timeless tradition-

2018 easter joy

©CV, 2018

Sierra allowed me to bring back the tradition of the Easter bonnet. 

"In your Easter bonnet with all the frills upon it, you'll be the grandest lady in the Easter parade."

I am excited to share this piece of personal story with the Two Writing Teachers' community of writers with whom I wrote a slice a day for 31 days this past March. Happy Spring to all. 

Arise!

Traditionally, Easter is a family day celebrated by Easter Mass and family dinner, but this Easter day was an unusual one. Without family around us, my husband and I took a ride to the Long Island shore. My son was at work and my daughter, son-in-law, uncle, and cousins were far from Long Island. With windows down and the air rushing in, my husband and I drove the short distance to Long Beach for a stroll on the boardwalk. The beach always provides me with inspiration.

As we entered Long Beach, I noticed a ceiling of sky blue with pillowy clouds hovering over the sandy beach and boardwalk. The temperature was high but April's breeze zipped across shore. Many seemed to be delighted by the winds, as evidenced by the shorts, sleeveless tops worn, and the lone parasailer who was whisking back and forth, crossing the ocean in a beautiful motion. I was grateful that I brought a jacket to ward off the cooling breeze.

My husband and I walked, jogged a few steps, and watched the waves roaring into shore as they splashed against the jetties. Two kites floated in the sky and groups of gulls circled, dipped, and soared higher. Various modes of acceptable boardwalk transportation, bikes, strollers, and skateboards,  were in motion. Vendors were selling their refreshments and beachgoers gravitated to the picnic tables or the beach in the No Beach Goers' Zone. The beachfront was alive with the buzz of conversation, energy, and fair weather.  I was grateful for the time to reflect.

All was at peace. Spirits were renewed.

Easter at the beach was a wonder-filled experience. 

Easter may have been different this year but I was still able to celebrate with the Easter Vigil Mass on Saturday night and Easter dinner (complete with chocolate candy). Dinner may have been late in the day because my son had to work but we were together and that is what counts. While I missed the rest of my family, I was able to send Easter greetings to them via the phone.

At the close of the day, I was reminded that Easter is more than just a day. It is a holy day of great importance.

Easter tells us that life is to be interpreted not simply in terms of things but in terms of ideals.

-Charles M. Crowe 

Spring bursts today, for Christ is risen and all the earth's at play.

-Christina G. Rossetti

Hallelujah! Arise and Renew Your Life!

It's Tuesday and the Slice of Life community is coming together at Two Writing Teachers to enjoy another week of blogging.

The above image poem is part of my #poetrylisciouspoetry collection for National Poetry Month and an offering for #NationalHaikuPoetryDay.

Celebrating April

April found its stride this week as sunshine entered each day, a solitary cardinal made its way to my garden after a long winter, and life perked up. Nature reminded earth to celebrate with springtime renewal breath.

april's air stirs in

willow-leaves...a butterfly

floats and balances

-Basho Matsuo

This week balance was needed to restore my surroundings back to life. The mason rebuilt my  front entrance, the landscaper reenergized the front garden with a new blooming tree to replace the serpentine that lost many of its buds, and the meteorologist forecasted warming winds to replace the recent chilled dampness. Spirits were lifted by the start of the spring weather and Easter, the ultimate season of renewal. 

"We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song."

-Pope John Paul II

nature brings new growth

new construction restores peace

springtime radiates

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Springtime renews hope in living.

Let's celebrate spring and the hope Easter brings!

The image poem above is part of my #poetrylisciouspoetry collection for National Poetry Month 2017.

I celebrate April as National Poetry Month.  Because poetry is a year-round endeavor of creative expression, I have invited all interested in creating their own poetryliscious poetry for my newest gallery, Springsations. You can access the invitation here and add your offerings at the hashtag, #Springsations. 

I share my celebration of April with Ruth Ayres and her Celebrate This Week community. 

Trust in the Message of Renewal

Hope radiated from the darkness. It floated in the air with the distinct aroma of incense. A single candle processed in. From that light the darkness was extinguished as candles were lit one by one. With faith and trust a community moved quietly into the light and so the Easter Vigil progressed. All reverently listened and reflected through every pause and reflect. A message of faith, hope, and renewal was proclaimed and we trusted as a family of believers.

Now, Easter morning is here and the sun is breaking through the grayness. We will gather as a family once again to walk the beach and find renewal in nature. Later, in the tradition of Easter joy, we will join friends to dine and celebrate. 

Please watch the short Animoto video I created documenting my Easter preparations to send out Easter blessings to all.

On DigiLit Sunday, Margaret Simon, is discussing the topic, trust today. When creating digitally, it is important to note that trust is essential as we send out our messages across the universe. With trust, I float my video and post out, hoping that my thoughts on trusting in the message of renewal will be accepted. 

In trust, we 
collaborate,
create,
and export.
In trust, we
grow as a
community.
In trust, we
appreciate
and
understand
that from
trust hope
grows.
In trust, we 
become one.
We renew
our quest
and 
step lightly
onto
enriched
paths.
In trust, we
renew 
our journey.

©CVarsalona, 2016 

Today marks the twenty-seventh post of my Clearing a Path series for the Two Writing Teachers' March Slice of Life Challenge. Please see other slicers' posts here.

DigiLit Sunday

Celebrate the Possible

This week has been an exercise in celebrating the possible despite challenges. The stomach bug invaded my household on Holy Thursday, making Easter Sunday a most unusual one in a physical sense. However, the spiritual message of hope and renewal filled my space. 

-I celebrate faith and family during Easter week. Although Easter was not the same this year with my daughter and son-in-law not able to come to Long Island because the household was contagious, the message of Easter was honored. See the poem written for Resurrection Sunday here. 

-I celebrate a day trip to New York City even though traffic, congestion, and parking were determiners to how we spent our day. With all those issues, it was still exciting to travel from Long Island to find one new spot in New York City to explore and one new moment to savor. The trip to see the Survivor Tree at the 9/11 Memorial which I wrote about in a previous blog, Survivor Tree Speaks, did not happen but the afternoon drive through different parts of Manhattan, World Trade Center area, Chelsea, Soho, and the Bowery lighting district, were enjoyable. 

-I celebrate a family dinner at a well-known restaurant that sufficed for our missed one at Easter.

-I celebrate poetry that is being showcased during National Poetry Month at #digipoetry, a site created by Margaret Simon and at Mary Lee Hahn's Po-emotions site where the word of the day is despair. 

 

I spent the day trying to find the words to capture the emotion of despair that is on the other side of the possible. When at Mass tonight, the gospel reading revolved around the story of doubting Thomas, a favorite of mine. Thomas needed reassurance that Jesus Christ had risen. I thought, how many times do people move from doubt to despair when answers are not given? After Mass, words swirled and swayed until they found a home. Thomas did not move to despair because Jesus provided the possible. 

On the Fringe of Despair

Not hearing His voice

or feeling His presence, I'm

empty and alone.

CVarsalona © 2015. All Rights Reserved

Thank you for joining my Poetry Parade today. Celebrate the possible to turn thoughts to positive thinking.

Now turn your attention to Ruth Ayres' site, Celebrate This Week, where her courage and vulnerability as a mother and writer are visible in her blogging life. Please peruse the pieces of the many other writers who share Ruth's celebration space. 

Easter's Joy

In the aftermath of Resurrection Sunday, I reflect on the joy of Easter. This year we had a quiet family celebration since we were trying to rid the house of the effects of the stomach bug. One living object stood tall in our living room, reminding us of Easter's promise (see Easter Sunday's post and poem here). The Easter lily opened and bloomed as it rightfully should for the day.

 

 

Oh, white-robed apostles of hope,

you gracefully unfold,

symbolizing life

in the Resurrection.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. -- 1 Peter 1:3 

Easter is a time to celebrate and rejoice. Please join my Poetry Parade and visit various writing communities that I am offering this piece to.

• Spiritual Journey Thursday under the direction of Holly Mueller
• #digitpoetry created by Margaret Simon
• Po-emotion - Joy created by Mary Lee Hahn