Stepping Into Autumn

It was one of those fall-ish types of day. The kind that Mother Nature was unsure how to dress.  The sky was lit with sunshine and the air soaked with warmth.  Normally, my husband and I would head for the beach but Sunday was a day for my annual autumn walk in the woods by the lake.  

Worried about bugs biting, my husband and I dressed in fall-ish attire. While inching closer to the walking trail, we saw a band of young soccer players and their families parading toward us in shorts.  Perhaps, they thought us odd all covered up when it was warm in the park.  

Enjoying the day, we started our exploration by choosing the main footpath. Shortly after the Sunday walk, my husband decided to deviate toward the shoreline.  It was there that the lapping sounds of the lake became audible the closer I inched toward the water.  Ripples gently hit the shore giving me the same rush of emotion felt when ocean waves sweep against the shore and the jetties.  All was peacefully calm at the lake. With iPhone in hand, I documented the journey.  You can see the short video, Stepping Into Autumn, below that led to the creation of a YouTube video.

Upon returning home, I carefully took out from the bag the autumn artifacts that I collected on the trail.  Golden and ruby leaves, adjoining acorns, a piece of weathered wood, wildflowers and bittersweet were interspersed among my ornamental items creating a festive display.

With a spirit of gratitude for the abundant bounty of this season, I stepped into autumn and smiled with contentment.



While creating a fall-ish look for my home, I am determined to finish designing my #EmbraceableSummer Global Gallery of Artistic Expressions for viewing on social media.  In the meantime, you can peruse the travel log comprised of gorgeous photos from around the world that I shared when I hosted Poetry Friday last week.   

🍂

I am sharing these Tuesday thoughts, my slice of life, with Two Writing Teachers.

Happy Autumn!

The above pieces of #digitalartwork will grace the walls of my 

#AbundantAutumn and #Embraceable Summer Gallery collections

found on Twitter.

End-of-Summer Gifts

As days shorten and the air is filled with milder weather, nature holds on to its sweet summer memories.  Even when the leaves twirl with a lazy, cascading rhythm, "There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart." - Celia Thaxton 

Nature sings its sweet song. 

No goodbyes are uttered as

September enters.

Sweet summer moments

remain forever in

toe-touching shifting sands,

sunlit backyard porches,

and lakeside cottages.

Grateful hearts understand

the passing of the seasons

and do not mourn.

They sing new songs.

©CV, 2019

At the end of summer, my mailman brought another colorful poetry swap gift from Rebecca Herzog. See the colorful poetry card with an original poem from my swap buddy. 

Final Days

Summer meanders lazily

Dipping her toe in the waves

Soaking in the last strong rays of sun

Before exiting the water

And wrapping Autumn's blanket

around her shoulders

©Rebecca Herzog, 2019 

🏖
I am sending the following end-of-summer #digitalinspiration
to all my poetry friends who have been summer gift-givers.
 It will become part of my #EmbraceableSummer Gallery collection.

The above image started as a photo taken by Linda Baie while vacationing with family in Captiva Island. I digitized the original picture and added a poem.

🏖

Yesterday, I received an amazing book from a random drawing at Amy Ludwig Vanderater's Sharing Our Notebook's site. My creative friend, Matt Grundler shared his visual journal there. 

With a grateful heart for my end-of-summer gifts, I am eager to enter the creative zone.

🏖

Now it is time to join the Poetry Friday Party hosted by a wonderful pair of poet friends, Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong, publishers of Great Morning! Poems for School Leaders to Read Aloud (a must read book for the #BacktoSchool2019 #StartStrong movement).

I am proud to be featured in this book with my poem "Art Class" based on inspiration from Matt Grundler's classroom.