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

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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

My Springtime Pile of Good Things

Everyone has a pile of good things in their life. Granted there are times when the pile is filled with weeds mucking up life's garden. Now that spring is here so we need to pause, reflect on what is, and immerse ourselves in the ritual of spring cleaning. Gardeners remove what is not needed and enrich the soil. With patience, we need to assess our pile of good things so it can grow, spread, and become a thriving garden. In addition, like our spring garden, our souls need nutrients to grow a positive and grateful inner garden.

With thanks to Fran Haley for sharing her lovely, inspirational pile-poem introduced by Stef Boutelier on Day Two of Ethical ELA’s Open Write.

Thank you Two Writing Teachers for providing a meeting place for reflective writers around the globe. I am offering this slice for Day 22 of the 16th Annual SOLSC! #SOL23 March Writing Challenge.

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.

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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

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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.

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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.

Summer State of Mind

This summer, have you embraced the warmth of the sun's rays or leisurely walked a beach or nature trail? Perhaps, you listened to melodic earth sounds sweeping through the air on a summer day. Nature offers a range of sights from hazy days to sweltering ones with sudden rainstorms washing away heat for moments at a time. While you watch nature's show, do your thoughts float away into the sky like balloons escaping from children's hands? Mine often do. It's the magic of being in a summer state of mind

Today, I recall forty summers by the sea while living on Long Island. Now with no sea close to me, I long for ocean waves and mighty roars. I picture the family digging our toes into the sand, and enjoying barbecues at the beach with friends. I reminisce about past summer days and offer a digital postcard I designed in 2019 and a video, Summer's Steamy Embrace, created in July 2020. 

©CV, 2022

I return home from an exercise class a bit weary but eager to share a day trip that my husband, son, and I took to small towns in Virginia this past weekend.

Down Country Roads

I embrace summer in Virginia, my new home state,

and explore new possibilities with my soulmate.

Life here takes on a different look.

I peruse Virginia is for Lover's guidebook

To seek quaint towns where one can just be.

We go down country roads, not the sea;

Discover rolling hills and tranquil paths;

Search for antiques and cement birdbaths.

Nature displays her countless bounty

In every area throughout the county.

With a zest for exploring new sights,

I continue to photograph highlights

and embrace summer days

while giving nature praise.

©CV, 2022

"I love how summer just wraps its arms around you like a warm blanket." -Kellie Elmore

Embrace summer and sing her praises!

Special Thanks to slicer Fran Haley for her Eternal summer: memoir poem, all the wonder of summer days come flowing back. Her inclusion of sensory details to evoke the spirit of her childhood summer days, set me on a path last week to uncover the true song of summer, a line from her reflective poem. Consider reading, Summer on My Mind, here.

It's Tuesday! Time to Write, Share and Give at Two Writing Teachers! #SOL22

Summer on My Mind

Memories of childhood summers with my Nonnie stir in my heart each summer. The smell of her rose gardens, the flapping sounds of clean wash swinging in the wind, or the snap-crackle sound from shucking peas, plus the walking trips to the library flash in my mind. 

summer on my mind

fragrant, nature-indulged days

slip sliding in peace

©CV, 2022

Thanks to Fran Haley's slice of life, Eternal summer: memoir poem, all the wonder of summer days come flowing back. Her inclusion of sensory details to evoke the spirit of her childhood summer days, set me on a path to uncover the true song of summer, a line from her reflective poem.

when July winds breeze through, the

sounds of summer ring true

rain sings her swishing song 

bees swoop into the core of

petunias where they belong-ah summer

sweet, lingering days of summer

I smell the fragrant basil and mint of

lavish gardens lulled by fountain song

I find peace at July's end, the true

essence of summer flows in the

reminders of summers I knew

Continue to play your sweet tune, summer.

I wait for your lazy, hazy days of August

to wash away pressures.

©CV, 2022 draft

🌞

If you also have summer on your mind listen to Summer Breeze by Seals and Croft

It's Poetry Friday and I am celebrating summer with Mary Lee Hahn, our host. She is using a clunker line from Linda Mitchell that recalls memories of her mother cooking green beans. Join me to find more poetic goodness from the Poetry Friday community here.

Collage created by Linda Mitchell

#SOL22 March Musings Day 29: Rambling Autobiography

I was born in a small town populated by many Italian immigrants and their descendants along the New York State Erie Canal. Not until I was in graduate school did I know that my mother immigrated from Italy in 1921 with my Nonnie when she was a baby. I grew up adoring my Nonnie and spent peaceful summers learning about baking and gardening and taking weekly walks to the library. While I did not buy anything during those summer months, my Nonnie saved her money to purchase me a Katy Keene comic book. From then on, I fell in love with fashion and thought I might pursue fashion design like my mother did but my photographer uncle and mother insisted that I should go to a four-year college. My dream to become a creative person who wrote poetry and studied photography grew from then on. When in graduate school studying curriculum development, my professor asked me to start a reading program for young delinquent boys in a reform school in the country. From there I followed a calling to help others become lifelong readers. My favorite places were different reading corners inside or nature-inspired areas for writing outside. I can still sense the peace emanating from my alone time with a book or pen and paper. While in high school, I started dating a young man on and off this high school/college romance was not sustainable so I continued to search for love until I met my husband when I least expected romance. While walking with one crutch into a birthday party love struck. We conversed about my painful skiing accident and how I fainted in the hospital after being driven from Massachusetts to my hometown of Syracuse, New York. I became familiar with pain and while I was geographically unsuitable for my love interest, love did grow. I gave my heart to him a couple of years later. During the years that followed in a small village on Long Island, New York, we grew in faith as a family of four experiencing heartaches and joy. Becoming resilient through challenges became important when I once had non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2003. Remission became a blessed word that brought us eventually to the second chapter of life in our beautiful new build in Virginia. Here, we live with my family which is filled with two amazing little grandgirls. Life is fragile and uncertain but "in family life, love is the oil that eases friction, the cement that binds closer together, and the music that brings harmony" (Friedrich Nietzsche)  

✍

Thank you, Fran Haley, for your awesome rambling autobiography that was inspired by Denise Krebs who took Linda Rief's rambling autobiography and made the following starters for a quick write lesson. 

I was born…
I adore…
I bought…
I have…
I never…
One of my…
When I was (age)…
My favorite place…
I can still (sense)…
I dated…
I fainted…
I gave…
I once had…
I am…
I want to…

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Thank you Two Writing Teachers for this daily meeting place to connect with a community of reflective writers.

March Musings Day 10: Grandma Love

Phone call comes in awakening me from a deep sleep. 

Our little girl is not feeling well. She has a 102-degree fever. Can you take care of her tomorrow?

Groggily I ask, "What time is it?" After a few more stumbling thoughts, I figure out that it is Monday night at 7:30 pm. I am surprised. Did I really take a three-hour nap? After I check my calendar, I respond to my daughter, "Yes, of course. Bring Aurora here tomorrow morning."

Tuesday morning comes and a very tired two-year-old with a running nose and sad eyes enters the house. She clings to her daddy. There is no doubt that she is ill with a cold. After a few hours, she bounces back, starts talking, and begins her day. 

It's time for a temperature check. Aurora is intrigued by my thermometer. I feel a gentle tug. Clearly, Aurora is determined to take matters into her own hands. 

"No, Gramma. No, Gamma" 

She takes the thermometer and moves it across her forehead. We clap when her temperature breaks. Then, she spends the day relaxing with her toys, learning during puzzle play time, and resting with a very long nap, much like mine was the day before.  

I Can Do It

Am I sick?

I don't know?

I can click.

Grama, let go!

©CV, 2022

After a hearty dinner with the family, Aurora and Sierra get ready to leave with one request. 

Sierra would like a weekend sleepover.

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Over the course of several days, I think back on the experience of having my little grandgirls visit. I begin to compose my first pantoum poem.  My writing friend, Fran Haley, has written several and offered guiding information. You can read her lovely poem, First Time Keeping, here. 

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Sweet Little Miss, 

I sweep you in my arms

Squeezing love from your heart to mine

Each visit we meet.

I sweep you in my arms

Swinging you through the air

Each visit we meet.

Grandma's love is real.

Swinging you through the air,

You  laugh with glee

Grandma's love is real.

Time together is precious.

You laugh with glee,

Squeezing love from your heart to mine.

Time together is precious,

Sweet Little Miss.

©CV, 2022

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Gratitude to Fran Haley for this information:

To write a pantoum, use this line sequence: The pantoum is a poem of any length, composed of four-line stanszas in which the second and fourth lines of each stanza serve as the first and third lines of the next stanza. The last line of a pantoum is often the same as the first.  (1234 2546 5768 7381)

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Tonight, I write for two writing communities.

Thank you, Poetry Friday, hosted by the dynamic duo, Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong. They are sharing their newest book, Things We Eat, a poetry anthology featuring foods poems from A to Z  

Thank you Two Writing Teachers for this daily meeting place to connect with a community of reflective writers.

Take Heart - SJT

For three weeks I searched for available COVID vaccine appointments for my family. Frustration mounted with each new search. I looked, wished for a canceled spot, and persevered. The search left me drained and frustrated. Availability was an issue being faced by so many across Long Island. What am I looking for? A needle in a haystack could be found easier than an appointment.

With faith, I continued the search on Long Island, NYC, and Virginia where I will be moving. I did find two single openings not together for my husband and me. One was in NYC and the other at Jones Beach. These appointments seemed like an answer to prayer but the dates were near the time we should be closing on our house. 

Moving on, I changed direction and confirmed my upcoming doctor appointment. With that final task for the day completed, I opened my email to find a message in my patient portal-Complete your COVID 19 Screening Questionnaire. I rushed to do this and to my surprise, I received a text a short time later. It was a gift, an appointment for the first dose of the COVID vaccine at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center near my home. Grateful, I paused to remember a scripture quote Karen Eastlund shared. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above." (James 1:17). 

What a beautiful surprise, a good gift from above. Being in remission from lymphoma for the past 18 years has been a miracle gift and a testament that "the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." (James 1:3) 

Fran Haley, host of Spiritual Journey Thursday this month chose "Take Heart" as our theme. I take heart that I can begin my new life in Virginia without the worry of feeling safe during trying times. Knowing that I can endure snags along the way that test my faith, will lead me to steadfastly continue my journey of celebrating life. 

Finding a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. solidified an idea for me. The following digital inspiration provides the reflective action step for me to take during the month of February. 

*Begin is my one word 2021.

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Thank you, Fran, for the theme for this month's Spiritual Journey Thursday here.

It gave me a spark of inspiration to finish this post and add a reflaction

(reflection with an action step) for this month.

Colors of the Spirit

Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Those inspired by nature's healing touch seek harmony. Take a walk with me to connect with nature. Its spring colors are captured through thoughts and photography by Poetry Friday poets. 

Pandemic Woes

nature sheds her tears

slushing through neighborhood streets-

mankind prays

©CV, 2020, Photo at Pixabay

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#NatureNurtures2020 Challenge Invitation:

Join a community of writers who seek to bring joy and inspiration by #SharingPlanetBeauty during these trying times. If you have an artistic expression in any form  please send it to me at Twitter using the hashtag, #NatureNurtures2020) or email me at cvarsalona at gmail by the end of this weekend. Also, please include it on the Nature Nurtures! Padlet that you can access here. 

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I'm joining the Poetry Friday community this week at Michelle H. Barnes' blog. for the Poetry Friday Roundup. Michelle is sharing Nikki Grimes' new picture book, Southwest Sunrise, with picturesque images in verse illustrated by Wendell Minor. Nikki even has a writing challenge for all. Take a stroll over to her blog to read about Nikki's hot-off-the-press new book. Perhaps, you would share it with children during #remotelearning time.