New Month, New Challenges

March is here once again. The ground hog's prediction for spring to come early is definitely coming true in Northern Virginia. The cherry blossom peak time for showcasing the white and pink bouquet of colors starts on March 23rd. Of course, this doesn't quite connect with our community's Potomac cruise to see the cherry blossoms on April 4th. So we won't see what nature offers in prime time but I will have a chance to take photos and enjoy the beauty of a lazy cruise ride and lunch. 

As I said last Tuesday in my Sneak Peek blog post, "It's time to take a peek at what will be during March's slice of life spree." But before I do that, I pause to step back to 2015 when I signed up for the Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Challenge. I am sure that you will get the picture of what happened during March back then. Yes, it was heavily snowing on Long Island, NY where I used to live. 

Story to Be Told - 2016

2015

One goal this March will be to look into the past while being in the present. Photos and digital designs will inspire me to write heartnotes to nature, family, and friends. In case, you missed my ramblings about heartnotes click here. In my sneak peek post, the last stanza of my poem stated that I would be ready to share my theme today. Heartnotes it is! There will be small deliveries from my heart to my readership each day that I write.  You will find memes, nature photos, digital designs, and perhaps more family photos. All will be wrapped in poetry as a prelude to National Poetry Month in April. 

What is a heartnote?  See the above package and imagine this.

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Fly across an indigo sky with me this March in search of mystical beauty or take a nature walk as I snap photos. Whatever delight there is outdoors this month, I desire to capture it. This past month, I spent most of my time indoors recuperating from a respiratory/sinus infection that does not want to remove itself from me. Perhaps, you will create your own heartnote and send it to me to showcase. We'll see what nature and life will offer. My notebook is ready.

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Now, it is time to kiss the stars goodnight. I thank Laura Shovan for her fun 12th Annual February Poetry Project that she hosted. While I did not feel up to writing each day, I added several new drafts to my notebook. The game was on and all the players brought their best game plan in the form of a poem to Facebook. You probably guessed that the theme was about games. Each day, prompts were posted by different poets, and poems were created by each member. On my day of posting a prompt, I shared this. "Your mission today, should you choose to play, has to do with childhood playtime. Think back to the era when you were a child." I had fun that day reading all the poems that were written. 

Here is one poem that I never had a chance to unveil. It was based on a memory of a college friend who did travel to Woodstock and The Who's famous hit song, The Pinball Wizard. I found out that The Who were at  Woodstock singing in 1969. Years later, I saw the Tommy rock musical on Broadway with friends. This is what I created about The Who at Woodstock.

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I am celebrating the beginning of the March Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Challenge and the Poetry Friday Roundup hosted by my dear, long-distance friend, Linda Baie. Linda is sharing her acrostic poem, "Choice". Click here to read her acrostic poem that features questions for us to ponder. Then hop over to the Two Writing Teachers' community website for opening posts from around the globe. 

I look forward to reading blog posts throughout the weekend. 

-Carol Varsalona, 10-year Slicer, Poet

Happy March 2024!

Game On

February is a special month for author/poet, Laura Shovan. She celebrates her birthday with a community of poets by offering an annual February Poetry Project. This year marks her 12th poetry project with games as the theme. The goal is to draft a poem daily based on a prompt generated by one of the community members. Each day a new game-inspired prompt is posted. Today is Day 6. Heather Meloche is the prompt provider. Her lead in thought is humans aren't the only ones who play. Many animals play for a variety of reasons.

I mulled over a series of ideas until one commercial sparked my thoughts. Hallmark Channel shared a promotional commercial for an upcoming event, The Great American Rescue Bowl. The cuddly players are none other than rescue animals, a few of which are from the Hawaii fires last year. Each animal has a story and wishes for a forever home. After viewing several videos and articles, an image poem evolved. 

On Super Bowl Sunday The Great American Family hosts a fur-flying, paw-running game that will endear you to the players. Dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens will "take to the field" in the second annual Great American Rescue Bowl that celebrates 80 years of the North Shore Animal League America saving animals. The game's on! Which team, the Cuddlers or Adorables, will take the lead? Maybe your fur-friendly pets would be interested in watching the "cutest game on TV" and an exciting halftime.  

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It's time for me to post at Two Writing Teachers, a meeting place for worldwide reflective writers. Click here to read various slices of life written by educators. 

Shangri-La: A State of Mind

As a teenager, I was intrigued by a place called Shangri-La. It is noted on Vocabulary.com as any place of complete bliss and delight and peace. Is there a place in this life of constant change and chaos, where stories of war, weather changes, and tragedies are daily headlines that we can find to bring a sense of peaceful balance and quiet to our lives? I have one place that is a haven for peace. It is the creativity zone, a purposeful state of mind that offers delight, surprise, and a dose of bliss. Join me to explore this fascinating place for quiet contemplation and writing.

Yesterday, was the last prompt of Laura Shovan's 11th Annual February Poetry Project. I was distracted and tired. I am sure you know that feeling of just wanting to rest. Before falling asleep, I pondered Michelle Kogan's prompt: write a story poem about inspiring gardens. Of course, she provided images and links for a pre-writing activity. While I could not write anymore late at night, I carried my thoughts over to today, the 1st day of the Two Writing Teachers March Writing Challenge with Shangri-La in mind. A connection came when I found the following quote by Nita Bajoria (The Leap).

“Shangri-La is a state of mind, Vinay. If you’re happy, then everything around you will be okay and in harmony. Nothing is perfect anywhere. We must find our own paradise amidst the chaos. Just the way a beautiful lotus blooms in dirty water.    

Nothing is perfect anywhere stayed with me. Writing is not an act of perfection but a pathway to a blossoming creativity zone. Here in the zone, I can "be" - quiet, imaginative, and full of ideas, or just still waiting for my muse to support me. I have the luxury to choose each seed of a story to grow from a budding stage to a spring flower. Does it happen like clockwork each day? Certainly not, but as a gardener cares for her seeds, a writer grows thoughts in her notebook. Below is a draft of Day 28's poem on inspired gardens.

A Garden for All Seasons

Decades ago, I learned about Shangri-La,

A mythical land of beauty, calm, and peace.

I listened to the Letterman’s smooth voices

singing “Shangri-La”, longing for places of

Beauty to slow down life’s hustle-bustle pace.

Gardens became go-to spots for meditation,

Solace, and nature’s resting spots to just be.

I explored local parks, gorgeous

Sanctuaries for tranquility.

Shangri-La was found-

Birds fluttered. 

Bees buzzed.

Flowers flourished.

The weeping willow 

Bent over

Sweeping the lawn

With images of

Childhood Maypole dances.

I observed, lingered,

Fell in love with these

Welcoming places 

Of magical wonder

Where words can

Blossom, too.

©CVarsalona, 2023 Draft

I invite my writing muse to be my guide this month of daily writing as I connect with the Two Writing Teachers community of international reflective writers.

I have participated in this writing challenge since 2015.

Happy Valentine's Day!

It's Valentine's Day and that means treasured items, plus new ones are strategically placed as decorations throughout my house. The weather adds to the ambiance of this lovely day with bright sunshine and warmth. Love is everywhere from fresh flowers to cards and mementos. I think about a saying from Voltaire, "Love is a canvas furnished by nature and embroidered by imagination." As I sit in my great room, I look around and see the beauty of nature outside my tall windows. My imagination is in overdrive thinking of all the beautiful ways to acknowledge that love is alive.

Throughout today, I pondered the writing prompt provided by Heidi Mordhorst on Laura Shovan's 11th Annual February Poetry: give a story about love between you and a tiny object you still have. Sitting on my mantle are various handmade hearts created by my mother. Her talent always amazed me so naturally, some of her creations adorn my house on various holidays. The image poem below honoring my mother will remain at the bottom of my Valentine's Day container to remind me each year of her legacy of love.

I join Two Writing Teachers with my Slice of Life.

Poetry Friday Wishes

For the past weeks, I have been wishing upon a star to make my dreams and my family's dreams come true. If you have not read my January blog posts you would not be familiar with my wishes that did come true so let me quickly summarize them. January was filled with the wish to switch from a rushed pace to a relaxed one. With that in mind, my dreams cascaded into thoughts of a magical land, hence a cascade poem evolved filled with wishes. A three-generation family vacation was planned by my daughter to the magical kingdom of Disney World with a cruise to the Bahamas on the new Disney Wish that followed.  Finally settled, the family shouted out their biggest argh as official pirate mateys who traveled the seas. A stand-alone wish to have a family vacation without my husband, son, and me getting COVID was granted but as fates would have it, the sirens of the Caribbean left their mark. I sit here covered in a red rash taking strong meds to bring my immune system back to normal, another wish that will be granted. The end is a tale as old of time for several trips in years that have past had medical issues surrounding them. From hurried to relaxed, I indulge in some quiet moments, With focused feelings and postcard imagery (a line from poet Alan Wright's poem) writing and recalling our fabulous trip to Disney. 

With focused feelings and postcard imagery

Wish You Were Here  by Alan Wright

magical touring

dipped in fairytale wonder

sparkles in a sea of amusement-

with focused feelings

and postcard imagery

I float in a pool of serenity

soaking in childhood delights

©CVarsalona, 2023

When you wish upon a star, your dreams come true!  

wishes are wisps of a dream come true

that

float

across

stars

that

transform

into

actions

that

come true-wishes are wisps of a dream

©CVarsalona, 2023

My thoughts float backward to a sandy beige beach with turquoise waters. A balloon filled with poetic essence transports me into a blissful state.

one word digital art concrete poem shared at my keynote presentation on Zoom last night

Click here to see the original concrete poem.

With gratitude for all the sweet memories of a family vacation, I bid you a bibbidi-boppity-boo wish for a magical day filled with color.

Please join me to celebrate the Poetry Friday Roundup with our host, Laura Shovan. Laura is showcasing Laura Purdie Salas' new nonfiction picture book, Finding Family: The Duckling Raised by Loons. 

I'm off to read all the poetic goodness provided by the Poetry Friday writers 

and then, join Laura Shovan's 11th Annual February Poetry Project.

#SOL22 March Musings-Day 1: Connecting

Welcome to the month of March.

 

March is

my time of year to write each day

with slicers in an artful way -

to think, to dream, and to create

small nuggets of thought worth their weight

©CV2022

Writing is a practice of the heart

and

For the past month, I joined Laura Shovan's 10th Annual February Poetry Project dealing with the topic of time. I read, researched, went down many rabbit holes, and wrote daily. Out of the 28 days, I submitted 26 poems in varied formats. Some poems were drafts, some quick writes, and others finished products. It was an inspiring period of time in which I connected with a supportive group of fellow poets. It was a time of learning and leaning on others. 

I now feel prepared to spend the month of March pondering my one word, appreciate, and writing slices of life on various passions of mine. Each year of the past seven years I participated in the Slice of Life Story Challenge, I  have looked at the art of writing through different lenses. This year, I plan on using the five different thumbnail images in the digital design above as writing prompts. The first film box shares a graphic design signifying creativity, an essential ingredient in the writing process and in art projects. It is with a creative spirit that I connect with fellow slicers of the Two Writing Teachers' community. May this month bring us all closer in our commitment to grow as writers.

Fairydusted Moments

As you may know, my one word this year is appreciate. I try to find beauty in this world but always seem rushed for time to pause and "just be". At best, I should slow down. When I read a piece Margaret Simon recently wrote, I stopped to think. "Appreciate time for what it is." Time is fleeting but it does provide magical moments if we take the time to look. 

In yesterday's poetry prompt created by Susan Michelle Brisson for Laura Shovan's 10th Annual February Poetry Project, one word, wonderment, stood out. I fell in love with that word several years ago. It has a magical quality to it. I knew that I created a digital inspiration years ago for a business card so I pulled it out of my poetry vault and added an additional poem in a new graphic design for the challenge.

I think of myself as a wonderologist ever since the days of being a Wonder Lead Ambassador for Wonderopolis. I am curious about life and continually honor the beauty of nature that often surprises and astonishes me. 

In this fast-paced world of medical and ecological concerns, it is easy to overlook the importance of slowing down and just being. Today, I shall remember the words by Suzy Kassem, "Never stop wandering into wonder." 

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It's Tuesday Slice of Life at Two Writing Teachers, a Meeting Place for Reflective Teachers.

May your day be filled with fairydusted moments and your night with starlight.

Uncertainty

I knew that the pile-up of tasks, commitments, and appointments would backfire sooner or later. Instead of feeling relieved that some projects for the house are underway, I feel rushed and scattered. I frantically move from room to room trying to find items buried deep in what looks like mounds of snow inside my house. In fact, this is one reason for not slicing last week. The other reason is that I was Grandma sitting for the little grandgirls. All my attention had to be devoted to the little ones and nap time was not long enough. BUT the five-day experience was filled with happiness!

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There is uncertainty in the way I am moving these days. Besides misplacing important papers, I hit a brick wall. It appears that my muse temporarily took a vacation. The sun is shining and the temperature is up to 48 degrees. In addition, the snow has melted. By the number of people out and about, it looks like spring fever has spread. Without my muse, I struggled with today's prompt challenge at Laura Shovan's 10th Annual February Poetry Project. 

Have you ever heard of the girl band, The Bangles? They took Simon and Garfunkel's 1966 song, A Hazy Shade of Winter, and turned it into a "harder-edged rock song" in the 1980's, titled Hazy Shade of Winter. I love the song and it has been playing over and over in my mind since last night when Matthew Winner asked the group of writers to create a poetic expression using the song. Since I love the winter season with its ambiance, I thought this would be fun. Well, fun turned into more research than expected. In addition, I investigated many formats, such as a blackout poem, rhyming/non-rhyming poems, and free verse. I kept the various versions but decided not to use them. So this morning, I scraped the formats and started with the thoughts. I submitted my last revision with uncertainty recently. Will it survive? Will comments help me revise one more time? As the song says, "Time, time, time. See what's become of me. While I looked around for possibilities."

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Here is what I decided upon. (Hmm! Muse, where are you?)

Time Passes On 

Under a hazy shade of winter, hope rises like smoke from stoked fire pits. Over there, leaves of brown cling to a crystallized mound. Here, chimes tinkle on porches; lights twinkle on posts. Music floats out from stereo speakers. Snowdrops sprout. Springtime shouts; scenery changes. Spring bows gracefully to Winter’s soulful gaze as Time passes on.

possibilities

it’s the springtimes of our lives

hang on to hopes

©CarolVarsalona, 2022, draft

Bangles, Hazy Shade of Winter YouTube

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It's Slice of Life Tuesday at Two Writing Teachers.

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Some Slicers have offered their artistic expressions for my Winter's Embrace Global Gallery. I invite you to showcase one work for the gallery.

The deadline is extended.

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What does one of my online galleries look like? Click here.

Summer On! Clunker Challenge

 Clunker Challenge from  Linda Mitchell

Last week, Linda offered her clunker lines in exchange for a quick poem and a clunker line from each writer. I eagerly scrolled through the clunker lines and found two that looked appealing:

found a bit of sunflower  &  trees turned so orange the road looked blue

With these, I decided to write a pandemic poem since many bans were altered and the thought of summer travel seems so uplifting. 

A ban lifts,

lives change,

travel surges.

Summer 2021 opens

for roads untraveled and

newfound destinations sought.

Adventures await so find the why of

breathing in freshness, basking in sunshine,

feeling the tingling sensation of salted seafoamed oceans,

and the pure pleasure of tousled hair and loud music on open highways.

Walk, drive, ride, fly, or dream of places where trees turned so orange

the road looked blue or places where a bit of sunflower carries a

memory. If travel is not an option, create a fantasy trip to a 

secret garden with no boundaries. Be free.

Options are limitless. Find open spaces

Lve without fear of disruptors.

Gather nature's gifts.

Bring them indoors.

Honor the road

for it holds

your 

©CV, 2021

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While I sent Linda this clunker, summer dressed itself in ..., I decided to use the prompt.

Summer's Fashion Statement

Summer dressed itself

in robes of golden sunrise.

Skyblue hopes

billowed in the breeze as

summer washed the woods

in dew-drenched sparkles.

Daylight-glow puddled

on delicate leaves.

A parade of stilled daylilies posed

in gardens rich with chocolate mulch.

At day's end, summer dressed night

in indigo dreams as serenity pillowed

 under a moonlit canopy.

©CV, 2021

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Yesterday and today, I offered The Spiritual Journey Thursday community and guests an opportunity to celebrate summer with the topic, "Nurturing Our Summer Souls". As the host, I designed an advertisement with photos and artwork from Jan Annino, Donna Smith, Fran Haley, and myself to publicize the event. Please stop by to read my post and link up to other responders. 

Then, visit the Poetry Friday Roundup at author poet Laura Shovan's blog. She shares her poem, "Millicent Patrick Speaks of Monsters," which won honorable mention in the Baltimore Science Fiction Society’s annual poetry contest. Look further to find more poetic goodness from other poets.