Winter-Spring Tug of War

When I woke up yesterday morning, I could barely see outside. The rain came tumbling down, making a trip to the hair stylist unpleasant. Luckily, my husband saved the day and drove me thinking there would be little traffic. What a surprise to find that the highway was filled with huge trucks and drivers in a rush. In addition, the temperature was colder than expected. The heavy rainstorm and cold winds did not stop the traffic. We were surprised to see several trucks lined along the highway waiting for the unrelenting rain to stop. The long trip was filled with pounding rain until I reached my destination. 

I reflected on yesterday's poem, Season's Transitions. The first stanza is below. 

winter winds wistfully whisper

a tingling tune across night sky

rejecting departure, earth's resistor  

allows spring to sashay by

You can read the full draft of the poem here and then

see what you think of my image poem below.

waves of water slide

down in unstoppable rain

seasons' tug-of-war

©CVarsalona, 2024

☔

I offer this Slice of Life to the 2024 Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Story Challenge on Day 24 instead of 23. After the storm, the long ride to the hair stylist, and Saturday night Mass, I fell asleep while writing this slice (not an unusual experience for me this winter).

Day 24

Will March exit like a lion or lamb?

March's Special Moments

While reflecting on my March slices, I realize that each heartnote I created evolved into a special moment. Join me as I gather the titles of each slice written during the 17th Annual March Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge. I pause for a moment to decide what format I shall use before penning a quick pile-up poem that summarizes fourteen days of writing. 

March

new month

with new challenges

there was swimming glee

that gathered fun family goodness

a heartnote of praise to teachers

some slices were one of those days

another, a call to action on Women's Day

there was Oscar glam at the preshow jeweled event

shopping day with friends was pure fun followed by springlike

weather on a late winter day when I wrote Game On!

I celebrated National Reading Month with story time while wearing the green

and lastly, there was St. Paddy's Day cookie humor delivered by my grandgirl

some days I fell asleep while writing, other days I wrote of special moments.

©CVarsalona, March 2024

What shall I write next??? 

Stay Tuned.

In the meantime, visit other slicers at Two Writing Teachers, the meeting place for reflective writers from across the globe. Click here.

Slice of Life Day 20.

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.

↓

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.

📓

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.

↓

 

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!

March Winds

As I made my way to my exercise class this morning, the winds of March blew throughout our community.  A Christina Rossetti poem reminded me that she, too, felt the strength of the wind in the 19th Century. She asked an interesting question at the onset of her two-stanza poem: Who has seen the wind?

I may not have seen the wind early this morning, but my friends and I certainly felt its chill and force. In the late afternoon, the March wind continued to roar even louder while I sat in the house. My patio became dishshelved and the top of the table umbrella broke off.

Yes, the wind was forceful today so I say, HANG ON to your patio furniture, dress in layers, and WONDER what's next.

Pinterest Winter Art

Who has seen the winds of March

come rummaging by?

Picking up furniture, as if

he's the strongest guy.

His strength and power

swoops everything in sight

within one single hour

he soars into the night.

©CVarsalona, 2023

🍃

Parents, Teachers, and Librarians: 

As the winter winds of March come roaring in like a lion, have some fun with children. Read Wonderopolis - Wonder of the Day #1407 and check out the fun activities for a science lesson.

Write a poem like I did to get ready for April's Poetry Month, or listen to music(see below).

You are my child

You came like the winds of march

With all the love in your eyes

You are my child

You came like the morning lights

With all your love, in your eyes.

Stanza three of Winds of March, a song by Journey. 

🍃

As the wind continues its willful path of making the tall trees sway and

bushes shimmy, I wave goodbye and join

 Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Story Challenge - Day 14.

#SOL22 March Musings Day 13: Nuggets of Thoughts

It is with a creative spirit that I connect with fellow slicers of the Two Writing Teachers' community for the March Slice of Life Story Challenge. Today marks the 13th day of writing.   Many nights, I slide in just before the stroke of midnight. Topic and content are not the issues. Time is my nemesis. There never seems to be enough quiet time to write.

March winds blew in with gusto.

The writer sat and pondered.

Thoughts circled,

Landed on a page.

©CV2022

 Below is an accounting of five areas of interest pictured in the thumbnail.

Day 1 - Thumbnail #1

Day 2 - Thumbnail #1

Day 3 - Thumbnail #1

Day 4 - Thumbnail #1

Day 5 - Thumbnail #1

Day 6 - Thumbnail #2

Day 7 - Thumbnail #1

Day 8 - Thumbnail #1

Day 9 - Thumbnail #1

Day 10 -Thumbnail #3

Day 11 -Thumbnail #5

Day 12-Thumbnail #4

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

#SOL22 March Musings Day 11: The Nature of March

If you are one of the many who are growing tired of the push-pull of Mother Nature in March, then, hold on because there is a late-winter storm brewing. March is always the iffy month, weather-wise. Today, in Northern Virginia, we had mid-60 degree weather and sunshine. Tomorrow, the temperature dips The following quote may explain a little more. 

In March winter is holding back and spring is pulling forward. Something holds and something pulls inside of us too." - Jean Hersey

Are you feeling the push and pull? If so:

I am in the process of organizing the offerings of image poems and nature photography for my online Winter's Embrace Gallery of Artistic Expressions. You are invited to add your digital work to the gallery. 

Disregard the deadline date above.

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

March Spirit Wind

Lately, the winds of March have been wild, spirited ones. Yet, there is something interesting about the March winds as they howl and move from a slow chill to a rapid fast sweep. We cannot see the winds but we can listen to meteorologists announce their arrival and see neighborhood lawns and streets strewn with debris. We can feel our hair blow in the wind. 

In the 19th Century, English poet Christina Rossetti wrote a poem, Who Has Seen the Wind?, that asks a question and responds to it.  

Who has seen the wind?

Neither I nor you:

But when the leaves hang trembling,

The wind is passing through.

Who has seen the wind?

Neither you nor I:

But when the trees bow down their heads,

The wind is passing by.

This poem speaks to me of my lifestyle now. Fast, spirited winds are rushing through.  My life is filled with turbulence and unbalance stemming from my imminent life move during an unsettling pandemic life. The March winds blow and yet I cannot see them. I can feel the chill but like Rossetti I cannot see the wind, only watch the trees bow down. In this poem Rossetti who was a devout Christian may be comparing the wind to the Spirit of the Dove who permeates nature and leads us onward. I like to think that this is true.

The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.  - John 3:8

With this thought in mind, I honor the rushing winds of March knowing that they are winds of the Spirit of the Dove leading me onward with faith to a new life. I pause, quietly meditate, and continue my walk knowing that I have divine support.

Art by Charlotte Nickel, “Mighty Rushing Wind,” acrylic on canvas

march spirit wind,

with faith on your wings

lift me from the rush of life

to move in an even pattern 

onward to my destination

©CV, 2021, evening poem prayer

I enjoyed listening to Spirit Wind  by David Arkenstone. Perhaps you will too.

Today is a combination blog post.

This month, Margaret Simon, the host of Spiritual Journey Thursday suggested the topic, March Spirit Wind.

Day 4 of Two Writing Teachers' March SOLSC! #SOL21, March Musings 2021

Proud Member of Two Writing Teachers Community since 2015

Reflect in the Stillness of March - #sol19/Day11

This weekend daylight saving time brought another layer of light to winter days and a special event to add to my #Twitter calendar. Are you ready to celebrate #NationalNappingDay today, the Monday after daylight saving time? While there is no time for me to nap, I thought I would write.

As March briskly marched in

Time bowed its head.

Winter saluted.

Reflection paused.

All launched their campaigns:

Winter lingered.

Time fidgeted.

Reflection paused.

March held on tight

To Winter's grasp.

Then,

Daylight Saving Time arrived.

Spring planned

Its resurrection.

©CV, 2019

❄❄❄

I am joining Two Writing Teachers for the March Slice of Life Story Challenge.

-Day 11 of 31 days of writing-

Celebrating March-March Musings 4

I was so stunned by the roar of the wind and the bending of the tree branches that this poem came to be.

The other night I heard the wind howling like a wolf, 

alone in its nightly walk across the great expanse.

I stared out from the window into a dark, indigo sky,

watching the wind actively shake bowing branches.

Winter's cold clutch held on tightly to each tree as

they swayed in the bitter embrace of March's arrival. 

Holding court, winter proclaimed its continuance and

the wind howled incessantly until morning broke. 
©CV, 2017

YouTube captured the sounds I heard.

You need to travel to YouTube to listen to Howling Wind.

March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb 

and so I celebrate its entrance but hope it warms up soon.

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This post is the  fourth in a series titled March Musings  that I am offering 

to two writing communities that I am a member of:

Celebrate This Week with Ruth Ayres

and

 March Slice of Life Challenge created by Two Writing Teachers.