Celebrating Emotions

I often think about how fragile and uncertain life is. There are so many ups and downs that one cannot predict how any each day will flow. Emotions affect our personal and professional lives. Because we need to deal with both the positives and the negatives, I celebrate the emotional merry go round of life in a positive manner. 

This week at the PO-EMotions site, Mary Lee Hahn was in the last phase of her month long poetry challenge, writing a new poem daily based on the prescribed emotion of the day. I joined this week and wrote poems on contentment, optimism, and pride. While writing about these positive emotions, I was faced with a disappointment that I did not expect. I went to the orthopedist for a follow-up MRI visit thinking that my rotator cuff tear was healing due to physical therapy and exercise. Instead of hearing good news, I was told that surgery was to be expected. Number 2 disappointment came today when I heard a proposal that my team thought was strong was not accepted as one of the NCTE presentations. It is difficult to accept disappointment and keep a positive attitude when reality hands you a lemon and not a peach. 

In order to stand strong we must overcome any negative shifts that enter our lives. We must continue to be positive. I try to follow the old saying, When one door closes another opens. It is hard to wait but it is something we must do on the journey of life. You can read my thoughts on waiting here. 

Today, two people wrote powerful thoughts emphasizing to me that emotions are universal and part of the human existence. Ross Quintana tweeted, "You never know the great library of life experience that each person has inside." Tonight I read Ruth Ayres' post on her forever family that was both personal and touching. If she had not courageously told her story, I would not have known the range of emotions she experienced this week. 

Disappointment may be one of the emotions felt but it can be balanced by other emotions, if we look for the bright and positive parts of our week. 

Below is an inspirational poster that I created using a new tool.

Keep-Calm-o-Matic is quick and easy to use.

To round off the post, I found a delightful video on You Tube called The Feeling Song. It was written for children to highlight feelings and emotions but it has implications for adults. "We're feeling feelings every day. We're experiencing emotions all along the way..."

Each week I enjoy celebrating with Ruth Ayres at her site Ruth Ayres Writes - Discover Play Build. Please visit Celebrate This Week to hear how the writers of the community enjoyed this week.

DigiLit Sunday

Today is DigiLit Sunday so please visit Margaret Simon's site, Reflections on the Teche, to read how the community of writers have integrated technology into their lives and teaching.

A New Month, A New Challenge

A new month unfolds today. It fills my heart with the anticipated pleasures of word weaving as I continue the poetic journey I started. 

April ends.

A sigh of relief-

All is accomplished!

May blossoms.

New thoughts grow

into a bouquet

of rainbow wonder.

I once again invite ALL to LISTEN - OBSERVE - REFLECT - WRITE for the new gallery that I am designing. Spring's Symphony is dedicated to the sights, sounds, and colors of the season. It is my hope that this month will see the blossoming of a garden of poems from across the globe. 

How does the garden grow? 

with scents of spring,

a sprinkling of creativity, 

the chorus of nature's tunes, 

and the colors of an artist's palette 

May all who read this post, be inspired to weave their own tapestry of poems as the season of spring finally finds a home on earth. Whether you have written for Winter Whisperings Gallery or previous ones is not a prerequisite. An open heart, an observing eye, and a love of language are the essential components needed to compose a poetic expression that reveals your perspective on the topic, spring's symphony.

When I found a trio of lovely perennials standing upright from the cracks of a enduring winter season, I felt the eternal longing for hope to prevail. With optimistic hope for a season of warmth, I  discard the clothes of winter and wait for the earth to be robed in brilliant hues.

May your spring days be filled with observations that crystalize into budding gems of thought.

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I want to extend a special THANK YOU to my fellow, inspired colleagues at various sites that I frequented during National Poetry Month for their creative challenges and multi-faceted poetic gems:

Jone Mac Culloch - Double "LL" Challenge

Laura Shovan - What Are You Wearing project    

Mary Lee Hahn - PO-EMotions

#digipoetry site created by Margaret Simon

and

Jama Rattigan for publishing news of my Winter Whisperings Gallery at her 2015 National Poetry Month Kidlitosphere Events Roundup

Bring Spring Inside

While the weather has been a bit cool for spring fever to rise, there are ways to bring spring to life inside your home. I have been redecorating with the theme of renewal. As I pack up objects that have I have treasured through out the winter, I think spring. With a thoughtful eye, I rearrange and redecorate to brighten the home with color.

Turquoise has been the trendy color of the season. Looking for turquoise colored pillows for my newly renovated family room led me shopping tonight. After a few weeks of searching I found what I thought would add a touch of spring to the room. Alongside turquoise vases, plates, and towels were my lucky find. I am proud that I made the right color choice to brighten my house. 

While I wait for the Mother Nature to sprinkle the earth with dustings of color and blossoms of variegated hues, I intermix faux flowers and branches to bring spring inside. Words float in my mind creating a poetic expression of color fitting of spring. 

As I surf the internet tonight searching for decorating ideas, I come across a blog post in which the author shares the same feelings I have about spring's late to the show entrance. Bringing spring inside helps me think spring. Soon, spring will decide to find a home and enjoy a much anticipated stay. 

Photo from EARLY BLOOMING: BRING SPRING INSIDE

THINK SPRING!

Mary Lee Hahn is the creator of PO-EMotions.
The emotion of the day is PRIDE.

At this site that Margaret Simon created,
digital poetry is being offered daily during
National Poetry Month.

Thank you for joining my Poetry Parade.  

Optimism

Did you ever stop to reflect on why there is such a bounty of positive feelings during the month of April? Is it the opportunity to become one with nature or the rebirth of life that makes humans want to break out of the cold weather months or be unencumbered by heavy and dark clothes to feel the warmth of a new season? 

I do know that I feel optimistically positive during the month of April. It happened last year and once again this year. April signifies abundance: the opening of the spring season, voices raised in poetic writing, and the joy of the awakening of the earth. April is a month of possibilities and opportunities to break out of a sheltered cocoon to feel a newness and freedom from old ways and routines.   

Last April, I felt a strong creative surge and so I designed the second virtual gallery of artistic expressions, April Awakenings. The gallery became my outlet for creative thought and a rebirth of poetic compositions. For quite some time prior to that season, I was not weaving thoughts as frequently as in the past. Because I was reflecting in quiet and my voice needed to join with others, I felt a strong pull to create a community of reflective writers.  April Awakenings was a way to renew my journey of writing and provide a space for voices to come together. 

You can access the April Awakenings Virtual Gallery here.

OPTIMISM

Stretched along the horizon of boundless skies

lies a rainbow of colored hues:

pale pinks, brilliant blues,

yellowed sunflowers, jeweled greens.

Its path lightens the dreariness

of a rain-covered day.

In the expansive wonder, 

hope waits to be plucked

from its jewel-toned painting.

CVarsalona © 2015

My Poetry Parade will continue after the month of April, throughout the season of spring with a new gallery, Spring's Symphony. I am optimistic that reflective writers will listen for the music of springtime to compose poems paired with photos that will give tribute to a season of renewal. 

I wrote the following as a tweet during one of Monday night's chats and it is a fitting ending to my post. Blogging is the act of allowing your voice to be raised as you reach out to others.  

Today's post and poem are being offered to the following writing challenges:

Two Writing Teachers

Mary Lee Hahn
Emotion of the Day is Optimism

Contentment

As our lives move in constant motion with daily tasks, work expectations, household needs, and family commitments, we need to rethink living. Today is #CelebrateMonday so find peace and contentment in all that you do. 

In a world that doesn't stop moving,
time needs space to kick back.
Pause and reflect.
Feel the vibes of contentment
in nature's simplicity,
knowing that 
springtime peace
awaits you!






In the quiet of silent spring
find natural beauty surrounding you.

Just open your eyes to observe 
nature following your footsteps. 
Leave the hectic pace behind.
Listen to the sounds of
spring's symphony
preparing tunes of mirth.
Be filled with the music of life
as you walk the world
searching for serenity.

At the close of the day, be filled with peace. While blossoms are late this year and the weather is not near as springy as we would like, there is a transformation occurring. Life is being renewed. Spring is in the air.

At Mary Lee Hahn's PO-EMotions, contentment is the emotion of the day. I am content word weaving as I am in awe of springtime life. 







Please visit PO-EMotions along with #digipoety as we continue to celebrate National Poetry Month.

Thank you for joining my Poetry Parade.

Celebrating Good Cheer

In reflecting on my week, I realized that each day was a celebration of good cheer: people to people learning and thriving together. A spirit of positivity allowed for the week to flow despite drops in temperature and heavy rains. Spring offered sunshine amidst the showers.

Sunday's breezy weather allowed for a walk with family in the nearby nature preserve. Moments were savored before the my daughter and son-in-law had to return to Washington, DC.

Oceanside Marine Nature Study, Long Island 

Marsh reeds, guardians of the preserve,

stand tall with quiet reserve,

vigilantly watching their sideline post 

as birds sweep across the salt marsh coast.

216 species and Canadian geese too

hold court as royalty usually do,

while hopeful visitors and bird watchers view.

As sun crosses sky and winds rustle reeds,

mother bird cares for her babies' needs.

With cameras mounted and scopes upright
photographers capture father bird's flight.
Children playfully follow geese and birds
while adults listen to an ecologist's words
and nature's chatter is softly heard.

During a leisurely stroll on any given day

auditions for spring's symphony are underway,
so observe, reflect, and engage in talk.
Enjoy springtime during a nature walk. 

Monday night, NYEDChat moderators eagerly opened connections on Twitter with ALedchat to air a new educational chat, #NYALedchat that trended on Twitter. The celebration of blogger's voice allowed for an active discussion on the importance of the message being delivered and the building of connections across regions. You can read about the amazing celebration here. 

The rains and sudden drops in temperature may have had Long Islanders questioning spring's arrival but good cheer remained throughout the week. Congratulations were exchanged for a baby's birth and a baby announcement. Long talks with friends occurred. Poetry was written daily and the spirit of camaraderie allowed for assessment gatherings to be pleasant. Additional poems written this week can be read here and here.

To round off the digital experience, here is a catchy tune that will capture the feeling of cheerfulness. You may wish to use this in school presentations of springtime delights. 

With a time crunch on, this post will serve as an offering to various writing communities that I frequently write with: 

Celebrate This Week with Ruth Ayres who is celebrating with a little list of her loves.

DigiLit Sunday

Today is DigiLit Sunday so please visit Margaret Simon's site, Reflections on the Teche, for additional readings. 

This month, poetry is alive at #digipoetry (site created by Margaret Simon and logo by Leigh Anne Eck). Please visit.

Mary Lee Hahn has created a site, PO-EMotions, for those interested in penning poems dealing with a range of emotions. Yesterday the emotion was cheerfulness. The good cheer noted in my poem is my addition to her poems for the day.

I will continue to celebrate poetry during the month of May when I will start collecting offerings for the online global gallery of artistic expressions, Spring's Symphony, that I announced last Sunday. 

Thank you for joining my Poetry Parade. 

Celebrating Blogger's Voice

When Alabama southern charm met New York voice a happening occurred. Last night, #NYEDChat and #ALedchat joined together to Celebrate Blogger's Voice. The merger of the two state chats into one unit, #NYALedchat, created an explosion of thought and trended on Twitter. Voice was emphasized and celebrated by a variety of educators and thought leaders.  

The connection started months ago when Jennifer Hogan and Dr. Holly Sutherland, #ALedchat moderators, met two #NYEDChat moderators, Dennis Schug and me, on the Twitter channels.  A virtual, collegial friendship began and from this connection a new chat group, #NYALedchat, grew. #NYEDChat moderators welcomed the idea and we prepared for a chat for a Twitter audience. The event was publicized and leaders gathered to converse. You can read the Chirpstory that Lisa Meade, #NYEDChat co-moderator, created from the Twitter chat here. 

Understanding that voice plays a significant role in shaping ideas and movements, the topic, Celebrating Blogger's Voice, proved to be a worthy one. Diverse perspectives openly expressed their thoughts to questions revolving around the 5 W's and H. It was a grand idea to merge an old school questioning technique with a new school environment and methods of communicating. Learning flowed like water from virtual spaces. 

My takeaway from the conversation: it is important to realize that all voices matter as we continue to impact life, teaching, and learning. Utilizing social platforms to converse, we flatten our walls and reach out to others for support and continued knowledge. In this connected space, we grow as learners of life. 

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When we allow reflective thoughts to form in our inner spirits, voice itches to take flight. Voice shapes our being, frames our journey, and sets our path. Within each word that springs forth is a golden thread that is woven to form a tapestry of thought. 

My advice to those new to blogging and tweeting:

Pause-Observe-Reflect-Connect!

Write from the heart.

 Find your inner voice.

Let it fly. 

It has wings that will soar into the sky. 

The poem below is a composition created after the #NYALedchat to showcase the wonder of expressive thought.

A Poetic Composition

On Blogger's Voice

Perhaps hidden in the recesses of your spirit,

you will find your inner voice.

It wiggles; has a short encounter with doubt.

At times, it moves cautiously outward

weaving a tapestry of thought.

Other times, itching to take flight,

it engages in a leap of faith.

In a sea of talk, your words float,

ideas rush in, spin, churn, 

then recede, reflect and turn 

in a quick backward flow.

In this sea of talk, voices rise,

linguistic floodgates open.  

Beyond regions, connections grow 

and new channels of communication form.

Continue in earnest to explore ideas.

Engage in virtual and face-to-face spaces.

Pursue perspectives. Seek creative outlets.

Immerse yourself in accountable talk.

Then, sit back to reflect; linger in the moment.

As you connect, emerge as one

unified body of practitioners of life. 

Carol Varsalona © 2015

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On Tuesdays, Two Writing Teachers offer space for writers to create a slice. Since my experience last night was so rewarding, I decided to pen my thoughts as Tuesday's Slice of Life. You can read other slices here.


Mary Lee Hahn offers space to contribute to her PO-EMotions. Yesterday's word was wonder. I offer my poem, On Blogger's Voice, to explore the wonder of expressive thought. 




You can find many more poetry selections for National Poetry Month at #digipoetry, a site created by Margaret Simon.