#SharingPlanetBeauty-Take Two

In the midst of pandemic fear, a magnificent pink-cherry-blossoming tree sways, breathing peaceful sighs into neighborhood streets. Billowy clouds saunter by. Aromatic smells perfume the swishing air and a white picket fence leans into the sprawling tree like neighbors often do with each other. Passerbys practicing social distancing exchange greetings and give gratitude for nature's enduring beauty. The street almost forgets that an encroaching evil lurks called COVID 19. But the blossoming tree continues to bloom and beautify its property because hope endures.

nature soothes souls

distanced by global distress-

spring sighs peacefully

©CV, 2020, Rockville Centre, NY

Would you like to join my #quarentainment project to flood social media with your own inspirational messages, poetry, and nature photographs on the beauty of nature? Invite your students to offer their stu-voice-artistic expressions. See details at the special invitation here.  Reminder: please send your offering to my Nature Nurtures! padlet and on social media using the hashtag, #NatureNurtures2020 and #Sharing PlanetBeauty.

The image poem of the pink-hued tree is a digitized copy of the photo seen at #NPM20 #SharingPlanetBeauty   It was digitized with the Prisma app to give a different perspective.

March Musings 2020: Friendship_SOLSC 3

The smell of fresh simmering soup wafted out from the kitchen.

Memories seeped out from corners within the house.

We congregated, tinkled glasses, broke bread,

relived the joys and trials of years past.

Binding friendships never tarnish

in the parade of life. They

grow with each candle

added to the

cake.

©CV, 2020

No matter the distance between friends, there is and always will be

 a lasting connection.

Each year since March 2015, I engage in Two Writing Teacher's Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge. 
Slicing allows me to ponder life, literacy, and learning, capturing small moments poetically
through writing, photography, and digital art. 

Day 3 of 31 days of writing March Slice of Life 2020 Story Challenge

at Two Writing Teachers.

March Musings '19: Grandma Wishes

I linger in love

as a grandma today

thinking of Sierra 

in a special way.

Sierra loves playgrounds. She is a bundle of energy. The Prisma app, introduced to me by fellow slicer, Jennifer Sniadecki, was used to capture Sierra's constant motion.

It's hard to leave my grandbaby because she brings such joy to our lives. My husband and son feel the same way. I wrote about this in yesterday's slice. Today, I started my morning off watching a short video of one of Sierra's favorite books, Grandma Wishes by Julia Lobo. You can listen to the story in song form below. 

My thoughts return to each of the three nights that I put Sierra to bed. The first night, I dipped my hand into Sierra's nighttime book basket and pulled out Grandma Wishes. We sat in the white rocking chair, got cuddly, and began to read in the quiet of a darkened room. My iPhone's flashlight app lit the pages of the book while we read. After reading, we cuddled and snuggled some more, sang a little bedtime tune, and gave thanks for a lovely day before carrying Sierra to her crib where she sleeps on top of and with her babies. Before sitting back down on the rocker, I rubbed her back, and let her settle in. I was immersed in peace. I am happy that I was able to share bedtime rituals with Sierra.

(This weekend, Sierra surprised me by saying, "Hi, Gramma".  My son-in-law heard it also. We were so surprised and I was so touched.)

Day 27 of 31 days of writing

March Slice of Life Story Challenge
Two Writing Teachers