"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is time for home." -Edith Sitwell Sitwell's quote reminds me that winter is the time of year for stepping back and enjoying the warmth of family and fremily togetherness. It is the time to look inside, enjoy moments of solitude but also the time to let JanYOUary shape our winter lives. Make the most of winter! It is our launching pad for one word goals to propel our 2018 dreams and hopes.
Photo by Devin Hartnett, West Virginia
NOTICE unblemished snow, winter's whitened creation, artistry in motion, that quietly enters, inviting all travelers to linger in solitude, savor the beauty of untouched paths. Listen to nature's calling, awakening life to hushed stillness and peace. WONDER in silent tribute as frosted trees celebrate a world tucked in tranquility and hope.
Tomorrow, I look forward to a winter walk exploring Manhattan with my family. Who knows what sights and sounds I will find because New York City in winter is a happening. May your weekend be filled with winter magic and celebrations of life. I am off now to Celebrate This Week with Ruth Ayres and her community of writers. Join me.
News:
This week I will invite all to create alongside me for my newest gallery, Winter Wonderland. This is everyone's chance to voice positive thoughts about the season of winter, whatever it may look like in your locale. You can see some of the digitals that have been gathering for this year's winter gallery at #WinterWonderland18 and visit last year's winter gallery here.
"Let your joy burst forth like flowers in the spring."
-author unknown-
It is on the weekends that we can look back, celebrate the highlights of the week, and enjoy family time. Let me paint you a picture of springtime Long Island through digital poetry.
Mother Nature dressed earth this week in a kaleidoscope of color: smoky-colored skies, blue-gray mornings, pastel-hued sunsets, and verdant lawns. ****************
I celebrate springtime and all it brings this week-from the dampening rain to the spurts of sunshine to a spring day and the budding of my garden. The progression can be recognized through my digital poetry in a collection of #poetrylisciouspoetry.
Spring paraded its newest hues as it moved from rainy forecasts to days filled with sunshine. Springtime signposts were visible and Long Island exploded with outdoor activity.
spring kaleidoscope burst with faint hints of color liveliness restored putting spring in my step nature's artwork visible
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The digitals and poems in this post are part of my #poetrylisciouspoetry collection for National Poetry Month and offered today to two writing communities, Ruth Ayres' Celebrate This Weekand Margaret Simon's DigiLitSunday.
The Winter Wonder Gallery I created has wonderful examples of digipoetry from across the world. The sample is from Margaret Simon.
I hope everyone celebrates springtime with zest this week.
"Be willing to be a beginner every single morning."
-Meister Eckhart
In the grand scheme of life, morning opens each day to new possibilities. If we listen, learn, and live in the spirit of humanKIND, we can appreciate all that life offers. It is with anticipation of the joyous feast of Easter that I dedicate this #poetrylisciouspoetry post to morning's healing graces.
Yesterday, I wrote after observing the opening of the sky to start the day. Today, I continue the practice of noticing the beauty of early morning. From these observations, reflection and insights evolve.
Rain pitter patters, splashing the roof.
A solitary bird sings out
awakening the world to participate
in the celebration of life.
Varied daybreak voices ring in support of spring.
Is it spring? I gaze out to a patch of yellow
Popping with news of what is to come.
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Morning has broken Peace resides in a pillowed-sky, Within the billowing clouds, My thoughts pass by.
While I am still lingering over the #WinterWonder17 Gallery I released last week, my thoughts look ahead to spring. Please watch for messages about my upcoming invitation to my spring gallery of artistic expressions (soon-to-be announced).
The digitals and poems in this slice are part of my #poetrylisciouspoetrycollection for National Poetry Month.
I am joining the Poetry Friday Round-up that can be found at Irene Latham's site today to enjoy reading poetry during National Poetry Month.
From gray, silent skies to blustery frozen blizzards
and back to muted, pastel sunsets,
Lady Winter dressed the earth in a range of colors to suit her different moods.
Two photos by Devin Hartnett of Virginia & West Virginia
Some days, Lady Winter quietly unfurled lacy flakes to dance across the skies leaving only a dusting on the land and then, tiptoed out.
Devin Hartnett, West Virginia
At other times, she boldly charged in bringing freezing temperatures and raging storms, causing interesting weather changes across the world.
Cherry blossoms popped only to be frozen the next day.
Crocuses sprouted weeks ahead of time and florals blossomed in southern locales
Amaryllis from Margaret Simon, Louisiana
while the northeast was left at a standstill during bleak, blizzardy days.
During all of these changes, creative individuals
enjoyed the opportunity of capturing winter
in digital and nondigital formats.
Photographers photographed the beauty of winter's stilled wonders on days that moved from cool to balmy.
Spiri Howard, Pennsylvania
Carol Swayzie, Winnepeg, Canada
Mireille Taub, Palm Springs, California
Dr. Mary Howard, Hawaii
Artists chose different mediums to illustrate vivid winter scenes.
Poets quietly wove words to compliment
what was seen through their eyes.
From around the Northern Hemisphere, winter brought varying degrees of joy to those who appreciate winter wonder.
I invite you to continue your gallery walk after a brief musical interlude by Phillip Stephen Allen. Click here.
This gallery unveils the winter season
from the perspective of artists, poets, photographers, students, writers, and a composer, and writers around the globe.
Artistry in white has been christened
and moments in time frozen for all to witness the creative hand of Mother Nature.
Alaska
Estonia
New York State
Pennsylvania
As winter progressed, frozen, lacy patterns started to fill my photo library and Twitter feed, #WinterWonder17, contrasted by sparkling gems that danced on water.
Connecticut
Long Island, NY
wintery gray sky
delivers on its promise:
fat flakes start to fall
Catherine Flynn, Connecticut
Estonia
Long Island, NY
Adults and children discovered interesting winter wonders in their respective locales. Hawaii Long Island, NY Violet Nesdoly, Mt. Baker, Canada A variety of writers created inspirational quote images to bring a new perspective to winter life. Pause again to listen to another instrumental,Wednesday's Child, from Phillip Stephen Allen.
In the quiet of winter, reflective thinkers found tranquility to soothe their souls. Quote by AKR (in above image) submitted by Barbara Keene
"Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words." - Robert Frost ----------
Writers, inspired by the muse of the winter season, brought a chorus of poetic voices to grace the gallery walls.
Student Voice filled with poetic thought is powerful.
Teacher modeling is essential.
Kindergarten students from Christie Wyman's class in Massachusetts and those from Lindsey Bragg's class at Normandy Elementary in Ohio, under the leadership of Char Shryock moved from nondigital to digital platforms to create original snow poetry.
Hailey, one of the Wyman's Wonders
Please access the snow poetry presentation by Wyman's Wonders here.
Ohio Kinder Poets in Lindsey Bragg's class under the leadership of Char Shryock
Moving on to image poems from two fourth grade students I had the pleasure of meeting and co-moderating with on #NYEDChat.
"How many lessons of faith and beauty we should lose, If there were no winter in our year!"
-Thomas Wentworth Higginson
During the 2017 winter season, Mother Nature, brought attention to her drifting snows, dancing snowflakes, and powerful storms. Meteorologists were reporting weather reports constantly to keep everyone abreast of the paths of storms or unseasonable temperatures.
As March is soon to close, it is still swinging between winter and spring. Please peruse the final section of the gallery that provides a look forward.
"If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?
-Percy Byron Shelley
Reminder:
Be encouraged to look closely at each new day to find the beauty and the wonder of nature.
I extend my thanks to all of the contributorsto the Winter Wonder Gallery for their perspectiveon the wonders of the 2017 winter season.
You can visit the following galleries that integrate the arts, technology, and poetry by clicking on the individual titles.
"What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give its sweetness."
-John Steinbeck
Gallery visitors, thank you for sharing reflective time with the Winter Wonder's community of writers. It has been a pleasure to present the beauty of the winter season through an artistic lens. Please leave a comment in the section below, at my Facebook link,or tweet a response using the hashtags, #WinterWonder17& @cvarsalona,to recognize the efforts of the gallery contributors. This gesture of community spirit is appreciated.
On the eve of National Poetry Month, I am debuting this gallery to spread the joy of poetry love throughout the world. Thank you to Amy Ludwig VanderDerwater for hosting Poetry Friday and providing inspiration for another month of creating poetry.
Until we meet again at my to-be-announced springtime gallery, I send joyful thoughts your way. -Carol
and visit last year's winter gallery here.
