October's Beautiful Change

Lady Autumn's seasonal changes surprise me each year. This season, she chose sunshine-summer attire and switched to raincoat-weather clothing. The last few days, she was clothed in leafed designs for a stroll under a bright blue sky with pillowed clouds. Variety is Lady Autumn's wish so I cannot wait to see her October sneak preview. Will it be dazzling with Crayola colors or soaked from rainy weather? 

Beautiful Change

Autumn lets go

moving slowly

with season's ease

In mindful pause

gentle winds blow

Autumn lets go

releases leaves

dancing  to earth

gathering  begins

leaves fall 

Autumn lets go

flits across earth

sunsetting peace

dazzles nightsky

with fall crayons

Autumn lets go

©CVarsalona, draft

4 x 4 poem-see information here.

Photo from Unsplash

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• Anyone who thinks fallen leaves are dead has never watched them dancing on a windy day. - Shira Tamir

Autumn woke in the morning with a crispy feel of summer-like weather and bright blue skies. Watching in awe, a gentle flight of assorted leaves moved gracefully toward the cars.  October's first dance of the season brought a beautiful change.

autumn's flight of leaves

free-float and dance in the breeze

October's gift

©CVarsalona, 2024, haibun

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Welcome to my Slice of Life, which I am sending to the Two Writing Teachers, a reflective community of writers.

Autumn's Change

Change is a measure of time and, in the autumn, time seems speeded up. What was is not and never again will be; what is is change."

-Edwin Teale

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Using the beginning of the above quote, I penned a Golden Shovel poem:

Autumn brings change.
In seasonal cycles, change is
inevitable. It's a
juncture point to measure 
existence in a world of
everyday racing time. 
©Carol Varsalona, 2017

This Buncee can be activated here to listen to the song, 

Together We Can Change The World.

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The following poems were featured here.

sashaying in

november walks with gusto-

pre-holiday chill
©Carol Varsalona, 2017

In 2013, I wrote a blog post, Autumn, A Time of Transitions, that will frame my thoughts as I close the collection of digital offerings for my Autumn Ablaze Gallery. The deadline for submission is November 28, 2017. Thanks is extended to all those who submitted image poems, inspirational quote, nature photography, artwork, and music. Also, I would like to thank Janet Wong for her welcoming efforts to gather poetry friends to join in this season's gallery writing. I am connecting with Janet and many poetry friends at #NCTE17. 

For those I am able to only connect with virtually, I offer this post to Poetry Friday's hostess, Jane at Raincity Librarian. 

Celebrating Change

Changes in weather patterns were multi-layered and led to some problem solving this week. The movement from crisp, cool air autumn air to mild and beautiful Indian Summer days and nights had Long Islanders wondering what was next. Layers were needed at the onset of the week, inviting the start-up of my home's heating system but by mid-week Indian Summer returned. Types of clothing and bed linens were then rethought but not for long. Warmer pieces were needed again by the end of the week. The weather channel became the barometer for what to wear when taking reflective walks along the beach. Back and forth changes occurred, reminding me that life is a cycle of change that we must embrace.

From Sheepshead's Bay to the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Summer captured the beauty of the water's edge. 

The highway noted a few transformations

while my neighborhood reflected autumnal changes. 

The zen master, Lao Tzu's inspirational quote provided me with wisdom on why change must be accepted as part of the ebb and flow of life.

Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.

This week autumn was present in its many changes. Accepting unexpected dilemmas and understanding that doubt is part of life's walk were part and parcel of this week's journey. 

"Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like", echoed in my ears yesterday as I was ready to send my post off to the Celebrate This Week community hosted by Ruth Ayres. When it vanished into cyberspace I decided rather than lamenting my loss to accept it, and moved on to celebrate a friend's wedding. By the way, when I tried to take photos of the event, my iPhone shut off leaving me with another blip. Despite the unexpected changes I am still celebrating. An attitude of acceptance has allowed me to refuel my thought bank with a new post. 

As an educator, I always speak about the importance of change to inspire new thoughts and new directions on our journey so I celebrate change that moves me out of my comfort zone. In order to impact life, learning, and teaching we need to embrace changes that come our way or be responsible for creating change and what it brings. 

Change always comes bearing gifts. -Price Pritchett

Autumn has given me the gift of tranquility as it changes its landscape daily.

"When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills." (Chinese proverb) I want to be the windmill builder so I celebrate change. May you be filled with the spirit of positivity and acceptance as you celebrate this week.

Please visit Celebrate This Week  to read how other bloggers are celebrating their week. 

Autumn, A Time of Transitions

Photo of Dolly Sods Wildnerness in West Virginia taken by Devin Varsalona Harntett, September 2013

Each year, the season of autumn provides a fresh lens for a hurried world. It quietly walks in, draping and transforming landscapes in seasonal splendor. For those with an appreciation for change, Autumn offers a reflective window on life.  As it boldly states its charge to redesign environments, it allows for brief interludes of quietude. During these times, we see, hear, and view movements of nature with refreshed awareness. We witness subtle changes occurring. With each alteration of nature, Autumn moves reflective observers closer to grasping the magnitude of the moment. People pause in awe of the bounty the season brings. Minds are opened to new noticings and wonders. Thoughts are reframed from the inside out. Autumn nods in response, showcasing itself as a season of transitions. 

While Autumn is often referred to fall, it is not the reality of leaves descending that one ponders. It is the graceful movements and scenic landscapes that are captured by Autumn's lens. The season transcends the act of falling to become a backdrop for transitions. Being nature's change agent, it brings new possibilities to a world ready for color. Teachers embrace Autumn each year, as they transform their literacy spaces into visually-engaging environments. They, as change agents of the educational world, transition students from summer landscapes to autumnal learning laboratories where Common Core standards and shifts are evident in daily instructional practices and lessons. 

As Autumn days move on, nature turns its attention to seasonal changes while practitioners shift their focus to long term learning targets that impact instruction and achievement. Shifts regularly occur in both the world of nature and the educational world. October bursts with the colors of the season, as does the classroom. Sounds of the season enter school doors. From feet scuffling through crumply leaves to luscious bites of crunchy apples, Autumn speaks. From trees ablaze with color to classrooms alive with seasonal sights and decorations, Autumn signifies change. From Indian summer days to cooling breezes, Autumn asks observers to take note of their changing surroundings while teachers do likewise in the classroom. Utilizing transitions, teachers lead students to explore possibilities in collaborative environments. In turn, students observe, pair share, and wonder where their new learning can take them. It is through life's transitions that change is embraced and growth emerges. 

Autumn is a time for transitions. It asks that you be observant of your surroundings that change to brilliant colors of burnt sienna, goldenrod, chestnut, and maize. As you breathe in the fresh Autumn air allow the season to be your guide to rethink and redesign your spaces. Let go of the hurried pace, slow down, and embrace the transitions that lead to new travels as a life learner.

The Slipping Away of Summer

This week, a mini-vacation to a majestic and stately Victorian resort nestled in the heart of the Catskills made me keenly aware of the power of words and images and their effect on the psyche. Tucked away into a quiet corner of New York State is Mohonk Mountain House, a hotel that has catered to the rich, the famous, and the ordinary vacationer in need

of a respite from busied activities. As the website notes, Mohonk "is a resort where guests can renew body, mind, and spirit in a beautiful natural setting.” The simple, descriptive words from the internet are more than an advertisement. They embody the Mohonk experience. I have visited Mohonk many times before this celebratory occasion, my anniversary. But this time, I realized more than ever that Mohonk Mountain House is one of those perfect getaways to rethink feelings about life.

While on the grounds of Mohonk I read a Twitter feed from author Teri Lesesne. Words…connect and reconnect; they remind and remain; they sink deep within us. Agreeing that words are indeed connectors, powerful conveyors of meaning, I looked more closely at the surroundings, reread the descriptive literature about the mountain house, and photographed the sites. I reconnected with my feelings, leaving behind the chatter and clutter of daily life. Words surrounded me. Gentle guidance from the yoga and meditation teacher moved me toward balance while the breathtaking landscape captured the lushness of the season. Inside Mohonk Mountain House, travelers were curled in various corners of period libraries and parlors reading for both pleasure and work. Conversations were plentiful and words were spoken with enthusiasm. Outside, as bright colors exploded across lawns, July slowly turned the corner to August. That afternoon, there was no hint that summer was slipping away, an often-heard lament of educators during the first days of August. Here at the Mohonk Mountain House, summer was vibrant, not “escaping quietly or going away.” The resort was embraced by nature, offering an elixir to travelers bound for return to the hustle and bustle. 

Interesting enough, on August 1^st, while guests gathered on the Mohonk Mountain House’s lakeside porch, a thick, rising fog hovered over the mountain and settled on the lake, encompassing all so that only stillness remained.Those who watched the phenomenon felt the shifts in temperature and weather conditions. Carl Sandburg’s 1916 poem, Fog, came to mind. As the still, encompassing fog crawled across the lake, guests watched in awe.  At this time, I found myself reconnecting to memories, but it was not the passing of summer that I thought about, nor that people spoke of. Purposeful thoughts about the movement of season to season gave breath to conversations. There was no distress uttered about the torrents of rain or the gray skies. Mohonk’s beauty shone through the clouds. The landscape was aglow with a new tone as the slow, patterned movement of gray mist moved across the sky, blanketed the lake, and then gently lifted its veil. Carl Sandburg’s words were vividly portrayed in this setting. Fog indeed came in on little cat feet, sat on its silent haunches, and then moved on. I witnessed nature's gentle hand ushering in August as a tribute to all that is possible and can be appreciated in life.  Summer was not slipping away this week in the mountains. It was being refreshed and retooled as a crossover to a new season. Age-old fears of fleeting summer days were discarded. The fog became a beacon and August stood proudly in fleeting darkened splendor as it readied itself to pass the torch to a new season.

As I left the grand mountain house, I felt renewed. Was it by chance that July turned the corner to August this past week in a vivid way or was it that I saw the movement in a different light? For those of you who did not witness the dramatic, weather pattern change, may your sensory images guide you to hear and see life in a different way. Live in the world of the can and don't let any day slip away, let alone the summer.