Journey On With Heart - SJT

Feeling overwhelmed and somewhat unbalanced by a series of too many clustered events, the time is right to explore a burning question from Linda Mitchell, this month's Spiritual Journey Thursday host. Where is your heart on this spiritual journey we are all on? Pondering this question can unlock not straightforward, rather winding path that starts with my one word, appreciate. 

In order to unravel my thoughts, I backtrack to years ago when I let my Endless To-Do List drift into the abyss. It was too heavy a load to carry daily. In the aftermath, I decided to try to simplify my printed notepaper but life kept interrupting and the list became cumbersome once again. Now, clustered events climb on the backs of each other to make a rather messy-looking calendar. Sleep habits are disturbed and deadlines need to be extended. I question myself. How can I appreciate life if I don't have time to slow down? Ah Ha! Positivity rises!

So where is my heart on my spiritual journey? I need to balance my personal, family, and professional lives. Yes, this is true. I need to slow down-another truth. Then, there is the medical issue of cataract surgery. Obviously, I need to have cataracts removed. There still is a small window of time between now and the first operation in March. 

Journey on, I say without buts or negatives. So where do I start? Just because it is winter does not mean that I cannot cultivate a garden or appreciate the shifting landscapes.  

Several Ways to Energize the Heart:

• Strengthen the physical aspects by continued exercise, eating healthy, relax before sleep time
• Continue feeding my soul with inspiration (reading and writing poetry)
• Believe in Psalm 37:4: take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart
• Build a garden of love

Author of Quote Unknown

Psalm 37:4

Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.

💕💗💞

My heart desires blessings for these little grandgirls so they can grow

with love, faith, and hope for a peaceful world and brighter future.

💕💗💞

"To all of the grandmothers who make the world more gentle, more tolerant, and more safe for our children: Never doubt your importance.- Mary-Lou Rosengren

Ponder Linda's question: 

Where is your heart on this spiritual journey we are all on?

I have more thinking to do to make my spiritual walk a peaceful one this year

despite life's interruptions.

It's time to visit the Spiritual Journey Thursday community at Linda Mitchell's blog here.

Snowfall Moments

After each winter storm, I am struck by the tranquility of the night. Frosted panes add their glow to the stillness of the night. Candlelight flickers and animal tracks stretch across untouched snow. It is a magical sight to watch winter gather its crystals and dust earth quietly. 

After seeing a photo of my two little granddaughters sinking into the snow, I decided to digitize a picture to give winter credit for its undeniably inspiring beauty. 

 

freshly-formed snowflakes fall

gently

on

winter

paths

gently

touching

little

noses

gently

snowflakes, freshly-formed, fall

©CVarsalona, 2022

❄❄❄

snowfall

holds delight

for little skiers

sinking

into snow

toddlers stand still

winter

magic fills

the quiet air

©CV, 2022, hay(nu)ka series

❄❄❄

quietude exists in winter hush

stillness

surrounds

mellowing

evening

stillness

reverberates

quietly

crystalizing

stillness

quietude exists in winter hush

©CVarsalona, 2022

❄❄❄

Since I am intrigued by the beauty of the snow in woods here in Virginia, I invite you to join me in creating any type of artistic expression in word, art, or music for Winter's Embrace Gallery. Tabatha Yeatts, our gracious Poetry Friday Roundup host this week, sent me some winter photos that are just lovely for the gallery. Thank you Tabatha for allowing my mind to wander in word wonder. 

frosted berries iced

dipped in winter white crystals

seasonal sweet

©CVarsalona, 2022

Several years ago, Tabatha sent me this hauntingly beautiful painting from 1880 by Louise Abbema.

Winter Walk

wrapped in winter peace

she pensively ponders life

iced thoughts surface

©CVarsalona, 2022

❄❄❄

It's time to visit Tabatha Yeatts at Opposite of Indifference for her thoughts on pieces of a puzzle. She opens her site not only for her poetry goodness but for so many other poet friends.

Image collaged by Linda Mitchell

A Touch of Christmas Magic

As we slowly drove down the street, a streak of colored lights poured out from a maze of trees.  Against the darkness, a magical array of animated, moving holiday forms were swinging from various corners of an immense yard. We watched big-eyed like little children in an old-fashioned candy store, eyeing a life-size live train set circling in a wooden caboose-like structure. Santa and his reindeer traveled across the sky while animated polar bears pendulated around massive trees. Unexpectedly, a family appeared in the driveway as friendly as can be, ready to share their back story on how their holiday display became on one of the famous stops on Holly's Tacky Christmas Lights Trail. 

Serendipity?  No, this was a well-planned short outing in Herndon, Virginia for us to be dazzled by a fantastic Christmas display. If we could rate the owner's tremendous work since June 2020, it would be a ten for ingenuity, skill, and creativity. If you want more proof that this holiday sighting is a gleeful one, than look at the wonder from my grandchild with a penchant for amazing sights. 

"What did you like the best, Sierra?"  

"Baby Jesus and the trains, Grandma."

Even a pandemic cannot deny the magic of Christmas!

Offering this Tuesday Slice of Life for Two Writing Teachers' community of writers.

After four months of being isolated from family, we finally traveled to Virginia for the walkthrough of our new home that has been built via mostly digital communication. It was a thankful moment seeing my granddaughter Sierra, 3, and her baby sister, Aurora, 1o months old. While all members of the family have been cautious about our whereabouts, being in the open-air with masks and social distancing felt almost normal. We talked, laughed, and enjoyed a magical pre-Christmas moment.