Love Is Never Lost

 With St. Patrick's Day still on my mind and only a few days to my husband's birthday, I dream of laughter, nighttime, and meeting my love in my "deep heart's core". While there was both joy and sadness this week, the family celebrated with a St. Patrick's Day dinner. We thought about Grandpa, who would have enjoyed watching the grandgirls scurry about during the scavenger hunt. Two previous blogs, Happy St. Patrick's Day and Dressed In Green. 

Love Is Never Lost

Over the laughing land   

Andwhere the sky’s a pale blue cup,

at night, on the edge of sleep,

shadows fall;ing

everythingwa's simmering.  

My love and I did meet;

bid me take life easy.

As the leaves grow on the tree,

I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore.

I hear it in the deep heart's core.

Searching for the last sight of a hand,

I imagine

silently climbing a cloud-lit sky.

 The Words will flow to St. Patrick's Day,

this emerald gem.

Sweet, there is nothing left to say

But this, that love is never lost.

cento poem created by CVarsalona, 2026

The lines in the poem come from the Poetry Foundation's

St. Patrick's Poetry Collection.

 Lines 1-2       Song by James Joyce 

      Lines 3-4       The Lost Land by Evan Boland

Lines 5-6       Corned Beef and Cabbage by George Bilgere

Lines 7-8       Down By the Salley Gardens by William Butler Yeats

      Lines 9-10      The Lake of Innisfree by William Butler Yeasts

Line 11-12      The Lost Land by Evan Boland

Line 13         Dawn at St. Patrick's Day by Derek Mahon

      Line 14         St. Patrick's Day by Eliza Cook

Line 15         St. Patrick's Day: With a Shamrock 

                by Charlotte Elizabeth Tonna 

     Line 16-17      Her Voice by Oscar Wilde

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I am sharing my thoughts with two writing communities I am associated with. 

Poetry Friday

Tanita S. Davis is hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup today at her blog site here. She offers powerful thoughts on songs of protest with the theme, Comfort in Community. Tanita asks us to "Hold on to who you are, what you know to be right, and how you live - with open hands, helping your neighbor and community, and uplifting sanity and kindness."

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Day 20, March 2026

 12th year with Two Writing Teachers

Dressed in Green

St. Patrick's Day is an event that my family has enjoyed as long as I can remember. Even though we are not Irish, we appreciate St. Patrick's Day each year. I remember the parades, wonderful food, and the enjoyment of being with family and friends. This year, my sister and I hosted a special dinner and game time to make a special night for my little grandgirls. Hopefully, they will remember this time we spent together on St. Paddy's Day.

Below are two quotes in my baking area. They remind me that blessings come even when a day starts out gray.

"May your troubles be less, and your blessings be more, and nothing but happiness come through your door."

"Blessed beyond measure!"

I baked Irish Soda Bread for the first time

I added a touch of color.

to make the bread more festive.

☘

Three little Grandgirls are dressed for St. Patrick's Day.

Each child presented me with three different thoughts.

6-year-old: "Grandma, I made a Leprechaun trap with my 5th Grade Buddy at school today. It's in the car." Off she went to get her trap. It was an interesting device with a quick drop. I was impressed.   

2-year-old (almost 3): "My dress fell in the toilet when I went to the potty today at pre-school."  I wasn't expecting that comment but we all had a good laugh.

8-year-old: "I'm ready to begin the scavenger hunt. Do I have to find real shamrocks?" After finishing her scavenger hunt paper, she said.↴

"Grandma, I wrote a poem about Four Leaf Clovers:

Clovers are good luck

but they are not much.

4-leaf clovers are hard to find.

Maybe you can find them in a mine.

☘ by Sierra, age 8 ☘ 

The poem was a surprise, even though I had asked Sierra to add one to end her scavenger hunt. Sierra was pleased with her poem, and I was happy that each child had a good time. Of course, there were small treats and candy for each little girl who finished her scavenger hunt.

blessings bring joy

like snowflakes fluttering down

circulating peace

©CVarsalona, 2026

Day 19 March 2026

 12th year with Two Writing Teachers

Reflaction on Life

When I spend time reflecting on life, I get to know myself better.  I slipped out of this habit during the initial phase of grief, but I am trying to make a comeback each morning.  A reflaction is a reflection with action. It was coined by two colleagues in New Jersey. The action part of my reflaction is in the last two lines of the poem.  Father Mike on YouTube centered his Sunday sermon on this mantra. 

Before dawn has broken

I lay in quiet stillness

Waiting for flickers of light.

Outside 

            Lies an imperfect world

            In disrepair from continual

            Disharmony and egregious behavior.

Call the seamstress!

Restitch the torn, the worn.

Restore hearts broken from turmoil.

             Renew our precious land.

             Relight the darkness found.

             Revisit possible solutions.

Before the close of the day

Find rest in nature's offering.

Seek comfort in others' hands.

            Hold high the light of hope.

            Look for joy and steal it

            Every time we find it.

                                                  (c) CVarsalona, 2025

                                                 

Day 16, March 2026

 12th year with Two Writing Teachers

A Three-Year-Old Surprise Birthday

Can we ever get enough of the magic of Christmas and Santa himself? I firmly believe in spreading Christmas joy during the holidays right up to the feast of Little Christmas on January 6th, the Epiphany. But now the family has extended the wonder of Christmas to our sweet little Aurora's third birthday with her Lil' Christmas party on January 9th. 

As elf helpers, we arrived early to decorate specifically for the party. My daughter's house was already beautifully decked in red and green from the holidays. The live balsam Christmas tree stood in the center of the room. We were told Santa would arrive earlier than we thought, so we needed to work fast. 

Santa was able to catch a reindeer ride to Reston, Virginia before the children arrived home from their daycare school. He appeared to be calm and even took a quick snooze while sitting up. When the birthday girl and her older sister arrived, Santa was ready to enjoy himself with the little ones for at least an hour until the reindeer came back for the return trip. To this day, if you ask Aurora who was at her party, she reports, "Santa". 

Santa surprise gift

children stare or jump for joy

reindeer transport waits

©CVarsalona, 2023

Can you imagine what this wonder-filled party meant to a three-year-old? Santa will never forget his good deed on Aurora's big day. 

Ho-ho-ho! 2023 is going to be a good year for all the little children!

I now join Two Writing Teachers, a global community of teacher-writers,

for Tuesday's Slice of Life.

The good news is that I am not racing against the clock to submit my slice.

Mother's Day Joy

What joy Mother's Day brought this year! My family of eight enjoyed our moments together. Two generations of mothers graced our table laden with a delicious brunch featuring signature cocktails. Shirley Temple were prepared by my sister for the little grandgirls who were adorably dressed in matching outfits. We ate, played with the beautiful balloons. Grandpa bought, smelled the rose, and spring bouquets, We ate, played with the beautiful balloons Grandpa bought, smelled the roses and spring bouquets for the table, and enjoyed everyone's company. 

It was the first time I baked a lemon risotto. It reminded me of my Italian heritage and a long line of female bakers.

It was a sweet day of happiness, a Mother's Day I will never forget.

unforgettable 

family day wrapped in love

smiles tell a sweet tale

©CV, 2022

It's Slice of Life Tuesday and I end my day with the Two Writing Teachers and their reflective community of writers.

The Spirit of Halloween

Halloween 2021 came to a close after a weekend of fun. A party, neighborhood gathering, and a parade of young children and families brought back the joy of Halloween. I found inspiration in the delight of donning a costume and enjoying each event with those family and friends. 

In the mood? Listen to This Is Halloween here.

"Halloween is not only about putting on a costume but it's about finding the imagination and costume within ourselves." 

Disco Pumpkin Dolly

White Walker

Prize-Winning Happy Fall Pumpkin

Sweet Little Princesses

🍁🍃🍂

halloween spirit

spreads sheer joy each year

costumed constancy

©CV, 2021

🍁🍃🍂

Join me in celebrating the season

at my Global Gallery of Artistic Expressions,

Bedecked in Autumn,

Share your image poems, inspirational quotes,

artwork or digital designs (or your students' work)

by November 19, 2021.

A Sneak Preview will be shared at Two Writing Teachers.

Send to cvarsalona at gmail.com.

Stopping to Smell the Roses

Mother's Day weekend is usually the best time to plant on Long Island but now that I moved to Virginia, I took the cue from my neighbors and planted earlier. Some of my herbs and flowers were hardy enough to endure the changes in temperature. Some did not so as Mother's Day approached, landscaping our new patio with beautiful beds of herbs and perennials became my focus. It was time to stop and smell the roses and not fret about unpacked boxes inside the home.

The builder's landscaping team arrived a few days before Mother's Day weekend and swapped out plants that were not on my wish list for beautiful flowering azaleas, a young holly bush, budding knock-out roses, and a cherry tree. The challenges of my family's life move started to turn to joy as I watched the plants enter the ground. 

Next on the agenda was a visit to the wholesale nursery with my gardener to choose a beautiful combination of perennials and herbs for my new gardens. While the weather felt more like a cool end-of-winter day rather than a spring one, I layered up and took off to the nursery with my husband. The first task was to find the weeping cherry tree for the back lawn that my husband had on his wish list. Who wouldn't want such a tree? After all, we now live in Virginia, well-noted for their blossoming cherry trees. Following that, we roamed rows of perennials to choose an assortment that would bring color to either side of the patio. The trip proved to be delightful. 

Early on Mother's Day, the gardeners arrived with truckloads of river rocks, large stones for decorative edging, and my tree and plants. The team diligently despite the coldish weather. When they finished planting and edging all the beds with large stones, I realized that Mother's Day will be celebrated in joy from the fruit of their labors. 

Welcome to my gardens,

A delightful Mother's Day gift to

Stop to smell the roses.

Walk through. 

Let nature bring happiness

Filling life with blossoming joy.

©CV, 2021

💮

I hope everyone's Mother's Day was filled with Blossoms ofJoy! (To hear more about this topic click on the link above to read other slicers' thoughts on this topic.)

💮

"The lesson I have thorougly learnt, and wish to pass on to others, is to know the enduring happiness that the love a garden gives."

-Gertrude Stein

💮

I am strolling over to a garden of blossoming slices of life at Two Writing Teachers. 

On the Bunny Trail

Pre-Easter Fun

I sit here at the end of another long day thankful for being able to celebrate Easter with my little granddaughters and family. In the midst of half-opened boxes and unopened ones, laundry, and lots of clutter, I decide to bake. Baking is a tradition started by my Nonnie so today I honor her and my mother who followed in her footsteps. I pull out the beautifully preserved breadboard and pause to breathe in the aromatic smells of spices and dough from my past. As I pull 'out the flour canister, eggs, and butter, I start the hunt for the Easter cookie cutouts. They're in one of the unopened boxes. My son finds the cutouts and we are ready to roll out the dough as I did as a child. The second round is decorating with chocolate frosting, sprinkles, and coconut. Off to sleep because we have to be ready for the Easter egg hunt at my two granddaugthers' house tomorrow morning. 

We hippity-hop,

getting ready

for little bunnies

to take a bite.

©CV, 2021

Easter Morning

The house awakens to a bright Easter morning. Sounds of "Alleluia" float out from the virtual church service. In the hustle-bustle of getting ready for the Easter egg hunt, I forget my iPhone, Quick return to the house. With the speed of a bunny rabbit, we arrive on time. "Happy Easter, everyone." No return greeting but then, my granddaughter comes down the stairs with news. "Baby got paint all over her dress and her body." We wait patiently. Down the stairs comes the little one with her a muted-colored dress spotted with what looks like a tie dye pattern. Hands are blue and smile is sweet. The Easter Egg hunt begins with a new generation of siblings.

Egg Hunt

Eager

little Girl

Giggles as she

Hunts

Under bushes for colored eggs -

Never

Tripping this year

©CV, 2021

Post-Easter 

Surprise. I wake to see my beautiful fern plants a strange shade of brown. Oh, no, it's the change of temperature. Back to unpacking and organizing.  Evening run back to the nursery for an exchange for a vibrant and thriving pair of ferns. Head is spinning from the to-do list that never lessens, only grows in stature.

Easter joy

warmly received,

Slightly dimmed by life's tasks.

Be glad for blessings!

©CV, 2021

It's National Poetry Month. Thank you for joining me as I continue the saga of my life move.

Offering this slice of life to Two Writing Teachers.