Grateful for Treasured Moments

 We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” -Thornton Wilder

Treasured moments are small ones

filled with thanks for life and living. 

Within these small moments, 

families come together, 

snap photos for posterity, 

and mindfully enjoy the present. 

©CV, 2021

🍁🍃🍂

Pausing-in-prayer before eating allows us time to give thanks and open our hearts to what we are grateful for in life. 

🍁🍃🍂

Thanksgiving:

While Thanksgiving 2021 brought only part of the family together, it was a delicious, memorable meal that was a welcomed break from my husband's rigorous medically-prescribed diet plan. This was our pre-party for a weekend event that would bring a  surprise twist for our family gathering.

A Few Days Later:

Imagine our surprise when we awoke on Saturday morning and the turkey did not thaw out in time. EEK! Plan B was put into action. My husband drove to the local grocery store to search for a fresh turnkey that would feed seven. Upon entering the house, he excitedly told his tale. 

"There were at least 75 frozen turkeys and only one fresh one in the bin. The other good news is I only paid $3.60 for this 17 1/2-pound fresh turkey!"

A phone call let us know my daughter, son-in-law, and grandgirls would arrive.  The call was interrupted by an excited 4-year-old who could not wait to tell her news to Grandpa.

"Grandpa, we bought a chocolate cake for Grandma."

A few hours later, two pretty boxes came into the house. I could hardly wait to see what was inside. When it was time for dessert, the boxes were opened. Sierra decided to add four colorful candles to the chocolate cake. These were placed next to the birthday girl sign. 

"Mommy loves red," Sierra said.

I replied, "Did you know that I love red too?"

Aurora wanted to be raised higher to see the "happy" (short for a happy birthday party). The girls and I squished on one swivel chair for the traditional family event. An off-key tune was sung (so says my husband) and I along with my two little loveys blew out the candles. A bite into the chocolate cake brought me to another happy place. The yumminess of the chocolate and the creme layers was just too delicious for words!

Reflection:

The events of Thanksgiving 2021 seemed to erase the sting of last year's pandemic life and channel a new feeling of being blessed. 

🍁🍃🍂

Thanksgiving

a holiday

to gather together

with good food

family conversation

harmony 

©CV, 2021

Note: The above poem uses a hay(na)ku and reverse hay(na)ku  poetic form. A hay(na)ku has lines of one, two, and three word(s) for lines one, two, and three respectively. A reverse hay(na)ku reverses the order.

🍁🍃🍂 

The Power of Gratitude:

November ends a month of gratitude but in reality, it does not stop on November 30th. Let us all remember this. 

Thank you to my friend, Laurie Saurman, who shared this graphic on gratitude at her Facebook post.

🍁🍃🍂

Thank you to my son, Derek Varsalona, for taking this beautiful photo in West Virginia while on a mini-vacation with his sister, brother-in-law, and little nieces.

weekend plans develop

inspiring an

autumnwatch

©CVarsalona, 2021 & Photo by ©Derek Varsalona, 2021, West Virginia

🍁🍃🍂

Gratitude for the weekly Slice of Life offered by Two Writing Teachers.

From Newborn to 3-Years-Old

The years have passed quickly between newborn wonder and three-years of age.  When I saw photos of my little granddaughter rock climbing (one of her favorite outings) with the T-shirt label, Young, Wild, & Three, I knew that line captured her spirit. So, inspired by these photos and a T-shirt, I took my digital pen in hand and created an after-birthday poem. 

With purple being Sierra's favorite color and lilacs a flower that brings me back to my own childhood, I created a golden shovel poem using poet Amy Lowell's poem, Lilacs, and the strike line, "You are the smell of all Summers."  If you read downward from the first line end word, you will see the strike line emerge. 

I see you

as you are

laughing in the

 woods, whiffing the smell

of pine, searching for wonders of

delight. There is a warm touch of love in all

your smiles and hugs. I long for our endless summers.

©CVarsalona, 2020

💜

It's the Poetry Friday Roundup at Tricia Stohr Hunt's Miss Rumphius Effect  blog,

so join me as I share my tribute to Sierra there.

💜

Note to Kathryn Apel, poet:

While I initially chose Amy Lowell's poem for your #PoetryPepUp Day 5 Challenge, I struggled to create a golden shovel poem from one of her beautiful but challenging lines.  It is still in the apple polishing phase. When I reread the poem and found the strike line above and paired them with the Google Photos in Sierra's album, I was energized to create a photo collage poem.)