Nature Colors Autumn

November is here. 

I continue my quest

to find fall in 

full Crayola colors.

Inspired by WONDERlust,

I notice the world and

what nature offers, 

from Indian red to maize.

A neighborhood walk

uncovers autumn tints.

Indian Summer's paintbrush

splashed colors overnight.

From Indian red to maize,

in early November nature

offers a world to notice

in bright techno-color.

©CV, 2016, Long Island

November debuts some of autumn's brilliant colors on Long Island
in spots, not the full Crayola range of reds, browns, oranges, and yellows but enough to enjoy the transition.

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Time to consider sending in digital inspirations: imagepoems, inspirational quotes, photographs of autumn for my upcoming Autumnventure Gallery. Collecting offerings now!
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Join my poet friend and colleague, Laura Purdie Salas, for the Poetry Friday Round-Up at Writing the World for Kids. She and the Poetry Princesses have terza rimas for us to read.

From Light to Dark

It all started with a beautiful Indian Summer day. You know the kind. An autumn day that you calls you to celebrate with family and friends outdoors. I started to look at my Halloween Weekend checklist and realized that I could pull together an autumn gathering in six hours (with a little help from my husband and son) and so the day began.

The aromas from the grill outside and the baking oven inside were blending just right and added to the anticipation of guests arriving at 3 o'clock. When all who were able to attend joined us on the patio, we  gave thanks for decades of friendship and marveled over the end of October weather. We quickly mentioned those those who could not attend and set out to begin our pre-Halloween fun at what we later called our progressive dinner.

Tinkling of glasses started the autumn afternoon at the appetizer table. Next, we traveled to the outdoor dining table to enjoy butternut squash soup and kale-apple-onion salad. The candle light was glowing, just for effect since it was mid-afternoon, and the sun was shining brightly. 

Then, off to the north we caught a glimpse of a grayish touch to the sky. 

News flash: 

A storm was brewing but it was an hour away. 

We all laughed and wondered how could that be. As soon as we dipped into the salad, a leaf storm kicked up so suddenly that the group just watched and stared at the phenomenon. Quickly, we scurried to grab as many items as we could to move inside.  Too Late!  The cloud turned dark and the rains pelted us. By the time we got inside, we were all soaked. Our hair, clothes, and napkins took quite a beating. 

That incident did not dampen our spirits. The glow of lit candles, fall decorations, and the sight of a significant storm gave us pause to celebrate memories. We reminisced about the progressive dinners when we first moved into the neighborhood. 

Who would have thought that a day that started out so bright would turn so dark? A round of continued laughs made for four hours well spent at our various venues, outside and inside.

Final reflection: I must admit that I have never been in a storm that arrived with gusto like the one on October 30th. 

Positivity and laughter are essentials in life.

Were you affected by the quick turn of events in weather?

PS: My daughter told me that the storm hit Virginia while she and her husband were bicycle riding. They, too, got soaked.

It's Slice of Life Tuesday so please turn to Two Writing Teachers to read what other slicers are writing today. 

Celebrating Halloween Family Fun

What is autumn without Halloween?, I ask myself as professional commitments pile high on my desk. Hurry! No time to waste! 

Checklist for Halloween Weekend:

✓ Grocery list prepared 
✓ House cleaned for dust-free ambiance

-    Halloween decorations placed in their respective spots 

-    Candy basket ready

-    Cauldron on the stove for soup

-    Oven ready for baking fun

From attic to front porch, the parade of boxes come down.

Am I ready! No, not yet. EEK! Stay tuned for more Halloween fun from my house to yours.

In the meantime, you can scoot over to Ruth Ayres' Celebrate This Week for an inspiring message about fall. Other bloggers are celebrating their week there, too. Join in!

Seasonal Pursuit

Here on Long Island, weather changes fluctuate between Indian Summer and end of autumn rawness. I flip flog between being outside capturing fall and inside watching flickering candlelight and sipping hot chocolate topped with caramel syrup. 

 

autumn lights up night

illuminates, decorates-

winter wonder waits

©CV, 2016

I will continue my seasonal pursuit when the rain changes to sunshine once again. In the meantime, enjoy my final thought as you find fall in your locale.

I will be collecting digital inspirations, nature photographs of autumn, and imagepoems until mid-November for my upcoming Autumnventure Gallery.

It's Poetry Friday and my friend, Linda Baie, is hosting the Poetry Friday Round-Up at her site, Teacher Dance. Please visit to read Linda's original poem, "Sometime in October," and what the other writers have written. 

A Story Evolves

Today was one of those days that needed distractions. Sitting in front of a computer designing a presentation for a group of teachers was weighing heavily on my mind. So many thoughts on digital writing were in front of me waiting to find their home in Google Slides. Knowing that a facilitator guides instruction not dominates it was making the task a longer process than I thought. When my husband said that he was taking a ride to Hicks Nursery, I jumped at the chance to go along. Maybe a change of scenery would be just the right break. 

Off we went to the place that I took my children to each Halloween. Otto the Ghost was still there but his venue expanded and his story took on a new dimension. Otto was greeting his little guests in a Disney-like exhibit with a new animated tale called "Otto's Green Halloween." I met a young mother and her little one there for the second time who told us that we were lucky the walkthrough show was not crowded. I was delighted to be able to take photos without throngs of people milling around me and to have such an excited little girl by my side. As we traveled from room to room another child, older than the toddler, appeared and she too was mesmerized by Otto the Ghost. Of course, this brought to mind all of the Halloween visits to see Otto over the years and the fun that happens at Halloween in my neighborhood.  

This trip was the right diversion for me. With camera in hand I was able to hone in on a small moment, capture the buds of a story to share, and continue my quest to find fall. 

"Photography is a love affair with life." (Burk Uzzle, American documentary photographer) I can say honestly that being behind a camera is an exciting place to be. It lets me look at life with a new set of eyes and of course, it offers me inspiration for writing. 

It's Tuesday and time to write, give, and share at the Two Writing Teachers' Slice of Life. You can access the writing community's slices here.

Tribute

This day - with gratitude,

I carry her memory in my heart,

wrapped in finely-crafted designs

displayed in loving tribute in my

home and retrieved in dreams.

I touch the palms she wove,

creations she designed,

hearts she touched-

remembrances

evoking

love.

©CV, a grateful daughter, 2016

I thank Michelle Barnes, the creator of Today's Little Ditty challenge and poet Kenn Nesbitt for creating the following challenge: Write a poem for your mother. Write it for your mother and give it to her. It can be any kind of poem you like, as long as it’s especially for her. 

For those interested in seeing the October challenge and Michelle's interview with Kenn Nesbitt, please click here. You can find other's poetry on the topic on Michelle's October 2016 padlet.

While I cannot give this poem to my mother for she passed away in 2009, she is ever-present in my life. Looking back on a life of service is what I think about when I remember her. With love I dedicate these poems to send Mom's love back into the world. 

Thank you, Michelle for providing the space to create a living tribute to my Mom who was lovingly known by the neighborhood children as Grandma Kay. 

The 3P Plan

What does it take to fully understand the learner and help each child succeed?  

It takes a 3P Plan.

Reflective teachers are difference makers who do not lose sight of a 3P Plan to help students become successful owners of their learning. As thoughtful coaches of students, they have patience when developing purposeful best practices. They strive to impact learning daily. In their persistence for caring for the learner, they continually hone their practice as effective deliverers of instruction. They collaborate, reflect, and journey with positivity as their guide.

Are you journeying on this path?

• Be patient - design a hook to engage your students 
• Fill your practice with relevant, passion-filled teaching
• Persistence counts - learn to read each student to impact their learning life

I join Margaret Simon for DigiLitSunday today. Her prompt below inspired me to slow down my own process of crafting lessons for my upcoming professional development sessions with teachers.

Happy journeying as a reflective teacher with a 3P plan.

This week was filled with National Day On Writing reminders on Why I Write and being inspired by nature to write. If inclined, you may wish to join the DigiLit Sunday community today to address the mantra Patience - Practice - Persistence.

Celebrate Abundancy

Did you ever have a week filled with abundancy? 

This week, there were several memorable moments that brought smiles to my family. I captured the events in photos to add to my collection of wonderful times to remember. 

I celebrate belief in possibilities and abundancy that follows.

Photo captured on a family trip to find fall

After I started this writing, I read a post by my writer friend, Violet Nesdoly. Her central thought (below) resonated with me.

TO CHEW ON: 

You crown the year with Your goodness, and your paths drip with abundance.

Psalm 65:11 

Violet's post validates my belief that abundance is a gift of faith. My week has been blessed with abundance and I write to celebrate the events that led to this feeling.

The week started with an annual trip to Memorial Sloan Kettering for a check-up. For thirteen years, I have traveled there with the belief that the power of faith and medicine heal. On Monday, my doctor said that I looked great and we recalled the first time I met him in 2003 during the New York City Blackout. To celebrate my good news, my son, husband, and I strolled the streets of Little Italy to find the perfect outdoor cafe for a delicious dinner and a glass of wine. As a bonus, I found fall right on the streets of New York. 

I followed this memorable evening with an inspirational day to find fall in Westchester, two hours north of Long Island. The Indian Summer day offered a beautiful backdrop to capture photos and autumn artifacts. 

I was inspired by nature, captured autumn, and celebrated writing this week. There was an abundance of happiness, so tonight I celebrate with Ruth Ayres and the blogging community at Celebrate This Week.

I send out an open invitation to all to join me in finding fall. 

Photos, inspirational quotes, digital inspirations/image poems 

are being collected at #Autumnventure.