March Musings 10: On Long Island

On Long Island, Walt Whitman is revered as a beloved poet. There is a shopping center, road, and high school named after him. The Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site and Interpretive Center is located here also. I have always said that I would visit but never have. Perhaps, this summer will be a good time to see what the site has to offer.

In February, I participated in Laura Shovan's #10FoundWords project and created a poem based on the NY Times article, In a Walt Whitman Novel, Lost for 165 Years, Clues to ‘Leaves of Grass’. As per the guidelines, the following words were to be used to create a poem: tale, lost, transformed, discover, simmering, bright, chanting, complete, magical, bonus word: poet.

Below is my humble offering, a Whitman-like poem that is based on summer in Long Island:

Ah, what can be more magical to a chanting poet than Long Island's south shore?
Sand imprinted footsteps and fluid, rolling tides?
Willowy reeds swaying against cloud-patterned skies?
Baby gulls waddling in a single row,
dodging rollicky waves with mother in tow?
Sand-castle art with muddy moats
brightening the beach until tides take afloat?
Seagulls swerving, sweeping up lunch,
hopping along with a swift, fierce crunch?
Tales of lost flip flops and goggles galore
from simmering bodies at the sandy shore?
The magic of morning's brilliant bright sights
transforming evening to sunset's dusky light?
Ah, what can ever be more lovely to me than Long Island in summer?
©Carol Varsalona, 2017


Fire Island in summer

This post is the tenth in a series titled March Musings 

for Two Writing Teachers' March Slice of Life Challenge.

Venture over to Today's Little Ditty where Michelle Heidenrich Barnes is hosting the Poetry Friday Round-up. She is showcasing the work of a gentle woman, Lily Yeh, and her Barefoot Artists, Inc. project that "brings the transformative power of art to impoverished communities around the world." 

March Musings 9: Pancakes for Dinner

I am in the habit of coming up with spur of the moment plans so when I invited my husband out for a quick dinner, a quizzical look appeared on his face.

"Let's go to IHOP. It is National Pancake Day."

"I just ate lunch."

"Why not go for dinner?"

"Pancakes for dinner?"

And that is how a new tradition was formed. At five o'clock, off we went to IHOP to celebrate National Pancake Day*, thanks to Twitter for sharing the advertisement. 

"I can't remember the last time I had pancakes smothered in boysenberry syrup."

"I remember Grandma used to make me pancakes when I was little with a Mickey Mouse cutter."

"I can't finish my pancakes."

"Delicious!"
"Aren't you glad I knew it was National Pancake Day?"
"I guess we weren't the only ones who got the message!"

Pancakes for dinner was such a treat for my family 
and it appeared to be for many others too.

The digital #imagepoem was created by app smashing  PicMonkey and Canva.

*IHOP graciously offered free pancakes to all those who graced their restaurant on March 7th, National Pancake Day. Thanks, @IHOP.

This post is the 9th in the series titled March Musings for Two Writing Teachers' March Slice of Life Story Challenge. 

March Musings 8: Be Bold For Change

Today is a day to officially celebrate women around the world for it is International Women's Day 2017. I honor the campaign theme, #BeBoldForChange. It is a strong call for action.

Backstory:
I come from a family of strong women who gave up much to raise their families with pride. My grandmother came to America, with her infant daughter (my mother), from Italy during the 1920 immigration wave. She took a bold step to leave her home to journey to a new land where her husband was waiting for her. Never learning to read and write in English, she provided her family with a strong sense of identity, love of learning, and an ethical lifestyle. My mother continued the tradition, passing on her love of life and learning to my children, whom she helped raise. During her high school years, my daughter was accepted into the Girls' Leadership Program at the Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill, NY and has continued her leadership journey in the business world. Women in my family have had and continue to have commitment, perseverance, and pride.

#BeBoldForChange Commitment:
At the International Women's Day site, there are commitment slogans to choose. My choice: 

I'll celebrate women's achievement 

and champion women's education. 

Poetic Thought:
The following is the first stanza of a poem I wrote for a challenge created by Donna Smith. You can read more about this here. 

Created with Canva

How will you #BeBoldForChange? 

This post is the 8th in the series titled March Musings for the March Slice of Life Story Challenge created by Two Writing Teachers.

March Musings 7: Mindful Practice

While reflecting on life, I think back on this winter day at the marsh. I realize that sometimes worries overshadow  joys if we allow them to do so. 

I created a hack to stop worries from overflowing.

Life Practic:

Take a morning walk. Suspend worries for a short time by pausing and looking beyond the horizon or listening to nature's sounds. Be still. Enjoy the setting. Find peace.

Reflection:

When I captured this photo at the marsh, I realized that within the quiet I could hear more deeply and see more clearly. 

Peacefulness can surround us if we are present in the moment. 

Goal:

It is with this in mind that I will continue to seek the joys of life by noticing and wondering more deeply and savoring the small moments.

Inspirational Quote:

When we are present in each moment, the past gently rolls up behind us and the future slowly unravels before us. -Rev. Richard Levy

May your day be filled with the wonders of late winter. 

This post is the 7th in the series titled March Musings for the March Slice of Life Story Challenge created by Two Writing Teachers.

March Musings 6: #CelebrateMonday

Monday has been traditionally set aside to review the week's packed calendar of events. Oftentimes, we do not pause to slow down after the weekend to breath in life's sweet air. We just jump into Monday and start the week off. 

Today, I decided to take the time to discover the richness of what this Monday will offer (after all, Monday is the start to a full week). In doing so, I will celebrate rather than list an exhausting amount of to do events. This way, I can savor each one.

Each Monday, I like to #CelebrateMonday with my Twitter edus across the globe (thanks, Sean Gaillard, for creating the hashtag to trend the positives.) 

Here is my celebration log for today:

• Congratulate the kindergarten snow poets at Normandy Elementary School in Ohio under the direction of Char Shyrock, Director of Curriculum and Instruction for Bay Village Schools in Ohio and teacher, Lindsey Bragg. The children created snow poetry for my upcoming global gallery of artistic expressions, Winter Wonder 17.  I celebrate their voices! 

• Exercise. I celebrate my well-being!
• Gear up for #NYEDChat's conversation tonight at 8pmEST on Leaders Who Prevail with guest moderators Rick Jetter and Rebecca Coda. I celebrate connected colleagues and their voices! Join in. 

As an ending thought, Steven Tyler's remark is fitting, 

"Throw your hands in the air and celebrate life."

Let's do it! Celebrate Monday!

This post is the 6th in a series titled March Musings  for the March Slice of Life Story Challenge created by Two Writing Teachers.

Slicing my life during March is an opportunity to savor 

the small moments that have allowed me 

to notice and wonder more deeply.

March Musings 5: Slicing Our Lives

Above digital was created with a new photo editing tool, FotoJet.

Today, the sun is shining so brightly that I am ready to soak in the beauty of life. It is bitter cold outside. I decide that a walk would have to be very brisk so I choose to go to restorative yoga where I can soak in a feeling of warmth and serenity. This will be a compliment to the beautiful morning Twitter chat, Living and Giving with a Smile, I engaged in with my #Spiritchat friends. 

Come along with me to enjoy a virtual spa-like visit
as I provide a slice of my life.

The gym is crowded with others who have the same idea. I move slowly downstairs, imagining the fragrance of eucalyptus permeating the hall. Inside the studio, the instructor greets all who enter with a welcoming smile. First timers to restorative yoga are invited to the experience with gentle instructions on what to bring to the mat. The three Bs, bolsters, blankets, and blocks, are gathered and the class starts with a brief meditation. The instructor opens with thoughts on how life may be unsettling but here in the studio we are to let go and relax in the practice. A very short and gentle om follows. Then, we are led into three twenty minute poses that open different areas of the body. During quiet time when we hold the pose, we follow the breath's pattern to create a peaceful oasis on the mat. At times I am reminded not to be distracted by the mind's chatter and return to the breath. The perfect pace of the practice relaxes the body and the mind. One hour and fifteen minutes of indulgence in me time is a delightful gift to give myself on a cold Sunday. With a smile on my face, I leave the studio knowing that I will enjoy life a little bit more today. 

"A warm smile is the universal language of kindness."

-William Arthur Ward

This post is the 5th in a series titled March Musings  that I am offering to: DigiLit Sunday founded by Margaret Simon and March Slice of Life Challenge created by Two Writing Teachers.

Slicing my life this March is an opportunity to savor 

the small moments that have allowed me 

to notice and wonder more deeply.

Celebrating March-March Musings 4

I was so stunned by the roar of the wind and the bending of the tree branches that this poem came to be.

The other night I heard the wind howling like a wolf, 

alone in its nightly walk across the great expanse.

I stared out from the window into a dark, indigo sky,

watching the wind actively shake bowing branches.

Winter's cold clutch held on tightly to each tree as

they swayed in the bitter embrace of March's arrival. 

Holding court, winter proclaimed its continuance and

the wind howled incessantly until morning broke. 
©CV, 2017

YouTube captured the sounds I heard.

You need to travel to YouTube to listen to Howling Wind.

March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb 

and so I celebrate its entrance but hope it warms up soon.

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This post is the  fourth in a series titled March Musings  that I am offering 

to two writing communities that I am a member of:

Celebrate This Week with Ruth Ayres

and

 March Slice of Life Challenge created by Two Writing Teachers.

March Musings 3: Snow Poetry

Winter is a delightful time of year for little ones who live in snowy venues. They look forward to winter fun as soon as the first, soft flake falls. Bundled in snow gear, children roll in the snow creating winter white snow angels, snow forts, and snowmen while parents shovel walkways. In their classrooms, students' imaginations recreate outdoor pleasures. 

Imagine my surprise when not just one but two classes of kindergarten students accepted my invitation to create snow poetry for my upcoming winter gallery, Winter Wonder 17. 

Christie Wyman's class in Massachusetts, Wyman's Wonders, joined a Kindergarten class in Ohio under the guidance of Char Shyrock, Director of Curriculum and Instruction for Bay Village Schools, to create winter magic on paper. Proving that even the youngest grade school children can become aspiring poets, two educators who did not know each other, set out to brainstorm winter as a focal point. Twitter handles were exchanged and collaboration began in two separate locations. What follows is the outcome of this joint venture that I was excited to spearhead. 

Snow Poetry from Massachusetts

Teacher Christie Wyman provided her kinders with a template 

to use for creating snow poetry.

Teacher and students noticed and wondered about snow on their day walk.

Their poems were compiled into an Adobe Spark short video.

Click here to view the snow poems.

Hailey's snow poem has a delightful image that she sketched.

Snow Poetry from Ohio

Administrator, Char Shyrock, collaborated with a Kindergarten class in her district to have kinders brainstorm different aspects of winter snow.

Sensory charts were the starting points for exploring snow.

Wonderful thoughts emerged from the conversation.

Char sent me a message that the children brainstormed winter words by senses. She has more to share. Finalized poems will be shared with their new friends from Massachusetts and me.

You will be able to view the kindergarten students poems at the upcoming Winter Wonder 17 Gallery of Artistic Expressions. Offerings are still coming in from around the globe so stay tuned for messages about the grand unveiling. 

Just for fun, I am posting a video read aloud of one of Billy Collins' wonderful poems, Snow Day, a fitting one for this post. Perhaps, teachers will share this with their students to visualize what Billy portrays and create their own snow day poems. 

This post is the third in a series titled March Musings 

for Two Writing Teachers' 

March Slice of Life Challenge. 

Venture over to Heidi Mordhorst's site. Heidi is the host for Poetry Friday this week. She is celebrating Billy Collins' birthday month with a video of a 3 year old reciting one of Collins' poems. This is one that you will not want to miss seeing.  

March Musings 2: Connection

The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention...A loving silence often has far more power to heal and to connect than the most well-intentioned words.                            -Rachel Naomi Remen

I chose the word listen as my one word a couple of years ago. It served me well but I must admit that I need to revisit this word often. Doraine Bennett, today's host of Spiritual Journey first Thursday, chose the word connection. I pause to savor a simple practice of reflection on these words, plus Leigh Anne Eck's OLW, rise and my 2017 OLW, joy.

I connect to the stillness of midday quiet.

As one heart searching for balance,

I visualize meandering down an uneven trail,

listening to the silence of hushed pathways.

Wisdom echoes through the stillness.
Stories rise from undisturbed corners.
Speechless sounds are muffled as

I savor the time to reflect alone. 

The mind recognizes the breath from within,
filling the the room with a spirit of peace.
©CVarsalona, 2017 

Yesterday, I opened the door to new journeys for the month of March: Two Writing Teachers' March Slice of Life Story Challenge and the season of Lent. The Lenten journey asks us to listen, to connect with those whose hearts need mending, and to share the spirit of energetic giving. If I can stitch a quilt of comfort to share each day, then perhaps the road to making connections with life, faith, and others may not be as uneven as I think. 

Joy is the reward.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

You can visit Spiritual Journey first Thursday at Doraine Bennett's site. 

This post is the second in a series titled March Musings for Two Writing Teachers' March Slice of Life Challenge. 

March Musings 1: Yoga Mindfulness

Within the weekly routines of life, there is a practice that allows me to drift into a state of peace. Let me take you there. 

Yoga Mindfulness

Sheltered in the dim-light
of the yoga studio, I
engage my senses,
re-awaken my mind,
and actively participate
in life’s small moments.
Mindfulness triumphs
as breathing patterns
bring stillness to a
non-active state of mind.
Self-absorption dwindles.
Compassion and love
permeate the space.
Understanding the purpose
of peaceful intentions, I
leave the studio knowing 
that a mind at peace resists
any disharmony to be
encountered later.
©CV, 2017

Thank you for joining me as I pause to savor a single, simple practice of my day. This post is the first in a series titled March Musings for Two Writing Teachers' March Slice of Life Challenge. 
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Question to Self: 
Throughout this month, I will be involved in Two Writing Teachers' 10th Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge.  Why will I engage in 31 days of writing after being involved in Laura Shovan's #10FoundWords Project in February?

Response:

-I hope to examine the facets of my 2017 creed as I create visuals, reflections, and poetry on this journey. While not knowing where the path will take me, I will search for joy along the way. 

-There is intrinsic reward for my participation: Being able to release my first draft work each day as an act of fearlessness.
-I hope to continue to hone my writing craft through daily writing. 

You can read other slices here.