Springsations Gallery Unveiled

Designed by Carol Varsalona
featuring a Community of Reflective Writers
***************************************************************************

Each year, Spring arrives of its own accord,
renewing the world as it bursts forth
with color and joy!

The sun just touched the morning;

The morning, happy thing,

Supposed that he had come to dwell,

And life would be all spring.

-Emily Dickinson



I glanced out the window at the signs of spring. 
The sky was almost blue, the trees were almost budding, 
the sun was almost bright. 
- Millard Kaufman, Bowl of Cherries

Ah! The signs of spring have been wonderfully visible this season:
Terje Akke discovered Estonia adorned in springtime bloom

and

Kumud Ajmani found clarity as sunset closed day in Ohio

Join me in taking a contemplative gallery walk through nature that is richly showcased in digital inspirations and music.

Begin by listening to R. Clayderman's, 
Hello Spring.

Admire the lush greens and vibrant techno-colors of nature's loving handiwork adorned in each digital inspiration.

Westbury Gardens, Long Island

Kent Kristensen

Landscapes have a language of their own, expressing the soul of the things, lofty or humble, which constitute them, from the mighty peaks

 

Jerry Toups, New Jersey

to the smallest of the tiny flowers hidden in the meadow grass. -Author unknown

Let the majesty of nature awaken your soul
and heart center.

Listen to the calming sounds of 

Joyful Spring by Giovanni Marradi.

Let your joy burst forth like the vibrant 

flowers of spring!

Ramona Behnke, Washington

Terje Akke, Estonia

Like a flower, just opened,

hiding secrets

in my heart,

I have room to bloom,

to stretch and expand

into sunshine,

one petal at a time.

No rush, no hurry,

nothing to prove.

I am each petal,

each leaf,

the stem,

and the roots,

holding deep and sure.

I am time itself,
measured in thoughts

and raindrops.
Brenda Harsham, 2017

Flowers can't solve all problems,

but they're a great start.

-Country Living

Irish daffodils greet the morning!

Rain is grace;

rain is the sky descending to the earth;

without rain, there would be no life.
-John Updike

Fishing on the dock after the rain in Ogdensburg, NY-submitted by Chris Carmen

Nature has a language of its own.

-Alexandra David-Neel

Take a photo tour of springtime

around the globe.




Estonia by Terje Akke

Norway by Gail Boddy

Ireland by Delia Garrity

Hawaii by Kimberly Hays

Colorado by Linda Baie

Craig Zabransky

Nature is the perfect backdrop

for inspiration.

The beach, ocean, or other water bodies

are places of peace or adventure

when springtime arrives.

 under pillowed sky

beachfront lives tuck soft-toed dreams-

swooshing waves sweep shore

balancing springtime's longing-

possibilities in sand

©CV, 2017

Trees are poems the earth

writes upon the sky...

Kahil Gibran

Jerry Toups, New Jersey

Spring allows us to see the world

through different lenses.

Through Art

Elizabeth Druart, HS Student

Michelle Kogan

Through Children's Eyes

Through Humor

Through #StuVoice

Through Video Poetry

View Kevin's video poem here.

View CV's video poem here.

Through Writing

https://www.flickr.com/photos/chris_gin/15943133765/

Promise and peace are offered each 

springtime sunrise and sunset.

Morning has broken - Kent Kristensen

Laura Purdi Salas, Minnesota

Springtime is the season for

spring cleaning and renewal.

Springtime has been the topic of many songs

throughout the ages.

Listen to the following original composition

by@PSAcreates here.

Pete Seeger's song was inspiration

for a poem.

Kay McGriff

Spring brings awareness of Earth's riches.

We are the stewards of the Earth.

Listen to What Have They Done To The Rain

Joan Baez described Malvina Reynold's song as a song that "protests rather gently." It is one of the earliest--and one of the few--songs concerned with the issues of environmentalism and pollution. -Song Review by William Ruhlmann

Young Poets' Corner

Deb Shackell's First Grade Student, Canada

Christie Wyman's Kindergarten Class

Let us all remember Rumi's thoughts:

Be Silent Now-

Let yourself become living poetry!

With grateful appreciation,

I thank all those who contributed to

this lush gallery of springtime beauty.

 

In closing the gallery walk of Springsations, 

let us remember:

 "Three things remain with us from paradise, 

stars, flowers and children."

-Dante Alighieri

Terje Akke

You can visit the following galleries that

integrate the arts, technology, and poetry

by clicking on the individual titles.

2014

Reflect With Me: Bring a Community of Writers Together to Celebrate Life & Teaching 

April Awakenings

Summer Serenity

Finding Fall

2015

Winter Whisperings

  

Spring's Symphony

Summer Splashings

Autumn's Palette

2016

Winter Wanderings

Spring's Seeds

Summerscapes

Autumnventure

2017

Winter Wonder

Thank you for perusing Springsations.

Please return at the end of a sunkissed

summer for a new gallery that showcases

nature in its finest light. 

-Carol

Spreading Poetry Love

As the host of Poetry Friday, 
I am here to spread the joy of creating! Let's begin!

While spring has moved on, I am finally ready to unveil the beauty of springtime through a gallery of artistic expressions, Springsations. The garden is full with vibrant hues from a vast array of spring blossoms, sounds, and images. Many Poetry Friday poets have contributed to making this gallery a rich experience. When you visit the gallery, you will be guided through a museum garden in full blossom.  Stay tuned for further announcements. I will add the link to Springsations to this post after the gallery is unveiled.

In the meantime, did you know that it is 
National Fried Chicken Day?

Decades ago when fried chicken was the box lunch favorite I created a feast fit for an 8th grade auction. It was complete with chocolate cake. It was a: 

Sizzling, crispy chicken feast

calorie counter, messy beast.

But yummy for the 8th grade boy who won it.!

It is also International Kissing Day. I found an Elizabeth Barrett Browning poem for a read aloud.

Lastly, I have a Special  Announcement 

for Poetry Friday writers: 

July 14th is National Macaroni and Cheese Day. The Poetry Friday Roundup will be at The Opposite of Indifference and in honor of the event Tabatha Yeatts will have an optional Mac-N-Cheese theme!

https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-mac-and-cheese-day-july-14/

Now, it is time to start the Roundup. I am looking forward to visiting all the writers' blogs to read what is cooking on this summer night. 

"Springsations" is Finally Finished. You can view the lush gallery of artistic expressions that celebrates Spring here. 

If you go to the hashtag, #Springsations, on Twitter, you will find some of the offerings. Poets please upload your digitals to #Springsations so that the Twitter community can see your springtime tributes. 

There are 88 contributors to Springsations and many more digitals compositions. 26 contributors are Poetry Friday writers:

Adding in Mandy Robek

Break from Pattern

close day with thought

comfort soul with peaceful murmurings-

break from pattern

⇩

⇧

Sounds easy?

 -usually not- 

Life with its bends and turns 

leads us to the unknown,

beyond the comfort zone to

a place of raw edges and precipices.

The walk is rocky, the journey,

unsure and risky,

but often

timely.

Life

t w i s t s

←turns→

sp i r a ls

but

we

move on

in

faith,

beyond

the

comfort

zone

toward

the

stars.

☆ ☆ ☆

"A certain darkness is needed to see the stars." -Osho

so

we dare to take the risk and

walk the reflective pathway

beyond the comfort zone.

I join a community of writers, Spiritual Journey first Thursday today to explore these thoughts on moving beyond the comfort zone. You can find wisdom in the blogs of those writing. Venture on. Join Pat Weaver at Writer on a Horse, our host for this month.

Light the Sky

Each year, Nassau county fires up the fireworks to celebrate America's idependence with family and friends. This year was no exception. Throngs of people gathered to view the dazzling display of techno-color lights on Sunday night, July 2, 2017.

Wondrous popping in the sky-

fragmented sparkles dropping by-

fireworks, 

summer's delight!

©CV, 2017

I wondered how Independence Day started and found some interesting facts online. A UK publication shared these facts:

• The first Independence Day celebrations took place on Rhode Island on July 4, 1977 - the one-year anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. 
• Thirteen gunshots were fired in a salute, one for each of the original colonies. 

Gloria Estafan's song America is an uplifting song for the Fourth of July.

I was feeling patriotic with red, white, and blue brownies.

Enjoy your 4th of July celebrations!

It's Slice of Life Tuesday and I am joining Two Writing Teachers to celebrate the right to write freely!

Celebrate Creative Moments

“You can’t wait for inspiration, you have to go after it with a club.” 

Jack London

How many times have you been in the zone, ignited the creative spark, and watched the flame flicker and grow stronger? These creative moments are triggered by curiosity and passion. Perseverance pushes the wonderer to discover the magic that causes a flame to burn bright. 

This week was full of creative magic. I watched creative sparks explode as a group of graduate students unleashed their creativity during an ELA Summer Institute at Molloy College.

Images credited to Kent Kristensen (L) and Elizabeth Sherwooed (R)

You can view the Google Slide presentation created by the graduate students here.

Norms and protocols set the stage for an intensive four-day program that focused on the power of writing in a variety of forms to engage learners. 

Teachers who teach writing must be writers was the focal thought. 

With zest for creation, the group collaborated, designed, reflected, and shared authentic work. A slide presentation, Unleashing Creativity: Finding Our Voice, was the  result of concentrated effort to blend art, digital mediums, and technology with poetry. The end product was a thoughtful and vibrant  example of journeying through a process. 

The excitement felt throughout the institute sparked my creative juices, as well. I was inspired by the educators to write and bake, two passions of mind. 

Finding your voice is a vital part of life's journey. To be real one must discover whom he/she is. When voice is found, it is as shiny as a new penny. Then, the real magic of writing with voice begins. Modeling the process for learners is the next step. 

Happy Fourth of July from Long Island, NY to your locale!

Photographed by CVarsalona at Nassau County’s 14th annual Fourth of July fireworks at Eisenhower Park, Long Island. 

I'm celebrating with Ruth Ayres at Celebrate This Week.