Embracing Winter Sunsets

 “Anne came dancing home in the purple winter twilight across the snowy places.” - LM Montgomery

Moving from Long Island to New York has been a shift in setting and an interesting experience. In Long Island, I was awed by the ocean but here, in my Virginia community, the woods in front of my house look serene when nightfall comes. Sunsets are remarkable paintings of beautiful, muted scenes or fiery, colored markings in the sky. 

Other areas of the country share the glow of winter sunsets, too. 

Oregon coast in winter- Rita Wirtz

Pink clouds hover.

Provide a backdrop

For bare winter limbs.

Serenity surrounds life.

-Faige Miller, Los Angeles

𝍂

purple winter sunset serenity

blissful

tranquil

filled

with

blissful

beauty

awakening

senses

blissful

winter sunset-purple serenity

©CVarsalona, 2022, skinny poem

𝍂

I appreciate the pause in life each week where I can slice my thoughts with Two Writing Teachers.

What Birthday Girl Knows

Excitement was in the air last Sunday. My little grandgirl turned two years old. Our family gathered at her house to decorate with a Frozen theme while the little sisters slept.  A jeweled princess crown and presents were laid out. A blue foil-streamer walkthrough was set up for the princesses' entrance to the party and a beautiful cake embellished with dripped icings on a raised, tiered cake platter awaited. Frosted silver sprinkles glistened around a blue sparkle castle. We were all excited to see our little granddaughter's expressions. 

The question of the day was, Does Aurora really understand what a two-year-old birthday means? Of course, my thoughts went straight to poetry and digital art.

What Does the Birthday Girl Know

How to

Make an entrance

With a gown of royal semblance.

Wear a crown, dance around.

Share a smile, not a frown.

Find her royal toddler seat.

Pray with grace; begin to eat.

Search for a birthday sweet.

Stick a finger in the treat.

Make a delicious mess.

On her face and fancy dress

Clean her hands and face with ease.

Open her gifts with expertise.

Respond to age-related questions.

"Two" with a number of finger suggestions.

©CV, 2022

If you look back at my September 2021 post you will see another poem for Aurora when we still thought of her as a baby. Now, she is the big girl.

I take a few more steps backward to share my latest published poem in my wonderful poet-publisher friend, Bridget Magee's newest anthology 10*10.

I appreciate the opportunity afforded to me by Bridget. The following poem was written with Aurora in mind. I like to sing it instead of just reading it to her. We laugh when I sing because I use gestures and movements to make Aurora giggle.

Today is the Poetry Friday Roundup at the community's poet-author and recently retired keeper of the schedule, Mary Lee Hahn. Mary Lee has a succulent poem about a pomegranate, one of my favorite holiday treats. Thanks, Mary Lee for sharing your poem, What the Pomegranate Knows, and for giving me a format for my own poem today. Did I mention that I appreciate this weekly roundup because I get to savor all the poetic posts?

I also appreciate Linda Mitchell's star logo and the beautiful winter poem swap that she sent me. It lit up my holiday. I will share her work after I send mine out.

Decluttering After Christmas

It's the second week of January. I wake to declutter the great room after a well-spent Christmas with family. It looks like a typical after-Christmas scene except for scattered masks that remind me of the existence of COVID-19. Placing that thought aside, I start to systematically take down decorations.

I move from the great room to the study gathering items to pack away for next year. As I sit at the computer ready to continue writing, I search for a photo and find old computer files that I have not looked at all year. The 3-second rule shared by a colleague year ago pops up as a reminder. Open a file or an item in the room. If you have not touched it in months or years, it is time to discard it. Whew! Within 45 minutes, I quickly trash dozens of old files. Decluttering makes me smile. I feel energized. “Time spent minimizing possessions is never wasted.” (Joshua Becker) I go off to my Stretch and Pump class knowing that within a few days the boxes of decorations will be stored away and I will have time to reorganize. 

Join me as I sit comfortably on the vintage upholstered chair that now sits in the space where the Christmas tree stood waiting for new memories to be made. (Of course, it will take at least a month to accomplish that.)

It's Slice of Life Tuesday at Two Writing Teachers, a meeting place for a world of reflective writers. 

declutter

remove my mess

stand back assess

feel instant peace

quick stress relief

©CV, 2022

I appreciate the pause in life each week where I can slice my thoughts.

https://twowritingteachers.org/2022/01/11/tuesday-slice-of-life-story-challenge-66/

Appreciate OLW: Winter Thoughts

      Welcome to the First Poetry Friday of 2022!        

 “Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental     journey, and enjoy every idle hour.”     -Attributed to John Boswell 

Happy New Year to my fellow poets, authors, friends, and guests!

This is the week when my one little word is revealed every year. There were a series of experiences that helped me choose my one word that was officially posted iyesterday. You can find out more information at my post,  Connecting with My One Little Word - SJT 2020, here. I chose appreciate as my one little word but more importantly, I think it chose me too. One line from a TEDx talk by Mike Robbins helped me recognize the importance of my one word as a healing word. "Appreciation is an important element in effectively dealing with the stress of challenges and uncertainty that so many of us are facing these days." Appreciate revolves around the concept of positivity so as I walk through each day, I am ready to find items or events that are small, ordinary, or big to bring a measure of joy into life.

I am ready to appreciate more of life this year. For today's appreciation thought I want to send warm greetings to the Poetry Friday community who have become more than a virtual grouping of writers, authors, and poets. You are all closely knit as a cohesive group of supportive friends. I value your friendship, your critiques, and your encouragement. Enjoy your walk through winter this year and if you are so inclined, send me an image poem, drawing, quote, song, playlist, or any other artistic expression to share the beauty of winter for a new poetic gallery to send around the globe. 

It is the life of the crystal, the architect of the flake, the fire of the frost, the soul of the sunbeam. This crisp winter air is full of it.-John Burroughs

May the crispness of winter fill your soul. Thank you for sharing your posts tonight and tomorrow. I am sorry that this posting comes late. My gathering with my family came later than expected. Now that the little grandgirls have finally stopped talking and closed their eyes for the night, I will post this blog. Click on Mr. Linky below. Thank you for joining my Welcome to 2022 with the Poetry Friday Community. 

v

Connecting with My One Little Word - SJT 2022

As the glow from Christmas lights retire and the new year is blanketed in winter magic. I reflect on my previous one words. Openness, listen, believe, joy, hope, embrace, and balance were great guides on my journey from 2014 to 2020. Since last year was a transition time for the family. I chose the word begin. It honored my pathway to a new life in Virginia. This year, I desire to find one word that recognizes a need for wellness, peace, and quiet. It should be a word that awakens my spirit and opens channels of joy for the gift of life. 

As I write this post in concert with my fellow Spiritual Journey Thursday community, I  ponder words I gathered for this month's topic, One Little Word. Our host, Margaret Gibson, chose this prompt to start the new year with a powerful word that guides our journeys. I realize that my one word does not appear readily as it has in the past. What I start with is a full page of words on my desk, a recent dream that ends with appreciating life, and a short piece by Mike Robbins with a burning question that pops out at me.

But what if we took the time not only to appreciate but also acknowledge the simple things in our lives all the time in an authentic way?

I experience an aha moment! My one word appears:-APPRECIATE the small, simple, and ordinary aspects of life in an authentic way. I listen to Mike Robbins' TEDx video, The Power of Appreciation. One line speaks to me. "Appreciation is also an important element in effectively dealing with the stress of challenges and uncertainty that so many of us are facing these days." 

With my new one word, I commit to pause and appreciate the small, simple, and ordinary aspects of life. I hope to awaken my spirit to see life through a clearer lens this year, focus on the positives of each situation, and be filled with the spirit of abounding joy for the gifts of life, family, faith, and friends.

one word tip-toes

through winter's quiet hush

new year greetings

©CV, 2022

 "Life is full of delightful treasures if we take a moment to appreciate them." - Oprah Winfrey

************

I am grateful that my one word, appreciate, is my guide this year. I plan on finding the ahhh moments as Oprah says. Join me at Poetry Friday this week. I am hosting this week at my blog with extended thoughts on my one word. 

Serenity of Snow

"The silence of peaceful slumber blankets the garden." 

Yesterday, as I entered the great room, I noticed a white setting peering at me through the dual fireplace and windows. Were my eyes deceiving me? In my haste to answer that question, I dropped my pillbox and many multi-colored little objects fell across the floor. A magical snow scene caught me by surprise, much like many winter pasts on Long Island, New York. 

Upon a closer look, a snowglobe winter lay before me. Astonished that the weather changed in a day's time from 60ish-degree, springlike temperatures to a freezing chill, I moved to the door and was greeted by a rush of cold breeze sweeping across the patio. Several inches of snow stood tall in the space surrounding the door.

Off of the front door entrance lay a pristine, Hallmark moment. The beauty of nature dusted in white confetti was serene. Appreciation for nature's gift of snow wrapped in winter flowed. I listened in the stillness and breathed in a silent moment of peace.

🌲

 

"To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake,

it is necessary to stand outside in the cold."

-Aristotle

🌲

Winter Morn

I

open

my door to 

winter's magic in 

a domed, snowglobe world.

Glitter etched in untrodden snow, 

blankets earth. Sparkles from leftover

stardust settle like white confetti while flocked

boughs remain still as life wakens from a deep sleep.

I breathe in stilled-serenity,

like doses of medicinal bliss

cleansing my being,  and linger in 

the quiet of gray-sky blessings

to appreciate winter's embrace.

©CV, 2022

🌲

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly  hand, and for talk beside the fireplace: it is a time for home." -Edith Sitwell, British poet

🌲

Gather with me at Two Writing Teachers,

a meeting place for a world of reflective writers who offer their Slice of Life.

Tintinnabulation

This year, like other years, Christmas rings in the good news. Bells jingle, hearts mingle, and all decorations are merry and bright. The tree is always the central focus and as a glorious dedication to the birth of the tiny savior, my tree tells a story. Birds announce the good news. Beads adorn the layers of the tree. Ribbons flounce. An angel watches over and vintage ornaments dangle against the lights.  Faith ties the family together. Late at night, Santa tiptoes in with a ho, ho, ho, and before he leaves rings one of the bells collected over the years. 

In the great room, bells from an old carriage, a cowbell, and jingle bells

are nestled in the tree waiting for Santa's touch.

The Ringing of the Bells

Ding-a-ling.

Birds sing.

Let's rejoice!

Hear the voice.

Santa shouts ho-ho

Coming in from snow.

Ding, dang-

Ring-rang.

Rudolph is aglow.

Bells tinkle to go.

Into the sky,

Deer and sleigh fly.

Bells tinkle with joy

For every girl and boy.

Bells ring

Angels sing.

Christ is born

On Christmas morn.

©CV, 2021, draft

Christmas at My New House in Virginia

Grandgirls decorate their tree on

Christmas Eve and sight two snowprints

by their fireplace on Christmas morn.

🌲🎄🌲

Listen to Aretha Franklin sing "O Christmas Tree" here.

🌲🎄🌲

Thank you to the Poetry Sisters who challenged everyone to write a poem dealing with bells and share it on Poetry Friday. They also suggested ringing in the New Year on social media with the hashtag, #PoetryPals.

🌲🎄🌲

Thank you to Carol Wilcox for hosting Poetry Friday at her blog, Carol's Corner.

She is sharing sad news about the wildfires that broke out 10 miles from her home in Colorado. There is devastation and families without homes. My thoughts and prayers are with Carol who is tracking down people she loves and also with the families who lost their homes in the fire. 

May the New Year bring us to a more peaceful place.

Frosted Memories

Christmas has always been a very special time for me. There is something about the shining lights, the decorating, and the baking that reminds me of how faith, family, and love intertwines to bless the house with joy. 

One feature of my new house that brings family and friends together is my kitchen with its huge space. It is here that I spent much time preparing the annual cookie bundles this year. I dabbled with different flavors and types of cookies but saved some time for the traditional sugar cookie making. First, I needed to find the cookie cutters that hold years of memories. Next, icing was needed so I searched the internet to find a delicious peppermint icing,  Sprinkles were needed after several attempts to cut out the cookies. This process brought me back to memories of baking cookies with my mother. As an artist, she easily decorated her cookies with different types of nibs. No matter how hard I tried, I could not create a design like hers but I heard on TV that a cookie's decoration did not need to be perfect. All you need to do is have fun. 

When I opened the sugar cookie container on Christmas, my granddaughter, Sierra, quietly snuck up next to me, peeked into the cookie container, and softly said.

"Grandma, you make beautiful cookies." 

After that sweet statement, my heart leaped for joy. I knew that my kitchen would be the place where baking happens with the little grandgirls and new memories would be born. 

Try a cookie. 

Make your own.

Enjoy the art of baking that brings 

loved ones together in a special place.

Baking Steps

in the kitchen

gather to bake

decorate with care

taste the cookies

frosted with sweetness

remember Christmases past

smile with love

compliment your efforts

bake another batch

©CV, 2021

🎄🍪🍪🍪🎄

"Kitchen. Noun - A gathering place for friends and family. A place where memories are homemade and seasoned with love."

This is my Slice of Life forTwo Writing Teachers. I end with recollections of every bite of Christmas cookies I taste-tested this holiday.

Surprises Arrive

The days have a chill now and the countdown to Christmas is more real than ever. As dusk brings down its shades, timed lights illuminate the new house. The smell of cookies waft out from the kitchen where memories of Christmases past arise. Holiday joy is tucked into each nook, waiting for a special arrival of my granddaughters. Will there be a surprise on their face when they walk in the door?

The topic of granddaughters is often in my thoughts. My artist-poet friend Michelle Kogan picked up on my love of being a grandma and sent me a grand surprise through the mail, my first ever winter poem swap. Imagine my surprise to find an original Kogan watercolor pen ad ink art inside the envelope. Not only is the drawing beautiful but there is a golden shovel poem she created from a poem on my website. She even included instructions for the framer if the print is framed.

two

girls

and

a

book

 sweetly

cuddled

together

grandma

pride

Michelle's note was included inside one of her cards, Reindeer, watercolor and watercolor pencil from her Etsy collection. Below you will find other floral and bird handcreated note cards and a  a couple of bookmarks. I could look at these beautiful drawings again and again. 

I swooned over the delightful rabbit cards, one for Valentines Day and the other one with a poem for allergy season.

itch twitch tickle

teasing breezes bring sneezes

over me and

you

In gratitude for Michelle Kogan's gorgeous, colorful, authentic artwork and persistence to meet the Poem Swap deadline, I penned the following poem: 

 

within the heart of a poet, lays the beauty of silent words

waiting to reveal sweetened messages of inspired thought

as simple and pure as moonbeams in an indigo sky

©CV, 2021

🌲🌲🌲

Michelle and I planned to showcase each other's Winter Poem Swap offerings at Poetry Friday today. Click here to view what Michelle said about what I sent her. We were determined amidst our busy schedules to meet the deadline as close as possible.

🌲🌲🌲

The Winter Poem Swap was inspired by poet friend, Tabatha Yeatts, and scheduled this season by my author-poet friend, Laura Shovan. I am grateful to have such a wonderful poem partner to start off my experience in the Winter Poem Swap. 

🌲🌲🌲

I unveiled the final edition to the Bedecked In Autumn Gallery of Artistic Expressions this week. You can find another piece of Michelle's artwork featured in the gallery here.

Please stop to see the majesty of autumn.

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Thank you to author-poet Buffy Silverman for hosting Poetry Friday on Christmas Eve.

She also shares her Winter Poem Swap with Amy Ludwig VanDerwater.

I wish everyone a joyous and blessed holiday season!