#SOL22 March Musings Day 11: The Nature of March

If you are one of the many who are growing tired of the push-pull of Mother Nature in March, then, hold on because there is a late-winter storm brewing. March is always the iffy month, weather-wise. Today, in Northern Virginia, we had mid-60 degree weather and sunshine. Tomorrow, the temperature dips The following quote may explain a little more. 

In March winter is holding back and spring is pulling forward. Something holds and something pulls inside of us too." - Jean Hersey

Are you feeling the push and pull? If so:

I am in the process of organizing the offerings of image poems and nature photography for my online Winter's Embrace Gallery of Artistic Expressions. You are invited to add your digital work to the gallery. 

Disregard the deadline date above.

Thank you Two Writing Teachers for this daily meeting place to connect with a community of reflective writers.

March Musings Day 10: Grandma Love

Phone call comes in awakening me from a deep sleep. 

Our little girl is not feeling well. She has a 102-degree fever. Can you take care of her tomorrow?

Groggily I ask, "What time is it?" After a few more stumbling thoughts, I figure out that it is Monday night at 7:30 pm. I am surprised. Did I really take a three-hour nap? After I check my calendar, I respond to my daughter, "Yes, of course. Bring Aurora here tomorrow morning."

Tuesday morning comes and a very tired two-year-old with a running nose and sad eyes enters the house. She clings to her daddy. There is no doubt that she is ill with a cold. After a few hours, she bounces back, starts talking, and begins her day. 

It's time for a temperature check. Aurora is intrigued by my thermometer. I feel a gentle tug. Clearly, Aurora is determined to take matters into her own hands. 

"No, Gramma. No, Gamma" 

She takes the thermometer and moves it across her forehead. We clap when her temperature breaks. Then, she spends the day relaxing with her toys, learning during puzzle play time, and resting with a very long nap, much like mine was the day before.  

I Can Do It

Am I sick?

I don't know?

I can click.

Grama, let go!

©CV, 2022

After a hearty dinner with the family, Aurora and Sierra get ready to leave with one request. 

Sierra would like a weekend sleepover.

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Over the course of several days, I think back on the experience of having my little grandgirls visit. I begin to compose my first pantoum poem.  My writing friend, Fran Haley, has written several and offered guiding information. You can read her lovely poem, First Time Keeping, here. 

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Sweet Little Miss, 

I sweep you in my arms

Squeezing love from your heart to mine

Each visit we meet.

I sweep you in my arms

Swinging you through the air

Each visit we meet.

Grandma's love is real.

Swinging you through the air,

You  laugh with glee

Grandma's love is real.

Time together is precious.

You laugh with glee,

Squeezing love from your heart to mine.

Time together is precious,

Sweet Little Miss.

©CV, 2022

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Gratitude to Fran Haley for this information:

To write a pantoum, use this line sequence: The pantoum is a poem of any length, composed of four-line stanszas in which the second and fourth lines of each stanza serve as the first and third lines of the next stanza. The last line of a pantoum is often the same as the first.  (1234 2546 5768 7381)

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Tonight, I write for two writing communities.

Thank you, Poetry Friday, hosted by the dynamic duo, Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong. They are sharing their newest book, Things We Eat, a poetry anthology featuring foods poems from A to Z  

Thank you Two Writing Teachers for this daily meeting place to connect with a community of reflective writers.

#SOL22 March Musings Day 9: Breathe

Breathing in and exhaling in rhythmic movement allows the mind and body to slow down and feel tranquil. It has been over a year since I practiced yoga under the guidance of a certified instructor. This morning,, I indulged in the quiet of the yoga "studio" and the effect of the calming practice. After the hour spent, my spirit was energized. 

dark clouds and light rain

bring a need to cocoon

winter holds on

 winspring weather wiggles in

seasonal dispute ensues

©CV, 2022

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Thank you, Two Writing Teachers for creating space so educator voices can soar.

#SOL22 March Musings Day 8: International Women's Day

Each year on International Women's Day, I pause to celebrate the voices of all women around the globe! It is a small tribute to women from all walks of life who are visible, positive forces in their family's life. Of course, the courageous women of Ukraine come to mind this year as they strive to thrive with their families during a horrific time of their lives. 

This year, the International Women's Day theme, Break The Bias, is one that asks us to reflect and act in whatever way we can. The following graphic is highlighted on Twitter as a global tribute to all who understand what it means to break the bias that holds society back and also to those who seek enlightenment on the subject. 

🕊

As citizens of the world, 

May we pause  to ponder 

What a truly gender equal world

Looks and feels like.

Not just in patches of areas we live in

But throughout the world.

Not just in some places of work

But throughout the world.

It should start in classrooms

Free of bias and discrimination,

Where differences are valued-

All voices honored.

It should rise across the skies

bringing light to a century plus

of struggle for women's rights.

Listen to the voices of the past,

and the champions of the present.

There is a strong call to action.

Recognize the human in humanity!

Stand Up!

Press on!

RISE!

©CV, International Women's Day 2022

🕊

Poetry is the song that rises. Please listen to the  short video of young poet and activitist, Amanda Gorman, whose strong voice cries out for change that is needed.

🕊

As Serena Williams said,

"Every woman's success should be an inspiration to another. 

We're strongest when we cheer each other on."

🕊

I celebrate every strong educator's voice on Two Writing Teachers and cheer them on.

Each slice of life shares a single story in a  meeting place for a world of reflective writers who believe in each other.

#SOL22 March Musings Day 7: Big Bad Wolf

The rush of blowing winds turned over trash and recycle lids in a trail of howls this morning. The windstorm picked up during the day. Multiple trips to the front yard had me chasing cardboard and plastic items that flew out in the street. Inside the house, loud gusting noises kept banging from the flapper outside the kitchen. The sky looked ominous and by mid-afternoon, the rains came.

Just last week the winds caused a panic in the house. An alarm sounded at 4:30 in the morning. "Get up," I shouted to my husband. Unfortunately with a fractured hip, he could not respond quickly. That left me braving the dark trying to find out what was wrong. Whew! It was only the wind that blew the door open and triggered the house alarm. 

This alarming incident reminded me of the Big  Bad Wolf who blew the first little pig's house down. While windstorms caused concerns today, they did not disrupt life like recent tornados that caused people to be displaced or homeless. There is much to appreciate in life but also so much sorrow from natural disasters or a man-made political crisis. I think about these issues as the flappers cause a ruckus again. 

The Big Bad Wolf is blowing away once again. Will he just howl or start to roar? Luckily, the trash cans are placed away and the doors are closed.

And at my eaves

A slow wind, ghostlike, comes and grieves and grieves. 

-John Charles McNeil

It's Slice of Life Tuesday at Two Writing Teachers

A  Meeting Place for A World of Reflective Writers

#SOL22 March Musings Day 6: Quietness

I sit at my desk surrounded by the quiet of the house. It is peaceful. The only sound that breaks through is the electric shades rising. It is time to write.

Quietness Opens Day

morning breaks

gliding into the silence

of a new dawn

sounds of quiet

permeate through the house

worries subside

the pen strokes the page

delicate threads of thoughts flow

a slice of life sails on

©CV, 2022

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Thank you Two Writing Teachers for this daily meeting place to connect with a community of reflective writers.

#SOL22 March Musings Day 5: Namaste

I remember the dim lights of the yoga studio, a sacred place of peace. My teachers were filled with the spirit of mindfulness and positivity. After moving to Virginia, life was hectic and I longed for a return to yoga. I missed my practice and waited patiently for my return to yoga. Then, last month, our community brought in a yoga teacher to instruct those interested. I was elated and signed up immediately. 

While we do not have a yoga studio with a bamboo floor like my previous studio on Long Island, we do have the same gentle coaching from a trained yoga teacher who mixes exercise with peaceful inspiration. Here in this small space, I find calmness once again.

"Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self." (The Bagavad Gita), a gift of internal peace and tranquility. After a few weeks of yoga, I penned this poem. 

gentle yoga, a

practice of mind and body

holistic self-care

©CV, 2022

I thought this piece of writing would be my slice yesterday but the muse thought it would be right for today, Day 5, a day of perpetual motion, not Day 4. (The above photo was taken at Fort Lauderdale Beach a few years ago. It was my first time taking a yoga class at dawn on the beach, a truly inspirational experience.)

Thank you Two Writing Teachers for this daily meeting place to connect with a community of reflective writers.

March Musings: Dazzling Winter Greetings, Day 4

Did you know that I am a delitologist?  I collect postcards from the turn of the 20th Century  when "postcard collecting caught the national eye." I enjoy the feel and look of postcards from the past. Some of mine are ornate and embossed without the year that the postcard was sent. Many have inspirational thoughts and lovely illustrations. All of my postcards are sent by women to their families in different towns. The wording is short and usually, a greeting or a short note.  All allow me to reflect on the lifestyle of the early 20th century. 

Recently, I added current poetry postcards sent by poet friends to my collection of paper ephemera. Please see below my new poetry postcards that will decorate my house during future winter seasons. Thank you, Gail Aldous. Linda Baie, Robyn Hood Black, Carol Labuzzetta, Jone Rush MacCulloch, Jone Rush MacCulloch, Linda Mitchell, Sarah Grace Tuttle, and Tabatha Yeatts for your inspirational postcards for 2022, the Year of the Tyger. Thanks also go out to Jone Rush MacCulloch for continuing the Victorian practice of exchanging postcards.  

Within the postcards sent to me, I found poetic lines that spoke to me. I delicately lifted lines and combined them with a few additions to create a new poem.

(Found lines from poetry friends are underlined below.)

Here's To Poetry Running Wild (Robyn) in 2022!

 Alive with wonder, (Jone)

Keenly see the future. (Carol L)

Blue skies smile at you. (Linda B)

Stillness deepens (Linda M),

indulging life layers. (Tabatha & Gail)

Arise, heart! (Tabatha)

Threads of moonlight glitter (Gail)

Soothe the frantic world. (Sarah)

Open wide. (Tabatha)

Aim for the sky.(Linda Bfrom Chandra Kochbar)

Summon your songs.(Tabatha)

Then, rest in the (Sarah)

purple shadows of night. (Sarah)

©CV, 2022, found poem

👇

I join two writing communities today:

Poetry Friday hosted by Australian poet/author, Kat Apel.

Two Writing Teachers 

A  Meeting Place for A World of Reflective Writers

#SOL22 March Musings Day 3: Ashes

"Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return"?  

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, the start of the Lenten season. I started the day by recollecting Ash Wednesdays from my past. When I was a youngster in Catholic school, I proudly wore a cross of ashes on Ash Wednesday. Often, the cross placed on my head by the priest was thick and large. Sometimes, blackened ash would dribble down my face, tickle my nose, and fall onto my clothes. We were not supposed to touch our cross for fear of removing it. We fasted and ate one full meal of fish on Ash Wednesday and every Friday that followed until Easter. Sometimes, my mother would treat us to hot cross buns, warm and sticky from the neighborhood bakery oven. They had a huge white cross of frosting on the top. I savored the taste that reminded me to enjoy sweets for one last time until Easter. Fasting and abstinence were practices honored in my house and throughout my Catholic neighborhood.

The traditions of Ash Wednesday continued to be practiced as I grew older. Ashes became a symbol of faith, a reminder of repentance and mortality. Lenten practices were passed down to my children who learned the religious significance of placing ashes on their foreheads and the practice of "giving up" something, like candy or desserts, for the forty days until Easter. 

As the years progressed, we added good deeds to our practice rather than just giving something up. It seemed to provide a more positive alternative. Last night at our dinner of salmon and vegetables, my son and I spoke about our Lenten practice. Since my husband is on a strict medical diet, we thought treats should be eliminated during the week. This morning, we discussed potential changes in lifestyle after I watched an Ash Wednesday live stream service from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. Monsignor Rossi started his homily with a quote from his mother, "The older you get the faster time goes by." He talked about the many Lents gone by and questioned, "How will this Lent be different from the past"? 

I ask myself how I will make this Lenten season different from the past. Pope Francis invites us to use the next forty days for a "conversion, a change of mindset". I will remember this call to action and add my voice to the Pope's petition of prayer for peace in Ukraine. My poem highlights in italics various Inspirational thoughts from Pope Francis.)

Ashes speak of

emptiness hiding behind

the frenetic quest

for worldly rewards.

I am from the spirit of

giving not taking.

Ashes remind me that 

worldliness is like dust

carried away by a

slight gust of wind.

I am not here to

chase the wind 

but to act in good faith.

Determined, I plot the course-

travel beyond empty deserts to verdant pastures.

-Forty Days of Peace-

©CV, 2022

Gratitude to:

Ruth Hersey, Host of Spiritual Journey Thursday, for suggesting the topic, ashes, this month. You can read Ruth's post and other posts from SJT writers' at

Ruth Hersey's blog here.

and 

Two Writing Teachers

A  Meeting Place for A World of Reflective Writers

#SOL22 March Musings Day 2: Waking Very Early

I wake very early, wondering why? I fell asleep last night with my glasses and computer on. Was it the heat that I forgot to turn down and the dryness in the air? I can usually fall back asleep when I wake in the middle of the night but not this morning. I did set the alarm for 7:30 AM so I could be ready for my yoga class, so why am I up at 4:30 AM? Has this ever happened to you, dear reader?

Shall I call this a life interruption? Perhaps, my subconscious is thinking about the huge delivery of materials for the garage organizational system we are having installed on Friday. Maybe it is the expectancy of a Zoom presentation I am giving to a group of reading specialists tomorrow evening. I could go on and on about the laundry list of potential reasons for a break in my sleeping patterns but that would be boring for you to read. I thought I would write about creativity today but my pen takes me scribbling down another path. 

I pause to reflect. Why use the term laundry list? 

It's true that my laundry is spread all over the floor in the laundry room in what seems to be an endless line but that is not what I wanted to write about. I don't want to whine about a lengthy list of endless to-do items that await me this week. That would be too tedious so for fun, I research just what the idiom laundry list means. That's it! I am on a journey of self-discovery. 

Research Finding - The laundry list is a term that is not new. Merriam Webster notes that back on May 9, 1938, a headline in The Illinois State Journal reads, "Girl Should Make Laundry List of Marriage Factors". Imagine that?

Does this pique your interest? The clock is ticking away and I should be getting ready for yoga so dear reader, thank you for listening to my tale of waking early. 

I'm off to compose my endless to-do list for the day but first I should take care of a real task, the laundry that is piled up in an unseemly mess.

morning wake-up

laundry waiting

rush around

time's skating

laundry list

written

clock is ticking

make a decision

Just how many tasks

can be done today?

©CV2022

Oops, I forgot one more task on my Laundry List:

 Send off my slice of life to Two Writing Teachers,

A  Meeting Place for A World of Reflective Writers.

 

#SOL22 March Musings-Day 1: Connecting

Welcome to the month of March.

 

March is

my time of year to write each day

with slicers in an artful way -

to think, to dream, and to create

small nuggets of thought worth their weight

©CV2022

Writing is a practice of the heart

and

For the past month, I joined Laura Shovan's 10th Annual February Poetry Project dealing with the topic of time. I read, researched, went down many rabbit holes, and wrote daily. Out of the 28 days, I submitted 26 poems in varied formats. Some poems were drafts, some quick writes, and others finished products. It was an inspiring period of time in which I connected with a supportive group of fellow poets. It was a time of learning and leaning on others. 

I now feel prepared to spend the month of March pondering my one word, appreciate, and writing slices of life on various passions of mine. Each year of the past seven years I participated in the Slice of Life Story Challenge, I  have looked at the art of writing through different lenses. This year, I plan on using the five different thumbnail images in the digital design above as writing prompts. The first film box shares a graphic design signifying creativity, an essential ingredient in the writing process and in art projects. It is with a creative spirit that I connect with fellow slicers of the Two Writing Teachers' community. May this month bring us all closer in our commitment to grow as writers.