#SOL22 Day 23: 22 Days of March Musings

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• 22 Days of March Musings
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Waking very early,

connecting with my thoughts:

scattered singed ashes,

dazzling winter greetings,

namaste, quietness, and the big bad wolf.

International Women's Day passes.

I breathe in Grandma love

trying to make sense of the nature of March.

Snowflakes dance and

nuggets of thoughts float along.

I write my day in six-word memoirs.

Eye surgery over,

post-surgery follows.

The creative process continues

with a touch of green and baking.

I'm ready for the slicers' party

that welcomes springtime,

the shot of inspiration needed

to continue to write.

©CV, 2022,

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NOTE:

I composed the above poem after many days of pondering how I could make it happen. Everyone needs some creative fun when writing so I gathered the titles of my 2022 Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge posts in a list format. An index poem to catalog my March writing so far naturally evolved from one title to the next. You can click on any words in green to link to a specific slice that is located on my Blogger website, Beyond LiteracyLink.  

I made one deviation from the order of which I wrote the poems. I started with the 2nd day of slicing, followed by the first.   

Happy Slicing!

✍

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

#SOL22 March Musings Day 22: A Shot of Inspiration Needed

Do you ever feel like you need a bit of inspiration to start-kick your day?  

Still recovering from the first cataract surgery and feeling scattered even before that, I need a BIG shot of inspiration to stay balanced.  Read through this laundry list of to-do items to understand why I need an inspirational remedy. 

1. No Stretch and Pump or Gentle Yoga Classes
2. No lifting more than 20 pounds
3. No bending down with my head down
4. Stick to the eye drop regime (3 boxes of drops: two must be inserted into the right eye 4xs per day and one every 2 hours plus rub a small amount of ointment in the surgery eye nightly )
5. Continue to insert a drop of Restasis 2xs per day in the left eye
6. Get ready for the reinstallation of one of the organizational racks that the installers did not install correctly
7. Continue with routine life chores
8. Find time for a daily walk
9. Be ready for distractors

This laundry list of to-dos, especially #9, is tilting my perspective, BUT it is What It Is!

Remedy:

Open the shades

Let sunshine in

So hope flows

Into my soul

Self-care

Counts!

©CV, 2022, small poem

Breathe and you dwell in the here and now.

-Annabel Laity

Breathe In

Today

fill

the

soul

Today

find

quiet

peace

Today

Breathe In

©CV, 2022, skinny poem

NAMASTE!

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

#SOL22 March Musings Day 21: Welcome Springtime!

It's Here!

Spring is here,

Such a needed season this year!

Prancing in with sunshine and warmth,

thoughts of renewal putting forth.

I see trees start to pop,

As nature opens her floral shop.

Pinks and purples peek and shout

While winter shades fade out.

©CV, 2022

A quick look at what past Springs brought to brighten Earth:

In 2018, slicer Ramona Behnke captured Spring in Washington.

The above photos were in past global galleries of artistic expressions that I design for online viewing. I am stepping back into time this year and creating My Winter's Embrace Gallery. Stop back to see that unveiled.

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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 20: Slicer's Party

 

Invitation created by slicer Leigh Anne Eck.

Happiness is:

a writer's retreat in a cabin

 tucked away in nature's arms-

a place where wildflowers share space

with lush greenery for miles 

under an open wide cerulean sky.

In this quiet place, I shall bring:

my rose gold Mac Air, my digital journal,

to tap my thoughts on the first days of spring,

colorful pens, a new notebook, and my writing bag

that will fill my nature-inspired creation station,

along with a platter of homemade sugary-sweet cookies

to share with fellow writers.

My iPhone is always with me to pipe in

sounds of soft instrumental music to inspire writing.

Within this haven where the writing muse visits, I will:

hang an inspiring quote by Annie Proux,

"You should write because you love the shape of stories

and sentences and the creation of different words on a page",

and lean on others for support and advice

on poems and photographs created.

This evening, I slowly float into dreams,

a sanctuary of thoughts, 

as I stare into an indigo sky.

Within this great expanse, I find peace.

©CV, 2022

✎

Thank you to:

Leigh Anne for a much-needed writing retreat.

Two Writing Teachers for their daily meeting place that connects a community of reflective writers.

#SOL22 March Musings Day 19: Baking

Tomorrow afternoon, I celebrate St. Patrick's Day with neighbors in the community clubhouse. My contribution to the event is a platter of assorted cookies. Ricotta cookies, anise-flavored ones, oreo cookie balls dipped in white chocolate, creme de menthe brownies, and chocolate biscotti cookies are ready to sit on a large, shiny shamrock placemat on top of a rectangular tray that was given to me as a gift from my uncle's collection.

My platter will represent a craft passed down from my Nonnie and mother. From them, I learned that the presentation of confectionary delights is as important as the creation. I dig back in my vault of poetic thoughts and find a poem written in 2019 that brings back sweet memories.

Smells of baking remind me of you,
Anise seeds, almond extract, sweet honey,
They lift my senses, taking me back to childhood-
Little fingers stroking an oversized rolling pin,
Playing baker, standing by your side on summer days.
Your warm kitchen, small for modern-day baking,
Became my childhood playground and learning ground.
I remember your wisdom with each cookie I create. 

©CV, 2019

My tray of cookies will be prepared tomorrow. I am keeping a photographic log of my cookies creations so perhaps a picture will appear in another slice. (Leigh Anne Eck invited slicers to her annual slicer party and I made an extra batch of cookies for the celebration.

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

March Musings Day 18: A Touch of Green

There is something special about St. Patrick's Day. Is it the undeniable taste of corn beef, cabbage, potatoes, and Irish soda bread, the sweetness of homemade cookies, the closeness of family gathered together, or a wonderful combination of all? One year ago at this time, we moved into our lovely new home without fanfare so today we celebrate the wearing of the green.

☘☘☘☘☘☘

My 4-year-old granddaughter greeted me tonight with a wee leprechaun tale. "Grandma, a leprechaun came to my nursery class today. He left footprints all over but we could not see him." 

"Guess what, Sierra, I looked all over for a pot of gold for us and there was none to be found. I guess your little leprechaun was playing a trick on all of us."

☘☘☘☘☘☘ 

This week I had my first cataract surgery. While the short operation was painless, I do have a longer healing time. I did manage to keep on writing daily. if you backtrack to my March 14th blog and March 16th blog, you can read some of my thoughts right before and after surgery. 

☘☘☘☘☘☘

Thank you teacher-poet, Ruth Hersey, who is hosting Poetry Friday from her new home in Paraguay. You can read Ruth's thoughts and enjoy all the poetic goodness from other bloggers at Ruth's blog, here.

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

#SOL22 March Musings Day 17: Creative Process

“Describe your creative process in no more than five words.”

The above prompt has been circulating through several Two Writing Teachers' blogs. I first read it on first-time slicer Charlene Doland's blog. 

My quick response is: Pause-Reflect-Jot-Rethink-Ink

I found a poem I wrote last year about the creative process and revised it:

Creative Process

early morning

brain churns-

waking from slumber (PAUSE)

thoughts interrupted-

brain freeze

creative impulses

 search for words (REFLECT)

advice:

no constraints (JOT)

open the curious mind

to a new day

of imaginative thought (RETHINK)

write

at day's end (INK)

when thoughts

are mulled over.

©CV, 2021, revised 2022

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🥺Eyes are blurry today. Corneas need more time to heal.🥺

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

#SOL22 March Musings Day 16: Post-Surgery

Day After Surgery

morning hugs sky

as eye patch hugs eye

post-surgery thoughts

light streaks peek

through blinds

feeling a bit unbalanced

off to the doctor

take care-follow directions

remove patch

back to the house

2-year-old arrives 

grandma care needed

shift attention 

grandgirl smiles and talks

worry lifted

balance between

child and self-care

pillows plumped for rest

exhausted but thankful

time for eyes to rest

along with mind

eye patch ready

good night world

ready for a new view on life

©CV, 2022

👁

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

#SOL22 March Musings Day 15: Eye Surgery Over

It's the end of the day after cataract surgery in the right eye and all is well. I wasn't even nervous about this surgery and don't remember much about it except for one dream or maybe it was reality. I saw several bright colorful lights and heard the eye specialist tell me to hold my chin up.

a patch, a bottle

 of eye drops, and me smiling 

the unveiling is tomorrow

ready for a new view on life

Thank you Two Writing Teachers for this daily meeting place to connect with a community of reflective writers. It is difficult to type and see small print while the patch is on. 

#SOL22 March Musings Day 14: A Day in Six-Word Memoirs

Have you ever thought of your life as a series of six-word memoirs. "A Day in Six-Word Memoirs" is an interesting format being used as a writing prompt on Two Writing Teachers. I am not sure who shared the format but I thought it was a good way to reflect on a day. (If you know who offered this format, please let me know.)

MARCH 14TH

day overstuffed with a to-do list

NOW

scurrying around to finish another task

APPRECIATE

late-night writing when all is quiet

MUST

tired of thinking, prepare for surgery

POSITIVITY

new lens, new view on life

      ©CV2022 

March 14th is now. Tackle the must-do tasks of each day with faith and positivity.

Appreciate life!

YOUR TURN

Can you write your day in a six-word memoir? Find the positives of any one-day mixed in with the must-dos.

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

#SOL22 March Musings Day 13: Nuggets of Thoughts

It is with a creative spirit that I connect with fellow slicers of the Two Writing Teachers' community for the March Slice of Life Story Challenge. Today marks the 13th day of writing.   Many nights, I slide in just before the stroke of midnight. Topic and content are not the issues. Time is my nemesis. There never seems to be enough quiet time to write.

March winds blew in with gusto.

The writer sat and pondered.

Thoughts circled,

Landed on a page.

©CV2022

 Below is an accounting of five areas of interest pictured in the thumbnail.

Day 1 - Thumbnail #1

Day 2 - Thumbnail #1

Day 3 - Thumbnail #1

Day 4 - Thumbnail #1

Day 5 - Thumbnail #1

Day 6 - Thumbnail #2

Day 7 - Thumbnail #1

Day 8 - Thumbnail #1

Day 9 - Thumbnail #1

Day 10 -Thumbnail #3

Day 11 -Thumbnail #5

Day 12-Thumbnail #4

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

#SOL22 March Musings Day 12: Snowflakes Dance

Nature is full of genius, full of divinity;  so that not a snowflake escapes its fashioning hand. Henry David Thoreau 

Wrapped in falling snow, delicate snowflakes

Cascade with wind behind their wings.

In morning's grayish wake,

No winter bird sings.

Cascade with wind behind their wings,

Snowflakes dance in zigzag pleasure.

No winter bird sings.

Winter shares its crispcool treasure.

Snowflakes dance in zigzag pleasure.

Window panes paint frozen views.

Winter shares its crispcool treasure.

Green tones turn to whitened hues.

Window panes paint frozen views

In morning's grayish wake.

Green tones turn to whitened hues

Wrapped in falling snow-delicate snowflakes.

©CV, 2022

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