With ups and downs in weather, Spring, the season of rebirth, broke out afresh after being quiescent throughout the winter months. Nature welcomed spring rains that brought verdant landscapes and blossoming flowers. Even the calendar has celebrated springtime each year on April 22nd. Since 1970, billions of people across the globe have celebrated Earth Day, an annual event to support the cause of environmental protection.  This year's Earth Day theme is "Planet vs. Plastics". It is a theme that has been wrestled with for years. According to earthday.org, the goal this year is "to reduce t ..read more

This morning, sunlight streamed into my bedroom. I felt the need to stretch before waking so I started to move with flow, as we do in yoga class. I reflected on my baby grandgirl's adorable manner of pandiculation when she wakes from slumber. I thought of birds stretching their wings to dive into my neighbor's feeder. Nature awakened the earth. As I opened the door, I smelled the freshness of a spring day. Tiny purple petals on my tree surprised me and white buds on my bush squeezed forward in little pockets of joy. No matter where I looked there were signs of spr ..read more

It is National Poetry Month and I, like many friends, am writing poetry from the heart. Renowned poet, William Wordsworth stated: "Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart," reminding me to let my mind and spirit fill the page with heart-felt thoughts.  This month's annual Poetry Friday community project, the Progressive Poem, organized by slicer Margaret Simon, is centered around a no-choice-need-to-escape from a child's perspective. Are you intrigued?  In this story poem, you will see examples of writers breathing life into their couplets. Ea ..read more

The Progressive Poem has traveled for 13 days this month. It is my turn to add lines to the community poem that is a journey of courage. Reading through Days 1 through 13, I am reminded of a poignant story told by one of my elementary students years ago. Amid civil unrest in El Salvador, the child and his siblings left their homeland to move to Long Island.  Join me as I integrate the student's story into my lines for Day 14. I also added the art of Juan Lopez-Bautista's Border Stories presented at the Sella-Granata Art Gallery, Woods Hall, UA campus (October-November 2021). Be ..read more

It's springtime in Virginia, a time to celebrate nature's transition to warmer weather and the burst of cherry blossom trees. In between sunshine moments, gray April showers sprinkle crystalline drops as nature takes center stage There are many reasons to celebrate springtime. For Poetry Friday nature lovers, poetry love is in the air. It swooshes across the open sky, echoes nature sounds, and opens hearts to the beauty of a spring day that quietly whispers in the wind.  Morning Springs Open morning light streams in unfolding ispring's verdant palette of green hidden buds buried in ..read more

Parts of North America silently waited for nature's moments of totality. on April 8, 2024. News stations aired programs. Libraries distributed solar eyeglasses. People huddled in parks, yards, and special event areas to watch a spectacular sight, the moon passing between Earth and the sun. News stations captured the event minute by minute as the moon blocked the view of the sun. We watched ABC News coverage. Each area from Mexico to Maine shared their 4 minutes of totality as the sun darkened the sky followed by sunlight.  My son, husband, and I moved between the news and our backyard as ..read more

Dear Springtime, Recently, showers have splashed across pavements and fogged windows while blurring your spring colors. As a troubadour of nature, I pause to honor the earth and nature's seasonal transition during April's National Poetry Month. Through the lens of nature photography, digital graphics, and poetrylicious poetry, I wish to restore a colorful lens to my everyday life and renew my spirit of creativity. I will wait patiently for your palette of colors to pop and the weather to warm.  Sincerely, Your Faithful Follower With pleasure, I invite my poet friends, writers ..read more

Are there times in your life when you pause to breathe in and breathe out the gentle rush of the wind or stand in awe of a small flower growing in a spot you did not plant? The act of wondering strengthens our ability to find calm in an upside-down world but challenges are ever-present. It is faith that helps us journey onward.  Bob Hamera, aka arjeha, is this month's host of our Spiritual Journey community of writers. His topic concerns: "What miracles have graced your life?" He also found a song, Flower Drum Song, "A Hundred Million Miracles" to reflect upon. In response ..read more

It's time for another Poetry Parade during National Poetry Month. April is the month I refine past poems and write new ones. Spring brings renewal to life, so I dedicate this month to a revival of life. Some of my poems need to be revived and others need to blossom.  During the month I will visit other Poetry Friday friends who enjoy playing with words and writing poetrylicious poetry. Another wonderful stop this month is the 2024 Progressive Poem, now directed by Margaret Simon. Click here to see the opening lines. Leo Tolstoy's statement below with my digitized nature background inspire ..read more

Today, morning broke with sunshine that pierced through the sky. Churchbells chimed in sync to verify the truth. Resurrection Sunday brought renewal to life, whether it be human life or nature's tending to the earth. Spring's path will continue with its sweet scents floating through the sky like burning incense rises and perfumes an altar.  As the 40 days of Lent ended, so has the 31 days of the 17th Annual Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Story Challenge. Challenges may have created pauses along the way but faith brought each writer closer to the end of a faithful journey. M ..read more