Find more celebration posts at Ruth’s blog.
There are those weeks that seem to go on and on, yet offer nothing to be celebrated. Sometimes I have to look harder to find the bright spots. I am actually ashamed that I felt this way yesterday because this morning I looked through my mail and found so much to celebrate.
I signed up for a poetry postcard exchange. I thought the giving and receiving was over, but this week I got three more poetry postcards.
New Year poem cards from Sylvia Vardell with a Wonder Woman stamp.
Poem from Donna Smith:
Listen to the sounds
crunching, munching, lunch a foot
Leaves nourishing earth
Handwritten poem and card from Kim Urband:
Summer Storm
Stone-gray clouds steal azure sky
Lightning stabs, singes
Liquid silver glazes hills
Relinquishes to Rhapsody–Kim Urband
This sweet, uplifting message from Joy Acey:
My body feels electric like new years fireworks
blazing in starlight.
I want to raise my arms
to twirl and dance in the moonlight.
Poetry fills me
and runs out of my pen.
May the force be with your poetry.
–Joy Acey
And an invitation to my daughter’s wedding in March. Here we go again!
This week I read aloud Preaching to the Chickens about John Lewis’s childhood. I wanted my students to know his name and to have a better understanding of the fight for civil rights. This book is beautifully illustrated. One of my students, Madison, was inspired by the paintings to draw her own yard of chickens. I love the personalities of each of her chickens.
Chickens by Madison, 3rd grade.
I didn’t have to look very hard to find these celebrations today. What are you celebrating?
Reflections on the Teche 
I so enjoyed the poetry you’ve shared and your honesty about wondering what to write about. I find myself saying the same thing to myself, but when I read others’ posts, I find inspiration in the ordinary of every day. As I write this comment, it brings to mind this quote:
“Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful; for beauty is God’s handwriting – a wayside sacrament. Welcome it in every fair face, in every fair sky, in every fair flower, and thank God for it as a cup of blessing.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Thank you for that wonderful quote. I needed it today!
It seems that my celebrations tend to ebb and flow also. I love the student drawing of the chickens. Each chicken’s personality seems to shine through! That would be an interesting story! And another wedding coming soon! That is just right around the corner… 🙂
Margaret, the poetry postcard exchange is a marvelous way to stay in touch and be inspired to enjoy life. Your gifts were unique and wonderful. I am looking forward to hearing more about the wedding plans in the remaining months before the big day. Have a wonderful day today.
Your opening is true for me…I appreciate that you posted that celebrations weren’t knocking on your door. But then the mail arrives and they flow from your mailbox. We have our first wedding in November I can’t wait to read more about yours in March. Happy Saturday.
Great celebrations! Congratulations to your daughter. Love the poetry, love the chickens!
How wonderful! Sometimes it does feel like a bit of a challenge to find something worth celebrating, and other times those moments just seem to flood in! A big congratulations to your family and your daughter, there’s nothing like a wedding to bring many moments to celebrate!
Funny, how we think we have so little to rejoice in and then when we look there is so much! Glad to read your celebrations this week.
Can anybody join the poetry exchange? It sounds like fun.
At the moment I am celebrating the movie Miss Potter. If you want a touching, based-on-fact, totally lovely movie, I highly suggest this one.
Such delightful postcards to take thoughts away from politics! We do lift each other up, in Poetry Friday and in these postcards. Jone was inspired to organize the exchange. And a family wedding, now that is outstanding, congrats!!
Sometimes all we need is one or two celebrations to help to put aside or forget the gray days. Your mail was rich with wonderfulness.
Love that you shared your poetry postcards. I hope to share mine soon, each of them have arrived with delight tucked into the envelope and make me smile each time I look at them. Congrats on another wedding coming soon and the yard of chickens drawn Madison is delightful. I love Preaching to the Chickens.