Upside Down Kris

Palms and Maples There is no wash of reds, yellows, and vibrant greens here. Nor is there the middle-ground-brown as they sit and wait  for a rake. There are no autumn trees at all...I mean the great oaks and the merry maples or even an elegant birch. These trees are not part of this landscape. So the magnificence of fall is missed here.  Or at least, I miss it. I am more convinced than ever that it is my favorite season, what with the colors and a kettle piping due to the whistling wind...not to mention the costumes and candy of Halloween. But does autumn really skip over the island? Does it only stop at islands northern bound? No. The air alighting from the sea brings change, brings that tinge of fall sassiness in its fresh mornings. The day can be hot, but oh how the earliness takes time to warm up to the afternoon! And how the night winds down so fast. I welcome it because it reminds me of how good it is just to go home at dark. So, the leaves that fall here are fans from palms. Th

Smile Pop quiz: How many muscles does it take to smile? There are 43 muscles in the face, most of which are controlled by the facial nerve. This nerve begins in the cerebral cortex (that mass of gray   filling the cap of your brain) and wraps around your cheek and chin. So, your smile is quite a brainy item!  Because the nerve is directly connected to the brain, it's no wonder a smile is such a no-brainer. What I mean is, I've heard you can "trick" your brain into thinking you're happy just by grinning, genuine or not. This makes total sense to me: all those muscles and nerves send signals to the brain which help it decide how you are feeling. So our facial expressions truly affect our well being. L iterally, t he more smiles, the merrier–for us and the people around us.  But I wonder...is a half-smile enough? Is your brain happy with half, or does it need the whole to be convinced? I've been at half-mast for so long that I wonder what a full smile will feel l

  The Significance of Cinnamon The air was pregnant with cinnamony goodness. The aroma wafted by as a vision of pregnant women holding space for children. The children delighted in the aroma and the all sensory experience of cookie making while the adults relived their carefree kitchen moments...all smiling as they came into the cinnamon cloud, a piece of peace among worlds...that space between adolescence and adulting. I have recounted more than once of a best childhood memories with my mother baking cookies, particularly chocolate chip. It was a time when I truly had her attention, when we were doing  something we both enjoyed, when my mom relaxed and I anticipated the glory of licking the spatula. Obviously, it was so much more than baking.  So, this cinnamon smell holds so much more than its earthy scent in the air as I bake oatmeal cookies for a picnic tomorrow. It's not just the expectation of sharing time and cookies: it's a space sifted through cinnamony memory...of oat

You do you   You do you–or, in this case, me be me. That being also means action resonates with me. Just "coming into being" is a miracle that puts into motion a whole slew of bodily processes that then become automatic. That's why babies are so fascinated with themselves (what's this? It's a hand! How grand! And I can even open and close it! Look at that!)  And they have every right to be excited.  We take our inner workings for granted until they stop working. Think about something as vital as breath for a moment. If you start paying attention to it, at first your breathing gets out of whack because you never actually do  anything–it does itself. Our lungs pump us with air and life without us being aware in the least, which is totally amazing. And if we concentrate on it and slow it down suddenly a lot of things start to make sense.  I've always been drawn to the "you do you" idea even if I don't always "do me". It has such a differen

Happiness: a character sketch Happiness is first and foremost a dancer. She dances on the street and in the aisles at the supermarket, basking in the amused attention from fellow shoppers. Even her voice dances, alighting from one sound to the other as she speaks, and at the checkout everyone can't help but chuckle. When she's not dancing, she's skipping. She sometimes jumps for no reason–just because she feels like it. Happiness's most prominent feature is her amazing grin. She likes to spread smiles as much as possible. It's her mission in life. Most people describe her as a butterfly, flitting here and there, but her favorite animal is the dog. She is often found rolling in the grass with one. She loves children and delights in making them smile. The funnier the face, the better: then they both end up giggling. Peak-a-boo is her favorite game because it's so simple but ends up tickling both the peaker and the booer. Ah, yes–and speaking of tickling, she's

  Frustration: a character sketch He goes around with a tuft of smoke coming out of the center of his head from a burning irritation (or maybe more than one). If he could see himself, he would surely laugh because he is quite the character. Actually, he is a caricature...a caricature of frustration. He can get flustered quite easily until he's red in the face. Muttering is his way way of communicating, usually about something that nobody understands.  He is not sure of his steps so he stumbles quite a lot. He often stubs his toe and kicks the culprit (normally a chair or a toy suddenly appearing out of nowhere)  which only intensifies the pain. D oors have something against him as they're always swinging back to smash him in the elbow. Rotating doors are the worst because they never let him in or out. He has to go 'round multiple times before he gets where he wants to be. He doesn't eat out frequently because his digestion has never been that great. The burning in his b