Upside Down Kris

A Halloween Tale Joe, Harry, and Larry wiggled out a giggle. Actually, it was really only Larry who was leaning in for a laugh. Joe nervously chatted his two teeth while Larry guffawed at the chatter.   "Did you see their faces as they passed by?" Harry was sputtering. "Headless horseman! What an imagination kids have!"  Harry couldn't sit upright anymore and fell onto Joe. Larry guffawed even harder until his teeth became a jigsaw in his jaw. All of a sudden, he sucked in a breath. "But, if we're not someone's head, then what are we?" Larry asked. Harry's oval chin scrunched up for a second. "Larry...sometimes you think too much!" he concluded. "We're jack-o-lanterns, of course!" And they both fell into hysterics. Joe didn't join them. "Guys...It's getting dark. I don't want to be a party pooper, but..." "Well, then, don't!" Harry huffed. They all fell silent. It was so silent tha

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