The Five Senses of Autumn: TOUCH

My other five senses posts are here: Sight, Sound, Smell and Taste.

1. The brittle crunch of leaves, falling in droves from treetops and crumbling beneath our feet.

2. Soft knits taut against our neck, to block the crisp kiss of autumn's air and the whisper of winters to come.

3. Smooth and cool to the touch are our fall staples: chestnuts, buckeyes, apples, pumpkins, squash and cranberries.

That will do it for my autumn posts--just in time for snowflakes to fall in their steadier rhythm.

Look for my winter posts to come. Enjoy your Monday!

(images: we heart it)

Monday Morning Mumblings

1. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2. Halloween is like an event on our street. Lots of kids, candy, neighbors and "visiting". SO FUN!

3. Makes me wish it fell on a weekend night every year (and especially not on a Monday-ZZZZ)!

ENJOY YOUR DAY!

(images: youareadog.com, tlcpethospital.com, dogcentral.info)

Haunting Literature Quotes

In honor of HALLOWEEN!

All of these quotes are from 2011 YA books:


"It's reported that his ghost, dubbed County 12 Hiker, has killed at least a dozen people and injured another eight. But I can't really blame him. He never made it home to see his girl, and now he doesn't want anyone else to get home either." From ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD by Kendare Blake


"I reached our building only to find a wide-eyed Southern belle wearing a Civil War-era dress blocking the front door. Sighing, I stuck my hand through her stomach to turn the knob, meeting no resistance. I rolled my eyes as she gasped, fluttered her eyelashes and disappeared in a puff of smoke." From HOURGLASS by Myra McIntyre


"I was about to let go and push back for shore when my fingers felt something strange. My arm was slung over the side of the rowboat, hanging down inside it. And whatever I felt at the bottom of that boat was far cooler than the water I was drifting in, and cooler than the mountain air. It was cold. Dead cold." From IMAGINARY GIRLS by Nova Ren Suma


"I catch my breath as the strangers eyes find mine. Eyes as dark as river stones and yet somehow shining, soaking up the moonlight. Eyes that widen a fraction as they meet my own. A single, long, unblinking look. And then in an instant the stranger seems to break apart, a sharp gust of wind tears through, and the shutters slam closed against the glass." From THE NEAR WITCH by Victoria Schwab


"The foundation of the house rocked. Bridget lost her balance and staggered a few steps until Monsignor's strong hand gripped her arm, steadying her. Mrs. Long grunted and snarled, then Bridget watched in horror as the old lady's body went rigid--feet flexed, arms plastered to her sides--and began to rise off the bed. From POSSESS by Gretchen McNeil.


HAVE A SPOOKTACULAR WEEKEND!

A Leaf Man Goes Where the Wind Blows

I'm a HUGE Lois Ehlert fan. If you have a child (or teach children) under the age of ten, you've got to own her books! She's an author/illustrator whose collage technique draws from organic objects ( leaves, seeds, fabric and roots), to help her pages come alive.  

When Nana visited this past month, she and my seven-year-old used the THE LEAF MAN again as a guide for their fall project.
How could they not? The images in the book are gorgeous. Ehlert created the scenes using real leaves. The one below is a "stream of fish and turtles":

When I taught second grade, my students collected leaves to re-create some of her images. See the turkeys, below?

So Nana and Evan set to work, gathering up fall.

After they created their leaf images, they used a warm iron to press them between sheets of wax paper.

A perfect fall craft! Can't wait to show off Ehlert's SNOWBALLS book this winter!

The Five Senses of Autumn: SMELL

 My other five senses posts are here: Sight, Sound, and Taste.

I won't mention the obvious, like pumpkins, apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and turkey/gravy. Instead, my olfactory senses go here:

Rain. Damp, fresh, new. A cleansing of sorts.

Candy. Chocolaty and sugary, with tricks to go along with them. And maybe a scare.

Piles of leaves. Earthy, organic, and perfect for stomping through.

Enjoy your fall day!

(images: We Heart It )

The Five Senses of Autumn: TASTE

1. PUMPKIN everything: lattes, beer, custard, cheesecake, pies, seeds, muffins. It's dense, smooth and usually spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon.

2. CRANBERRIES. Of course, paired with a turkey dinner. But also in jello, muffin, sauce and relish form. Tart and refreshing.

3. APPLES. I like Honey Crisp and Granny Smith. Pies, sauce, butter, baked. Sweet, crisp and crunchy.

My favorite recipe for apples is CARAMEL DIP

It only requires 4 ingredients (five if you count the apples for dipping).

All you need is: 1 stick of butter, I cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup of white corn syrup, and 1 can of sweetened condensed milk.

Melt the butter over low heat. Add the brown sugar, corn syrup and condensed milk. Bring it to a low boil, stirring constantly. Cook for 3 more minutes, then cool at room temperature.

Serve warm with apple wedges. Buttery and addicting. Seriously, TO DIE FOR!ANYBODY HUNGRY?!

(armyfamilyok.wordpress.com, thelunacafe.com, kitchenparade.com, thekitchn.com, butteredblasphamy.wordpress.com)

The Five Senses of Autumn: Sound

My first post on "sight" is HERE.

The smack and grind of helmet versus helmet. A midair slap as ball meets skin.

A high-pitched shriek. The chomp and swallow of teeth on skin. A guttural yowl at the circular moon. The drone and hum of the magical chant. (LOVE my Fall TV!)

Scraping, dragging, and crunching as rake meets leaf.

The precision stab. Rhythmic sawing as victim (er, gourd) is carved.

Moan, rattle, and drag up the tall staircase on All Hallows Eve.

(What, you've never heard a ghost? Yeah, me neither.) O_o

(images: sportsillustrated.com, ptpittsburgh.com, squawkfox.com, aproo.com, city-mankato.us)

The Five Senses of Autumn: Sight

It's important to use your senses in writing, but sometimes we forget to show all of them. For my fall season posts, I've started with the most obvious.


There is so much to see in the fall. Most of all, the COLORS!

Scarlet, Ruby, Crimson:


Gold, Blond, Sunny:


Emerald, Olive, Jade, Lime:




Carrot, Ginger, Tangerine:




Chocolate, Russett, Coffee, Tea: