A Dash of Cinnamon, A Pinch of the Past, A Smidgen of the Fu

Close your eyes and remember December, the smell of cinnamon in your mother's or grandmother's kitchen and the warm scent of dough baking in the oven. Imagine opening the oven door and, with assistance, taking out the heated cookie sheet. Devour the cookies, small works of art, with your eyes: Fudge Brownies, Gingerbread, Nut Rolls, Painted Cookies, Sugar Cookies... With each bite, taste your childhood and family history. You can trace your blood and traditions not by DNA, genealogies and family heirlooms, but by recipes given from one generation to the next, like oral histories handed down in clans before recorded fact caught on.

Scholars once sniffed at "women's lore," but the notations of "1 dash nutmeg" and "1 cup chopped nuts," when handwritten on a yellowing page, are as important to memorize as the dates of the American Revolution. They are a tangible reminder of love, care and craft in any society, but particularly in America, where encouragement to eat bags of artificially sweetened store-bought Christmas sweets leave people sugar-craving, guilty, physically and emotionally empty Christmas cookies are the opposite of this trend. They represent home, family, comfort, joy, and tradition.

It's a miraculous event when generations gather around the stove to spend a day together, getting their hands dirty and sharing of themselves. It is miraculous because those memories are irreplaceable. It's miraculous because children get curious and ask, for example, "Why are the Christmas cookies German? What was Christmas like when you were my age? Did Santa Claus visit you?"

Mother, father, grandmother, and grandfather can share with children the family history and everyday moments in the past, such as, "Your grandmother made a mistake and measured one cup of walnuts when the recipe called for half a cup. But the cookies tasted better, so to this day we always use 1 cup of walnuts in the recipe." By reliving these rare glimpses of a life you may have forgotten, you honor and celebrate yourself as well as your family. Christmas cookies themselves transmit and record history and tradition.

In addition, Christmas cookies are a thread to Christmas past, not only our past, but long past. The word cookie came about thanks to Dutch settlers in North America during the 1700s to 1900s. Koek is Dutch for cake, so koekje, later cookie in English, means "little cake." Christmas cookies like German Springerle continue the custom of serving Christmas baked goods started by the Romans, Teutonic/Germanic tribes, and other pre-Christian civilizations. Christian religions sanctified these symbols of worship of the harvest gods by adding a "J" on the top to mark the breads as offerings to Jesus Christ. Ancient European peoples ate gingerbread at Winter Solstice feasts. When you bake gingerbread and Springerle, you're participating in a tradition that endures.

In that spirit, here is a recipe for successful cookie-making:

Start with 1 family, 1 kitchen, and a box of recipes. Add an uninterrupted period of time. Subtract phone calls, televisions, or any other distractions. For best results, add the Prayer Before Baking from CHRISTMAS COOKIES ARE FOR GIVING:

"God bless this mixture with the sweetest and tastiest ingredients: joy, faith, family, friendship, love, and health. Let the scent of this holiday offering rise to Heaven and make the angels sing, for the happiness of mankind is their feast. Let us taste our blessings with each bite as we share the company of our loved ones. Amen."

Sprinkle with laughter. Add amusing family stories with a lavish hand. Fold in 1 cup patience and understanding, blended with 1 gallon youthful enthusiasm and a pinch of baking know-how. Eat your mistakes with joy. Bake lovingly and well. Enjoy warm, delicious, Christmas miracle cookie-baking memories for years to come!

Copyright Kristin Johnson.

Deadly Dance: A Modern Tragicomedy

Deadly Dance, a suspense thriller, by Darville Knowles

Deadly Dance, A Modern Tragicomedy

By Darville Knowles

ISBN: 0-9719749-8-5

Milligan Books

$15.95

Reviewed by Maxine E. Thompson

http://www.maxinethompson.com

Do nothing secretly; for Time sees and hears all things, and discloses all. -Hipponous. Frag. 280. Sophocles

Deadly Dance, a sprawling debut novel by Dr. Darville Knowles, spins a satisfying tale of suspense, ruthless ambition, and lives gone awry. You will experience such a tsunami of emotions -- that is, you will laugh, you will cry, and you will be held so spellbound in its grip -- that you'll feel like you stepped off the big Kahuna when you read the last page.

Although there are many moments of comic relief, Deadly Dance reminds one of the Greek Tragedy, Oedipus, wherein the audience used to sit on the edge of its seat, awash in a wave of terror/pity/relief as they watched Oedipus gouge out his eyes. (Oedipus, unknowingly, killed his father, King Laius of Thebes, and married his mother, Jocasta. When he learns the truth, he blinds himself in despair.) More than likely, as the king fell from the heights, the audience experienced a delicious thrill as they watched Oedipus's life crumble around him, knowing that, as the old saying goes, the gods have clay feet.

The truth is, we have not changed much since that time. We secretly LOVE to hear how politicians/celebrities/movie stars are caught having affairs or driving drunk. Deadly Dance speaks to the need of human beings to rejoice in the "gods'" downfall.

The novel opens with Dr. Evander Parker, a noted psychiatrist in Florida, on what starts out as an ordinary day. By the end of Chapter One, you are caught up in a virtual blood bath, a medical life or death drama, which foreshadows that Dr. Parker's perfect little life is about to unravel. (As part of this well-crafted novel, the climax also mirrors a similar blood bath in a confrontation between good and evil.)

What is interesting about all the characters are their different miscommunications and missed cues. Each character holds secrets that the other characters are unaware of, and which are centrifugal to the plot. In the end, though, the truth does come out.

At the same time, Deadly Dance is a sneak preview of a modern day calamity. It depicts what it is to fall from economic grace to social pillory, a plight which we've seen plenty of in the media lately. Deadly Dance also shows how the media can destroy a person before proven guilty. In addition, this story revisits the premise that ruthless ambition destroys, which can't be visited enough in literature.

The title, "Deadly Dance," implies the symbiotic pas de deux between the doctor/patient relationship and the manipulation of that relationship.

For want of a better word, many of the main characters are wonderfully flawed. Whether they are on the psychiatrist's couch, or on the other side of the desk, they are all on the edge, which makes for good story telling. There is an underlying thread of desperation running throughout Deadly Dance, which speaks to the human yearning to be loved. This, and its quirky cast of characters, are what really appealed to me.

Meet the wife, Cassie. Although she can be painted as a villainess, several underlying themes suggest that she is both victim and heroine.

Sal Roselli, the impact character, is a complex mobster, who will do anything to manipulate others to his greedy ends.

Midge, a diminutive person, Sal's henchman, has a propensity for violence. His favorite weapon of choice is a tire rod.

Enter Taylor Nash. A streetwise, hardboiled private eye detective. He remains somewhat of a mystery until he does his "deadly dance."

The coming together of these disparate characters, and many more colorful minor ones, are representative of the microcosm, which reflects the macrocosm. The truth is, we no longer live in a monoethnic world, and it is echoed in literature such as Deadly Dance. Yet, at the same time, this is a universal tale, wherein Dr. Knowles looks at the human meaning of our foibles and our triumphs.

What is unique about this novel is that it travels across a multi-cultural cross section of society and exotic places. Unlike many novels, it does not just address one ethnic group, but its major characters are from different racial backgrounds. Parker, the lead character, is Caucasian. His guardian angel, Nash, is African American. Nash's and Parker's relationship can be viewed as symbolic of the mutually interdependent relationship between the races.

The same way Walter Mosley's mysteries make social commentaries, Darville Knowles's suspense novel addresses many concerns in today's society. Racketeering, drugs, murder, infidelity, and medical malpractice, just to name a few.

Underlying the theme of fate, there also lies the theme of integration, one of the largest themes in American Literature since the twentieth century. This integration involves two seemingly different things that cross the lines of sex, class, race and region.

With a novel that covers such a wide range of humanity, I eagerly look forward to Dr. Knowles next book. If it's anything like Deadly Dance, it will be another provocative read.

Living as God

From an esoteric invitation, Namaste Publishing presented me with P. Raymond Stewart's "Living as God - Healing the Separation."

Unveiling the mysteries surrounding the great "I Am," Living as God is the quintessential resource for the soul searcher and curious minds alike. Opening the heart and mind, this metaphysical novel adds fresh dimension towards uncovering hidden knowledge to the ancient, illusive question: "Who is God?"

A divine comparison liken to the Tree of Life and its intricate and ever-expanding branches, Living as God redefines the sacred realm of spirituality and offers impromptu revelation of spellbinding enlightenment.

After meticulously reading Stewart's original book, I felt an overwhelming sense of philosophical awareness and total inner peace. Living as God is the culmination of divine intervention and candid, human introspect.

I recommend Living as God to those who have reached a spiritual plateau in their lives...and to those who seek clarity and compelling understanding of God's true essence. Living as God is certain in becoming a classic addition to any literary enthusiast's collection.

Legacy - the Power Within

Legacy - how does one define it? According to the American Heritage Dictionary®, Legacy is defined as money or property bequeathed by will. In Tony DeLiso's (Expanded Edition) Book, "Legacy - the Power Within;" we are immersed in the realization of all that was, is and has the possibility to be through ones' innate legacy of positive reaffirmation.

Legacy - the Power Within conveys a powerful life lesson on how to take life by the reigns, and how to manifest dreams into reality. Applying simple practices of thought retraining, affirmation and faith, Mr. DeLiso's book explains how to integrate his seven steps in goal setting, problem solving and decision making to bring forth positive end results in individual lives!

Legacy - the Power Within is a beneficial, mental tool that helps rediscover ones' personal power and how to use this power to reprogram thinking patterns into an overall, healthier state of mind. Renewed thought patterns can develop into progressive and positive life changes. Thus, Legacy - the Power Within is an effectual guide for those seeking positive and personally, fulfilling lifestyles. Are you looking for personal empowerment? Have you lost insight into how to succeed in life? Perhaps, Legacy - the Power Within is for you.