Life Lessons from the Sea #22: Tips for Surviving Halloween

My sweet Little Mermaid 2012

      1.      Plan ahead. Buy or reuse what costumes parts you can then trawl the internet on ways to make the rest. For a quick and easy jellyfish costume, buy a clear umbrella and hang curly ribbons from the inside spokes. Easy and fun!

      2.      Gather all supplies and accessories the day before the big event so there’s no panic-filled dive through the make-up drawer in search of glitter, bobby pins, black lipstick or fake blood. Deep diving is way too stressful when there’s too much pressure.

 

      3.      Check the weather and be ready for whatever rain, cold or ice that Mother Nature throws your way. There’s only one thing worse than freezing in a flimsy mermaid costume—listening to your daughter freezing in a flimsy mermaid costume. Coats, long johns, underarmor can all be factored into your Halloween duds if you use a little creativity.

      4.      Feed the minions before trick-or-treating. A nice hot bowl of chili and a couple of hot dogs are an easy fix that will stave off the blood sugar swings that are bound to occur on this darkest of nights. The last thing you want is for your little darlings to turn into sugar-fueled piranhas. Trust me on this one.

      5.      Leave your porch light on only if you have candy to pass out. Who cares if you have to come home to a dark, sinister doorway? If you leave on the lights without leaving someone to pass out treats, you may well find that Halloween hooligans leave you a few unwelcome tricks! If all else fails, move so far out in the country (or deep under sea—there’s sea stations now, right?) that no one would dare knock at your door.

Have a frightful, delightful Halloween!

What tricking and treating tips have helped you most? We’d love to hear your ideas!

Life Lessons from the Sea #21: Five more fearsome friends for your Undersea Halloween Party

Dragonfish, photo by Lelik, flickr creative commons

 1. Leafy dragonfish—be sure to invite at least a few of these. They coordinate well with princess or knight-in-shining-armor costumes.

Giant Tubeworm photo by Subarcticmike flickr creative commons

Hatchetfish photo by NOAA public domain image

2. Giant tube worms--what party would be complete without these ooey, gooey creatures whose plumes brim with blood?

3.      Hatchetfish—named for their hatchet-shaped bodies, these deep sea dwellers search for prey with their upward-facing eyes, so just be sure your smaller guests don’t swim above them! These also glow, but their light organs point downward. For a light show, encourage them to swim near the ceiling.

 

Hagfish photo by NOAA public domain

4.    Hagfish—this slimy, gruesome creature fits right in with ghosts, witches, and ogres known to frequent Halloween activities. Just try not to watch her eat—she bores into her prey then eats them up from the inside! Ewwww!

Firefly Squid photo courtesy of Dante Fenolio www.anotheca.com

5.      Firefly squid—these slimy beauties are covered with thousands of photophores. They can flash them all at once or in an endless variety of patterns to confuse predators, attract mates, and lure prey. They migrate toward the surface where they pounce on small fish with their powerful tentacles. I'd love to see these babies!

What fun things do you like to do for Halloween? Who are your favorite monsters?

Life Lessons from the Sea #20: Five Creepy Creatures to invite to your Undersea Halloween Party for a ghoulishly good time!

Lionfish

     1.  Lionfish—don’t be fooled by this delicate-looking beauty. Beneath its gauzy fins and mesmerizing stripes are stiff spines that pack a venomous punch.

Rock Fish photo by kthypryn, flickr creative commons

Spiny Sea Urchins

    2.   Rockfish—this baby is as ugly as Frankenstein. But don’t let your guests step on it, or their feet will swell up and ache, maybe for the rest of their lives. And while feverish dancing might be a plus at the party, rockfish induced fevers are not!

   

 

      3. Spiny sea urchins—scatter these everywhere for a spiderlike look. Just be careful not to touch them; their razor-sharp venom-packed spines can pierce even the toughest costume.

lanternfish-photo-NOAA public domain image

     

     4. Lanternfish—if you invite the small ones (1-inch long), be sure to invite plenty. They'll flit around like tiny dancing lights! The big 12-inch ones also give off a lightstick-like glow. They’re great for setting an eerie atmosphere for your friends.

vampire-squid-illustration-se41 Wikipedia Commons public domain image

       

         5. Vampire squid—this creature looks like it swam right out of a nightmare. But it’s not too big, only six inches long, so it ought to make good friends with all the bats you’ve invited. It can easily hide then flash when it wants to be seen or to warn away annoying guests. But beware, it also emits a bioluminescent mucous cloud when agitated.

Which of these spooky creatures would you want at your party and why? Happy Haunting!

Life Lessons from the Sea #19 Surviving a Whirlwind

Montego Bay, Jamaica

 A few weeks ago, I came home from a refreshing trip to Jamaica expecting a return to normalcy, ready to dive back into life with renewed vigor. Instead, I faced a whirlwind of tragedy and heartache on several different fronts, situations that required me to travel across country four separate times in two and a half weeks.

Right now I’m on a Greyhound, on my way home, although my arrival may be delayed due to weather. This morning on the bus a stranger snapped at me, unaware of the storms brewing behind my calm façade. It was an innocent irritability, nothing important, but tears sprang to my eyes. I dashed them away before she could see, shocked to find my emotions so brittle. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.

Price, UT Fall foliage on Wednesday

 I reflect on this as the miles crawl by—we’re in a Wyoming blizzard. My thoughts fly to Jamaica and other places I’ve been near the sea, where I’ve felt such peace and freedom. I just wanna go back. Bring my family and build sand castles. Soak in the sun, swim in the ocean. I wanna catch jellyfish, search for sea stars and sand crabs, watch dolphins soar through the wake of a ship. But as much as I long for solace by the sea, that may not be what’s best for us and certainly isn’t feasible now anyway.

Coral

In the ocean, coral reefs survive the pounding surf by sinking their roots deep into the sea floor. They don’t wander around searching for calmer seas. It’s time for me to do the same. Time to sink my roots back home, strengthen my ties to family, deepen my commitment to my goals. I’ll find comfort in returning to routine. Like purple sea fans waving in a current or brain coral coiled between spiny sea urchins, we can flourish amid hardship by holding fast to the things that really matter in life.

Stranded in Laramie, WY Friday

While I’ve been writing, I-80 has closed, stranding me and another fifty or so passengers in Laramie. We’re making the best of things, making friends, sharing rooms with people we don’t really know. At least Greyhound’s covering the hotel bill. And it's nice to see snow after the past few mild winters in Oklahoma. But I’ll sure be glad when I make it back home.

How have you deepened your ties with family or your commitment to goals? What have you done for your own good, even when you didn’t really want to do it? Where are places you dream of visiting for a refreshing escape?