Spring Forth!

/ Karina Pinella / 12 Comments


Spring, I entreat you,
Cast out this shivery clime!
Shine forth your warmth, long overdue;
Flowering buds are ready for showtime.

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Still Charming after All these Years

/ Karina Pinella / 6 Comments

Opening Spring Fling in Florida – Part 3 of 3

South of Jacksonville,
Northeast coast of Florida
Sits St. Augustine.

Colonized by Spain,
Oldest city in U.S.,
Briefly British ruled.

Flagler spurred its growth,
Menendez spread religion;
Their legacy shows.

If you missed:
Part 1
Part 2

Orlando

/ Karina Pinella / 6 Comments

Opening Spring Fling in Florida – Part 2 of 3

Our return to an expanded Disney Springs.

(sung to the tune of Abba’s Fernando)

Can you hear the gasp, Orlando?
I remember long ago when souvenirs were less than this
On a fire sale day, Orlando.
You’ve come a long way from a few shops to miles of chains
I could hear the constant ka-ching,
And sounds of consumerism from all over.

They are so many now, Orlando.
Every hour, every minute a sale is made
My eyes are glazed, Orlando.
Every turn I make, there’s a character from the past and present,
And I’m a little ashamed to say,
The sights and sounds still impress me.

Other parts:
Part 1
Part 3

Opening Spring Fling in Florida

/ Karina Pinella / 6 Comments

Part 1 of 3

My family and I had our own mini-celebration just a week before Major League Baseball’s Opening Day on March 29th. We went for a brief visit to Florida, where we stayed with friends and, among other things, went boating in Kissimmee, bopped around in Orlando, and enjoyed the beaches and downtown sites of historic St. Augustine. This was our way of welcoming the new season with faces turned to the sun and arms open wide to embrace the warm weather (even though we experienced two more nor’easters upon our return home). Not to be deterred, our recent memories of good times mixed with  sunny days and beautiful evenings will be presented here and in the next two posts. It’s just a reminder for those up north that spring will soon feel like spring!

Kiss-a-me, Why Don’t Ye?
Water-sprayed hair,
Laughter fills the air,
As old friends toast,
Listening to Margaritaville
And other oldies from the ‘70s,
Eighties, and 90s,
O, Sun, kiss-a-me,
Why don’t ye?

Part 2
Part 3

Egged On

/ Karina Pinella / 4 Comments

Eight-year-old Freddy’s current purpose in life is playing tricks on his five-year-old brother, Jack. In the early morning of Easter, Freddy sneaks outside to the henhouse to place a ceramic egg he made as a school project in one of the hens’ nests. He runs back inside the house and creeps upstairs to wake up Jack.

“Hey, Jack,” Freddy whispers to his little brother, as he shakes him. “Get up.”

Jack’s eyes flutter.

“Jack, you just missed the Easter Bunny.”

Jack stirs and struggles to sit up. He still believes in the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, and most of all, the Easter Bunny. He moans, “That’s not fair. I missed it again.” Rubbing his eyes, Jack looks at Freddy and says, “Why do you always get to see all the magical stuff?”

“I told you last night to get up early today so you can see the Easter Bunny delivering the eggs.”

Jack swings his legs down to the side of the bed. “What’d you see? Tell me!”

Freddy pulls Jack by his arm. “Come on, I’ll show you.”

Together the two brothers dash downstairs and outside to the henhouse.

“Whoa! I’ve never seen an Easter egg like that.” Jack races over to the hen sitting atop a red-colored egg trimmed with gold lines and swirls. The hen clucks and flaps her wings as Jack reaches under to take the egg.

“I’m going to show this to Mom and Dad!” Jack runs outside with the egg, slamming the screen of the henhouse behind him.

Still inside the henhouse, Freddy cracks up and thinks about his next trick.

“That’s not funny.” A voice squawks at him. Startled, Freddy looks around at the hens.  To get away, Freddy tears away outside and sees Jack coming around from the side of the wooden house.

“April Fools!” Jack laughs at Freddy. “I did get up early, but I heard you leave so I looked outside my window and saw you carrying something red in your hands.”