When I write the newsletter opener each week, it usually involves at least three trips from my office downstairs to the kitchen for something crunchy to eat, typically big pretzels with salt. I munch and type. A few months ago I decided to cut back on carbs, and two friends suggested I roast kale. They went on and on and on about its heavenly delights and how it tastes just like potato chips. Wow! I bought some, tossed it in oil and salt as directed, and baked it. And when I chewed it, I was not thinking potato chip. Maybe to cows it tastes like a potato chip. To me, well, maybe I had a bad batch of kale and the potato chip tasting one evaded me. Today I am trying carrot chips, these really nifty carrots I found in North Carolina that look like chips. They are orange; they are in no way close to potato chips, but at least I like carrots, unlike kale.

School is officially here for most of you, and with it comes those heavy-duty backpacks filled to the brim with all different types of books: textbooks, workbooks, notebooks. When your bookbag starts getting that packed, it's easy to forget that there are other books out there! And it's definitely easy to forget that reading can be a great way to unwind from the daily stress of school.