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Post by Phalon on Jan 10, 2009 9:18:13 GMT -6
The Weather Watcher's calendar lists that there will be a full moon in the sky tonight.
Native Americans kept track of the seasons by giving names to each recurring full moon. January's full moon was sometimes called the Old Moon, the Moon After Yule, or the Snow Moon... although the latter was what most tribes called February's full moon.
The most common name for January's moon though, was the Full Wolf Moon. The moon appeared mid-winter, when the wolves during this lean-season howled hungrily on the out-skirts of villages.
Howl at the moon tonight if you feel the urge. And if the neighbors wonder what the hell you're doing, you've got a good excuse.
Just tell them you're hungry. Maybe you'll get a mid-night snack outta the deal.
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Post by quettalee on Jan 10, 2009 10:34:39 GMT -6
Perfect for a night symphony. And a new avatar, as well. And thanks for posting. I think I posted at PT's that it was tomorrow night. I would've missed it.
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Post by Phalon on Jan 11, 2009 9:08:47 GMT -6
Did you get to see it? It made a very brief appearance here.
If LX is my Peas Child, (see winter thread for explanation), BP is my Moonbaby. I'm sure I mentioned it before - she loves the moon, especially when it's full. Walking home from the neighbor's house with me last night, she spotted it. A perfect circle of illuminated light gray in a darker gray colored, cloudy sky. I told her about this particular moon being named the Wolf Moon, and she gave a little howl before it completely disappeared in the gray.
I think she scared it.
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Post by quettalee on Jan 11, 2009 14:58:29 GMT -6
It was too cloudy here. Pfft. No moon for me except the one I saw as the sun was setting.
But it's OK. There will be others.
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Post by Siren on Jan 11, 2009 19:13:11 GMT -6
Yes, I did see it, Gams, and what a beauty it was. It was reflected perfectly in the pond on a neighbor's land. It was a grand sight. Due to some noisy 4-legged "neighbors", it would've been more appropriately called a "coyote moon".
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Post by Phalon on Jan 13, 2009 6:42:13 GMT -6
I bet that was eerily beautiful, Siren. I haven't heard them often, but when I have, the calls of coyotes always sound so haunting.
One more little bit on Saturday's moon that I just learned. Not only was it a "Full Wolf Moon", (or coyote moon), it was also a "perigee moon". Perigee moons appear each month when the moon is at its closest point to earth. Because it's closer to earth, it appears larger and brighter than at any other time in its phases. It's not often that a perigee moon occurs at the same time as a full moon, so Saturday's was extra special.
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Post by Phalon on Feb 2, 2009 9:23:55 GMT -6
Happy Groundhog's Day!!!
Punxsutawney Phil, the world's most famous groundhog, (the world's only famous groundhog?), saw his saw his shadow this morning, predicting winter will last for six more weeks.
It's a German superstition that says if a hibernating animal casts a shadow on February 2nd - the Christian holiday of Candlemas, (I guess a Happy Candlemas!!! is in order too, though I'm not sure what I'm wishing you all happiness for; I've got no idea what Candlemas is?) — winter will last another six weeks. If no shadow is seen, legend says, spring will come early.
I have to say I'm glad he saw his shadow....and I feel kind of guilty about it. I know people hate winter.....look at poor Joxie, and all those other people still without power due to the ice-storms. At least, I'm assuming she's still without electricity. Joxie - if you have power and are just busy with some new book series leaving you too engrossed to do anything else, you'd better put the book down and check in, or I'm gonna bop you over the head with your Fairly Bored Mom wand.
Like so many people, I'm looking forward to the rebirth that spring brings. I'm not about to wish winter away, though. Sure, it has its hassles; it seems to come with a lot of extra stuff the other seasons don't have. There's snow to blow, ice to scrape, and melting puddles of both on my floors that need mopping. In a 100 year-old house built without closets, it always seems there are too many coats in the mudroom, on the hooks in the laundry room, and hung on the backs of chairs in the kitchen. Snowpants, hats, gloves, mittens, and scarves multiply like dust bunnies - half of them don't belong here, left by the girls' friends, and the ones that do belong, can't be found anywhere. Sleds left in the yard, and my cross-country skis propped up against the wall in the garage, ready at a moment's notice. It's always a bit sad to see them put away up in the rafters after the last snow melts.
I've got big plans for the gardens this year, but there are those winter projects I want to get done too.......and the time to do them seems to be disappearing more quickly than the list of them is getting shorter. Surely, with six more weeks left, I can get something done!
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Post by Siren on Feb 3, 2009 22:28:56 GMT -6
And a happy Candlemas to you, too, Gams. I just spotted that on the calendar as I turned the page (a coupla days late). My calendar says that Candlemas was originally a Celtic festival celebrating the fact that the days were getting longer, and that Spring was not far off. Here's how to celebrate: "The main element of your decorating scheme for Candlemas is fairly obvious: candles. You can gather all the candles in your home in one room and light them from one central candle. Or place a candle in each window (but watch them carefully). Candlemas is one of the traditional times for taking down Christmas decorations (Twelfth Night, on January 6th, is the other). If you are very careful (because they are tinder dry), you can burn them. Or, better yet, return them to the earth mother by using them for compost or mulch. Certain foods are traditional for Candlemas, including crepes, pancakes and cakes, all grain-based foods. Pancakes and crepes are considered symbols of the sun because of their round shape and golden color. If you have a fireplace, clean out your hearth and then light a new fire. Sit around the fire and reflect on your hopes for the coming year. What do you hope to accomplish? What are you passionate about? What seeds do you wish to plant? Discuss these ideas with others or write them down in a journal but make them concrete in some way so that on Lammas (August 2nd, the festival of the first harvest), you can look back to see what progress you’ve made." ~~~~~~~~~~ www.schooloftheseasons.com/candlemas.html
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Post by Phalon on Feb 4, 2009 8:50:01 GMT -6
Thanks for the two-minute drill, Siren! Really interesting stuff, and very cool traditions some of which I’d like to try our own variations of next Candlemas, (if only I could remember the date a year from now!). It sounds like something the girls might like; they love holiday celebrations of any kind. I wondered why though, the drill I did on Groundhog Day called Candlemas a Christian holiday? Just another instance of the Church incorporating old religions and their rituals into Christianity, I supposed. Then I checked the link you posted, and yep, that was the case. "The Catholic Church, as it was wont to do, found an opportunity to superimpose a Christian holiday on this pagan festival." The site also mentions Saint Bridget. Ah, yes....it's all coming back to me. I knew I'd drilled Candlemas at one time or another. Had to do some digging around in the Cemetary to find this one......which is not as body snatchingly morbid as it sounds. I may have been called a cradle robber, (Hubs is three days younger than me), but never have I been a grave robber. It was a conversation I had with our resident pagan, Prmystic, about Bridget, Candlemas, and Groundhog's Day. whooshorg.proboards33.com/index.cgi?board=renpics&action=display&thread=3157 Ah, Mystic....such an interesting woman. I wonder how she celebrated Candlemas, and how she's doing these days.
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Post by Siren on Feb 4, 2009 22:27:06 GMT -6
Gams, we're on the same brainwave again. I thought of Mystic as I made that post. I hope she's well and happy. I loved this line she conjured up:
"If hope had a scent, it would be the smell in the air on a warm February day."
And here's a post she made at just this time of year:
~~~~~~~~~~
Re: Wicca Gardening « Reply #104 on Feb 2, 2006, 6:58pm »
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Post by Mini Mia on Feb 10, 2009 1:29:07 GMT -6
Joxie - if you have power and are just busy with some new book series leaving you too engrossed to do anything else, you'd better put the book down and check in, or I'm gonna bop you over the head with your Fairly Bored Mom wand. Trust me, I ain't gonna go 13 days without checking in for any other reason than I can't. No electricity, or computer went dead ... etc. There _will_ be a very good excuse.
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Post by katina2nd on Feb 11, 2009 19:27:32 GMT -6
Trust me, I ain't gonna go 13 days without checking in for any other reason than I can't. No electricity, or computer went dead ... etc. There _will_ be a very good excuse. [/font][/quote] What, have you been missing for a few days Jox? Great to have you back safe and sound.
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Post by Phalon on Feb 13, 2009 8:22:49 GMT -6
Today: Friday, February 13th. Ah...Friday the 13th.
I'm not a particularly superstitious person, (although I find superstitions interesting), so from my point of view Friday the 13th is truly much ado about nothing....
...especially the new Friday the 13th movie that is being released today. Sheesh! Another one? How many are we up to now? I've never seen any of them, but could have sworn "The Final Chapter" was released years ago. What a waste of celluloid. Is celluloid ever used anymore?
The only dread this Friday the 13th is bringing to me, is that LX mentioned to me this morning that she and her friends want to go see it tonight. She is not....but I didn't have time to tell her that as she breezed out the door.
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Post by Mini Mia on Feb 13, 2009 23:24:03 GMT -6
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Post by Phalon on Feb 14, 2009 8:39:02 GMT -6
Happy Valentine's Day to all my Whoosherlie friends. [img src="http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p68/alongway99/Valentines%20Day%20Animations/Hugs%20and%20Kisses%20Animations/TeddyKissesBlowsHearts.gif"]
Edited to get image to show. Nothing else was changed. ~~ Mini-Mia
The %'s caused a space to break up the url, which kept it from working properly.
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Post by Phalon on Feb 14, 2009 8:40:59 GMT -6
Happy Valentine's Day to all my Whoosherlie friends.
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Post by quettalee on Feb 14, 2009 14:49:25 GMT -6
When I look on you a moment, then I can speak no more, but my tongue falls silent, and at once a delicate flame courses beneath my skin, and with my eyes I see nothing, and my ears hum, and a wet sweat bathes me, and a trembling seizes me all over. ~ Sappho Happy Hearts Everyone!!
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Post by Siren on Apr 9, 2009 7:02:52 GMT -6
Here's a special calendar event, indeed - one that comes only once in every 28 years. I hope you didn't sleep through it. Best wishes to our Jewish friends! www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102883919And here's another one: the Pink Moon I hope you can see tonight: Full Pink Moon - April This name came from the herb moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring. Other names for this month's celestial body include the Full Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and among coastal tribes the Full Fish Moon, because this was the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn. www.farmersalmanac.com/full-moon-names
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Post by Phalon on Apr 10, 2009 5:58:10 GMT -6
The Pink Moon....isn't that a pretty name. I saw it the other night - it was golden colored and beautiful as it rose. I know the name of April's full moon has nothing to do with its color, but wouldn't it be even more beautiful if the moon was tinged in pinks?
I love when the sky is layered in oranges, reds and pinks at sunset, and sunrise....although there is that thing my Dad always said, "Red sky at night, sailors' delight. Red sky in morning, sailors take warning."
The sky was pink this morning....before the dark clouds rolled in, turning it gray.
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Post by stepper on Apr 10, 2009 23:47:22 GMT -6
I saw it the other night - it was golden colored and beautiful as it rose. I know the name of April's full moon has nothing to do with its color, but wouldn't it be even more beautiful if the moon was tinged in pinks? I love when the sky is layered in oranges, reds and pinks at sunset, and sunrise. The moon was sort of coppery colored here. One of the local weather guessers here is good about throwing out weather trivia such as the name of this month's moon, or looking at the sky at the right time to see the space station going by, and he mentioned the moon that night too. I've seen some pretty cool moon rises, but can't say I've ever seen pink - and to be honest, I'm not sure what you'd have to drink to see a pink moon. Maybe our Aussie friends have something suitable? NJ had some truly spectacular sunsets. I guess it had to do with being on the eastern side of the Appalachians so the light refraction accentuated the red side of the spectrum. I'm sure there are stupendous views to be found all over the world, but somehow, no matter where we grew up, the views around home were always the best.
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Post by Phalon on Apr 11, 2009 20:55:35 GMT -6
I feel the same way about watching it go down over the Lake, Stepper. Gorgeous sunsets that turn everything warm colors that seem to hang there waiting, waiting....for the Lake to swallow the sun, putting out its fire until the following morning. Tonight, I've got to fill all those plastic colored eggs with jelly beans and chocolate eggs. Hubs, of course, is helping - we've got it down to assembly line precision. This year LX is in on the deal too, thinking she's missing out on the fun; if she's too old for the Easter Bunny, at least she can have fun with the preparations, she reasons. BP's left the carrots and note for the Easter Bunny. I'll have to get the eggs hidden and baskets ready in the morning. If I leave them out, the cats will undoubtedly bat the eggs around playing all night, keeping me awake. It's happened before....and then there's Dusty's sweet tooth, and who knows what happens when a cat eats too many jellybeans. Bright colored hairballs is not what I want to find the Dusty Bunny has left on Easter morning. ALL I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LIFE I LEARNED FROM THE EASTER BUNNY Don't put all of your eggs in one basket. Walk softly and carry a big carrot. Everyone needs a friend who is all ears. There's no such thing as too much candy All work and no play can make you a basket case. A cute little tail attracts a lot of attention Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day. Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits Some body parts should be floppy. Keep your paws off other people's jellybeans. Good things come in small sugarcoated packages. The grass is always greener in someone else's basket. An Easter bonnet can tame even the wildest hare To show your true colors you have to come out of your shell. The best things in life are still sweet and gooey.~ Author unknown
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Post by stepper on Apr 11, 2009 22:09:48 GMT -6
Tonight, I've got to fill all those plastic colored eggs with jelly beans and chocolate eggs. Hubs, of course, is helping - we've got it down to assembly line precision. This year LX is in on the deal too, thinking she's missing out on the fun; if she's too old for the Easter Bunny, at least she can have fun with the preparations, she reasons. Hope you have a fun Easter! Tis is true!
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Post by Phalon on Apr 12, 2009 5:40:27 GMT -6
The Easter Bunny came, but shhhhh.....everyone is still sleeping.....except me, the dog, and two cats.
Which means everyone won't be sleeping for long; the cats are already ganging up on the dog. It sounds like Wild Kingdom in here.
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Post by stepper on Apr 12, 2009 18:39:52 GMT -6
How many weeks will it be until all the "hidden" jelly beans and eggs are found? I like Lucy's idea...you hide the eggs, and then you find the eggs.
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Post by Siren on Apr 13, 2009 21:09:32 GMT -6
Let's hope it's only plastic eggs that get truly lost. Give real eggs a few days to ferment, and they'll reveal themselves - in a very stinky way.
We were mixing up batches of egg dye yesterday, and recalled how much fun it was when the little pellets of dye fizzed as they dissolved. They don't anymore, do they? I remember Mama mixing up the vinegar and water to drop the tablets in. To this day, the smell of vinegar makes me think of Easter eggs.
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Post by Phalon on Apr 14, 2009 5:50:03 GMT -6
The scent of vinegar always reminds me of Easter Eggs too, Siren. I can't remember if those dye pellets fizz - there are so many different kinds of egg dying kits now, and most of them don't require using vinegar. I bought the "original" this year....but wasn't around to smell the vinegar or hear the fizz; Hubs and the girls colored the eggs while I was at work Saturday.
This year the Easter Bunny hid the eggs outside - it was the first time ever here; the weather usually doesn't cooperate for an outside egg hunt.
And while we're talking bunnies, what's that rabbit always say? Not the Easter Rabbit, the other one.....
"I'm late. I'm late. For a very important date. No time to say "hello". Goodbye. I'm late, I'm late, I'm late."
Gotta run, cuz....uhm....I'm late.
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Post by stepper on Apr 18, 2009 2:04:43 GMT -6
I got a couple of the colored eggs out of the little fridge earlier. The fridge was set too cold and the eggs froze.
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Post by Siren on Aug 6, 2009 23:03:26 GMT -6
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Post by Phalon on Aug 7, 2009 6:20:25 GMT -6
Sturgeon General's Warning: Gazing at a full moon before going to bed can cause weird dreams.
Sheesh, I had the weirdest dreams last night - the bizarre off-the-wall kinda dreams that make you wonder WTF exactly is going on in your head. I looked at the moon right before going to bed - I wonder if there's a correlation?
It was cloudy here last night, but not so cloudy that the moon didn't show through - a bright, white ball with it's edges blurred in gray. I made it a point to search it out - BP had advised me a couple of nights ago that the moon was almost full. I had to walk around the yard to find it last night - its position was blocked by trees and the house. Of course, I could have gone up to BP's room - she's got the perfect place for moon viewing.
"Mom, lookit the moon!", she said when I tucked her in bed earlier this week. It was big and bright, hanging right outside her second story bedroom window - it was a clear unobstructed view above the trees.
"It's pretty, isn't it?" I said.
"I watch it every night before I go to sleep", she said. "I've got the best room in the house!"
She truly is my moonbaby.
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Post by quettalee on Aug 7, 2009 22:27:09 GMT -6
I was thinking of sweet BP tonight on my way home. I almost drove on to the river (the other end) when I left the ice creamery; the moon was beckoning to me. I decided I had had too much to drink--with a tail light out-- to risk it. It's so beautiful and brings me so much peace...I know how she feels watching it.
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