It was a weekend full of lunar happenings for us, beginning not Sunday evening with the rest of the Western Hemisphere, but Saturday with a local Lunar Festival. Three years running, Bud's kung fu team has performed at a celebration of the harvest moon. Thankfully, unlike last year when rain interrupted the proceedings just as Bud was to go on, it was a beautiful day for the festival. And the performance went off without a hitch. Bud did his hand form and his broad sword, along with a dozen or more of his teammates. So proud of him! We grabbed lunch from our favorite Thai place and headed home.
On Sunday evening, we prepped to watch the supermoon lunar eclipse. There are lots of articles about the uniqueness of this one: supermoon closer to the earth than usual, full Harvest moon, etc, the confluence of which won't be seen again til 2033. From 8 pm to a little after 10 pm, we stayed in the yard and watched the moon darken from left to right, turning red as it did so. Mama got some photos. The kids played ninja and then parachute, while checking on the moon's progress. We sang songs (moon songs, "Rainbow Connection,") and laughed at stories. We even saw a skunk wander across the driveway! The only thing we didn't have were s'mores and a campfire. But it was a fun break from our usual routine, even if everyone was over-tired this morning.
I wonder what the kids will remember of this night, if anything, when they're 28?
Showing posts with label full moon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label full moon. Show all posts
Monday, September 28, 2015
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Mooning
There's nothing like lying in the grass of your own backyard looking up at the rising Harvest Moon and all the stars and singing with your kids, while also dispelling worries about werewolves. Which, by the way, all live in England, with Harry Potter.
Sis even spotted the Rabbit in the moon, the Chinese version of the Man in the Moon.
Sis even spotted the Rabbit in the moon, the Chinese version of the Man in the Moon.
And Bud and I danced while I sang "Blue Moon" and Sis half-mooned me. Right out of Grease.
Perfect.
(Of course, I also managed a short lecture on some of the history of nighttime a la the book I'm reading by Ekirch, At Day's Close, especially about how it's called the Harvest Moon because farmers would stay up all night working by the light of it to get the crops in. Also info about how people used to be more attuned to moon phases for navigation on land and sea. We even managed to read a tiny bit in the moonlight. To be fair, the kids then lectured me about different kinds of stars!)
(Of course, I also managed a short lecture on some of the history of nighttime a la the book I'm reading by Ekirch, At Day's Close, especially about how it's called the Harvest Moon because farmers would stay up all night working by the light of it to get the crops in. Also info about how people used to be more attuned to moon phases for navigation on land and sea. We even managed to read a tiny bit in the moonlight. To be fair, the kids then lectured me about different kinds of stars!)
-=-=-=-=-
Amazing how many songs about the Moon I can recall (I know several about the Sun, too):
Under the full moonlight, we dance
Spirits dance; we dance.
Joining hands, we dance.
Joining souls, rejoice!
Spirits dance; we dance.
Joining hands, we dance.
Joining souls, rejoice!
Sister Moon, Sister Moon
You're out too soon
The sun is high in the sky
Go back to bed
Cover up your head
And wait for the day to go bye-bye-bye
Wait for the day to go bye
You're out too soon
The sun is high in the sky
Go back to bed
Cover up your head
And wait for the day to go bye-bye-bye
Wait for the day to go bye
I see the Moon,
the Moon sees me,
I smile at the moon,
And she smiles at me.
The man in the moon,
Looked out of the moon
Looked out of the moon and said,
“It’s time for all the children on earth
To think about getting to bed!”
Looked out of the moon
Looked out of the moon and said,
“It’s time for all the children on earth
To think about getting to bed!”
And the one I sang to the kids a lot, Laurie Berkner's "Moon, Moon, Moon":
Moon moon moon, shining bright
Moon moon moon, my nightlight
(Chick! Turn it on!)
Moon moon moon, I can see
Moon moon moon, you’re taking care of me
Moon moon moon, my nightlight
(Chick! Turn it on!)
Moon moon moon, I can see
Moon moon moon, you’re taking care of me
Moon moon moon, shining bright
Moon moon moon, my nightlight
(Chick!)
Moon moon moon, I can see
Moon moon moon, you’re taking care of me
Moon moon moon, my nightlight
(Chick!)
Moon moon moon, I can see
Moon moon moon, you’re taking care of me
Look up, it’s the moon
Look up, it’s the moon
Look up it’s the moon up in the sky
It’s big and round and I have found
That it looks just like a pizza pie
Look up, it’s the moon
Look up it’s the moon up in the sky
It’s big and round and I have found
That it looks just like a pizza pie
Moon moon moon, shining bright
Moon moon moon, my nightlight
(Chick!)
Moon moon moon, I can see
Moon moon moon, you’re taking care of me
Moon moon moon, my nightlight
(Chick!)
Moon moon moon, I can see
Moon moon moon, you’re taking care of me
Look up, it’s the moon
Look up, it’s the moon
Look up it’s the moon up in the sky
It’s big and round and I have found
That it looks just like a lemon pie
Look up, it’s the moon
Look up it’s the moon up in the sky
It’s big and round and I have found
That it looks just like a lemon pie
Plus "Blue Moon," "Moon River," "Bad Moon Rising," Blue Moon of Kentucky," "By the Light of the Silvery Moon," "Can't Fight the Moonlight," "Aikendrum," "Claire du Lune," Moonlight Sonata, and, of course, "Arthur's Theme" ("If you get caught between the moon and New York City . . . " (See here and here--this one from NASA!--for many more.)
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Under the (Almost) Full Moonlight
"Under the full moonlight, we dance
Spirits dance; we dance.
Joining hands, we dance.
Joining souls, rejoice!"
There was enough time and daylight after dinner for the kiddos to continue their playing outside, where they'd been in the hour leading up to dinner already. Despite the increasing nip in the air, they wouldn't stop to put on long pants.
About 30 minutes later, Sis came running in the house, "Mom, there are BEANS on the plants!" And she led me outside to see. Sure enough, there were some beans on our much-ignored pole bean plants. We also saw that the kale is finally growing, after repeat visits from the local wildlife (which begs the unvoiced question, "Where did the wildlife go?"
Once outside, I was invited to witness several performances--kung fu dances with found sticks as swords, acrobatics on the swings and rings and bar, and some odd slide maneuvers whereby they crawled up backwards, on their stomachs, in something called "the slug."
When they noticed the (almost) full moon rising, they began to dance and sing around the backyard, making up moon songs (one to the tune of "Over the Rainbow"); I sang the lyrics above, myself. Above their shouts and calls, I could just make out the song of the cicada. But they were too wild for reverie. And probably too young.
We stayed out until I saw the first star, before the moon topped the treetops. I love fall evenings.
Spirits dance; we dance.
Joining hands, we dance.
Joining souls, rejoice!"
There was enough time and daylight after dinner for the kiddos to continue their playing outside, where they'd been in the hour leading up to dinner already. Despite the increasing nip in the air, they wouldn't stop to put on long pants.
About 30 minutes later, Sis came running in the house, "Mom, there are BEANS on the plants!" And she led me outside to see. Sure enough, there were some beans on our much-ignored pole bean plants. We also saw that the kale is finally growing, after repeat visits from the local wildlife (which begs the unvoiced question, "Where did the wildlife go?"
Once outside, I was invited to witness several performances--kung fu dances with found sticks as swords, acrobatics on the swings and rings and bar, and some odd slide maneuvers whereby they crawled up backwards, on their stomachs, in something called "the slug."
When they noticed the (almost) full moon rising, they began to dance and sing around the backyard, making up moon songs (one to the tune of "Over the Rainbow"); I sang the lyrics above, myself. Above their shouts and calls, I could just make out the song of the cicada. But they were too wild for reverie. And probably too young.
We stayed out until I saw the first star, before the moon topped the treetops. I love fall evenings.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Full-Moon Soup
A month or so ago we just happened to have soup on the night of a very visible full moon. Bud suggested we always have soup for full moons because, well, bowls are round.
We did it again this week, having beef noodle soup before going outside to marvel at the rising moon. We also saw Venus glowing bright, a few satellites in their orbits, the belt of Orion, and other stars. The kids' favorite part? Using the Google SkyMap app on Mama's smartphone to identify the different celestial bodies, including pointing it to the ground and "seeing" Mars on the other side of the Earth!
Their excitement reminded me of how infrequently they are outside at night. We'll have to spend more weekend and summer evenings outside.
And eat soup on March 8.
-=-=-=-=-=-=
Full-Moon Beef Noodle Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2-3 stalks celery, chopped
2-3 carrots, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
leftover beef roast or other cut, cubed
6 cups leftover drippings, plus stock to supplement
3/4 cup frozen corn
1/3-1/2 lb. rotini pasta
Saute onion, celery and carrot in olive oil in a pot until soft, adding garlic at the end. Add beef and drippings/stock. Simmer, adding pasta and increasing temperature about 15 minutes before you are ready to eat. Add corn and flavor to taste.
Mommy Hungry
We did it again this week, having beef noodle soup before going outside to marvel at the rising moon. We also saw Venus glowing bright, a few satellites in their orbits, the belt of Orion, and other stars. The kids' favorite part? Using the Google SkyMap app on Mama's smartphone to identify the different celestial bodies, including pointing it to the ground and "seeing" Mars on the other side of the Earth!
Their excitement reminded me of how infrequently they are outside at night. We'll have to spend more weekend and summer evenings outside.
And eat soup on March 8.
-=-=-=-=-=-=
Full-Moon Beef Noodle Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2-3 stalks celery, chopped
2-3 carrots, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
leftover beef roast or other cut, cubed
6 cups leftover drippings, plus stock to supplement
3/4 cup frozen corn
1/3-1/2 lb. rotini pasta
Saute onion, celery and carrot in olive oil in a pot until soft, adding garlic at the end. Add beef and drippings/stock. Simmer, adding pasta and increasing temperature about 15 minutes before you are ready to eat. Add corn and flavor to taste.
Mommy Hungry
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