Moon & Life

Hello! I am here to tell you some things that I know about the Moon.

Formation: Theo & Earth

When our solar system was just forming, just an immense swirl of hot dust, two worlds collided. The smaller body caused a huge splash of the molten surface, throwing a ring of lava into space before sinking into and joining the larger body. That larger body is our Earth, and the space lava formed into our Moon.

At first, the Moon was very close by. It had just splashed off of Earth’s surface and took up a large part of our Sky. I read that when life first formed here, the Moon looked five times bigger than today! I can only imagine that as it formed and spun above its planet, it caused tidal waves of magma, preventing the Earth from solidifying like Venus or Mars. The Moon has kept Earth warm for billions of years.

Maybe the rotation of the Moon aligns our iron core’s ions to help create the Van Allen belts, the magnetic power that protects life here from the radiation of outer space. Maybe. OK, that’s my imagination, as far as I know it’s not even a scientific hypothesis. I like to credit the Moon with that protective power. The Moon may have kept the Earth cool, too.

The Moon has protected Earth. Each impact on its surface was an impact that might have struck Earth, but the Moon was in the way, took the hit.

Now, the Moon is a quarter million miles away. It’s inched away year after year, for 4 billion years. It’s so far now that all the other planets, even giant Jupiter, could line up between it and Earth. Now, instead of pulling on liquid rock, its gravity draws on our lakes and oceans. It pulls on all of us too – each of us is a drop of ocean water, escaped to land.

Now you may be wondering, did I happen into some kind of science lecture? I thought this was church time. Well, to me these things are related, parts of a whole. I have loved the natural world since I was very young, and science is study of the natural world. A nature-based faith is what I need. The natural world is where I feel the divine.

Water:

As ancient peoples and modern folk know, the Moon causes the tides. Our oceans and lakes slosh around, following the Moon’s circuit, just following the law of gravity. The tide creates tide pools, places where plants and animals learned to survive being exposed to air. Tide pools facilitated life escaping the oceans a billion years ago, like a practice ground for life’s expansion onto land. THe Moon is still associated with Water, and rules the water sign of Cancer in the Zodiac.

Hunter Gatherer tribes use a Lunar Calendar. The highly conservative Chinese, Hebrew and Muslim cultures also continue to use a Lunar calendar. We have evidence that the lunar calendar has been in use for over 30,000 years.

The Lunar calendar gives a people a rough idea of the seasons and allows distant peoples to plan their trade and festival gatherings. Yes, tribal peoples gathered seasonally to common locations, in order to trade goods and probably DNA. You know, for the health of the next generation! There’s strong evidence that Pinson Mounds near Jackson, TN was such a place, a gathering site for tribes all over to meet and trade – the Mounds were built to track the seasons, but no housing was built there. There have been jewels mined in Mexico found as far north as Nova Scotia, having travelled thousands of miles thru ancient, pre-European trade rouths.

Oh, back to the Moon.

Lunar calendars get names of natural events common to each tribe’s location, names like: Oak, Beaver, Snow, Strawberry, Heat. The author William Least Heat-Moon is a First Nation American, the youngest son born to a man who was born in the hottest part of Summer, the Heat-Moon. Let me say again: each tribe had their own names for the 13 Moons of the year. There was never just one system, not like our modern, standard Gregorian calendar. Each tribe, maybe 200 people each, named the Moons by what was going on where they were. The Lunar calendar is local and immediate, it reflects the place where you live. People with different jobs used different calendars – a farmer needed a solar-lunar calendar, while a soldier used whatever calendar their general used.

You can invent your own, personal or family Lunar calendar. Watch for what happens in and around your home each season. Maybe you would have Hummingird Moon, Rose Moon, Tomato Moon, Falling Leaves Moon. Or maybe Soccer Moon, Beach Vacation Moon, Birthday Moon. Now I have intrigued myself and want to come up with my own lunar calendar system.

Lunar Phases

FULL: Most people’s favorite Moon phase is the Full Moon. THat includes Hollywood – it’s rare to see a movie that shows the Moon in any other phase!

So at the Full Moon, there are three days with a LOT of light. The reason why is: the Full Moon rises at sunset and sets at dawn. Sun goes down & the sky is still bright! The Moon and the Sun are on either side of Earth, almost like a see-saw. Hold your arms out wide! If the Sun (or a flashlight?) was your right hand, your head would be Earth and your left hand the Moon. This is when lunar eclipses can happen.

The FUll Moon is a natural time for revelry, staying up late for deep conversations, artistry, inspiration and creativity, dance parties, and making babies. Women who live under the sky – we call them “hunter-gatherers” – ovulate at the Full Moon. (This doesn’t work for those of us who live in buildings.) The Full Moon is when people want to gather! This is when insomnia makes sense. Your body’s ancient knowledge says you should be up and visiting with friends and doing things. If you want a party to go well, plan it for the days around the Full Moon.

This is also a time for BIG projects, things like planting your fields, writing a paper, building your new raised garden bed, rearranging your house so you can paint. It’s a natural time to be busy.

Moon Water: THe Full Moon energy can be captured in water. Just set a clear glass bottle of water out in the evening as the Full Moon rises, and bring it in at sunrise. Drinking Full Moon water when you feel tired or ill can soothe you with some lunar energy. It can also be used in spells and rituals. I like to use it to water my houseplants.

I once set out the same bottle under 13 Full Moons in a row, and gifted that to a witch friend of mine. It was like All Purpose Moon Water! It had the energy of all the Zodiac and all the Moons.

Divination at the Full Moon should be an extraverted affair. Many Full Moon circles will read together, tarot, bones, pendulum, et cetera, getting a glimpse of the next month’s fortunes.

The Moon is full about three nights in a row, but I DO NOT recommend trying to stay up for this entire time. Please understand this. Rest is necessary and good. Just understand that if you need to decide on a time to Get Things Done, the next Full Moon might give you the boost you need.

GIBBOUS: Before and after the Full Moon is the Gibbous Moon. Gibbous is when the Moon is kind of egg-shaped.

Before the Full Moon, when the moonlight is waxing, this is a time of growth and preparation. The Moon is already up at sunset, lengthening your evenings with its illumination. I feel the most optimistic in this phase, feeling energy growing and happy times ahead.

After the Full Moon, when the moonlight is waning or shrinking, this is a time to wrap things up, clean up, finish what you started the week before, review what’s been accomplished. You’re probably tired from the exhilaration of the FUll Moon. The waning Moon cycles are a quieter time. You won’t have the Waning Gibbous Moon in the evening, it will be up before dawn. It lets you get an early start on your day. Rising early has a more private feeling to me, when I need to focus on what I need to do on my own.

QUARTER: this name is confusing because you see HALF of the Moon. It’s just that the Moon is a quarter of the way from the Sun, 90 degrees square to the Sun, from where we are.
This can be a contentious time. Be careful with projects or feelings during the quarter Moon, because square angles are difficult to manage. Square angles are large enough to be cumbersome and small enough to be useful – almost all our buildings use square angles. But think of sitting at a stop light, or at a square table facing someone with two people sitting at 90 degrees from you facing each other, and how AWKWARD conversations are. You end up twisting to talk to the person closer to you but then feel like you’re ignoring the other folks, or having to take turns talking to the person across from you.

If you find yourself irritable, DO SOMETHING ROUTINE. Irritation is unusued energy burst, meant to get you up and doing things. Same is often true of anxiety, it comes from feeling you need to do something but cannot. So, do something ELSE. Use up that energy so it doesn’t burn you from the inside.

CRESCENT: This feels the most magical to me, as the crescent Moon is always near the Sun. So you’ll see the waxing crescent in the evening sky, often celebrated as the beginning of a lunar month. That is also the Hunter’s Moon, because animals that have just rested up during the dark Moon come out in the evening to browse in the light of the new cresent. This is a good time to clean your altar, with fresh intents for the coming lunar cycle.

We see the waning crescent just before sunrise. This is a time to enjoy your moods, your dreams, to reflect, muse, wonder, and I’ll say it again: DREAM. The waning crescent comes just before the dark of the Moon.

DARK: the end of a lunar month is the most introverted, quiet and contemplative Moon phase. The Moon is on the same side as the Sun – this is when solar eclipses can occur if the Moon happens to pass right in front of the Sun. This is the best time to star-gaze, to rest up, enjoy quiet time. Divination at the Dark Moon should be personal, and while you can talk to your ancestors any time – they are always near you – this is an especially good time. They have a;ready returned to the dark, to the beginning, to the “chaos”.

So there’s the phases of the Moon. Some more interesting facts (I’m a Gemini – interesting facts are my life!!)

Island cultures like the Japanese see the Moon as masculine and the Sun as feminine. They associate the Sun with the constancy of women’s lives, while the men hunt and fish according to the Moon’s phases.

Continental cultures usually see the Moon as feminine and the Sun as masculine. (That includes the British, a culture made up of continental Germans, Romans and French). I don’t know why it’s different than island peoples.

Lunacy: the Romans believed that lunacy was caused by falling asleep with the full Moon shining over your left shoulder. They LOVED coming up with these kinds of associations.

Lunar landing: I was just 6 weeks old when NASA sent three fellows up to visit the Moon for the first time. The flag they planted has bleached white now, which I think is appropriate. Now there are plans to build enormous telescopes on the far side of the Moon, and Elon Musk has probably laid claim to his own acres up there.

One thing that may surprise you is that the Moon is about the color of asphalt. It only reflects about 7% of sunlight. Think of what a road looks like on a bright summer day, and that is about what the Moon’s surface would look like if you were there. The Moon doesn’t have clouds, so it’s getting more sunlight than your road, but that gives you and idea. Against the deep darkness of the night sky, the Moon looks bright white. So if humans build things up there and those things are lighter than your road, it will make a difference in how bright the Moon looks.

Even in our modern, artificial lives, the Moon affects us. WE are mostly water, and in each of us are tiny tides following the Moon’s cycles. Getting familiar with the Moon will teach you more about yourself.

Writing Prompt: The Horse Came Back Alone

That meant my sister was walking back to the stable, that little shit had dumped her again. She still insisted on riding English, when I kept showing her that the Western saddle was a more secure seat. But the real problem of course was that stupid horse.

She wouldn’t let me near him. Gelded too old, he was a proud boy, thought he could boss everyone including me and Janie. I told her I could break him for real but she kept saying “No, he needs to have a gentle hand. You’d just make him scared.” I didn’t see what the problem was with that. Janie wanted this horse to feel safe, but Janie wasn’t safe around him. How was that fair?

I lured Stupid into his stall and shut the door without giving him the lure. He loved peppermints which was good because he could smell them. Knew I had one when I waved it around, and he came right for it. “That’s what you get, Stupid!” I said to his face, his chestnut face with the wide white blaze and one blue eye. “You reject.” I said before popping the peppermint into my own mouth, storming out of the stable and jogging off down the trail.

It was almost dusk when I found her, unable to walk and her dirty face streaked with tears. “Terrence!” she sobbed and hugged me. Then she looked up at asked in a rush what I had done to her horse. “Nothing,” I growled, “except denied him a candy.” “Well that’s OK but don’t -” “You need to get him fitted for a better saddle!” “start on the thing about saddles!” She would have stomped away – an angry habit we both had – if her leg wasn’t hurt.

“Can you hop on my back?” She shook her head. I gave her my arm, the one opposite her hurt leg, so she could try to walk without it. We hobbled a short distance. She tried hooking her arm up over my shoulder to lean more on me, but the difference was too much. “Maybe we can try you carrying me,” she said, sounding defeated. Half her hair had come out of her braid, her helmet had mud on it, her clothes were as dusty as her face. Except her nose, which was red from crying and from her blowing it on her sweaty neckerchief. I bent my knees and leaned forward, boots planted wide. She laid against my back, draped her arms over my shoulders, and hooked her right leg around my hip.

I would have a backache like forever but would die before I dropped her. Unlike that stupid horse. The trail was dark except for the almost half Moon up behind us. Luckily for both of us, within an hour we saw flashlights and started hearing people call our names. I tried to yell but my throat was dry from exertion. Janie was able to work up a pretty good shout.

Dad and his brother Terry, the one I was named for, came jogging down the uneven trail to meet us. “Am I glad to see both a you!” Dad said and hugged us both together, then helped Janie slide down onto her good foot. Dad and Uncle Terry draped her between them and I followed them, relief pouring out of my skinny chest. Up ahead, I heard Janie defending Stupid to Dad and Terry. I just shook my head. Maybe Aunt Sandy could talk sense in a way Janie could hear.

We didn’t go straight to the hospital. Horse people are good on first aid, and we propped Janie up on hay bales under some bright lights in the barn. Moths circled the lamp and curious horses stared at us, hoping for one of us to reach into a pocket and produce something sweet to eat. Dad asked what happened. “He threw me again. I came straight up this time, he bolted and somehow caught one of my legs & I sort of cartwheeled a little. Landed hard on the side of this leg.” Dad pressed a few spots and made her hiss and show her teeth with pain. “Glad you had that helmet on. How’d it get dirty?” “Well, that was from the first time he threw me.”

Dad laughed and hung his head. “That’s my girl! You get right back on!” Janie laughed, Terry laughed, I couldn’t stop myself from a chuckle. “We’re still having horsemeat for THanksgiving this year,” I said. Dad turned his face to me as Janie started to argue, and said “Son, I see where you’re coming from but can you let up? Now’s when we need Jane be calm.” I nodded, reluctantly. And rode with Janie’s head on my shoulder to make sure she didn’t fall asleep on the way home. She wasn’t confused, her head didn’t hurt too bad, said she didn’t even feel too sleepy. But I wanted to make absolutely sure she didn’t have a concussion. “Good thing I had my helmet on!” she insisted.

We got home about 40 minutes later, where Aunt Sandy met us at the screen door. She had a first aid kit, leather snips and a bucket of ice ready. I meant to stay awake but somewhere after getting her boot off and washing her face with a washcloth, I fell asleep on the couch.

The next morning I checked on her before going to the kitchen. She lay mostly on her side with pillows under her from hip to toes, which looked awkward, and meant she had to face away from the door. “Would have used the couch but it was taken.” She grinned over her shoulder at me. “Hurts?” I smiled back. “Only if I exist.” I nodded and asked what she wanted to eat. Came back with fried eggs, peppers, potatoes and onions and a big cup of lemonade. Set one plate in front of her and put a fork in her hand, and sat on her nightstand where I could look out her window. She ate slowly but got thru the entire plate, then took pain medications and drifted back to sleep. I closed the drapes so she could rest better.

After breakfast, Dad told me to go back to the stable. “Run Superman in the round pen for a good hour. Get him worn out before I get there.” “How are you getting there if I have the truck?” “Take Aunt Sandy’s car.” Aunt Sandy nodded when I looked at her quizzically. Dad shoved the keys into my hand as he looked me in the eye. “Yeah I asked,” he said.

I took a water cooler half full of ice and the chest cooler full of sandwiches and fruit Uncle Terry had made for the day. Filled the water cooler from the same tap we used to fill horse’s buckets, set it on the table at the end of the barn, then hauled the chest cooler in to sit next to it. Grabbed an apple and started cleaning the stalls, then remembered why I was there before everyone else. The sun was rising as I clipped the lead on Stupid’s halter and lead him to the round pen. He tried jerking the lead but I stepped with him and kept us going forward.

In the pen he immediately began running back and forth along the side closer to the stable. I got the whip in hand and snapped it behind him. He got the message and circled the pen. I kept him going at a trot, tracing his progress with the longe whip. Any time he tried to stop or turn, I got him going again. It wasn’t long before he worked up a good sweat.

By the time Dad and Terry arrived, Stupid had been walking about 10 minutes but wasn’t cool yet. “Just how I want him,” Dad said. “Rub him down & saddle him up.”

Writing Prompt: They Had Been Together 25 Years

And seventeen when they met. That they had grown up together, been together over half their lives, didn’t stop the truck from crushing his body.

Trucks were supposed to be big, safe machines. Work machines. Familiar, like her great-grandfather’s mule. They had seatbelts, brakes, airbags, bumpers. This one had a lot of steel and momentum.

Anna stared. She remembered their first date. Teenagers at a cheap restaurant, feeling so very grown up as they ordered food. Jacky mumbling when he got the bill, “Oh THAT’S why Dad gave me more money.” He had planned to pay for dinner with his paycheck from working at the game store, but it only covered about three quarters of their dinner. “Good thing we didn’t get dessert”, Anna had said, and that became their first private joke.

After 10 years in the work force, they just barely qualified for a home loan. “Good thing we didn’t get dessert.” Using a coupon to get them and their kids into a movie matinee, giggling with sticker shock the first time they went to a theme park. “It’s just Christmas lights but costs $10 per person?” Anna dug change out of her bag as Jackie swept all the coins out of their car’s change cup. “Good thing we didn’t get dessert” they grimaced together.

If it had been a smaller car, maybe it would have crushed his hip, broken his arm. But the truck’s front end was taller than their entire sedan, and it impacted him top to bottom. “T bone, T bone”, Anna whispered. The police called it that, the truck’s connecting to their car in an ordinary intersection. A place Anna had driven thru hundreds of times. Clear and yellow plastic shards on the ground, bits of chrome, window glass fragments scattered across asphalt. One intake of breath, another, then screaming children, screaming Anna. The truck driver had a bloody nose.

Someone touched her arm. “Jacky,” she said, and her mother spoke softly. “No, honey, no. It’s time to start the service.” Anna swayed as she tried to stand up, and leaned on her mother. “Take a drink of water,” her mother said, but Anna shook her head. She didn’t want anything but Jacky. No food, no sleep, no water. She stumbled forward, took her seat at the front of the funeral parlor’s medium-sized room.

There was no coffin. A large, framed photo of Jackie stood surrounded by flowers and wreaths. How could any of this be real? Anna’s head spun. No. No no no. No. She shook her head. No. This wasn’t supposed to be like this.

Michael was only in first grade. Tara in 8th, Charlene in 10th. He wouldn’t get to see them graduate. In her mind, she saw him smiling and clapping in the auditorium as Charlene walked across the stage. Putting his fingers to his lips to make a shrieking whistle, forbidden during graduation ceremony, laughing when Anna elbowed him. Charlene smiling broadly. Exactly what wouldn’t happen. Anna rocked back and forth on the padded folding chair. She couldn’t turn to look at their children, seated next to her. She couldn’t look at anything but his photograph. Jacky Jacky Jacky, why did you go?

The children went to bed that night without a fight. Maybe because Anna didn’t make them brush their teeth and didn’t even check to see if they were in pajamas. Anna slept on the couch.

The alarm shook Anna so badly she almost screamed. She sat up and her head felt like it was going to split open. Her nose was stopped up and her eyes were swollen. And of course she had dreamed that Jacky was still alive. He’d come home from work like normal, and she had laughed with relief to see him. It has all been a misunderstanding. He was fine.

Anna had to call the auto insurance company. She didn’t want to call them. She had to pay for the body disposal. She had to contact the life insurance company to see if their policy was up to date. She had to had to had to do so many things. While her life was gaping open into the void.

She heard Michael wake up and start to sob, and went to his bedside. Tara lay in her bed and stared at them with red eyes, Charlene didn’t move on her top bunk. “I want to hold all your hands at once.” Anna said. “But you only have two hands,” Tara answered, and they tried to smile at each other. Charlene got out of bed and left the room, not speaking. Anna heard her in the bathroom, then in the kitchen. She returned with a glass of water and, still not speaking, sat on the end of Charlene’s bed. Anna’s temples throbbed and she stared at the glass of water. Yesterday she couldn’t make herself eat or drink, but in front of her children she knew she had to. So she asked Charlene for some of her water.

Her daughter glared at her. “I just got this for myself.”

“Can you share with me?” Anna asked, pointedly. Charlene’s face pinched and her eyes grew narrow. She slammed the glass down on the dresser and left the room again.

Michael turned his face towards the wall. Tara stared at nothing, her hand drooping towards the floor. Anna wanted to march out after her daughter and demand to know what she thought she was doing, and Anna wanted to leave the house and never come back.

Instead, she asked Tara and MIchael if they wanted water. Both said yes, so she got three tumblers filled and they sat together to drink. The water soothed Anna’s throat, and she looked down into the empty tumbler. “More?” Both said no. Anna walked into bathroom and got in the shower.

“What do I do?” she asked her mother. Anna’s father had left ten years before, and her mother had never sought divorce or another partner. “How do I do this? How do I live now? I keep expecting him to come home. I wake up thinking he’s in the next room. It’s like he dies again every time I remember. I can’t do this! I can’t live this way! It’s like, like when …” “It’s like all your skin’s been scraped. It’s like breathing out forever. Like constantly falling down.” Anna nodded. They leaned towards each other and put their foreheads together.

“February would have been our 26th cheap chocolate anniversary.” Their first date had been the day after Valentine’s. Cheap chocolate day. “How am I supposed to do Christmas? and the kid’s birthdays? How am I supposed to live in this house?! Pay the mortgage?” Her mother began to speak but Anna cut her off with a wave of her hand. “Nothing makes sense. Why did this even happen? Why couldn’t that driver have waited a few more seconds? Or just not try to cross? The light was yellow. He should have stopped. He should have stopped. HE SHOULD HAVE STOPPED.” Her mother tried to reach for her but Anna turned away. “NO. All of this is WRONG. It’s WRONG!!” she screamed, eyes dry with anger. She turned to find her mother had left the room, but Charlene stood in the doorway with her arms crossed. “Yeah mom, screaming’s going to fix everything,” she rolled her eyes before darting away. Anna’s arms flopped to her sides, and she felt heavy.

Gulf Wars XXXI

We left home later than I had hoped, and after missing a crucial exit, drove more than an hour out of our way. After these faulty starts, we arrived safely at the halfway point and stayed the night in a hotel. Sullivan the SUV’s back door doesn’t lock, so we knew we needed a spot where we could back Sullivan up against something solid. Right out front of the hotel was a steel shipping container that served this need perfectly!

I don’t like hotels much – they are expensive and their artless rooms lack personality. Usually their staff are stressed and tired of customers. Our complimentary breakfast consisted of cheap, flavorless red delicious apples, oatmeal packets and a fruit cup. But the room was clean and quiet and the staff fairly cordial. In the morning I got a warm shower and used up all the lotion in the little bottle. It was labeled as “lemon and sage” scent, exactly the scent of the inexpensive J&J lotion my mother purchased when I was young.

Cracker Barrel was next door so we went there for breakfast. I had to send back the scrambled eggs because of possible cross contamination. The second time, they brought the boiled eggs I’d ordered. Breakfast and an on sale two-wicked orange jar candle paid for, we drove the rest of the way to site.

Arriving at a place I looked forward to seeing again for almost a year was surreal…the memories were alive again! The sandy ground, pines and bustling campsites full color in 4D!

After one unsuccessful circuit of the east side of camp, Guillermo hopped out of Sullivan (our mid-sized SUV) with his umbrella and set out to find our campsite. I remained in the car with the same goal. What I found was a somewhat busy area that had a Penske moving truck and about two dozen black and yellow tote boxes stacked in the middle. I inquired with folks set up in the area and got the jist of our boundaries. Eventually, Fianna replied that our tent site was marked with an unassembled wooden table. Another round of rain set in, but it ended in a few minutes and we set about quickly making camp.

Counceling is paying off – we were both irritated and hurried but listened as best we could. Tent, table and dining fly got put together without a fight. Once our cots and belongings were installed in the tent, I got water for our water dispenser and was ready to park the car. Due to heavy rains, parking didn’t happen for another 24 hours.

Fianna arrived and admired our set up. Our fly was a bit close to her and Malachi’s front door, so Guillermo had staked that pole (the northernmost of our set up) with less of an angle than is optimal. In spite of the hard north winds that week, it held. So her admiration was earned. Kata and Hrothgar had their Roman cabin-style tent set up about 20 feet northeast of us, and we set up Fianna’s dining pavilion (a sturdy thing with six upright poles and a ridgepole) between our three tents. Later, Jonas installed his modern tent next to us and the dining pavilion. I listened to him snore the next 5 nights.

We smelled burning plastic, which angered me and gave me a headache. I reported it to the Watch, and our own Hrothgar investigated. Turned out the site had had an electrical fire, so there was no one to yell at about it.

Next, Guillermo and I went to the merchant’s area, which I estimate was over an acre in size. I walked as if dreaming the happiest dream, felt as tho I was floating, smiling at everyone and cooing over most of the booths we passed. The Basket Man, the stained glass artist I intended to buy from, the Bee Folks from whom we later purchased an assorted 12 pack that included two jars of our new favorite – BUCKWHEAT HONEY! It’s amazing!

We had a mission to buy more steel tent stakes. Guillermo fell straight into the Darkwood Armory tent and ordered me to complete the tent stake quest, which I did. A dozen for $50. Along the way, I crossed paths with several friends and scanned the rest of the merchants. Told myself not to buy any socks this year. (And I didn’t.)

Back home at camp, the new stakes kept our dining fly upright the rest of the event. We made a quick dinner and visited with our campmates, meeting Jonas and Martin.

Monday morning I visited the Watch for directions to the Gulf Wars Choir practice. Thirty-one years and this is the first year for a GW choir! Choir was held in the Renaissance Village near the battlefield. I wandered thru youth combat and eventually stumbled into choir. Our director was the highly competent and delightful Melody, and we had a great practice.

Eventually wandered far enough to find “The Dungeon”, where Sanitation was organized. I volunteered for two shifts, on Tuesday and Thursday at 14:00. My first partner was the same age as my child and also non-binary. They requested my phone number for further conversations. My second partner was about my age and we sang filk to each other. Both enjoyed my enthusiastic singing of cowboy TV show theme songs and yelling YEEHAAAW as I drove our golf cart around site.

Jonas admires the modern bell/tipi style tents and may have one by next Gulf Wars

Martin can outfit himself in his armor without any help, including buckling up the back of his gambeson. He is a yogini, so that shouldn’t surprise anyone.

About two months have passed since I wrote this, and I haven’t added anything further. So here goes…publishing now!

Beep BeE Doop 1 March 2023

Teeny tiny daisy sprouts turned a long day bright. I hope they live. And my aloe Vera. I hope it lives.

Tried to seed swap with a coworker but her seeds were the same as mine. We both like peas and cucumbers. Both of us get frustrated by “super easy to grow” plants that flunk out of the garden.

At least I have mache. So glad to find another wild edible green. It’s gone into a lot of my soups and salads this past month.

Purple martins this year?

I believe we needs moments alone, and to live together as family. Most of my life has been backwards.

My hell is made of numbers.

All I want is to pursue hobbies on my own schedule. Is this just being 53? I am supposed to be done with normal life by now. ::spits::

Be Doop 28 Feb 2023

Broke my Duolingo streak yesterday. Felt something was off or forgotten (offorgotten??) all day. This morning, Duo asked if I wanted to “purchase” a streak freeze.

Games need for uniqueness sometimes makes for baffling choices.

Duolingo awards you with ice cubes as their monetary units. A streak freeze cost me 200 ice cubes. If only that worked on rent and groceries.

Work headphones finally broke completely. The right ear went out months ago, the left gave out today. I made a rare lunchtime errand run to Target. Can’t work without a YouTuber chatting at me.

Automation really only works in certain circumstances and you know what? Almost counterproductive if your goal is communication.

Monday 4 April 2022

4 + 4 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 14 today is a 5 day

Leftover pizza and spinach mushroom lasagna for lunch! YUM! I ate them cold. So tasty. Also a handful or two of mixed nuts we took to GW30 but did not open. I heart leftovers.

I began “eating mindfully” some time this year, I do not recall exactly when. A simple explanation for mindful eating is, paying attention to how I feel at each bite of food. Still hungry? Not full? Happy? Eat another bite. Not happy? Not hungry? Pause and see what is going on. Full? Quit, stop eating, wait a little while. If I get hungry again within a few minutes’ time, I keep eating. Otherwise, store or toss what is left.

Do you have ANY IDEA how hard this is?? I am 52 years old. My entire life I have eaten without thought and often without awareness. I turned eating over to my subconscious mind to manage. I forced myself to eat until I was stuffed, pretty much every meal.

I was ready to learn differently, and was happy when KW posted about intentional or mindful eating on her FB. It is going pretty well. Even when I fail and realize I am forcing myself to overeat, I kind of forgive myself and indulge in some reassurance. And throwing out food feels a lot like stabbing my soul. I _hate_ waste. So I am learning to better judge how much food I need and eating more casually, too. Each meal is another chance to learn better.

Went for my third run of 2022 on Sunday, second run in one week. I am doing equal numbers of walking and running, by counting breaths rather than using a time. Average time is about 15-16 minute miles, nice and slow. I will never go for speed again, unless my life depends on it! Today I can feel my whole body is already stronger. Running is awesome.

My Square Spiral Garden has greened up with every kind of weed – speedwell, bittercress, cleavers, mouse ear chickweed, false geranium, purple deadnettle. I won’t count wild garlic, edible chickweed or dandelion as weeds, since they are basically food. I should put the bittercress in that category too; in fact that is the plant I nosh the most in Springtime. Tasty!

Perennials are also budding out, including my elderberries, apples, mulberries, hazelnuts, daylillies mugwort, yarrow, mint, tansy and wormwood. Even the pokeweed has a tiny shoot. Strawberries are blooming and cilantro has been going strong for a month already. I need to confirm when to spray my apples & serviceberries for cedar-apple rust.

Saturday I raked the SSG to get out most of the dead stalks. Also planted lettuce seeds under the ladder trellis. I am worried that they floated into one area when I watered. We should find out before long.

The ladder trellis needs repairs from wind damage. I need to get out there with a hammer and see if I can get both panels back into better shape.

Sunday I planted texan agastasche and chinese white celery, the agastasche east of the ladder and celery west of it, where it will get more shade & stay cooler. Agastache should draw pollinators and makes good tea. Celery is for noms. Dearly hoping all three plantings do well.

Also started genovese basil and a west african squash in small pots, currently in my upstairs bathroom window seat. I dearly hope (again) the african squash will resist the stupid marmorated stink bugs. Gardening is dear work, at least it is for me.

Those plots comprise only about…1/20th? of the Square Spiral garden space. That leaves a whole lot of garden to hoe and rake to make ready.

I am actively working against panic, here. In a month’s time, I will have sunlight early enough to get out and work my quarter hour gardening time before work every morning. That produced my very best garden plan to date; that was my 2018 garden. I hope between now and the first of May to have the rest of the garden ready for planting. Emphasis on “hope”…expectations are not rigid.

On getting home from GW30, an old friend contacted us about an A-frame tent she had for sale. A much superior tent to the sad, 20 year old nylon piece that leaked all over us (and has always, always leaked). So we are looking forward to an event mid-April (IF) where we can set up our new-to-us tent and camp in style. She threw in a day shade too! We shall have a camp porch!

Began calligraphy practice again after GW30 too, enthused on learning that early scripts like Uncial are needed but not popular. Veronica explained that most calligraphers in our hobby prefer later period, fancy scripts. Me? Basic and simple, please. I did a lot of painting during the pandemic and look forward to getting better at that. Also, I must say how much it helps having a goal for these arts; knowing my work is needed and will have recipients.

Also wrote a medieval filk for the Arts & Science bardic competition at IF. I wrote 5 verses (to the tune of Coventry Carol) and have them mostly committed to memory. Submitted an entrants form & am already getting excited and a little nervous. Honestly, I find most of my “nerves” about getting on stage are actually just suppressed excitement.

I love being a songwriter again, after all these decades. It is so fulfilling and satisfying.

MindfulEating #Recovery #Gardening #SquareSpiralGarden #Running #TimeManagement #Songwriting #ScribalArts #LeftoverPizza

Fan Fiction: Harper’s Daughter part 4

Chapter 3: Training Pinney

Evening came, and Threadfall. Pinney was eerily quiet and alert. The Harper’s family settled in their room after dinner, talking and catching up on their day. Younger people massaged numbweed salve into older folk’s sore joints.

The Harper came in, sat himself on one of the few chairs and began playing his lute. His voice was tired but still strong and cheerful. Jovay joined him with her pipe. Children and old alike sang along with the Harper, familiar songs about dragons and their riders’ dangerous duty to protect them from Thread. They had all sang this same songs at dinner with the entire Hold; the Vayomer liked to keep everyone’s mind current.

Folks with long hair stood in a row, combing and braiding each other’s hair for sleep. The one at the start of the row had cut her hair short the previous Turn, but still enjoyed the ritual.

Four people sat at the game table, placing painted bone tiles into a complicated mound. They would spend the rest of the evening sorting them in the course of the game. Mallavay wondered how they could find something that tedious enjoyable.

Pinney chortled, chirped, and crawled up to look into her human’s eyes. “I think Theadfall must be over,” she told Auntie Genna. The fire lizard then sat upright on Mallavay’s arm, lifted her tiny head and began to croon along with the Harper’s song. The room fell silent in astonishment, and the fire lizard stopped and looked around curiously. The Harper started the song where they had left off, and a moment later, Pinney began again.

“Did you hear her, Jovay? She did not even sing in tune but no one minded, not even father,” Mallavay whispered excitedly as they settled into bed. Jovay said yes, she had heard and that Mallavay should go to sleep. The girl gently ran her finger along the fire lizard’s head and back until Pinney’s bright eyes closed and both fell asleep.

Pinney, born the size of a girl’s palm, grew quickly. Mallavay was not the one to notice; everyone else did. The girl grew tired of the comments and complained to her sister.

“But she is getting big!” Jovay asserted. “Look, she is just a couple weeks old and she is as big as your hand. Remember when she hatched? She was soooo tiny.” Mallavay sighed. “Except her head. THAT was big!” And Jovay laughed.

All the children in the Harper’s family had gotten to hold the fire lizard, who began to play with them as her flying abilities grew. She perched on their shoulders, sang with them, climbed up their clothes and down again on the other side. She flew between them, flitting around each as they stood in line before going to the main hall for breakfast.

“Watch, father!” She crowed one morning, and Pinney flew along the line of children, fetching an item from each one’s hand. She perched on Mallavay’s arm and delivered the objects: a bone ring, a flower, a pebble and a rag. “Return them!” Mallavay ordered, and the fire lizard obediently flew the items back to their giggling owners.

The Harper smiled, patted his daughter on her shoulder and each of his nieces and nephews who had participated. “Well done! Excellent training, for the fire lizard and for all of you children. You work in concert for a greater goal.”

Jovay grinned and blushed, blurting out that she had begun that as a game with her sister. “I got Pinney to bring me a parchment scrap and sent it back to Mallavay, and she wrote something and got the fire lizard to send it back to me again.” She covered her face with cupped hands and laughed. “She did!” Mallavay confirmed. “Excellent,” murmured the Harper.

Genna turned to him from the front of the line to say, “She has begun to harass the tunnel worms as well. Nipped the head right off a little one.” The Harper nodded slowly, taking in this information, then walked with the family to their morning meal.

But there was mischief as well. Two children taught her to carry food – one liked beans and the other didn’t – so Pinney hauled beans from one plate to another at dinner. When their mother, sitting farther up the table, realized what was happening, she scolded Mallavay.

“Teach your little fire lizard to carry messages, not to interfere with children’s nutrition!” Mallavay, a child herself, nearly broke into tears. “I am teaching her – I thought they were just playing with her -“ she choked, and the woman softened. “All right, all right.” She got up and put her hand on Mallavay’s shoulders, pulled her close. “I forget I am just talking to another child. You aren’t a mother like me, at least not yet.” Mallavay got up from the table and accepted the hug but the tears really began to flow. Her mother had been gone for half of her life, and she still missed her.

Jovay turned concerned and protective, looking up from her place next to Mallavay’s. “She’s doing the best she can, Aunt Loroc. She didn’t know.” The woman nodded, glanced down to see her children had disappeared and said “I had better check on those rascals, who knows what they are up to now.”

Mallavay wrapped her arms around Jovay and sulked, “No one ever checks on us.” Jovay returned the embrace and said, “No one has to! We’re GOOD.” The sisters exchanged looks and laughed. Then Jovay said that their family did watch out for them. “I see them looking for us and seeing how we are doing. They come to me if anyone is worried, because I am older.”

“Only two and a half Turns.”

“That is a lot!”

“Not THAT much.”

“It is!!l and the girls laughed again.

Fan Fiction: Harper’s Daughter pt 3

Chapter 2, Raising Pinney, continued

Mallavay woke again to Jovay’s elbow. And then Jovay shaking her. “Wake up! Breakfast is over soon. You haven’t even gotten dressed or combed your hair.”

By the time Mallavay opened her eyes, her sister was gone. But next to her in their loft bed, the highest bed in their quarters, was a plate heaped with breakfast. Pinney’s head popped out of her sleeping bag, eyes glowing. She chirped at the scent of food and Mallavay fed her the first bite.

She sat up and realized she needed to relieve herself. Pinney had been relieving herself often, with Mallavay cleaning up after her. Thinking how many times she would have to clean up that mess made Mallavay feel low.

The human and fire lizard made their way to the privy, too late for the baby fire lizard, who made a mess while balanced on the edge of Mallavay’s shoulder. She was trying to wash the spot when two of her cousins came in. They stared at her and the fire lizard, then one broke and cried, “can I pet it?!” She allowed him to come close and he reached out a finger, then withdrew when Pinney whipped her wobbling head around to look at him more closely. Mallavay realized the fire lizard was already bigger than when she had hatched just two days before.

“Eewww”, said the older cousin, pointing to Mallavay’s shoulder. “You had better hurry, first bell is soon.” Then that same girl took a rag and scrubbed away the fire lizard’s droppings. “Thank you,” whispered Mallavay, and her cousin smiled at her.

Faces washed and hair combed, the three of them trooped off to class together, the young boy giggling as Pinney flapped her wings in time to Mallavay’s steps. Half the flaps hit Mallavay in the face. She and the younger boy turned left and the older girl peeled right, into the class the Harper himself taught.

Mallavay’s teacher Sanda was young, only about two years out of Harper Hall. She had pale skin, long, straight brown hair in a braid down her back and was round and energetic. She set half the class to clapping in time and taught the other half steps in a popular reel. “Step, step, step, STOMP, step back, step back, step back, stop. Let’s try again, and remember to start with your RIGHT foot.” Pinney sat in her bag, front claws curled around the edge and eyes alert. But it wasn’t long before the dancing rocked her to sleep.

Other children sneaked glances at the fire lizard, sometimes turning too soon in the dance in hopes of seeing her. The attention made Mallavay feel light on her feet, and she skipped thru part of the dance. Sanda called her out, “Skipping can be done in some parts of this dance, once you know it well. But stay with the basic steps for now.” Mallavay blushed.

When class ended for lunch, tho, the children rushed to see Pinney. Mallavay caved her chest between her arms to protect the bird, and Pinney squeaked and climbed out of the bag as she felt Mallavay’s alarm. She raised her tiny wings and hissed at the crowd, which mostly backed away. Only her cousin remained close, facing them with Mallavay. “She’s too little!” Mallavay gasped. Sanda ordered everyone to the kitchen. “Go get lunch. The fire lizard is not going away. You will each have time to meet her WHEN Mallavay says she is ready.”

By dinner, Mallavay was exhausted from attention and having to care for another being. Her dress was fouled in several places and Pinney had been hiding, sometimes in her bag, sometimes inside Mallavay’s clothing. Jovay found her crying under the ladder to their bunk, and went to get one of their aunties.

“Sweetheart, it’s auntie Gennet.” The older woman, some relation of their father’s, had lived nearby all the sisters’ lives. She knelt and looked thru the rungs at Mallavay and the fire lizard. “You look like you had a long day? Mallavay nodded and leaned forward.

Pinney watched the woman’s hand with glowing eyes as she reached thru the ladder to caress the girl’s hair. Gennet had warm brown skin . like the sisters, and tight brown curls braided neatly into several rows She had pinned it in an attractive knot at the nape of her neck. This auntie taught all the curly-haired girls how to comb and braid each other’s hair. Pinney cooed as Mallavay’s sobbing eased, and climbed forward to stare admiringly at Gennet.

“Jovay, get a fresh dress and a cup of water for your sister, and see if you can find the scribe Poll. They left a message here earlier, wanting to see Mallavay.” Oh no! Thought Mallavay, and began crying again. “I was supposed to meet them and I forgooooot!”

Gennet picked up one of Mallavay’s hands, brought it around the edge of the ladder, and then did the same with her other hand. Then she scooted around and gently pulled the child close. “You are all right. You are just a little girl who suddenly has a big responsibility! A sweet and good child who was able to impress a fire lizard. You bring something wonderful to our home.” Pinney gave a tiny, high-pitched trill. Jovay laid the clean clothes she pulled from the family’s chest over a rung in the ladder and then trotted off to get water.

Gennet helped Mallavay change clothes, tying the clean sash at her waist with a bow. Jovay returned with Poll just a few steps behind her. They did not mention Mallavay’s red eyes and puffy face but waited for her to finish her water. Gennet explained the issue of fire lizard waste to the scribe, who nodded. “Yes, that is just one thing to learn about. Don’t worry, my young friend! I will teach you and this precious little beast how to live cleaner and happier.”

First they walked to the privy. “Hold her out on your wrist and tell her to relieve herself”. Mallavay held out her arm, but didn’t know how to tell Pinney anything. “Think it and feel it, what it feels like to go.” Poll waited while Mallavay laughed out loud, and then began laughing too when the girl broke into even louder peals of laughter. Pinney flapped and squeaked, eyes bright with joy.

Once Pinney had understood and dropped her mess into the hole, Poll said for Mallavay to look around the privy and remember what it looked like. “Remember this spot, where the glow basket is, where the arch of the doorway is from where you are standing, the carving marks in the wall. Whenever Pinney needs to go – Poll paused as their own green climbed out along their muscular arm and used the privy – “picture this spot and tell her to go. She can already come and go Between. Try sending her to your bunk, just remember what it looks like with details like the ladder and your alcove, and picture it in your mind.”

Mallavay did, and looked into Pinney’s eyes, but got nervous. Then Pinney jumped slightly and winked out of sight. A moment later, she was back and clamped to Mallavay’s sleeve with four cold feet. Astonished, Mallavay grinned at Poll. “Good! Tell her she did good.”

They walked back to the family quarters and Poll produced a small bottle from the bag at their waist. “Oil for her skin, once a day as she is growing and then only when she needs it after that. Here is a runnerbeast hair brush, too. I find mine loves the feel of it.” Poll demonstrated with another scribe’s brush from their bag, the little green rolling happily on their lap as Poll stroked the soft bristles over her. Poll’s green, named Inky, was a deeper color than Pinney, had a narrower head and slightly longer wingspan.

“Teach her to go to your sister and back to you. Try having her come to me. I will be right outside the door, just picture my face in your mind”. Pinney was quick to obey and return, and she relayed an image of Jovay’s startled face.

Poll touched Pinney’s little cheek with a callused and stained finger and said, “You are doing remarkably well with her. Keep up the good work and send her to me if you need me.” They gave Mallavay a gentle squeeze on the shoulder and left.

FanFic: Harper’s Daughter pt 2

CHAPTER 2: Raising Pinney

Mallavay woke to Jovay’s elbow in her side, and then felt the hunger pangs hit hard. “She’s been crying for a couple minutes. Can you see to get down the ladder?” Mallavay did not need to see to climb down; she and Jovay had had that bunk most of their lives.

Uncles and cousins stirred as Pinney’s creeling got louder. Once she was on the floor she could see the corridor glowlight from behind the curtain, and tiptoed out of the family sleeping quarters as quickly as possible.

The stone was cold on her feet; she had not taken time to put on her slippers. She hurried down to the kitchen, Pinney bumping against her chest with her tiny, glowing eyes peering out of her bag. Glancing up at the stars as she passed thru the courtyard, Mallavay was glad Thread was due tomorrow night. There was a longer passage to the kitchen that wound down thru other parts of the Hold, but she did not have time for that.

The watchwher grunted cheerfully at her but she did not stop to pet it. Reaching the kitchen, which was never empty, she found the butcher and asked for some scraps. He pointed at a bowl with his chin. She fed Pinney, surprised again how much the little mouth could take in one bite, and shifted to the side when someone else holding a hungry lizard ran into the kitchen.

“The little ones get hungry so often!” said the newcomer, pinching scraps from the bowl and dangling them in front of their tiny friend. They wore men’s clothes, had a woman’s figure, thick, sandy hair cut level with the ears and a thin face.

Mallavay looked up at them and remembered bumping them when Pinney hatched. “Yes! I fed her at dinner and before bedtime, but that wasn’t enough.” She paused, then said “Sorry I bumped you at the hatching. I wasn’t quite sure what was happening.” They smiled at her and said it was all right, the hatching had been confusing for them, too. “I’m Poll.”

The greens were both giving soft gurgles of satisfaction when a young man entered with two brown fire lizards in his arms. Mallavay’s hair stood up when she realized it was Romardal, holding both his and his sister’s screeching lizards. Mallavay picked up the meat bowl – larger and heavier than she expected – and tried to hold it out to him.

Her new friend was more helpful and picked out pieces of meat for Romardal to feed them. “What are brothers for,” he laughed “if not to make nighttime feeding runs?” Everyone in the kitchen laughed. “Well done Impressing such a lovely brown,” Poll said, and Romardal returned the compliment. “Really glad you were included in this Hatching, Poll. I am sure this little girl will serve you well. Soon all the messenger scribes will have fire lizards, good that you are among the first.”

After the Lord Holder’s disheveled son had left with both browns well fed, Poll turned to Mallavay. “How is it that one as young as yourself got invited to Impress a fire lizard? We have not had an entire clutch here, before.” Mallavay swallowed hard after almost blurting out that she had sneaked her way in. “I carried up the meat. Just like now!” she laughed, unable to unlock her arms from the heavy bowl. Poll smiled, took the bowl and returned it to the counter. Mallavay sighed heavily with relief. Her arms felt like they were floating.

Pinney curled up in her bag and Mallavay was suddenly quite sleepy. Poll gently took her elbow and steered her out of the kitchen. “Can you get yourself back home? It isn’t long until dawn, so I am going to get started on my work day. But I will walk you home if you need help.” Mallavay, a mere 9 and a half turns old and still willing to be a child, nodded.

Poll continued speaking as they walked. “You did not benefit from the training the rest of us had. I will find you later and review, all right?” Mallavay nodded and immediately forgot what Poll had said. They reached the Harper family quarters and Mallavay entered without thinking to thank Poll or even say goodbye.