The Full Worm Moon

I've always loved the night sky. When I was young, I had a book about stars and constellations. I knew the contents of that book from cover to cover. I have always loved looking at the moon and watching it go through its phases.

What's fun about the full moon is that there is a name (or a few) for each one. March's full moon is the Full Worm Moon. According to the Farmers' Almanac, the temperature begins to warm and the ground begins to thaw, earthworm casts appear, heralding the return of the robins. The more northern tribes knew this moon as the Full Crow Moon, when the cawing of the crows signaled the end of winter. It is also known as the Full Crust Moon because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing during the day and then freezing at night. Another variation on this moon's name is the Full Sap Moon, marking the time of tapping maple trees. To the settlers, it was also known as the Lenten Moon and was considered to be the last full moon of winter.

These names make total sense. The robins have returned and are looking for worms. Winter Storm Virgil blasted through here this past Sunday and Monday and when I was out taking pictures this morning, the snow crunched beneath my feet. The first day of Spring was March 30 and Lent ends on Holy Saturday, March 30. These names for the full moon coincide with calendar time and events.

I woke up early this morning and moonlight was streaming through my window. At 6:00 a.m., I was out snapping a few photos. Waved hello to the newspaper delivery lady and said good morning to the neighbor's dog who was barking at me.

Went back out at 7:20 and took a few more. The birds were waking up...lots of singing, chirping and honking!

Back in the Day...

Recently I've been cleaning out drawers. I have quite a few that have been stuffed with "stuff" and the "stuff" needs to either be organized or be tossed. I came across this comic from quite a few years ago. It screamed my name then and brings a smile to my face today because that was me living through all that fun, wacky, exasperating craziness. Life with four kids who are under 6 years apart in age...loved it back in the day...love where their lives are taking them now...wouldn't have done it any other way!

And then there's this little tidbit of fortune cookie wisdom that goes hand-in-hand with the divided distraction of a busy mom...

– ♥ –

Wordless Wednesday {First Day of Spring}

First Day of Spring in Dayton, OH

Household Hint

Washing windows...a love/hate relationship. I love clean, sparkling, spot-free windows but I hate washing them. Having two dogs in the house doesn't make it easy to keep clean windows, especially when they are at nose level. Lots of doggie nose art around here!

In a recent Heloise column, she gave a "recipe" for a shower door cleaner. If this works on water stains, certainly this should work on dirty dog nose windows. I gave it a try. It worked. Mind you, I had tried Windex and the nose prints smudged. A little bit of elbow grease on a few of the spots and they were gone. Sparkling windows! Until the next time...

Window Cleaner Recipe

Mix: 

1/2 c. vinegar (white or apple cider)

1 pint rubbing alcohol

1 t. dishwashing liquid

Finish with enough water to make a gallon.

Put the mixture into a clearly labeled spray bottle and whatever other containers you have to hold the rest.

Pysanky {Ukrainian Easter Eggs}

The art of pysanky, the beautifully decorated Ukrainian Easter eggs, dates back to pagan times. Folk tales reveal that people who lived in the region now known as Ukraine worshipped the sun. It warmed the earth and therefore was a source of all life. Eggs decorated with symbols of nature were chosen for sun worship ceremonies and became integral to spring rituals as benevolent talismans.

The word pysanka is derived from the Ukrainian verb pysaty 'to write.’ Pysanka is an egg which has been decorated with a wax-resist method where a person draws (or "writes," as Ukrainians would say) the design on the egg. 

ArtStreet is an innovative learning and living arts complex located in the South Student Neighborhood at the University of Dayton. ArtStreet offers creative programs and spaces for the entire UD and Dayton area communities to enjoy. Recently, Christina Pereyma and her daughter, Helen, offered a hands-on workshop on the art of pysanka. Helen is the 5th generation of pysanka artists in her family. 

A special tool called a kistka is used to melt the beeswax and write on the eggs. The kistka is the pen and the beeswax is the ink. Each successive color is waxed and dyed until the entire design is created on the surface of the egg. The wax is then removed, a protective finish applied and the contents emptied. The eggs are shared with others as an expression of friendship, good will and love. Each participant learned how to use a kistka by practicing on a piece of paper. Blobs form easily and if the beeswax blobs on your egg, that “design” will stay there. Once we felt comfortable with the kistka, we created our own eggs.

Christina brought some eggs that her 87-year old aunt decorated. They are exquisite works of art. Her aunt escaped from Ukraine and came to the United States when the Soviets invaded the country and consequently suppressed the traditional arts. Christina’s aunt is considered a living, national treasure of Ukraine because of her mastery of this art form.

Exquisite pysanky

My first-time attempt at pysanka

Among Ukrainians there is a belief that the fate of the world depends upon pysanky. As long as egg decorating continues, the world will exist. Should the custom cease, evil in the guise of an ancient, vicious monster chained to a huge cliff, will encompass the world and destroy it. Each year the monster's servants encircle the globe, keeping a record of the number of pysanky made. Should there be too few, the monster's chains loosen, and evil flows through the world. If there are many, the monster's chains hold taut, allowing love to conquer evil.

Wordless Wednesday {Wintery Yard Scenes}

 

 

One More Winter Storm...

Headlines...

"The Biggest Widespread Storm of the Winter" 

"Winter Clings on With Upper Midwest Snowstorm"

"Tracking Winter Storm Saturn"

"Get Ready for Saturn's Wrath"

"Winter Storm Saturn: East Coast Beast, Midwest Mess"
"'Heart Attack Snow' Falling on Broad Swath of US"

In my Dayton, Ohio neck of the midwest woods, predictions are for rain and snow this evening, turning to snow tonight, anywhere from 2-6 inches. 

Winter storm, schminter storm, spring is on its way...16 days!