Monday Morning Musing: Moons and Other Celestial Matters

I'm uncertain how it's possible that today is the last day of July when the first day of July was just last Tuesday. But here we are, on the edge of August, which used to mean getting the kids ready for back-to-school and getting the congregation ready for the program year. This year, it means something entirely different, something I'm not able to name just yet.

August will have two full moons, thus creating the rare but delightful phenomena known as a Blue Moon. The Sturgeon Moon (named because of the ease of catching sturgeon in the Great Lakes at this season) will peak tomorrow, August 1st. The Blue Moon will appear on August 30th.

Now that we live in a place where the tides are a part of life, it would be helpful to remember exactly how the moons pull water in and out. Ah, 7th grade science....I'm sure Mrs. Thompson explained that to us. Rather than understanding the how, I am choosing in this season, to simply watch it happen. From the house where our grand-girl lives, we can see the water race away (where does it go?) and the mud flats appear, only to watch the water return, warmer than before because the sun has warmed the mud in its absence.

This life season feels a bit like a tide that has gone out, revealing the flats of life I've not seen in many seasons. Can I walk there and see what wonders exist below the surface? I think so. Will I be ready when the moon pulls the waters back in? I hope so.

Stories and poems and books and songs about moons abound. Perhaps none more beloved by all ages than Goodnight, Moon, authored by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd. If you have some spare time, here is a fascinating article about the author: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/02/07/the-radical-woman-behind-goodnight-moon

And here is a delightful video of the book being read by Susan Sarandon. Enjoy.