The Moon, The Moon... How we love the Moon!

Evenings darken earlier now, and when I go out I notice the moon, right there, shining down on me.  This past week it was a waxing crescent, lightly clouded over and gauzy.  Leaves are beginning to turn, the air is nippy, and the moon looks spooky. Perfect!

Ted Kooser wrote a poem that I like very much, from his collection of poems titled "Winter Mornings: 100 Postcards to Jim Harrison." It begins:

Only a crust of moon is left

to offer the morning,

I can almost feel that crust, rough and dry in my throat. But in spite of that crust sounding like a cold dry leftover, it also sounds intriguing. There's something about the tiny crescent that fascinates and even amuses. Not much to offer the morning, perhaps, but much to offer the imagination.

Speaking of imagination, I'm dedicating some space to a new book by Irene Latham titled The Museum on the Moon: Curious Objects on the Lunar Surface. Myriam Wares illustrated it with just the right tones for the calm bright surfaces of the moon, and Irene wrote poems for each artifact that has been left there. I really like the premise for this book: curious objects that have been left on the moon. What a fascinating topic!

Irene's poems are delightful. I have several favorites, but I'd like to share a bit of this one because in just a few words it made me think about something I had not considered:

Forever Footprints

Human tracks tattoo

Moon's rutted face --

With no wind, no rain

There's no way to erase...

I invite you to find Irene's book and share it. It will be perfect for a classroom or that young person who is enthralled with space.  And don't miss the final pages, which are full of astronauts and timelines and many good notes about the moon and its visitors.  Congratulations, Irene! Stellar!!!

 

And now... 

How about a fun Moon craft?  I did this with kids ages 4 to 12, and they all loved it.  Mix paint with flour until it looks like paste, brush a thick layer on a paper circle and stamp it with various sized circles. After a day for drying: Tada!!! A moon with craters.  So fun!

https://www.cindyderosier.com/2014/07/the-cursive-project-moon.html

I wrote a moon poem some years ago, and decided to rework it for today's blog.  Today is a full moon, by the way... the Harvest Moon!  I hope the clouds give me a chance to see it.

Sister Moon

Come close

Sister Moon

Show me your 

Glowing face

Whisper to me 

Of your mystery

Of beauty, strength, 

And grace

What do you keep

In your thin crescent bowl?

When you melt away

Where do you hide?

What makes you blush

Bright as a cardinal?

What enchantment

Charms the tides?

We're sisters, dear Moon

We share a wealth

Of sunshine 

From above

I'm glad for your glow, 

Little Sister Moon,

And I send you

All my love.

© Karen Eastlund, 2023

It is Poetry Friday, and you are invited to join the gang at 

Jama Rattigan's where she shares some

hilarious poetry.  Click HERE to join the fun.

 

Life at the Speed of Grace: Finding Beauty

 I turn 75 next month. Three quarters of a century! At times it feels like crazy talk, but of course it is true. I have the documentation. (Tiny chuckle inserted here.)

Life is slowing. I was reminded this summer when I overdid getting some chores done and felt several subsequent repercussions. I had to slow down and rest. Just rest. Time to be still and trust. Be still and listen. Be still and know...

What came of it? A lesson in patience. These are a constant need for me. A lesson in gratitude when I began to feel better, when I found some helpful hints on how to go forward. Gratitude for the ability to search and to learn. Gratitude for a body ready to go again. And a lesson in paying attention to my physical self and taking time to take care. Another constant need.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven...  
Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8   

No matter the speed, grace continues to offer the best surprises. In the middle of CostCo recently, a little girl shrieked and I looked up. Our eyes met and she gave me the most knowing and beautiful smile that a tiny child could give. Yes! You got my attention. And for that moment of time, we shared a bit of humor that brightened my day.

Seasons come and seasons go. Each day is a chance to identify works of grace (in our church we call them God sightings), to celebrate, explore, find beauty, share laughter, give thanks.

Here are some images of beauty and grace in my world. 

Delicious beefsteak tomatoes from my garden

I'm trying a couple of fall crops this year... a hopeful venture.

Spider flowers/cleome reseed year after year. Summer ends "in the pink!"

While walking I found this blossom in the midst of wreckage

Peperomia at summer's end.

My peperomia looks so healthy now after breathing in the summer's air and light. I'll bring it in for the winter and it will bring me beauty and joy all winter long.

Thanks to Patricia Franz for this prompt and for hosting this month.

You can find her offering and links HERE.