Thanks for Giving

This time of year is always a time to reflect on all that we are blessed with in our lives.  Much of the Thanksgiving holiday centers around family and friends gathering together to share in a meal.  This takes on many forms, but the common denominator is food.  We are fortunate enough to live in not only a country, but a time in history where food is plentiful.  Many of us do not know what real starvation or food scarcity looks like and the abundance of food around us often goes unrecognized. 

Thanksgiving dinner with my family

This year, I not only feel grateful for all the beautiful friends and family in my life, the shoes on my feet, the apartment I live in, my trusted four legged companion of ten years, but for the many varied and delicious foods I have the privilege to enjoy.  I live in a small apartment that does not have a garden.  However, I've managed to carve out a little space to grow my own edibles in pots.  Each day I check to make sure they are happy.  When it comes time to harvest, I feel a sense of utter joy and appreciation for what they have given to me in return.  Growing food is a reciprocal relationship.  What you put into it, is what you get back.  And this goes not only for fruits and vegetables, but for chickens, cows, sheep - any livestock, grain, herb, nut.  The love and care you give to all that feeds you, the more wholly nourished your body becomes.

Many of us use Thanksgiving as a time to bless our food, to give thanks to the animals and fish that gave their lives for us, the plant beings that grew their seed for us, and the land that provided the nourishment to grow.  But what if we gave thanks every meal; paused for a moment and savored all the smells, tastes, and textures of our food?  Really thought of where that food came from and what went into getting it on our plates?  Would we feel any differently about it?  It's worth a try...

Blue Moon

Moon Catcher, Michael P. Ryan

Those who know me, know that one of the most enchanting things to me in the universe is the moon, especially when it is full.  And last night's full moon was particularly special because it was a Blue Moon.

Each month we have a full moon.  But every 2-3 years we have two full moons in one month and this is what most people know to be a blue moon.  However, last night, November 21, 2010 is the FIRST full moon we've had this month.  So what happened?  There is another definition of a blue moon that is not as widely known.  A moon can be blue when it is the third full moon in a season that has four which would be our moon last night.  Confused yet?  Here's the story.

Our first definition, two moons in one month, came from a magazine article published in 1946 by "Sky and Telescope" magazine.  The article was called "Once in A Blue Moon" by James Hugh Pruett.  Using a 1937 Maine Farmer’s Almanac, Pruett basically surmised that 13 full moons a year simply meant that one month had two full moons.

Our second definition goes back a little longer.  Back in the Middle Ages the monks followed a seasonal calendar to accurately time their church festivities and ensure the success of their crops.  Having 13 moons threw off the dates of their holy days and generally pissed them off.  The number 13 became associated as an unlucky number and it is said that the phrase, "Once in a blue moon," came from this.

Following this idea of seasonal moons, the Old Farmer's Almanac later described the blue moon to be the third full moon in a season when there were four.  Typically a season will have just 3 full moons, but when there is four, the third is considered to be a blue moon.  Why the third moon and not the fourth?  Because the last moon in the yearly cycle is traditionally called the "Late Moon."

So when can we expect another blue moon?  Going by our first definition - two full moons in one month - the next blue moon will be August 31, 2012.  By our second definition, it was last night - November 21, 2010.  But stay tuned, in 2018 we will have two double blue moons in one calendar year!

Oh, and just in case you were wondering, the moon is not really blue.  Sometimes there are particles of dust or smoke that can make the moon appear to be blue in color.

Nature Misses You

Michael P. Ryan, Yosemite, November 2010

I was having dinner the other night with a couple of friends and as we discussed our plans for the weekend, one friend said he was going to Yosemite with his dad to capture the essence and beauty of Fall through his lens. My other friend who has been working 7 days a week and hasn't had a weekend off in months, looked forlorn and expressed how deeply he longed to go too. Yosemite-Sam responded, "well, what are ya waiting for? It's out there, just waiting for you. Nature misses you."

I am fortunate enough to be in nature every day through my work, but many are not. However, even I crave the solitude of a giant redwood forest or the crashing of the waves on the shore. Everyday we surround ourselves with distractions that ultimately mean very little in the end. Much of our daily lives are filled with tasks that are, simply put, a means to an end. What matters is our connection to all that is alive; to all living beings, which includes our Mother Earth. If you've ever been to Yosemite, you know how your heart nearly skips a beat as you first come upon El Capitan or how the glory of Half Dome almost takes your breathe away. THIS is perhaps one our most precious connections that we as human beings are quickly losing touch with.

This week, I challenge you to get out there in any way possible and really soak in all that nature has to offer. Leave all your technological devices at home and take a walk in the park or through your neighborhood. Notice the smells, the sounds, look up at the trees, feel the grass on your feet, close your eyes and breathe in the air, feel the sun on your face. Take your morning coffee out to your garden and sit for 5 minutes and study a tree, watch a bird, appreciate all that nature has given you today. For it is here always, and it is waiting for you.