Saturday: the super moon, equinox, and spring…

three 'brave' crocusses poke up through the soil - Monday 3/14.

Fourteen minutes since Monday, we have gained fourteen minutes of sunlight since Monday! I fell fast asleep last night as the moon was illuminating Earth brightly. This morning a light frost graced the ground and rooftops, it will burn off later this morning as it warms up into the fifties. Monday afternoon, I was scouring the yard for signs of spring and I found couple of crocuses poking its head above ground in the backyard along the stone path. We will all be outside today and I will be looking for more signs. It has been a busy week, the days are screaming by as we get closer to spring and spring break and warmer days. Today is Saturday and it will be a busy day – as they all are.

Friday morning, I checked the date and time of the full moon and discovered the full moon was set for Saturday afternoon (1:10 PM CDT 3/19/11) and the spring equinox was early Sunday evening (6:21 PM CDT 3/20/11). Surprisingly, they are close. I also discovered the full moon is a super moon, meaning the moon will be at its closest point in tis orbit around Earth. Contrary to what we believe, the moon’s orbit, nor Earth’s orbit are perfectly circular, but elliptical. Because it is elliptical there is appoint when the orbit is closest and furthest away from what it is orbiting. In this case, the full moon will occur when the moon is close to its perigee, or the closest point in its orbit. The last time this occurred was in 1993 and the next time it will happen is 2029. Pretty cool. I hope it will be clear enough for us to see it. Over a month ago tom Skilling – my weather hero – posted a graphic to his weather blog, it listed the legend and folklore names for the full moons. The names for this month’s full moon are ‘Worm Moon,’ ‘Sap Moon,’ ‘Crow Moon,’ and ‘Lenten Moon.’

image courtesy of the Chicago Tribune 2/5/2011

 

I have been very excited by spring’s coming. It has warmed up here and except for a few piles of snow in parking lots or in shady areas, any evidence of the big snow is gone. Thursday afternoon it was warm enough to sit on the deck and write a letter. Beth removed the cover for the patio furniture and in the afternoon when the sun is out it is warm enough to sit and read or just watch Ivy on her tether. Yet, once the sun starts to go down it cools quickly and there is a chill in the air.

Three knuckleheads! Me, Olivia, and Jon Scieszka

There are five school days until Spring Break and the feeling is in the air. My language arts classes wrapped up their literature circle study last week and we have moved on to The Giver, a novel for young adults about a futuristic society where everything is perfect, or so it seems. It is a good novel for them at this time in their development as they struggle with who they are and what they stand for. The author, Lois Lowry, will be visiting Anderson’s Book Shop in Naperville to promote a new book Monday evening and I am planning to attend. Jon Scieszka (pronounced shes-ka) was in Naperville last week and Olivia and I attended his talk for parents and their children. It was a blast! Olivia and I had a book signed for us and had our picture taken with him. I had wanted William to go, but he was buried with homework and reading – two books one for language arts and the other for social studies. Instead, we had a book signed for him. Scieszka has written several books and I have mentioned a few times in the blog going back to July when I bought Knucklehead: Tall Tales and Almost True Stories of Growing up Scieszka and passed it to William and he buried himself in it. I have read chapters to class this fall and turned a few kids on to his work. I bought one of his books, a picture book, Robot Zot and he signed it: “To Mr. Watkins and his 7th grade bots” Jon Scieszka. I used it as a segue into our science fiction unit and The Giver, I read it aloud to class Tuesday. It was a good introduction and seventh graders still love being read to!

I have wanted to write daily, but I have not made the time to make it happen or made the time in other parts of my life. On my drive to school, I ideas that flash through my brain as writing or blogging topics but they never quite make it – mainly because of time. I have spent over an hour on this morning writing, thinking, and checking facts and times. I have a long list of to dos as I always find on the weekends. It will be busy today and tomorrow and I hope to make time to write and share. Mainly, I will make time to look into the sky this afternoon and early evening and look for the moon, the super moon, to think and dream. Making the Days Count, one day at a time!

4 thoughts on “Saturday: the super moon, equinox, and spring…

  1. Enjoyed the photo of you and Olivia. – and the author!
    Think I am caught up now and waiting for the next blog.

    Three yellow iris are in full bloom in the rose garden in the back yard.
    I am enjoying them and the green grass and budding trees, from the patio.

    Love,
    Mom

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