Can I Blame it on the Moon?

The past five days have not been favorable for me. It has been difficult to sleep, be energized and to complete full sentences. I realize the inability to feel energetic and have a clear thought process is due to my lack of sleep but it's frustrating all the same. I am blaming these sleepless nights on the full moon. This celestrial disc hovering high in the starry sky bathing it's white yellowish glow around the house and seeping into my bedroom windows. What should be my nocturnal slumber transforms into a wrestling match with my sheets and pillows during the course of the full moon. Although my fists are clinched and my jaw is tight during these fitful nights, I don't curse the moon for doing what comes natural to it. Waning and waxing from a new moon to a full moon and back again, it's God's handiwork at its finest. Yes, the moon is beautiful to gaze upon when it is full and is particulary spectacular early in the morning as it sinks into the dark Hawaiian waters, disappearing, allowing the Sun to perform it's duty. Who doesn't love la bella luna? It's amore, right? Not for me, I can't sleep when the moon is full .... laughing, smiling, Mr. Man in the Moon looking down on me.

The Native American Indians gave names for each full moon of the month. Did you know that? I discovered that bit of trivia while thumbing through a Farmer's Almanac in our local Home Depot.

January ~ Wolf Moon (I like this name but I can't help but think of the Werewolf)

February ~ Snow Moon (it should be the Cupid Moon... what'd ya think about that?)

March ~ Worm Moon (all I can say is yuck)

April ~ Pink Moon (that is so girly... really? American Indians came up with that name?)

May ~ Flower Moon (April showers bring May flowers, a universal theme that spans time)

June ~ Strawberry Moon (sounds childish for some reason)

July ~ Buck Moon (now that's the spirit!)

August ~ Sturgeon Moon (aka "the fish are heading upstream" Moon)

September ~ Harvest Moon (and here I thought those were lyrics to a Neil Young song, duh?)

October ~ Hunter Moon (wouldn't that be more appropriate near the Buck Moon?)

November ~ Beaver Moon ~ (no comment)

December ~ Cold Moon (must have thought long and hard for that name)

Of course there is the Blue Moon, a second full moon in the same month. I love saying "Blue Moon". I used the phrase "once in a Blue Moon" lots of time raising children and ticking off a husband or two. This month I am dealing with June's full moon. Even though this moon has caused me grief, it has also brought me pleasure, well for one night anyway. There was a partial eclipse of the moon on Saturday night. I stayed up till 12:17 am ~ wait a minute, is was actually Sunday morning. Anyway, I stayed up to the scheduled time, walked outside and with binoculars in hand, watched the moon slowly (and it was SLOW) move into the path of the sun. A quick thought jumped into my mind... "Should I be trying to sleep right now. Maybe with a little sun blockage the moon won't be so strong, so intense, maybe I could sleep". With my mind in a whirl, I scampered off to bed, pulled the sheets under my chin, closed my eyes and opened them again.

Yes, the June Full Moon. The Europeans call it the Rose Moon, the Meade or Honey Moon (the hives being full of honey during this time of year... busy bees can't sleep either). It's also called the Planting Moon. Maybe that is what I should do when I can't sleep. Go plant some snapdragons around the rosebushes or a few tomato plants in the garden under the blessings of a Planter's Moon. Back to Home Depot in the morning which, by the way, is only hours from now. Well, I got a name for the full moon tonight the "Blankety Blank Moon can go" .... ah, you get the picture. Nighty nite!

P.S. Belated (only because it's past midnight) Happy Birthday to my youngest son, Jacob. He was born on June 28, 1979 at 2:30 in the morning in Santa Maria, California. Picture a starry sky and a full Planter's Moon (or how about the Birthing Moon) high in the sky above Valley Community Hospital, 31 years ago today, tonight, whatever. You can bet, I wasn't sleeping that night either.