Magic Monday: Blue Moons

Good morning, dearest. Here we are, at the start of week 36. Are you feeling the desire to make your appearance soon? It is a blue moon this Friday.

(photo by Revera, Creative Commons) Both holy and insane?

Sometimes people will say, "It  happens once in a blue moon," and that's because a blue moon is a rare thing. All it means, though, is that we have another full moon this month (so it's a calendar blue moon, and not a seasonal one), right on the edge of our transition from summer into autumn. But, is that all it means, really? The moon makes folks feel religious, crazy, superstitious--magical. Even Neil Armstrong, who just passed away, said that, "I think we're going to the moon because it's in the nature of the human being to face challenges. It's by the nature of his deep inner soul ... we're required to do these things just as salmon swim upstream." The moon is a part of our souls.

Because the moon is cyclical, it's often associated with women. Women are all about the cycle, right? Almost every culture has some sort of goddess (some have multiple) associated with the moon.

Diana not only governs hunting and the moon, but birthin' babies, too!

The science says that even though people think more babies are born on the full moon, that it just ain't so. I love science, but sometimes it really sucks the fun out of stuff. The magic part goes that if we're mostly water, and the moon can control the tides, the moon should definitely have an influence on our bodies, right? So, if you decide to make your appearance this weekend, then we'll chalk it up to Diana. And if you wait a couple more weeks, we'll chalk one up for the scientists. Either way, magic wins, because you'll be in my arms.

"And then there suddenly appeared before me/The only one my arms will ever hold." Although Ella doesn't seem to like this version, I like the playfulness.

Magic Monday: the morning walk

Good morning, Maeby H.

What a weekend! A bit of scary, a lot of exhausting, and here we are, at the beginning of another week.

Most mornings, since we've been together, I try to go for a little walk. I live in a pretty fascinating neighborhood, and I thought I'd share a few highlights from my magical mornings.

Fruits and Veggies

Good morning, Maybe Hazel.

According to the bump, you're transitioning from cucumber- to pineapple-sized proportions. Certainly, it feels that way! And speaking of fruits and veggies, it seems to me that if my body were in desperate need of certain nutrients, then I would have insatiable cravings for, say, a heaping helping of steamed broccoli. Ummm. No, thanks. But I would love me some french fries, followed by some chocolate stuffed with caramel. Maybe a handful of gummy bears for dessert.

I'm trying to eat well. I would say that I generally eat better than a lot of folks, but I have my weaknesses (currently: chocolate in its many incarnations, fries, ice cream). And I have my aversions (currently, any leftover that's been in the fridge, popcorn, fish).

What I'm trying to do is bring up my vitamin D and my iron levels. My midwife would like my D levels to be at 30, and I've brought them from a "9" to a "25," so, getting there. My iron levels actually dipped lower than they were a few months ago. Pretty sure I've always had anemia issues, and those issues started their rearing lame-sauce, weak-blooded heads when I was training for half marathons. It was recommended that I start taking Floradix and adding in some extra protein calories in the form of a green shake.

The green shake was a bust. It was only after I had a shake (a shake that tasted suspiciously like I imagined hay blended with grass might taste) that I thought to look more carefully at the ingredients. Among the hundreds of things on the "Don't You Dare Eat That" list: ginseng and licorice. Go figure. The Floradix isn't so bad. Reminds me of some taste from my childhood. 

Getting my D levels right will (hopefully, fingers and toes crossed!) make it easier to give birth to you. Getting my iron levels right will (hopefully, fingers and toes crossed!) make it possible for me to have the energy to keep up with you.