a total eclipse

Leaving dinner with a friend last night we were watching the sky light up with brilliant colors. Flashing through the soft layers of clouds on the horizon.  It was still warm and the humidity was a bit higher than it's been.  Not really a sign of a coming storm.  If anything, it looked like heat lightening. No distant rumble of thunder, just brilliant flashes of multicolored lights.

It seemed like the perfect end to a perfect day. As if the sky above us was taking a final bow, just before the curtain closed on an award winning show. 

Hubs and I had the most wonderful day!  We'd opted out of the traffic and chaos.  We had decided that we simply wanted to enjoy the wonder on our own.  We'd invited our girl, but she was concerned that it could harm our sweet youngest grand and stayed at home. 

With our chairs aligned, fans arranged to keep us cool and our approved glasses at the ready, we got comfy for the next few hours of the greatest show on earth.  

No where to go, nothing to do but relax and enjoy. 

I've never worn a pair of eclipse glasses before.  So needless to say, even though I have lived in many places with partial eclipses I have never experienced the wonder.  As early as yesterday morning I was struggling to understand the people that would pay thousands of dollars to witness the beauty. I was struggling (even though I was excited) to grasp the enormity of it all.  That people would travel thousands of miles to witness something that would easily be available on television, the internet and all forms of social media.  I mean seriously?  Haven't we all become accustom to living vicariously? 

No one ever explained and I personally never even tested the wonder of eclipse glasses.  I've never looked at the sun and not had that moment of wincing, the rapid looking away experience that all of us have endured. As we were listening to the news a bit earlier an astronomer was explaining first contact. That we would not be able to see it, that it was simply impossible for the naked eye.  A telescope would be needed. That absolutely did not stop us from trying. 

First contact was not a possibility.  But it did give me a chance to play with my phone's camera and my glasses.  

Over the next hour we watched through our glasses the moon slowly appearing to take a bite out of the sun.  At first it looked like a giant cookie monster bite... chomp, chomp.  

Being in the path of totality was such an incredible experience.  Initially we watched wispy clouds blowing past, concerned that we would not be able to see it.  They disappeared fairly quickly.

I don't know that if we had not been intentionally enjoying the experience if we would have noticed all the subtle changes leading up to that minute and 38 seconds of totality. The way we were laying in our chairs we were able to look up and watch the moons progress and look down under the edge of our glasses and observe the world around us.  I wish I had been able to get true pictures of the beauty with my camera, but I opted for little photography.  I wanted to keep it forever in my memory. 

Slowly.  That is the word I choose for the experience.  Slowly I watched the bright orange glow disappear.  Slowly the heat became less intense, the sweat on the back of my neck was replaced by goosebumps and the fans swirled the cooling air past us.  Slowly the light dimmed, almost as if somehow we had replaced the natural light with an indoor light that was fading out. 

It was covered about 90% in this picture

Slowly the woods surrounding our house became very, very quiet.  The color became greenish, like when a storm is moving in. 

Just as we were marveling at this wonder my phone buzzed, my girl was texting saying how creepy it was outside.  I called her back to ask if she was actually watching through eclipse glasses.  She wasn't. I told her that it was amazing to see this tiny sliver of sun showing around the moon.  It was still bright at that moment, we hadn't hit totality.  The tiny spot showing was still powerful enough to light our planet.  

The cicadas  that had been so quiet in the moments before roared to life.  The sound was almost overwhelming. I was stunned.  Everything I'd read lead me to believe that they would be stunned to silence.  Yet they were louder than ever.  They seemed to know something amazing was going to happen.  Maybe they were excited, maybe they were fearful, maybe confused.  Who knows?

As we hung up to enjoy the moment, that little spot faded. 

Darkness. 

Not the darkness I anticipated.  My solar lights all came on in full brightness.  And where that glowing orange globe had been hanging in the sky was the most breathtaking sight.  The dark circle of the moon was surrounded with an eerily bright white halo.  Not circular, exactly, more jagged.  It looked like a rock dropped into a sea of black that had liquid light below.  Splashing up around the edges.  

Looking around in the middle of the day at the darkness was humbling.  It truly made you feel how tiny you are. 

Almost as quickly, it was the cool green being lightened by a beautiful sunrise that seemed to come from everywhere.  Putting my glasses back on I was blessed to see the "diamond ring".  That same itty bitty spot had miraculously lit our world again.  

The cicadas stopped almost as quickly as they started.  Silence again.

We laid in our chairs for most of the final show.  Only leaving as the sun rapidly warmed us back up. Sweat replacing goosebumps.   We stepped back out multiple times glancing up through our glasses to enjoy the view.  The gift from above. 

almost 90% cleared...

I delighted in everyone's comments, thoughts, text messages, etc yesterday.  For a moment in time, we all became Americans.  Some of us suffered disappointment as a large cloud followed the eclipse in, but at the same time delighted in being part of something bigger than ourselves.  The pictures, the beauty, the power of nature to awe and inspire. 

Hubs and I didn't let the calmness of the day slip by unnoticed.  We both savored our vacation day. The morning had been spent doing chores and preparing for splendor.  The afternoon.  Was spent on us.  We both grabbed a much needed nap. And then joined a friend for a wonderful meal and fellowship. Yesterday was a day full of blessings. 

Today, is also full of blessings.  Even when we don't always realize it. This morning the thunder roared, the lightening lit the skies in a completely different way.  And the rain poured down.  It's been slow to see the light today.  The skies are usually bright and glaring by this point in the day. Today, they are soggy, gray/green and wet. 

Our boys did agree to a long, soggy walk.  Most unusual.  Maybe they needed to feel the beauty of nature. 

I did. 

My hair is still damp.  My coffee is now cold. 

But my spirit feels fresh and alive. Each time I forget nature reminds me that it is the perfect balm for whatever ails you. It heals the spirit, awakens the mind and restores the body.  I think back to different times of trials in my life, each time it was being one with nature that healed me.  I believe it is the Japanese that practice Forest Bathing.  Maybe the rest of the world needs to realize this?

Soon it will go dark...

The sunrise this morning is so "normal". Hard to believe that in a few short hours there will be a total eclipse. Something so extraordinary. It hasn't happened in Missouri in August 1, 1869. Luckily we won't have to wait that long for the next.  It's going to be on April 8, 2024, a mere 7 years.

Hubs and I took the day off.  For people that are fascinated with the heavens and pretty much the glory of all things in nature, well it only seemed "natural".  Our original plans had us heading to Hermann, MO to enjoy the view on the side of a hill in a vineyard, with a few thousand of our closest friends.

We have our blankets ready, extra wine, snacks to pack and wait a minute... did we really see 30 mile long traffic in Oregon.  What is with all of these RV's we've been spotting around town?

Plan change.  Back to the store to pick up different lunch food.  A bottle of single barrel.  And sky check from the back deck.

Yep, we are going to be sitting on our own deck, in our comfy chairs, with our jack and cokes and our crazy cool eclipse glasses. From the comfort of our own back yard we will have full view of the entire eclipse.

Okay so in Hermann it is going to last for 2 minutes and 30 seconds.  Here in our little corner of the world it is 1 minute and 51 seconds.  When you weigh the difference of our peaceful backyard, with crowds in the thousands... well for us that is a no brainer.  Not to mention the sheer volume of traffic and parking issues.  No thanks.  Car can stay parked and we can enjoy without being overwhelmed by the crowds.

It's easy to feel the excitement that is buzzing around.  The thrill of being able to see it first hand.  It's also easy to imagine the shock and fear it must have produced in days gone by.

I mean can you imagine if we didn't have so much technology surrounding us?  Can you imagine the terror that must have been felt by the farmers in the fields and the school children outside at lunch?  A minute or two seems like such a brief snippet of time.  But if your world has gone black, when it should be bright, that would seem like an eternity.

Now we have people spending thousands of dollars to chase the eclipse on plane high above our heads. RV's and hotels all along the path of totality.  The sheer insanity of it all. I am sure it would have overwhelmed our ancestors to no end.

Hubs was sharing with me this morning that he'd heard on television that hotels are cancelling reservations made months ago, in an attempt to get their hands on the big money people are willing to shell out to be a part of this event.  I have to admit, it made me sick.  I'm glad I haven't turned on the news, I feel it would anger me and I want to preserve this incredible, restful feeling. I want to savor this day.  I don't want greed and selfishness to intrude.  I want to enjoy the gift.  Who knows if I will still be here in 7 years, tomorrow isn't promised to any of us.

I keep reading to keep your animals inside, maybe I am too simplistic, but... Do animals truly grasp an eclipse? Are all of the wild animals going to be seeking shelter or staring helplessly into the blinding light.  As it is I've never witnessed my boys staring at the sun.  A blade of grass, definitely, but the sun, never.

Now I will keep them inside only because I want to enjoy the beauty and splendor of the moment without worrying if they are freaking out due to the change.  I will say they are both acting pretty normal right now, so if they can sense it in the atmosphere they sure aren't letting me in on the secret.

I'm looking forward to this early afternoon celestial display.  Me, Hubs and the 2017 Great American Solar Eclipse.  Where will you be?

I'm tired....

It was a beautiful morning, somehow Mother Nature didn't get the memo that it is mid-August in the Mid-West.  The sheer fact that it is 75 and breezy in August is simply amazing! I was sitting outside trying to enjoy it, but those darn annual cicada's are making the noise level too much for me.

I'd love to be out on the motorcycle with hubs, savoring this wonderful day.  Unfortunately, our weekend didn't quite pan out as planned.

I worked yesterday, overseeing an overflowing class of eager instructors perfecting their skills on our QueenAx system.  I was expecting to participate due to low numbers.  But as more and more showed up, I willingly gave up my spot on the super functional.  For me it was a basic understanding and work out, for them, it was a chance to hone their skills and help them to really rock that program.  No brainer!

Today, the dedicated Hubs, is helping one of his maintenance technicians that is shy on staff change out every light in his gym and pool.  Seems the tech is as afraid of heights as I am.  So Hubs volunteered his day to help him out.

Truthfully, while I would love being out playing.  It's probably best that I'm not.  Work has been a little consuming lately and the house and yard have suffered greatly.

While outside I could hear the neighbor mowing her yard, reminding me that I need to take care of that. Finding a reliable yard care person has been a challenge. I do have some outside chores to address, but Hubs has loaned out the pressure washer to one of his branches and I don't want to paint the door and window frames until I can get them cleaned.  And those darn cicadas... That sound truly annoys me.

Instead, I decided to focus on the house, seems the Hubs is fond of clean clothes for work.  And maybe even catching up on my long neglected chores.  If I didn't have such a paranoia about strangers in my house, it might even be time to consider a house keeper.  Sadly, I know that there is no way on this planet that I would be comfortable with it.  I don't want people messing around in my house.

Instead, I will find the time to do it myself, or it can simply wait.

As I am resting from tackling this expanding to do list. Seems I might have added baking a loaf of German bread and cleaning out my cupboards to the list, quite unexpectedly.  I am reflecting on all the news that is blowing up my phone, my FaceBook and my newsfeeds.  I am sitting here in stunned awe over the amount of hatred this world is forming.

It appears to be oozing into every minute of every day.  I was trying to enjoy a peaceful day.  Not focusing on work.  Simply on being.  I thought about going to get a manicure, but frankly the act of putting on "going outside" clothes, just felt overwhelming today.

I chatted with my dear friend for a while and my baby sister.  I put veggie scraps out for the silly little box turtle that's been hanging out in the back yard. As I was doing my regular chores, I just kept thinking.

I can't bring myself to read the articles.  I don't even want to read the headlines.  I'm tired of the hatred. The anger that is spewing out of every corner.  There is not one ethnicity, gender, or religion that seems to truly be able to just live at peace with one another.

As a history buff, it disturbs me the amount of history that is being wiped out globally.  Not because it is especially meaningful to me.  Honestly, I haven't paid much attention to these various disputes, I don't have the time or energy.  What disturbs me, is that I am a firm believer that those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. In our rush to erase the painful past are we clearing the path for us to once again live out those very actions?

I don't like any groups that claim supremacy. None of us are of greater value than the next. And it fills my heart with great sadness when I hear of these terrifying events.  In each instance the hatred grows.

Then my heart screams out to know who or what is trying to desperately to separate us?  I only know of one race.  The human race.  Maybe being a 60's baby instilled in me the love thy neighbor gene? Maybe the day will come that my rose colored glasses don't look so odd.

I'm tired of the hatred. I'm tired of the destruction.  I'm tired of the death.  I'm tired of lies and deceit. I'm tired of all of it.

Does it cost so much to give each other hugs?  To be a listening ear? To listen and support another's struggle even if you don't understand it?  Is it truly so hard to be responsible for your own actions? And to be honest with ones self?

Did the young person that drove that car into those people truly feel they had no other recourse to express themselves?  Did the people protesting have to present their voice in such a manner?

When did we stop begin able to have a conversation?  When did we resort to being social media bullies, regardless of your side of things?  When did it become okay to throw away the golden rule? Do we even teach that to our children anymore? Do the adults need a refresher course?

There is saber rattling happening at the highest levels.  There are adults acting like school yard bullies in streets of our cities and towns.

The news is not longer "the NEWS" it's propaganda.  It's always someone telling what to believe. It doesn't matter what channel you turn on, there is some talking head, spewing some vitriol, directed at someone or something.

I haven't had the energy to leave my house today. I've needed to insulate myself from some of this. Take a moment and lose myself in the mundane and familiar.

I've been reading as much positive and light as I can squeeze into my world.

I'm tired of the news media.  I'm tired of the glory hounds that are feeding them.  I'm tired.

I want to pour a cup of coffee and sit with friends, new, old and yet to be.  Let's talk about the insanity.

I want to hug someone that needs a hug.  I want to provide a meal to someone that is lost.  I want to laugh with my family, friends and neighbors.

I can't possibly be the only one.

As I took care of my home, did small chores for my Hubs and I.  I wondered if all of these angry people took a moment to just care for another person as they would for themselves, would they be so angry?

I will say a prayer tonight.  I will ask my God to help me be a better, stronger, more loving person. Someone that respects and celebrates our differences.  Because even though our DNA intersects far more than most people will ever admit, we are all different.  Even in our own families. Those very differences are what makes it such a wonderful world.

I'm going to go walk my boys, finish my chores and avoid anymore news.  I can't take it right now. Right now, I want to lose myself in the every day.  Maybe, we all need a bit less brain washing and a bit more connecting to nature and the ordinary.

Looking for peace and love...