Worm Moon

The Full Worm Moon got its name because this is the time that temperatures begin warming, the ground begins to thaw and earthworm casts appear, heralding the return of the robins.

Other names: Full Crow Moon, Full Crust Moon, Full Sap Moon.

I often wonder what it'd be like if we had TWO moons orbiting earth... I think it'd be amazing and awesome if we looked up into the night sky and saw two bright discs shining down. Just me?

Distractions

I haven't written anything - new or otherwise - for the past several weeks (grocery lists don't count). I'm trying to not to worry, trying to just go with it, hoping the break will be a good thing. In thinking about it, I've determined there are a number of things distracting me (of course it might be that I'm easily distracted):

* New kittens: yes, they are adorable. But! Daisy is a female and this is important for two reasons: 1) I've never before had a female pet (well, except for a cat named Nancy - after Nancy Drew, of course - but I was only 8 so that doesn't count) and 2) females go into heat. Without warning. Geez, what a baptism. And talk about timing: Diesel was neutered just TWO days before Daisy went into heat.

* Rejections: they're rolling in right and left and while, theoretically, this should inspire me to get back to it, it's somehow not. At nearly 7500 words, my story is *very* long, but I was sure, optimistic, hopeful that the good feeling I had about one journal in particular would pan out. Not so.

* Garden: I've been thinking about planting a garden for a couple of years, about really committing to growing some vegetables, to giving my tomato plants a respectable place to thrive (instead of having to share space with the flowers), and I think this is the year. But it takes lots of work. And planning.

* Composting: also been thinking about composting, about creating my own "black gold." But where to put it?

* Ireland: my husband and I, along with his family, are going to Ireland in July. Lots to talk about, to plan. One of my assigned jobs: book the flights.

* Photography: we bought a really cool digital camera, a Nikon D80, 18 months ago. The problem is that I don't know how to use all the fancy buttons/features. The manual, you ask? Have you ever read one? So I took a class 3 weeks ago and it was the best $90 I spent. So now when it snows, or when the sun shines/sets, when the light falls just so, I'm outside experimenting with depth of field, bracketing, playing with the aperture and shutter settings.

I could go on, but you get the idea. These are all valid distractions, right? Examples of life getting in the way? Last month, over at JMWW, Dave Erlewine interviewed Michael Czyzniejewski and one topic discussed was writer's block. Michael's take on it was that writer's block doesn't exist, that it's just another name for being lazy or not caring or being frustrated. So maybe I need to take a forceful, disciplined approach: park my butt in a chair, pencil in hand, cup of tea at the ready, and... write.

Spring?

Two noteworthy things are happening simultaneously here in my neck of the woods: the weatherman has forecast sunny conditions for 4 - count 'em: one, two, three, four! - days in a row (today is day 3) AND the temperature is supposed to hit 60 degrees today.

First, the sun: For everyone living just about anywhere but here it seems, opening your drapes on any given morning and seeing the sun is a normal experience. Not so in sunless Wisconsin. A month or two ago, during the deep dark days of winter, I counted 3 days of sun in a 14-day period.

Second, the temperatures: Yesterday it was in the mid-50's; teenagers were wearing shorts and flip-flops. That might be pushing it, but 60 degrees in mid-March is a wonderful thing, especially given that the average around here is 44 degrees. With 4 days of sunshine and temps in the low 60's it's easy to think spring is here. But, really, this is Wisconsin. Who am I kidding?

Meet Daisy and Diesel

We have 2 new family members: Daisy and Diesel. They are brother and sister and are very, very cute. Daisy is the black one and is more reserved, cautious. Diesel runs full tilt. Truth be told, I wasn't quite ready for a new kitty (or 2!); it's only been 4 month's since Pudding's passing. But their story tugged at my heartstrings and I took a leap of faith. These are the only 2 surviving kittens from the litter: a fox or coyote got the others. The mama cat dragged them up to the porch of a nearby farmhouse in an attempt to keep them from harm. The farmhouse folks took them in, fed them, and kept them safe, and then found them a new home: ours.

Who knew naming pets was so hard? We've had several pets over the years and I don't remember it being so difficult for everyone to agree on a name. Maybe it's because we have to agree on TWO names. Here's a sampling of the names we've considered (some of which were briefly adopted) and discarded:

* Sookie and Bill - I just couldn't call a cat Bill even though everyone came up with funny nicknames like Pecos Bill, Wild Bill, Bodacious Bill.
* Dr. Quinn (Medicine Woman) and Walker Texas Ranger - Quinn actually stuck for a while but Walker didn't feel right.
* Oprah and Dr. Phil - this was just plain funny

For him:
* Toro (as in the lawnmower because he purrs so loud)
* Bruno
* Brutus
* Rocky
* Duke
* Felix (this one stuck for a couple of days)

For her:
* Lexie (I really liked this and campaigned hard for it)