Happy First Full Moon of the Year!

The ferry workers can almost set their calendars by us. Three or four of us cross over from town to the smaller island by ferry once a month to meet together with our island friends when the moon is full and bright.

One of the crewman cheerily called down to us from above last night: "The full moon's TOMORROW night, ladies! "

"Yes, we know! ", we called back sweetly. "Thank you!"

Happy New Year everyone!

I just wanted to share with you a little part from yesterday evening.

I was standing outside in the wintry air in my friend's backyard. My head was tilted back, I was just looking up at the sky and feeling the moonlight on my face. All day long it had squalled with rain, but now the air was curiously balmy for January and the stars peeped out of a beautiful black sky lit by an amazing ripe moon.

This is my resolution, my intention, for 2007:

Life rushes by too fast sometimes and I have a habit of always looking forward to the next thing, sometimes forgetting to live in the present.

I would like to just STOP, like I did last night, more often in my life and just look around myself unhurriedly, and feel what comes to my senses.

We were very near the ocean and I could hear soft waves from the beach. There was a full creek rushing with water somewhere in the woods nearby. The grass beneath my feet squished with moisture. A farm gate creaked in the occasional gusts of wind that lifted our hair and played with it. The welcoming smell of woodsmoke from my friend's stove drifted by me...

For maybe twenty minutes, we all just stood without words and enjoyed the beauty of being alive and in nature.

I wish my friends and readers lots of that good feeling in 2007!