I remember "back in the day", when nearly every business was closed on Thanksgiving Day. There were a few convenience stores that were open for a half day...and maybe a whole day for the people travelling by car. And there were a few restaurants, mostly fast-food that was open for the same reason. Or they may have been open for those people that don't observe Thanksgiving for whatever reason. Shopping malls were closed. The holiday was set aside as a day to observe the things you were thankful for...and to give homage to our forefathers, Native Americans and Pilgrims from way back. Families cooked and ate together.....maybe watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and a few football games on TV. It was the "kick-off" to the holiday season...and a time of togetherness.
My, how times have changed! It seems as though we have forgotten about togetherness and being thankful. Now it's all about the mighty dollar. It's true what they are saying...Only in American can you have a holiday to show that you are thankful for what you already have. Only to shop and trample all over complete strangers the next day to buy shit that you and your kids don't need. But, wait!!! You don't have to wait until the following day, known as Black Friday anymore! There's a list of nearly 20 retailers that gives a big "F*ck You" to it's employees and forces them to work on a holiday dealing with mobs of people that have seemingly gone mad...instead of having dinner with their own families. Some of these stores will even be open at 6am...on Thanksgiving Day. They are telling their employees they HAVE to work and if they ask for the day off or call out, they will be fired.
What the hell? Why does EVERYTHING have to be about the bottom dollar? I understand that this year there are far less shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. But why do retailers get to treat their employees virtually like slaves just to make a few bucks. Keep in mind, these employees are almost always making minimum wage, which at the time of this post is $7.25 an hour. Often times, these employees feel like they HAVE to work holidays just to help make ends meet.
When can we get back to the basics....back to what is important during the holidays...family togetherness and teaching our kids what is TRULY important???
Now, I will admit, for the first time EVER, I am going out to eat at a restaurant tomorrow. But you can bet that if my waiter/waitress is good he/she will be getting one hell of a tip...just for putting up with us instead eating their own Thanksgiving Dinner in their own home...with their own families. It's the least I can do to say, "Thanks" for making our holiday a good one.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Thanksgiving: What Was Originally Served
Today, the traditional Thanksgiving dinner includes any number of dishes: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, candied yams, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. But if one were to create a historically accurate feast, consisting of only those foods that historians are certain were served at the so-called “first Thanksgiving,” there would be slimmer pickings. “Wildfowl was there. Corn, in grain form for bread or for porridge, was there. Venison was there,” says Kathleen Wall. “These are absolutes.”
Two primary sources—the only surviving documents that reference the meal—confirm that these staples were part of the harvest celebration shared by the Pilgrims and Wampanoag at Plymouth Colony in 1621. Edward Winslow, an English leader who attended, wrote home to a friend:
“Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others.”
William Bradford, the governor Winslow mentions, also described the autumn of 1621, adding, “And besides waterfowl there was great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many, besides venison, etc. Besides, they had about a peck a meal a week to a person, or now since harvest, Indian corn to that proportion.”
But determining what else the colonists and Wampanoag might have eaten at the 17th-century feast takes some digging. To form educated guesses, Wall, a foodways culinarian at Plimoth Plantation, a living history museum in Plymouth, Massachusetts, studies cookbooks and descriptions of gardens from the period, archaeological remains such as pollen samples that might clue her in to what the colonists were growing.
Our discussion begins with the bird. Turkey was not the centerpiece of the meal, as it is today, explains Wall. Though it is possible the colonists and American Indians cooked wild turkey, she suspects that goose or duck was the wildfowl of choice. In her research, she has found that swan and passenger pigeons would have been available as well. “Passenger pigeons—extinct in the wild for over a century now—were so thick in the 1620s, they said you could hear them a quarter-hour before you saw them,” says Wall. “They say a man could shoot at the birds in flight and bring down 200.”
Small birds were often spit-roasted, while larger birds were boiled. “I also think some birds—in a lot of recipes you see this—were boiled first, then roasted to finish them off. Or things are roasted first and then boiled,” says Wall. “The early roasting gives them nicer flavor, sort of caramelizes them on the outside and makes the broth darker.”
It is possible that the birds were stuffed, though probably not with bread. (Bread, made from maize not wheat, was likely a part of the meal, but exactly how it was made is unknown.) The Pilgrims instead stuffed birds with chunks of onion and herbs. “There is a wonderful stuffing for goose in the 17th-century that is just shelled chestnuts,” says Wall. “I am thinking of that right now, and it is sounding very nice.” Since the first Thanksgiving was a three-day celebration, she adds, “I have no doubt whatsoever that birds that are roasted one day, the remains of them are all thrown in a pot and boiled up to make broth the next day. That broth thickened with grain to make a pottage.”
In addition to wildfowl and deer, the colonists and Wampanoag probably ate eels and shellfish, such as lobster, clams and mussels. “They were drying shellfish and smoking other sorts of fish,” says Wall.
According to the culinarian, the Wampanoag, like most eastern woodlands people, had a “varied and extremely good diet.” The forest provided chestnuts, walnuts and beechnuts. “They grew flint corn (multicolored Indian corn), and that was their staple. They grew beans, which they used from when they were small and green until when they were mature,” says Wall. “They also had different sorts of pumpkins or squashes.”
As we are taught in school, the Indians showed the colonists how to plant native crops. “The English colonists plant gardens in March of 1620 and 1621,” says Wall. “We don’t know exactly what’s in those gardens. But in later sources, they talk about turnips, carrots, onions, garlic and pumpkins as the sorts of things that they were growing.”
Of course, to some extent, the exercise of reimagining the spread of food at the 1621 celebration becomes a process of elimination. “You look at what an English celebration in England is at this time. What are the things on the table? You see lots of pies in the first course and in the second course, meat and fish pies. To cook a turkey in a pie was not terribly uncommon,” says Wall. “But it is like, no, the pastry isn’t there.” The colonists did not have butter and wheat flour to make crusts for pies and tarts. (That’s right: No pumpkin pie!) “That is a blank in the table, for an English eye. So what are they putting on instead? I think meat, meat and more meat,” says Wall.
Meat without potatoes, that is. White potatoes, originating in South America, and sweet potatoes, from the Caribbean, had yet to infiltrate North America. Also, there would have been no cranberry sauce. It would be another 50 years before an Englishman wrote about boiling cranberries and sugar into a “Sauce to eat with. . . .Meat.” Says Wall: “If there was beer, there were only a couple of gallons for 150 people for three days.” She thinks that to wash it all down the English and Wampanoag drank water.
All this, naturally, begs a follow-up question. So how did the Thanksgiving menu evolve into what it is today?
Wall explains that the Thanksgiving holiday, as we know it, took root in the mid-19th century. At this time, Edward Winslow’s letter, printed in a pamphlet called Mourt’s Relation, and Governor Bradford’s manuscript, titled Of Plimoth Plantation, were rediscovered and published. Boston clergyman Alexander Young printed Winslow’s letter in his Chronicles of the Pilgrim Fathers, and in the footnotes to the resurrected letter, he somewhat arbitrarily declared the feast the first Thanksgiving. (Wall and others at Plimoth Plantation prefer to call it “the harvest celebration in 1621.”) There was nostalgia for colonial times, and by the 1850s, most states and territories were celebrating Thanksgiving.
Sarah Josepha Hale, editor of the popular women’s magazine Godey’s Lady’s Book, , a real trendsetter for running a household, was a leading voice in establishing Thanksgiving as an annual event. Beginning in 1827, Hale petitioned 13 presidents, the last of whom was Abraham Lincoln. She pitched her idea to President Lincoln as a way to unite the country in the midst of the Civil War, and, in 1863, he made Thanksgiving a national holiday.
Throughout her campaign, Hale printed Thanksgiving recipes and menus in Godey’s Lady’s Book. She also published close to a dozen cookbooks. “She is really planting this idea in the heads of lots of women that this is something they should want to do,” says Wall. “So when there finally is a national day of Thanksgiving, there is a whole body of women who are ready for it, who know what to do because she told them. A lot of the food that we think of—roast turkey with sage dressing, creamed onions, mashed turnips, even some of the mashed potato dishes, which were kind of exotic then—are there.”
Thanksgiving: How It Began
In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn't until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.
In September 1620, a small ship called the Mayflower left Plymouth, England, carrying 102 passengers—an assortment of religious separatists seeking a new home where they could freely practice their faith and other individuals lured by the promise of prosperity and land ownership in the New World. After a treacherous and uncomfortable crossing that lasted 66 days, they dropped anchor near the tip of Cape Cod, far north of their intended destination at the mouth of the Hudson River. One month later, the Mayflower crossed Massachusetts Bay, where the Pilgrims, as they are now commonly known, began the work of establishing a village at Plymouth.
Throughout that first brutal winter, most of the colonists remained on board the ship, where they suffered from exposure, scurvy and outbreaks of contagious disease. Only half of the Mayflower’s original passengers and crew lived to see their first New England spring. In March, the remaining settlers moved ashore, where they received an astonishing visit from an Abenaki Indian who greeted them in English. Several days later, he returned with another Native American, Squanto, a member of the Pawtuxet tribe who had been kidnapped by an English sea captain and sold into slavery before escaping to London and returning to his homeland on an exploratory expedition. Squanto taught the Pilgrims, weakened by malnutrition and illness, how to cultivate corn, extract sap from maple trees, catch fish in the rivers and avoid poisonous plants. He also helped the settlers forge an alliance with the Wampanoag, a local tribe, which would endure for more than 50 years and tragically remains one of the sole examples of harmony between European colonists and Native Americans.
In November 1621, after the Pilgrims’ first corn harvest proved successful, Governor William Bradford organized a celebratory feast and invited a group of the fledgling colony’s Native American allies, including the Wampanoag chief Massasoit. Now remembered as American’s “first Thanksgiving”—although the Pilgrims themselves may not have used the term at the time—the festival lasted for three days. While no record exists of the historic banquet’s exact menu, the Pilgrim chronicler Edward Winslow wrote in his journal that Governor Bradford sent four men on a “fowling” mission in preparation for the event, and that the Wampanoag guests arrived bearing five deer. Historians have suggested that many of the dishes were likely prepared using traditional Native American spices and cooking methods. Because the Pilgrims had no oven and the Mayflower’s sugar supply had dwindled by the fall of 1621, the meal did not feature pies, cakes or other desserts, which have become a hallmark of contemporary celebrations.
Pilgrims held their second Thanksgiving celebration in 1623 to mark the end of a long drought that had threatened the year’s harvest and prompted Governor Bradford to call for a religious fast. Days of fasting and thanksgiving on an annual or occasional basis became common practice in other New England settlements as well. During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress designated one or more days of thanksgiving a year, and in 1789 George Washington issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation by the national government of the United States; in it, he called upon Americans to express their gratitude for the happy conclusion to the country’s war of independence and the successful ratification of the U.S. Constitution. His successors John Adams and James Madison also designated days of thanks during their presidencies.
In 1817, New York became the first of several states to officially adopt an annual Thanksgiving holiday; each celebrated it on a different day, however, and the American South remained largely unfamiliar with the tradition. In 1827, the noted magazine editor and prolific writer Sarah Josepha Hale—author, among countless other things, of the nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb”—launched a campaign to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday. For 36 years, she published numerous editorials and sent scores of letters to governors, senators, presidents and other politicians. Abraham Lincoln finally heeded her request in 1863, at the height of the Civil War, in a proclamation entreating all Americans to ask God to “commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife” and to “heal the wounds of the nation.” He scheduled Thanksgiving for the final Thursday in November, and it was celebrated on that day every year until 1939, when Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday up a week in an attempt to spur retail sales during the Great Depression. Roosevelt’s plan, known derisively as Franksgiving, was met with passionate opposition, and in 1941 the president reluctantly signed a bill making Thanksgiving the fourth Thursday in November.
In 1817, New York became the first of several states to officially adopt an annual Thanksgiving holiday; each celebrated it on a different day, however, and the American South remained largely unfamiliar with the tradition. In 1827, the noted magazine editor and prolific writer Sarah Josepha Hale—author, among countless other things, of the nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb”—launched a campaign to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday. For 36 years, she published numerous editorials and sent scores of letters to governors, senators, presidents and other politicians. Abraham Lincoln finally heeded her request in 1863, at the height of the Civil War, in a proclamation entreating all Americans to ask God to “commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife” and to “heal the wounds of the nation.” He scheduled Thanksgiving for the final Thursday in November, and it was celebrated on that day every year until 1939, when Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday up a week in an attempt to spur retail sales during the Great Depression. Roosevelt’s plan, known derisively as Franksgiving, was met with passionate opposition, and in 1941 the president reluctantly signed a bill making Thanksgiving the fourth Thursday in November.
Saturday, November 16, 2013
One Of The Worst Days Of My Life
Today, is the 8th "anniversary" of my father's death. In honor of this day, I thought I would repost the entry here that was originally titled, "I'm Not Really Daddy's Little Girl".
As I said last time, my parents divorced when I was just a baby....18 months old or so. My brothers, Todd & Brian, were 7 & 4, respectively. While we lived in Yanceyville NC, dad chose to live in West Unity, Ohio with his second wife and her kids. He never made much effort to visit us. Actually he made no effort at all. My brothers would spend their summer vacations with him. But I stayed home because of all my hospital stays and surgeries due to Spina Bifida. Don't worry. I'm still gonna explain SB in a future blog. So, anyway, I never got to spend much time with Dad at all. I saw him when mom and I would go take my brothers for their visit and I would occasionally talk to him on the phone. But that's about it. We really didn't know each other at all.
As I said last time, my parents divorced when I was just a baby....18 months old or so. My brothers, Todd & Brian, were 7 & 4, respectively. While we lived in Yanceyville NC, dad chose to live in West Unity, Ohio with his second wife and her kids. He never made much effort to visit us. Actually he made no effort at all. My brothers would spend their summer vacations with him. But I stayed home because of all my hospital stays and surgeries due to Spina Bifida. Don't worry. I'm still gonna explain SB in a future blog. So, anyway, I never got to spend much time with Dad at all. I saw him when mom and I would go take my brothers for their visit and I would occasionally talk to him on the phone. But that's about it. We really didn't know each other at all.
As time went on and as Todd and Brian got older, they chose, one by one, to not visit dad any longer. They didn't want to spend their summers away from their friends in NC. I can't really blame them. Most of the year, he was a stranger. Then during the summer, they were expected to go and be the happy family there. I suspect that they also wanted to stay true to our mother and not bond with Dad...though that has never been spoken and I don't think she would have wanted it that way.
Dad was never there for us for anything really. He sent his obligatory child support, and Christmas and birthday gifts/money. I don't think he ever realized that what we wanted and needed was HIM. And he didn't realize until the end that HE needed US. Still, I still had a fantastic life without him. I honestly don't think he was missed much at all...at least not physically. Mom was mom AND dad to us and she did a damn good job of it. I don't ever remember a time that I wished he had been there or was sad because he missed a school play. I had mom for that.
He visited us for ONE day in 1997...for a few hours, while he was on his way to a NASCAR race in Martinsville, VA...not far from us at all. Then, in 2003, his wife died of lung cancer. I suspect that it was her wish for him to reconnect with us and that's what he did. He spent a couple of weeks in NC with us...getting to know us. I cherish those moments. They were really good. He and mom buried the old hatchet too. LOL They were truly good times and it was so wonderful having a complete family...if only for a short period of time.
My dad said he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2004. That may be true. But I think he knew long before that. He may have known when he came to visit us in July 2003. Maybe THAT's why he came to us. I think he knew he had it though. And I think he thought that once he got through everything with his wife, that he'd have time to see a doctor and treat himself. But that was not to be. By the time he was officially diagnosed on November 15 2004, the cancer had already spread to multiple parts of his body and he was terminally ill. I was at Lenoir Rhyne College when I found out...a few days before Fall Break. I wasn't suppose to find out until I came home for break. One of my brothers were dating a girl. And she told me one day on Yahoo Messenger. A wonderful way to learn your father is dying. I withdrew from college a few weeks later because they wouldn't allow me the time to take a day or 2 to see Dad. Some of professors had said they would fail me if I took time out of their class to visit dad for violating their attendance policy...though I had not.
Dad was only given a year to live, at best. My brothers and I went to Ohio as often as we could. But I only saw him 2 more times before he passed away peacefully on November 16, 2005. True to my father's spirit and tenacity, he beat his doctor's expectations that he would only live a year---by living one year + one day.
Prior to his death, during one of our visits to him, I finally got up the courage to tell him everything I needed to tell him. I left it all on the table. I knew he would not survive and I could not let him go without telling him how much I love and adore him and forgave him for being an absent Dad. I had an amazing life despite that fact. And I didnt want him leaving this Earth with any regrets or feeling like he wasn't forgiven. That's probably the most important thing I think I have done in my life so far.
The times I shared with Dad between 2003-2005 were few and far between. But I learned so much about him and myself during that time. It made all of those years without him just disappear and now I can look back on my life and I DO have fond memories with my Dad. Those few moments mean more to me than a lifetime of memories could have. I think that happens a lot in life. When you KNOW what the outcome is going to be, you cram as much time and memories as possible in that length of time. It's not the length of time you have. It's what you do with it.
News Around The World
I read 2 articles late last night/early this morning that really pissed me off. I couldn't get them off my mind. So I thought I'd blog about them.
The first article is about a couple in Ohio that adopted an infant boy 9 years ago...and promptly returned him this past October to child services. That's right, folks. They kept this precious little boy for NINE years....then decided to discard him like an UNO card because he had become too difficult to care for. It seems he has been exhibiting aggressive behavior as of late, and HE refused help. I'm sorry, HE refused help? When did we start giving 9 year old children the option of whether or not they want help for their bad behavior? These parents, in my opinion, are just looking for an easy way out. Once you have a child, whether it's biologically or through adoption, that is YOUR child! You don't get to toss them aside on a whim because they are "difficult". When things get rough, you seek help. You don't just give up! Now, this child, a ward of the state of Ohio, is scared and lonely...and probably wondering what happened. Now a prosecutor is seeking to press charges against the "parents" on charges of reckless abandonment of a child. I hope he succeeds. They need to know that you cant just throw away a child without consequences. You can read the article here.
The second article found here, is about a young elk buck that was euthanized this past Friday. Why? Because the "elk had lost its fear of humans after being fed by visitors. The animal had demonstrated dangerous behavior that could result in human injury or death." Here's the video that exhibited the elk's loss of fear in humans. Personally, I love the video. I shows a side of wildlife that many of us will never witness in our lifetime. Did the elk lose his fear of humans? Probably so. Does this put him or humans at risk of injury or death? Again, probably so. Is that the elk's fault? Hell no. So, what, we now kill innocent creatures for being TAME?! I'm gonna call bullshit on that. There were far more other things that could have been done to spare him his life and keep him safe from human interaction. Like, um.....Oh, I don't know....Right off the top of my head, I'd say, a zoo or a wildlife or nature preserve area. There are some great ones in NC, by the way...zoos and wildlife preservation areas. Again, this state, took the easy way out...Because his life doesn't matter apparently.
When, as a society, are we going to stop taking the easy way out?
Why Men Cheat
I watched a very interesting episode of Steve Harvey's talk show today. It was a focus on why men cheat. There were even a panel of men who admitted to cheating in the past....including Steve. They have all reformed their ways and no longer cheat on the women in their lives. Not including Steve, 2 of the men were single. The other 2 were married. One of them was still married to the woman he cheated on. Women from the audience were given the chance to ask them all questions about their adulterous pasts and the panel gave very candid answers.
Each was asked if they had felt guilty after cheating. They all admitted yes. The married guy cheated 9 years ago and he STILL feels guilty for what he did to his wife and children. And now, he has a child with the woman he cheated with. And he feels guilty about that too.
The most important question asked of the panel was, "Why did you do it?" One admitted that he was basically bored in his relationship. The spark was gone. His wife had stopped being sexy. So, he started talking to someone who gave all of that back to him and it escalated from there. One of them admitted it felt as though his manhood was in question because his wife asked another guy for money. The married guy started talking to a female friend...and again, things just escalated. They ALL pointed out that even in their opinions, cheating is not just physical. That once you make that emotional connection with someone that is not your significant other, you are cheating.
Steve pointed out that in every single case, it was NOTHING that the wife did or didn't do that caused the infidelity. Even for the men whose significant other quit dressing sexy or the one that borrowed money from another man. He mentioned that in each situation, it was an insecurity with the man that caused it. I believe that too. He was quick to point out that the saying, "Once a cheater, always a cheater" is false. I wholeheartedly believe that. “Every man can change, and every man eventually will change, but there is only one woman that we will change for.”---Steve Harvey
I will go a step further. Men aren't the only ones that cheat. Women do too. And I think their discussion can apply to women too.
Here's a clip from backstage:
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Food Allergies
I decided on this topic because the holidays and food frenzy are among us. We will be bombarded with holiday dinner parties that we did not host and food dishes that we have NO clue what is in them. It is estimated that 15 million Americans and 1 in 13 children under the age of 18 have some kind of food allergy. I am one of those people. About 10 years ago, I developed an allergy to green bell peppers and to blackberries. Both of which I love dearly.
I have been invited to dinner before and had people tell me, "Well, yeah. It's got green peppers in it. But they're cut really little and there isn't THAT many in the dish at all" Are you freaking kidding me???! ONE minuscule sliver can cause a reaction for me...and many others with food allergies. I don't really expect people to change up their whole menu to accommodate those of us with food allergies, lactose intolerance, and gluten intolerance. Just let us know what's in the dish. We should be given the choice to avoid a food that may cause some sort of reaction for us. And we should do it without ridicule or being made to feel guilty for something that is not our fault.
Food allergies can be VERY uncomfortable and cause itching and rashes or blisters. And they can be down right fatal....that dish that doesn't have "THAT many tiny peppers" can send us to the emergency with anaphylaxis and can potentially kill us. (My allergy borders on the VERY uncomfortable side).
If you are hosting a dinner party and you cannot alter a dish that someone may be allergic to its ingredients, please do not "bully" them for their allergy. The fact that they cannot eat it is nothing against you and your cooking. It's a true medical condition. It's nothing for you to be offended about. So, just tell them that you understand and offer them another one of your delicious dishes that they CAN eat.
If you are the person with the allergy, be FIRM. If you find you're at someone's home and they will not back down, BE FIRM. Do not back down. You're life is too important to do that. If they will not stop, tell them that you appreciate their invitation, but that you must leave. Then go veg out somewhere that you can eat whatever you want with no repercussions. Also, be proactive. Take medication with you wherever you go...whether it's an Epi-pen or Benadryl....or anything you make have to take if you have accidentally ingested food that you're allergic to.
Happy and SAFE eating and happy holidays!!
If you'd like more information on food allergies, please visit: http://www.foodallergy.org/
I have been invited to dinner before and had people tell me, "Well, yeah. It's got green peppers in it. But they're cut really little and there isn't THAT many in the dish at all" Are you freaking kidding me???! ONE minuscule sliver can cause a reaction for me...and many others with food allergies. I don't really expect people to change up their whole menu to accommodate those of us with food allergies, lactose intolerance, and gluten intolerance. Just let us know what's in the dish. We should be given the choice to avoid a food that may cause some sort of reaction for us. And we should do it without ridicule or being made to feel guilty for something that is not our fault.
Food allergies can be VERY uncomfortable and cause itching and rashes or blisters. And they can be down right fatal....that dish that doesn't have "THAT many tiny peppers" can send us to the emergency with anaphylaxis and can potentially kill us. (My allergy borders on the VERY uncomfortable side).
If you are hosting a dinner party and you cannot alter a dish that someone may be allergic to its ingredients, please do not "bully" them for their allergy. The fact that they cannot eat it is nothing against you and your cooking. It's a true medical condition. It's nothing for you to be offended about. So, just tell them that you understand and offer them another one of your delicious dishes that they CAN eat.
If you are the person with the allergy, be FIRM. If you find you're at someone's home and they will not back down, BE FIRM. Do not back down. You're life is too important to do that. If they will not stop, tell them that you appreciate their invitation, but that you must leave. Then go veg out somewhere that you can eat whatever you want with no repercussions. Also, be proactive. Take medication with you wherever you go...whether it's an Epi-pen or Benadryl....or anything you make have to take if you have accidentally ingested food that you're allergic to.
Happy and SAFE eating and happy holidays!!
If you'd like more information on food allergies, please visit: http://www.foodallergy.org/
11/14/2010
No. The title isn't a mistake....This is a reflection on my 3 year anniversary of being separated from my husband. To be honest, I don't know where this entry is going to take me. I just noticed the date and started writing.
I'm not saddened by the end of my marriage (and we are, for now, still legally married)....anymore. I just feel as though I should pay respect to a significant event in my life. I have definitely moved on with my life. And I hope he has too. But in the few days, weeks and months after the separation I was a HOT DAMN MESS!! I had questioned my decision. And it was my decision. I felt as though it was my only choice. Certain things had been done by him and over time I felt as though I was falling out of love...if I was ever truly in love at all.
So, yes. We are still legally married...for now...but that's just semantics. We have not been in each other's lives for 3 years now. As I said, I have moved on. Honestly, my life has been quite amazing in the past 3 years and I have someone that is finally 110% devoted to ME.
I didn't have any certain purpose in this entry....just to get out these thoughts. But if YOU or anyone YOU know are going through a separation/divorce just know that there IS life after divorce. It will get better. I know it may not seem like it now. But it will. There is a saying that time heals everything. But I disagree. Time doesn't do anything. It's what YOU do with the time given that heals you. What I mean is, if you are going through a rough patch...divorce, financial downfalls, loss of a loved one, etc and you are just sitting on your couch eating bon bons and watching soap operas, nothing will ever change. You're still going to feel like shit at the end of the day. BUT if you pick your ass up off the bed or couch, put one foot in front of the other and DO SOMETHING (even if you go out alone, DO SOMETHING), in time your heart will heal. It won't happen over night. But you will get better eventually if you keep moving! I think THAT is my message today.
I'm not saddened by the end of my marriage (and we are, for now, still legally married)....anymore. I just feel as though I should pay respect to a significant event in my life. I have definitely moved on with my life. And I hope he has too. But in the few days, weeks and months after the separation I was a HOT DAMN MESS!! I had questioned my decision. And it was my decision. I felt as though it was my only choice. Certain things had been done by him and over time I felt as though I was falling out of love...if I was ever truly in love at all.
So, yes. We are still legally married...for now...but that's just semantics. We have not been in each other's lives for 3 years now. As I said, I have moved on. Honestly, my life has been quite amazing in the past 3 years and I have someone that is finally 110% devoted to ME.
I didn't have any certain purpose in this entry....just to get out these thoughts. But if YOU or anyone YOU know are going through a separation/divorce just know that there IS life after divorce. It will get better. I know it may not seem like it now. But it will. There is a saying that time heals everything. But I disagree. Time doesn't do anything. It's what YOU do with the time given that heals you. What I mean is, if you are going through a rough patch...divorce, financial downfalls, loss of a loved one, etc and you are just sitting on your couch eating bon bons and watching soap operas, nothing will ever change. You're still going to feel like shit at the end of the day. BUT if you pick your ass up off the bed or couch, put one foot in front of the other and DO SOMETHING (even if you go out alone, DO SOMETHING), in time your heart will heal. It won't happen over night. But you will get better eventually if you keep moving! I think THAT is my message today.
Back In The Saddle Again
So, I haven't blogged in a week. I took some time away because to me it seemed my blogs were becoming mundane, monotonous and forced. Like what I was discussing wasn't important. They weren't my thoughts....I was just going through the motions of copying/pasting other articles and giving the author credit. That's fine to do occasionally, but I feel like I was doing it TOO often.
I DO want to discuss what I did last Sunday though. Tristen and I spent the afternoon with another family where the 11 year old daughter has Spina Bifida. Her sister is doing an assignment in her Gender & Identity college class (that is taught by my cousin) and she is focusing on how society sees individuals with disabilities. I found it to be a brilliant topic, actually. Society DOES view us differently. And we discusses that in depth. As I have gotten older, I have come to realize that society views disabled individuals as asexual....neither male or female...therefore with no ability to perform traditional or nontraditional gender roles. I have actually noticed this over time. People are damn near shocked to learn that I can cook and clean on my own....AND that I love outdoor activities and watching sports. It just doesn't occur to people that we still have the ability to perform certain roles that anyone else can partake in. So, we discussed this at length and how it may or may not have shaped my growing up...along with being the only girl in a family of 6 grand kids.
Other than that, it was absolutely WONDERFUL to speak to her sister that has SB and see that their family is teaching her to be independent and that she can do darn near whatever she wants in life...She will just do it sitting down. No biggie there. I LOVED this girl!! She is so full of life and exuberance!! I'm sure she never meets a stranger. The ONLY thing that disheartened me was learning that she had been bullied by classmates because of her being in a wheelchair. However, the way she has handled it is amazing.
I really hope that I can hang out with this family again soon. I'd love to be something of a mentor to her. I think we could both a learn a lot from one another. I know that I am already better off for having known her and being a part of this project.
I DO want to discuss what I did last Sunday though. Tristen and I spent the afternoon with another family where the 11 year old daughter has Spina Bifida. Her sister is doing an assignment in her Gender & Identity college class (that is taught by my cousin) and she is focusing on how society sees individuals with disabilities. I found it to be a brilliant topic, actually. Society DOES view us differently. And we discusses that in depth. As I have gotten older, I have come to realize that society views disabled individuals as asexual....neither male or female...therefore with no ability to perform traditional or nontraditional gender roles. I have actually noticed this over time. People are damn near shocked to learn that I can cook and clean on my own....AND that I love outdoor activities and watching sports. It just doesn't occur to people that we still have the ability to perform certain roles that anyone else can partake in. So, we discussed this at length and how it may or may not have shaped my growing up...along with being the only girl in a family of 6 grand kids.
Other than that, it was absolutely WONDERFUL to speak to her sister that has SB and see that their family is teaching her to be independent and that she can do darn near whatever she wants in life...She will just do it sitting down. No biggie there. I LOVED this girl!! She is so full of life and exuberance!! I'm sure she never meets a stranger. The ONLY thing that disheartened me was learning that she had been bullied by classmates because of her being in a wheelchair. However, the way she has handled it is amazing.
I really hope that I can hang out with this family again soon. I'd love to be something of a mentor to her. I think we could both a learn a lot from one another. I know that I am already better off for having known her and being a part of this project.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Safety During the Holiday Season
With Thanksgiving right around the corner and the start of the holiday season officially underway, I thought I'd dedicate this entry to safety. Holidays are great times for family and friends to meet together and share in the spirit of thanksgiving and service. However, for many people, holidays also are a time for crime. It has statistically been shown that holidays bring with it an increase in crime rate. Most police officers will agree that Thanksgiving and Christmas are the worst times for fraud crimes. Criminal activity normally starts to increase the week of Thanksgiving, peaks during mid-December, and dies down the month of January.
Be careful of your surroundings over the holidays. It doesn't take a lot of thought or effort to steal credit card or bank account information now-a-days. Thanks to current technology, it's possible now more than ever to steal someone’s personal information and identity. I have learned this from my boyfriend, Tristen. He works with Capital One in their Fraud Department.
Protect your home from break-ins as well. An increase in break-ins also happens during the holidays. Alert your alarm company so they know they need to watch your home more carefully while you are away.
The holiday season is a time when busy people can become careless and vulnerable to theft and other crimes. The following tips from the Los Angeles Police Department Crime Prevention Section can help you be more careful, prepared and aware during the holiday season.
Be careful of your surroundings over the holidays. It doesn't take a lot of thought or effort to steal credit card or bank account information now-a-days. Thanks to current technology, it's possible now more than ever to steal someone’s personal information and identity. I have learned this from my boyfriend, Tristen. He works with Capital One in their Fraud Department.
Take steps to protect yourself this season. Keep your card face down when it is out of your wallet, and put it away once it is scanned. You never know if the person standing behind you in line is thumbing your credit card information into their phone, or taking pictures of it for future use. Also, when visiting ATM's, visit them during the daytime whenever possible...and only in well populated areas, such as inside malls.
Another way to keep your personal information protected is to keep all potential information out of the trash. Shred all personal information before throwing it away. You also never know who will be digging through you trash looking for their next victim.
Many critics feel that the spike in criminal activity will be worse the next few years. The reason is because of the economy. Many people have been laid off or have seen a decrease in work loads, and statistically that means that less and less ethical choices are going to be made. But the truth is, the holidays have ALWAYS shown an increase in criminal activity, such as burglary, robbery and break-ins. Protect your home from break-ins as well. An increase in break-ins also happens during the holidays. Alert your alarm company so they know they need to watch your home more carefully while you are away.
The holiday season is a time when busy people can become careless and vulnerable to theft and other crimes. The following tips from the Los Angeles Police Department Crime Prevention Section can help you be more careful, prepared and aware during the holiday season.
- Be extra cautious about locking doors and windows when you leave the house, even if it's for just a few minutes.
- When leaving home for an extended time, have a neighbor or family member watch your house and pick up your newspapers and mail. Or better yet, have your mail and newspaper deliveries put on hold until you return.
- Indoor and outdoor lights should be on an automatic timer.
- Leave a radio or television on so the house looks and sounds occupied.
- Large displays of holiday gifts should not be visible through the windows and doors of your home.
- Shop during daylight hours whenever possible. If you must shop at night, go with a friend or family member.
- Dress casually and comfortably.
- Avoid wearing expensive jewelry.
- Do not carry a purse or wallet, if possible.
- Always carry your driver's license or identification along with necessary cash, checks and/or a credit card you expect to use.
- Even though you are rushed and thinking about a thousand things, stay alert to your surroundings.
- Avoid carrying large amounts of cash.
- Pay for purchases with a check or credit card when possible.
- Keep cash in your front pocket.
- Notify the credit card issuer immediately if your credit card is lost, stolen or misused.
- Keep a record of all of your credit card numbers in a safe place at home.
- Be extra careful if you do carry a wallet or purse. They are the prime targets of criminals in crowded shopping areas, transportation terminals, bus stops, on buses and other rapid transit.
- Avoid overloading yourself with packages. It is important to have clear visibility and freedom of motion to avoid mishaps.
- Beware of strangers approaching you for any reason. At this time of year, con-artists may try various methods of distracting you with the intention of taking your money or belongings.
Basically, the rules are the same year-round. But because we are busier during the holiday season, we sometimes let our guard down. We need to stop doing that!!! Do what you can to protect yourself, your family and your home during this and every holiday season. Have a safe and happy holiday!!
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
"Movember"
All this month, you will see beards and mustaches growing! And while you may think the men have gotten lazy, there IS a reason behind the phenomenon.
What is No Shave November or Movember? Who participates, men or women? Should I stop shaving during November? Is there a cause that it supports?
No Shave November or Movember is the month when Men's health issues are brought into the spotlight as men and women alike throw away the shavers for a month and don hairy chins, lips, legs, underarms, and uhm whatever else may be growing hair. So, ladies, if your man donned pink apparel for you last month for breast cancer awareness, you should pay it forward and forego that shaving this month!
No Shave November began in 2003 but wasn't yet attached to a men's health cause. It began one night when a couple of fellows from Australia named Travis Garone and Luke Slattery observed that it seemed the mustache or "mo" had gone out of style and was rarely seen these days. Wondering where the "mo" had gone the fellows decided to hold a fund-November event called Movember in which guys would allow their facial hair to grow without any shaving. The first year Movember started, it had 30 male participants. However, the fun of going wile and not shaving for the entire month of November seemed to catch on and soon the event found a partner in the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA). Fast forward a few more years and mental health issues, including depression, were added to the list of supporting causes. Movember soon became a big hit annually, bringing attention to Men's health issues, which often go unaddressed by our strong silent types, but deserve attention for certain.
The No Shave November cause has been ranked in the top 100 best NGOs (charity) in the world by the Global Journal for its impact, innovation and sustainability
According to the official vision of No Shave November or Movember, the hope is "to have an everlasting impact on men's health."
So What Are The Rules And How Do I Participate In Movember Or No Shave November?
If you are participating in Movember, the rules are as follows:
Shave clean starting today, November 1st. Then, for the entire month of November, "Mo Bros" must grow and groom a moustache. Mustaches must be clearly defined. In other words, your mustache can't join with your sideburns - NO Beards ya'll! Also, joining handlebars to your chin is not allow either - that's a GOTEE! Finally, be a gentleman at all times during the Movember month.
If you are participating in No Shave November, here are the rules.
In No Shave November, you grow an entire beard and when the month of November comes to a close you shave it into a unique mustache. No-Shave November has the main goal of raising men's health issues awareness through embracing hair, which many cancer patients lose, so let it grow wild and free! If you get supporters or want to help with a charitable cause then the No Shave November website suggests men and women participating donate money they usually spend on shaving supplies to some kind of cancer related cause.
WATCH: Generation Moustache: Movember 2013 USA TV spot:
The above information was obtained from http://www.idesigntimes.com/articles/8396/20131103/what-shave-november-movember-facial-hair-growing-contest-cause-video.htm
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Eclipses
Since we were able to witness a hybrid solar eclipse this morning, I thought I'd delve into the different types of solar and lunar eclipses. I received the information from
http://www.space.com/15584-solar-eclipses.html
and http://www.mreclipse.com/Special/LEprimer.html
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon gets between Earth and the sun, and the moon casts a shadow over Earth. A solar eclipse can only take place at the phase of new moon, when the moon passes directly between the sun and Earth and its shadows fall upon Earth’s surface. But whether the alignment produces a total solar eclipse, a partial solar eclipse or an annular solar eclipse depends on several factors, all explained below.
The fact that an eclipse can occur at all is a fluke of celestial mechanics and time. Since the moon formed about 4.5 billion years ago, it has been gradually moving away from the Earth (by about 1.6 inches, or 4 centimeters per year). Right now the moon is at the perfect distance to appear in our sky exactly the same size as the sun, and therefore block it out. But this is not always true
On Jan. 4, 2011, the moon passed in front of the sun in a partial solar eclipse - as seen from parts of Earth. Here, the joint Japanese-American Hinode satellite captured the same breathtaking event from space. The unique view created what's called an annular solar eclipse.
Credit: Hinode/XRT
You should never look directly at the sun, but there are ways to safely observe an eclipse.
Credit: Karl Tate, SPACE.com Contributor
Phases of the Moon.
Geometry of the Sun, Earth and Moon During an Eclipse of the Moon
Earth's two shadows are the penumbra and the umbra.
(Sizes and distances not to scale)
Total Lunar Eclipse of 2004 Oct 27-28
Beginning (right), middle (center) and end (left) of totality
(click to see photo gallery)
Total Lunar Eclipse of 2000 Jan 20-21
Beginning (right), middle (center) and end (left) of totality
(click to see more photos)
http://www.space.com/15584-solar-eclipses.html
and http://www.mreclipse.com/Special/LEprimer.html
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon gets between Earth and the sun, and the moon casts a shadow over Earth. A solar eclipse can only take place at the phase of new moon, when the moon passes directly between the sun and Earth and its shadows fall upon Earth’s surface. But whether the alignment produces a total solar eclipse, a partial solar eclipse or an annular solar eclipse depends on several factors, all explained below.
The fact that an eclipse can occur at all is a fluke of celestial mechanics and time. Since the moon formed about 4.5 billion years ago, it has been gradually moving away from the Earth (by about 1.6 inches, or 4 centimeters per year). Right now the moon is at the perfect distance to appear in our sky exactly the same size as the sun, and therefore block it out. But this is not always true
Be careful: Watching a solar eclipse requires some safety measures. While it’s perfectly safe to view a total solar eclipse — when no direct sunlight is reaching your eye — you should never look directly at the sun itself. See more on this below, as well as a list of upcoming solar eclipses.
There are four types of solar eclipses: total, annular, partial and hybrid. Here’s what causes each type:
Total solar eclipses
These are a happy accident of nature. The sun's 864,000-mile diameter is fully 400 times greater than that of our puny moon, which measures just 2,160 miles. But the moon also happens to be about 400 times closer to the sun than the Earth (the ratio varies as both orbits are elliptical), and as a result , when the orbital planes intersect and the distances align favorably, the new moon can appear to completely blot out the disk of the sun.
There are actually two types of shadows: the umbra is that part of the shadow where all sunlight is completely blocked out and takes the shape of a dark, slender cone. It is surrounded by the penumbra, a lighter, funnel-shaped shadow from which sunlight is partially obscured.
During a total solar eclipse, the moon casts its umbra upon Earth's surface; that shadow can sweep a third of the way around the Earth in just a few hours. Those who are fortunate enough to be positioned in the direct path of the umbra will see the sun's disk diminish into a crescent as the moon's dark shadow rushes toward them across the landscape.
During the brief period of totality, when the sun is completely covered, the beautiful corona – the tenuous outer atmosphere of the sun – is revealed. Totality may last as long as 7 minutes 31 seconds, though most total eclipses are usually much shorter. On the average a total eclipse occurs somewhere on Earth about every 18 months.
Partial solar eclipses
On Jan. 4, 2011, the moon passed in front of the sun in a partial solar eclipse - as seen from parts of Earth. Here, the joint Japanese-American Hinode satellite captured the same breathtaking event from space. The unique view created what's called an annular solar eclipse.Credit: Hinode/XRT
A partial solar eclipse occurs when only the penumbra (the partial shadow) passes you by. In these cases, a part of the sun always remains in view during the eclipse. How much of the sun remains in view depends on the specific circumstances.
Usually the penumbra gives just a glancing blow to our planet over the Polar Regions; in such cases places far away from the poles but still within the zone of the penumbra might not see much more than a small scallop of the sun hidden by the moon. In a different scenario, those who are positioned within a couple of thousand miles of the path of a total eclipse will see a partial eclipse.
The closer you are to the path of totality, the greater the solar obscuration. If, for instance, you’re positioned just outside of the path of the total eclipse, you’ll see the sun wane to a narrow crescent, then thicken up again as the shadow passes you by.
Annular solar eclipses
An annular solar eclipse is similar to total eclipses in that the moon appears to pass centrally across the sun, but it’s too small to cover the disk of the sun completely. Because the moon circles the Earth in an elliptical orbit its distance from Earth can vary from 221,457 miles to 252,712 miles. But the dark shadow cone of the moon’s umbra can extend out for no longer than 235,700 miles; that’s less than the moon’s average distance from Earth.
So if the moon is at some greater distance, the tip of the umbra does not reach Earth. During such an eclipse, the antumbra, a theoretical continuation of the umbra, reaches the ground, and anyone situated within it can look up past either side of the umbra and see an annulus, or “ring of fire” around the Moon.
A good analogy is putting a penny atop a nickel, the penny being the moon, the nickel being the sun. An annular eclipse, though a rare and amazing sight, is far different from a total one. The sky will darken . . . somewhat; a sort of weird “counterfeit twilight” since so much of the Sun still shows. It is really more of a day, not a night sky; the eclipse is a subspecies of a partial, not total. The maximum duration for an annular eclipse is 12 minutes 30 seconds.
Hybrid solar eclipses
These are also called annular-total (“A-T”) eclipses. This special type of eclipse occurs when the moon’s distance is near its limit for the umbra to reach Earth. In most cases, an A-T eclipse starts as an annular eclipse because the tip of the umbra falls just short of making contact with the Earth; then it becomes total, because the roundness of the Earth reaches up and intercepts the shadow tip near the middle of the path, then finally it returns to annular toward the end of the path.
Because the moon appears to pass directly in front of the sun, total, annular and hybrid eclipses are also called “central” eclipses to distinguish them from eclipses that are merely partial.
Of all solar eclipses, about 28 percent are total; 35 percent are partial; 32 percent annular; and just 5 percent are hybrids.
Predictions of solar eclipses
Eclipses do not happen at every new moon, of course. This is because the moon’s orbit is tilted just over 5 degrees relative to the Earth’s orbit around the sun. For this reason, the moon’s shadow usually passes either above or below the Earth, so a solar eclipse doesn't occur.
But as a rule, at least twice each year (and sometimes as many as five times in a year), a new moon will align itself in just such a way to eclipse the sun. That alignment point is called a node. Depending on how closely the new moon approaches a node will determine whether a particular eclipse is central or partial. And of course, the moon’s distance from the Earth – and to a lesser degree the Earth’s distance from the sun – will ultimately determine whether a central eclipse is total, annular or a hybrid.
And these alignments don’t happen haphazardly, for after a specific interval of time, an eclipse will repeat itself or return. This interval is known as the Saros cycle and was known as far back as the days of the early Chaldean astronomers some 28 centuries ago. The word Saros means “repetition” and is equal to 18 years, 11 1/3 days (or a day less or more depending on the number of leap years that have intervened). After this interval the relative positions of the sun and moon relative to a node are nearly the same as before. That third of a day in the interval causes the path of each eclipse of a series to be displaced in longitude a third of the way around the Earth to the west with respect to its predecessor.
For example, on Mar. 29, 2006, a total eclipse swept across parts of western and northern Africa and then across southern Asia. One Saros later, on April 8, 2024, this eclipse will recur, except instead of Africa and Asia, it will track across northern Mexico, the central and eastern United States and the Maritime provinces of Canada.
Solar eclipse safety
You should never look directly at the sun, but there are ways to safely observe an eclipse.Credit: Karl Tate, SPACE.com Contributor
It is normally the custom prior to an impending solar eclipse that the mainstream media will provide a variety of warnings and advisories against looking at the Sun with bare eyes, as blindness could ensue. This has given most people the idea that eclipses are dangerous.
Not so!
It’s the Sun that is dangerous. All the time! The sun constantly emits invisible infrared rays that can damage your eyes. Ordinarily, we have no reason to gaze at the sun. An eclipse gives us a reason, but we shouldn't.
There are safe ways, however . . .
By far, the safest way to view a solar eclipse is to construct a “pinhole camera.” A pinhole or small opening is used to form an image of the Sun on a screen placed about three feet behind the opening. Binoculars or a small telescope mounted on a tripod can also be used to project a magnified image of the Sun onto a white card. The farther away the card, the larger you can focus the image. Look for sunspots. Notice that the Sun appears somewhat darker around its limb. This method of solar viewing is safe so long as you remember not to look through the binoculars or telescope when they are pointed toward the Sun; put another way, never look directly at the Sun when any part of its blindingly bright surface is visible.
A variation on the pinhole theme is the “pinhole mirror.” Cover a pocket-mirror with a piece of paper that has a ¼-inch hole punched in it. Open a Sun-facing window and place the covered mirror on the sunlit sill so it reflects a disk of light onto the far wall inside. The disk of light is an image of the Sun’s face. The farther away from the wall is the better; the image will be only one inch across for every 9 feet from the mirror. Modeling clay works well to hold the mirror in place. Experiment with different-sized holes in the paper. Again, a large hole makes the image bright, but fuzzy, and a small one makes it dim but sharp. Darken the room as much as possible. Be sure to try this out beforehand to make sure the mirror’s optical quality is good enough to project a clean, round image. Of course, don’t let anyone look at the Sun in the mirror.
If you’re around leafy trees, look at the shadow cast by them during the partial phases. What do you see? Is it worth a photograph? You will see scores of partially eclipsed suns projected through pinhole gaps between the leaves. If a significant fraction of the sun is covered, notice that it gets cool as the eclipse deepens. Does the wind begin to pick up?
Acceptable filters for unaided visual solar observations include aluminized Mylar. Some astronomy dealers carry Mylar filter material specially designed for solar observing. Also acceptable is shade 14 arc-welder’s glass, available for just a few dollars at welding supply shops. Of course, it is always a good idea to test your filters and/or observing techniques before eclipse day.
Unacceptable filters include sunglasses, old color film negatives, black-and-white film that contains no silver, photographic neutral-density filters, and polarizing filters. Although these materials have very low visible-light transmittance levels, they transmit an unacceptably high level of near-infrared radiation that can cause a thermal retinal burn. The fact that the Sun appears dim, or that you feel no discomfort when looking at the Sun through the filter, is no guarantee that your eyes are safe.
Of course during a total eclipse, you can safely look directly at the sun when its disk is entirely covered. During those few precious seconds or minutes, the magnificent corona shines forth in all its glory surrounding the darkened sun; a marvelous fringe of pearly white light. It differs in size, in tints and patterns from eclipse to eclipse. It is always faint and delicate, with a sheen like a pale aurora. It has a variable appearance. Sometimes it has a soft continuous look; at other times, long rays of it shoot out in three or four directions. It may stand out from the disk in filmy petals and streamers. But when the sun begins to again emerge into view, the corona quickly disappears and you’ll need to protect your eyes once again.
Eclipses in ancient history
As best as we can determine, the earliest record of a solar eclipse occurred over four millennia ago. In China, it was believed that the gradual blotting out of the sun was caused by a dragon who was attempting to devour the sun and it was the duty of the court astronomers to shoot arrows, beat drums and raise whatever cacophony they could to frighten the dragon away.
In the ancient Chinese classic Shu Ching is the account of Hsi and Ho, two court astronomers who were caught completely unaware by a solar eclipse, having gotten drunk just before the event began. In the aftermath, Chung K’ang, the fourth emperor of the Hsai dynasty ordered that Hsi and Ho be punished by having their heads chopped off. The eclipse in question was that of October 22 in the year 2134 B.C.
In the Bible, in the book of Amos 8:9, are the words, “I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the Earth in the clear day.” Biblical scholars believe this is a reference to a celebrated eclipse observed at Nineveh in ancient Assyria on June 15, 763 B.C. An Assyrian tablet also attests to the event.
A solar eclipse even stopped a war.
According to the historian Herodotus, there was a five-year war that raged between the Lydians and the Medes. As the war was about to move into its sixth year, a Greek sage, Thales of Miletus foretold to the Ionians that the time was soon approaching when day would turn to night. On May 17, 603 B.C. the sun faded away just as Thales had alluded that it would. So believing that it was a sign from above, the combatants called a truce which was cemented by a double marriage, for, as Herodotus wrote: “Without some strong bond, there is little of security to be found in men’s covenants.”
And giving new meaning to the term, “Scared to death,” is the timid emperor Louis of Bavaria, the son of Charlemagne, who witnessed an unusually long total eclipse of the sun on May 5, 840 A.D., which lasted for over five minutes. But no sooner had the sun begun to emerge back into view, Louis was so overwhelmed by what he had just seen that he died of fright!
Modern study of eclipses
Astronomers have learned much by studying eclipses and by the 18th century, observations of solar eclipses were recognized as providing veritable treasure troves of astronomical information, though sometimes getting that information wasn't easy.
Samuel Williams, a professor at Harvard, led an expedition to Penobscot Bay, Maine to observe the total solar eclipse of Oct. 27, 1780. As it turned out, this eclipse took place during the Revolutionary War and Penobscot Bay lay behind enemy lines. Fortunately, the British granted the expedition safe passage, citing the interest of science above political differences.
And yet in the end, it was all for naught.
Williams apparently made a fatal error in his computations and inadvertently positioned his men at Islesboro — just outside the path of totality — likely finding this out with a heavy heart when the narrowing crescent of sunlight slid completely around the dark edge of the Moon and then started to thicken!
During a total solar eclipse, a few ruby-red spots may seem to hover around the jet-black disk of the Moon. Those are solar prominences, tongues of incandescent hydrogen gas rising above the surface of the Sun. During the total eclipse of August 18, 1868, the French astronomer Pierre Janssen trained his spectroscope on the prominences and discovered a new chemical element. Two English astronomers, J. Norman Lockyer and Edward Frankland, later named it “helium,” from the Greek helios (the Sun). The gas was not identified on Earth until 1895.
And because sunlight is blocked during a total eclipse, some of the brighter stars and planets can be observed in the darkened sky. Under such conditions astronomers were able to test part of Einstein’s now-celebrated general theory of relativity. That theory predicted that light from stars beyond the Sun would bend from a straight path in a certain way as it passed the Sun. The positions of stars photographed near the Sun’s edge during a total eclipse on May 29, 1919, were compared with photographs of the same region of the sky taken at night; the results strongly supported Einstein’s theory.
Our modern technology now allows astronomers to make most of the observations that once had to await an eclipse. But a total eclipse of the sun will always remain among the most impressive of natural spectacles and is a sight that will always be remembered. Be sure to put it on your bucket list; you will not be disappointed.
Lunar Eclipses
The Moon is a cold, rocky body about 2,160 miles (3,476 km) in diameter. It has no light of its own but shines by sunlight reflected from its surface. The Moon orbits Earth about once every 29 and a half days. As it circles our planet, the changing position of the Moon with respect to the Sun causes our natural satellite to cycle through a series of phases:
- New Moon > New Crescent > First Quarter > Waxing Gibbous> Full Moon >
Waning Gibbous > Last Quarter > Old Crescent > New Moon (again)
Phases of the Moon.
The phase known as New Moon can not actually be seen because the illuminated side of the Moon is then pointed away from Earth. The rest of the phases are familiar to all of us as the Moon cycles through them month after month. Did you realize that the word month is derived from the Moon's 29.5 day period?
To many of us, Full Moon is the phase of love and romance.When the Moon is Full, it rises at sunset and is visible all night long. At the end of the night, the Full Moon sets just as the Sun rises.None of the Moon's other phases have this unique characteristic.It happens because the Moon is directly opposite the Sun in the sky when the Moon is Full.Full Moon also has special significance with regard to eclipses.
Geometry of the Sun, Earth and Moon During an Eclipse of the Moon
Earth's two shadows are the penumbra and the umbra.
(Sizes and distances not to scale)
Types of Lunar Eclipses
An eclipse of the Moon (or lunar eclipse) can only occur at Full Moon, and only if the Moon passes through some portion of Earth's shadow. That shadow is actually composed of two cone-shaped components, one nested inside the other. The outer or penumbral shadow is a zone where the Earth blocks part but not all of the Sun's rays from reaching the Moon.In contrast, the inner or umbral shadow is a region where the Earth blocks all direct sunlight from reaching the Moon.
Astronomers recognize three basic types of lunar eclipses:
- The Moon passes through Earth's penumbral shadow.
- These events are of only academic interest because they are subtle and hard to observe.
- A portion of the Moon passes through Earth's umbral shadow.
- These events are easy to see, even with the unaided eye.
- The entire Moon passes through Earth's umbral shadow.
- These events are quite striking due to the Moon's vibrant red color during the total phase (totality).
1. Penumbral Lunar Eclipse
2. Partial Lunar Eclipse
3. Total Lunar Eclipse
Now you might be wondering "If the Moon orbits Earth every 29.5 days and lunar eclipses only occur at Full Moon, then why don't we have an eclipse once a month during Full Moon?". I'm glad you asked!You see, the Moon's orbit around Earth is actually tipped about 5 degrees to Earth's orbit around the Sun.This means that the Moon spends most of the time either above or below the plane of Earth's orbit.And the plane of Earth's orbit around the Sun is important because Earth's shadows lie exactly in the same plane.During Full Moon, our natural satellite usually passes above or below Earth's shadows and misses them entirely.No eclipse takes place. But two to four times each year, the Moon passes through some portion of the Earth's penumbral or umbral shadows and one of the above three types of eclipses occurs.
When an eclipse of the Moon takes place, everyone on the night side of Earth can see it. About 35% of all eclipses are of the penumbral type which are very difficult to detect, even with a telescope.Another 30% are partial eclipses which are easy to see with the unaided eye.The final 35% or so are total eclipses, and these are quite extrordinary events to behold.
What is the difference between a lunar eclipse and a solar eclipse? A solar eclipse is an eclipse of the Sun. It happens when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun. This is only possible when the Moon is in the New Moon phase. For more information, see Solar Eclipses for Beginners.
Total Lunar Eclipse of 2004 Oct 27-28
Beginning (right), middle (center) and end (left) of totality
(click to see photo gallery)
Why is the Moon Red During a Total Lunar Eclipse?
During a total lunar eclipse, the Earth blocks the Sun's light from reaching the Moon. Astronauts on the Moon would then see the Earth completely eclipse the Sun. (They would see a bright red ring around the Earth as they watched all the sunrises and sunsets happening simultaneousely around the world!) While the Moon remains completely within Earth's umbral shadow, indirect sunlight still manages to reach and illuminate it.However, this sunlight must first pass deep through the Earth's atmosphere which filters out most of the blue colored light. The remaining light is a deep red or orange in color and is much dimmer than pure white sunlight. Earth's atmosphere also bends or refracts some of this light so that a small fraction of it can reach and illuminate the Moon.
The total phase of a lunar eclipse is so interesting and beautiful precisely because of the filtering and refracting effect of Earth's atmosphere.If the Earth had no atmosphere, then the Moon would be completely black during a total eclipse. Instead, the Moon can take on a range of colors from dark brown and red to bright orange and yellow. The exact appearance depends on how much dust and clouds are present in Earth's atmosphere.Total eclipses tend to be very dark after major volcanic eruptions since these events dump large amounts of volcanic ash into Earth's atmosphere. During the total lunar eclipse of December 1992, dust from Mount Pinatubo rendered the Moon nearly invisible.
All total eclipses start with a penumbral followed by a partial eclipse, and end with a partial followed by a penumbral eclipse (the total eclipse is sandwiched in the middle). The penumbral phases of the eclipse are quite difficult to see, even with a telescope. However, partial and total eclipses are easy to observe, even with the naked eye.
Total Lunar Eclipse of 2000 Jan 20-21
Beginning (right), middle (center) and end (left) of totality
(click to see more photos)
Observing Lunar Eclipses
Unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are completely safe to watch. You don't need any kind of protective filters.It isn't even necessary to use a telescope. You can watch the lunar eclipse with nothing more than your own two eyes.If you have a pair of binoculars, they will help magnify the view and will make the red coloration brighter and easier to see.A standard pair of 7x35 or 7x50 binoculars work fine.Remember to dress warmly and enjoy the spectacle!
Amateur astronomers can actually make some useful observations during total eclipses.It's impossible to predict exactly how dark the Moon will appear during totality. The color can also vary from dark gray or brown, through a range of shades of red and bright orange. The color and brightness depend on the amount of dust in Earth's atmosphere during the eclipse. Using the Danjon Brightness Scale for lunar eclipses, amateurs can categorize the Moon's color and brightness during totality.
Another useful amateur activity requires a telescope.Using a standard list lunar craters, one can careful measure the exact time when each crater enters and leaves the umbral shadow. These crater timings can be used to estimate the enlargement of Earth's atmosphere due to airborne dust and volcanic ash.
Of course, an eclipse of the Moon also presents a tempting target to photograph. Fortunately, lunar eclipse photography is easy provided that you have the right equipment and use it correctly.See MrEclipse's Picks for camera, lens and tripod recommendations.For more photographs taken during previous lunar eclipses, be sure to visit Lunar Eclipse Photo Gallery.
Lunar Eclipse Frequency and Future Eclipses
Penumbral eclipses are of little interest because they are hard to see. If we consider only partial and total lunar eclipses, how often do they occur?
During the five thousand year period from 2000 BCE through 3000 CE, there are 7,718 eclipses of the Moon (partial and total). This averages out to about one and a half eclipses each year. Actually, the number of lunar eclipses in a single year can range from 0 to 3. The last time that 3 total lunar eclipses occurred in one calendar year was in 1982. Partial eclipses slightly outnumber total eclipses by 7 to 6.
The table below lists every lunar eclipse from 2009 through 2015. Click on the eclipse Date to see a diagram of the eclipse and a world map showing where it is visible from. Although penumbral lunar eclipses are included in this list, they are usually hard to see because they are faint.
The Umbral Magnitude is the fraction on the Moon's diameter immersed in the umbra at maximum eclipse. For values greater than 1.0, it is a total eclipse. For negative values, it is a penumbral eclipse. The Eclipse Durationcolumn lists the length of the partial eclipse in hours and minutes. If it is a total eclipse, two values are given. The first is the amount of time between the start and end of the partial phases while the second (in bold) is the length of the total eclipse.
| Eclipses of the Moon: 2009 - 2015 | ||||
| Date | Eclipse Type | Umbral Magnitude | Eclipse Duration | Geographic Region of Eclipse Visibility |
| 2009 Feb09 | Penumbral | -0.088 | - | e Europe, Asia, Aus., Pacific, w N.A. |
| 2009 Jul07 | Penumbral | -0.913 | - | Aus., Pacific, Americas |
| 2009 Aug06 | Penumbral | -0.666 | - | Americas, Europe, Africa, w Asia |
| 2009 Dec31 | Partial | 0.076 | 01h02m | Europe, Africa, Asia, Aus. |
| 2010 Jun26 | Partial | 0.537 | 02h43m | e Asia, Aus., Pacific, w Americas |
| 2010 Dec21 | Total | 1.256 | 03h29m 01h12m | e Asia, Aus., Pacific, Americas, Europe |
| 2011 Jun 15 | Total | 1.700 | 03h40m 01h40m | S.America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Aus. |
| 2011 Dec 10 | Total | 1.106 | 03h32m 00h51m | Europe, e Africa, Asia, Aus., Pacific, N.A. |
| 2012 Jun 04 | Partial | 0.370 | 02h07m | Asia, Aus., Pacific, Americas |
| 2012 Nov 28 | Penumbral | -0.187 | - | Europe, e Africa, Asia, Aus., Pacific, N.A. |
| 2013 Apr 25 | Partial | 0.015 | 00h27m | Europe, Africa, Asia, Aus. |
| 2013 May 25 | Penumbral | -0.934 | - | Americas, Africa |
| 2013 Oct 18 | Penumbral | -0.272 | - | Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia |
| 2014 Apr 15 | Total | 1.291 | 03h35m 01h18m | Aus., Pacific, Americas |
| 2014 Oct 08 | Total | 1.166 | 03h20m 00h59m | Asia, Aus., Pacific, Americas |
| 2015 Apr 04 | Total | 1.001 | 03h29m 00h05m | Asia, Aus., Pacific, Americas |
| 2015 Sep 28 | Total | 1.276 | 03h20m 01h12m | e Pacific, Americas, Europe, Africa, w Asia |
Geographic abreviations (used above): n =north, s = south, e = east, w = west, c = central
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