Once in a Blue Moon . . .
Dec 31st 2009
Karen HawkinsOn Writing!
Every so often (once every 2.7 years) we end up with not 12, but 13 full moons in a year. The extra full moon is called a ‘blue moon.’
The next blue moon will be tonight on New Year’s Eve and I am STOKED. I’ve always felt a little something special for those blue moons and it’s exciting to see one ushering in a new year.
While I enjoy rumors and innuendo, I believe that most of us make our own luck by good planning, careful use of resources, and some old fashioned hard work. Still, it can’t hurt to have a friendly blue moon looking over my shoulder at the same time!
What do you want to accomplish this year? What are you going to do to make sure that happens? Do you believe this will be your lucky (ier) year? Will you be somewhere that you can see the new year’s blue moon?
49 Comments »
49 Responses to “Once in a Blue Moon . . .”
B on 31 Dec 2009 at 2:01 am #
What I want to accomplish this year is to get myself right. No more panic/anxiety attacks or sleepless nights. No more bad thoughts. And I’ll have to make some changes in my life, though I’m not exactly sure what they are yet. I just want to be okay and that’s what I’m going to accomplish this year.
Though, I’m going to work on keeping my good grades!
I believe in lucky year, so, yeah, this will be mine!
It’ll be just mom and I for New Year’s this year, so, we’re staying home. I suppose I’ll look at the sky.
Pesky on 31 Dec 2009 at 5:38 am #
I’m finally going to reach my weight loss goal. I’ve been edging towards it little by little (over 100 lbs of little by little) but this year I’m going to get to it.
My plan…ok, hold onto your hats…eat less, exercise more. I’m going to have the calories expended by higher than the calories ingested.
Susan M on 31 Dec 2009 at 6:38 am #
My DH and I both agree that we want to put more money in savings in the next year. So when DH goes back to work in Jan and after we are caught up on any late bills we will start putting away as much money as possible. So hopefully if he gets laid off again next year we will be better prepared.
We would also like to have a baby. Praying that 2010 is our year for that!
My own personal goal is just to write in my journal more. I slack off on that so bad sometimes. I’ve been doing pretty good so far and I’d like to continue that into the New Year.
I’d also like to start making Christmas presents for next year now…sounds weird I know but I make things out of Plastic Canvas (a needlepoint craft) and they take a while to make sometimes.
Lastly I am going to learn how to sew…my mom is going to teach me. So I’ll be able to make even more Christmas (and also birthday) presents out of that.
And since DH and I are both sick this New Year’s we will not be going outside to see anything. And it’s supposed to snow.
Karen Hawkins on 31 Dec 2009 at 7:55 am #
B, that sounds like a good goal. Now, you need a plan! I used to have anxiety attacks. Had them for a year while I went through my divorce. I’m not a ‘creature of change,’ you know, even when the change is good. Anyway, the best thing for the anxiety attacks and sleepless nights? Exercise! I started taking my nervous pacing and turning it into good solid walks. Then I turned my good, solid walks into nice, slow jogs. I turned my nice, slow jogs into long, slow jogs and even ran a half marathon. Seriously, it helped me sleep, killed my anxiety attacks, and made me happy, happy!
Karen Hawkins on 31 Dec 2009 at 7:56 am #
Pesky, you are my HERO! I need to lose about thirty pounds and that’s my goal — healthier living. I like your plan, too! Sounds simple, do-able, and accessible. You GO, girlfriend! It sounds like this year will see you in the home stretch! YAYYYYYY!!!!
Lisa H on 31 Dec 2009 at 7:57 am #
I wondered what all this talk about Blue Moon meant! I have some goals for the new year. Since I can only control my part of the equation, I will say to write more, and work harder at it, save more money, spend more time with my teenagers and continue with the healthy eating and good exercise habits I have begun (25lbs and counting)
Karen Hawkins on 31 Dec 2009 at 8:01 am #
Susan M, you have some lovely goals for 2010! I bet the blue moon is helping you even if you can’t see her. She’s sneaky that way.
Hope you and your guy feel better soon.
I like your saving goal. That’s a good one and I’m thinking perhaps I should follow your lead and do the same. I read somewhere you should have six months worth of salary saved up somewhere. It would take a while to get that, but it would add a lot of security to life, too.
I’m excited you guys are hoping to start a family! That’s a LOVELY goal and will add a lot to both of your lives.
It’s so funny you mentioned learning to sew because my daughter wants to learn that, too! Do you have a machine already? It’s nice your mother can teach you. That will be some nice mother-daughter time, too.
I’ve got fingers crossed you get all of your goals this year!
Susan M on 31 Dec 2009 at 8:07 am #
Karen, My mom wants to give me her old sewing machine (she has a fancy new one) but she said I have to learn to sew before I can have it. I think we’re going to start with purses cause she said they are fairly easy. And I love purses!
LoriHandeland on 31 Dec 2009 at 8:10 am #
Is catching up an accomplishment? I’m so tired of being behind. It’s exhausting.
Of course to make this happen, I have to work harder and more, and well . . . exhausting.
But I do believe this will be my lucky year. I always believe that when the calendar turns over. Got to.
Tonight I will be home with IV, sharing some champagne and peering up at that full moon. It should be bright and brilliant since the temps are expected to drop into the single digits. Brrrr!!!
Happy New Year to all the Goddesses!
Michelle B on 31 Dec 2009 at 8:14 am #
Very interesting, Karen H, I didn’t know the meaning of a Blue Moon. Thought it was just that, blue. I hope I can see it tonight, might be cloudy here.
Pesky, you are my inspiration, 100 lbs! I too am working towards losing weight and getting healthier. I’m a Weight Watcher’s member and need to add exercise to my days. We are getting settled into our new home and city so new habits are now obtainable. I want to start out with just walking regularly and as my weight goes down pick up jogging.
Pesky on 31 Dec 2009 at 8:21 am #
Michelle, I always recommend the Leslie Sansone indoor walking dvd’s for anyone just getting back into exercising. They are what got me back on track a couple of years ago and are my ‘go to’ when the weather stinketh and I can’t get out to hike.
Amy on 31 Dec 2009 at 8:26 am #
One of my goals for 2010 is to start working on my late grandfather’s family tree. I had promised my mom I would start it last year, but I never got around to it. However, this year I did connect with my grandfather’s sister, who lives in Ireland. We have been writing back and forth, and she has agreed to help me in any way she can. However, she is 92, and sometimes things are a little fuzzy. I would love to get as much as I can done by Christmas, and then give it to my mom as a gift.
I have also promised myself, that I would spend a little more time on me this year. Since having my daughter in July, I haven’t been keeping up with my diet and exersice, and this has resulted in some weight gain. I have been so focused on looking after the baby, I have neglected myself. however, I vow to dust off my treadmill in 2010, and get back on track.
I have been telling my daughter all week about the blue moon. So, tonight we have a date, we are going to go outside and look at the moon, hopefully the weather cooperates. Then we are going to sit and have hot chocolate and watch a video.
Margaret on 31 Dec 2009 at 9:15 am #
Not only is a blue moon rare, but it only happens on New Year’s Eve every 19 years. Just a bit of trivia stuck in the nooks & crannies of my brain. I won’t be able to see because of some pesky clouds. We have the white stuff again. TG not the tons of 2 weeks ago.
I don’t make resolutions anymore. It tends to send me into depression when I fail to acheive the goal I set. I just get up each day. If I’m still alive, I go forward from there. When I come to a fork in the road, I choose it as Yogi Berra once said. It doesn’t do any good to look back and think about what might have happened if another choice had been made.
All in all, I’ve had a pretty good life. Some goals met, some not. Some things happened in my life that weren’t a goal but worked out nicely anyway.
Happy New Year, my Goddesses one and all.
Louisa Cornell on 31 Dec 2009 at 9:25 am #
My goals this year are – to finish two books this year instead of just one.
To sign a publishing contract. PLEASE !!
To lose 70 pounds !
To start saving money, even if it is just a little each month.
To fix up my house and yard.
I will definitely be able to see the moon tonight. I work until 9 and if it isn’t up and shining by then I will see it when I get home. My property is out in the country far from the city lights and you can really see the night sky from my back porch.
Madeline Hunter on 31 Dec 2009 at 9:40 am #
Thank you for alerting me to the blue moon, KH. I had no idea there would be one tonight. I just told my son about it and that this was the first one in his lifetime, which is cool.
My intention is to excercise more. I am going to try the Wii stuff, once I get someone to show me how it works. Other than that, staying sane is a good goal for me, I think.
TrishD on 31 Dec 2009 at 10:14 am #
In 2010 I plan to…
Be less snippy and b*tchy.
Not let things I have no control of bother me.
Spend more time just playing with my daughter.
Be there for my mom when she needs someone to talk to.
Spend as much time with my dad as I can.
Be happy with me, whether I lose all the pounds I want to or not.
Try to get everyone in my family eating healthier!
Stay in touch with the friends I’ve reconnected with in 2009.
Write more… just because it makes me feel good to do it.
Not stress out about the little things and try to dial down the stress on the big things.
I’m not joyously happy to see 2009 leave but I’m not going to miss it! Bring on 2010… I have my cute shoes on and I’m ready!
Janae on 31 Dec 2009 at 10:24 am #
We have clear skies after a drizzly day and foggy evening, yesterday, which make it easy to see the blue moon, tonight.
Goals for this year – be healthier, which means losing about 30 lbs. A huge part of that is going to be menu planning because I get bored with food and hate grocery shopping. I need to be more consistent with my exercising, too. I’m going to break it down into monthly goals, so it’s not completely overwhelming, too.
My other big goal for the year, is to open an Etsy shop to sell my jewelry. It means going thru my jewelry that I’ve already made (and there’s ALOT of it), making time to create more, and most important of all, finding the perfect shop name.
My dh and I want to save more this year, too. He’s in his last year of his contract with a new boss, which worries him a bit. IMO, he worries WAY too much about it. In the past year he has had 2 job offers from 2 different studios and one from a production company. We’ll know by summer if he’s going to be staying, or if it’s time to move on. I just can’t imagine his new boss wanting him to go since she’s never done this job before and constantly relies on him to keep things working.
Louisa Cornell on 31 Dec 2009 at 10:29 am #
Janae, let us know when you open your shop !! I need very little provocation to buy some bling!
Freshechelle on 31 Dec 2009 at 11:08 am #
If the clouds aren’t hanging around, I hope to see a beautiful blue moon tonight over the lake without leaving the comfort of my living room. After I get home from my NYE bash which should be just a few friends and a round of Apples to Apples which I will lose.
in 2010, I going to have some new stuff that I’m working on making happen. Nothing exciting to regular folks but a big deal to me. I’m going into the year with a positive outlook and shedding the resentment that has been holding me back.
HNY gals!
Pesky, congrats on the fantastic new you! Impressive accomplishment.
Margaret on 31 Dec 2009 at 11:11 am #
Is that a game, Fresh?
My family is always looking for something we haven’t played yet. Unfortunately, some of them pick really complicated games with endless rules which we all argue over at the top of our lungs. Lots of fun. LOL
Sabrina Jeffries on 31 Dec 2009 at 11:19 am #
So it doesn’t refer to a moon that’s actually blue? What a disappointment! You had me gearing up for a pretty blue moon tonight, you wicked woman, you! *G*
The main thing I want to accomplish this year is losing the rest of my weight. I’d really like to get down to a solid size 12. See, I’m not asking for miracles–a size 8 or something. I just want to be a size 12, and I’ll be happy. I’m close now, but I’ve still got a ways to go.
I also want to get to the point where I’m walking 3 miles daily, possibly 4. The 3 is doable, the 4 I’m not sure about. It’s taking the time to do it that’s the problem.
Other than that, I can’t think of anything else I’m striving to achieve, except to write better books every time. THAT is always my goal.
evlqn on 31 Dec 2009 at 11:48 am #
Janae,if you have any kind of an inventory go ahead and start your Etsy store now. At $.20 a listing it beats ebay by a mile. We have had one for over a year and love it, I just need to keep it up better, we have sold quite a bit this season.
I plan on losing the extra me I have been carrying around for the last few years, I am tired of her. With my stroller it is easier to walk around and I am going to start doing it more.
Last year we decided to stop being angry at some of the idiots in our lives and things got better for us.This year I want to stay un-angry with them.
Last night i was looking at the moon and remembered tonight it will be blue. It was so beautiful, I looking forward to watching it tonight.
Happy New Year to us all!
Freshechelle on 31 Dec 2009 at 11:53 am #
Margaret, yes, it’s a game that’s fun to play in groups, groups that are slightly inebriated. Even sober, I think you’ll enjoy it.
Margaret on 31 Dec 2009 at 12:19 pm #
LOL Fresh, that would apply to some of us of an evening spent in Virginia. I’ll be sure and look for it. We do have Super Bowl Sunday party coming up Feb 7, but I don’t think anyone will want to play board games that day.
My son-in-law puts on the best parties. Too bad he can’t make the same salary he does doing whatever it is he does now. He once did a NASCAR themed party that even I, a non-fan, had a blast at. We were to have a Penn State New Year’s Eve tonight but bad weather turned it into the Bowl party. He’ll have more time to plan, so it should be loads of fun. Not to mention I adore his side of the family.
Margaret on 31 Dec 2009 at 12:20 pm #
Sabrina, even if you never lost another ounce, you have done a fantastic thing. Relax and enjoy.
Sabrina Jeffries on 31 Dec 2009 at 12:27 pm #
Thanks, Margaret!
Claudia Dain on 31 Dec 2009 at 12:32 pm #
Thanks for educating me about blue moons! I had no idea. It’s so overcast here today that I think the chance of seeing this blue moon is slim to none.
I hope this year is luckier and more bountiful for all of us. 2009 has not been a cake walk! (I wonder where that expression came from?)
Margaret on 31 Dec 2009 at 12:44 pm #
Claudia, I thought the Cake Walk was a dance of the 1920’s. Apparently, it goes back lots farther into slavery times and stems from a dance called Prize Dance. Naturally, I had to look it up and found htis info at Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cakewalk
Also, I found a picture and a bit more info here:
http://www.wsbrec.org/collection/photograph.html
In case you all think I’m doing nothing but hanging on the computer all day, I am crocheting some requested items at the same time. So there.
Claudia Dain on 31 Dec 2009 at 1:07 pm #
Margaret, thank you!! That’s fascinating.
And it’s okay if you hang on the computer all day. Look at all the good you’re imparting to the world!
Deb on 31 Dec 2009 at 1:18 pm #
I have the goal to lose the 14 pounds I gained this last fall when my husband was home in-between jobs. He was a good househusband and his meals were great, but not kind to my waist. *o*
I have become addicted to these fun blogs and Facebook, so need to curb my tendencies to check in a dozen times a day.
AND, unlike the “old” days, I’d like to be able to read in bed without falling asleep 10 minutes after I started reading. :/
Karen Hawkins on 31 Dec 2009 at 1:58 pm #
Lisa H, I wish I’d spent more time with my teenagers. I let them get ‘too busy’ for dinner wayyyy too many times. If I could do it over again, there would be no ‘too busy’ for the family dinners. Ever. Your goals sound well thought out and do-able!
Susan M, ooooh, I’d love to be able to make purses! I bet you have a lot of people in your life who would love one of those for a Christmas present, too!
Lori, your New Year’s Celebration sounds lovely, quiet, and joyous! I think ‘catching up’ is an admirable goal. I feel your got-behind pain, too!
Karen Hawkins on 31 Dec 2009 at 2:29 pm #
Michelle B, I think we should make Pesky our 2010 Heroine We Wanna Be Like. Meanwhile, it sounds like you’re going to have a great 2010 now that you’re settled in your new place. You can go for walks and explore and find all SORTS of cool thing! I’ve started walking again, myself. So far, so wonderful. I really enjoy it!
Pesky, I’m going to Amazon right now to order those. For rainy days, I’ve also enjoyed the cable’s ten minute workouts that you can play for free when you want. I do three or four of them and they’re all different and it’s fast and fun.
Amy, those are LOVELY goals! I love how you’re going to watch the blue moon with your daughter while drinking hot chocolate. That’s just phenomenal.
Your family tree project sounds fascinating, too. That’s such a thoughtful gift!
Karen Hawkins on 31 Dec 2009 at 2:34 pm #
Margaret, that’s a lovely way to live! I like your style, as always. I like having goals, but I’m flexible with them. Sometimes you get there, sometimes you don’t, but it makes the trip more interesting to have a destination of some sort. Btw, I hadn’t thought of that Yogi Berra quote in forever, but it’s priceless! “When you come to a fork in the road, take it!”
Heh!
Louisa, good goals, one and all! I get the feeling that 2010 is going to be a great year for you, big time. Let me know how the moon looks from your porch perch … we’ll see it here, but it’ll be light because of the city.
nancyg on 31 Dec 2009 at 2:35 pm #
K-Hawk:
I guess my #1 goal is to finally put down that pack of cigarettes. I did pretty well on Chantix until I became extremely photosensitive – bad reactions. Yep, I’m one of those “side-effects” people the commercial is talking about. I will get it done…I HAVE to.
#2 – keep up with my household organization trend – sorting & purging “stuff”. I’m starting with going thru the Xmas boxes & decorations THIS WEEK before attic storage.
#3 – lose the 20 pounds I’ve picked up the last few months & regain the muscle tone I had in 2008. My personal trainer has promised not to let me slack & whip me like a plowhorse, if needed. I think a change in diet will be a major part of the equation – NO SNACKING & cutting down on the number of Diet Cokes/day.
#4 – lower my golf handicap below 20. I’ve been averaging about -5 to 7 strokes per year, so that’ll keep with the trend.
#5 – reinstate “Date Night” with Mr. G. We used to do it monthly, but have let it slide the last couple of years. We need to take time out for ourselves, just the 2 of us, no kids or friends.
#6 – get photos organized & into photo albums before I forget who the people in the pictures are!
nancyg on 31 Dec 2009 at 2:39 pm #
I was so focused on my goals, I didn’t answer the other questions, duh!
I’m hosting a dinner party for 3 other couples/very close friends tonight, then an open house/free-for-all party for everyone else afterwards. It’s a tradition the G’s don’t go out on New Year’s Eve. Mr. G calls it “amateur night” for the non-professional drinkers, lol.
We’ll have a fire pit in the backyard so the kids can make s’mores, so we’ll be able to catch the full moon… if we don’t freeze first. It’s cold as you-know-what down here in Dallas!!
Karen Hawkins on 31 Dec 2009 at 3:33 pm #
TrishD, you are one organized and well-balanced chica! I love your goals — I think I need to copy you and add “Spend more time with my parents” on there. If you meet just 50% of your goals, you’ll be living a darn good life.
Janae, I think an etsy site would be perfect! I’ve gotten addicted to etsy and have purchased some gorgeous things. I hope your husband’s job situation clears up, too, though it’s nice he has so many options!
Fresh, I think you are going to have a fantastic year. Letting go of the past can really make today the present it should be. That’s a terrific goal!
Margaret, Hot Cop and I are scrabble fanatics. We have friends we’ll drive over an hour to meet and play with them. I’d like to learn Rook, though. That would be fun.
Karen Hawkins on 31 Dec 2009 at 3:39 pm #
Sabrina, it’s hard to imagine you writing better and better books — seems like you’re topping out now.
Good luck on the goal, although it sounds as if you’re soooo close. Can’t wait to see you! You looked great in July — it’ll be awesome to see you in February and compare!
eviqn, we need to start a Walk Log area on the Forum. Wouldn’t that be cool? We could all log in when we walked/how far/ and how long. I’ll ask Kim about it. The moon was very beautiful last night. I’m looking forward to seeing the whole thing soon!
Karen Hawkins on 31 Dec 2009 at 3:45 pm #
Claudia, I agree — 2009 was a tough year for a lot of reasons. I hope 2010 IS a cakewalk.
Margaret, thank you for looking that up — I had no idea! I think Claudia’s right — you should hang out online all day and wiki and google things for us. We need you!
Deb, if you find a way to keep from falling asleep when you start to read, I could really use some tips. It’s getting bad. It’s very cool, though, that your husband is such a good cook! Now THAT’S something to be thankful for!
Gannon on 31 Dec 2009 at 3:45 pm #
I knew about the blue moon tonight–pretty cool. We are in Nashville with friends, and unfortunately it’s very cloudy and tonight will be rainy/sleet/snowy. I don’t think seeing the blue moon will work out for us, but we’ll still have fun!
I definitely need to get healthier this year–eat better, exercise, stress less, etc. That really is my biggest goal, but since it affects so many areas of my life, it will make everything better!
Happy 2010, Goddesses!
Karen Hawkins on 31 Dec 2009 at 3:48 pm #
Nancyg, that is an ambitious agenda for 2010, but they all mesh very well. I want to hear how your personal trainer works out. I have a friend with one and she swears by him. I might need to try that myself!
Your evening plans sound divine! I hope we get cold enough for a firelog, too. We have one we’ve been saving, but I don’t know what the temp is going to be. It’s up and down here in Orlando. You Texans have had a heck of a cold winter already, haven’t you?
Karen Hawkins on 31 Dec 2009 at 3:51 pm #
Gannon, you’re in one of my fave cities ever! Check out the Blue Bird Cafe where the songwriters all go — it’s a small, smoky bar, but the entertainment is FABULOUS. Have a great NY’s Eve and I hope the clouds clear long enough for you to see the Blue Moon!
Rachel Gibson on 31 Dec 2009 at 3:53 pm #
Karen, I did not know that about the moon. Interesting. I’ve already told several people who now think I am really smart. Thanks.
I want to be more organized and stop procrastinating so much. I want to keep it simple, remember what’s important to me, and continue to surround myself with sane, happy, people.
Janae on 31 Dec 2009 at 4:26 pm #
Louisa and KarenH, I’ll make an announcement when I get my shop and running. I love etsy!
Evlqn – I think I might have enough inventory -it’s a matter of letting some things go. I really need to think of a shop name. I’ve an idea what I want to call it, which is inspired by a Percy Shelley quote that I love. It describes how I design things. What’s your shop’s name because I’d love to see what you have?
evlqn on 31 Dec 2009 at 8:41 pm #
Janae, it’s called smithandstanleynaturally, because I originally started out making my own bath products.I have to make a new batch, all I have now I’m using personally. Smith was my last name & Stanley was my sister’s.
Lisa G on 31 Dec 2009 at 8:50 pm #
I want to be the best person I can be, reach all my goals and pursue all my dreams. I need to get myself healthy through diet and exercise. I want to read more, write more and just do more. I just want to be everything I always wanted to be. Am I asking too much?
Happy New Year Goddess! May you all achieve everything you want and need!
I have just seen the Blue Moon and it is gorgeous; beautiful and full!
Karen Hawkins on 31 Dec 2009 at 10:35 pm #
Rachel, glad to help! It’s a gorgeous moon, too. We were just looking at it. I love your goals, especially the last one … I know I’m always happy when I’m surrounded by sane people!
eviqn and Janae, I can see I’m going wish I had more etsy bucks before the month is over!
LisaG, I’ve always thought you should live large and dream big, so I’m with you!
Glad to hear that the blue moon is singing her song for you. I need to take a peek now myself.
Janae on 31 Dec 2009 at 11:28 pm #
Evlqn – I’ll definitely check it out. Is it easy to make your own bath products?
evlqn on 01 Jan 2010 at 2:46 am #
Janae, i have found it is pretty easy because I have great reference books and an excellent supply source. i use a locally owned business Glory Bee Foods. All of their products are high grade and reasonably priced. They have an online store but since I am only about 20 blocks from them I go in. I have been using them for nearly 14 years now and they never disappoint me in regards to quality. The best part of doing your own products is you know what is in them. I use a lot of Vit. E and evening primrose oil in my soaps and lotions.
Sweet Jane on 03 Jan 2010 at 9:07 am #
I read “Blue Moon” by Lori Handeland without having the faintest idea what a blue moon really was. Now I do!
I wonder if it was a sign that I eventually had to spend New Year’s Eve alone in a hotel near Philadelphia… and if it is, what can it mean for the future?
Anyway, I must say that yes, I hope 2010 will be a lucky, or at least a luckier year for me. Not that I’ve been very unhappy lately, but looking back to what 2009 was to me… well, it wasn’t that great. Of course I’ve learnt a lot going through it all, but it also feels like plenty of time wasted, and more struggling than actually enjoying.
What I want to do this year is behave more like an adult. Learn tact and moderation, enjoy every day while it lasts, follow my heart while hurting others as little as possible. I’m also going back to university after a year and a half off, and I hope I am finally up to all the intellectual work and discipline a MA implies. My last secret wish is to still find time to read and write romance in between all my other obligations.
Good luck to us all in achieving our goals!