Leah sings for me. And Mom.

In boots and in cahoots

The Carlon/Maas sisters on Christmas day. Boots abound.

Christmas at the Commonweal

P.S. Despite the double feature of Jason/Kimberly songs, and no matter what Stef’s family thought during our Thanksgiving visit, Jason is not MY boyfriend, he’s STEF’s. Everybody clear?

Last week of Christmas Carol

As the ghost of Christmas Past

Revelers bringing their dinners to the bakers shops.

Sky Show Tonight: Biggest, Brightest Full Moon of 2008

A composite picture, based on an image of the moon taken by the Galileo spacecraft, shows the apparent size differences between a full moon at perigee (the closest point in lunar orbit) and one at apogee (the farthest point), as seen from Earth.

Although a full moon happens every month, the one that rises tonight will appear about 30 percent brighter and 14 percent larger than the other full moons seen so far this year.

That’s because our cosmic neighbor will be much closer than usual. The moon will be at its closest perigee—the nearest it gets to Earth during its egg-shaped orbit around our planet.

At its farthest from Earth, the moon is said to be at apogee. (Find out more about tonight’s perigee and watch a moon-facts video in National Geographic News’s space blog, Breaking Orbit.)

Perigee and apogee each happen generally once a month, but the moon’s wobbly orbit means that its exact distance at each of those events varies over the year.

The moon’s phase can also be different during each apogee and perigee.

“Typically we don’t have the full moon phase and perigee coinciding at the same time, so that makes this event particularly special,” said Ed Krupp, director of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, California.

What’s more, tomorrow’s event will be the closest lunar perigee since 1993, at 221,560 miles (356,566 kilometers) from Earth.

The moon’s farthest apogee for the year will occur a couple weeks later on December 26, when the natural satellite will be 252,650 miles (406,601 kilometers) from Earth.

Highest Tide

Because this unusually close perigee is happening during a full moon, it is expected to have an effect on Earth’s tides. (Get more moon facts.)

“While high tides happen each month when the sun, Earth, and the moon are aligned, there is going to be an enhanced effect, with the moon being the closest it’s been in more than a decade,” said Ben Burress, staff astronomer at the Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland, California.

“This would result in extra-large tides in regions that are susceptible to them, like Nova Scotia’s Bay of Fundy.” (See map.) Features in the Bay of Fundy create a sloshing wave action that, in the bay’s funneled and tapered basin, give rise to vast tidal ranges.

But even in such places, the effects of perigee are often modest, in most cases measurable in inches. But perigee tides can be higher if there happens to be a storm surge at the same time.

Observing the effects of perigee on the moon itself can be a bit trickier. Most casual observers may only notice a difference in the moon’s brightness, Burress said.

The moon’s apparent larger size might be most noticeable as it rises above the horizon at sunset.

That’s when an optical illusion usually comes into play that makes the full moon seem larger—set against familiar Earthly objects—than when it’s higher in the empty sky.

“This combination of the moon illusion and close perigee gives sky-watchers a chance to see the biggest and fullest moonrise possible,” Burress said.

What makes this event particularly nice, the Griffith Observatory’s Krupp added, is that everyone around the world can witness it without the need for special equipment, just clear skies.

“If you are charmed by the idea of seeing the biggest and brightest full moon visible in 15 years, be ready to go outside at sunset and watch for the rising moon in the east,” he said.

“Or stay up all night and watch as the moon rides through the overhead skies—either way it will be a beautiful sight.”

-National Geographic

Nonprofits and the economy

I’ve pointed out before that three of my top five strengths are Input, Intellection, and Learner. As you might expect, I have a voracious appetite for new information/knowledge. I’m endlessly attracted to the route that will make me proficient and fluent in things that I have a passion for.  I’ve discovered in the last six months, that in addition and in relation to my love of theatre, I am becoming tremendously excited about grant-writing for non-profit arts organizations (much like the one I am employed by). So in order to nurture this burgeoning interest, I attended a conference hosted by the MCN (Minnesota Council of Nonprofits) in St. Paul; a conference that addressed the affect of the economic climate on nonprofits and the philanthropic foundations that fund them. 

I learned a lot. Yippeee!

But sadly, I learned that the next two are three years are going to be rough. Community, private, and corporate foundation assets are down 30%!!!! This means that many foundations are restructuring their funding strategies and will be scaling back on Arts & Culture funding and shifting concentration to ‘basic needs’ (i.e. Health & Education, Community Support, Social Services etc). Unfortuantely, this is not good news for arts organizations. I won’t be surprised if theatres all around the country have to downsize, cut corners, or fold completely. In fact, I already know of many that are in such dire straights already. 

I recommend and agree with Paul C. Light’s article in the Washington Post, Obama Must Mobilize Supporters to Help Non-Profits. He writes, “There is already plenty of evidence that the [Non-profit} sector is suffering. It is often the first to experience recession as households cut back on discretionary contributions and the last to recover. Of the nearly 1 million nonprofits up and running, as many as 100,000 will fail over the coming six months. Budgets are tight, hiring freezes are in place, and cutbacks are taking their toll on training, information technology, evaluation and even fundraising. Driven by increasing demand for basic services, many nonprofits are shorting their own employees, who are so deeply committed to their missions that they are willing to take pay cuts to help the needy. They are part of a self-exploiting workforce — wind it up, and it will take a pay cut.”

 

Thanks to savvy budgeting, consistent grant approvals, and a sturdy support base of individual givers, the Commonweal is and will be financially sound enough to weather the rough seas of the present bad economy. 

Good luck to the rest of ‘em.

Good humor and holiday cheer

Last night after the show we all went to the community holiday dinner dance. It was a hoot! The whole town turned out in their sequins and satin to toast the season and take their turn on the dance floor. Everyone was so energetic and jovial! Jiving and smiling, throwing their heads back in laughter, swinging their hips around in rhythm, winking and tapping and sipping some wine. The atmosphere was delightful and festive. 

I really had a great time. Not only because I was totally in the mood to gambol and cavort, but also because dozens of people approached me to compliment me on my performance in ‘Ice Maidens’ and/or ‘Christmas Carol’. I have to admit I felt like a Lanesboro celebrity! It was both unexpected and heartwarming. I am truly honored when strangers specifically seek me out to say nice things straight to my face. Its something they really don’t have to do, but they are compelled to do it because of what we shared on a particular night in the theatre. That’s pretty special.

Shoveling Snow

Here I am in my new winter investments, a top of the line REI down jacket and my rabbit fur Russian hat, shoveling snow for the first time in my life.

At staff meetings, I ask questions about the logistics and repercussions of the snow fall….and everyone looks at me endearingly, if not a little condescendingly.

Me: “How do you get the car out of the garage if it snows?”

All: “Shovel the snow. “

Me: “How does the garbage get taken out from under the house?”

All: “Shovel the snow”

Me: What happens if you shovel the sidewalk in the morning and then it snows again later that afternoon?

All: Shovel the snow…AGAIN. 

I had a line in ‘Ice Maidens’ that went something like this:

“When I used to shovel snow, I used to get hot under my parka and I’d start to get sweaty and tired. And then I would suck in the cold air in a deep deep breath, and it felt like taking a drink of cool water. Just like water, nice and cold. “

The snow and cold was comforting to her. Familiar and predictable. Nostalgically reaffirming. 

Ummmm… but for real? The snow and cold are far from familiar and predictable for me. It puzzles me and I am find it quite cumbersome. Gearing up to walk just a block and a half? Ugh!

And I’m completely intrigued by everyone’s choices of winter apparel. I want to know what kind of boots you have…how warm they are…what kind of traction they have…etc. etc. Is your coat down? Water proof? Wind resistant? Do you bring slippers to work? Suffer from hat-hair ALL day? When you wear long underwear under your jeans, do you get too hot when you are inside? 

And on, and on. Hopefully, by February I’ll have this winter thing figured out.

Worthwhile insomnia

I really need to be asleep by now.

An early and long day of teaching is in store for me tomorrow. Three high schools, 400 students, and an interactive lesson plan about Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’. 

Icy roads. Hot coffee. Gymnasiums full of seventh graders. 

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What is keeping me up? The need to express my gratitude to those who are continually good to me.

To my family for sending me a goofy musical Thanksgiving greeting card (it just arrived up here to the tundra).

To a good friend who too often plays my benefactor…feeds me square meals and drives me out of town when necessary. 

To the the four of us who walked  half a mile up a cliff-edged, snow-covered, back-woods driveway to our friend Barb’s beautiful mountain-perched home to watch a movie. Mexican hot chocolate, wine, chili, and a tour of her mosaic studio awaited us upon our huffing and puffing arrival. 

Worthy thoughts to lose sleep over.