The Long Night Moon

Humans have been naming the phases of the moon since there were people. Even before the Native Americans assigned names and meanings to the full moons, the Celtics did it as did the ancient Chinese.
The last full moon of 2012 began last night (Thursday 12/27/12) and peaked at 5:21 am this morning, but it will still be visible tonight. Last night and again tonight, the full moon will follow the sun's path, rising around sunset and setting around sunrise on Saturday. Around midnight, the moon will be in a similar position as the sun during the summer solstice.

In areas where the sky is clear, the moon will be visible from dusk until dawn all over the world. It will be a full moon on a long night in the Northern Hemisphere and will ride low in the sky like the sun in winter in the Southern Hemisphere. North and South of the Arctic Circle where the sun stays below the horizon or there is no sun at all, the moon will mimic the position of the summer sun, hovering just above or below the horizon.

NThe December full moon shines in the center of a star formation known as the Winter Circle, a promise of where the sun will reside six months from now—a promise of longer days and warmer temperatures—a moon for wishes and dreams.

Each year, the Winter Circle is visible around the time of the Winter solstice. But this year, Jupiter is also visible near the star circle. It should be visible near the lower left of the full moon. It will be brighter than Sirius, the brightest star of the nighttime sky.

Throughout the Northern Hemisphere, this is the closest full moon to the December solstice, the longest night of the year. The Native Americans who lived in the United States named the recurring full moons to keep track of the seasons. Colonial Americans called December's full moon The Christmas Moon while others followed Native American customs, calling it the Full Cold Moon or more commonly, the Long Night Moon.

The Long Night Moon was so named because it falls soon after the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year. It was a great night to attack the enemy. And if you believe in the supernatural, a great night for werewolves, shape shifters, and vampires.

The Long Night Moon shines longer than any other full Moon of the year, brightening the sky as clearly as the sun for those with supernatural vision. And the further north one lives in the Northern Hemisphere, the more dramatic  the moon will be. In some areas, there will be three hours and 45 minutes more moonlight than sunlight. So beware! It will be a perfect evening for creatures of the night.

Merry Christmas

Take a moment this holiday season to remember the reason we celebrate.

Merry Christmas and God bless.
Lilly

No Time For the Apocalypse

Well, today is supposed to be the end of the world, but it's after nine in the morning here in North Carolina and the sun is still shining. I feel a bit like one of the Who's in Whoville shouting to Horton in Dr. Seuss's Horton Hears a Who.  "We're here! We're here!"

Instead of shouting to an elephant, I'm whispering to the universe. "We're still here. We're still here!"

It's not as if I believed the Mayan calendar but so far, today, there have been no horrific storms.

And no zombie apocalypse.

For some,  today was a day to dread. A day to fear. For me, today and this whole month are a reason to celebrate.

Today, I celebrate a milestone in my life. It's my five year anniversary of beating breast cancer. Today, I am a five year survivor.

November and December have been great months for me. Not counting the unexpected $500 dollar repair cost of my Chevy Equinox that left us stranded at a gas station in Zebulon as we were headed home from a Thanksgiving visit with my husband's family or the spare car, a 1997 Jeep that left me stranded at work when the battery died, I'm still counting my blessings.

My youngest daughter, Lauren moved out at the beginning of November. She has a fantastic, rewarding job as a radiation therapist, she bought her own car, and she now has her own apartment. I'm so incredibly proud of her. Then to top that, on Thanksgiving Day, my youngest brought a surprise with her to Thanksgiving dinner. She brought her sister!

Jennifer has been living in Germany for the past 6 years with her soldier husband, Mike. Jennifer hasn't been home for Thanksgiving since 2005. And she hasn't been home for Christmas since 2008. So, it's been fun around here having her home. And Lauren has visited more often since her sister's been here.

Don't get me wrong, I'm proud of both my girls and I'm so happy for their independence. I had a handicapped sister, Cindy, who never had true independence. So, I know how important it is to a child and a mother to see their children living productive lives. God bless Cindy, she wanted her independence so badly. She died last February. And now, she is truly free.

If the world is going to end tragically today, I'm glad she missed it. But I just don't have time for the apocalypse now. My son in law arrived in the states on Tuesday to join my daughter for Christmas.So, I'm really looking forward to celebrating the birth of Christ with my entire family.

So glad to have Jennifer and Michael home this year.

The world might be falling into chaos, but I don't think it's going to end today. Despite all the evil in the world, there is still goodness here as well.

I can't imagine what those families in Connecticut must be going through. It must have seemed as if their worlds had ended last Friday, December 14.  I pray for those affected by that tragedy and hope that one day, they might find peace.

The apocalypse may well be near, but I'm still looking for the beauty in this world. I truly believe that if you seek love and happiness, you will find it. And right now, I'm pretty damn happy.

May you all find the peace, love, and happiness you seek. And may you all have a blessed holiday.

One Step Closer!

Embrace the Darkness the sequel to my 2010 paranormal/vampire release is one step close to publication. Tonight, I got approval on my blurb:

An experimental vaccine gives vampire Gerard Delaroache hope for the first time in two centuries--until two people are brutally murdered, and he suspects a conspiracy between vampires and mortals. To solve the crime, he must put his trust in a beautiful detective. But is former soldier and MP turned detective, Amber Buckley, a threat to his existence? Or the answer to his prayers?

Amber Buckley and her partner are assigned to do follow up interviews in the Lifeblood of America slayings. Amber believes she and Reid are just new eyes on a cold case.  That is until she meets Gerard Delaroache. Something about him teases long-buried memories Amber would rather not chase. However, the two join together, falling into more than resolution of a murder case. It seems Amber has some dark secrets of her own.

 To find their way into the light, Amber and Gerard must first EMBRACE THE DARKNESS.

Hope the blurb will tempt you all to buy the book when it comes out in 2013!