Halos

Before talking about halos, it's Happy Birthday, Sarah Day! 

An old photo found last year

Because I'm her Mama, she looks about the same to me.

Happy birthday, Sarah Bear. I love you more each year and I never thought that was even possible 39 years ago today, when my heart felt like it would explode in my chest with crazy love, just looking at you.

Not oddly enough, it is also my friend Robin's birthday. Being friends since our early teens and having the not so normal of families each, we have done a lot of laughing together. Crying too but the laughter is always better. She and Sarah have an affinity that crosses miles and years and it was Robin who kept these old photos. I'm so glad!

Rob and Sarah a little while back

One of those 'what was going on here?' photos

Like most of our times together, much of it is on beaches or eating.

Happy birthday, Robin! Let me know how it feels to be so old!

Since both Robin and Sarah can be as lovely as angels with halos (even if at times horns are holding them upright on their heads), that might have been what I meant at the start - remember back there? But that's not what I meant at all. 

Yesterday I got a call from Teresa to go look at the sun. Contrary to what some of my witful type friends might think, it was not so I would go blind.

There was an amazing halo around the sun that was huge. It doesn't look nearly as huge in this photo but it was, in earth size terms, radiating in a diameter of about 30 feet around that yellow ball. Or 60. It kept getting bigger or maybe I was starting to go blind.

What is another thing I love about Culebra? That so many people love this sort of event. Before facebook, we'd have to be satisfied with calling each other and ahhh-ing over the phone. Now we can do that and post photos too. I think there were six or seven versions of this, with exclamations of wonder. 

This version, taken by Sylvia Nieves, was, in my opinion, the best the bunch.
She's very good.

According to EarthSky, here's the explanation:

These clouds contain millions of tiny ice crystals. The halos you see are caused by both refraction, or splitting of light, and also by reflection, or glints of light from these ice crystals. The crystals have to be oriented and positioned just so with respect to your eye, in order for the halo to appear.

That’s why, like rainbows, halos around the sun – or moon – are personal. Everyone sees their own particular halo, made by their own particular ice crystals, which are different from the ice crystals making the halo of the person standing next to you.

Ok, that's just very cool, the personal part. I knew about the ice crystals, but what is really obvious was not apparent to me until I read that.

While that phenomenon usually indicates a weather event, like rain, I was surprised when, after the sky darkening with clouds, I only noted a very brief shower sometime in the early a.m. Unless I missed it, doing something silly like sleeping.

Here's to unique events! Including the births of my daughter and my dearest friend on the same day.

Have moments of magical on your Monday. Do something memorable. 

Happy Birthday, Sarah!! It's Sarahday!

Because we love to play with ©Lite-Brite

I could go into a whole story about when Sarah was born but it reminds me too much of the day I realized that showing her birth photos to people wasn't really as delightful as I originally thought. I have no idea how many people saw crotch shots extremely intimate photos of me before that realization dawned, but I can tell you it was too many. Let's just say, I'm really glad she was born and is here on the planet with me. 

Sarah on the farm in California, her new home. So long, Portland! 

Taurus is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Emerald is the modern birthstone for this month. Sapphire is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years. (who knew? I've been giving you emeralds all these years!)

Dragon is the mythical animal and Fire is the element for a person born on this day if we consider the very old art of Chinese astrology.

Taurus the bull, dragon and fire, dancing on sapphires. This is the year of change for sure, birthday child of mine. From the city to the country, I'll get to do one stop son and Sarah visiting now.  I can't wait!

And because I love you so much, I'm going to name this little melon after you. It has made it through attacks of birds, iguanas and drought. Small but hardy, adaptable. The Sarahloupe. I know, love runs deep. Don't cry.

If we were together, I'd bake you this cake. Since I'm not, you'll just have to imagine how good it would be (being together WITH the cake that we'd let Peri bake for us).

Have a Sarahlicious Saturday! Do something splendidly satisfying. 

It's a girl and an island - Births of two stories

May 11, 1976. A small town. A small hospital. Parents to be. And then, there she was, Sarah Rebekah Shipley. Beautiful. Perfect. A new planet discovered, a new life began. It was time to go home and live a new life.

May 11, 2002. St. Croix. A small plane. A smaller island. A camp ground. A new world discovered, a new life began. It was called home. It was time to begin life again.

I could get all sappy and try to express all the feelings (yes, ALL of them!) I have about Sarah, and about Culebra too. But despite my efforts, how can words express two aspects of my life that have brought me every range of emotion, from huge love to madness, that there is to be had? The top of both lists would be contained in one word, with such very different meanings. Joy. Joy. Joy. Joy.

So happy birthday, Sarah, my bear. I love you. Now, go shopping and eat cheese and drink wine and cook something fabulous. Play and laugh and learn and love. Grow and explore and LIVE! May this year bring you more smiles than you've ever known. Warrior girl! Did I mention, I love you?

Culebra, over these nine years, also brings me joy. Like an adopted daughter, I can't believe the world brought me to you and you to me. I'm so lucky! As I told Felo and his wife this morning, Culebra is two things, a land of beauty, great beauty. And a people that fill me, a family I chose, that gives me so very much. Bring on the lechon and bring on the beauty. Oh wait, it's right here (not the lechon).

A day of celebrations!

Today is my daughter Sarah's birthday - happy birthday, Bear!  My unexpected mini-me, she outdoes everything I taught her that was good, like being a more studious reader and a better cook, and sometimes walking the high wire higher than I ever did to terrify me to my bones... As Sarah puts it, " I love you, Mom. no matter how crazy we both are."And of course, I feel exactly the same about her. Except even more, because it is a Mama thing givng that extra dimension that never existed in my heart before she arrived on the scene. I'm glad you're in my world, Sarah - from the moment you became you in that quiet place within me.

Today is also the birthday of my oldest friend...well, she's not my OLDEST friend, but in the world of lifetime achievements, we've managed to stay in touch and heart close from the time we were 14 and I was trying to drag her into trouble. She the former cheerleader homebody, married forever, mother of four, living in one place longer than I've lived any place...me, the high school hippie chick, hopping around the earth, my three children scattered around the country, marriage long ago distanced...we've still managed to keep our friendship going. From roaring down the beach in her Mom's Super Beetle with Joni Mitchell on full blast, to her and her husband driving 1000 miles to meet Sarah when she was born (and try to teach me how to crochet), to having her little sister London babysit our kids while we cruised the Redneck Riviera in her Dad's 280Z...with Joni Mitchell playing full blast...eating oysters in every bar and dancing at the Hog's Breath Saloon, to staying in touch via phone and these day via internet...43 years have gone by in a tumultuous flash...and I wish you all the peace and joy and love you can stand, Rob...and bubbles on the beach too.

And then there is the Culebra celebration. Eight years ago today I came to Culebra for the first time. I camped at Flamenco, in a tiny little tent and met Henry, the campground guy then, who was the first person of so many that I fell in love with here, right after I'd fallen in love with Culebra. It took three days to be sure was the place for me, and another week to grab my things from St. Croix and call this home, a decision I've never regretted for a minute. Okay, maybe a minute every few years, but on the whole, it's still a steady love affair. Culebra has all the ingredients: she makes me laugh, and cry and be full of joy and be hair tearingly maddening, and always giving something that lets us kiss and make up. Changing and unchangable, my heart homeplace. Thank you, Culebra! This blog is for, and from you - (disclaimer) from my perspective, of course!

Yesterday a group of us were up at Ann's, painting and primping as she gets her fabulous home ready to rent out to lucky holiday couples (info soon on that). We come up out of love for Ann, along with the knowledge that all we have to do is turn around and have more of those fantastic views. Dakity, Vieques, the big island, St. Thomas, on a clear day St. Croix, surrounded by the hills and valleys below...it wasn't work, it was joy. One of the cool things that occured yesterday was a tremendous water spout moving along out at sea. Thanks, Pam, for calling our attention to that glory!

First sighting

Closer view

Waterspout pulling up the sea

Rain with a low rainbow sweeping in behind the spout

Sail Rock from Ann's

So the house got finished and looks wonderful, Nature put on a drama show, and as usual...a good time was had by all. Just another day on Culebra...

Dedicated to Culebra and all those who ask the questions...

I've got my celebration sandals on, hope you do too!