Super Moon! Bigger, Better Than Evah! plus

–Of course, because I try to write a trendy, what's happenin' now sort of blog, you will soon know more about the Super Moon - coming to a sky near you tonight -than you really wanted to know. Or not. We'll see what turns up here (if you can't wait, here is a starter article with some fun in it).

But while you are waiting, I have a small confession to make. I might have made it here before. I might have even said it to someone reading this. (You know how you hope if you confess something, you might stop doing it? You don't know? Ok, never mind.)
Here it is. I am a paper towel slut. Oh, I am not as bad as I used to be, but a day without paper towels around me is a day I'm just missing something in my world. Sure, I have tea towels, and wash rags and even a few cloth napkins around. I could live without paper towels...maybe. But...why? there are so many kinds of paper towels! Right now, I've got some that I found at Genesis. They are about as close to cloth as a paper towel can be. I almost have to scissor them at the perforated edge, that's how good they are. It is like a little moment of excitement every time I tear one off, they are that good. But they eventually get tossed, in favor of a cleaner, brighter, drier  one (I mean, it's not like I think of each one personally, I'm not inSANE!). It is a guilty, wasteful pleasure, that's the whole thing. Yes, I know. I'm a wild woman. Don't forget it.  

So you can only imagine my extremely cautious sense of curiousity when I got this email from a friend of mine who probably went out and bought a case of coffee filters right away. This guy probably washed his own diapers, I've never asked because I don't want to know. I mean, he was the first person I knew who re-used baggies, many years ago. Yes, I have friends like this (well, I did, before I just wrote the preceding). So naturally, it was him who sent me this. So much of it is in the 'good idea' category, I had to honor whoever took the time to make this list (they must have as crazy and wild a life as me).

Better than paper towels and a lot less expensive...

Coffee  filters ..... Who knew!   And you can buy 1,000 at the Dollar Tree for almost nothing, even the large ones.

1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the  microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.

2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome...  Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling. ( sparkling)

3.  Protect China by separating your good dishes with a  coffee filter between each dish. (I did not capitalize China. I wish we could protect China with a coffee filter. I wish we could protect ourselves from China with a coffee filter. However, they don't make them that big. Sorry)

4.  Filter broken cork from wine.  If you break the cork when opening a wine  bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.  (I mean, is this a great idea or what???)
 
5.  Protect a cast-iron skillet.  Place a coffee filterin the  skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust. (can also be used to spread around that bit of oil while drying the skillet on the stove, wow! I am totally impressed...and easily, I might add)

6.  Apply shoe polish.  Ball up a lint-free coffee filter. (I'm sorry if you have to use shoe polish, but if you must wear those sorts of shoes, please do keep them polished!)

7.  Recycle frying oil.  After frying, strain oil through a sieve  lined with a coffee filter.  (wonder if that works with bacon grease? But why? Sounds sort of disgusting to me; isn't once enough?)

8.  Weigh chopped foods.  Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a  kitchen scale.

9.  Hold tacos.  Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.

10.  Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot.  Line a plant  pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through  the drainage holes.  (this is a good one. I tend to use sea grape leaves myself but they aren't always handy)

11.  Prevent a Popsicle from dripping.  Poke one or two holes as  needed in a coffee filter..  (uh, sure)

12.  Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows?  Use  strips of coffee filters..  (this just gives me a smile every time I read it...if it doesn't provoke a few amusing mental images for you, check your pulse)

13.  Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon,  French fries, chicken  fingers, etc on them.  It soaks out all the grease. (ALL the grease? cool! I do like this one)

14.  Keep in the bathroom.  They make great "razor nick  fixers." (I'm sure they also are fine for when the TP runs out but I guess 'razor nick fixers' sounds better)

15.   As a sewing backing.  Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliqueing soft fabrics.

16.  Put  baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.

17.  Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in  soups and stews. (I guess you could sort of use them like a cheesecloth bag for your own bouquet garni, huh?)

18.  Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car.  (see amusing mental images above)

19.  Use them as a  spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.

20.  Can use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies..  Saves on having extra bowls to wash.  (hmmmm)

21.  Use them to wrap  Christmas ornaments for storage. (good one)

22.  Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.

23.  Use them to sprout seeds..  Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a  plastic baggie until they sprout. (don't know about needing the plastic baggie - then I'd have to wash IT - but this is one I like)

24. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers.  Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in  phone book.. (if you live on Culebra, this is not such a helpful suggestion. You might want to have a friend from NY or Florida send you a phone book)

25.  Use as a disposable "snack bowl" for popcorn, chips, etc.  (one of life's little pleasures being single, I don't have to share my popcorn bowl!)
  
OH YEAH THEY ARE GREAT TO USE IN YOUR COFFEE MAKERS TOO.


I hope you feel as enlightened as I did after reading this list. I'm really going to try some of these, but the ultimate question is, how to I hand the little suckers? Thanks, Frank! 


Ok, in the semi-excited state you are now in, it is appropriate to go for Super Moon! First of all, it is Tina's birthday today. On a full moon date. A Super Moon date. I am just explaining this so that if you are looking toward St. Croix tonight and see fireworks or explosions of any sort, you will understand the reason. It is not Hess blowing up. It is Tina and crew, celebrating. Really.

"On March 19th, a full Moon of rare size and beauty will rise in the east at sunset. It's a super "perigee moon"--the biggest in almost 20 years.

"The last full Moon so big and close to Earth occurred in March of 1993," says Geoff Chester of the US Naval Observatory in Washington DC. "I'd say it's worth a look." 

I must say that I love it when scientific journals/writings/people use language that acknowledges their area of study is sometimes outside the dusty, dry realm of numbers and formulas. Whoever wrote the above opening sentence for the Nasa Science News bulletin on the Super Moon, I applaud you. Rare size and beauty indeed. 

And to you, Geoff Chester; I have a feeling your wife might say this is you in trembling excitement mode. But I'd encourage you to pick it up a little. Maybe hang out with whoever wrote that first sentence, toss back a couple, go a little off the beaten track. You know, into the 'Get your ass out of your Lazy Boy and grab your favorite girl, go check out that glorious moon!' mode. I've got your back, Geoff!

There are links above to tell you all you need to know about the science of a Super Moon, so I'm not going to repeat it here. Anyway, I personally prefer the PFM approach to viewing any sort of natural phenomenon. Pure F(or the Children's Sake) Magic. Because...it is.

The very BEST part of moon viewing, and this night in particular, is the rising of the moon. So check out your local info for that. For us, it is supposed to be 6:28 p.m. tonight. Depending on hills and interfering things. I'm hoping to be out on the water someplace for the show, at least try to be where you have some farther horizons. But where ever you are,anywhere on this planet,  that moon is gonna rise, so Be There! 

As the writer of the above article says in closing "The swollen orb rising in the east at sunset may seem so nearby, you can almost reach out and touch it.

Don't bother. Even a super perigee Moon is still 356,577 km away. That is, it turns out, a distance of rare beauty. (the phrase so nice, let's use it twice)

This is a video of the above article. 

Have a Super Moon Saturday! Do something of rare beauty at Sunset!