Moonset

It is now 6:40 a.m. on Friday, December 28, 2012. Looking west through the sliding glass door in my room I see the full moon approaching the horizon beyond the pond. There is a large pine tree near the house, and if I lean to the right, the moon just fits behind the tree. If I lean to the left I see it large and full. It is a creamy off-white color, similar to the Cheerios in my breakfast bowl.

I just walked over to the east-facing window behind me, and the sun is not quite up, but the eastern sky is glowing a yellow-orange color at the horizon, with light blue above. It is 6:50 now, and the moon has touched the western horizon. In a few minutes it will be out of sight, and the sun will be within view to the east.

I feel fortunate to have witnessed this miracle. Through the interaction of the moon, the sun, and the Earth, you and I are alive and we have all the conditions necessary for happiness. I like getting up at 6. This morning I awoke at 5 and could not get back to sleep. After a few minutes of feeling frustrated in my desire to sleep, I decided to relax and enjoy my wakefulness by meditating. My mind wandered all over the place, but I kept returning to my breath and relaxing. After a while I decided to do a progressive-relaxation body scan, and that was delightful.

Yesterday I did my daily writing from 7:30 to 12:30, and I plan to do that again today. Now it is 7 a.m. and the moon is completely out of sight. The western sky is baby blue, and the pine trees have lightened to their typical green color, instead of the black shadows I saw 20 minutes ago. In the east, the sun is still obscured behind trees and houses, but I know it must be up because the sky is light and bright. I just noticed a light dusting of snow on a few patches of ground. My thermometer says it is 30 degrees outside, just below freezing. Soon the sun will melt the snow.

Afternoon update: I did do sabbatical work and writing from 7:30 to 12:30 or so. Mostly I worked on identifying a potential agent and writing a snappy pitch letter. I'll let it sit on the table for a few days before deciding whether it is ready for prime time.  So I did get writing and meditation done, but sill no running. I would like to work that in too.