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From ancient times, humanity has named its surroundings.  Was this to create a connection, feel more in control or just a way to identify what could be at times an unfriendly environment?  We probably will never know for certain but one of the things we do have are remnants of their naming like the full moon names.  These names give us a hint into how ancient peoples identified with their surroundings and tracked their seasons.

For early agricultural communities, June began a slow trickle of early crops like strawberries.  Imagine going all winter with little to no fresh fruits or vegetables.  Perhaps the community even ran low enough on food that hunger was a part of daily life.  Then to work all spring to get crops in the ground so next winter you hoped not to fall short.  Then June comes and the creamy flowers of strawberry plants indicates soon the first red berries will be there.  Imagine how much sweeter these taste after struggling for enough food.  Naturally as this important fresh food became available, the people would logically name the full moon strawberry. This name comes from both Celtic and Algonquin lineage so perhaps it was a staple and a pleasure for both groups.  Was it because it was one of the first crops or because the flowers of this plant are the same milky white color as the moon?  Probably we will never know. 

We're past Midsummer and into the heat of summer.  A friend of mine mentioned we're on the dark side of the year now because each day we have a little less light.  The phrase stuck with me as I worked through my days.

Every day we shift to a minute or two less of light.  The clock is ticking, ticking, ticking to remind us to finish whatever our goals are for this year.  How many times have you heard someone say - where did the year go or where did the month go?  

Life for me has been in a state of fast forward.  In January my husband and I both went through some health issues - nothing life threatening but still concerning.  We spent a lot of time in Urgent Care, doctor's offices, and my husband had a outpatient procedure.  

In March, my daughter announced she got a job close to home and was moving home.  We spent March and April packing, moving, and organizing.  We're still working on the organizing.  It seems like my weekends for the last few months have all been hurry up and get stuff done.  Of course not all of it gets done which then add to the stress.  

One of my daughters moved home.  She's got a new job and has moved home to save money.  However, we've had no children at home for about four years.  My husband and I settled into our house.  This is a nice way of saying we had accumulated a lot of stuff.

This means it's time for spring cleaning!  The year has turned towards spring.  The days are warmer.  The yard is green, the trees are starting to bud.  It's time to clear out our space in order to make room for our daughter and to clear out our clutter.

March is the month of the spring equinox.  Day and night will be equal and spring is in the air, except in Wisconsin where we just got six plus inches of snow.  In Wisconsin, March is a turbulent month filled with any kind of weather from mild to blizzards. 

Spring is supposed to be about new beginnings, renewal of life.  It’s all about change which can come about easily or be tumultuous.  Winter has weeded out what we no longer need and hopefully prepared us for the changes we need to make.  The chaff is gone, has been discarded and recycled in order to make way for what will come.

My daughter and I were driving through rural Wisconsin.  She was complaining about the blandness of the landscape. I said I see the potential. Spring is a Time when you can look out a crossed everything a field your life and it's a blank slate it's a blank canvas that you can decide what it will be as used take a step forward throughout the year.

What will you paint on your Kansas this year.  There is a myriad of options ultimately it's about what you want to harvest at the end of the year.

My daughter and I love watching BBC / PBS shows.  Victoria is the most recent one we are watching.  As I watched how people lived in the 1800s, I considered what it would be like to only have my life lighted by candles and sunlight.  It would certainly make the dark part of the year different.

By 4:00 or so at night, flickering candlelight would be my only illumination.  This reduces my scope of environment drastically.  Right now, if it’s dark I flip a switch and illumination of my surroundings occurs.  But what if I only had dripping smelly candles to light my way?  What would it feel like to be surrounded by darkness?  Would fear well?  Would loneliness envelop?