Saturday, January 30, 2010

Over the moon


Wolf Moon at Venice Beach. Technically, I shot this the day before the biggest, closest full moon of the year, but it was a mighty pretty sky, including the sea haze.
Did you go crazy or get creative with this moon?
I was dealing with life stuff away from home, but I did some reading and finished Diana Wynne Jones' House of Many Ways, a sequel to Howl's Moving Castle. As usual, she delighted me with imaginative story and humor.
Then I picked up The Dead & the Gone, the companion to Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer. The moon seems a little sinister after Pfeffer hit it with an asteroid, pushing it closer to earth and disrupting tides, atmosphere, magma--shoving us into a volatile world. And if you think this is just sci-fi/fantasy, remember that scientists are concerned about future hits by large asteroids. They aren't unknown. In 1908, an object from space decimated 770 acres of forest in Siberia. Pfeffer's books are worth reading for more than pulse-pounding disaster, but for what they say about human expectations and what really matters when the world as we know it becomes inhospitable.

Now for some non-dystopian, crazy fun with the Over the Top Award, which I received from Yat-Yee Chong. Thank you!
The rules are: Answer the questions with one word and pass the award along to five bloggers.
Your cell phone: Awesome.
Your hair: Baby-fine.
Your mother: Tough.
Your father: Distant.
Your favorite food: Pecans.
Your dream last night: Lost.
Your favorite drink: Water.
Your dream goal: Author.
What room are you in: Studio.
Your hobby: Photography.
Your fear: Rottweilers.
Where do you see yourself in six years: Published.
Where were you last night: Venice.
Something you aren't: Extroverted.
Muffins: Cinnamon.
Wish list item: House.
Where did you grow up: Coastal.
Last thing you did: Walked.
What are you wearing: Sweater.
Your TV: Netflix.
Your pets: Gone.
Friends: Supportive.
Your life: Complicated.
Your mood: Determined.
Missing someone: Daughter.
Vehicle: Miata.
Something you aren't wearing: Heels.
Your favorite store: Book.
Your favorite color: Aqua.
When was last time your laughed: Today.
Last time you cried: Book.
Your best friend: Caring.
One place you go to over and over: Seashore.
Facebook: Unused.
Favorite place to eat: Pho.
I pass this along to five bloggers who go over the top in entirely different ways--from gorgeous writing to words to chew on:
Do with it as you will, my friends. No strings attached.

31 comments:

Winter Hansen said...

What a fun questionnaire, Tricia. As for the moon, I'm looking forward to seeing what Seattle's sky has to offer tonight. The full moon is usually a productive time for me in spite of the chaos it causes with the household sleeping habits.

V. S said...

The moon is a magical piece of art with so many hidden messages.
Lovely picture and congrats on your well deserved award.

Julie Dao said...

Tricia, thank you so much for passing this award on to me! :) I loved reading your answers, especially the one to "Favorite place to eat." I'm excited to answer these myself!

Catherine Denton said...

That picture is amazing.

Jemi Fraser said...

Love the photo - we couldn't see the moon last night or tonight complete cloud cover :(

Congrats on the award - love the list!

Tricia J. O'Brien said...

Hi Winter, I hope the moon brings in a tide of great productivity.

Victoria: The moon really inspires art, and it has so many faces.

Julie: Ha! Yes, I love pho--bright flavor with warm comfort.

Thanks Catherine! It's kind of subtle but I really like it,too.

Tricia J. O'Brien said...

Hey there Jemi, you snuck in whilst I typed. Sorry you had cloud cover :( very sad indeed.

Andrea Cremer said...

Yay for the Wolf Moon. Lovely post :)

rilla jaggia said...

Hey Pat,

enjoyed the beautiful moon last night along with Mars at close quarters again after two years. Glad you were the Over the Moon at Venice, and Over the Top at your blog :)

I look forward to critiquing more dances with mermaids.

Tricia J. O'Brien said...

Andrea: A wolf moon for you anytime!

Rilla: I'm glad we were both moon watching. And I'll gladly bring the sea again if you bring the sandalwood. :)

dolorah said...

Nice picture. Its too cloudy here also to see the moon. And to cold to go out and check tonight. Thank goodness you give such beautiful pictures of places I'm not able to see.

Neat questionaire. Some of those looked hard to answer in one word. Thanks for passing it along.

.......dhole

Donna said...

I'm moonstruck, for sure. Loved your one-word answers.

Bish Denham said...

We had a huge beautiful Wolf Moon here Friday and Saturday, rising up through the bare branches of the trees. The tree could not keep hold of it, it was just to big and powerful.

Did you know the moon is drifting farther away from us at a rate of about an inch and a half a year? The moon is important to life as we know it. It stabalizes our orbit. As it moves farther away, things will change.

Liza said...

Thank you so much Tricia! I love your blog and your writing and your pictures. For you to give an award me, well, that in itself climbs over the top!

Diana Paz said...

I love Venice Beach, and that picture is amazing. Loved the questionnaire too. Last thing you did, "walked", ha ha. I would have written "breathed."

Tricia J. O'Brien said...

DonnaH: It makes me happy to share the things I see, and coming up with one-word answers is a fun challenge.

Donna: That moon is magnetic, for sure. I woke up just before 6 a.m. today and it was shining its face right in my window. And I found I had to jump up and stare at it some more.

storyqueen said...

The moon was awesome last night! It really was the brightest moon I can remember seeing.

That has to be a good omen, right?

(Soooo? Typed the words The End yet?)

me neither.

Shelley

Tricia J. O'Brien said...

Bish: I didn't know about the moon moving away from us. That's fascinating, and I love your imagery of the moon being too powerful for the tree to hold. That is superb. It reminds me of a haiku by one of the old masters about the moon being a lantern in a tree, but I can't find it to quote at the moment.
I did find this by Issa, which is wonderful:
In this mountain village,
shining in my soup bowl,
the bright moon arrives

Tricia J. O'Brien said...

Liza: You are most welcome. I love some of the luscious observations you make of the world.

Diana: Isn't it funny how we hardly notice breathing most of the time? That would be a great answer. :D

Shelley: Sigh. No End in sight. I keep having these interruptions by life, followed by self-doubt. Got to get over it already!
Anyway, you're right, the moon has to be a good omen--bright futures and all that. It peeked in on me this morning, so it wanted me up and at it.

Tess said...

I stood with my little ones on our backyard deck and squinted away the bright light of that Woolf Moon.

Man alive, it was a beautiful sight.

The romantic query letter and the happy-ever-after said...

Felicitations on you much deserved award my Dear.
Warm regards,
Simone.

Stephanie Faris said...

You dreamed you were lost? Or you dreamed about the TV show Lost?

Tricia J. O'Brien said...

Tess: I can see you standing there! It was a grand moment.

Simone: Thank you so much.

Stephanie: Ha! No TV in my dreams. Those one-word answers are slippery.

Shelli (srjohannes) said...

i love venice beach! congrads on award!

Stephanie Thornton said...

Thanks for passing this on! I love cinnamon muffins. Well, really, any kind of muffins. :)

And I hope to see you published in six years too!

Robyn Campbell said...

Congrats Pat! You know I think you are OVER THE TOP!! Last time you cried, BOOK. I HEAR YOU! And my fav drink? Water too. Hey, we match! I love learning more about you. And everything I learn makes me love ya all the more!

Have a super week my friend. (^_^)

Linda Kage said...

Congrats on the award. Loved your answers. I've been having a love affair with pecans and almonds lately too!

Tricia J. O'Brien said...

Shelli: It once was my home and now is my home-away-from-home, so there is always a place in my heart for Venice.

Stephanie: Maybe we can do booksignings together. ;)

Robyn: Put me in a cell with water and books and I'll be fine. Ha! I hope your family gets well and you have a super week, too.

Linda: I really could eat pecans and almonds forever. Yum. I bet your baby is loving them, too!

Sherrie Petersen said...

I didn't even realize it was a wolf moon. But it did make me very creative!

MG Higgins said...

It was a wonderful big moon on an amazingly clear night. I don't remember feeling particularly creative but who knows what seeds may have been planted that are ready to come out.

Tricia J. O'Brien said...

Sherrie: Moon-inspired has a nice ring to it.

Mel: I have no doubt you will sprout numerous wonders!