Once in a Blue Moose

Hello friends!

I just realized that next week will be a very special one, indeed! The moon will be full on New Year's Eve and that will make it "a once in a blue moon" celebration for my friends and family.

Being an inquisitive moose, I found out that a "Blue" moon happens when there are two full moons in a single month, but the phenomenon rarely happens to coincide with the last day of the year. It does happen every few years because the moon cycle lasts 29 days, so the extra days add up over time.

Do you remember where you were on the last day of 1990? It might be better if you cannot remember – the late eighties and early nineties had serious fashion missteps, especially for a moose like me, but that was also the last time there was a blue moon on the last day of the year! We can look forward to the next one New Year's Eve blue moon until 2028. Wow! That's a long time from now!

So will the moon impact your party plans to celebrate the New Year?

A moonlight kiss at midnight sure sounds romantic for a sappy moose like me and for devoted moose fan, I know that Corey has rustled up some great "Blue Moose" goodies down at the store.

The full moon does seem to bring out the wild side of most people, so be careful out there!

My next blog will be coming to you, straight from the year 2010! I can hardly believe it has happened again, all my resolutions from last year have been forgotten or long abandoned. But I promise that I will come up with a new list!

The Perfect Christmas Tree!

Despite a lack of major snow cover in Mooseville, I have been searching for the perfect Christmas tree. What does the perfect Christmas tree look like?

The perfect tree has to be the right shape without any weird protruding branches, but that is just the beginning.

Height is very important, if it is too tall, you can get the angel on the top and if it is too short, well you will have a box of ornaments left when we are finished decorating. Now, I am not one to worry too much about my waistline, but the tree can’t be too wide because it will throw off the entire shape and the overall size must fit into your space.

I must admit that every year, I spend about a week walking in circles looking at all the trees. The first question might be be species. Balsam, Douglas Fir or White Pine. I usually try to mix it up from year to year, but sometimes I just find the perfect tree.

Chopping down the tree and getting it home are always the most difficult part of the day and then there is always the point when you get to the back door and the perfect tree is just too big. Believe me, there are a perilous few hours there and then we have to attach the always difficult tree stand.

Once the tree has been found and moved, decorating must commence. But there are so many questions. Lights – multicolored or all white, who will make the popcorn and cranberry strings without eating all the popcorn, how do I decide if it will be an Angel or a Star for the top this year, and the ornaments – how many is too many? And lastly, the perfect bows must be tied. Some folks like to add garland and tinsel, but too many of my bird and animal friends eat that stuff and it isn’t the best for the digestive system so I skip it.

The perfect tree is really a figment of your imagination, because each tree is perfect for one family, you just have to find your tree. I always have to laugh because, the perfect tree is usually the first one I saw when I started my search three miles ago, but that is another story.

Keep searching – your perfect Christmas tree is out there and waiting for you to bring it home!