*☾ - A Rambly Post About Astronomy & The Solar Eclipse - ☽*

 (a.k.a. a very ramble-y, nonsensical post about space... and things. Prepare yourself)

If you've been hanging around this blog for awhile, two things are possible. 1. You have great tolerance for putting up with me (congratulations for that), and 2. you might have noticed that I am sort of obsessed with astronomy.
In fact, I consider myself an amateur astronomer.
My love for the night sky (and even the day sky) has always been around, but first began to show itself among my many interests when I took an astronomy course for high school (which seems like so long ago). I also saw Dr. Jason Lisle in person, around the time that he had just published "The Stargazer's Guide to the Night Sky" (a greeeeeaaat book btw if you are clueless about celestial objects/events and you want to get started somewhere), and I was rather depressed at the time that I didn't have enough money to buy the huge book (which was something around 20 dollars; a fortune for me back then). But a couple years later, in 2014 or so, my mom bought the book for me when I was doing the astronomy course! I was pretty happy, folks.
I learned a whooolllle lot with that book.

It was around this time that I really began to take an interest in astronomy.
Not only the aesthetic of it, but the wonder of it. I mean, have you seen this video? Outer space is amazing! Do you realize if you floated up into the sky, past the planets, past interstellar space, past our solar system, you would just keep going and going and going?
There's nothing out there.
And there's everything.

(one of my favorite star clusters)

 ☾ * ☽

Anyways. I said all of that to say, that on August 21st, 2017, I saw (what has been called) the Great American Solar Eclipse.
I saw the moon pass over the sun, people.
Did you hear me?
I saw the moon.
Pass over.
The sun.
And I can't. believe. it's over. It felt so surreal the whole time. It still feels surreal. Like a really amazing dream that cannot possibly be true.
But it is true.
It happened.

NOT MY IMAGE. (not sure who to credit. : / )

I had the safety solar glasses, of course. Hopefully they were 'safe' ones, as there were apparently a lot of controversy about fakes out there. All I can say is, my eyes seem ok, but hopefully I won't go blind in a few years. (even though it would be worth it, I think)

 ☾ * ☽

I made a pinhole viewer to watch the progression on the ground. And I saw crescents everywhere. Through the holes in a colander, through my pinholes, even through the shadows of the leaves on the ground!
And then.
I looked up through my glasses, and I saw the last smidgen of sun disappear. I also saw the diamond ring before it faded out.
(photo credit to whoever took the shot)
The outdoors around me went dark, and the nighttime creatures started to make their sounds.
Then, I looked up (without my glasses this time) and I saw the most beautiful thing I think I've ever seen. 

It was a big, dark circle, with a bright ring of light around it. But it wasn't a smooth ring. It had, like wisps. It was totally amazing. I don't want to break any copyright laws, but here's a photo of what it looked like. 
(and I can't credit the photo because I don't know who took the shot. #please don't sue me)
Guys, it was so surreal. I have never seen anything like it.
I saw stars! I saw sunsets all around the horizon! I saw a beautiful, bright planet (pretty sure it was Venus or Jupiter), all at 1:10  in the afternoon! 

By now in this post, I feel like I'm just saying the same things over and over again. If you didn't see the eclipse, you are probably really bored right now, and I probably sound like some nutty stargazing fanatic-who-doesn't-know-that-much-about-outer-space-and-science-but-likes-looking-at-stars-and-moons-and-suns-anyhow. (But you know what? That's what I am.) And that's ok.
All I can say is, God is amazing.

Millions of people saw what I saw. Can you believe that probably a lot of them still don't believe that God exists, or cares about them? In wonder if and how many people were affected on a religious level by this eclipse. It's interesting to think about.

☾ * ☽

As for myself, I feel more in touch with God (if that is possible. He has always been as 'in touch' with me as He's ever going to be, but you know), and His creation.
I feel more in touch with the universe.
I feel like the sun is my friend now. The moon has always been my friend (throwback to my old profile picture, anyone?), but now the sun is special to me too. I just can't observe it as well. But I can learn about it.

Photo Credit: ME

Speaking of cool and interesting things, I am lucky enough to have a great memory of the eclipse to look back on through the years, besides just pictures. A friend from St. Louis sent me a postcard with an eclipse stamp! This postage stamp is different because it is heat-sensitive. So when you put your finger over it, the moon appears! 
And look at the post mark: 21 Aug 2017, the day of the eclipse!!!!!!!!!!!! (look at me, using all of those exclamation points... #yourfangirlisshowing)
Definitely the coolest stamp I own out of all 2000 something that are in my collection. 
I'm so happy right now, people. And amazed. And inspired. And everything.

*sigh* 
I'm going to leave now. For I am sure that I'm boring you. 
Time to binge watch space videos on YouTube. 
Bye!  

☽* Amaris *☾  

p.s. Before I leave, let me just share a video. This is one of the best ones I have found. I just get excited all over again when I watch it. I love how this guy captures the cheers and excitement of the onlookers. 



That is all!

This is the End

Before you ask, no.
This post is not my farewell letter to the world.

This is the end to that little ghost story that I was telling you a couple of posts ago.
And my apologies for taking so long to post it.
I was quite busy. More on that later.
I shall continue where I left off (that is, if anyone CARES anymore after like a million days...) :

"Look. They're gone."

What. On. Earth.

Who in the heck is down there?  

What is?

I called my sister again, this time in near panic. I begged her to help me try to find the whisper once more. Reluctantly, she joined me as I went up and down the stairs countless times over again.

My heart pounded. What could this possibly be about?

Finally, I figured it out.  

I discovered that underneath the stairwell (in which there is a little cubby where we keep things like Christmas decorations and so forth), there is a puzzle sitting on top of some boxes, probably left there by some kids we had babysat a few days earlier. 

It's one of those special puzzles that, when you put a piece in, a recording says the name of the shape. 

"Triangle." 

"Circle."

"Square". 

I peered closely at this puzzle, and noticed the pentagon piece was missing. In the center of the empty space is the little sensor that makes the sound, "Pentagon", when you put the piece in.

Upon closer scrutiny, I realized that this particular sensor was especially sensitive. 

Even the smallest vibration, I found, could set it off. 

And a voice, declaring "Pentagon", would ring out. 

And I discovered that, sometimes, the vibrations that I caused from pounding up those stairs all the time was causing the pentagon puzzle piece to go off. 

"Pentagon."

"Pent-a-gon"

"Look-they're-gone"

And of course, from the top of the stairs, it sounded like a whisper coming from behind me. 

And that is the story of the only ghost encounter I ever had... except it was a puzzle.

THE END.

So there you have it! You see that it really wasn't a ghost at all... but believe me, it sure SOUNDS like a ghost story until the end, so I didn't exactly tell you a falsehood when I called it a 'ghost story'. 

Anyways, it was pretty creepy until I figured it out. 

I just realized that this is the first 'story snippet' I have ever posted on this blog! Except that this one is a true story...

Well anyways. Have a good day, my friendly peeps!

-Amaris

Spring Favorites // 2017 + A Ghost Story

A rather random list of my favorite things from this Spring. Enjoy.

: WWI History :
If you follow me on Goodreads, you might have seen a couple of WWI books here and there, and that's because I have been looking for a couple of good books to help one of my siblings understand WWI better. I think I already mentioned my recent interest in this particular subject, but let's just say I'm thoroughly enjoying myself.

But I feel like I'm a little short on movies. Does anyone know any good WWI movies besides War Horse, Testament of Youth, and All Quiet on the Western Front? I feel like there are a million World War TWO movies, but One? Where are they?

: Movies, etc. : 
Sully [2016]  (REALLY good 5 out of 5 stars {I was thinking of doing a whole post review on this one because I enjoyed it so much... Would you all enjoy a review post for a change?)
The Case for Christ [2017] (ALSO REALLY GOOD 5/5 stars)
Duck Dynasty Season 10 [2015-16] (Hilarious, as usual 4/5 stars)
Call the Midwife Season 6 Christmas special [2016]  (so enjoyable because it's been awhile since I've seen this show 4/5 stars)
All Quiet on the Western Front [1930] (SO SAD but also really good 4/5 stars)
Loving [2016] (kind of slow and unsatisfying, but it had a few good parts 1/5 stars)

: Studio C :
Going back and watching some of my favorite sketches has filled up quite a few of my evenings lately. Might I suggest a few favorites?

Middle School Kid Ruins the News

The Janitor: Gym Jocks

Boy Band Breakup

A Kindergarten Fight for Love

Weighty Matters

Foreign Exchange

State of Mind

Welcome Back Song

Man of Interest

: Learning :
To drive! :D You guys, I am so close to getting my car and my license, I can almost taste it (that sounds kind of weird, actually).

: Trying to write :

My story... which needs a better name... and a better opening scene... and a better ending... and more subplots... and more goals... and better conflict... and.... and... yeah. 

You get the idea. 

: Making :
This necklace. I wanted to make a necklace that goes with all of my grey outfits, so.

: Loving :
1.Starbucks S'mores frappe
2.My dogs because I bathed them both yesterday and now they are so CLEAN AND SOFT AND CLEAN.
3.This teddy bear I found at Hobby Lobby the other day and I just had to bring him home.
He's my little friend now.

Say hello to Patrick, my little friend.

4. And in the makeup category: I am loving these few palettes that I found at Sephora on clearance! They were like $30, but I got them both for half off. :) I love the cool tones in the Vintage Filter one.
Sephora collection colorful eyeshadow filter palettes

: Reading : 

Crazy Love

Rachel's Tears

Good Call

A Woman's Strength

The Last of the Doughboys

The Reluctant Midwife

Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood
The Bible (mostly Acts)

o

: Listening :
Tauren Wells: Hills and Valleys. I was pretty excited the other day when I heard this song on the NON-CHRISTIAN radio at my job.
Hollyn: In Awe. I have to say I'm not a huge fan of Hollyn (although, dare I say, a lot of teenage girls are) but even so, I simply adore this song.

I know ya'll are tired of hearing about the Adam Young Scores on my blog, but three of the songs (not whole scores, just specific songs/tracks) I have been especially enjoying lately:
o

I don't know, I just find it helpful to listen to these when I'm writing (which isn't very often these days, sadly).

But I haven't only been listening to music. It's been raining a lot lately (at least where I live), and I love to listen to the rain and thunderstorms.

I often wonder if God created rain just specifically to make me happy. 

 I went into work the other day and it was POURING rain, and on my way inside my feet got all wet and when I went in you could really hear the rain loudly inside and I just had the biggest smile on my face and one of my coworkers just looked at me like I was insane because of my big grin and my feet were slushing with water but I didn't care because it was raining so hard and I was so happy. 

Thanks be to God.

YEEESSSSHHHH

Don't get me wrong, my heart goes out to the people who's yards are under water right now, or who have floodwater in their basements. :(
That's never fun.
But anyways. Let's wrap this up, shall we?

Photo credit: ME. Feel free to pin. :)

: So those are a few of my favorite things this Spring!!! :
I realize that Spring isn't over yet, so, the question is, why am I posting this NOW, instead of when Spring is actually over on June 20th? Well, April is my favorite month, you see. (pretty sure I've mentioned that before on the Blog) And even though Spring still has a month or two left (technically), it pretty much ends for me after April is over. I don't know, that's just the way it is for me. *shrug*
At this point, I'm ready for Summer! 

Also, I promised you a Ghost Story written in the title of this post, So here it is:
*****

A Ghost Story That Took Way More Words Than I Thought I Needed, Yet I Have Presented It Here For Your Enjoyment 
*****
The past couple of days, I have noticed a strange occurrence every time I go up my stairs. When I get to the top, I can hear something like a muffled whisper of jumbled words just behind me. The first couple of times I heard it, I assumed it was just some noise created from me bounding up the stairs. Or perhaps I was brushing against the brooms hanging up next to the steps, and that was making the strange, brushing, voice-like sound.
So I didn't think too much of it.

But I kept hearing them every time I went upstairs. 

One day, I heard it all too clearly, and the noise that I assumed was just that- noise - became some thing more than that. Spoken words in recognizable English, directly behind me. It happened after I was in the basement tending to some laundry. I finished up, and headed upstairs. When I got to the top of the landing, clearer than ever, I heard it unmistakably: the whisper.

"Look. They're gone."

 Startled, I spun around, expecting to see someone, or something there. But no one. Not a soul. I went back downstairs to have a look around. 

There wasn't a thing. 

The idea that I might be hallucinating crossed my mind. Similar things have happened before with my all-too-vivid imagination. 

I called to my sister to help me uncover the source of the sound. I had her stand at the top of the landing, and I went up and down the stairs several times, in hopes that the action would trigger whatever (or whoever) was making the noise. 

But I tried going up and down several times, with no results or conclusions whatsoever. No brushing against brooms, no bounding up the stairs, none of it worked.
My sister thought I was crazy.
Maybe I was.
But I know I heard that whisper!
 I decided to take a little break from the problem, and went about my day. But ever so often my mind would wander to the mysterious voice I undoubtedly heard clearly on the stairwell.
45 minutes later, it was time to do laundry again. I went downstairs and took care of it.
When I began to ascend the stairs, I told myself I would listen really closely so there would be no doubt about what I heard.
I got to the top of the landing and paused....
At first, nothing.
But then, out of the breathless silence, came the phrase, in a loud whisper from behind me that chilled my blood.

"Look. They're gone."

What. On. Earth.
Who in the heck is down there?  
What is?
I called my sister again, this time in near panic. I begged her to help me try to find the whisper once more. Reluctantly, she joined me as I went up and down the stairs countless times once again.
My heart pounded. What could this possibly be about?

Finally, I figured it out.  
*
*
*
Tune in next week to hear the chilling conclusion of this blood-curdling account!

(No, you didn't think I would tell you the entire thing NOW, did you? And let you spoil it for yourself by peeking at the ending? Hehe, you're silly)

*
 *

BYE
-Amaris