Lunar Samhain

Today, October 26th is Lunar Samhain. In Celtic tradition, this marks the beginning of the Lunar year. They had bonfires and parties to celebrate the darkest night.  I'm in a New Moon phase tonight which means you won't see me. I'll be up there, just sleeping for tonight, so you have to make your own light.

It was a Celtic tradition to hollow out  turnip, carve a face in it and put a candle inside. They lite the candle and placed the turnip in the window to keep evil spirits away.  Heather thinks pumpkins are easier to carve than turnips and a bit more hollow on the inside anyway, maybe that's why we use them for jack-o-lanterns today.

Heather's going to carve a pumpkin tonight and put a candle in it to celebrate Lunar Samhain.  I'm going to  gather your red balloons around me and get a long night's sleep so I can shine down on you on Halloween!

Sincerely,

Melvin Moon

Melvin Goes to Clark's Harbour Elementary

Heather and I had a grand adventure last week. As part of the Nova Scotia Writer's Federation, "Writer's In the School" Program
http://melvinsballoons.blogspot.com/2011/08/teacherslibrarians-bring-melvin-to.html,  we went to Clark's Harbour Elementary School!  Clark's Harbour is an Island on the Southern tip of Nova Scotia.  Heather and I think it is beautiful.  We drove on a causeway to get to the Island and saw lots of sandy beaches, waves, boats, and a lighthouse or two!

Heather read Melvin's Balloons to all the kids in the school, and the teacher's too!  We had a lot of fun talking about colors, writing, and the story of how Melvin's Balloons was created.

Heather read some of her other manuscripts (book ideas that haven't been published yet) too.  She got some really good suggestions and is going to make a few changes here and there thanks to the editing advice she got.  There are a lot of creative kids out there in Clark's Harbour.  Heather and I think there is an author or two in that group!

Everyone at the school made Heather and I feel really welcome.  It's because of people like the students and teachers at Clark's Harbour that writing is fun for Heather, and I can come to life.  We send green balloon colors to all of you!

Sincerely,

Melvin Moon

Happy Thanksgiving

In Canada, this weekend will be the Thanksgiving weekend.  I know that because I have been watching you making and coloring pictures of turkeys, pumpkins, and fall leaves. It looks like fun! It seems like the colors of fall and thanksgiving are reds, oranges, and yellows. Those are 3 of my favorites.  The fall colors help me feel safe and secure. When I feel like that I am brave enough to try doing things by myself and in my own way. The yellow gives me the energy to work on projects like getting ready for Thanksgiving. And Halloween is coming up soon too! 

It seems like thanksgiving means family get-to-gathers, feasts, walks in the fall leaves, picking out pumpkins, and a day off school! In some places it means parades, and that means balloons!!

Thanksgiving is about saying thanks for all the things you have and that nature has given you. That sounds nice. I'd like to say thanks for all the colors you give to me! Thank you for helping me to understand my feelings!

Sincerely,

Melvin Moon

Raise a Reader Day

I am filled with yellow colors today because today, September 28, is "Raise a Reader Day". In Canada this is a national event where newspapers spread the word about the importance of reading. http://www.canada.com/literacy/raiseareader/Local+sponsorship+opportunities/5442188/story.html  Funds raised from these events help support local literacy programs.

Heather was surrounded by books when she was little and appreciates the way they opened up the world for her. We both think one of the best ways to "raise a reader" is to share your ability to read with someone else. I know how great kids feel when people take the time to read to them. It makes them glow with green!

Heather is sometimes asked by parents if their child is too young for Melvin's Balloons.   The answer is always "no"!  You are never too young to share a story.  You're never too young to be read to. And you're never to old to think about me, and how colors make you feel. 

So on "raise a reader day", curl up with me and a child and share the gift of reading.

Sincerely,

Melvin Moon

Pier 21 Book Signing

There are four cruise ships in the Halifax Pier 21 port tomorrow. That means I will get to meet people from all over the world. Heather will be there (at the Carrefour Bookstore Kiosk) to sign copies of Melvin's Balloons. I can't  wait to hear more balloon stories!

Sincerely,

Melvin Moon

Moon Cakes & Fall Equinox

September 23rd marks the fall equinox this year. This is the time of year when there is about the same amount of daylight and moonlight, or lightness and darkness. After that date, the days get shorter for awhile. That's perfectly fine by me, because it means I have more time to glow in the sky! So I feels like everyone should celebrate the fall equinox!

There are lots of traditions and celebrations around the September or Fall equinox. The Chinese have one I particularly like. They call the mid-autumn festival "Moon Festival".  It's not always celebrated on exactly the fall equinox and they usually time it with my phases, and celebrate on the nights when I am full. They celebrate the abundance of harvest.

One of the main foods for this celebration is moon cakes! In their tradition, they used to make these cakes as offerings to me- the moon!  The cake is made in lots of different ways and some are filled with lotus seeds, sesame seeds, duck eggs or dried fruit.

Heather isn't quite that good at cooking, so I got her to find an easy moon cake recipe.  She found one on the Internet http://www.dltk-holidays.com/china/easy_chinese_mooncakes.htm  This one won't look like the moon cake picture above (Heather's didn't even come close!), but it will taste pretty good.  You could also just make a round cake, decorate it with yellow frosting and put my face on it.  Or make cupcakes and decorate each one exactly the way you want to.

It doesn't matter how you celebrate, just that you do celebrate!

Sincerely,

Melvin Moon

Full Moon & a good time to wear Purple

I am shining bright and full for the next few days. Yippee!!  It's a good time for you to wear purple to feel connected to everybody.  These days, I have a pretty good idea what you are feeling and I'm watching over you and thinking about you.

If you don't know why you are feeling drawn to the color purple, it's a good time to get your own copy of Melvin's Balloons!  You can find it in bookstores or  order it online http://www.brylerpublications.com/melvinsballoons.php

It's also a good time to check out the Nova Scotia Writer's Federation, Writer's in the Schools program and have Heather bring Melvins' Balloons to your school. http://melvinsballoons.blogspot.com/2011/08/teacherslibrarians-bring-melvin-to.html  September 15th (Thursday) is the day to select your bookings if you are a teacher or a librarian. We can talk about all the colors!

For now, I'm just shining down on you and singing strong!

Sincerely,

Melvin Moon