Tangled Up

December 7, 2022. December’s Full “Cold” Moon

Winter is the season of snowflakes, blizzards, and soggy paws. Not usually a fan of the cold, Flambé couldn’t resist a moonlight romp under this month’s Full Moon, fittingly named “Cold Moon.” Burrrrr! Before leaving her warm vacation cottage, she donned a wool scarf and matching cap to ward off a bit of the brisk night, ‘cause Kat was planning a hunt! She knew that hungry mice would be scampering about under bright moon glow, and Flambé was excited about a fun chase over puffy drifts of newly fallen snow.

Naming the Full Moon

December’s full Moon is most commonly known as the Cold Moon – a Mohawk name that expresses the often frigid conditions of this time of year. This full Moon has also been called Long Night Moon (Mohican) because it rises during the longest nights of the year as we near winter solstice. This name is doubly fitting because December’s full Moon shines above the horizon for a longer period of time than most full moons. Now that’s just “cool” …. pun intended!

Satisfying my obsession to learn more, I discovered some other names given December’s Northern Hemisphere full Moon by Native Americans (varying by tribe and especially location) that are pretty interesting and curious at the same time. Many names allude to snow and cold. All names are Native American in origin:

Drift Clearing Moon, Frost Exploding Trees Moon and Hoar Frost Moon (Cree), Moon of the Popping Trees (Oglala), Snow Moon (Haida, Cherokee), Winter Maker Moon (Western Abenaki), Moon When the Deer Shed Their Antlers (Dakota), Little Spirit Moon (Anishinaabe), When Wolves Run Together Moon (Cheyenne), and Moon of Respect (Hopi).

What about those popping and exploding trees? What I learned is during very cold weather, the water in tree sap expands as it freezes. This action splits the bark creating a popping or gunshot-like sound. Tribes who occupied lands where winters are very cold, must’ve experienced this phenomenon, hence the origin of those full Moon names. But the Chactaw, who occupied what is now Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana) know the December full Moon as the Peach Moon. Makes sense!

And lastly, European colonists back in the day referred to December’s full Moon as Moon Before Yule, Snow Moon and Oak Moon.

Oh, Flambé enjoyed her mice hunt, but not in the way you think! There were so many mice scampering about, pursuit became exhausting. Instead she decided to make friends with all of these furry rodents, then retired to her warm bed beside the crackling fire inside her cozy vacation cottage.

Did you enjoy viewing December’s full Moon? I’d love to know!

Patterns used: Taiga, Shing, Birch, Seaz, Bowtye, Dingbatz (Verve, Bitona, Cruffle, Jewel).

**November 8, 2022, In the wee hours of the morning …….**
Flambé is going celestial. Being a Kat of the night, she has decided to pull an “all nighter” and enjoy the early morning viewing of this month’s full moon ….. aka Frost Moon or Beaver Moon. And a special treat! The full moon will become a “blood red moon” by going total eclipse in the sky over her backyard. She’s warned me there might be howling in store. Bring it on Kat …… I’ll be right there beside you with a lot of oohh’s and aahh’s of my own!

**Naming a Full Moon**
Seems that every full moon has a one or more names¹; many named by Native Americans and pioneers based on recurring natural events. I consulted the Farmer’s Almanac to learn more about the name origins of this month’s FROST MOON or BEAVER MOON:

The November full moon is sometimes referred to as the Frost Moon, perhaps because bitter hard frosts happen more frequently during this month signaling winter is coming soon.

But more often the full moon in November is known as the Beaver Moon because busy beavers can be seen along river and stream banks, collecting wood to shore up their lodges and dams before hard winter ice sets in. This was also the time Native American tribes and later European settlers set beaver traps to ensure a supply of warm furs for winter.

**The Lunar Eclipse**
A lunar eclipse can happen only during a full moon; when the sun fully illuminates its surface. Usually, a full moon has no eclipse because its orbit is on a slightly different plane than the Earth and sun. But during those times when the planes coincide, Earth passes in between the Moon and sun cutting off illuminating sunlight and causing an eclipse.

This happens on November 8th, when in the wee morning hours of the morning a total lunar eclipse will be visible from parts of North and South America, east Asia, Australia, the Pacific Ocean and northern Europe.

This total lunar eclipse is also known as a “Blood Moon².” But why this name? While the name has no special astronomical significance, it’s all about what you see when the Moon is eclipsing; our brilliant white Moon becomes red or ruddy brown in color as the shadow of the Earth passes over it.
**This will be our last total lunar eclipse until March 14, 2025. Yikes! So don’t miss it!**

Click on this link to see where and when you can view the November 8th lunar eclipse:
https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2022-november-8
¹The curious and wonderful names given to full moons seem to reflect Northern hemisphere phenomenon. Of course this raises a question! What names, if any, have been given by viewers of the Southern hemisphere’s full moons?
²For more interesting stuff about eclipses see: https://www.space.com/39471-what-is-a-blood-moon.html

Patterns used: Beanz, Gourdgeous, Mimi’s, Gelijoy, Locar, Rome, Frost Flower, Swift, Spider

Fall Breeze …. Autumn Leaves
October 25, 2022.

Pumpkin spiced hits the spot
Warm apple pie with cream
Hot cocoa a-steam in a pot
Melty marshmallows, a gooey dream.

Cozy coats, wool scarves in knots
Fickle weather swoops in by jet streams
Seasons shift, changes are wrought
Fall breezes and autumn leaves.

Flambé the Kat leaps high to swat
Leaves tumbling down in mid-stream
Bold oranges, sun yellows, oh-so red hot
Wind dancers extreme and agleam.

**Patterns used: Polystatic, Tuly, x Topiary, Noara, Markuno, Tulip Due, Blomkoal, Egbae, Lewe, Ah Love You**

**Pattern Farmer**
September 10, 2022.

Pattern farming, as Tanglers know
Takes strings, lines and dots; sowing seeds that grow
As ink from micron begins to flow
Slowly with care, in a ZigZag Track row

Farmer Flambé cultivates and hoes
Patterns of whimsy rivaling Van Gogh
Weaving forests of Taiga, ‘round a Tentoculus elbow
From a Fontana meadow seeds sprout from below

Warmed by golden-sun Fringe flaps, brightly aglow
Watered by violet storm clouds that with a Nik overflow
Rain into happy ball-shaped pots called “Emo”
And magically B-leaf greets the day with “Hello”

Flambé’s magnificent harvest was made possible by her proclaimed “Michelangelo” of Zentangle patterns, Senor Tomas Padros. Muchas Gracias!

Patterns used were only a sampling of those created by Tomas Padros: Tissoooh!, Tentoculus, Taiga, ZigZag Track, Emoball, Kangular, Fontana, B-leaf, Irradial, F2F (Fringe to Fringe), Nik (Bunny Wright) ah-la-Padros

Me thinks Flambé has an insatiable curiosity about tree houses. When last we met up with Kat, she was awaiting an invite to enjoy a bowl of warm milk from the mysterious Teeny Tiny Treehouse owner. Sadly, he/she/it was a “no show.” Time to move along. …… In the near distance, through a cloud of dust, she heard 4 rather loud CHIRPS. Flambé’s need to investigate was strong. In short order, she uncovered the source of all the dust ….. a herd of bunnies were hopping up and down as high as possible to nibble beautiful blooming flowers waving in the wind. But what of the CHIRP quartet? ……. Finding a twisted tree trunk she climbed up, higher than the bouncing bunny dust, to a charming but vacant bird house. Certainly no chance for warm milk here! Then perched above her were two pairs of newly fledged chicks! They were hungry and chirp-pleading for their parents to bring them a buggy breakfast. But mom and dad had flown the coop, leaving the kids to fend for themselves. With a swarm of juicy lightning bugs overhead, and 4 chicks still all thumbs, is it now up to Flambé to be their teacher? Good luck Kat!

Patterns used: Fasad, Rench, Circus, Bunnyline, Piano, Pufan Flower, Icantoo, Betweed Flower, Arc Flower, Desert Flower

**June 26, 2022. Teeny Tiny Treehouse**

Earlier in the month, our kurious Kat visited the local Zoo’s Bugatorium where she had a surprisingly good time. But it was exhausting dodging all the creepy crawly residents as she had no desire to squish or squash or slip on her new cast of “friends.” Wow! Time for a Katnap. At that moment an army of harvester ants, marching only inches from Flambé’s paws, heard her yawn of exhaustion. Without breaking formation they hollered up in unison, “follow us you fatigued furrball!” Perhaps not thinking clearly, Flambé fell in line, and even though she was so drowsy she managed to keep pace with these hungry ants as they led her to who-knows-where.

After many miles, hours, days and weeks of sleepwalking (maybe she was dreaming?) Kat found herself at the base of an ancient tree. While the ants scurried up the trunk to harvest a meal for the colony, she was greeted by a litter of skyward-gazing kittens. Wanting to know what they were looking at Flambé looked up too, and to her surprise discovered a Teeny Tiny Treehouse sitting high in the tree.

With only a few minutes of energy remaining in her legs, Kat managed to climb one of the knotted ropes up to the ladder up to the platform to the turquoise stairway and knocked on the turquoise door. No answer! “Oh no, now what,” cried Flambé. Of course not having thumbs she was not able to turn the doorknob to see if anyone was home. So rather than break in, she found a comfortable corner on the large wooden porch, curled up and instantly went to sleep to the excited calls and songs of a tree full of birds.

**What happens next?** Who is the Teeny Tiny Treehouse owner and where is he/she? Will the Teeny Tiny Treehouse owner come home and surprise Flambé awake? Will Flambé be invited into the Teeny Tiny Treehouse for a warm bowl of milk, or will she be told to leave? What do you think will happen next? Stay tuned for the next episode of the Misadventures of Flambé.

Patterns used: Keeko, Kulkane, Konk, Calendar (Kalrav), Knotz, Quabog, Quare (Square), Zakuska, Onlooker (Guest), Golden, Balance, Antique, Annet, App, B’Dylan, Busybees, Cobbles

June 6, 2022. Bugatorium Day at the Zoo

Creepy, crawly and slithering slime … How can a Kat have a fine time

Shaking hands with weird bugs flying high, lurking low, Perhaps just a quick peek and off she’ll go

To another exhibit more to her liking …. Where there’s zero chance of stings or biting?

Curious and cautious, Flambé cracked opened the door, …. And to her amazement, there on the floor

Was a ruby-shelled snail crooning sweet Elvis tunes … To 12 newly hatched googly-eyed vinegarroons.

The centipede “raced” to escape being noticed … While above a blue-faced Zeeuws joined in the chorus ….

Cacophonous caterwauling. A party underway! With exuberant delight, Kat exclaimed, “It’s my day!”

And without further delay, donning her best doodid frock, Flambé leaped high into the sky with the winged Didas to rock.

Never ever did Kat imagine such fun at a slugfest; Bugatoriums are absolutely the very best of the best.

Patterns used: Bubble-Up, Zeeuws Knopje, Snaking, Shell Flower, ‘Nzeppel, Lumpi, Cee-a-Mosa, Centipede, CD Joy, Click-Clack, Doodid, Dida, Riggle

May 16, 2022. The Aviary
And to the Zoo
A kurious Kat flew
Almost certain there’d be a bird or two ……

Perhaps there’d be a blue cassowary?
Puzzled penguins ultra scary?
Pipe-necked geeky gal named Mary?
Pedestaled eyes from birds so wary?
Yes, all of these friends at The Aviary!

Flambé felt that you would too
Find a visit at the Zoo
Feathery fun long overdue!

Patterns used: Neb, Fleavy, Penguins, Aleuba, Adry, Sprang, Tunnel Vizion, Verdigogh, Printemps

May 3, 2022. A Serpent Totem, Free Floating Jellies, and FishFace on Parade ….. Up Bublz! Talk about your seafood buffet! Flambé, still famished from her last misadventure, obviously ogles the outrageous opportunity swimming in and out of a kelp forest. Fish! Easy pickings if she plans a stealthy approach and exercises patience. What is a Kat to do? Then all at once she spies, hidden in plain sight, an 18-eyed Serpent Totem ogling the same opulent feast of fillets, with a juicy side of free-floating jellies! Naturally, being such a klever Kat, Flambé assumes serpent totem camo and joins their hunt. Only one more pass behind the kelp and that parade of fish will be within reach! Does Flambé finally get to eat her fill? Do one or more of the 18-eyed Serpent Totem notice the furry feline fricassee tophat, targeting instead Kat for their dinner main course? Does the jelly flotilla release their stinging tentacles turning the tables on the stealthily executed hunt and take down Totem, Kat and all?? Does the suspense along with all the Bublz rising from the murky depths forewarn a hundred FishFaces and in a frenzy they take flight? Only time will tell!

Patterns used: Divi, Gurdil, Oopsmi, Elojoe, Chimidle, Chunl, BUBLZ, Verve, Jenna

April 21, 2022 A karefree Kat happily hightailed her way away from certain uncertainties when last she flew off with the Swift flock. Soon exhausted and no longer able to keep up, Flambé floated down in a free fall finally snaring a beautiful blooming bouquet of Balbina blossoms suspending from a bee hive. “My my, this is a happy day in a happy place!” hummed Kat. Feeling a bout of feline friskiness she gazed further down and exclaimed, “Look at that leaping school of Sardinz, and just in time for brunch!” But what seemed to be a happy coincidence near Playful Flowers, became an unfathomable challenge. Flambé must take care not to spook those fish while dodging a fleet of cargo ships, and maneuvering through the kelp bed while not awaking aquatic bees! Can she manage to satisfy her insatiable appetite and avoid getting stung by the pack of Busy Bees? Or will Kat have to seek kibble elsewhere? Stay tuned!

Patterns used: Zazu, Busy Bees, Sardinz, Cuv, Skarab, Balbina, Vertebraid, Playful Flower, Patakon, Fifolia

April 13, 2022. Still aloft from the narrow escape from her encounter with red-eyed green Gumby aliens, Flambé found the jet stream along with a migrating flock of Swifts. High high she soared over a newly emerging crop of morel ‘Shrumes, guarded by a few sprigs of grape flavored Lava Juice. Luckily Kat used her wise intuition, which was hard considering her curiosity feelers were on high alert, and she kept right on soaring. Good move Flambé! Had you dropped down for a morel morsel, you would’ve become hopelessly entangled in the complex network of mycelium and underground raspberry chompasaurs. Had that happened, the chompasaurs would’ve spit you out (as they find feline food most foul) and you would’ve ended up in a whirlpool of hungry green chicklets!

Patterns used: ‘Shrumes, Membranart, Swift, FloatFest, Lava Juice, Kokana, C-View, Confettus, Stem Topper 3

March 9, 2022. When we last heard from Flambé, she was either escaping or befriending an impossible insect invasion. It appears she’s done neither. Instead her efforts have made an impossible situation worse. Kat managed to land paws first into a colony of Alien Nests, ripe for hatching. She knew when those red-eyed green Gumby aliens hatched they would be ravenous! As luck would have it, and according to the user’s guide, “What to Feed Green Gumby Aliens,” these greenies love to gobble great quanties of bugs. Quickly, Flambé made a net to trap the winged insects, and delivered them for the alien feast. This successful strategy allowed her to make an escape, but not before making 8 new feline friends and one huggy dove.

Patterns used: Ringo+Markuno, 3ToGo, Lunes, Alien nest, Appearance, C-view, Ebuat, Lealad, Madrono+B’Dylan, This&That

March 1, 2022. With all the snow and rain lately, and Waterlily ponds full of water, one could expect an explosion of insects. But not just any insects ….. the dreaded plump-winged-stingers ….. the Juzbes. Oh what is a Kat to do? She thought of whacking them from the sky with blue and gold Spoon flowers, and watching them wash down the green and golden drain? Maybe it would be best to let them buzzz about Binx buds nearly in bloom and spewing pollen? Maybe Kat would be better off hiding amongst a rubble pile of hieroglyphs while she figures out how to make her escape? Or wait! Why not befriend this flying armada of Juzbes. Brilliant! So Flambé floated the biggest heart she could find and waited …… waited …….. and waited some more …….

Patterns used: Letterish, Blomkual,Tentocuius, Akebia, Binx, Axlexa, Spoon flowers, Ur-Chen, Juzbe

February 18, 2022. Flambé fled her last Misadventure in a somewhat hopping fashion, which unfortunately attracted the attention of a fiasco of feral frogs. Frogs gotta know what’s what (being very wary of potential predators), and to get the best view possible of this feline invader they began to stack up. No one told them frogs don’t stack well, and in the process, many slippery Freggs were laid in their Waterlily pond, by mistake of course! Flambé knew she was no threat to this frog frenzy or free-floating Freggs, but when their leader, the monstrous one-eyed Tuckidle, spotted Kat she thought better than to hang around. So accompanied by the loud Gribbit-Gribbit chorus (Emoball amplified to a deafening roar), Flambé hitched a ride on a flock of passing lovebirds, in search of more hospitable, and quiet fun.
Patterns used: Linden trees (fragment), July, Kuke, Gribbit (from Debbie New), Waterlily, Flidfrerz, Tuckidle, Emoball, Fregg, Gabee

February 10, 2022. Over the past several years, Flambé has managed to find mischief in curious places, despite her Covid lockdown. She may share some of these missing years’ antics, but after receiving her FDA (Feline-Dog-Alpaca) vaccinations and boosters, Kat is back out there. Wouldn’t you know it though, her first foray out was in a mix of rain and snow. Now wet fur is very unpleasant, so she instantly found a charming bumbershoot to safely explore the world of the Zumbadors without becoming a soggy mess. Good thing too, as it was the first day of Zuming and all the Zumbadors were singing and dancing to the latest Oomba soundtrack, “Get Frunky,” while a flock of Henna M’s were toe tapping in mud puddles. Fun for all, but Kat had to skeedaddle before the fields of wheat released their pollen from thousands of sprouting seed heads. Is it almost Spring? Darn allergies …… so onward Flambé fled.

Patterns used: Crescent leaves, Loopies, Oomba, Zumbador, !ioni!, Frunky, Henna M, Ipso, Rain or Shine, Indy-rella

Flambé is at long last, gliding down to terra firma on the Olb express! After experiencing Elata while doing the Diva Dance, she certainly was feeling Ellish, so much so that her Heartswell was emanating in ribbons of Lollywimple pops! The whole business was fiendishly trying to tie her up in Aruka knots, but Flambé is smarter than she looks. She steered clear and also avoided W2, seeking friendlier Huggins ahead of the Revolution! Ahhhhh ….. Tripoli!

**Flambé’s Misadventures Revisited; Chapter 180**701: When last we heard from our furry feline, she was snoozing inside the Small Magellanic Cloud high above the Southern Hemisphere, waiting to hitch a ride to planet Earth. Along happened a falling satellite and aboard Flambé jumped. Down, down, down she drifted, through meteor showers, colorful Aurora Borealis, the jet stream, and scattered clouds with trickling water. Finally Flambé came to rest inside a perfect rainbow that had just formed above a flock of migrating comb-tailed birds of paradise! She was so happy to be almost on solid ground once again. If she behaves herself, perhaps one of the birds will carry her the rest of the way before it begins to rain cats and dogs! Patterns woven into the adventure are Elirob, Bloom, Aegis, Catkin, Danglez, Flez, Galon, Gurl, Birds-of-a-Feather, Frake, ArcFlower, and Caviar.

**Flambé’s Misadventures Revisited; Chapter 180608:** Flambé and Cognac free-fell like fluffy feathers from the faltering grip of Sky Island. But instead of falling down, they caught the jet stream and boomeranged into the vastness of space. Their universal encounters included star stuff (Ahhh), dwarf planets (Emoballs) surrounded by black holes (Caviar), and billions and billions of galaxies just formed (Printemps) and spinning out control (Crezendo). Cosmic strings (Mak-ra-meh) were draped gracefully, while the background radiation (Ripped Screen) was intense. Amid the cosmic clutter, were dense molecular clouds (Flux and Mooka) whose contents remained a mystery. Catching a view of the far distant Oort Cloud, where comets, new and old, tail-less and tailed, are known to live (Droopy and Bubble Love), Flambé decided to park inside the Small Magellanic Cloud (Vache) to recharge her oxygen supply, while Cognac hitched a ride on the solar winds, back to planet earth. Maybe our kat will hang out for a while, or until the International Space Station makes a fly by? So much to see! Oh what a wondrous universe!

**Flambé’s Misadventures Revisited; Chapter 180517:** Flambé and Cognac at last arrived at far and away Sky Island via their fine airship “Kat Klipper.” And oh, what a fine rekindling of purr-fect love ensued! Checking into a Mr Ropuz room, the felines found their forgotten spark. Before long, the spark erupted into a flame, spewing smoke tendrils out of the chimney! Alerted to the danger, a flock of flying fish flew to the rescue, expunging the flame, but not before our kuddly kouple escaped the room, tumbling hither and nigh down the steep slope of Sky Island. Hope they can stop in time, lest they go into a free-fall, sans parachute. (How’s that for a cliff hanger?!) True love often has interesting consequences!

Patterns used are: Paradox, Idea, Taxi, (Mr) Ropuz, Brabs, Lametti, Seabird, Zero-In, Fish Face, Drawings, Plait, Patience, Cartoosh, Pokeleaf, Keeko, Caviar, Heart ‘n Half.

Flambé’s Misadventures Revisited; Chapter 180511: Compassion, indeed! The mythical beast Flambé encountered in her last adventure, was not weeping woe, but dripping tears of delight. Distant airmail announced the eminent arrival of her wandering (tom-katting) love, and the sea-dragon was the bearer of this good news. Cognac, Flambé’s true love, was scheduled to fly by in the AwesomeAirShip (AAS) “Kat Klipper.” Beside herself with excitement, Flambé was desperate to reunite with Cognac, but how? The sea-dragon, compassionate towards Flambé’s desires (and also a sucker for a good love story) offered her the lift she needed. Up from the meadow they rose, high into the turbulent sky. Just in the nick of time, Flambé was dropped aboard the Kat Klipper, and along with Cognac, they flew off and away to a far and distant sky island, to rekindle their love affair, if only for a brief time.

Flambé’s Misadventures Revisited; Chapter 180505: Most Katz deplore getting wet, and Flambé is no exception! After her last close call with fire, where she was heartily rained upon, the wet fir smell was more than she could take, so off to a flower garden did she roll. That did the trick, replacing unfavorable odor while drying her coat all the way to her whiskers. As she was basking in the afterglow, Flambé unknowingly drew unwanted attention. From the meadow’s edge, had awoken a mystical creature …. part seahorse, part dragon, part snake! Flambé almost ran for her life after glimpsing menacing fangs, spikes, and velociraptor claws on its head, but then noticed three large tears spilling from a beautiful green eye! Instant compassion overcame our Kat. What could be the matter to cause such crocodile tears? Flambé, of course, had to know. And what do you think she learned?

Flambé learns the alphabet, and a few new words too.