This is not a post about love.

It’s actually about the first half of that lyric: “When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie.” When the last Blue/Blood Supermoon rolled around we decided to observe it in style. We can’t see the moon rising from our house in the woods. By the time it reaches the open sky it isn’t impressively huge and our kids are usually asleep. So we like to go out to the road near a big open pasture if we want to moonwatch.

On this night we set up chairs on the side of the road and ate carry-out pizza and watched the Supermoon rise while we cuddled up under blankets. Although our moon picnic was brief (20 minutes in the cold was all the boys could handle) it was magical. It was the kind of memory I hope they keep.

(The pictures aren’t perfect, but the night was)

Ellis declared it was as cool as the total eclipse. It was about 100x less planning and driving than the eclipse. It was a good reminder for me that simple pleasures usually win out. We only needed 20 minutes, a good location and our version of a “treat dinner” to witness the perspective magic of the moon appearing super.

We had some additional perspective magic helping us out that night as well. We hadn’t had carryout pizza in almost a year. I usually make our pizzas, not to be fancy, just because it is cheaper. When Adam started job searching this time last year we stripped our budget back and eating out was the first thing to go. Once you get out of the habit of eating out you don’t miss it that much, so it is one of the things we have added back slowly and with less frequency now that Adam is employed again. Thanks to your advice City Mama, we have budgeted and tracked all of our spending for the past 4.5 years. I am positive that discipline was what allowed us to survive 7 months of unemployment without going into debt (and believe me I know what a privilege that is!).

I know for some a home cooked meal is the mark of luxury, but when you have been restricted to that for the better part of a year a carryout pizza can feel downright decadent. It’s all a trick of perspective. Being able to give ourselves and our children something extra-ordinary, however simple it may be, feels like the best gift of all. It was nice to conspire with the moon and a pizza pie to make that happen two weeks ago.

In the end maybe this post really is about love. Happy Valentine’s Day. Enjoy your gifts great and small.