6 More Weeks Of Winter

Now isn't this a cute little furry animal AND a weather predictor as well! Today is February 2, Groundhog Day in the United States and Canada and Candlemas in other areas of the world. It is said that the cute, furry little groundhog emerges from his burrow today and if he fails to see his shadow because of cloudy weather, winter will be over soon. If he DOES see his shadow because it is a bright, sunshiny day, he will be frightened and run back into his hole and winter will continue for another 6 weeks, until approximately the first day of Spring.

Groundhog Day originated in Punxutawney, PA on February 2, 1887 and is derived from a little Scottish poem that goes like this:

If Candlemas Day is bright and Clear,

There'll be two winters in the year.

Now, what is Candlemas you might ask? Long ago, before organized Religion/Christianity, the Northern European farming cultures celebrated the seasonal Wheel Of The Year. In that calendar, today would be called Imbolc (In The Belly) or Oimelc (Milk of Ewes). At this time of year when snow enveloped the land, the seeds lay out of sight in the "womb" of Mother Earth. As the "light" grows, so do the seeds. Today is also called St. Brigit's Day in honor of the Irish Goddess Brigit, goddess or fire, patroness of Smithcraft, poetry and healing, especially midwifery. Brigit's holiday involved lighting sacred bonfires and blessing candles for the upcoming year.

Here in California, we are having THE best weather, dry but wonderful every day! I've checked the Farmer's Almanac and it doesn't look like we are going to get much rain this year at all. So what am I going to do on this fabulously warm day? Make some homemade candles this afternoon, BBQ for dinner, then have a nice little bonfire in the chiminea to finish out the day.

I'm also going to be thinking about those things I want to "GROW" in the new year. I'm planting the "seeds" for traits or themes I want to manifest this year; Simplicity, Unconditional Love, Gratitude, A Giving Heart.

Yes, I did get to cleaning out my drawers over the weekend, the closet is next. You should see the PILE! Probably 60% of my clothes are going. When I chose what to wear this morning, it was so easy because I LOVE everything I kept! Simple!

Comments

Coffee T. Rice House

Isn't this a beautiful Victorian Style home? You can't see all of it because of the shrubbery and trailer park at the base of the house. It made me curious about the history of the house so I looked it up. Here is what I found. This is the historical information I found written HERE . Coffee T. Rice House Oceano, California History and Description: Coffee T. Rice was a wealthy financier, with enterprises throughout the State, who migrated from Ohio to San Francisco. When a railroad was surveyed through this area he envisioned an industrial center here and acquired various properties close to the right of way. He introduced celery production to the area. Rice started construction on his home in 1885 using the same craftsmen that were working on the Pitkin House. The house originally had 20 rooms and was painted yellow. Surrounded by well-kept grounds with various trees and a sundial, the house was approached by an oval driveway and a stone-pillared entryway. The grounds also in...

Norwegian Pancakes (Norska Pannekaken)

Every culture has its pancake and this is the Norwegian version, a very light, crepe-like pancake that goes with just about anything. These "pancakes" are light and eggy and go with both sweet and savory fillings. When my chickens start up laying eggs in the Spring, we LOVE to make these pancakes, freezing the excess for another day. Yes, they freeze and thaw perfectly! Most people have the simple ingredients on their shelves and in their refrigerators SO LET'S GO! Original Recipe Can Be Found on the Outside Oslo Website Here . Norska Pannekaken 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon Scandinavian vanilla sugar* 3 eggs 1 1/2 cups whole milk 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan Mix all ingredients except butter in a medium-sized bowl using a whisk or fork until the batter is smooth and you have no lumps. Stir in butter. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the batter rest. Meanwhile, warm a ...

Grave's Disease

The Picture - Half Empty or Half Full? Many of you who know me know I've been fighting a battle with Graves' Disease for about a year and a half. It was diagnosed in February of 2007. I was so very sick back then I actually thought I was going to die! One of the main symptoms was a rapid heartbeat and mine was probably 110 beats a minute. I was put on Methimazole, about 40 mg. per day to knock down the worst of the symptoms. That has gradually been reduced until now my dose is 5 mg. a day. Then I got some really bad news this week, my numbers are beginning to rise again. My Dr. called on Wednesday and told me he wanted to do the radioactive iodine treatment. I just don't feel ready for that at all. He gave me until the 7th of November, my next appointment, to "see the numbers change". He says to take the medicine every other day and in two weeks go off it all together. Yeah, the numbers will change and it won't be for the better I'm sure. So, I went on the...

Life On The Central Coast

Search This Blog