What do YOU call Feb. 1-2?









Imbolc (Feb. 1)



St. Brigid's Day (Feb. 1)



Groundhog Day (Feb. 1)




Candlemas (traditional end of Christmastide, Feb. 2)



The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple (Feb. 2)




O, and the 2026 Football Pro Bowl is Tues., Feb. 3




But what do these all have in common? Maybe issues of faith, both religious and secular. All of them signal we have had ENOUGH of winter. 

So, leave a scarf or other fabric article of clothing outside overnight on Jan. 31 in accordance with Irish mythology; St. Brigid, as she passes through, will bless it, and you, for the upcoming year. Put away your window candles, as the light is reappearing in the northern hemisphere. 



Can't say that I have any rules or traditions for the Pro Bowl. Go, AFC? 

Have a good day, friends. Enjoy the returning of light and the strengthening and blessing of you and yours. 

C


Comments

Post a Comment

Thanks for stopping by!

Popular posts from this blog

I've had a bellyfull of privileged statements lately--

Image
 It's cold again. Very. And I can't help but think of those who are living rough, who are unhoused or are "couch surfing" from patient friend to patient friend. Most of us are just a paycheck or two away from making those same hard choices.  The overnight shelter in Littleton is open, and there is a giving tree at the Coop with needs tags for them. There is an ongoing collection for basic necessities to benefit those who are having a rough time. There are several "little free pantry" sites. But it's not enough, and the need is growing.  When I hear from certain pundits that prices are down all over, that gas is about 2.00 a gallon, that an extra dollar or two won't break anyone... I get steamed. Seriously angry. How dare they spout such fallacies? I've read "so what if beef is a dollar or two more a pound" too many times lately. When hamburger is a luxury item, there is something radically wrong.  Health care costs are already spiking, ...
Read more

End of the semester: has it/is it worth the time we have spent? Maybe?

Image
We have one week left of this fall semester; it's been pretty good, most of the time. A lot of work, mostly mental, some self-imposed, but good. My overwhelming sense of responsibility for whether my juniors will do well on the AP test in May is eating at me, though. I know it's just a test. I know that it's only a snapshot of what they can/cannot do in an artificial environment (online, 2.5 hours, and the beastly multiple choice part). They are good humans. They are interested and interesting. They have questions. They have the ability to search out answers and make a pretty cogent argument for why they think as they do. So wtf with this stupid test? The anxiety they feel is made even more so for me. We've practiced a ton of stuff, and it's frankly not felt like a lot of fun most of the time. I don't like this way of teaching composition. I will give it a lot of reflection and see if there's anything I can do to make this less boring/rote/miserable. Snacks ...
Read more

Hardy's The Darkling Thrush-- a lesson for us in our own times.

Image
Thomas Hardy's " The Darkling Thrush" is much on my mind these days. It was first published on December 29, 1900, but a handwritten note on an earlier copy referred to 1899. The world was teetering on the edge of a lot of changes: the new century, the rise of rampant capitalism in the wake of the burgeoning Industrial Age, and the widening disparity between the very rich and the working poor. Even rumblings of the unrest that would lead to the first World War were becoming apparent. Sounds familiar. Several paradigm shifts threatened stability both on the wider scale and on the personal.  The poem is bleak, to be sure. The images call up a broken world, a black-and-white world, with a distinct chill in the air and in the heart and soul of the speaker. Such phrases as " The tangled bine-stems scored the sky/  Like strings of broken lyres" paint a picture that is bereft of hope.  I have been feeling this way for a while -- a lot of people have. It's hard to f...
Read more