Sunday, February 4, 2018

On February

February
"Here comes February, a little girl with her first valentine, a red bow for her wind-blown hair, a kiss waiting on her lips, a tantrum just back of her laughter. She is young as a kitten, changeable as the wind, and into everything. She can sulk, she can beam, she changes from one minute to the next. February is a phase, a short phase at that, and she has to be lived with.
February can't be taken seriously too long at a time. It starts with Groundhog Day, which is neither omen nor portent, but only superstition, and it ends, often as not, in a flurry of snow. It is sleet and snow and ice and cold, and now and then it is waxing sunshine and tantalizing thaw and promise. February is soup and mittens, and it is a shirt-sleeve day that demands an overcoat before sundown. It is forsythia buds opening in the house and skid chains clanking on the highway. February is sunrise at 6:30 for the first time since November.
February is a gardener pruning his grape vines today and shoveling a two-foot drift off the front walk tomorrow morning. It is a farmer wondering this week if his hay will last the Winter, and next week wondering if he should start plowing. It is tiny, tight catkins on the alder in the swamp and skunk cabbage thrusting a green sheath up through the ice. February is the tag-end of Winter - we hope. But in our hearts we know it isn't Spring, not by several weeks and at least a dozen degrees.
There's no evidence to support it in the dictionaries, but some say that February's name comes from and ancient and forgotten word meaning "a time that tries the patience."
Hal Borland
"Sundial of the Seasons"
February 1956

Every year, I'm glad to see the beginning of February. The days are finally growing noticeably longer, even if it's still cold. This winter has been much colder than usual, for longer stretches of time than usual. I don't mind having what feels like a "real" winter for once, but I'm ready for spring.

Today is chilly and rainy, a good one for staying indoors. I've been fighting off what I hope is just a cold and/or a sinus infection, given how devastating the flu has been at school. The situation has gotten much worse since I blogged about it last week. Almost 20% of the students enrolled have now been stricken with it, not to mention a good number of teachers and staff members. So far I've had headaches, a sore throat first thing in the morning, sneezing, and a runny nose....but no fever, at least so far. I'll be spending most of this wet, cold day under a blanket with a book and a mug of tea--which would be an ideal February afternoon for me if I felt just a little bit better!

I plan to roast a small chicken for our supper tonight, maybe with some potatoes, carrots, sprigs of rosemary, and cloves of garlic cooked alongside the bird in the pan juices. I imagine bedtime will be early, to try to feel better for work tomorrow...although if I still feel bad I may just stay home. We have enough germs spreading around the place without me adding to them!

How's your Sunday going?





19 comments:

  1. Unmotivated. Uninspired. I did have a nice conversation with my brother and I'm about to have a snack.

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    Replies
    1. I always love reading about your conversations with Chuck! Does he know how many fans he has?

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  2. Everyone is fine in this house although one of my grandson's is running a pretty high fever. It's so weird- I used to hate it so much when my kids were sick and now I hate it just as much when my grandchildren are.
    I hope you do NOT have the flu. Rest. Take it easy. Hydrate. Etc.

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    Replies
    1. I don't think it's the flu, I think it's some other, lesser, viral thing. I started running a low grade fever last night so I stayed home from work today.

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  3. Your day sounds good, and so does supper. Mom always said February is the longest month of the year. Hal Borland notwithstanding, no vines will be trimmed in my yard until at least late April. Take care. Joanne

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    1. Supper was good, although kind of bland. Perfect sick person food, though!

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  4. feb sux EXCEPT for the fact that baseball season starts!

    waiting for the super bowl to start to see my team kick some cheating lying pretty-boy ass!

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    Replies
    1. YAY !
      I too am for Philly !
      Really can not believe the cheater is still playing !

      cheers, parsnip and mandibles

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    2. Not knowing or caring anything about sports, I don't really have a response to this except I'm glad to see that Philly won, since you're both fans!

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  5. Resting after Sunday dinner - roasted lamb, mashed potatoes, roasted carrots and leeks, boiled kale tossed in butter, homemade lamb gravy and of course Yorkshire puddings! All washed down with "Anakena" Chilean sauvignon blanc. That's how my Sunday evening is going. BURP!
    P.S. I hope you are feeling well enough for work tomorrow!

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    1. I started running a bit of fever, and felt bad all night, so I stayed home today. No use spreading more germs!

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  6. Doing a bit if cleaning, 2 loads of laundry and out for sushi.

    cheers, parsnip and mandibles

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    1. We got all of our laundry caught up the other day, but unfortunately it builds right back up in an instant!

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  7. I do hope you're not getting the Flu. Nasty. Here it was a roast joint of Pork with everything roasted in the same pan around it; spuds, cauli, and butternut. Lovely.

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    1. I don't think it's the flu; my fever hasn't been high enough for that. I feel pretty crappy either way, though.

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  8. All afternoon, evening and night, we had sleety rain first and then snow. Looks like winter is coming to our part of the globe after all. O.K. and I were at his parents' for lunch, then decided against a walk because of the weather and spent the afternoon at home before heading out to dinner with a group of friends. We stayed at the cosy rustic restaurant until it was time for O.K. to take me to the station. No hiccups with trains this time, which I am most grateful for especially on such a cold Sunday night. Home at a little past 22:30 and almost straight to bed.
    Sorry to hear you are not feeling well; I hope it is just a cold but you should stay home anyway.

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    1. Thank you Meike. I think it is just a cold, with post nasal drip giving me a sore throat. I would have gone to work today, but I was running a low fever in the night, and fever means that a person is contagious. I decided they'd rather have me stay home than bring any more nasty bugs into the school!

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