Do Not Rue the Month!
February is a month during which we honor Black History and consume too many “I love you, here’s a box of candy” chocolates. It’s the shortest month, even in a Leap Year. In some geographic locations, it’s the tipping-point month between winter and spring. It’s the month in which New Year’s resolutions are conveniently forgotten. It’s the month with the weird ‘r’ we rarely pronounce, and if we do, we feel just a bit pretentious.
Feb ruuuuuuuuuu ary!
According to a post in The Conversation, “While January takes its name from Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and endings, February comes from the word februum (purification) and februa, the rites or instruments used for purification. These formed part of preparations for the coming of Spring in the northern hemisphere.” Click on The Conversation link to discover more bizarre rituals we never learned about in grade school!
Spring is coming. As I look out onto the disaster of a yard slowly sluffing off snow–the beautiful sugary coating that has heretofore hidden months of duck detritus–my thoughts take me to the garden beyond. Mike has great plans for our garden this year: more raised beds, an efficient watering system, trellises, and a place to sit while our ducks pluck bugs and weeds. I’m excited. Yes, there will be lots of work to do before we can reap our rewards, but there is joy in the planning and the anticipation.
Spring is in the air, and so is hopefulness. The planet has endured a year like no other, and there are signs of healing. I hope this newsletter finds you prepared to continue the vigilance needed to stop the spread of the persistent pandemic, and even more prepared to welcome the surprises that spring will soon reveal (soooooo much duck “stuff” under our snow)! I hope you’ve found ways to learn new things, read more books, and reevaluate how you will choose to fill your days.
And PLEASE (as always) post some positive reviews on Amazon for authors of books you’ve enjoyed, and tell your friends about them!
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Happy Valentine’s Day!
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:)
Laurel
