February

 

It’s February and I am chock full of all sorts of quasi-useless information to share.

February is named after the ancient spring festival of washing and purification, Februa.  

Historical names for February include the Old English Solmonath (mud month) and Kalemonath (cabbage month) as well as Charlemagne's designation Hornung (which seems to mean blowing a horn – I don’t know). 

It is the only month that has fewer than 30 days and . . .

is the only month of the year that can pass without a single full moon (last happened in 2018; next in 2037).

is the only month of the calendar that, once every six years and twice every 11 years consecutively, has four full 7-day weeks where February 1st is a Monday and the 28th is a Sunday (this occurred in 1965, 1971, 1982, 1993, 1999, 2010 and 2021). 

The zodiac signs of February are Aquarius and Pisces. 

Aquarius thinks for themself and likes to keep an open mind about things.
Aquarius has an angry side that can surprise people.
Aquarius have a bad habit of overthinking things waaaay more than they should.
Aquarius can be quite emotional but they don’t always show it to others.

Yep, I have some of those in my family.

Pisces has a BIG heart and a LOT of love to give to the world
Pisces is incredibly intuitive and they follow their instincts.
Pisces is super adaptable and able to get along with all sorts of people.
Sometimes Pisces just needs to be on their own for a while.

and, this too.

Birth flower for February is the Violet.

In Roman myth, the first violet sprung from the spilled blood of the god Attis, who killed himself for Cybele, the mother goddess.  Violets are associated with tranquility and peace. It offers protection from evil.  Carry the flowers with you to bring about luck and enhance nighttime magic.  Plus, violets are one of the many edible plants you may find in the wild or in your garden.  Violets can be candied or brewed into a water, a vinegar, or even a tea.

“Take a quantity of Blew Violets, clip off the whites and pound them well in a stone morter; then take as much fair running water as will sufficiently ainty them and mix with the Violets; strain them all; and to every halfe pint of the liquor put one pound of the best loafe sugar; set it on the fire, putting the sugar in as it melts, still stirring it; let it boyle but once or twice att the most; then take it from the fire, and keep it to your use. This is a ainty sirrup of Violets.”

Interesting to have a cookbook of ancient recipes – never know what you’ll find.

The birthstone for this month is Amethyst.  Roman matrons believed that wearing it would help to guarantee fidelity.  This calming stone allows you to quiet your mind, which can aid in sleep/meditation, so carry a small stone with you.

This is - - - -

National Bird Feeding Month  Time to dust off you bird feeder and put it out.  There are all sorts of bird food recipes but since I am seeing cardinals all over the yard, here’s one for them.

Cardinal Casserole

Raw beef suet or lard or shortening
2 cups bread crumbs
1/4 cup birdseed mix
1 cup green grapes
1/2 tsp. sand

Mix bread crumbs, bird seed mixture and green grapes. Set aside. Put beef suet through meat grinder and melt in a double boiler. Remove from heat, allow to cool and start to harden. Reheat and while in liquid form, pour 1-1/2 cups over dry ingredients. Add sand. Mix well. Put in a 5” x 3” x 1” small, foil loaf pan. Refrigerate until firm. Place on feeder tray.

National Goat Yoga Month  I kid you not, this is a thing - - -

What is Goat Yoga? Goat Yoga is just as it sounds… Yoga with goats. Goat Yoga is the newest fitness craze to hit the country! First off, it is so much fun! All you hear is laughter the whole time! Second, it brings every diverse community together! Goat Yoga is for EVERYONE!! Goats dont judge, Goats just Love! Third, Goat Yoga is good for yogi’s and the goats! Yoga Goats love yoga! Goats love the attention and human interaction, and likewise yogi’s love the feel of doing different and new types of yoga in a field surrounded by nature. It is healing for the mind, body, and spirit.

Hmmmmm – I have yoga tonight – wonder if Abby is going to surprise us???

Cordova Ice Worm Days.  This is another “I kid you not” thing.  There’s a festival for it in Alaska.

Believe it or not, Iceworms are real ice-dwelling creatures! They existed long before our beloved festival. In fact, they were first discovered in the 1800's by Dr. G. F. Wright on Muir Glacier in Glacier Bay. They live as far south as Washington, and can be found in Southeast and South Central Alaska. A member of the segmented worms, the annelids, iceworms are related to common earthworms and leeches. Scientists believe that iceworms feed on snow algae, pollen grains, ice and snow. In turn, iceworms are preyed upon by snow buntings and other birds. Though commonly found in the more porous snow and "solid ice", the iceworms seem to move with ease. It has been theorized that they crawl around the ice crystals that make up the glacier.

And, finally, today is

International Brownie Camera Day.

In February of 1900, the Brownie came along and made photography affordable for just about everyone!  A reliable camera could be purchased for $1 and the film, with processing included, added $0.15 to the total.  I still have mine.  I’d post up a few pictures I took (back in the mid-1950s) but the book must be in my cedar box which has a heavy chest sitting on it – maybe another day.

 

1 Feb 2021