Groundhog Day

In 1866 German immigrants in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania established February 2nd as Groundhog Day.   Old men dressed up in 19th century gear drag a groundhog out of its burrow, and if it sees its shadow - which it did this morning - there is going to be six more weeks of winter.

The legend is based on the European custom of predicting the winter by the weather conditions on Candlemas.    Candlemas is the day on which Mary is believed to have presented Jesus to Simeon in the Temple, following the forty day period of purification of mothers after childbirth.

When I looked outside this morning about 5.30 there was just a thin layer of snow and ice, but by 9.30 it was snowing heavily, so I haven't been out at all.



 

 

 

Yesterday, Saturday, which feels like a week ago, I went round the nursing home with Phyllis.  I didn't realise until I got there that this was an annual event under the auspices of the AARP, of which she is President and I am an occasional member.   She asked me to bring 26 bananas - they are only 50 cents a lb at the moment so that was no big deal - she brought a couple of bags of oranges, and a couple of boxes of little gifts collected by the AARP during the year.   We loaded them on to a cart which I pushed while she dispensed the largesse and was very sweet and kind to all the residents.   She knew quite a few of the residents because she visits for the Hospice.

In the evening I had planned to see '12 Years a Slave' with Pattisue, but I had a raging toothache (which has now subsided) so had to call it off.  And looking at the weather for the rest of the week I don't think we are going to make it.

Someone was asking this afternoon how Bubbles is, so I've just taken this picture of her lying beside the drawer which came crashing down yesterday.    It is not just alarm clocks and gloves which are shoddy imports from China, but the furniture is as well.  And I didn't buy it in Walmart.  It comes from a proper furniture shop in Main Street.  My nightstand is just as bad.