Each Day Already is a Challenge

Early Spring?

I woke this morning just as Punxsutawney Phil was making his annual prediction. Unfortunaely, I missed the hoop-la on television and had to resort to checking Yahoo for the news.

I complained in one of my entries that when I have tried to see the AP movies of news items on Yahoo, I have been able to see the commercials but not the news clips. I fixed that this morning. It seems that there's a place for choosing your interenet connection. Supposedly, Yahoo had detected my setting as dial-up instead of DSL. Once I changed that, I was able to see Punxsutawney Phil's news clip. He thinks we'll have an early spring? I just hope his predictions are better than the weather persons. When I searched, I could find Phil's predictions since they started keeping records, but no comparisons with what actually happened to the weather. Hmmm.

Also in the news clips this morning was something that must have shown on Good Morning America. Some developer in Big Sky, Montana is building the world's most expensive home - $155 million! It has 12 bedrooms, 20 bathrooms, 53,000 sq. ft. of living space and a 20 car garage. I think they said it will be twice the size of Trump's house. Why? Can you imagine how many people could be fed and housed for $155 million???

I also stumbled upon some sites that show different holidays and celebrations.

February is Black History Month. That's a good thing. For so long, we didn't know anything about some of the great people who helped make our country what it is, because their skin was not white.

Some other February facts:

Today - February 2 is also Kiwifruit Day and Wear Red Day. It is also the day that the bottle cap was first patented, but I couldn't find the year that happened.

If I were a more organized person, I would just use each of these other facts on the appropriate day. But I'm not, and fibro fog would probably make me forget.

February 3 is Artist Day.

February 5 is Chocolate Fondue Day and Weatherperson's Day.

February 7 is Wave All Your Fingers At Your Neighbor Day. I wonder where that started...and why?

February 8 is Laugh and Get Rich Day. I can't wait for that one.

February 9 is the day that the Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show. What year was that???

February 11 is National Shut-In Visitation Day.

February 12 is the real birthday of Abe Lincoln.

February 21 is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten Season in the Christian faith. Many attend church that day and their preist or pastor will place the sign of the cross on their forehead in ashes. I looked at some of the words spoken at these services.

From: http://www.explorefaith.org/faq/ash_wed.html

Remember, you are nothing but dust, and to dust you will return.

Remember, you are nothing but dust: Precious dust, molded and formed in the womb by a loving God, precious, precious and beloved are you.

Remember, you are nothing but dust, and to dust shall you return: Unique and precious, you are created for eternity.

Remember, you are nothing but dust: And that makes you free — free from human ambition — free from prideful denial — free from fear — free; free at last!

Remember, dust you are, and as dust you are loved and free.

The Lenten Season is such an important one in the life of a Christian. For many, it is a time when they give up something. For others, it is a time of fasting and prayer.

If we are, as a pastor friend of mine always said, "Easter people," then the time leading up to Easter should be one that we use to get closer to God. It's been only in recent years that we - Christians - have really focused on the horrible pain that Jesus suffered for our sins.

This is all so serious. And yet, hmmmm. If I know my hubby, that part about Ash Wednesday and dust is going to remind him of a joke that I received from an online friend - one who forwards a gazillion of things every day. I can't read them all, but I did read this one and I passed it on to my hubby.

A visiting minister spoke eloquently during the offertory prayer.

"Dear Lord" he began, with arms extended toward heaven and a rapturous look on his upturned face.

"Without you we are but dust. . "

He would have continued but at that moment, a very obedient daughter (who was listening!) leaned over to her mother and asked quite loudly in her shrill little girl voice, "Mom, what is butt dust?"


Now, I really need to get some work done around this house. It has been snowing, then not snowing, then snowing again. Thankfully, the roads are still clear, probably due to the fact that they were "pre-treated" with salt that the local news media informed us is really bad for our car's paint and metal. Yeah winter.

Oh yeah...I forgot...February 22 is George Washington's real birthday.

Th-th-that's all folks.