★~♥~♥~★~ El Morno! ♥~★~★~♥ ~
February 2, 2015

★~ Today’s Quote: “The groundhog is like most other prophets; it delivers its prediction and then disappears.” – William Vaughn, American columnist and author

★~ GroundHog Day:

February 2 brings the most-watched weather forecast of the year—and the only one led by a rodent. Legend has it that on this morning, if a groundhog can see its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If it cannot see its shadow, spring is on the way. A groundhog (or woodchuck or “whistle pig”)  became the predictor of spring because it hibernates during the winter months, and when you begin to see them above ground it is a natural sign of spring. Germans who immigrated to Pennsylvania in the mid-1800s began keeping an eye on the groundhog. The widespread population of the rodent made it a handy weather forecaster. (check out today Gallimaufry below for more about Phil’s prediction). 

For a more promising Springcast click over and visit El Morno friend Debbie!

★~ Candlemas:

If candlemas day be fair and bright,
winter will take another flight.
if candlemas day be cloud and rain,
winter is gone and will not come again.
~ from festivals, family and food

The word February is believed to have derived from the name ‘Februa’ taken from the Roman ‘Festival of Purification’. The root ‘februo’ meaning to ‘I purify by sacrifice’. As part of the seasonal calendar February is the time of the ‘Ice Moon’ according to Pagan beliefs, and the period described as the ‘Moon of the Dark Red Calf’ by Black Elk. February has also been known as ‘Sprout-kale’ by the Anglo-Saxons in relation to the time the kale and cabbage was edible.”

Candlemas marks the midpoint between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox. South of the equator, of course, it’s the exact opposite. In many traditions it is considered the beginning of spring. It’s the dawn of the year. It’s the time of germination.

Now is the time of stirring when the earth begins to soften and the waters to flow, while frost still bites & winds blow,and the light is growing stronger, and life begins to wake. This is the feast of Brigid, the goddess of fire & water. She is the year’s midwife who births the sun. Through the union of fire & water, the ancients, our forebears, worked magic to call in the spring, So let us join together as one folk to make our offerings in joy and reverence. For all that dies shall be re-born. Thank you, Facebook Friend Hazel!

Celebrate today by lighting candles, cleaning your home, planting some seeds (if the ground is warm enough), or starting something; Candlemas is a time of new beginnings. Light a fire and toast some marshmallows; allow your spirit to shine brightly.

★~ Crepe Day:

The French call Candlemas Chandeleur, Fête de la Lumière, or jour des crêpes. They celebrate Chandeleur by eating a lot of crêpes, and they also do a bit of fortune telling while making them. It is tradition to hold a coin in your writing hand and a crêpe pan in the other, and flip the crêpe into the air. If you manage to catch the crêpe in the pan, your family will be prosperous for the rest of the year. If the crepe falls on the ground, I predict you will yell “oh, crap!” and the dog will prosper. Here is a great recipe (2 1/2 cups of flour, 2 cups of milk a pinch of salt, 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon of rum. Put in blender and cook 1/4 of batter in preheated non-stick pan.

★~ Today in History:

[youtube]http://youtu.be/1fcY78ab4yo[/youtube]

♥~ 1653 – New York City was incorporated . At the time, its Dutch settlers called it New Amsterdam.

♥~ 1913 – One of the busiest buildings in New York, the Grand Central Terminal, opened.

♥~ 1940 – Frank Sinatra had a hit single with the song “New York, New York” in 1980. That was 40 years after he got a big break by joining the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. His first performance with the Dorsey band was February 2, 1940.

♥~ 1959 – The Coasters tune, Charlie Brown, was released. The tune went to #2 and stayed there for three weeks, but didn’t make it to the top spot of the charts. A catchy song (“Fee fee fi fi fo fo fum. I smell smoke in the auditorium…”), it was on the charts for a total of 12 weeks. And what song was at number one, preventing Charlie Brown from reaching the top, you ask? Venus, by Frankie Avalon

★~Born Today:

♥~ 1882 – James Joyce poet, author: once said, “The demand that I make of my reader is that he should devote his whole life to reading my works.” Joyce wrote Ulysses (1922) and Finnegan’s Wake (1939); an autobiographical novel, Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man (1916); and a short-story collection, Dubliners (1914), among other works.

♥~ 1947 – Farrah Fawcett actress: Charlie’s Angels, The Burning Bed; ex-Mrs. Lee Majors; Playboy pictorial [12/95]; died Jun 25, 2009

♥~ 1954 – Christie Brinkley model: Cover Girl Cosmetics; actress: National Lampoon’s Vacation

★~ Today’s Gallimaufry:

Today, at 7:25am in Punxsutawney, Pa. Punxsutawney Phil, the world’s most beloved and furry seasonal prognosticator, saw his shadow (despite overcast skies), portending six more weeks of winter.

Last year, Phil also saw his shadow — the final nail in the coffin for what was one of the most brutally long winters in the U.S. The unrelenting winter dragged on through March in many places in 2014.  Phil chalked another one up in the “verified” column.

While no one questions Phil’s dedication to the seasonal outlook, his accuracy is an enduring source of controversy.

In 2013, Phil issued a forecast for an early spring, but bitter cold and snow gripped the eastern U.S. into March that year.  The prosecuting attorney in Butler County, Ohio, went as far as to seek the death penalty for Phil for “misrepresentation of early spring” before a Pennsylvania law firm came to Phil’s defense, claiming the Ohio attorney had no jurisdiction to prosecute the groundhog.

This year, the forecast suggests this winter will be remembered for its duration more than its intensity. Temperatures, so far, have been running close to or slightly above average across the Lower 48. Does Phil sense a dramatic shift to come, favoring snow-lovers and ski bunnies? Only time will tell.

Since the groundhog’s first prediction in 1887, Phil has seen his shadow 102 times (including this year) and not seen it on just 17 occasions. There are nine missing years in the record, but Phil has issued a forecast without exception. Phil’s official Web site says he has “of course” issued a correct forecast 100 percent of the time. But NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center says Phil’s forecasts have shown “no predictive skill” in recent years. AccuWeather finds the rodent has an 80 percent accuracy rate.

Groundhog Day-like celebrations are held in several other regions of North America where other furry rodents make their predictions, including:

• Atlanta, Georgia: General Beau Lee
• Ontario, Canada: Wiarton Willie
• Raleigh, North Carolina: Sir Walter Wally
• Sun Prairie, Wisconsin: Jimmy
• New York City: Staten Island Chuck
• Birmingham, Alabama: Birmingham Bill

#

I was so surprised to learn that Chicago was deluged with 19.3 inches of snow that fell Sunday into Monday morning, making for the city’s fifth largest blizzard in its recorded history. Of-course, I knew it was snowing but it didn’t seem to have the same intensity as the 2011 Groundhog Day Blizzard that fell over the same dates.  Oddly enough, on both blizzard occasions, I did have to reschedule trips to Albuquerque.

This good news this morning at first glance was my flight was scheduled to leave on time. The bad news was, despite frequent shoveling, the alley behind our garage (where the car is parked) was not passable. We were snowbound. Finding a taxi wasn’t even an option. I was disappointed not be able to take off as planned,  but felt fortunate that I was able to immediately rescheduled my departure to a Tuesday flight. I learned later that my original flight was canceled so by being stuck at home I also had the advantage of being able to rebook my flight before my canceled flight sent frustrated passengers in search of another flight option. I’ll tell you tomorrow if it alls well that ends well.

The Midwest handles blizzards with a shrug. It’s a badge of courage to carry on. Chicago’s public transit system remained operational (though with some delays), no travel bans were put into effect and, as far as we know, no kale shortages were reported.  The kids enjoyed a snow day, while their parents were quick to point out that in their day there were no snow days. Chicagoans walked to school uphill both ways in the blizzard of ’67 when 23 inches of snow covered Chicago. Although, dearly departed Joe, did admit he might have had a day off from school. It was hard to remember….(Chicagoans seldom let the truth get in the way of a good blizard story.)

This is the night edition of El Morno. Odd couldn’t miss Groundhog Day! I’ll see you in the morno! Southwest has internet on board their planes!

Odd Loves Company,