February 2, 2015

We're in the Pink

Well we've flipped this year's calendar to the shortest month of the year and one that I wish was twice as long.  And why is that, you might ask?  Do I truly love the bone chilling, longish winter-some days?  Or the lack of sunshine that typically accompanies this second month of the year?  Or the inevitable snow storms that wend their way this time of year?  

February is an intriguing month, with merely 28 days to its number,  yet an added leap day every four years.  (I have always been intrigued by those few born on the 29th of the month who are relegated to celebrating their birthday every four years). And did you know that it is the only month of the year that can pass without a single full moon?  This is all intriguing and odd to me.  

It also sports the Superbowl, President's Day, American Heart Month, Flag Day, National Wear Red Day, Candlemas, National Bird Feeding Month, and Black History Month.

But mostly I like February because it is filled with plenty of reds and pinks and flowers, and love. Call me silly but those are some of my favorite things.  And though not a child of this month, or even of the age of Aquarius, two of my siblings do share birthdays during this abbreviated little month. My sister, the firstborn in our clan, came to be early in the month.  Twelve years later my baby brother was born on a glorious day: none other than Valentine's Day itself.

I remember well that day for it hearkens back to the tender time when one would slave to weeks on that all-important task of creating a Valentine's box for the school celebration of my favorite holiday.  I would spend days and weeks dreaming up the perfect receptacle in which all of those delightful little cards would be placed during our classroom party.  Then when the day finally arrived, we would tote our creations to school and place them on the counter along the windows of our classroom.

For many of us, the anticipation of that day was enough to drive me forward to cutting out red and pink hearts and gluing them onto a carefully crafted shoe box.  That day meant an hour or two reserved respite from the drag of regular school lessons.  There was candy, cards, and games.  And we all got mail in our little post office boxes on that special day! Every one of us.  Opening those cards, one by one later after school was such a treat for me.   I'll bet I could find one or two of those Valentines from my classmates if I looked long enough in the shoe boxes of storage somewhere in the house.  

But one particular Valentine's day, in 1967, I received an even greater delight - a little brother who arrived on that very date.  It was the best Valentine's gift ever!  To this day I delight in finding a special birthday card reserved for those lucky few who share their day of birth with my favorite holiday and sending it to him.  Thankfully there are usually one or two greeting cards to choose from.  

It all adds up to a time of unforgettable memories. It also gives me an excuse to wear the red and pink clothing in my wardrobe for the entire month's length.  

Now you see why I yearn for a few more days to be tacked on to the calender when February rolls around.  

January 26, 2015

Weather or Whether Not

In these parts the topic of weather is oh so important.  In fact, without the ever changing climes that we so often experience here on the prairie, I fear that most people would turn into anti-social introverts who have lost the ability to interact on the simplest level with their fellow humans.

Recent reminiscences of the famed blizzard of 1975 have cropped up in honor of the 40-year anniversary of that storm that raged for days, stranded countless travelers, country folk and city dwellers.  As with any milestone occurrence, most everyone has some recollection of that (and others like it) storm if you were around at the time.

I recall that, as the storm raged in my neighborhood, our family housed my friend who lived across the street whose parents were unable to make it home as well as a good family friend and much loved artist in these parts, Bob Artley.  

Artley worked with my dad at the newspaper at the time and couldn't make the drive to his home in Adrian so took up refuge in our house.  He used one of my sketch books to draw pictures of us all and encouraged us to draw some of our own.  I recently came across that very same book while going through papers at mom and dad's house last weekend and the memories flooded back like the snow on a north wind gale.  

One of the sketches pictured three figures pushing a little Volkswagen beetle through the snow blowing on a horizontal angle.  They soon abandoned that task and left the bug to fend for itself while the storm raged.  When it had all settled, we found the little car completely filled with hard packed snow.

I can't say that the entire experience was all that painful.  We had plenty to eat, lots to do and there was never a dull moment whatsoever.  I know that mom read aloud to us from a favorite book, and there were jig saw puzzles involved and good conversation flowed freely.  I guess you could say that I have some pretty fair memories of that particular storm, and many others like it.  And I, to this day, love a good ol' blizzard.

But there have been winters, such as this one, that provide very little in the area of snowbound entertainment.  Murray County native, Oscar Swan, who in 1987 was touted as the self proclaimed "weatherman in Balaton", recalled that the winter of 1931 was particularly light on the snow front, though a terrific snow storm came up on election day, November 8, 1932 when Franklin Roosevelt was elected President.

The winter of 1936 was a particularly rough one in these parts, according to Swan.  "Real winter set in on January 20th and all through February," he said.  "For 41 days it never got above zero; 38 below was the lowest and 101 inches of snow fell that winter."

The State had rotary snow blowers at that time, Swan noted, and the snow was so deep on highway 14 east of Balaton that they had men on top of the drifts breaking it down so the plow could make it through.  

It stormed and drifted so bad for weeks all cars and trucks were at a stand still," Swan went on.  "Duluth did not have any snow that winter and the state sent down two plows to help."

In essence, life without daily commentary and speculate about the weather would be rather droll and drab.  After all, doesn't everyone fancy themselves weather prognosticators?   I guess it's anyone's guess what tomorrow's weather will be like - rain or sun, snow or sleet.  One thing's for certain, there's not a one of us who can change the outcome so we  just have to learn to grin and bear it. 

And talk about it.

January 12, 2015

Lists, Lists, Lists...

Lists.  A few years back David Letterman made popular the proverbial "top ten" list and since then the trend has been on a steady growth pattern.  And they're everywhere these days it would seem.  If you're anywhere near the Internet it's guaranteed you just can't avoid a list or two. Everyone it would seem, has an opinion on the topmost, bestest things in life and they want you to know it.  Really? Who made these people the authority on all things good, is all I have to say.

Personally I enjoy perusing the various compilations, such as, "The Top 100 books to read before you die", or "The 10 things never to buy again.....ever," or "The friendliest places to live."  I just can't stop myself from reading these lists, even though I realize that it's just the opinion of the one who composed the list in the first place.  I mean, how can you really put a value on friendliness, or the worthiness of a book, after all.  It's just not logical.

I've been a big fan of list making for most of my life, but never before has  my list making  been so vital to my very every day existence!   Generally my lists have to do with what groceries to pick up at the store, or what vital things to pack when I am planning a trip.  It's just that, despite good intentions, when I walk into a store sans list, every bit of common sense just seems to evaporate from my very being and I'm left with an empty slate and often times, wandering the aisles idling hoping for a moment of clarity where the list of necessities and needs are involved.

Lately, besides my grocery list,  I've resolved to start writing down the things I want to accomplish:   places I want to go, and goals that I want to attain things I want to do.  Okay, it's my "bucket list" so to speak though I do believe with a little time I will come up with a more suitable tag than that much overused term.

So, along those lines, here's my top ten list for January 2015.  Be that as it may, it's my own list, mind you and  I encourage you to create your very own list for the new year.  Then see how many things you can check off your list before year end.

10.  Learn something new every single day.  What a way to increase your brain power and by year end you'll have 365 new bits of information in your brain.

9.  Read.  Read the newspaper, a book, the comics, the telephone book, the road signs.  But do read every day.  

8.  Smile and say something nice to someone - pay that kindness forward and just wait for its return.

7.  Go somewhere you've never been before.  Open your eyes and look around - take the back road to somewhere and I guarantee you'll be surprised by what you see.

6.  Do something that you've always wanted to do.  Don't let regret follow you and drag you down because it's just not worth it the effort.

5.  Throw caution to the wind just one time and let yourself lose control.  Do it in the privacy of your own walls or let loose among friends.  

4.  Plant a tree.  Someone will appreciate your effort fifty years from now in the soothing shade and rustle of leaves in the winds that it will provide.

3.  Adopt a pet and provide it with gentle, loving care and a home.  

2.  Give someone the right of way on a busy street - let them in while in a heavy traffic jam.  While you're at it, add a nice little wave and smile as you do.  

1.  Try to find more things to smile and laugh about than you grumble and sneer at in a single day.  Believe me, what you give will be equal to what you get. Every time.  Guaranteed.