Wednesday, January 22, 2025

The North Wind Doth Blow (And There Shall Be Snow)

    


The North wind doth blow

and we shall have snow.

And what will the robin do then, poor thing?

He will sit in a barn and keep himself warm

and hide his head in his wing, poor thing!


Mother Goose was a favorite of mine growing up and sometimes phrases come to me unexpectedly!  We are experiencing snow in the South for the second time this month.  This second snow, we didn't get nearly as much snow in Georgia as they did in Louisiana or Florida! (Did you see the photos from Pensacola Beach, Fl and New Orleans, La? Wow!) Still, because we had that cold, cold air already, once the snow fell, it made our roads in the Atlanta area very dangerous. Our temps have not gotten above freezing for the past 72 hours. We are being told to stay indoors here in our county as some roads that are very icy have been closed. 

So, what to do? Why, feed the birds, of course! And enjoy their antics! And that poem about the robin being cold?  Well, I am sure you all know that birds keep themselves warm by FLUFFING up their feathers! I remember seeing a robin in England that was so puffed up, it reminded me of a tennis ball! 

Still, this cold weather makes it difficult to do our outdoor walking, so it seems that January has lasted forever. (We have walked in below freezing weather with a stiff wind upon us, and THAT is what made me think of that Mother Goose poem!)  Now, is there something that defines January going on for a very long time?  Surely there must be!


Thirty days hath September,

April, June and November.

Unless a leap year is its fate

February hath twenty -eight.

All the rest hath three days more,

excepting January,

which hath six thousand,

one hundred and eighty-four.     



Ha! Isn't that funny?  I swear that would not have made me laugh any other January except this one in 2025!   The poem is by Brian Bilston and he is a Brit! Personally, I think we need to find more things to make us laugh these days.  (Or at least giggle and guffaw a bit!)  Tee hee, if you look up that poet on his website, on the "about" section, he simply states, "I write poems".  There, enough said! Here is his website:   Brian Bilston   His list of unpublished poems is pretty funny.





These are photos of the first snow we had which was much better at making a snowman!  This poor guy was melting after 2 days in the sun but I bet he looked great when he was new! It was fun to drive past all the yards with the snowmen proudly still standing! You can just imagine how much fun the kids had in making them. 

I even made a very small snowman with sunflower seeds for eyes....






Can you see that the cardinal has found the "eyes" of the snowman? "Thank you!", the female cardinal seems to be saying!

Do you need to paint something white? I think "snowman's bone" would be very white, don't you? 


                          Stay warm!  And January will be over soon! 


Hey! I wrote a post in 2017 about the most snow that I had ever seen. We drove through a blizzard in South Georgia in 1973. You may read it just  here!





Thursday, January 9, 2025

With Love and Respect -Jimmy Carter, Our 39th President

 



The State Funeral was held for Jimmy Carter today at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.  I found it to be very moving.



 In case you missed it, it is on YouTube from several sources. I have it above for you. I think it was just over 3 1/2 hours, but it is absolutely worth watching every minute, I promise.  If you don't have time to watch it all, just go forward until you are at the 2:44 time.  That is when Andy Young delivered the Homily.  Please, be sure and listen to that. (For some reason, the camera is mostly on the ex-Presidents at that time, but it is Andy Young that I want you to hear.) As one of the TV announcers pointed out afterwards, Andy Young spoke most eloquently and without looking at any notes.

As you all know, Jimmy Carter was from Plains, Georgia. (Although he really was from a place even smaller, a community about 3 miles from Plains called "Archery".)  He wrote of his upbringing during the Depression in his book, "An Hour Before Daylight". I highly recommend it!

                  Washington, D.C.  -  Jan. 8, 2025  (When Jimmy Carter was lying in state at the Capitol) Richard got this photo from the TV because I asked him to take it! Look at the heavenly sunset.







With love and respect, that is one of the phrases that I remember from this service.  It is with love and respect that I will remember him. He is our longest living U.S. President and the only one from my home state.

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There was another service that they showed on the local Atlanta station this evening. It was from Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, where he taught Sunday School for many years.   Jimmy Carter will be laid to rest in Plains, Georgia, beside his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Carter.  (I am thankful that all these services happened before tomorrow as Georgia will have a "weather event".  Snow is predicted!  Wish us luck, Southern folks can't handle snow.)

"Let There Be Peace on Earth (And Let It Begin with Me").

Can I hear an "Amen"?  AMEN!