Wednesday 1 February 2023

February Days

First time out for the February plate


One month is past, another has begun
Since merry bells rang out the dying year,
And buds of rarest green began to peer,
As if impatient for a warmer sun,
And though the distant hills are bleak and dun,
The virgen snowdrop, like a lambent fire,
And in dark woods, the wandering little one
May find a primrose.


The poem above and on the plate is by Hartley Coleridge, who was (I discovered by googling) the eldest son of Samuel Taylor and sister of Sarah who wrote ........

February brings the rain
Thaws the frozen lakes again.


February  was the Roman Februaruis  and comes from the Latin verb februare  meaning to purify because the Roman festival of purification took place on the 15th.

February 1st .......... Imbolc (pronounced imulk) - The ancient Celtic feast day held to celebrate a stirring of life after winter and fertility at the beginning of the lambing season. The word Imbolc may derive from old Irish meaning 'in the belly'. The celebration  was presided over by the Goddess of youth and fertility -Bride who became Bridget.

February can bring any sort of weather and has many weather sayings attached. It is often cold around the third week

When gnats dance in February, the husbandman becomes a beggar

A February spring is not worth a pin

Fogs in February mean frosts in May

                                                                 Double faced February

There is always one fine week in February 


February usually speeds by. For me this month there are 2 WI meetings, 4 Exercise group meetings, 1 WI Knit and Stitch group, some swims, Middle Grandsons 3rd birthday, a Rural Bygones Sale, Six Nations Rugby starts on TV, A Craft Fair Coffee morning to visit and I'm having the trellis replaced. 
Busy, busy - but with plenty of time for reading too.

Back Tomorrow
Sue
.



29 comments:

  1. Candlemas today. Apparently you took all your candles to church to have them blessed for the year, K might try this at HC this morning. 5 Birthdays here for Feb, and half term, yippee. Sandra.

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    1. They still do blessing the candle at the local parish church but on the Sunday before I think

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    2. We did a candle blessing in Church this morning, I was so pleased. I shall take one to my poorly friend tomorrow, glad other Churches do this as well SANDRA.

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  2. When I was a supply teacher, February was usually my busiest month, even though it was the shortest and included half term week. Partly through staff absences due to sickness; teachers struggle on to get to the end of the Christmas term, with all its extra seasonal activities, return in January quite run down, then succumb to all the winter bugs. And for some reason it was a popular month for training courses, so cover teachers were needed then too.

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    1. Chicken Pox doing the rounds this year - and all the colds and sore throats. - Poor Teachers

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  3. Thanks for this. I shall look upon February with a new respect now!

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  4. I do love your plates and that one is beautiful.

    It is supposed to get cold around weeks 2/3 this month - at least, that's what the BBC weather predicts.
    xx

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    1. It's been good to see a new plate each month, nearly the whole year done now although I don't remember what they looked like after a year so they will be new again

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  5. That was lovely. I quite like February, seeing the evenings draw out and bulbs start to appear. And there is often one lovely week in February, I vividly remember walking at Mortehoe one year and we got so hot we ended up in shirt sleeves.

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    1. When I was doing childminding for school holidays the Feb half term was often snowy and cold

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  6. What a lovely plate - it really sums up February well. I still have my copy of The Country Diary, and assorted follow on publications, fabrics, etc. I think you made a good buy with those plates.

    Imbolc - the wheel is turning again, towards the sun now. Hooray.

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    1. I've made good use of the plates on the blog . I keep thinking roll on spring and then think I mustn't wish the time away!

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  7. That February plate is so pretty, I really like it. You've got a busy month! I'd like to get out and tidy the garden up, but it's still too cold for me.

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    1. The January and February have been my favourites I think, although I've forgotten what the others look like so they will be new again

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  8. Wonderful information we are going into the deep freeze for the next few days with wind chill minus 30's I am not looking forward to that. But we have a woodstove to help. We can get some very big snowstorms in February.
    Cathy

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    1. We had our first snow to bring in February! This is when you really notice the returning light, too. Happy st Brigids day!

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    2. Hope we don't get snow although it is possible it shouldn't last too long

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  9. Lovely plate. Best thing about February? It's not January anymore! Still, jesting aside I'm glad that spring is just around the corner.
    Alison in Wales x

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    1. February will whizz by I'm sure. I've still got plenty to read so all is well

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  10. February is usually still pretty cold for us and we have had some big snow storms in February's past. I don't remember seeing any blooms until March usually.
    Sounds like you have lots of fun planned for February so the month will fly by! Enjoy!

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    1. Lots of interesting things to do this month - as long as we don't get snow and blocked roads!

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  11. Your February plate is beautiful and must represent a warmer climate showing flowers and buds. We are very cold this week and are warned of sub-zero temperatures for the weekend. Your February meet-ups are numerous and sound very enjoyable. The tea and cake at various meet-ups always seems lovely as well.

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    1. Snowdrops and primroses will be out in February although they will get a setback if we have snow.

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  12. WintersEndRambler1 February 2023 at 17:44

    I'm sure I've heard a saying something like if the cat sits in the sun in February she'll be behind the stove in March...something like that anyway.

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  13. Lovely plate and nice support for it too. You inspired me to pull out the book which I gave to my mum as a present in the late 70s and which of course is now mine. I think this book started my love of nature writing, of which there is now so much around. Sarah in Sussex

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  14. I wish we got some colour in February. Hopefully some in late March or early April.

    God bless.

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  15. Those plates are really, really, just wonderful.

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  16. That is a beautiful plate. I can't believe that we have finally ran out of January days, it seemed to go on forever this year. We have Snowdrop and Daffodil shoots in the pots in the garden so I am happy to start believing that warmer and longer days are just ahead.

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