St Distaff's Day

 Who knew there was such a thing as a 'Fake/Joke Saint'?

In some Folklore books it says January 7th is St Distaff Day but he is not in any books of Saints and he or she, didn't exist.

Way back in history 7th January was the day that women went back to work at their spinning after the 12 days of Christmas merryment  and the Distaff is the tool used to hold the unspun wool or flax.

Queen Berthe, Instructing Girls to Spin by Swiss artist Albert Ankar 1888

Men didn't go back to work in the fields until Plough Monday - the first Monday after Epiphany and often used Distaff Day to cause mayhem to the women.

There was an old saying

On St. Distaff's Day

Neither work nor play. 

And from Hesperides by Robert Herrick dating from 1648

Partly work and partly play

Ye must on St Distaffs Day:

From the plough soon free your team;

Then come home and fodder them.

If the maids a-spinning go,

Burn the flax and fire the tow:

Scorch their placket, but beware

That ye singe no maiden hair.

Bring in pails of water then,

Let the maids bewash the men.

Give St Distaff all the right:

Then bid the Christmas sport good-night

And next morrow, every one

To his own vocation.

 

Distaff later became the word for the female side of a family and  the word Spinster from the spindle used by the women.

Back Soon

Sue

Snow? and Twelfth Night?

There was a little snow here overnight Saturday/Sunday but it turned to rain by daylight and was soon washed away. It carried on raining nearly all day Sunday - very depressing. Not really cold either - but there's still time for proper winter to arrive. 

The third thing that I've broken recently by getting it accidently knocked into the Butler sink was yesterday and  the bottom half of my lovely two-piece ceramic soap dish - I was so cross with myself as I've had it for about 20 years at least. I found a small bowl to sit the top draining bit on but I'm still cross! Perhaps now three things have been broken in the last few months that will be it. If I ever have a new kitchen here or anywhere else it Won't have a butler sink for sure.

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My new Folklore diary says last night was Twelfth Night, because way back in history days were counted as beginning in the evening. 

 I've never been absolutely sure about Twelfth Night and Christmas Decorations coming down, should they be down by the end of the 5th or is sometime today OK?

 Down with the rosemary and so,

Down with the bays and mistletoe,

Down with the holly, ivy and all,

Wherewith ye dressed the Christmas hall.

That so the superstitious find,

Not one least branch there left behind,

For look, how many leaves there be

Neglected there, maids trust to me,

So many goblins you shall see!

My Christmas things are down and packed away anyway, I did them in bits starting last Thursday. Thought I'd get them out of the way as I've got two grandchildren here today....... it's a PD day for DiL, so she is at school and they aren't.

We 'did' Twelfth Night for O Level English Literature which completely ruined it. Examining a play line by line doesn't really help the understanding. We 'did' Jane Eyre too and some poems from 'The Book of Narrative Verse'. I read quickly even back then and reading things 'around the room' and line by line doesn't make for any sort of understanding. How did it take two years to prepare for an exam? Did we study other things too? ............. BTW I failed English Lit! 

Thankfully that didn't stop me getting the job as a library assistant and I was only put off Shakespeare and Classic Literature, so it didn't kill my love of reading everything else.

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And going back to the subject of snow, I hope everyone in the affected States in the US gets through this coming storm without harm. I heard that a state of emergency has been declared in several areas.

Back Tomorrow

Sue

Cheese Taste Test

 This came all the way down from my penfriend W who lives on a windy Scottish Island (but not the one on the cheese label). It was in a container and wrapped in Christmas paper with a message that said put in the fridge straight away.

I checked the postmark date and thankfully it had only taken 3 days to get here. (Compared to some Christmas cards that took 9 to 12  days). So I put it in the fridge and opened on Christmas Day.

Oh my goodness, this was a delicious cheese - strong and punchy, thank you so much W. 

I looked up more details of the farm and found they had been farming on Mull for 50 years and making cheese for 40. They are the only dairy farm on Mull and make a few different cheeses.

They even use the whey from the cheesemaking to make a distilled whey spirit. HERE is their website

Our Hebridean Blue is made in 7kg cheeses. It is a semi-soft blue, punchy, wonderfully rich and creamy, with a long lasting taste and many layers of flavour.

It is made with raw cows milk, produces a lovely natural rind and is around 8 weeks old when sold

Thank you W for an interesting cheese to taste and investigate.

Back Monday

Sue 

Just Stay In January

 There was No Spend November which worked well. Decadent December which involved coffee and cheese scones in various cafes and eating too many nice things at Christmas. Now it's 'Just Stay in January!'

This seems a good plan and means using up things left from Christmas, no unnecessary shopping, not going far - so not needing much diesel, and generally hibernating in my warm bungalow,(fingers crossed that hasn't jinxed the boiler which has been behaving nicely for several months now). 

Here's what I'm planning.................

This is the page a day art book that I picked up from the Jumble Sale last year........  better get started. I'm using the Inktense colouring pencils to start with. They came from a boot-sale about 3 years ago, but I've not let the grandchildren loose with them as they are rather nice!

Masters Snooker starts January 12th on BBC and Silent Witness is back next week too.

The new series of The Good Ship Murder starts on the 10th . I've become a fan of Shayne Ward.....can't think why!

The freezer is full of meals that are "ones I've prepared earlier" plus some food bought before Christmas that I'll be using up this month.

I think Eldest daughter and the boys might be up from Surrey to visit. They were away in Thailand for Christmas so haven't had their presents yet.

I've still got several library books unread and there are 6 more arriving for me next week - yikes.

I need to finish transferring info from my old diary into the new one.

This was one of two snowy puzzles that I got from charity shop/boot sale in November and  passed on to DiL as I decided it might have too much annoying snow - like the other which I tried and got cross with. Son and DiL finished  it and said it wasn't too bad so I have it back again to tackle. 

(Son to me - "Mother, surely jigsaws aren't meant to be easy or they wouldn't be called puzzles!") He always calls me 'Mother' when I'm being told off!

There will be just a few outings for fresh food shopping, Keep Moving Group and hope to meet up with my friend from Grammar School days for coffee, perhaps a trip over to the coast to see YD and EGD and take them out for lunch - weather permitting.

Should keep me busy and entertained -whatever the weather throws at us.

Thank you again for all the comments on Wednesday, there were even more added to it yesterday. It's lovely to know that many people enjoy reading. 

Back Tomorrow

Sue

January Days and Thank You

 It was really good yesterday to have so many comments - I loved them all. Special thank you and "hello" to people who'd not commented before and apologies for not replying individually. My excuse was that I was out at Son and DiL's house with the two grandchildren plus YD and EGD who came over from the coast through the very wet and windy weather (luckily it had stopped raining and blowing by evening going home time) plus BiL came too, we were all there helping to eat up their Christmas food. They are never knowingly under-catered! Now they need more visitors to help eat yesterdays food!

It was a lovely surprise to switch on the lap top when I got in to find 60+ comments, cheered me up no end because coming home after family days is still tough, even if it is the 7th Christmas.

 

It's good to know from Debs that my punctuation is appreciated as I'm not always sure I have apostrophes in the right place! and I know I use far too many exclamation marks!!

So,  here we go into January..................

The January page from 'An Illustrated Country Year' by Celia Lewis

The Anglo Saxons used the name Wulfmonath for January, the month when wolves would be hunting for food. Difficult to imagine that wolves roamed the woods and forests of England, Scotland and Wales back in the 6th Century and it must be the reason the full moon this month was called the Wolf Moon. This year it's on the 13th and was also known as the Moon After Yule and, according to my new book  - Everyday Folklore by Liza Frank, it's also known as the Stay At Home Moon - which, considering tomorrows post is called  'Just Stay In January', is very apt! (Although they may well have made up that moon name, as I've never come across it anywhere else).

January is usually colder than December and this is one of the best known sayings..............

As the day lengthens, so the cold strengthens

Other sayings for the month include.............

                                                   
 

When oak trees bend with snow in January, good crops may be expected.

In January much rain and little snow is bad for mountains, valleys and trees

Mild weather isn't recommended, so it's probably good that the weather forecast is for a spell of colder weather over the next few days. 

 A January spring is good for nothing

January warm, the Lord have mercy

Us gardeners always want good frosts in winter to kill off all the nasties that lurk in the soil. Most years recently our winters just haven't been cold enough.

JANUARY 

Janus am I; oldest of potentates;
  Forward I look, and backward, and below
I count, as god of avenues and gates,
  The years that through my portals come and go.

I block the roads, and drift the fields with snow;
  I chase the wild-fowl from the frozen fen;
My frosts congeal the rivers in their flow,
  My fires light up the hearths and hearts of men.

Longfellow -  Poets calendar

Back Tomorrow

Sue

Happy New Year

Wishing everyone Peace, Health and Happiness.

And hope for another year of blogging fun

Because as long as people keep reading, I'll keep writing and

Be Brave....stop lurking and make it your 2025 resolution to leave a comment!

Thank you one and all

Sue