The February sunshine steeps your boughs and tints the buds and swells the leaves within. ~William Cullen Bryant
Sometimes Mother Nature gives us a wintertime gift. We got such a gift today here in Kentucky with plentiful sunshine and the temperature zooming up to 68 degrees. Let me repeat that! Sixty-eight degrees on February 3rd. What makes it even more amazing and welcome is that on Wednesday last week the high temperature was maybe 7 degrees. Yes, single digit 7 with the wind blowing so the weather people could talk about those dire wind chill numbers of minus whatever.
Of course, we were practically balmy at 7 degrees compared to people to the north who had actual temperatures in the minus way too low numbers. They set railroad tracks on fire in Chicago so the the trains could run. Don’t ask me the science behind that, but I saw the pictures on the internet. I also saw people blowing ice bubbles and throwing boiling water into the air to see it immediately turn to frozen mist. Plus there was snow. Lots of snow. People do like to share those very, very cold pictures online. Made me feel not so bad when I had to take my extra energetic dog, who never gets cold, on a walk. I did wear plenty of clothes. Today I thought I was going to have to peel off my sweatshirt while we were walking and I think Frankie would have liked to find a creek for a quick dip. The difference a few days can make.
Up top is the sky mid-afternoon today. The picture here is the sky when I was taking Frankie for his morning walk. Dogs do have a way of making sure you get plenty of exercise. I talked about this sky in my Sunday Morning Coming Down feature on my Facebook author page. I’m blessed to have several of you always ready to “walk” along with me on those Sunday mornings.
I do several Facebook features on a weekly basis and those Sunday morning walks seem to be a FB page favorite. Of course some of you like the Shaker Wednesdays and the Friday smiles too. Who doesn’t like smiles? So for fun, here’s one of my favorite jokes and a good one for February with Valentine’s Day not so far away.
An older couple were very faithful to all their church’s activities. So when the church decided to have a marriage enrichment course, the wife talked her old farmer husband into going. So the speaker starts talking about how couples should know each other’s favorite things and he warns them that he may call on some of the husbands to see if they know their wife’s favorite flower. Well, the old farmer is a little nervous about being called on and wants to make sure he has the right answer. So he leans over to his wife and whispers, “It is Pillsbury, isn’t it?”
Smiles and Winners
That joke always makes me smile. And beautiful springlike days in February make me smile too. Another thing that makes me smile is giving away books. I appreciate all of you who left comments on my blog posts about Jerry’s story, Angels at the Crossroads. The story is powerful and one that if I’d made it up no one would have believed it. When we turn our lives over to the Lord, He can do amazing things and somehow make good even when all seems bad.
Oh yes, those winners. First was Carolyn from Maine, who says she never wins anything or at least not until now. Then Evelyn from Kentucky, and a third winner I added just for more smiles, Nancy from Florida. I’ve sent e-mails to the winners and heard from Carolyn, and Nancy already. I hope to hear from Evelyn soon.
I’m going to send out a newsletter next week if all goes well and as always, I’ll have a giveaway of some sort. Maybe some chocolate for Valentine’s or maybe flowers. Hmm, which would you like better? There will be books too. Have to have some books in the mix.
So what was the weather like your way this week?
I hope if you were in those north freezing temps, you are having a warm-up now. As always, thanks for reading.