Candlemas 2020

Saturday, February 2, 2020

Today is Candlemas which is when many Christians, at least historically, brought candles to be used for the year to church to be blessed. It is also known as the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ which commemorates the presentation of Jesus at the temple. While many Christian traditions take down Christmas decorations on Epiphany, other wait until Candlemas. For many people, Candlemas marks the end of Christmas. Oh, and there's also that groundhog thing today too.

The sun's been up most of the day today. In the above picture, which I took this morning on the way to the gym, you can see it reflecting off a downtown building. I can't get enough of it as we've been deprived for quite a while now. 

It's not only sunny but unseasonably warm right now. 

Due to the sunny weather I listened to the above song a few times today.

I never really got my gingerbread jones satisfied this holiday season so I picked up some mini ginger cookies while Dale and I were at Kowalski's today. They were quite tasty and really hit the spot. 

We had a simple dinner of burritos tonight along with Dove ice cream bars for dessert. It was a low key day and it's time to say goodbye to the Christmas season. However, there are still weeks of winter to enjoy. Until next time...

Holiday Reading

Friday, January 31, 2020

Got lots of holiday related reading in this season. Above is pictured The Story of Santa Claus by Teresa Chris. I've had this book for a while and have read it once before. It tells the history of Santa from St. Nicholas to the jolly man with the bag we know today. It's full of wonderful vintage pictures which I really enjoyed. 

Christmas Wishes by Tim Hollis is another book I've had for quite a while that I decided to read again this year. The sub-title of the book is A Catalog of Vintage Holiday Treats & Treasures. The teaser for the book says, "From plastic nativity scenes to aluminum trees, Christmas became a major marketing extravaganza in America in the mid-twentieth century. This book recalls the holiday between 1940 and 1970, courtesy of department stores, five and dimes, toy manufacturers, publishing houses, and music companies. Through catalog ads, vintage photographs, and book-cover and record-sleeve art, pop culture historian Tim Hollis takes you on a memorable journey back to your favorite holiday toys and treats, Christmas storybooks by Little Golden and Wonder, seasonal music released by Peter Pan and Disneyland records, and jolly merchandising characters such as Frosty the snowman and Montgomery Ward's Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. It's a joyous ride back to the best days of your life." The book delivers and is a lot of fun especially because it covers my parents era and also the early part of my own. 

'Tis the Season is a lovely collection of holiday poems, songs, and verse. Another book I've had for a number of years and it's filled with lots of vintage artwork from the early 20th century. 

I love the Ghost Story for Christmas books illustrated by Seth. Three new entries were added to the series this year. 

Illustration by Seth

The teaser on the back cover for The Old Nurses Story says, "After her parents pass away, young Rosamond is raised by her nurse in her aunt's ancestral home, where the two discover an exceptionally beautiful old portrait. A relative distant or close? And is that the strange sound of a distant organ, or simply the wind?" I had read this one in another anthology a year or so ago and quite enjoyed it. It has a very creepy vibe so it was fun to read it again. 

Illustration by Seth

The teaser on the back of The Apple Tree by Daphne du Maurier says, "A widower has a secret he'll admit only to himself: Midge's death comes as a relief. Yet now that he's free of her hectoring, somehow he still feels her presence. Is it guilt? of does that gnarled apple tree ink the orchard bear an uncanny resemblance to her hunched-over posture." Pretty eerie and creepy. 

Illustration by Seth

The teaser for the final book, The Sundial by R.H. Malden, says, "On his return from the civil service, a man takes up residence in an old country home. Enchanted by midsummer days in the garden, he orders a sundial but soon the days grow shorter and his dreams grow dark - and when the sundial finally arrives, it isn't alone." I really enjoyed all three of these. 

Imbolc/St. Brigid's Day

Saturday, February 1, 2020

The sun visited us briefly this morning and it was completely energizing to see it. The wonderful yellow orb has been absent for 10 days. 

Noel and I went shopping today and I bought an etagere at an antique shop. The proprietor said she thinks it dates to the 1920s. I asked if it was in the art nouveau style and although she said she could not say for sure, she acknowledged that it is definitely evocative of that style. The piece wouldn't fit in Noel's car so I'll have to pick it up at a later time. 

We also stopped at Bachman's for look for some signs of spring since they are not apparent outside yet. I looked at the seed packets. Noel bought some bamboo and an orchid for some greenery for her apartment. 

Dale and I completed our dry January. The one cocktail I love having over the Christmas holiday is the Brandy Alexander. I didn't get to it this season so I had a couple on this, the first day of February. It consists of one part brandy, one part creme de cacao, and one part cream or ice cream. I used half and half and it was wonderful. 

We made a chicken pot pie for dinner and had a roulade from Kowalski's for dessert. 

Today is also known as Imbolc, a Gaelic traditional festival that marks the beginning of spring. It occurs on February 1st which is just about halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. St. Brigid's Day is also celebrated today by many, especially in Ireland. It is my understanding that St. Brigid's Day is Christian continuation of Imbolc.