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.
Comments 23
I’m still waiting for another Jocie book. 😊
Last week lows in the 30’s and didn’t get out of the 40’s for a couple of days! Began warming up to 60’s by Thursday and this week high 60’s and 70’s. Never know from one week to the next and sometimes one day to the next here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Keeps life interesting! 😊
Oh! Congratulations to the winners!!!
Author
Sounds pretty warm to me, Karen. We say the same about Kentucky weather. That if you don’t like it, just wait a day and it will be different. That was certainly true this week with the extreme cold and then potentially record setting warm temperatures this week. As you say, it keeps life interesting and gives us something to talk about.
It is lovely outside today. I even washed the car. It’s red, lol…it looked white with all that salt on it. I have spring flowers coming up. The weather is soooo confused. I love your books…it doesn’t matter what the weather is doing outside…one of your books puts me in a better place. God bless!
Author
Thank you so much, Sandi, for those kind words about my books. That makes me smile. I think the plants will be confused around here too after the warm week we have coming our way this week. They even have thunderstorms in the forecast. What is that old saying? A frost in May for every time it thunders in February.
I didn’t wash my car, but I need to wash my dog. But I didn’t do that either. He’d just get muddy again. In the meantime, my floors are taking a beating.
You are right about SC, Ann. BUT this week is a different story! Yea baby!
Temps in the 70s….seems I have been cold for the past couple weeks. Not feeling the best and the cold air has had me dragging. Different story this week!
Hopefully this week I am going to purchase Angel at the Crossroads. I am so looking forward to reading it. I, too, do not re-read books except the one I’m reading now. Growing Up Amish by Ira Wagler, a memoir, is such a good read. I wanted to refresh my memory for when his second book comes out which may be a while yet.
Author
I might re-read books, Loretta, if I had more reading time, but there are just so many books I want to read. So many books; so little time, you know. 🙂
I’m glad the sunshine has you feeling better. Here we’re looking at a week of rain. The mud out in the fields when I walk Frankie is going to swallow us up. So if you don’t hear from me for a while, you’ll know I’m out there stuck in the mud somewhere. LOL.
It sounds like you are having great weather! Our weather is not quite as warm as yours is yet only 63 today in eastern N.C. but 77 by Friday. That sounds so good for February weather.
I love chocolate for valentines, flowers are pretty too, but I love flowers from the yard better than a florist, they smell much better.
Author
You’re right about those florist flowers never having the fragrance you enjoy in those fresh cut flowers from your garden, Connie. I can’t send you any of those even if I had them. LOL. I may have to wait to send the newsletter until after Valentine’s Day but we can have a Valentine month. I have some other news that week after Valentine’s that I would like to share in my newsletter but can’t jump the gun on the news. Nothing major, but fun for readers.
I love chocolates over flowers!
Today was beautiful. I hope we do get an early Spring!
Author
I’m thinking we’ll have more winter, but in February you just have to enjoy the “spring” days that come along. It will be spring before you know it, Lisa. Time seems to zoom along.
I’m glad you had a good day for a walk with Frankie. It’s been lovely weather here in Florida.
As for your question – chocolates always win out over flowers. Flowers are nice, but don’t last very long. Even after the chocolates are savored they aren’t really gone. They can hang around forever on your hips.
Author
Your answer made me laugh, Nancy. That’s one of the reason I walk every day. So I can keep eating some of those chocolate goodies. I have a terrible sweet tooth. Glad you’re having good weather down south. We were warmer here today in Kentucky than my daughter was in SC.
Everyone wants chocolate & free books. I just made chocolate fudge a few days ago to warm up the house. We had -9 and today it was 70. I hope this doesn’t mean a hooooot summer. I would love to know what the inside of the persimmon seed looked like this year. Am I remembering you sent an email about persimmons in the recent past?
Author
That temperature change in so few days is just crazy, Betty, but I’ll take the 70 and leave behind the -9. I did post a picture of the persimmon seed that I was able to get split in two. That was no easy task. But I did see the shape of a spoon in the middle of the seed. That meant we were supposed to have lots of snow. So far we’ve had a couple of light snows, but nothing heavy. But we’ve got a lot of winter out there yet in spite of the spring day today.
I enjoy all of your post and look forward to them and your walks with Frankie.I bought the Hollyhill books with a gift card from Christmas. I got about 75 Pages to where Tabatha comes home and the rose on her cheek sounded familiar. I got my record out of all the books I have read and sure enough There was The Scent of Lilacs and Orchard of Hope and Summer of Joy. I always rate them and I had written Excellent by each one, but I am going to re read them. I love Jocie she is so spirited. So I will keep reading your books, but I think I will check my records before I do so. lol.
Author
Sorry you got books you’d already read, Donna. But at least you thought they were excellent the first time around. So maybe you will enjoy reading them again. I have to admit I rarely read a book over. Well, except my own books and writing and editing them mean I read them at least six and maybe more times in the process of trying to make them the best I can. I did enjoy writing about Jocie and especially loved it that Wes fell out of the spaceship and got to be part of my story. 🙂 Loved his and Jocie’s Jupiter talk.
I choose chocolate over flowers. Tempe here are good. It was 78 today.
Author
78 sounds great, Jan. My husband would be wanting to turn on the air conditioner. I think he would have in the truck today on the way home from church if I hadn’t been with him. LOL. Glad you think chocolate is good because I’m leaning toward that as a February newsletter prize along with some books.
I look forward to your Sunday morning posts every week. I try to read them before church, if I’m not too rushed getting ready.
My weather is about the same as yours, although being just a wee bit north had the temperature down to -3 on Wednesday, with a wind chill of -16! Yesterday was much nicer, so my goofy dog, Ollie went in search of a mud puddle. He’s been sulking since he was forced to get a bath and then stay indoors the rest of the day.
I still have ice on the lake. But today’s high temps brought out a trio of dedicated fishermen who decided to break the ice with their boat. I’m not sure if “dedicated” is the right word though…they seemed more than a little crazy before they tried to catch fish that I’m sure had fled the area. I posted a video on facebook. And I think I fixed it so you can friend me now. 😉
Enjoy this weather…here in Kentucky it probably won’t last!
Congratulations to all the winners of the book giveaway!
Author
That’s so fun, Lavon, that you read my Sunday morning coming down posts. But I know about being rushed to get ready for church. Did you ever notice that things seem to happen on Sunday mornings to make you slow out the door? Or maybe that’s just me. So Ollie thought it was warm enough to go out the door today. If he had been around here he could have found plenty of mud. I should have given Frankie a bath but I don’t know which of us hates that worse. Me or him. So I decided just to wash his muddy feet. He’s fairly patient about letting me dunk his feet in a bucket of water. I’ll have to check out that video on Facebook. Sounds like you might have had an entertaining show put on by those “dedicated” fishermen. Think maybe they had some liquid refreshments first?
Your weather sounds wonderful for a walk with Frankie today. Thanks for inviting us along.
Author
Glad you came along, Birdie. Frankie stayed outside almost all day. He likes this in between weather. Not too cold. Not too hot.