Thursday, February 1, 2018

Happy February!

Lots of folks see this "short month" as being the longest month of the year. Winter wears on like a well-worn wool blanket... the wind is cold and sharp... and the snow has a bite. And the air hurts your face!!!! 

So what's there to love about February? 

I made a list! :) Because I'm over the flu and feeling FRISKY!!!! So here is a list of reasons to celebrate FEBRUARY!!!!

1. Chocolate (Valentine's Day.... duh!)

2. "Swept Away" releases and you get to have so much fun in Martha's Vineyard with Priscilla, Gail, Joan, Trudy and handsome Coast Guard Captain Gerald O'Bannon!!!! SWEET!!!! Yes, you can get Swept Away RIGHT HERE AT GUIDEPOSTS!!!



3. There are only FIVE weeks until Daily Savings Time. FIVE. Not six. Not anymore. Because we're down to five!!!



4. Seed catalogs... THIS IS THE BEST TIME OF YEAR FOR SEED CATALOGS!!!!!

5. Chocolate. This cannot be mentioned too much or too often.



6. "Her Secret Daughter" on shelves nationwide, an absolutely beautiful story of sacrificial love that goes good... in all the wrong ways..... A hard-to-resist Ruthy book and the last book in the Grace Haven series.... And you can get it right  HERE ON AMAZON, TOO!!! 



7. The sun is beginning to "feel" warmer when it's out.  Now, this seems subjective, but when you live in the north, subtleties matter! So that higher arc begins to make a difference by Valentines Day. And here is a word to the wise... that higher arc stirs water... so even water with thick ice can become dangerous because the stronger heat of the sun makes water move... and ice shift. So even thick ice can shift, gap and become dangerous, not because of the temperature.... but because of the power of the sun.

8. Valentine's Day... do you celebrate it? What do you do? I always make delicious things here but we don't go out (I waitressed too many years to think it's smart to go out on Valentine's Day.... so busy and so crazy and the cooks are rushed!) But a wonderful dinner.... and dessert... I'm happy!

HUMMINGBIRD CAKE!!!! 

So what do  you have to look forward to this February? I'm not talking taxes because I won't do them until late March, early April. No sense hurrying forward to pay, right?


And I think I need to have fun with a hummingbird cake recipe and try it out here... Maybe next week, before the big Valentine's Day of celebration is upon us!

Multi-published, award-winning inspirational author Ruthy Logan Herne loves God, her family, her country, chocolate, coffee, dogs and mini-donkeys.... she lives on a farm in the snowy, forested plains of Western NY and she loves hiding away in her winter den, penning great stories, when no one's looking! Follow her on Twitter.... friend her on facebook... or just stop by and have coffee with her and the gals of the cafe here... right here! They've got the welcome mat ready!



11 comments:

  1. Ruthy, I think sharing hummingbird cake next week is an GREAT idea. Honestly, I'm not sure I've ever had it, though I've seen the name enough to know that it's a classic.

    February is another birthday month around here. Both hubby and I were born in February. He's my little groundhog. ;) As for Valentine's day, we used to celebrate, I'd fix a big dinner at home, but the last few years haven't quite panned out. We already have plans for this year, though. They're having a drive-thru fish fry at the Knights of Columbus Hall, so we will be all over that. I'd better plan to make something chocolately, though, because they likely won't have that.

    So glad you are well again!

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    1. A DRIVE THROUGH FISH FRY!!!! That sounds marvelous... and I think we might do the same thing, only we have to run in and pick them up. Ash Wednesday is big for Catholics, a day of fasting and it always reminds me of being a little girl and wanting to give things up for Jesus... Not like chocolate equates a cross, but for a little girl, sacrifices are very important!

      Love the Knights of Columbus... they do Lenten Friday fish fries here at St. Mark's Church, a family favorite!

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  2. Oh, February!

    When I was growing up in Michigan, I always felt like Valentine's Day should be the beginning of spring. Even though we would probably still have snow storms, that warmer sun was irresistible.

    Now that I live even farther north and higher in elevation, I don't get that "spring" feeling as early. We still have early sunsets (5:00 today) and bitter cold winds, so I don't feel "springy" until March.

    So here's my February list:

    1) Chocolate
    2) The Black Hills Stock Show
    3) Chocolate
    4) By the end of the month, we'll be eating supper while it's still light!
    5) Chocolate
    6) Seed Catalogs - my favorite winter time reading

    And this year, I'll add one more - Katie and Jacob's 1st anniversary!

    I also echo Mindy - so glad you're over the flu. Being sick is no fun!

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    1. Love the 1st anniversary!!! AND THE STOCK SHOW!!!! That would be so much fun! And eating supper in LIGHT!!! Hallelujah chorus here!

      Super windy and bitter here today... I've been out to check donkeys, food, water, cleaning... they don't like these harsh winds and I'm already planning how I can improve their shed to give them a more comfortable 2019 winter....

      I will welcome longer daylight hours!!!!

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  3. February -- well, it means January is over once and for all and that's a good thing. lol And it means I can order more Love Inspired books from Harlequin and that will include Jan's knew one. Woot! And I love that the sun is warmer. -19 in February doesn't feel the same kind of cold as -19 in January because of that happy warm sun. Hoorah!

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    1. Kav, you're right, that sun is a huge difference maker! It's shining right now, even with a very harsh wind, and it's coming in the window and making kitties very happy....

      Oh, hello, Sun!!!

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  4. Okay,Negative Nellie here. Valentine's Day is Ash Wednesday. No chocolate. Our pastor suggested having it the day before instead. :)

    I saw a post on FB today that said since it's February, spring is almost here. Um, yeah. She lives in the deep south. Up here we still have February and March which goes on like FOREVER and then maybe it will start to warm up in April.

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    1. And that’s why they’re having a fish fry at the K of C Hall on Valentine’s night!

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    2. Cate, you're right.... that day is a special day of fast and abstinence.... and like Christmas and Thanksgiving, we've learned to celebrate whenever we get the chance to be together... so the date becomes inconsequential! :)

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  5. February is a month of celebrations with Illinois having a holiday for President Lincoln's birthday and President's Day to celebration along with Valentine's Day. A shorter month with longer day light, new books that must be read and review along with seeing spring flowers popping through the ground when we have multiple days of warmer sunny days.

    Ruthy, Swept Away is going to be purchased and read. I loved reading Her Secret Daughter and sad to see Grace Haven series come to a close. These community members became like family with all of their love for others and one another, faith, and the close knitted community. Blessings and so thankful you are feeling frisky once again.

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    1. Oh, Marilyn, thank you so much for your kind words! I love "Her Secret Daughter"... that story just seemed to flow from beginning to end, and I'm so glad that Melissa loved it, too... And yes, last Grace Haven... but oh my stars, Marilyn.... SHEPHERD'S CROSSING, IDAHO is such an odd little town, and it needs our LOVE!!!! Our tender loving care! :) So I'm sharing a new and different little town with you, and some beautiful stories that resonate so well with today's news... thoughts... fears... and most of all hopes and dreams! :)

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