Ruff Day

I had another "ruff" day of having kids read to him at a local YWCA after school program. There are a lot of good reads out there like "Six Monkeys Jumping on a Bed" and "Bear Stays Up for Christmas" — both of which were read to me today. My all time favorite book still remains "Hop on Pop" by Dr. Suess.

Newman listening intently to the story

Got Beads?

Time to howl! It's Mardi Growl! French for Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras refers to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after King's Day and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday. Fat Tuesday reflects the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season.

The Mardi Growl Court

While in New Orleans the day symbolizes Mardi Gras, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, it's Fastnacht Day. The word Fasnacht is synonymous with the day to eat fatty, deep-fried donuts for good luck. Traditionally, fastnachts were made by Pennsylvania Dutch housewives to use up the remaining supplies of lard, sugar, fat and butter in the house before Lent during which time they were not to be eaten. 

With eating being one of Thelma Lou's all time favorite sports, Fat Tuesday rates high on her scale of holidays to celebrate. Let the calorie consumption begin.

Did someone say Fastnacht?

Love is Blind!

Did you know that approximately 1 billion Valentine's Day cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine's Day the second most popular card-sending holiday after Christmas?

Six more weeks of winter

Rascally rodent Roger and the great weather prognosticator Punxsutawney Phil emerged from their dens early this morning and saw their shadows, predicting six more weeks of winter.

Rascally Rodent Roger

According to folklore, if a groundhog emerges from its burrow and sees its shadow, then six more weeks of winter weather is on the way. If it comes out and sees no shadow, spring is expected to come early.

Punxsy Phil

Punxsutawney, a small Pennsylvania town home to one of the most famous weather-predicting groundhogs, Punxsutawney Phil, has been carrying on the tradition of Groundhog Day since the 1800s, according to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. Unlike Punxsutawney Phil, Brushtown's resident rodent Roger has only recently taken up the science of meteorology.

Gobbler's Knob - Home of Punxsy Phil