Sunflowers for Ukraine

Did you know the national flower of Ukraine is the sunflower?

I didn't. Until today.

I looked at my Facebook feed and it was becoming flooded with glorious images of sunflower.

And This Is How Our Days Go

The good thing about February is that we see signs that winter won't be forever here in Michigan. Yes, we will still get snow -- maybe even a lot of it. But then you have melting days where the temps are warmer and the snow begins to reveal the grass beneath. And, as we celebrated Christmas late, we did Valentine's Day late, too -- so only about a month till "official" spring. Time flies!

Revisiting Travel Photos: Japan

More from the digital photo file vault! This revisiting photo files has been a walk down memory lane for me. Today I'm delighted to share some photos from our February 1998 trip to Japan.

"Peace" - Created with thousands of paper cranes in Hiroshima

Winter Life

By the time we get to the middle of February, winter gets old. Pretty, but old.

Calendar by Kate McNenly

I've been enjoying my newest neighborhood critter, Bunny FooFoo. Well, probably he won't stay Bunny FooFoo for long -- he seems far too masculine for that! 

Christmas In February

We came bearing gifts and received as well. We played with little boys and savored fabulous meals. We were with our tribe and it was wonderful.

Christmas didn't play out for us in December. Between our isolating and Covid hitting the kids' house (thank you, day care!), we were behind the game. So, we reverted to something my cousins and I actually did back in the day when families were either too large or not well enough to travel far at the holidays: Christmas in February.

All Kinds of Valentines

Hearts. Chocolate. Love notes and pretty cards. Valentine's day is one holiday that can be divinely fun or deeply depressing. Or, a day everyone, it seems, but you, seem to be celebrating.

This is a story of friendship. Back in the 1980s, there was a group of seven of us in various stages of life disrepair. Broken relationships or no relationships, unfulfilling jobs, losses. We seven were good friends -- three women, four men --  about half of whom worked together, the other half made up of people who had volunteered for our television station's fundraising events. 

So, We Got a Little Snow

We've been gliding through winter here in Michigan pretty easily, with very little snow and cold but not excruciating temperatures. 

That was then. This is now. 

 

A Little Love in the House

I'm not quite sure how we got to February. I'm not complaining -- but the year seems to be flying by! It was time to deck the halls for Valentine's Day.

I don't do a lot for Valentine's Day. It seems to pop up so fast and then boom! It's gone. But it is a time where we celebrate love, so I thought I'd better bring a little love into the home, starting with the front door!

January Reads!

I was pleased and surprised to have read five books this month. Take a look at a fascinating book about Broadway bombs, intriguing mysteries and a fanciful scenario -- what if "Queen Elizabeth" escaped the palace? It's a real mix  of mystery, fiction and non-fiction and all by authors new to me. First up is "Mrs. Queen Takes the Train."

Mrs. Queen Takes the Train by William Kuhn