HAPPY GROUND HOG DAY!
Will the ground hot see his shadow? Only time will tell. It is said that if the groundhog emerges from his burrow and sees his shadow there will be six more weeks of Winter. If he doesn't, an early Spring is predicted. Its an old Pennsylvania Dutch superstition. In reality there are only about seven more weeks until Spring officially starts anyways. I predict it will be a rocky start this year if the winter we have experienced thus far is anything to go by.
On a plus note, the days are getting noticeably longer with it not really getting dark now until about 6 pm!
It is -19*C out there this morning, so the frost is definitely on the pumpkin! And there is another Winter storm warning in effect beginning tomorrow afternoon. Heavy rain followed by snow.
(source)
As most of you know I have a Facebook page for my cooking blog. Most food bloggers do. For the most part I have the nicest followers on there. In fact all of my regular followers are nice, but occasionally some nasties slip in. I guess that is to be expected. I think our world can be a very unkind place at times. It is easy for people to hide behind their keyboard and spout vitriol. I have experienced it here on the blog as well. That's why I have comment moderation enabled. I might have to see it, but you don't need to see the negativity, therefore keeping my page a positive place.
Day before yesterday I had posted a photograph on there for Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy.
It makes me sad sometimes that we live in a world where people think they can just indiscriminately spout of whatever comes into their mind, whilst they hide behind the anonymity of a keyboard. About a month ago I discovered a review on Goodreads for my English Kitchen cookbook that had nothing at all to do with the book itself but was instead an attack on my character, but not even that, but their opinion on some of the sad things which had happened in my life over the last 15 years.
I have to wonder about people like this. What is it they get from being so nasty? Are their lives so filled with poison that they cannot help spewing it onto everyone else? As you can see none of what she has written has anything at all to do with the book, and none of it is true. I don't think I will ever understand what motivates people like this.
One expects that children will bully and be bullied from time to time. After all they are just learning to navigate this thing we call life, but adults no . . . they should know better.
I might see things that I don't like, start to read books that I don't like, start to watch television programs that are not my cup of tea, etc. And yes, I am entitled to my opinion, but I would hope that I would never be unkind about it. What purpose is served in doing so? If I don't like something I might say, I really didn't like it, or it wasn't my cup of tea, but to unfairly attack the person who is sharing their craft in such a personal way is just not nice. There is enough sadness in the world without us adding to it.
I had a surprise jaunt out and about with my sister yesterday. We had been talking on the computer and I said how I was really craving a nice piece of fish. She said there was a fish processing plant not far from where I live and that you could buy fresh fish there, and that actually they had fresh haddock available yesterday. I said sign me up! We popped over (and it is literally less than five minutes away) and picked some up. Then we went to one of the local grocery stores and then back home. I don't think we were an hour in total, but it was so nice to spend even that hour with her. She truly is my best friend. This is the first time in our adult lives that we have lived this close to each other. We have had several times where we lived in the same province and were within several hours of each other, but never not really within minutes of each other. (Save for a brief few months in Alberta about 40 odd years ago.) I know you must get tired of me saying how much she means to me, but I never tire of saying it! Having had to be separated for so long, I will never take our now being able to live so close together for granted.
I just had to show you this. If you are my friend on Facebook you will have already seen it. This is Nutmeg while I was eating my dinner yesterday. I was watching Bonanza while I was eating, and he decided I wasn't paying him enough attention and so he decided to get in front of the tv so that I would be looking at him, lol. (Yes I need to put my candles elsewhere looking at this. It looks messy.) It was like he was saying "Here I am! Look at me!" Mr Personality indeed. Actually as I am writing this, he is laying next to me (yes on the table, sigh . . .) and purring. He is not so independent as Cinnamon. If he is not playing he is usually found next to me.
He loves this fleece blanket. He likes to knead it and suck on it, purring the whole time. This is usually how he sleeps next to me, not a care in the world.
Cinnamon is usually in her basket, which is almost always next to me as well, but if she isn't in her basket she is on my chest kneading and purring. Eventually she will flop onto her back and let me rub her tummy and paws.
They are such wonderful company. I am sure my mom had a hand in me getting them. She knew I needed some furry loving company. Mom was on her own from the age of 54 until her last few years of her life when my sister moved down from Ontario to help take care of her. She had her cats, first Ginger and then Pumpkin. I know now what they meant to her. Ginger was buried with her and my sister inherited Pumpkin. I miss my mom. I always will.
The more I think about it, the more I feel the urge to write a novel, even if it is only just for myself. I have always wanted to write a novel. My sister and I both used to talk about it with each other. We would share plots, etc. Even if I am the only person who ever reads it. I am feeling the compulsion to put down the words . . . we will see.
And with that I best leave you with a thought for today as my day is calling out to me to come and enter in. Time's a wastin' and before you know it, it will be done.
° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
*It is what I was born for to look,
to listen, to lose myself inside
this soft world - to instruct
myself over and over in joy.
~Mary Oliver •。★★ 。* 。
In The English Kitchen today . . . Baked Haddock with Buttery Cracker Topping. This was incredibly delicious.
Have a wonderful Wednesday! Whatever you get up to, don't forget!
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