Wolf Hall

I just read that "Wolf Hall" (a wonderful and thick book by Hilary Mantel) has been made into a 6 part series.  It has already aired in England on the BBC and is set to air in the US on PBS starting 5 April.  This is an extraordinary book of the time of Henry VIII, Katherine and Anne Boleyn through Cromwell.

I know what I will be watching and stitching during April and May.  It is scheduled to start April 5 Easter Sunday.  Sunday is already a busy tv watching night for me but this will probably take priority.I can't wait!

I admit that my posts lately have not been very prompt, up-to-date or whatever. I have been watching/babysitting/caring for two of our grandkids for the last two weeks.   My oldest daughter is here in town and her MIL used to watch the kids while she was at work.  MIL decided retirement was here and they were moving - out of state and gave a date of 1 April.  Then while we were on vacation in earlier March, changed to the date to mid-March.  So we came home and started taking care of the 4 yr old and the 13 month old kiddos.
I will admit that part of me is sad that they will be going to daycare and yet I know I can't do this full time anymore.  I'm falling asleep before 8 pm (if that late), meals have gone downhill drastically, I'm not getting things done anymore and I miss my activities and seeing other adults.  Getting up at 6am is just not me - it never was but it was a lot easier when I was younger and we were raising our kids.  So hopefully next week I will more back on track and actually get to stitch again.

National Quilting Day celebrates fabulous quilts and those who make them. Quilting is a skill that produces warm and beautiful results.

Today is a day to recognize and appreciate the quilters, the skill and the warm and the results. If you are a quilter, spend a minute to recognize and appreciate that you have truly been blessed with a special skill. If you are not a quilter, wrap yourself into a quilt and enjoy the warmth.

 Saint Patrick's day is in honor of the Patron Saint of Ireland, who brought Christianity to the Emerald Isles, as Ireland is known. It is truly a day of celebrating Irish history, ancestry, traditions and customs.

And yes, I have a wee bit of Irish in me.

Micro monday

I have been watching/babysitting/chasing two of my grandsons all day - they are 4 and a half and 13 months.  I'm tired!  However I am ready to watch Dancing with the Stars then off to bed to do again!

National Pi Day

This is for the math folks and the engineers!  We have plenty of both in the family.

National Pi Day celebrates Pi, a mathematical concept  and a number that never ends....at least no one has found the end yet. Often, we round it off to 3.14. If you are a mathematician, this is your day. For National Pi Day is a celebration of mathematics. And, more specifically.... it celebrates "Pi".

Today is the birthday physicist Albert Einstein. Einstein was born on March 14, 1879. The date is also represented as 3.14. We strongly suspect some combination of these two facts is why someone created the day on March 14th. However, "Pi" was around long before Albert Einstein was born.

Heading out for a funeral for a former neighbor.

Another women's history fact!

Girl Scout Day recognizes and celebrates the Girls Scouts of the USA(GSUSA). This date celebrates the creation of the first Girl Scout group on March 12, 1912.

Lady Olave Baden-Powell, founded Girl Guides. The wife of Lord Baden-Powell (who created the Boy Scouts), she was born on February 22 (1889).

On March 12, 1912 Juliette Gordon Low started the first Girl Scout group in Savannah Georgia with 18 girls. The Girls Scouts became a national organization, and was was chartered by the U.S. Congress on March 16, 1950. Today, there are millions of girls involved with Girl Scouts.

Are you a cookie monster? Americans eagerly await the annual Girls Scout cookie drive. It teaches the girls valuable skills, and generates income to support girl scouting activities. And, you get to munch on a variety of delicious cookies. Most people buy several boxes.

A women's history fact!

nternational Women's Day is sponsored worldwide by the United Nations. However, the UN did not originate this special celebration. The roots of this celebration goes back to the late 1800's and early 1900s. It grew from women's socialist movements and early women's trade union groups.

The first International Women's Day was held March 19, 1911. Women socialists and trade unions held an earlier Women's Day on the last Sunday in February, 1908. The event grew from there, and has been celebrated annually since. The focus is upon women workers, and advancing women's rights in  the workforce, politics and society.

Dentist's Day is a day to display a big, toothy smile. After all, your Dentist plays a role in that big, bright smile. She's an important person in keeping your smile bright, and your teeth and mouth healthy.  

Yes, I have a female dentist and she's wonderful!  Part of women in history - the right to follow your dream and become whatever you want.  I just saw her on the 2nd.  Had to drive thru piles of snow but made it for another cleaning!

Remember, back on the 1st,  I said that March was frozen food month - well, it also has it's own day - today!

National Frozen Food Day celebrates all those yummy foods and snacks in your freezer. Sure, the invention of the freezer made this day possible. But, the methods and techniques of  preparing and freezing foods is what makes frozen foods taste great, look great and store in a frozen state until you need them.

Imagine how your busy life would be if you didn't have a frozen dinner to pop into the microwave in between a late day at work and your evening event.  You'd have to stop and make a dinner from scratch!

Thanks to the frozen food industry, you can (and should ) celebrate Frozen Food Day in true frozen food manner:

• Start your day with by popping a frozen breakfast into the microwave.
• For lunch, select among a wide array of frozen lunch treats.
• Take a trip to the grocery store to buy some frozen food, any will do.
• Dinner: If you are in a hurry, you're in luck. The selection of dinner entrees is seemingly endless.
• Snack time is the perfect time for ......ice cream!

Did you know? Frozen foods first hit store shelves in 1930 in Springfield, Ma. Who developed the process? ...... Clarence Birdseye.

Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 193, designated March 6, 1984, as ``Frozen Food Day'' and authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation upon this occasion.

In Proclamation #5157, President Ronald Reagan said: "Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim March 6, 1984, as Frozen Food Day, and I call upon the American people to observe such day with appropriate ceremonies and activities." And, so this became a true National day of recognition and celebration.

We treat our oldest daughter to frozen meals when she watches our cat.  She comes over on her lunch hour and has a selection of frozen items (all chosen by her) in our freezer so she can have a nice warm meal.  One of the various ways we "pay"  her for watching out for Max.

I promise not to complain about the snow anymore this winter.  We were lucky last night and got a light dusting (reminds you of powdered sugar).  Not so Kentucky and DC and Philly, just to name a few places.  There are many more places in between as well.  I hope that everyone can find shelter and stay warm during the dig out process.

National Anthem Day

The Star-Spangled Banner is the national anthem of the United States of America. It was written by Francis Scott Key. National Anthem Day celebrates  this song, and the rich history behind its creation. The song officially became our national anthem on March 3, 1931.

Celebrate today by proudly flying the flag. Also listen to and sing the Star-Spangled Banner.

Many people think the Star Spangled Banner was written during the Revolutionary War. It was actually written during the war of 1812 (1812-1814).

In August 1814, the British army detained Dr. William Beanes as a prisoner of war. He was a friend of Francis Scott Key. On Sept. 13, 1814, Francis Scott Key and a U.S. negotiator boarded a British vessel where Beanes was being held. He negotiated his friends' release. But then, Francis Scott Key was detained that day along with the negotiator. They were held until after the attack on Fort McHenry, which guarded the harbor and city of Baltimore.

He watched the bombardment of the fort from the ship. The next morning, he was ecstatic to see that the American flag was still flying over Fort McHenry. This historic event inspired Francis Scott Key to write "The Star-Spangled Banner" the following day (September 14, 1814).

March

March is supposed to be National Craft Month but all I found was one day celebrating a craft - quilting.  Look for it towards the end of the month.
March is also supposed to be frozen food month.  If our March is anything like February, just set the food on the back deck and it will be frozen faster than the freezer can do.  Not very exciting.  It is also supposed to be Peanut lovers month and the 1st is Peanut Butter lover day.  Ironically I don't care for peanut butter except in a Reese's cup.
Finally March is Women's History month.  I can get excited about that but can I find fun facts?  we shall see.

UPDATE

It started snowing last night and by this morning had dumper around 7 inches.  A n hour or so later it started snowing again and still is.  I guess March is coming in like a lion.