February 21—Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday

(Below information from The Old Farmer's Almanac)

Shrove Tuesday, also known as Fastnacht (German for “eve of fast”) and Mardi Gras (French for “Fat Tuesday”), is the last day before Lent begins in the Christian calendar.

 
Check out the Old Farmer’s Almanac’s very own Shrove Tuesday Pancakes.

This day was also thought to be a weather

and crop prognosticator for the year to come.

When the Sun is shining on Shrovetide Day,

it is meant well for rye and peas.

Thunder today foretelleth wind,

store of fruit, and plenty.

So much as the Sun shineth on Pancake Tuesday,

the like will shine every day in Lent.

February 21—New Moon
Today is the New Moon. Did you know:

The new Moon always rises at sunrise.

See our article, “Will the Moon Rise Today?”

To have a project prosper,

start it during the new Moon.

While I wish I could always include names of the

flowers, that information is not always supplied to me

when I receive these photos.

When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me

that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school,

they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I

wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the

assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.

~ John Lennon

And I learned what is obvious to a child. That life is simply

a collection of little lives, each lived one day at a time. That

each day should be spent finding beauty in flowers and poetry

and talking to animals. That a day spent with dreaming and

sunsets and refreshing breezes cannot be bettered. But most of all,

I learned that life is about sitting on benches next to ancient

creeks with my hand on her knee and sometimes,

on good days, for falling in love.

~ Nicholas Sparks

The saddest people I've ever met in life are the ones who don't

care deeply about anything at all. Passion and satisfaction

go hand in hand, and without them, any happiness is only

temporary, because there's nothing to make it last.

~ Nicholas Sparks

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
cinnamon sugar

In a mixer bowl, cream together sugar and butter; beat in egg and vanilla.
Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.
Add to butter mixture.
Blend well.
Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or till firm enough to roll into balls.
Shape dough into small balls about 3/4-inch in diameter.
Roll in cinnamon sugar to coat.
Set cookies 1-inch apart on lightly greased cookie sheets.
Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or till the edges are lightly browned.

Cool slightly on pans, then remove to racks to cool completely.

The below map and counter shows location of

viewers and people viewing right now. WOW!

Here is hoping you have a great Mardi Gras Day! Please

join me again tomorrow as I welcome in our Wednesday.

Be safe, be always aware of everything and everyone

around you. Thanks once again for all the email and

guest book entries, they are what keeps me inspired!