End of the Year

Welcome friends.   It is Monday night and the wind is howling outside.   We got just a dusting of snow the other day but lots of rain and sleet. For a day the roads were black ice but it's warmed up again and melted now.  It is raining on and off tonight and the temperature is dropping quickly.           

I had a beautiful big velvety black cat visit my yard today to see the fish I suppose. The fish were congregated around the heater in their sleepy hibernation state.  I wondered as he stood sizing me up if he would make a home with me but no, he finally turned around and walked off into the forest.

 My big gift came today and my daughter brought it over and set it up.   It is a lovely 10X14 carpet in a dark academia style for my living room.  I am loving it!    I'll take a photo of it and post it another day. 

 I also bought myself a green leafy patterned Tiffany lamp to go along with my other Tiffany lamps.  I have a lot of them but gave 3 to my daughter.  The Little has dibs on them when I kick the bucket along with my rings and Victorian furniture set my millions of china sets, crystal etc.

The End of the Year

 Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 in the new year.  I wish you a very Happy New Year! 

January is named for  Janus the two faced god who looked into the past and future. Some believe he was Noah who may have been worshipped by his progeny. He certainly looked into the pre flood world and the new world.  

The Anglo Saxons called January Wulfsmoanth meaning Month of the Wolf and the Wolf moon appears in January.

1.  January 1, 1892 Ellis Island opened it's doors.  Did any of your relations enter the United States through Ellis Island?  If not, do you know your family's history?

My father's parents came by way of Ellis Island as did his baby brother and my Aunt Kate.  My grandfather came first at the turn of the centuray(1900), got a job and then sent for my grandmother.  My father was born here in America.   They came over on the Mauritania, sister ship of the Lusitania.

My mother's family were in America since before the Revolutionary War.

2. Januray's birth stone is garnet and the flower is the carnation.  Do you have favorite gem stones or flowers?

Favorite stones are Padparadsha... a rare ruby (Rubies are really just red or pink Sapphires)  which ranges from pale peach to deep orange, Lime green peridot and green beryle which ranges from pale Atlantic sea green to dark green.  The dark green is called an Emerald.  I am also fond of a rare color of Amethyst called  Rose de France, and pink sapphires   As for flowers,,, I do love violets, daisies and  Black Eyed Susans a lot.  Roses and lilies are lovely too.

3. January 6 is Epiphany. Many take that day as the final day of the Christmas celebration and take down their decor.   What about you?     January 7th is Orthodox Christmas. It is equivilent to Dec. 25 but on the old Julian Calendar from 2000 years ago . It is the Little's birthday and she likes that thought that a major holiday is on her birthday so, all festivities continue until January 19th which is 12 days after the 7th.   

4. There is some scientific  evidence that January can set the tone for your entire year. What do you think of this? Do you make resolutions, etc? Do you pick a word of the year or have any traditions like that?

No resolutions, no words just high hopes for good things for one and all.