As if in celebration of Imbolc, my seeds are visibly raising their defiant little fists at winter, and giving it the finger.  You may just be able to make them out.  Here’s another view of my vast lettuce fields.  Haha, you think I’m kidding.

My new green lamp is helping some cuttings to root.  Some of you may recall, I was The Propagatrix.  Some orientations never die.

Meanwhile, on GH Day, the NY and Canadian groundhogs disagree with Punx Phil and have predicted an early spring, so I’ll go with them.  Oh, and try to get it right the first time, save yourself a lot of déjà vu.

After all, this is deepest, darkest February, which means spring is right around the corner.  I should know, I was born in February, a dismal time when all hope seems lost, and you are obsessed with seed catalogs and seedlings.  But let me defer to the experts:

©Arnold Lobel, Frog and Toad All Year

Well, I’m running out of pithy anecdotes, here at The Almanac, but I hope I’ve managed to help  diminish some of your existential despair, or at least amuse you down there.  It’s how I get by, in these uncertain times.

I got yesterday’s rant out of my system (for now), so as promised, it’s back to the regular gruel.  My lettuce seeds are coming up!!  I tried to take their picture, but they’re too camera-shy right now, so hold that thought.  But seeds!  

Just a shoutout first—last night in Knoxville, Philly, and undoubtedly other cities, people turned out in droves to Syrian and middle eastern eateries run by immigrants to lend their support and donations to the cause of welcoming and serving Muslim and other immigrants and refugees to our country.

My own TN family was represented among the hundreds that patiently waited for hours in a line around the block for Yassin’s Falafel, (a Syrian immigrant family) for a chance to donate to the cause.  The effort was a huge success, and it makes me proud of our future home.  I just had to mention that, in light of certain recent events which I don’t need to name.

And now back to our regularly scheduled gruel.  Today we pursued one of our favorite affordable pastimes—lurking around vast indoor corridors of antiquities from bygone eras.  We always find some homey or gifty item we’ve been needing, under the guise of “getting exercise” away from food.  (Then of course, we eat.)

The silk dress is vintage Victorian.  I’ve included one of the surreal twilight zone aisles, just for the perspective.  There was an actual traffic light, and some cool ancient appliances.  We found a nice green banker’s lamp, for really cheap, pictured at home.  The animals, alas, are not genuine.