groundhog day

LET’S TALK ABOUT THE WEATHER

/ middlesisterkathleen / 1 Comment

It’s always a popular subject, and lately, it’s been something to talk about.

Today, after almost two weeks of cloudy–maybe there was one day of sun in there, I can’t remember, the sun is shining. Glory. Be. Hallelujah.

We have had almost two weeks of clouds along with intermittent rain, snow upon snow, sub-zero temperatures, wind with dangerous—as in life-threatening–wind chills, ice, sleet and fog. It did make for some pretty pictures, but that’s about it in my book.

My soul was almost drained dry, but today, as the sun shines bright in my window as I write, I am redeemed. Filled up. Refreshed and renewed. I am solar-powered, and my batteries are recharging. As I mentioned in a previous post, my favorite weather is Florida. January, then, is my least favorite month.

Not so for Gail and Suzanne, both of whom embrace almost any weather, especially the wind.

I bought this cozy shirt on our Florida trip to remind me of the beach when it is cold here.

When I lived in Philadelphia, I met my dear friend Carol. She peppered her speech with Yiddish words, lovingly calling me a “meshugana.” It is Yiddish for “crazy girl,” and I took it as a compliment. I am now calling my wind-loving sisters both “meshuganas, and it is not a compliment.

I asked them for their input for this post, and this is what Suzanne offered: “It was okay to get married in it because I was so in love. I was oblivious to everything around me. I’m still in love, but I loathe and despise the cold weather. The wind, however, is always welcome.”

Suzanne got married in February 2021 during a cold snap much like the one we just had.

And from Gail: “You know me, I’m an all-weather kind of gal. I appreciate the ferocity of a good storm, whether it be snow, rain, thunder or WIND. There’s nothing you can do to change it. Embrace it as I have said before. Storms are perhaps God’s way of reminding us of His power.”

At one point, Gail said, “I love the wind so much, I’m thinking of changing my name to ‘Gail Force Wind.'”

Meshuganas.

Enough about the weather. It is a topic best for when there is nothing else to talk about and there is plenty we can talk about today.

Let’s start with wishing that man Suzanne is still in love with (I just threw up in my mouth a little bit) a happy birthday today. Another trip around the sun is always something to talk about.

And, our dear mother would have celebrated her 87th birthday last Monday. In our own ways, we still celebrate her birthday.

On that same day, my sweet future daughter-in-law Olivia celebrated her birthday as well. They will get married this Saturday in Omaha and we are so thrilled to welcome her into our family. And, back to the weather, it is predicted to be 41 degrees and partly cloudy. For Nebraska in February, that’s weather to talk about.

Suzanne’s daughter will celebrate her birthday next week, another trip around the sun for her, another reason to celebrate.

Our home state of Kansas celebrates it’s 163rd birthday tomorrow, January 29th. We are born and raised Kansas girls, and while we enjoy visiting the Sunshine State, our hearts will always be in the Sunflower State. That is something to talk about and something to be proud of.

This picture jogs my memory: I just realized I need to get my Kansas day outfit ready for tomorrow.

Here’s a blast from the recent past-try to ignore Suzanne’s shirt…

And–one of my favorite days of the year is this Friday: Groundhog Day! We will celebrate by attending a wedding rehearsal, but I always sneak in another viewing of one of my favorite movies: Groundhog Day. If you haven’t seen it, check it out. It has a great message.

While I am not a football fan, I realize our almost-hometown NFL boys are something to talk about. As I write upstairs with the splendid sunshine pouring in the windows, my husband is hunkered down in the basement watching the Kansas City Chiefs battle the Baltimore Ravens in the playoff game that will grant a Super Bowl berth to the winner. I am hopeful they can pull it off again to go to Super Bowl 58. I am not a fan per se, but I will always know how old the Super Bowl is because it was born the same year I was.

If the Chiefs were matched up against the Philadelphia Eagles as they were last year in the Super Bowl, I may have to reconsider my allegiance. We watched the Super Bowl last year and I wore both red and green to show my divided support. I did spend a few weekends just down the road in Baltimore while I lived in Philadelphia, so I’m feeling just a bit of allegiance to the Ravens as well.

As in all sports, may the best team win. No matter who wins today, or in the Super Bowl, that’s always something to talk about long afterward, as well as before, and during…

And speaking of competitions, The Spell-It Sisters will not have the opportunity to bring home the gold again at the annual Neighbor-to-Neighbor Spelling Bee in my beloved Abilene. With our neighbor Jordan’s help on our team, we won last year and placed the year before, but we will be attending a much more important event: Jude and Olivia’s wedding. Next year we will be back, a force to be reckoned with once again.

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On January 1st, My friend Carol called me. She wanted to start the new year off right, so she went through her phone contacts to get back in touch with old friends, and I’m so glad she did. We laughed about me being a meshugana, and about how it was beshert–fate–that we were neighbors in Philadelphia. She has since moved to south Florida from Philadelphia. She reads this blog, and frequently posts wonderful comments. It has been over 30 years since we have seen each other, and that is too long. She was my across-the-street-neighbor-turned-friend, and those are the kind to keep for life. She loves Florida weather like I do, and has invited me to visit her anytime.

That’s something I need to talk seriously to myself about.

There are so many other connections I need to make in the next few months. Those 52 lunch dates I had in this book I finally finished (see “52 Thanksgiving Lunches,” December 3rd, 2023) each get a copy. I have reconnected with some, but the rest are patiently waiting for theirs. We will again have a lot to talk about. And, there are others not in the book I want to visit. Again, lots to talk about.

As I age, I find my circle of friends and acquaintances getting smaller. Gail and Suzanne agree. This is by choice, we realize. It is hard to keep up with everyone from our pasts, and further, we find that not everyone fits into our lives like they used to. Furthermore, I no longer want them to.

A quote I heard a long time ago has stuck with me: Not every relationship is supposed to last forever. I know this to be true, and this is not a bad thing. Age gives us the gift of insight, and makes us more aware of the value of what is important to us, especially relationships. Our sense of time passage also sharpens, and we (should) realize it is a gift not granted. Nor is good health, nor is there a guarantee that the people we want to see again someday will be there someday. Most of us can make more money, but none of us can make more time. Spend them both wisely, especially time. And while you’re at it, talk to yourself about those trips you have always wanted to take…

Two separate gifts, one from each of my two wise sisters…

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It is now 5:38 pm, and the Chiefs have officially sealed the deal: they are headed back to the Super Bowl. This is big stuff and people will be talking about until then, and long after. After all, it is more exciting than talking about the weather.

Go Chiefs…Happy Birthday Steve, Julia, Mom and Olivia…Happy Kansas Day…Congratulations Jude and Olivia. ..get out there and talk to those people who are still important in your life…and maybe travel a bit, too. The Sisters of The Sister Lode plan to do both.

GROUNDHOG DAYS

/ middlesisterkathleen / 4 Comments

“January has only one thing to be said for it: it is followed by February.” Kathleen Tynan

I hate to disappoint Suzanne, but Groundhog Day is only two days away, I don’t have an outfit planned yet, and it doesn’t look like I will be able to come up with one. Perhaps I will simply wear brown and call it good, but I’m open to ideas.

It’s not that the day isn’t worthy of a special get-up, because it is one of my favorite obscure days of the year. Plus, the movie Groundhog Day is in my top five. I will be watching it Tuesday.

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Even in the pre-pandemic years, January was typically a soul-draining month for me. The coldest and windiest part of winter is upon us, the holidays are over, and the days are short and the nights are long. I have to work harder to remind myself that brighter days are soon to follow the darker ones. This year, when I reminded myself to look closer, January offered the following joys:

*Hope for the eventual defeat of COVID began arriving in the vaccine.

*Gail, Suzanne and I got together last weekend to celebrate a late Christmas and our Mom’s birthday as well.

*After it adopted us by not leaving our door, we adopted a sweet cat. My husband has aptly named it “Katleen,” and Suzanne thinks I’m on my way to becoming a crazy cat lady. I haven’t owned a cat since I lived with both of my sisters on the farm, but it kinda feels like I need a cat at this point in my life…

*Our great state of Kansas celebrated its 160th birthday two days ago, and I dressed appropriately. I think Suzanne liked it; I’m pretty sure she meant “you’re crazy” in a good way in the return text after I sent her this picture:

One of Kansas’s locally famous daughters recommended drinking beer or wine made in Kansas to celebrate. I did my part by toasting to Kansas with a beer from Blue Skye, our local brewery.

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The best is always yet to come. One of our Mom’s greatest lessons on surviving tough times was this: Always have something to look forward to.

*Suzanne is getting married in a few weeks, and Gail and I–as well as our whole family–are almost as excited as she is.

*Since COVID prevented our epic 50th birthday party at the shore for her, Suzanne will choose her dream beach destination for a sister trip this summer–we hope.

*Gail will turn 61 years young in February, and I will turn 55 in April. While our celebrations won’t be as big as Suzanne’s–or as big as Gail’s 60th last year, we will celebrate as we always do.

A visual reminder of just how much fun was had at Gail’s 60th birthday party last year…

I don’t need to tell any of you who know the movie that 2020 felt like Groundhog Day almost every day. The same bad news over and over; the same staying-at-home pattern, the same yearning for lost social contact.

If, however, we look at our lives this past year as a chance to re-evaluate, just like the lead character Phil did in the movie, then perhaps it can be seen as a catalyst, or even a crucible whose challenges and crises provided an opportunity for personal growth.

If the same old ways in your life keep producing the same old results, well, then…you get the idea.

I have found the best way to keep the winter blues and blahs alive and well is to stay in the same routine, the same rut over and over again. It always works like a charm. So, today, as the gray skies hung low like a wet blanket, and the dreaded Kansas wind (Do I need to remind you that my crazy sisters LOVE the wind? Ugh!) tried to steal any remaining joy from the outdoor experience today, I decided to get out there anyway, and shake up my routine.

My empty-nested husband and I took a little Sunday drive north. We have the time and only ourselves to take care of, so we took care of a yearning to try something new. Because we like the small-town atmosphere of a down-home dining experience, we decided to try a new restaurant we had heard of in a roundabout way.

The Broken Arrow Cafe in tiny Aurora, Kansas was just what we needed. While we don’t recommend taking the backroads on a wet day, if you live anywhere in central Kansas, it is worth the drive to this restaurant in Cloud County, Kansas.

Happy Groundhog Day to you this Tuesday–and every day.

HAPPY GROUNDHOG DAY

/ middlesisterkathleen / 3 Comments

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HAPPY GROUNDHOG DAY

“What if there is no tomorrow?  There wasn’t one today.”  Bill Murray as Phil Connors in Groundhog Day.

“I find my inner peace, my quiet self at the movies alone.  I stretch out and I smile to myself in the dark.  The first few times, I was scared I would look like a loser, at the movies by myself.  But now, I’m like, ‘Yea, I’m doing this,’ complete with popcorn and snacks.  It’s my therapy.  It works.”  –my friend Rhonda, on the joys of going to the movies alone, which she does several times a week.

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I am crushed.  I sat down to hopefully start a marathon of watching Groundhog Day on Groundhog Day, and I could find it exactly nowhere on cable TV.  So, like a modern, self-respecting American woman, I looked it up online.  Surely a cable station—TBS, Comedy Central, etc.– was playing it nonstop all day today, Saturday, February 2nd, 2019, but, no.  Before I panicked, I checked Netflix and Amazon Prime—I subscribe to both; surely one of them would offer it in their lineup for free streaming.

But, no.

Herein lies the quandary:  I have seen it at least ten times.  Do I invest $3.99 to see it yet again?

This year marks the 26th anniversary of one of my all-time favorite movies, in honor of one of my all-time favorite (obscure) holidays.  In 2006, it was added to the United States National Film Registry as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”  I totally agree.

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Groundhog day is observed by both the United States and Canada, with its origins in Pennsylvania among the Pennsylvania Dutch.   The earliest records of this were a simple mention made in a diary of a local resident dated February 2nd, 1840.   In 1886, a local Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania newspaper reported the observance of this date, whereby “the beast has not yet seen its shadow.”  The following year, it was made an official celebration.

Prior to the movie release, the crowds in Punxsutawney numbered around 2,000 for this celebration.    After the movie release in 1993, however, the crowds rose to about 10,000.  The population of Punxsutawney is around 6,000 people.

Most traditions, no matter how illogical and non-sensical they may seem typically have roots in deeper traditions, and Groundhog Day is no exception.  The observation, according to online sources, appears to be an enhanced version of the weather lore that the badger is the predicting animal.  February 2nd is the Christian observance of Candlemas Day, and legend has it that clear weather on that day forebodes a prolonged winter.  The groundhog—also known as the woodchuck—became the preferred weather prognosticator.

Typically, the groundhog sees his shadow, and there are six more weeks of winter predicted.  Official reports indicate he didn’t see it this year, so we will have an earlier spring.  Statistically, he is right about 40% of the time.

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I love a good movie.  I love to watch good movies repeatedly.  I have a fantasy of being trapped in a hotel room, all by myself, with nothing else to do but watch movies.  It has yet to come true, but I keep hoping.  When I am at home, I don’t spend a lot of time watching movies, I always feel I should be doing something more productive.  However, while I was at home alone this weekend, I got back on Netflix and did a little more binge-watching…

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Groundhog Day is certainly one of my favorite movies.  I love the humor, but deeper than that, I love that Phil Connors, the main character, after failing to escape the time loop he is stuck in that forces him to re-live Groundhog Day multiple times, realizes he can make this work for him, and for those around him.  He first tries to work it to his advantage by over-indulging in food, drink and merriment, but always wakes up to the same day all over again.  He even tries suicide to escape, but even that sends him back to the same day all over again.  So, he makes it work for good, not evil.  He gets multiple chances to fix his mistakes, and turn them into acts of kindness and generosity.

If we could all be so lucky to have that opportunity with our own mistakes.

Another one of my favorites is Pay It Forward. If you haven’t seen it, give it a chance to show you how powerful one person’s actions can be, and the ripple effect they can have.  Just be sure to have your tissues ready.

Two of our mom’s favorite movies were Fletch with Chevy Chase, an 80’s comedy, and Dirty Dancing.  Quite a combination.  She also liked Overboard with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, and Mannequin with Andrew McCarthy.  Another interesting combination.  I don’t recall our dad watching movies, but he did have a few television series he liked, especially Chuck Norris in Walker, Texas Ranger.

I polled Gail and Suzanne regarding their favorite movies.  Suzanne, hands down, and without hesitation, responded: “My all-time favorite is ‘The Birds’ by Alfred Hitchcock.”  Hmm.. I found this interesting, so I asked why.

“I guess because I enjoy watching people get their eyes pecked out.” I found this quite disturbing, but consider the source.  I reported this to Gail, and she, too, likes The Birds.  I simply had to laugh.  You don’t know my sisters as well as I do, so please take all this with a grain of salt.  They are harmless, as evidenced by their other favorites:

Suzanne:  “I also really like ‘Terms of Endearment’ and ‘Sixteen Candles.’”

Gail:  “One of my favorites is also ‘Catch and Release,’ with Jennifer Garner and Timothy Olyphant.  You know, him.  HIMmmmmmm…  She also likes Top Gun for the male actor as well.  You know, him.  HIMmmmmmm

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The American movie industry has been a staple of our entertainment economy.  During the Great Depression, the movie industry suffered, just as nearly every other industry did.  However, Americans spent their hard-earned fifteen cents to escape the reality of their excruciating poverty for just an hour or two, with 60-70 million Americans seeing a movie in the theater every week.  Even during these hard times, it was worth it to that many people.

“The content of the motion picture still was designed for escape, the majority reflecting the tastes of tired or jaded adults seeking a never-never land of luxury and melodrama, sex and sentiment.  –Dixton Wector, historian.

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We have a low-key evening planned for the Super Bowl tonight.  While my husband and son will be watching the game, I am planning on delving into the movie minds of my sisters, and watch The Birds.  I have never seen it, and if they like it, perhaps I might, too.  It will be a new experience.

I didn’t get to watch Groundhog Day yesterday.  Time got away, and while I wasn’t opposed to paying $3.99 to see it online for the sake of the occasion, I didn’t get around to it.  I will have to shell out $3.99 for The Birds, but for this glimpse inside my sisters’ movie minds, it will be worth it.

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I rarely go to the theater to see movies.  Suzanne and I have seen a few together since she moved to my small city, but we should see more.

If you feel the desire, take yourself out for a movie date, just like Rhonda does several times a week.  It would likely be time well spent.

Or, whatever you enjoy doing, take the time.  Unlike the main character in Groundhog Day, we don’t get the chance to go back and re-do yesterday.  We don’t get time back after it is gone.  So make it count.1034921601.jpg