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Posts Tagged ‘#365Ways2026’

Oh hey, it’s Groundhog Day again!

Check out the official website for all things Punxsutawney Phil:

Punxsutawney Groundhog Club – The Home of Groundhog Day!

Just want to skip to the headline? Six more weeks of winter.

Makes me shiver just thinking about it.

The good news is that Phil, while both cute and charming, does not seem to be particularly good at his job. Maybe we get six more weeks, maybe not. 

How accurate is Punxsutawney Phil? Here’s what the data shows

Punxsutawney Phil has been making forecasts since the late 1800s, but his predictions have been a little off. How good has he been at predicting winter weather? Not so hot, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

So if you’re wishing for the promise of spring, take heart. Sooner or later, it’s coming!

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We’ve lived in this house for years but this morning I discovered something new. Some confluence of sun angle, time of day and positioning meant that the lampshade in the kitchen reflected a rainbow-colored series of textured light onto the ceiling. It was both joyful and unexpected, reminding me that there is beauty everywhere. 

If I look.

Speaking of reflected light, there’s a full moon tonight.

Tonight’s moon is known by many names, including the Wolf Moon, Cold Moon, and Snow Moon. We may finally have clear skies tonight, too, and I’m looking forward to looking up. 

Snow Moon: Full Moon in February 2026

February’s Full Snow Moon reaches peak illumination at 5:09 P.M. EST on Sunday, February 1. Step outside after dusk to see the Full Moon in all of its glory!

Since we’re here, I’ll share a link that led to a flurry of conversation in my family. 

1969 Apollo 11 First steps on the Moon (16mm footage)

On July 20, 1969, the Apollo 11 Lunar Module with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin aboard touched down on the surface of the Moon 4 days, 6 hours, and 45 minutes after having launched from Cape Canaveral.  At 02:56:15 GMT, Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on another celestial body.

My parents were remembering where they were when it happened (at the next-door neighbor’s in Michigan, because they didn’t have a television), and what it felt like to watch the landing. Uplifting.

And looking ahead, NASA’s first crewed mission around the moon in over half a century will be happening soon.

Something to look forward to!

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“If this nation is to be wise as well as strong, if we are to achieve our destiny, then we need more new ideas for more wise men reading more good books in more public libraries. These libraries should be open to all—except the censor.” ― John F. Kennedy in the Saturday Review, October 29 1960

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“All you have to do is to pay attention; lessons always arrive when you are ready, and if you can read the signs, you will learn everything you need to know in order to take the next step.”

― Paulo Coelho

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I spent some time in high school studying the medical and practical uses of local plants. I may have mentioned that I entertain Mr Man when we go out for walks: “Those ‘weeds’ are edible, that’s good for firestarter, and you can use that to make cough syrup. Oh, but that one’s poisonous.” (I’m sure my brother has stories of mysterious bottles marked with a skull and crossbones in the fridge.) 

That’s why this video appeals to me (the useful part, not the poison part):

In Search of Forgotten Colours – Sachio Yoshioka and the Art of Natural Dyeing

Sachio Yoshioka is the fifth-generation head of the Somenotsukasa Yoshioka dye workshop in Fushimi, southern Kyoto. When he succeeded to the family business in 1988, he abandoned the use of synthetic colours in favour of dyeing solely with plants and other natural materials.

So pretty!

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Cold Diamonds

Cold diamonds sparkling

Worth more than treasures untold 

Bright sunshine on snow.

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I’m work work working away here, but of course crossing things off my to do list is never as fast as I’d like. Which is why it was somewhat reassuring to come across The World’s Longest Running Lab Experiment.

The World’s Longest-Running Lab Experiment Is Almost 100 Years Old

The world’s longest-running lab experiment is an ongoing work in sheer scientific patience. It has been running continuously for nearly a century, under the close supervision of several custodians and many spectators – and it’s ever so slowly drip, drip, dripping away.

If you’ve ever wondered about the viscosity of pitch (noun, not verb) or are just curious, read the article above or watch for the next drop. Should only be a few years. A decade at most!

Given this I know I, for one, will be heading back to my to do list feeling just that little bit faster!

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Photo by Morgane Le Breton on Unsplash

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Thanks, Mom!

A brief content note: My mother is up in arms about yesterday’s post because she insists that I’m important. Thanks, Mom! And I am, in the way that individuals are important to other individuals, and to the world in general. But I try not to feel overly important. 

In the interest of clarification, allow me to explain.

There’s a difference between being important and feeling self-important. 

I like that Eleanor Roosevelt quote not because I think I’m unimportant, or think that other people are unimportant. My point in sharing that quote from Roosevelt (one of the more important women from the past century) is that I don’t think it pays to feel one’s importance too much.

How you can make a difference in the world, invest time and energy in the people and things you care about, alleviate others’ problems and generally be a good person, those are all things worth thinking about. 

I hope I’m not self-important, and I try not to overthink my awesomeness. (Which, to be fair, is real. Just ask my mom*:)

What do we live for, if not to make life less difficult for each other?  — George Eliot

* Who is also awesome! And I bet you’re awesome too:)

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Uncomplicated Day

I’m so glad I never feel important, it does complicate life!

— Eleanor Roosevelt

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Like many of you, we caught some of the winter weather that’s making such a splash this weekend. I feel for those who are digging out from the snow and sleet and ice many got, but for us it was a little snow and a lot of cold.

We hit -34C last night, which is (checks notes) really really cold! Which made today the perfect day to post this quick @ScienceandtheCity video on how space would feel, temperature wise.

Would space feel cold without a suit?

Yes. The answer is yes.

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Photo by Foad Roshan on Unsplash

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