A Title? for this mess?

 It’s getting harder and harder to come up with an interesting blogpost. I don’t go out socially, I only meet people very casually on a walk, when we stand and shout at each other from a distance, or the people who come to help around house and garden. The main topic of conversation is Covid and vaccinations, who’s had one and who’s still waiting. I’ve had one, the first of the two Astra Zeneca ones, which are now found to be unproven for the over 65s in European countries. I had mine last Saturday and apart from a sore arm I’ve had no ill effects so far.

So, would you like me to tell you that we had a lovely morning and a very wet afternoon? No, why would you want to know? Would you like me to tell you about the several virus mutations appearing on several continents, two of them in the UK alone? No, you already know that if you are even semi-conscious. Would you like to know that a small bird flew into the window but then must have recovered and flown off again because I couldn’t see a body. (Unless, of course, a raptor chased it and snapped it up for dinner). 

But here’s something which might interest you: shall I tell you that I’ve put on several kilos during the lockdown lockup and decided to go easy on the chocolate and drink less wine in the new year? If I tell you that I lasted less than a week would you be interested? No, of course not, why would you.

So, how about this, seeing that today, the 2nd of February, is Candlemas,’St Mary’s Feast of the Candles’,(’Mariae Lichtmess’ in Germany), officially the Feast of the Purification and the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. Today therefore, in the Catholic Church, lights and candles are blessed and candlelit services and processions are held. In Germany these candles are lit throughout the year during times of sickness and stress and personal hardship. Just the thing for an epidemic, methinks.

Candlemas Day, plant beans in the clay

Put candles and candlesticks all away.

By this season it has grown light enough to do most ‘inside work’ without candles, the verse continues. Really? Not where I live unless people stop ‘inside work' at 5 o’clock. I hardly do any work at all in winter, inside or out, does that mean I don’t deserve light? Sometimes I wish I weren’t quite as lazy and unmotivated, had a bit more oomph. At other times I find laziness suits me.

Of course, today is also Groundhog Day, a weather forecaster not only in the US, although different kinds of animals are used as forecasters, a hedgehog might be the animal being so very unkindly roused from its hibernation in Germany.

If Candlemas Day bring snow and rain

Winter is gone, and won’t come again.

If Candlemas Day be clear and bright

Winter will have another flight.

And if your Candlemas Day brings both sun and rain, as mine did, what is the prognosis then? Wishy-washy weeks? 

And finally, a bit of advice:

A good farmer should have, on Candlemas Day,

half his turnips and half his hay.

Sorry, I have no idea what that means. Also, for the life of me, I cannot see what possible comments this post could provoke.