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February is a great time for celebrations we will begin with Groundhog Day celebrated on February 2.

This is a day when we anxiously await the prediction of Punxsutawney Phil as to the remaining length of winter. Will we have and early spring or must we suffer through another six weeks of winter?

Do you know the legend of Groundhog's Day? It's based on an old Scottish limerick that said:

The German's celebrated Candelmas which had it's origins in a pagan celebration; celebrated halfway between the Winter Solace and the Spring Equinox The superstition was that if it was a bright sunny day the second half of winter would be cold and stormy; if it was a cloudy, gray day spring would come early.

In America the Groundhog Day official celebration began on February 2, 1886 when the local newspaper The Punxsutawney Spirit, editor Clymer Freas wrote " Today is groundhog day and up to the time of going to press, the beast has not seen its shadow. "

They named the " beast " Punxsutawney Phil and Punxsutawney PA. has become the weather capital of the world.

Since 1887 the handlers and town officials have gone to Gobbler's Knob early each February 2 and waited for Phil to come out of his burrow to tell the nation how much longer they will be in heavy coats, boots, gloves and mufflers.

The fact is that 90% of the time Phil sees his shadow and winter lingers another six weeks. For a very long time this event was held in secret, but since 1966 it has becomes a media event.

Remember the movie Groundhog Day, with Bill Murray? It wasn't filmed in Punxsutawney PA, but Woodstock, Ill. They changed the square in Woodstock into an exact replica of the square in Punxsutawney.

When you travel with a high school baseball or basketball player in Lake County Il., one of the high schools in the Conference is Woodstock High School. I was a lucky grandparent who experienced the thrill of high school sports, so we visited the Woodstock Square many times and sat in the same restaurant where Bill Murray began his day, over and over and over again. It is a quaint little town.

Visit Enchatnted Learning to find lots of things to do on this holiday.

To learn more about Groundhog Day

Just so you know, Punxsutawney Pa. Isn't the only town that celebrates this day with a groundhog, in the Chicago-land area there are several, including two that are housed at the Brookfield Zoo and one I just heard about " Windy City Woody who sees his shadow (or not) at Navy Pier.

A local weather man was interviewing a care taker at Brookfield Zoo about this holiday. The caretaker said no matter what Punxsutawney Pa. claims about Phil's accuracy the fact is he is only right 30% of the time and the real reason the groundhog comes out of hibernation is to find a mate. I bet Phil and all the other furry weather forecasters would do a better job if they were allowed to come out on St. Valentine's Day 2/14, a day of love when many creatures are looking for love.

February5th is Boy Scout Sunday. This day celebrates the day that Chicago Publisher William Dickson Boyce filed the Corporation Papers for The Boy Scouts of America.

British Lord Robert Baden-Powell founded the movement in 1908. He wrote and illustrated the first Boy Scout Manual. Early American Boy Scouts Troops used Lord Baden-Powell's manual; most troops at that time began at the Y.M.C.A.as part of their programs for boys.

The way I heard the story is like this. One day William Dickinson Boyce was in London on business in late August. The fog was so thick that he could hardly find his way. A boy about 12 years-old approached him carrying a lantern and asked if he needed help. Mr Boyce told him where he was going and the boy took him there. Mr. Boyce tried to give the boy a schilling for his help, but the boy declined saying " I'm a scout and scout's don't take money for doing a good deed. "

This raised the businessman's curiosity and asked the boy about scouting. After his business meeting was over he asked the boy to take him to the British Scouting office, where he met Lord Robert Baden Powell, the founder.

When he returned home Mr. Boyce met with other community leaders and eventually The Boy Scouts of America was founded.

You can read more about Boy Scouts

Ash Wednesday, February 26, is the begins Lent. This is a time for Christians to take stock of their spiritual lives and remember the sacrifice of Jesus, and what we should be doing to be more like Him. This is a time for fasting and repentance, a time for sacrifice.

February 14 is Saint Valentine's day, a day for love and lovers, friends and friendship. A time when flowers, chocolates, and other gifts are given to that special person - their Valentine. It can also be a hurtful time, I remember when I was in grammar school, we would always have a box covered in red hearts and white paper doilies, and all the children would bring valentines for their friends, about 2:00 P.M. we would have a class Valentine's party and the Valennnnntines would be passed out to the kids, as we ate cookies and candy. I always felt sorry for the kids who only received one or two (one little girl didn't get any.) when the rest of us had twenty or thirty cards. I can imagine the hurt in their little hearts, probably hating to go to school that day. I began giving cards to everyone and when my kids and their kids were growing up I asked them to follow my lead. I hope they did.

President's Day is February 20. It is to honor Abraham Lincoln's Birthday 2/12 and George Washington's birthday 2/22. But it also honors all of our American Presidents. I thought I would share with you, some of my favorite quotations from American Presidents. I will also give you sites to visit to learn more about Abe Lincoln and George Washington.

Inspiration

This special day - February 14th - is a day for love and friendship. It comes at the time of the year when spring is just weeks away, after a long dark winter. In early Rome, it was a time for the celebration honoring Februlata Juno, the Fertility Goddess. At the celebration boys would draw the names of girls from box. They would exchange gifts and would be each other's special friend for the coming year.

There really was a person called Saint Valentine, he was a physician and priest. During the day he would heal peoples sick bodies and at night, in secret he would heal their souls. He had to serve God secretly at night because it was a crime to worship God, by the order of Claudius the Cruel.

One day the Emperor's jailer bought his blind daughter to see the physician Valentine. He treated the girl and became great friends with her and her father.

In the meantime Rome was fighting wars, but the young men were rebelling because they didn't want to leave their wives, betrothed and girl friends. Claudius the Cruel prohibited all engagements and marriages.

But Valentine the priest, would marry them secretly at night. Secrets like this are impossible to keep and soon it became know to Claudius. Valentine was arrested and in 270 A.D. he was beheaded. His last act was to send a farewell letter to the blind girl, which he signed " From your Valentine "

Saint Valentine is the Patron Saint of betrothed couples, greetings, happy marriages, love, lovers, travelers, young people and others.

Read more about Saint Valentine

On Ash Wednesday the Priest will mark a cross on parishioners forehead, saying "From dust thou art, and unto dust thou shall return (Gen: 3:19)

The ashes are Palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday Mass and are a symbol of purification. During this time I used to teach the Corporal and Spiritual Acts of Mercy. Please check out Sharing on the LWC page of this site.

Serious Side

John Wilkes Booth began plotting to kidnap Abraham Lincoln as early as late summer in 1864. The plan was to kidnap the President and hold him ransom - the ransom being the return of Confederate prisoners of war. By January of the following year he had gathered a small group of fellow conspirators - Samuel Arnold, Michael O Laughlen, John Surratt, Lewis Paine, George Atzerodt, David Herold, and Dr. David Mudd. But Lincoln's change of plans caused this plot to fail.

On April 9, 1806 - General Lee surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox, two days later President Lincoln, in a speech to a crowd outside of the White House, mentioned voting rights for certain blacks. These words angered John Wilkes Booth, so in order to save the South from the tyrant Lincoln; Booth would again plot to stop him.

Booth learned that the President and General Grant would be attending a play, Our American Cousin, at the Ford Theatre on the following Friday, and decided to renew his revenge but instead of kidnapping him, the President must die.

The small group of conspirators met and put together a plan that they hoped would throw the government into chaos and prepare the way for the South to rise and make a comeback.

The plan was for Booth to kill Lincoln, George Atzerodt would kill Andrew Jackson, the Vice President, at his residence, and Lewis Herold and Lewis Paine would kill the Secretary of State, William Seward. All murders would take place at 10:15 P.M. that night

Friday, April 14, 1865 was Good Friday, but it would prove to be anything but good. The President arose at 7:00 A.M. as usual. It was a lovely spring day, and as usual Abe Lincoln worked a short time before breakfast.

About an hour later he and his family, Mary, his wife, and his sons, Robert and Tad ate breakfast together. Mary told him she would like to see the play at the Ford Theatre that evening and asked the President to invite General Grant and his wife to join them.

The President went back to work after breakfast, where he met with his Cabinet regarding Reconstruction and reconciliation between the North and the South. They decided that helping the South economically would benefit the entire country. After the meeting General Grant told the President that he would be leaving Washington and would be unable to attend the play with the President and his wife.

After a late lunch with his wife and Lincoln returned to work, later in the afternoon he took Mary for a carriage ride The President was in a "great cheerful mood." At dinner that evening the President told his wife of General Grants plan to leave Washington early. The Lincolns decided to invite a young couple to join them

The President and his party arrived late at the Ford Theatre, the play had already begun, but when he entered the play was stopped as the orchestra played "Hail to the Chief" the audience of about 1,000 cheered and finally the play resumed.

During the third act about 10:15 P.M. John Wilkes Booth came up behind the President and shot him in the back of his head, shouting "Sic Semper Tyrannis." Then he jumped onto the stage and escaped from the theater, some reports are that he broke the fibula bone in his left leg.

The President died nine hours later at 7:22 on April 15, 1865 and Andrew Jackson was sworn in as President at 10:00 A.M. Atzerodt never tried to kill Andrew Jackson and even though Paine stabbed Secretary of State William Seward, he didn't kill him.

The Federal Government caught Booth and Herold hiding in a barn at Garret's farm near Port Royal, Virginia. Herold gave up but Booth was shot and killed on the 26th of April 1865.

The other conspirators were arrested and tried by a Military Tribunal.

Michael W. Kauffman has written a book called American Brutus: John Wilkes Booth and the Lincoln Conspiracies, which is a good read for those interested in yet another book on Abe Lincoln.

There are times in your life when the simplest things can take you back to your youth. Several years ago my grandson was writing an essay for his college sophomore class. He asked if I ever heard of Langston Hughes, and immediately I recalled my own English classes and how much I loved Langston Hughes' writing, way of telling a story. I especially loved Let America be America Again. This poem always reminded me of Abraham Lincoln.

There is an ode (my description) called The Lonesome Train written (text) by Milliard Lampell (music by Earl Robinson) this poetry reminds me of Langston Hughes, probably because of the story it tells.

The Lonesome Train

They carried the news from Washington That Abraham Lincoln's time had come.

John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln dead With a pistol shot through the head.

The slaves were free, the war was won But the fight for freedom was just begun

There were still slaves, the hungry and poor. Men who were not free to speak

Freedoms a thing that has no ending. It needs to be cared for, it needs defending

A great long job for many hands Carrying freedom 'cross the land

A job for all the people carrying freedom across the land A job for all of Lincoln's people,

And you know who Lincoln's people were, A Brooklyn blacksmith, a Pittsburgh preacher,

A small town tailor, a back-woods teacher, An old storekeeper shaking his head

Handing over a loaf of bread, A buffalo hunter telling a story

Out of the Oregon territory. They were his people; he was their man

You couldn't tell where the people left off And where Abe Lincoln began.

There was silence in Washington, When they carried Mr. Lincoln down.

A lonesome train on a lonesome track, Seven coaches painted black

Mr. Lincoln's funeral train Traveling the long road from Washington to Baltimore,

Baltimore to Philadelphia, Philadelphia to New York, Albany, Syracuse, Cleveland, Chicago to Springfield, Illinois

A slow train, a quiet train Carrying Lincoln home again

Read the entire poem Lonesome Train , while you're on this site check out other sections such as speeches, and books.

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