FEBRUARY 29TH!

Do you call this Leap Day? Some folks do.

This is the day added to the calendar to make up for the nearly 6 hours accumulated each year and in four years, that makes another (almost) full day; so that there are not 365 days, but 366. If you want a more in-depth discussion and explanation, google "leap year" and read all about it.

I always think of February 29th as an extra day, a special day, an unplanned day. It's a bonus we get for slogging through the previous three years of 365 days (plus those extra hours that make an extra day). It's actually much more complicated than that, so I recommend you do the above google search.

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So! What am I going to do with my bonus day? Wow, so many possibilities! Here are a few:

• I just checked out 2 new Anne Hillerman books from the library, #6 and #7 in the Leaphorn-Chee-Manuelito series of mysteries. Started Book #6 the day I got it from the library, so I could continue with that. Might even finish it during my bonus day.
• I'm publishing this post, since Feb. 29th is a Thursday this year. But I do that every Thursday, so even though it's a special event, it isn't really an extra-special event.
• There's always a creative project waiting to be finished:
• paintings planned or started
• quilt tops waiting for the batting and backing to make them into covers for somebody to snuggle under
• characters struggling to find their story (I've noticed they keep wandering around, like they're lost; but maybe they're just finding their places, and if they finally get settled, the rest of the story can take off. We'll see.)
• I'm behind in letter writing; and even when there's no birthday card to send, I like to put a few thoughts together in a blank card. Getting personal mail (ads and such things don't count, do they) has always been a big deal for me; I'm trusting it's the same for other folks.

What I'm NOT going to do:

• clean my house (there are 365 other days for that)
• go shopping (definitely not my thing, unless I'm looking for art supplies, and even then I shop online at a couple of vendors' sites I like)
• sort boxes of papers that have languished in the garage for more months than I like to think about--or even care about

One disadvantage for Leap Day--this time it's a week day. Nobody has lobbied for it to become one of the Monday-observance holidays. And the problem with a week day is, this is probably a work day. Even if you're retired, like some of us, it's still a week day and stores are open, the bank's open, the library, court house--if you're of a mind to do some errands, you'll have no problem.

I will close with this thought: I'm glad my birthday wasn't/isn't February 29th. I can't imagine--can you?--not having a birthday celebration every year? Having to wait three more years before the proper number of days have elapsed and those 23+ hours have accumulated to give us the 29th of February? What do those folks do--celebrate a day early? A day late? Not at all?

I won't even open the subject of those folks who opt to get married on Feb. 29th. I wish them well.

Next time we meet, it'll be March--Daylight Savings Time will be looming in our neck of the woods--and who knows? We may have 60-degree weather! Or snow!

Blessings,

Thursday's Child

Resurrection Lilies
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