Hello, friends! Did you miss me? I had some problems with my computer. It is still giving me some trouble, but I think I can get this post finished. This has been an interesting week. On Monday I got sick. Very sick. I think it was some kind of a stomach virus. I decided the best thing for me was to stay home and not go to the Nursing Home. So I drove Joe over to church so that he could get a ride with Pastor and Rick and then came home. Later Monday Joe also got sick. We ended up sleeping instead of eating dinner which was probably the right thing to do. By the next day we were both feeling better but not completely well. Tuesday I cancelled Bible Study and spent the day watching TV and sleeping. Wednesday Joe cancelled evening Bible Study. He still wasn't feeling 100%. I got up at 5:30 a.m. and left at 6:30 a.m. to go have an ultrasound. The sun was just coming up when I left.
There was quite a bit of traffic, but it was moving so that wasn't a problem. I was told to get there at 7:00 a.m. and I got there at 6:58 a.m.
I was able to get a handicapped parking space right across from the entrance. I was a little nervous about the test, but I had a really nice tech take care of me who even had me laughing. Her name was Angelica and she was from Russia. So very kind and nice to me.
I left the hospital at 8:40 a.m. and headed home. But by this time it was really rush hour with people heading to center city (the same direction I was going) and the traffic was terrible. It took me 40 minutes to go 7 miles. A lot of the time I just sat there.
I took the last picture while I was sitting still. NEVER take a picture while you are driving! I was about half-way home at this point. I was very happy to get home and ended up just relaxing the rest of the day. I must admit I didn't feel all that well after I had to drink 16 oz. of water for the last part of the test. Thursday I finally felt well enough to get out of the house. I just went to Wawa to get something for lunch but it felt good to be outside. I also started cleaning the living room. It is a big job but at least I made a start. Yesterday I continued with my cleaning. It was trash day and a lot of things went out in the trash and recycling. I did so much and I look around and it looks like I did nothing. *sigh* There's just so much more to do. But at least I am working on it. I will continue on today. It is supposed to get up to 75*F (24*C) and be sunny so I want to spend some time outside. And I want to finish up my kitchen counters. But I also have to type up the church bulletin and a poster for our next Saturday matinee. So we will see how much actually gets done. Here's a few pictures I haven't shown you from last week. I didn't get to see the super moon. There were too many clouds. But I did get to see it online.
I got myself a shamrock donut at Wawa. It was really good.
And I found a cute wreath for St. Patrick's Day at Target. I paid $3 for this in their Dollar Spot.
And lastly, here's my baby Jack taking a nap. He's a sweet cat even if he does have his moments.
And with that I am going to end and get some sleep. Hope you all have a good weekend. Kathy
Hello, friends! I hope you are all having a wonderful Monday -- the start to a new and exciting week. Yesterday I had the opportunity to teach Sunday School to two sweet little twin girls. They are two years old. I wasn't prepared to teach but found all kinds of things for Noah's Ark and taught them that. They were so good. I had a game of "What Animal is This?" with some animal pictures, gave a very short lesson, had them color some pictures, play with a magnetic farm animal game and then got out the Playskool Noah's Ark which they took to the floor and had the animals all over the place. I figured their attention span wasn't too long so had lots for them to do. When their mom came to get them, she asked if they had fun. They both yelled "YES!" I told them my name was Miss Kathy and asked if they could say that. One of them said (rather loudly I might add), No! Their parents are doing church planting for our denomination. I haven't seen them for a long time and have never met their girls although I did send them a gift when they were born. Today I want to show you a magazine I finished last week. This is the March 2003 issue of Country Home.
This was an interesting issue and I finished it much quicker than I expected to. Of course a lot of the things they mention to do is not possible in our house and on our budget. But it does inspire one to get rid of the clutter. Light and airy looks for spring... rooms to relax in... I would love to have my rooms look like those. It says to simplify your style but I would like to simplify my life. I'm getting way to old to deal with a lot of the things I do. But let me show you the back page. It's my favorite page in this magazine.
The caption reads: Cow Town -- Photograph by Brad Simmons. At Janie and Dick DeGuerin's 150-acre Texas farm, they call it springtime when the first longhorn calf is born. "We know it's spring when instead of listening to frogs and coyotes at night," Janie says, "we hear newborn calves calling to their mothers." All newborn animals are adorable and this calf is no exception. Have a great day everyone. Kathy
Hello, friends! I have been missing in action last week. I've been so busy and this week doesn't look much better. I have three Bible studies and an ultrasound appointment the beginning of the week. So you might not see much of me this week either. I will try to get a couple of posts in though.
But first, let me share with you the hymn for this week. This is the one before the message. It is "Moment by Moment." Some of you might know it by its first line, "Dying with Jesus." This wonderful hymn was written by Major Daniel Webster Whittle in the 19th century. I've looked all over to find an exact date and I can't. D.W. Whittle was born on November 22, 1840 in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts and died on March 4, 1901 in Northfield, Massachusetts. He was an American hymnwriter, evangelist and Bible teacher. He was associated with the evangelistic campaigns of D.L. Moody. He married Abbie Hanson in 1861 the night before he was deployed with Company B of the 72nd Illinois Infantry in the American Civil War. He was wounded at Vicksburg and marched through Georgia with General Sherman. After the war he settled in Chicago and worked in the Elgin Clock Company. It was during this time that he became associated with Dwight L. Moody who encouraged him to go into evangelistic work. Whittle wrote most of his hymns under the pseudonym "El Nathan" although today's hymnals credit his work with his actual name. He wrote over 200 hymns during his lifetime. This hymn was written during the Chicago World's Fair. D.L. Moody's famous Gospel singer, Ira Sankey, tells the story that the Rev. Henry Varley declared, "I do not like the hymn 'I Need Thee Every Hour.' I need Him moment by moment." Major Whittle was so moved that he went to his room and spent the night writing this hymn finishing it at 2:00 a.m. The hymn became very popular in England. It came into the hands of the famous Rev. Andrew Murray of South Africa while he was visiting London and he adopted it as his favorite hymn. The next year Rev. Murray visited Northfield, Massachusetts. During a meeting for the men in the church he mentioned that this hymn embraced his entire creed and he wished that Ira Sankey knew it and would sing it. He was very surprised to learn that the hymn was written in the very town where he was standing. For years Rev. Murray had his wife sing this hymn at almost all of his meetings. Because of this, it also became a favorite hymn in South Africa. The tune for this hymn was written by the daughter of D.W. Whittle, May Whittle Moody. She was born in Chicago on March 20, 1870 and died in Northfield, Massachusetts on August 20, 1963. She was married to Will R. Moody, the son of the evangelist D.L. Moody. She was a singer, composer and hymnal editor. From the age of 15-18 she attended the Northfield School founded by D.L. Moody and from 1888-1890 she attended Oberlin College. And now, let's listen to this beautiful hymn and remember that we do need Jesus moment by moment.
Enjoy your Sunday. I'll be back tomorrow with another Magazine Monday. Kathy
I hope you all had a good St. Patrick's Day on Sunday. Mine was very low key. I went to church wearing my green and was the only one there in that color (except for Pastor in a green vest). No one, it seems, celebrates St. Patrick's Day. I, on the other hand, celebrate everything!
I wasn't able to get stewing meat for an Irish Stew and I didn't have a ham so we had a pork roast for dinner. It was so good. I made green and waxed beans for the vegetable and we had Irish Soda bread. A great dinner.
Monday was a sort of slow day. I needed it to catch up on all the running around I had been doing.
Today I made some blueberry muffins to take to church for Bible Study. I was in a hurry so I just used a mix to make them. They were still good. Only two left to bring home for Joe.
And now I think I'm going to take a nap. Even though I got a lot of sleep last night, I'm still tired. That's the beauty of being retired. I can go to sleep in the afternoon if I want to. Hope you all have a great last day of winter. Tomorrow is finally spring!
Hope you are all having a wonderful Sunday. I woke up a short time ago and thought I would write this now while I have the time. Sundays are busy days for me. Yesterday my friends Donna and Carol went with me out to Paradise in Lancaster County to the Paradise Bible Fellowship Church.
I had read on facebook, and then heard from my friend Sharon (hi, Sharon!), about a special day they were having -- a Ladies Luncheon and guest speaker. The speaker was Eleanor Isaacson, an author (among many other things) who lived in Nazi Germany as a child. It sounded so interesting! I woke up at 3:30 a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep. It figures when I had a long drive in front of me. I knew I would be tired by the end of the day. And I was! I picked up Carol first and then headed in the opposite direction to pick up Donna. We got on I-95 and headed out to Lancaster. We made good time and got there in an hour and 45 minutes. I was surprised at how empty Route 30 was. I guess people weren't up yet because it sure wasn't empty on the way home. We met up with Sharon and she introduced us to some of her friends. There were a lot of women there (maybe 80-90) from different BFC churches. I think we came the furthest but I may be wrong. The food was wonderful. There were six different kinds of homemade soup: potato, creamy vegetable, vegetable beef, gluten and dairy free vegetable, chicken and I don't remember the other one. There were also raw veggies and cute little sandwiches: ham salad, egg salad, tuna salad and chicken salad. Lots of choices of beverages too. And cake and cookies for dessert. I had a bowl of the vegetable beef soup and two sandwiches: ham and egg salad. My stomach has been giving me problems and I didn't want to push it far from home so I left the raw veggies and didn't have dessert. I stuck to drinking water too. But believe me I was full! The speaker, Eleanor Isaacson, was so good. She spoke for over an hour and if we had stood up and had a stretch, I could have listened to her for another hour. She told so much about her life and what Nazi Germany was like. She had lots of pictures too that were fascinating. And most importantly she clearly presented the Gospel. The one thing Eleanor emphasized that really stuck with me was that all of our life, good or bad (and who doesn't have some bad in their life) was allowed by God in order to make us into the people we are today. God is in control of all things. If we didn't have bad things happen, we wouldn't know we could count on Him to help us and be with us. I am going to take that with me from now on. Before we went into the sanctuary for the meeting, she was in the hallway selling copies of her book. Donna and Carol each bought one and had it autographed. I wanted a copy but didn't have any cash on me. Donna bought be a book and gave it to me as a gift for driving out there. That was so sweet of her! It is called Dancing from Darkness. You will see me giving a review of it very soon. I can't wait to start reading it. We left Paradise around 3:00 p.m. and headed home. It took me three hours before I walked through my front door. Traffic was really bad. I took first Carol and then Donna home before coming home myself. Joe and Pastor had gone to the Day of Prayer at another BFC church in Allentown. He had a wonderful day also. I was home about 10 minutes before he showed up. We had fun sharing with each other all we had experienced. And now it's another day of worship and praise. I am going to get off of here so I can do what I need to before leaving for church. I hope you all have a blessed day. Kathy
Hello, friends! Today is Pi (𝞹) Day. What is Pi? 22/7 or 3.14159265359.... And today is March 14 or 3/14. What fun! How did I celebrate? Why I ate pie of course. My choice was apple.
Yesterday Joe and I finally got our car fixed. It had been recalled and for at least three weeks I had been going to take it in. It took a lot shorter amount of time than we had anticipated. On the way home we decided to stop at Shoprite and see the new sushi bar they had put in at the food court. It was their opening day. In fact, they were still cooking the food when we showed up. So we went and did a little bit of food shopping and then went back. They were just putting out the food and we decided to wait. The Japanese people were very precise where they wanted to put everything to show it to its best advantage. While they were doing that, we were talking to the manager for that department (who was not Japanese). I mentioned that Joe had lived in Japan for a year. One of the cooks came over and started talking to Joe. Joe was stationed on Okinawa and this man was from Okinawa. He was smiling and shaking our hands and was so happy to talk to Joe. And it turned out that we were their very first customers! I got a California roll with white rice.
Joe got a vegetarian California roll with brown rice.
They have daily specials throughout the week some of which we are anxious to try. And the food was so much better than the last place they had in there. And that was good! This is really good!!! Tomorrow is Crafters Day at church. I haven't been in awhile because of my hands. But with the warmer weather they are getting better so I am back to going. I haven't decided whether to take my temperature blanket or my Advent scarf. Decisions, decisions. So I had better end for now and get some sleep. Have a good night everyone! Kathy
Hello, friends! Welcome to my blog. I did some baking yesterday and finally got the gingerbread done.
It turned out so good! Joe and I keep eating it. I did put some away for Bible study tomorrow. But it will not last long, for sure. I put the recipe for the soft gingerbread on my other blog. You can find it HERE. When I went to the doctor yesterday I had lost another pound. Whoo hoo! But if I keep baking, I just might gain all my weight back! Kathy
Hello, friends! Welcome back to another Magazine Monday. Today I have finished the Rachael Ray Every Day magazine from March 2018.
Although I like Rachael Ray, I'm really not into any of her recipes. Although she did have good ideas with her grilled cheese sandwiches. The back page of each of her magazines has a "Burger of the Month." This month the burger was Green Eggs & Lamb Burgers. I have put the recipe on my cooking blog. This is not a recipe I would make, though, but some of you might be interested.
Rachael says: I love Green Eggs and Ham. I've often riffed on the book in my recipes. This, however, is the first time I've gone with a pun rather than a literal interpretation. I give you... Green Eggs and Lamb! I might try lamb burgers sometime. Joe loves lamb and I think he would like them. I wouldn't put the harissa or egg on it though. It is a beautiful sunny morning here in Philly. Yesterday it got up to 50* and today it's supposed to be 55*. So much nicer than the 20* weather we had last week. I see nothing but warm temperatures for the foreseeable future so I think our winter is over. Maybe Punxatawney Phil didn't lie after all. I'm off to another doctor's appointment today. Since I got my new insurance I am seeing a lot of doctors. Hope you all have a wonderful day. Thanks so much for stopping by. Kathy
Hello, friends! I hope you are enjoying your Sunday. It is a beautiful day even though some rain is predicted. The cold temperatures are gone and I am so happy. Spring is finally here! I always feel a great relief that I have survived another winter.
We had quite a time at the Second Saturday Matinee yesterday. The movie was wonderful until halfway through the disc decided to not play. Rick tried over and over to get it working and nothing. I agreed to get another copy and try again in a few months. Our Sunday Praise today is our Communion hymn. It was introduced to us by our current pastor and I just love it. "Behold the Lamb" was written by Keith and Kristyn Getty and Stuart Townend and first published in 2006. Let me tell you about them. Julian Keith Getty was born in Northern Ireland on December 16, 1974 to Helen and John Getty. He's the oldest of four children. He began to play classical guitar at the age of 11 and the flute at age 12. During his school years he was influenced by classical, Irish and church music. He studied music at Durham University graduating with his Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1995. Keith Getty met Kristyn Lennox in 2002. After dating for two years, they married in 2004. They have four daughters: Eliza Joy (born 2011), Charlotte Juliana (2013), Grace Alexandra (2015), and Thalia Lennox (2018). Kristyn Lennox Getty was born in Northern Ireland on May 22, 1980. She is a recording artist and worship leader and writes many hymns with her husband Keith. She is the daughter of Gilbert Lennox, an elder of the non-denominational Glenabbey Church on the outskirts of Belfast. She is an acclaimed soloist who began singing as a teenager in her family's church in Northern Ireland. She studied English Literature at Queen's University of Belfast (1998-2001). Stuart Townend, born in 1963, is an English Christian worship leader and hymn writer. He is the son of a Church of England vicar in Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire. He is the youngest of four children. His father, the Rev. John Townend, was the vicar of Christ Church, Sowerby Bridge, from 1974 until his death in a car accident in 1985. Stuart began to learn to play the piano at age 7. At 13 years of age he made a commitment to Christ and began writing hymns when he was 22. He studied literature at the University of Sussex. While he was there he met Caroline and they married in 1988. They have three children: Joseph, Emma and Eden. In 2005 "Cross Rhythms" magazine described him as "one of the most significant songwriters in the whole international Christian music field." In June 2017, he was awarded the Cranmer Award for Worship by the Archbishop of Canterbury "for his outstanding contribution to Contemporary Worship Music." I found all of this information on Wikipedia and so much more. If you are interested in knowing more, please look them up. And now I know you want to hear the worship song, so here it is.
These old arthritic hands have been doing some knitting. I had stopped for awhile because the pain was so bad, but now I push through until it is so painful that I just can't do it anymore. I am addicted to knitting and I don't know what I will do when I can no longer handle the needles. I am doing another temperature blanket this year. My idea was to have a dark landscape at the bottom, a brilliant sunset in the middle and a dark sky at the top. I chose my colors with this in mind, thinking I would embellish it with some embroidery at the end to make the picture just right. The temperatures had another thought in mind and it is the strangest combination of colors I have ever seen. Actually, I am looking forward to seeing how this turns out. Here it is with January and February completed.
Last December I began making an Advent Scarf. I was supposed to knit a section each day for 24 days. It turned out to be way too much knitting for one day. That would be the only thing I would have been doing all day! I began it, but then fell behind and began making all kinds of mistakes. It finally got so messed up that the last pattern I did you couldn't even see it because of all the mistakes and attempted corrections. I put it aside and didn't work on it for 2 1/2 months. A few days ago I picked it up, looked at it and thought I could really do this. I have lots of time before Christmas. 😁 I ripped the entire thing out and began again. I also used smaller needles to make the stitches tighter. It is turning out so much better than it did the first time. I have the first section completed -- the Christmas trees.
I won't get a lot of knitting done today, though. We are having our second "Second Saturday Matinee" at church this afternoon. Our feature this month is God's Not Dead 2. I haven't seen this so I'm looking forward to it. Joe and I are picking up Donna, and then after I drop them off, I will go get Cathy and Kathy. Joe found a huge bag of popcorn at Shoprite for only $4 so we have lots to serve to people. I just love these movie days. It is shown on the big blank white wall in our Fellowship Hall so it is just like being at the movies. So much fun! And so now I am going to begin my day. Lots to do. I hope you all have a fun Saturday too. Kathy
Good morning, friends. Just a quick post for you today. I am on my way to visit my cardiologist this morning. Just my routine 6 month checkup. But I wanted to show you my latest baking effort. Last week I made Peach Cobbler.
It has been a long time since I made one. I used to know the recipe by heart since I made it (or apple or nectarine or pear...) so often. But it's been awhile. I had forgotten how good it was. The recipe is on my recipe blog and can be found HERE. It is called Easy Peach Cobbler for a reason. It is so very easy. I hope you give it a try. I am going to try to make gingerbread this week. I've been going to do it for several days now and still haven't gotten to it. Hopefully today is the day. I have to run and get ready to go out. Hope you have a great day. Kathy
No matter what you call it, it is the day before Ash Wednesday -- the beginning of Lent. The idea is that the Lenten season is one of contemplation, deprivation and fasting. All rich foods (especially those with fat involved) are gotten rid of so that the home is free of those things that might tempt you to stray from your fast. How do you do that? By using up all your fat food the day before. And making fastnacht. This is fastnacht. Cinnamon and sugar.
No, I did not make them. We have this wonderful German bakery, Haegele's, that I go to. (They did the cake for Joe's birthday celebration last year.) The original owners, Mr. and Mrs. Haegele and I used to attend the same church so I knew them rather well. Joe has never had a Fastnacht. He is in for a treat. Joe also got two chocolate roll bars. You can see he already ate one which he said was the most decadent chocolate dessert he had had in a long time.
Do you celebrate Fat Tuesday? Do you have special things you do for Lent? I'd be really interested in hearing if you observe Lent or not. In the denomination I attend, we really don't observe it other than have messages and hymns aimed at the crucifixion and resurrection. I know other churches put more emphasis on it. Now I'm heading out to have a Fastnacht and get myself ready for the first Ladies Bible Study of the 2019 season. An introduction to 2 Thessalonians. Have a wonderful day, everyone! Kathy
Hello, friends! Our snow has come and gone and we didn't get nearly as much as expected. Looking out of the window it looks like less than one inch and it doesn't appear that we even have to shovel our sidewalk. It is raining now and has been for quite some time. I think it will wash all the snow away. It is supposed to be very cold this week. But I keep thinking we are at the end of winter now so how much longer can it last? Today, I finished another magazine so I am doing a Monday Magazine post for you.
It is the Martha Stewart Living magazine from February 2000. In this magazine Martha talks about Valentine desserts. Of course hers are very elaborate and unique. Do you make unusual and elaborate desserts? I love making desserts but they are usually quite simple but delicious. Because we are watching our weight (and our sugar intake), I do not make a lot of desserts. Usually one a week. There was a big article on decorating the mantel. Pages and pages of things to do (or not do). I don't have a mantel. But the article did mention that if you don't have a fireplace a long table or shelf could make the same impression. I do decorate the top of my piano so maybe that counts. The article on coverlets was interesting. The author made covers out of lots of things. The one that most impressed me was she got old handkerchiefs (who uses those anymore?), sewed them together, covered the seams with rickrack, and made a quilt out of them. People are so clever! One article I found fascinating was on black, white and green pepper. Did you know that it was one of the main reasons Columbus was trying to find a shorter way to the Spice Islands? At one time the pepper in the shaker on your table would have cost more than a new car. The amount of pepper we use each year in the 1500s would have been worth $1,000,000. All the pepper in the U.S. is imported. We don't produce any in this country. How fortunate we are to have this wonderful spice so available to us. So another magazine headed for the recycling bin. I'm slowly getting through them. It's taking awhile, but one out is one out. I'm heading to get breakfast, shower, bake something for Ladies Bible Study tomorrow, get my lesson together, and then head for the service at the nursing home. A busy day today. I hope you all have a great day. Kathy
Hello, friends. Happy Sunday! It is a beautiful sunny day here, even though it is cold. I'm so glad since we are expecting snow tonight and all day tomorrow. Today's opening hymn is "Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee". The words were written by Bernard of Clairvaux who lived from 1090-1153. He is considered a saint by the Catholic Church and was an abbot and doctor. He fills one of the most conspicuous positions in the history of the Middle Ages. His father was Tecelin, a very brave knight, who was the friend and vassal of the Duke of Burgundy. Bernard was born at his father's castle in Les Fontaines, near Dijon in Burgundy. He was educated at Chatillon where he was known for his studious and meditative habits. His mother died in 1105 and Bernard chose to live out his life as a monk. Along with his uncle and two of his brothers, he entered the monastery of Citeaux, the first Cistercian foundation, in 1113. Two years later he was sent as the head of twelve monks to found a daughter monastery because the original one was becoming so overcrowded. They succeeded in doing this in the Valley of Wormwood about four miles from the Abbey of La Ferte which had also been founded by the original monastery.
Bernard led a fascinating life and was involved in many of the decisions faced by the Medieval church of his time. It is well worth taking the time to read about him whether you agree with his theological views or not. He died in 1153 at the age of 63. We have many of his writings. The two hymns that he is best known for are "O Sacred Head Now Wounded" and the one we are singing today.
The tune is called "St. Agnes" and was written by John Bacchus Dykes who lived from 1823 to 1876. This tune was first published in 1866. He named the tune after a young Roman Christian woman who was martyred in A.D. 304 during the reign of the Emperor Diocletian. She was sentenced to death for refusing to marry a nobleman saying she already belonged to Christ and would not leave Him.
John Dykes was born in Hull, England the fifth child and third son of William Hey Dykes, a shipbuilder and banker and his wife, Elizabeth Bacchus. By the age of 10 he was the assistant organist at St. John's Church in Hull where his paternal grandfather was the vicar and his uncle was the organist. He also played the violin and piano. There is so much about him in the Wikipedia article I looked at. Another fascinating life. I am putting the link HERE for you if you want to read more about him. And now let's listen to this beautiful hymn.
I'm off to get ready for church. Have a beautiful day today. Kathy
Can you believe two months of this wonderful year are now history? And March has come in like a lion. It's snowing and we are expecting freezing rain. To top it off, I have an eye doctor appointment this afternoon. *sigh* I keep telling myself that this has got to be near the end of winter. The sun is getting higher in the sky. Daylight savings time begins next week. Soon I'll be seeing flowers blooming -- won't I? So let's look back at what happened last month. It's been a very cold month with lots of snow. But not as badly as other places, so I really can't complain. One reason I like living in Philly is because of its moderate temperatures from the two rivers we are between. We celebrated Groundhog Day with Punxy Phil telling us it would be an early spring. He lied.
Then we headed right into Chinese New Year -- the Year of the Pig.
My one amaryllis bloomed. It was beautiful to look at as I suffered from a terrible cold. I haven't had a cold in years and fortunately it took only 10 days to leave me.
I was still sick on Valentine's Day, but Joe spoiled me anyway. I made it up to him by cooking the dinner I had planned (steak, asparagus, parsley potoatoes) when I got better.
The robins came back. Lots and lots of them. I have never seen flocks of robins before.
I began baking something each week. It's fun and tasty too.
I still haven't gotten the car to the garage because I overslept yesterday. It's on the agenda for next week. And now we enter March. Here's hoping it's a great month for us.
