LH Feb 2026 - How It Is Ending

I am now dressed and ready to go…. nowhere.  I am relishing this day of not going door knocking, of not going to a political rally, of not calling my elected.

Feb 17th Election Season Beginneth

Last Half February consisted of a sudden dive into feverish political activity.  

Danger, Will Robinson!  Boring description of political process!

Every four years we run for our seats on the county political committee.  This is that year!  We need to get a minimum of 10 signatures and voter info (more is better) of registered voters on our petition, which is a piece of actual paper.   So twentieth century, eh?!  

This is a labor-intensive, plodding activity.  It cannot be done online. The candidate cannot fill it out for the voter.  It must be done correctly, or the signature will be invalid.  It requires either begging voters to come to your place, or going door to door asking voters to sign.  It can only be done Feb 17th - March 10th (in Pennsylvania).  

Let’s start with the fact that most people do not even answer their door any more.  Then add that most voters are unfamiliar with this part of the process, and are suspicious.  I tried one year inviting people to my place, which resulted in one signature.  The voters I already know – IF I catch them at home – are willing to sign my petition and – bonus !! – the petitions for the other people running for office.  Voters I don’t know are barely willing to take the time to sign my petition. 

Me preparing to go (gasp) outside
for door knocking. 
Pro tip - it is impossible to do this
without clipboards.

On Tuesday I girded my loins for door knocking. I knocked on 13 doors and a whopping 7 opened - that’s a very good rate.   After two hours, I had 8 signatures, a sense of gratitude that the neighbors remember me, and an earful of the main issue bothering them: those two cars parked at the crest of the hill. 

If you know someone who is in the lower echelons of your political party, you could pleasantly shock them by seeking them out and volunteering to sign their petition, without forcing them to come to your door.  If it is the year for party elections in your state, that is.

Feb 18th Ash Wednesday

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.  

You are butt dust and to dust you shall return. (Our favorite Lenten joke, ha ha!)

Following my personal rule of singing whenever possible, I joined the hastily assembled choir to sing J.S. Bach’s “Jesu, Priceless Treasure” but I couldn’t sing the high notes.  I faked it, which somehow seems appropriate for 2026.

I was comforted to receive the imposition of ashes from my own pastor.  My father would be rolling in his Presbyterian grave, but I hope that instead he is enjoying heaven by eating murgh methi, basmati rice, and freshly cooked chapattis, and playing bridge with my mother sans arguing.

The pastor who gave the sermon said to listen.  I’m trying.

Feb 19th  Dental news

My dentist of 25 years retired last September.  It didn’t seem right because she is younger than me.  In reaction, I did nothing about it.  In July, I had already made my appointment for this February with the (now retired) dentist.  I kept my appointment on the 19th with the new dentist, who seems older than my previous dentist and is a man.  On my very first visit he informed me that I need major dental work.  Boo hiss.  I do not know if I want a man touching my teeth.  I called another dentist and the first appointment was late April, for mucho $$$, and that was just for the initial exam.  I am afraid to wait that long for this procedure.

HOWEVER.  The dental work is a CROWN.  I want to be able to go to No Kings Day on March 28th and say I HAVE A CROWN.  Bow before me, all ye maggaty ones.

The procedure will happen in early March with the old white man dentist whom I do not trust.  But for some reason I had no problem trusting the young white male dental hygienist who cleaned my teeth.  I can’t figure myself out.  

Feb 20th Door knocking for signatures 

In my precinct, but not my neighborhood.  Knocked on 20 doors, 5 opened.  Oof.  Five signatures, after one hour of walking, on my petition only.  I was told by several people that their spouse was napping.  First rule of politics:  Never wake a napping voter!  Not even for a precious signature. 

Seen while canvassing.
Love me a Little Free Library!

Feb 21 rally.  Above freezing!

I still need this sign.

So sick of all the entitled privileged creeps.

Feb 23 a mother’s worries

Massive snowstorm in Massachusetts, where several of our loved ones live.  And two of my (adult) children not feeling well.  Here in SWPA we also had snow.

My brother, at the end of his street

Ice and snow on a window in
Boston, Mass.

That evening was the vote in Town Council for the resolution banning any agreement with federal frozen water agencies.  I went to the meeting, prepared to speak again, but left after 40 minutes of listening to bigotry openly expressed by residents of my own town.  Late that evening, the resolution passed, 5 to 2.  

Feb 24  

I knocked on 4 doors, zero opened.  It was cold and windy.   My thoughts were infected by the town council meeting. A lot of the neighbors are probably bigots.  We are in full-blown fascism.  I realized I had forgotten my phone - this is a safety issue when one is door knocking alone.  I aborted my attempt.  I went home. 

Feb 25 More door knocking. 

Three more signatures, which is enough for my petition, but it felt like pulling teeth to get them.  It was clear these voters had no interest in signing other candidates’ petitions.  I feel demoralized that voters in my own party are not more enthusiastic to engage in the process.  I give up.

Seen while canvassing:
squirrel statue outside a door
that did not open.

Dachsund and frog statues
outside another voter's door.

Feb 26th Our local Democratic Committee fundraiser

At last, a joyous event!  Good food, good company.  It was my dream to sing one of the resistance choir songs, and we did, although not in the gorgeous harmony the Minneapolis choirs have done.  I won a raffle basket, which included a truckload of hot chocolate packets, chocolate truffles, library swag, a beautiful blanket, and a resistance hat (the Norwegian-style red hat with tassel) for the Common Household Husband.  The same knitter had already honored me by giving me one. 

The CHM and CHH,
in our matching Norwegian red resistance hats!

Feb 27th Rally - Fridays Without Fetterman

We are not amused.
This is the first time in a long time
that I have been willing to put on
a costume at a rally.

Lady Liberty is so f#&*king disappointed in our senior Senator.  He caves to the Miller-Vought regime most of the time.  There were just 20 of us at the rally, and not much traffic driving by at noon downtown, but it was uplifting to be among friends.

January to mid-Feb are supposed to be resting-up times
for the foot soldiers in the political world. 
But not when there is a town resolution to pay attention to.

This month I did 80 hours of political activity:  32 communications to electeds/university officials, 30+ communications to fellow residents on the town resolution, 8 public events, 7 meetings, 10 data activities, 4 door knockings (51 doors knocked).

We cannot fully rest, but we must take breaks.  Now that I have showered, it’s time tonight for … a Purim Party!  Bring on the hamentaschen!  Let’s drink until we can’t tell the difference between the names of Mordechai and Haman!*  Onward to next month!

Please tell me how your February went. I hope there was some relaxation in it! And some chocolate.

*Let’s not.  This is a stupid tradition.  Please don’t do it.  I certainly can’t drink alcohol like that...any more.

If you are not sick of reading, here’s the recap of FH Feb.

February 2026: How It Started

I am sitting here in my pajamas at 11 AM on the last day of this month, having nothing in my head.  But I do have photos on my device!  

Herewith, the first half of our February.

Feb 5th: Following several ultrasounds and a consultation, the doctor told me I need to have some unwanted uterine stuff removed, for diagnosis.  That will happen in May.   (No photo.  Sorry, but you are not sorry!)  The doctor said usually this material is non-cancerous, but they can develop into cancer so it’s important to get it looked at soon. 

PSA:  Do not neglect your visits to the gynecologist, ladies!

Conversation, on the trip home from one of the pelvic ultrasounds:

Me:  Thanks for taking me to get my lady-parts scanned. 

Common Household Husband: I’m going to tell the folks at the casino what I did today. “I had to take my wife to the hospital to get her lady-parts scanned.”

Me:  You tell them this:  “I took my wife to get her lady-parts scanned.  It’s amazing – for women, it’s all a bunch of bags in there!  They don’t have any sticky-outy parts.”

That description is based on what I saw on my ultrasound image.

Feb 7th: Assiduous readers of this blog have already seen this photo, but I must repeat it to emphasize How Much Damn Snow We Got.

Feb 7: Carveout for the mailbox.

I spent most of the month attempting to abolish ice, in one format or another.

This was how I spent my Superbowl Sunday.

Feb 7th, conversation at breakfast

Me:  The month of January this year lasted 4,587 days.

Common Household Husband: Sounds like the number of years.  5,487.  

Me: ??  I was talking about the number of days in January.

CHH: I’m talking about the Hebrew calendar.  Isn’t this the year 5487 or something? 

[We check.  It’s 5786, if you count from Genesis 1.]

CHH:  What do you think people were doing in this neck of the woods, 5,786 years ago?

Me: They were happily shored up in their protective lean-tos.

CHH:  Do you think they had a societal structure?  Were they preparing to hold elections?

Me: Yes, and they probably had some way of picking their leaders.

CHH:   Maybe it was a death battle.

Me: You mean, like in that movie?  Wakanda?  The reason we have elections is to avoid a death battle.  

CHH:  We’re past that now.

Me (moving on to the important task at hand):  What is there for breakfast this morning?  

There are two servings of peaches left.  Once we are out of peaches, we use raisins, which signals approaching fascism.

CHH: There are sardines in the closet.

Me:  We are not at the sardines part of fascism yet.

Feb 9th:  I made a little speech in public at the Town Council meeting, to say I want no official collaboration of our police with federal frozen water.  In January and February I worked very hard behind the scenes to help other residents also speak publicly at this meeting.

The meeting went on for about 3 1/2 hours; I left before the end.  There were 29 residents speaking in favor of the resolution (to not sign a 287g agreement with federal agencies) and 13 speaking against.  I am pleased to say that on Feb 23rd the resolution was approved, along party lines.  This was only possible because of the election victories we had in November 2025.

Feb 10th:  We woke up to a temperature in the house of 60 degrees.  That was one day after the outside temp went above freezing and then again down below freezing overnight.  

Diagnosis by Mr. Furnace Man: Ice in that intake pipe.

The fix: He knocked the ice out of the pipe.

Cost: more than $100 but now we know.

That day, the outside temperature went above freezing for the first time in four weeks.  God bless all y'all in Canada and points north.  I am not made for this prolonged cold.

That evening, the closet door fell off.  The CHH fixed it.

The secrets that pipe holds!

Feb 11th was the glorious day I got my car gloriously washed.

I have about 10 more photos from inside the car wash.
That is how thrilled I was to do this.  Also,
the car wash has a certain level of
fascinating horror to me.

Feb 13th: The best Valentine's Day gift ever.  A collection to warm my heart, hands, soul, and sidewalks.  The Common Household Husband said that was the last jug of sidewalk salt in the store.

P.S. That plant is not dead. Yet.

The ever-astute readers of this blog will already know that we went to Cleveland, Ohio, mid-month.  A daring move, knowing what the weather can dish out to that lake-side city.  We lucked out -- it was sunny.

Shout out to one of my favorite authors!  There is a church named after her in Cleveland.  She has a new book, recently published!  I would tell you about it but I haven't had a chance to read it yet.  

The Church of St. Mel! !
Posted here in honor of one of my
favorite authors, Melissa Westemeier

We took a little side trip to Oberlin, Ohio, to the Allen Memorial Art Museum, on the grounds of the college.  Highly recommend.  And look, the snow has mostly melted!

I hope to say more about this in
a future blog post because art is necessary
in these times.  We shall see if that post materializes.

Well, folks, that's my recap of the first half of this hapless month.  It's noon-thirty and time to get out of the pajamas and start the day.

My recap of the last half of Feb 2026 is here.

Snow Day

A family tradition

In our parts winter usually waits until January to truly arrive but the White Witch seems to be on the move.  We had about 4 inches Saturday afternoon into early Sunday morning.

The Common Household Son came over before the storm hit to wrap a present and help me put up the Advent-Hanukkah paper chain. Our interfaith family was in need of our own tradition for this time of year. This one has withstood the test of time, although some of the paper has disintegrated.   You can get a detailed description here.

The weather outside turning frightful, I set to work on a most enjoyable task – writing Christmas and Hanukkah cards.  The irony here is that Hanukkah cards are not really a widespread thing, but I like to send them, and since Hanukkah is often before Christmas, sometimes the Hanukkah cards are the only ones that get sent.  This time I managed to finish more than 40 cards.  It’s a whole production which I may or may not describe in a separate post.  

Then, another homebound activity - checking out the music for tomorrow’s worship service.  I have always sung soprano, but my range has been contracting as I age, so I sometimes try to sing the tenor line.  Singing harmony is a real challenge for me, as I’ve always played or sung the melody.  I spent some time at the piano enjoying playing through some Advent hymns.  It turns out this cozy music session was fortuitous.

It is my tradition to always
measure the snow with this ruler.

The next morning I measured the snow on the deck.  I usually like to measure in front of the house too, because we often have a mullet fall of snow - short in the front, longer in the back.  But I wasn’t going to put on my boots just for the sake of measuring.

I got the notice that the church music director was not able to make it to church at all.  But wait!  I played through the hymns just the previous day.  Knowing that very few people would actually be in church to hear it, I volunteered to play the music.

The perfect drip takes several tries.

I put some oatmeal on the stove.  Porridge (as my dear uncle of blessed memory called it) – the non-instant kind –  is just the ticket for a cold winter morning.  Then I achieved the perfect drip to keep the water pipes flowing, and went outside.  

The deer visited in the night.

The world is a special kind of quiet on a Sunday morning after a snowstorm.  

The Common Household Husband and I set to work shoveling the driveway.  In past years, the Snow Fairy has done this, sometimes at 3 AM, but the Snow Fairy is getting old and wanted help.  Together we got the job done.  We have never used a snow blower and I will keep using the traditional method as long as I can.  As we shoveled, the township snowplow/salt truck did its magic.

The Common Household Husband
starts at the other end of the
driveway, which is harder, because
of the snowplow snow.

There were a few slippery spots on the roadways to church but I made it just fine with ten minutes to spare.  There were a handful of people gathered – probably fewer than twenty.

Folks, it turns out there is a LOT of music in a worship service besides the hymns.  It turns out that ten minutes is barely enough time to get organized to play all of the worship music.  All that in between music, such as after the lighting of the Advent wreath, after the assurance of pardon, during the offering, etc etc, was waiting to be played and sung, too.  I was very nervous and muddled through, playing some interesting melodies and harmonies.  It is my strong belief that all musical mistakes are corrected on their way to God’s ears.  Maybe not on the way to the congregation’s ears, but God is the actual audience.

About halfway through the service I remembered that the Best Practice is to determine the key signature, time signature, and tempo before starting to play.  I was sight reading some of the music, and I’m sure it showed, but I was glad to be able to contribute to worship.  I did get to play a few of my favorite Advent hymns for some of the in between music.

While we were shoveling snow,
a huge flock of geese flew over head.
By the time I got my phone out for
a photo, they were gone, leaving
just the winter sky.

And that was our snow day.  Did you get snow this past weekend?  Was it enjoyable, or a chore?

This week in Noticing Nature

Okay, it’s actually 10 days of observations.

This is my entry for The F.I.G. Collective this week.

Thursday: as I lay awake at 3 AM, ruminating about my upcoming attempt, later that day, to speak to the Senator’s aide in person, I heard the freezing rain falling on the roof.  

Friday: It was getting dark as I went out to get the mail.  I was still in time to see the fading sunset, peach and blue and gray, and also an early star/planet.  I turned around and saw the half-moon behind the fractal bare branches of our oak tree.  So beautiful.

Saturday:  Some of the fractal bare branches are down on our yard.  Still.  I’m not going out to pick them up until spring.

Sunday:  It was snowing (just flurries) this morning when I set off for church.  By the time we were done with Souperbowl + Bakesale, it was still flurrying but nothing was sticking to the roadway.  Which made the trip home okay.

Monday:  We have an oak tree that doesn’t drop all its leaves in the fall – they stay on the tree, shriveled up.  Today I noticed that in the breeze they make a sort of clattering sound.  Like dry bones getting ready to come to life.  However, I did not prophesy to the dry leaves.

Tuesday:  When I pulled the car out of the garage to go to the store to pick up meds for the Common Household Husband, I particularly noticed the frozen ground where I have to step out of the car to close the garage door.  It’s a spot that would be muddy if the temperature is above freezing.  I appreciated the firm ground to walk on.

And no, we do not have an automated garage door closing mechanism.  It’s people power all the way.  When it becomes impossible for me to open and close the garage door, it’s time to move.

Wednesday:  There was lots of rain today.

Thursday:  As I headed outdoors to meet friends, it was flurrying. The snow on the ground looked like little pellets.  But probably not big and threatening enough to be graupel.

Friday:  Valentine’s Day.  It’s 23 degrees F; feels like 15 with the windchill.  I am heading out soon to be a gadfly outside my US Senator’s office.  He and Presidents M & P are ruining the future.

A Valentine for the Senator.
(not my sign)

Saturday:  We woke up to a surprise snowstorm.  I like to think that this is appropriate - it is supposed to snow in February.  It will likely turn to gobs of rain later, which must be why there is a flood watch.  Nature is fun to observe, eh?

Here are three times on this blog when the weather was more challenging than today, and for that we are thankful:

A Prayer

https://commonhousehold.blogspot.com/2015/03/a-lords-prayer-for-snowy-day.html

Back when we used to get a print newspaper:

https://commonhousehold.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-winter-of-my-discontent.html

Snow Physics

https://commonhousehold.blogspot.com/2011/02/more-snow-physics.html

Poetry Writing Workshop for a Snowy Day

It's pretty, as long as you don't
have to go out in it.
Photo from 2011.

How to write an “imagist” poem, after William Carlos Williams, and after a snowstorm that you shouldn’t have been driving in.

The original –

This Is Just to Say

by William Carlos Williams

I have eaten

the plums

that were in

the icebox

and which

you were probably

saving

for breakfast

Forgive me

they were delicious

so sweet

and so cold

The Common Household Line-by-line tutorial

First stanza

1. “I have” + verb which connotes consumption, such as “eaten”, “used up”, “smashed”, “drove”

2.  Insert the delectable foodstuff or other item which you ate/used but which everyone else wanted to consume

3.  “That were/was in”

4. Location of said delectable

Second stanza

5, 6, 7. “And which”

             “You were probably”

             “saving”

8. “for “ insert use for which delectable had been intended

Final stanza

9.  Blithely ask for forgiveness

10. State how much you enjoyed said item that you deprived everyone else of

11. “So “ + adjective describing the delectable item

12. “And so” + a different adjective describing the delectable item

Final steps

Finally, think of a nonchalant or understated sort of title for your poem.

Do not include any punctuation.  I would say punctuation is so twentieth-century pre-texting era, but Wm. C. Wms wrote his poem in the 20th Century so there

Here is my poem, after enduring a 1 ½ hour drive home (2 hours if you count that I had to detour to a local mall because the road was closed, and I got a sub-par lunch there) from church choir rehearsal in a snowstorm, a drive which usually takes 15 minutes. 

Cutting the Cheese

by Common Household Mom

I have eaten

the New Zealand sharp cheddar cheese

that was in

the tupperware on the second shelf of the fridge

and which

you were probably

saving

for your high-protein low-carb breakfast

Forgive me

it was delectable

so buttery

and so stress-reducing after the most harrowing drive home on the suburban streets woefully unprepared for the snow (as was I)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Here are two versions written by Older Daughter, way back in 2005, when she was a teenager.

Variations on the Theme

Yesterday, I broke the piano that you had been saving to teach with.

I’m sorry, but I was practicing karate.

I’d regret it, but it was the perfect target.

I’m sorry, but I burned the school yesterday.

I didn’t know that you were using it.

And besides, I’m a firefighter, and there was nothing else to do.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

But I think Older Daughter was actually riffing on this:

Variations on a Theme by William Carlos Williams

Kenneth Koch

I chopped down the house that you had been saving to live in next summer.

I am sorry, but it was morning, and I had nothing to do

and its wooden beams were so inviting.

 

We laughed at the hollyhocks together

and then I sprayed them with lye.

Forgive me.  I simply do not know what I am doing.

 

I gave away the money that you had been saving to live on for the next ten years.

The man who asked for it was shabby

and the firm March wind on the porch was so juicy and cold.

 

Last evening we went dancing and I broke your leg.

Forgive me.  I was clumsy, and

I wanted you here in the wards, where I am the doctor!

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Also, I had a big mug of hot chocolate, with dark chocolate.

I feel a bit better now.  Yes, yes, I am indeed grateful that I didn’t get in a wreck or sustain any injury.  (My feet were wet and cold, though.)  My rage is contained, and I am home and back to using punctuation.

Einstein was also perturbed by snow (2019).