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.

The Wisdom of the Common Household Husband

Not a live moose

Last year was a challenging year, but the Common Household Husband helped steer our ship of household on a reasonable path.  Here is some of his wisdom that helped get us through.

January

Younger Daughter helped herself to a chocolate covered almond, even though she doesn’t like almonds.

Me:  You’re not going to waste that almond, are you?

CHH:  Yeah. Almonds don’t go on trees, you know.

February

The CHH made himself a cup of French Vanilla tea.  Then he poured Peach Schnapps into it.  I said, “I am predicting that is not a good taste combination.”  

He tasted it, and said, “Hmmm.  It’s like wearing a plaid shirt with rainbow suspenders.”

March

I was making the roasted egg for the seder plate.  

Me: How long should I roast the egg?  Twenty minutes?

CHH: Yeah, that’s right.  That’s how long it took to cross the Red Sea.  

April

We were discussing brands of grape juice, as a Jewish-Christian household is likely to do.

CHH:  I prefer Bernoulli’s Grape Juice.

Me:  Is that some kind of physics joke?  I don’t get it.  But if you had said you prefer Schrödinger’s Grape Juice, I would understand.

CHH:  I was looking for Schrödinger’s Grape Juice, but I couldn’t find it.  I asked where it was, and some people said it was in that aisle, and some people said it wasn’t in that aisle.

But Bernoulli’s Grape Juice – that wakes me up in the morning!

Me: (reads about Bernoulli’s principle on Wikipedia; looks perplexed.)  Let’s see.  There’s the Bernoulli distribution. – that’s not it.  How about, “What is Bernoulli’s principle in simple terms?”  It says “In fluid dynamics, Bernoulli's principle states that an increase in the speed of a fluid occurs simultaneously with a decrease in static pressure…”

CHH:  Doesn’t that apply to grape juice?

May-August

(Apparently we were not paying attention during the summer, perhaps because we actually did some traveling and moved our younger daughter twice.)

September

CHH told me, "The rabbi called to wish me gud yontif." Then he explained further, "Yontif is Jewish for yom tov."

October

At dinner, we were talking about how and when to celebrate all the upcoming holidays. I looked at the calendar and said, “Christmas is on a Saturday.”

Son:  Is there a special prayer for when shabbat falls on Christmas?

Me:  Dad is talking about going “hunting” on Christmas.

Son: When has Dad EVER gone hunting?!

CHH:  It’s a euphemism for Las Vegas.   Speaking of hunting, I met a guy at the casino today who said he went hunting and shot a moose.

Me, reading facts about moose, to try and find out if they are endangered: Moose grow to be six foot nine inches tall.

CHH: Joseph Conrad was 6 and a half feet tall.

Me: That’s an odd factoid to know about Joseph Conrad.

CHH:  Well, he looks really tall.

Me: : Joseph Conrad, the author of Heart of Darkness?!

CHH:  No, the guy who stars on The Rifleman.

Me:  Do you mean Chuck Connors?

(For the record, Chuck Connors was 6 ft 5 inches tall.  The internet does not know how tall Joseph Conrad was.  Apparently moose, at least the Northwestern Moose, are not considered endangered.  Also for the record, the CHH did not get to go hunting or to Las Vegas.  He regrets the latter.  )

November

CHH, complaining that the news is always the same:  “Every day Congress is subpoenie-weenying, and nothing ever happens.”

CHH, talking about the true history of the Exodus:  The manna was actually 9 egg sponge cake.  And after they ate it, someone said, ‘My mother’s was better.’

CHH’s suggestions for sequels to Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl:

Man's Search for a Comfortable Chair.

Man's Search for Cream Cheese. 

(If he had read Man’s Search for Meaning he would not be making light of it.  Or maybe he still would, because of the way 2020-2021 has messed with our brains.)

December

Me:  Can we splurge and get new bathroom rugs?

CHH:   Why?!  This is the first I’ve heard of this idea.

Me:  I’ve been thinking about it for a long time.  Our rugs are old and probably harbor a lot of germs.

CHH:  All I want is a heated toilet seat with Bluetooth technology in it.

And that’s a good dream to enter 2022 with.

Keep Calm and Carry On Casserole

Since Wednesday I have had a hankering for Mrs. McNally’s Spinach Casserole. Tonight I finally made it. I didn’t have all the ingredients, so I made do. 

The first time I made this casserole, I wrote a note in the recipe.  

Made this on Sep 24, 2019 (the day Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced formal impeachment proceedings against President Trump).

So it’s no wonder I had a yearning for it this week.  Wednesday the Senate had their  shameful vote to acquit in President Trump’s impeachment trial.  The President has wasted no time in exacting revenge on his opponents.  Today he fired two of the witnesses, and also a witness’ brother (who was himself not a witness).  I understand that he wouldn't want people who testified against him to be working in his administration.  But you could have them leave quietly, rather than have them escorted out in front of the media.  And it seems to me that retaliating against your opponent’s family is the stuff of despots.

The reason I couldn’t make the casserole on Wednesday was because I had to attend a rally to inform my Senator that I reject his coverup of the President’s abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.  One of my Senators has a deficit of integrity, courage, and democracy.   My other Senator voted to convict.

I owe a debt to Mrs. McNally (whom I may have met once).  Not only does her casserole provide a vegetable in a format that most of my family will eat, but it provides calm and stability on our dinner table. 

I also owe a debt to Marianne and to Tony, who live at opposite ends of the country, without whom I would not have this recipe.  None of us are related to each other or to Mrs. McNally, but all of us have a bond formed through the Music Interest Floor on Wilder 9 and the MIF Annex on Wilder 8, in the early 1980s.

Tonight for dinner I also made fresh-baked bread, from store-bought frozen bread dough.  It tasted fine but it didn’t rise very much so it looked a little odd for a loaf of bread.  The Common Household Husband brought Younger Daughter home from college for a weekend visit.  He saw the bread and said it looked like a manatee, which it kind of did, except without the fins and tail.  The dinner conversation went thusly:

…

Husband:  I’m just tired and worn out tonight.

Younger Daughter:  Like the antelope.

Husband:  What?

YD: Like the antelope being chased by the lions.

Me:  Did you say Yenta Loaf?  I thought maybe you were referring to the bread, which Dad said looks like a manatee.

Husband:  Yenta Loaf – a loaf that knows all your business.

YD:  The Loaf of Knowledge.

.

.

.

YD:   What other news is there?

Me:  Let’s see… I made a speech at the protest on Wednesday.

YD:   What did you say?

Husband:   Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears!  I come not to bury Caesar but to market his merchandise.

YD:   Now $5.99!  New stabby knives!

Husband: Buy here – these coins inscribed with Caesar’s face!

YD:   Buy a pancake that has Caesar’s face burned onto it!

Me:  What?!

YD:   It’s like when people see the image of Jesus in a potato chip.

Me:  Ooooh.  Those people have overactive imaginations.  Besides, what does Jesus look like?  Where’s the original picture of Jesus?

Husband:  We need to dig up the Dead Sea video tapes.  Or ask a Dead Sea Squirrel.

The spinach casserole was very popular and there is none left.  Thanks, Mrs. McNally!

Mrs. McNally’s Spinach Casserole

(the original recipe)

2 packages frozen chopped spinach, defrosted

1 small jar sliced mushrooms (or 2 jars)

2 cups Italian bread crumbs (or 1 cup Bulgar, cooked)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

¼ pound butter

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

1 onion, chopped

1 egg, beaten

Saute onion in butter.  Add rest of ingredients to defrosted spinach.  Place in casserole.  Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees.  Sprinkle extra cheese and/or bread crumbs on top.

Carolyn’s Keep Calm and Carry On Spinach Casserole

with Deep Gratitude to

Mrs. McNally, Marianne, and Tony

Mrs. McNally must forgive me for what I did to her recipe.

(Disclaimer: Both times I made this, I did not have mushrooms. It would be really great with mushrooms.  I think it would make sense to put in a smaller amount of bread crumbs, if you don’t have the mushrooms.   I also left out the salt, because I don’t like overly salty things, and the bread crumbs and the cheese already have salt in them.  My husband hates when I give food disclaimers like this.  So carry on. And keep calm.)

1 pkg frozen chopped spinach, defrosted.  (drained a little, but not dry).

1 cup Italian bread crumbs (probably should put less)

(I left out the salt and it seemed fine)

¼ tsp pepper

1 Tbsp canola oil or butter for frying onions

1/8 cup Parmesan cheese

1 onion, chopped

2 eggs (otherwise, it was too dry, but if you have the mushrooms, it probably wouldn’t be)

Saute onion in oil or butter.  Add rest of ingredients to defrosted spinach.  Mix thoroughly. Place in greased casserole.  Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees.  Sprinkle extra cheese and/or bread crumbs on top.  (I forgot to do this, but the clientele ate it all up anyway.)

Bonus: Images of Jesus, not in a potato chip:

A historical dinner moment

Me, attempting to engender dinner conversation that does not include gross scientific stuff: 

What do you think are the five most important moments in history in the past 100 years?

Younger Daughter:

World War I, and World War II.  Was the telephone invented in the past 100 years? 

Me:  I’m pretty sure that was invented before 1919.

YD:  Okay, then, the invention of the internet. The Great Depression, and the Counter-cultural movement of the 1960s.  That’s five.

The Common Household Husband:

The invention of frozen foods was very important.  The invention of air conditioning. Casual Fridays!  Theme parks.  And TV game shows.

Younger Daughter:  Dad, those are not moments in history!

Husband:  They changed my life.

Me:  My turn.  I think the internal combustion engine was invented before 1919.  The invention of antibiotics was very important.  The invention of reliable birth control.   The Holocaust.  The invention of robots – industrial robots.  Hmmm.  And the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Son:

The internet.  That’s for all five.  Can I go now?

Group Text PSA

This “conversation”, which occurred in November 2018, shall serve as a public service announcement about the need to avoid group texting unless absolutely necessary, like, if you are a chaperone in the marching band and need all students come to the busses at once.  Except for that, don’t do group text.

You can tell this is a text conversation by the appalling lack of concluding punctuation. 

Husband:  Here is our thanksgiving dinner!  (with photo of turkey in freezer)

Older Daughter:  What dish should I bring?

(Oh, happy day! She really is an adult.  Only a true adult would offer, without being asked, to bring a dish.)

Son: Are we carpooling?

(There followed a discussion about whether they could travel to our house together, which meant lots of annoying pings, because Group Text.)

Older Daughter: No one has answered yet what dish I should bring

Son: You should bring my plates!

(For Rosh Hashanah, Older Daughter had hosted the meal at her house. More evidence of adulting! She threatened to charge her brother $5 for the meal if he didn’t bring something to the meal.  He brought garlic bread on two plates, but left his plates at her house.)

Husband: How about cranberry relish

OD: Ok, and no

  

Husband:  What does that mean

Husband: Fine.  I’m charging you $5

OD: I’m not making a dish that I don’t like

YD:  Stuffing?

OD: I could bring cranberry in a can

Me:  Yes.

(I immediately regretted this response.  Son is old enough to contribute something to the dinner, too, and he should be the one bringing the cranberry in a can, because he has fewer resources than OD.)

Me:  You could bring dinner rolls

OD: Ok!  Spicy dinner rolls

Husband:  Yeah.  Kung pao dinner rolls.  With candy on top.

OD: And shrimp

Son, fearing that one of his favorite parts of the Thanksgiving dinner would not be available:  Should I bring some actual rolls?

Husband:  How about egg rolls?

OD: How about jelly rolls?

Me:  You people.  SMH

YD:  What does that mean?

Son:    “shaking my head”.  I just looked it up

OD: Shake my hamster

YD:  Spoke many Horatios!

OD: Saucy mother’s headache

Son:  single-male household

OD: Smashing more heads

Me:    GROUP TEXT SHOULD BE USED SPARINGLY

Son:    Dad started it!

YD:  Tools this powerful should only be in the hands of people like us!

Husband:  Ya scunners!  I’ve decided we’re having borscht for thanksgiving and that’s that.

(And now the group text conversation has deteriorated into references to the Mac Nac Feegle of the Terry Pratchett books, in which “ship” means “sheep”.)

YD:  Shouldn’t we be havin’ the ships for Thanksgiving with these wee dafties?

Husband:  And snails!  Roasted snails with lots of garlic

YD:  and beef Wellington!

Husband:  And deep fried stoat!

YD:  I think Mom is too appalled to respond.

Husband:  Mom is talking with Uncle J.

Yes, in fact, I was trying to have an actual vocal conversation with my actual brother on my cell phone, while enduring the constant pinging of the group text conversation.

Let’s take a vote:  should group text be outlawed, except for marching band?