January, Yes, I Know Her And You Know Her Too!

Dear Sweet Friends,

A few years back, I wrote a monthly series regarding the months of the year and I assigned them a gender.

I tried to extol on their personalities, gemstones, flowers, quirks, and…well, I wanted to give them character.

I think….:)

Anyway, as I am getting back to posting again, I decided to revisit the months of the year….and perhaps you might enjoy them too, and offer your thoughts.

First up….Miss January!

Kari

January….Yes, I Know Her And You Know Her Too!

Hmmmmm…..a time of new beginnings. 

All my life I have looked forward to January…..perhaps it is because of all the hustle and bustle and activity of the busy, busy, busy previous three months….although I do enjoy all that fal-da-ral, etc….as does most everyone.  December can be fun to be around.

However, January reminds me of a woman who takes off the glitzy jewelry, the fancy clothes and party dresses, washes her face of all make-up and pulls on the comfy pair of sweats and a turtleneck sweater.

January gets comfy.

January gets cozy and comfy.

From a distance, she may appear a little plain and dull after all the bright lights of flashy December.

But as you get to know her, January settles in and shows her strength without all the fancy finery.  She is solid and steadfast.

She may appear to come in with a giant display of fireworks, but that is actually December shouting her last hurrah and letting it linger just a bit into January’s time. 

January is not selfish….she doesn’t mind.

January signals the start of a clean slate….Yep, she is a get down to business kind of gal.

Enough of the late night parties and early morning Mimosas as she starts her first day with a more traditional and quiet dinner, followed by an even more relaxing day of cuddle-up-by-the-fire and watch sports games or old movies or she may simply take a well deserved nap.

January settles down.  No pretenses.  She is what she is. She never overwhelms. She is as comfy as a pair of old sneakers….or snow boots in some instances.

Some might think she is a wimp but as one gets to know her, really know her…one finds she never demands center stage as a few of the other months do…instead, she just wants to do her best to slowly ease you in to the coming year.

Sometimes January can jump up in a flurry of blustery winds and snow storms which can send us all into a frenzy….because she is after all (on average) the coldest month of the year within most of the Northern Hemisphere….where she is the second month of Winter.

Did you know that January is the first month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars AND the first month to have the length of 31 days?

Of course if one lives in the Southern Hemisphere, she is the second month of Summer. (Just sayin’) I think that is what I like about her….depending on the hemisphere, she can be as hot as July or she can be as most of us know her….cold and icy, but only on the outside. 

While she can appear blustery…almost as quickly, she can settle down as if to say…you see, I am not totally boring!…..and she continues on her way towards February.

I like January because I know she is the reason for the pot of beans simmering on the back of the stove or for that pot of vegetable soup made from the veggies that were put up in the freezer during Indian Summer last.

Another bit of trivia regarding January.

Traditionally, the original Roman calendar consisted of 10 months totaling 304 days, winter being considered a month-less period. Around 713 BC, the semi-mythical successor of King Pompiliuso is supposed to have added the months of January and February …..so that the calendar covered a standard lunar year (354 days). March was originally the first month in the old Roman calendar.

I do have to share with you a few other facts about my friend January.

When I said she wasn’t glitzy,,  she really isn’t but she does like to wear the prettiest gem….it is the garnet which represents constancy. 

See? I told you she was steadfast.

Her femininity shows with her favorite flower, the pretty cottage pink carnations …now who doesn’t remember the old song a white sports coat and a pink carnation? Some say her favorite flower is the white snow drop…but either one is beautiful.

Perhaps, another reason I really like January is because my mother’s birthday was Jan 4th….which made her a Capricorn. 

Other birthdays in January are Only daughter and two grandchildren. 🙂

So my dear friends and readers….Do you like January?

If not, perhaps you will like February….she may be brief and perhaps notoriously fierce, but she is the only month with a heart in the middle,….. you know her, I’m sure!

I will write about her on another post as a part of my series on the months of the year.

Until then…have a great and blessed day.