So, Phil? What’s It Gonna Be?

Groundhog Day…

I grew up with people saying if the groundhog saw his shadow there would be six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t see his shadow, there are six weeks until spring. To my mind, that’s the same thing! But, when I google it, I discovered if Phil sees his shadow, there are six more weeks of winter. If, however, he doesn’t see his shadow, then there will be an early spring. There’s no mention of how many weeks that will be. Once again, the adults in my life led me astray (just kidding…or am I)!

A little history…

Groundhog Day has been celebrated in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania on February 2 since 1886! Actually, good old Phil lives near Gobbler’s Knob which is a few miles away from Punxsutawney. I have often wondered how it happens that he appears at about the same time every year. I’ll be honest…I didn’t look too hard to find an answer. The day has its origin in an old German tradition. Candlemas is the second of February and celebrates a few Christian holidays. The Germans tied their Badger Day to it and predicted the end of winter based upon the badger seeing its shadow. The immigrants who became known as Pennsylvania Dutch brought that tradition with them.

A little more…

The Inner Circle (sounds a little supernatural, right) are Phil’s caretakers. This is a group of fifteen guys who trot out their tuxes and top hats on February 2nd and preserve the madness that is Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney! The day starts around 3:30am for these men with fireworks at 6:30! That’s am, not pm! As you can probably imagine there is a fair bit of hilarity in the celebration. Phil, it seems, has been to the fountain of youth and is the same Phil as the one first seen in 1886. He is darn near immortal. His wife, Phyliss, is not immortal because she doesn’t have access to the Elixir of Life. Because Phil drinks from that elixir, there is no need for children. You can read so much more about this day here, here, and here. You might not ever read any of my links, but I encourage you to read these! They are short, light-hearted, and good for a smile if not a giggle!

My prediction…

I predict we will have varying weather with it gradually warming up sometime in April or May. Unless you live in Indiana where you could have all four seasons in just one week! Honestly, I look at the forecast each morning and doubt its veracity anyway! The weather is unpredictable and even more so now, right?

Winter, in general…

I have a love/hate relationship with winter. I love snow and lots of it! It’s just so pretty while it’s falling, on the trees, and glistening in the moonlight. But, I hate being cold, and I’m always cold in the winter. I am sitting here wearing a flannel shirt with a sweater over it, a dog cuddled up beside me, and a double thickness throw over my feet. And, I’m still cold!

Imitation and all that…

If you don’t subscribe to Sally’s blog, you’re missing out on a lot of good information. Sally provides a wealth of information there. She is an analyst of some kind which definitely shows up in her posts. She is extremely organized and provides lots of interesting combinations for colorful and fun outfits. Sally is big on accessories (she makes her own bracelets), especially scarves. I’m using one of her tips today! My outfit is a column of color, I guess. With the exception of my scarf, boots, and jewelry, everything is fig! My tee, leggings, and shirtdress are from various years and are from J Jill. That’s one of the things I love about the store. They use some colors every year, and you can be almost certain they will match!

More…

In a nutshell, I took my oblong scarf and wore it inside my dress rather than outside it. Usually, I would wear a scarf under the collar and outside the shirt or dress. Sally often references Nancy Nix-Rice and her YouTube videos on tying scarves. I watched a few of them. Don’t do it unless you have time. It’s a bit of a rabbit hole (another favorite of Sally’s)! Oops…back to the nutshell. Instead of just putting the scarf around your neck, grab one of the corners of the scarf and give it a little tug. You have now created a bias type fabric with your scarf. I’m not really doing a good job of describing this, but try it. You will be surprised at how it changes the way your scarf hangs and looks! Because I wanted my scarf to be on the inside, I left the shirtdress completely unbuttoned thereby turning it into a duster!

The Lewk!

If you’ve been reading for a bit, you’ll notice I don’t often wear gold accessories. I didn’t wear them much even when I was a brunette. But, these earrings are gold (as in real gold) and were a gift from Nigel one Christmas. At the time, they were the most expensive gift he’d ever given me! The two necklaces and bracelet are Stella & Dot. Both of these were mainstays for the brand back in the day. You can easily find them on the various resale sites. My trusty L’Artiste Rodeha boots look like they have toe caps in some of the photos, but that was just snow!

Wrap it up, Marsha!

When I talk with people about my blog, they often assume I am gifted most of the things I wear. The truth is I have bought almost everything. The exceptions are few and far between! Nigel and I often talk about whether or not I want to make serious money from my blog. I’d love to make money from it, but then, as Nigel says, it would be a job. He also doesn’t want to deal with the tax implications! So, the answer is usually, “No, I bought this.” So, can we talk? Are you a believer in Phil? Do you look forward to more winter or want spring to come now! Please leave a comment or two, and we can talk! I promise to respond quickly. Still no answer on the email notifications to you when I respond. I’m just flummoxed!

Affiliate links and such:

Just a reminder that Marsha in the Middle may use an affiliate link. Those links are usually italicized. If you click or make a purchase from an italicized link I provide, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for your support. As of right now, I also have an affiliate code for Kantha Bae! Use MarshaintheMiddle in the promo code box for $5 off any order (excluding Bestie restocks)! I have also become a Halftee Partner. Use the code, MARSHA2098, for 20% off any purchase. In case you didn’t know, bloggers must disclose the use of affiliate links. That’s why I include this in each post.

Thank you!

I am so very appreciative of all of you who read my blog, comment, subscribe, and email. Please know it doesn’t go unnoticed! If you’d like to follow me on Instagram, you can find me here.

Where you can find me:

Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style, My Bijou LIfe, Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez Mireile, The Grey Brunette, and Away from the Blue. I also link up with This Blonde’s Shopping Bag, Doused in Pink, and I do deClaire and Mummabstylish. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month. I also host Final Fridays on the last Friday of the month as well as 10 on the 10th on the 10th of the month! I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties! Just a note…Traffic Jam is on a bit of a hiatus as I try to figure out how to continue it.

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