Today is the Vernal Equinox (Ostara — from whence the word “Easter” comes), one of the two times of the year when night and day are of equal (equi-) length. The Equinoxes (the Autumnal Equinox, Mabon, on 23 September is the other one) and the Solstices (Yule, the Winter Solstice, is the day with the longest night, and Litha, the Summer Solstice, is the day with the shortest night) mark the quarters of the year, and are determined by astronomical means. In the old agricultural calendar, the “Quarters” were offset by the four “Crosses:” 2 February (Imbolc, when lambing begins) which is midway between the Winter Solstice and the Vernal Equinox; 1 May (Beltane) which is midway between the Vernal Equinox and the Summer Solstice; 1 August (Lughnasadh, which is midway between the Summer Solstice and the Autumnal equinox, and is the Feast of Bread, grain being the first of the year’s crops to be harvested), and 31 October (Samhain, the Feast of Flesh, which is the third harvest, when those animals which would not be overwintered are slaughtered), which is halfway between the Autumnal Equinox and the Winter Solstice.
I think we skipped spring this year. Sunday’s high was 91F (32.7C) and today’s was 92F (33.3C). Needless to say, yesterday, when I looked up at my little clock that rides my computer and saw the reason I was hot was because it was 80F (26.6C) in my office (second bedroom), I got up and turned on the AC. (Current indoor temp is in the lower right-hand corner) It’s supposed to be cooler toward the later part of the week, with highs back down into the high 70’s F (25+C) but they’ve promised thunderstorms for the region. Unfortunately, doesn’t look like we’ll be getting any, with a 10% chance on Wednesday and a 20% chance on Thursday. I’ll be doing some yard watering, looks like. I usually water in the late evening/early morning, depending on how dislocated my sleep-wake cycle is.
I’ll be changing the bed over tonight from winter linens and comforter to summer linens and quilt. I’ll be doing at least two loads of wash as well. I think next week I’ll be getting some plants for the front bed. I want three of those constantly blooming little rose bushes.
I finished the white hat, and I don’t like how it turned out. Too small, for one thing, and too pointed for the other. Modified the pattern and have started again. This is the one I need to make two of.
I’ve gotten a goodly way along on a second hat (below) in green for my friend JT and tomorrow night when I shop groceries, I’m going to see if I can scare up some SPF 45 sunscreen and a gift sack. A couple of hats in cotton yarn will round out the going away gift. I figure five hats in five days? I’ll give it the college try anywho. I’ll finish the green one tonight and start on another.
Friday night, mom decided to cook roast and all the fixin’s — which is to say, she cooked raw carrots and onions in with the roast. Since it’s just her now, she asked me over to help her eat it. We had mashed potatoes and gravy, and cranberry sauce. It was totally yummy. Then we watched some of the Aerial America programs on the Smithsonian Channel and visited. When I got in my car to go home and started it up, I noticed that my odometer read 8600. I’ve had it 2 years and 4 months now. (Even though it’s a 2015, I got it in November of 2014.) I figured it just now, and I’m averaging just over 307 miles a month.
The Owl Underground Archive II 
I don’t think there’s a special name for it, but today was the official first day of sweat for me at work. It was downright hot. I have no idea what the temperature was, but it certainly was warm enough for the AC when I got home. I turned it down to 74 for a bit, and then back up to 76. I’m hoping we get some relief for a bit, before full-bore summer arrives.
That pot roast sounds so good. If I’m going to do that again, before summer, I’d better make use of any cool(er) days we get. Pot roast and summer just don’t go together.
My mom cooks hers in a pot on the stove — sears it, then adds raw veggies and water, covers it, gets the potlid to self seal then simmers it for about three or four hours on low heat. I like the leftover roast chopped in the food processor with some kosher dill pickle, black olives and mayo, as a spread on crackers or bread.
Now you’ve got me hungry!
There are several theories of the origin of the word ‘Easter’. It seems that Ostara is a Celtic name for the spring equinox and that it was derived separately from the Germanic word that is now ‘Easter’.
The Germanic and Celtic terms (and sets of rituals) ran side by side until ‘Easter’ became the dominant one. The etymological history of ‘Easter; is long and complex but it seems that the season came to be represented by the Germanic goddess Eostre and, according to the Venerable Bede, the name of her festival became the name of the Christian one.
Having said that, we can also say that any explanation you care to advance will be hotly constested by people holding contrary views.