December is...

If cold December gave you birth,
The month of ice, and snow, and mirth,
Place your hand on a turquoise blue,
And success will bless whatever you do!

December is...

December is the twelfth month in the Gregorian calendar, which we use now. But the name "December" comes from the word "decem" which means "ten" in Latin, so it makes sense that December was the tenth month in the Roman calendar. In Finnish, since about the 18th century, December has been called Joulukuu, meaning "month of Christmas." Before that it was called Talvikuu, meaning "month of winter." In Irish, December is called Mí na Nollaig, also meaning "month of Christmas".

The weatherlore for December states:

• "A green December fills the graveyard."
• "If you see the stars on Christmas Eve, there will be good crops the next spring."
• "Snow on Christmas means Easter will be green."
• "If Christmas Day be bright and clear, there be two winters for the year."
• "Lengthened winter and tardy spring are both good for hay and grain, but bad for corn and garden."
• "December changeable and mild, the whole winter will remain a child." "A green Christmas, a white Easter."
• "December cold with snow, brings rye everywhere."
  
  

December is... Bingo's Birthday Month, Drunk & Drugged Driving (3D) Prevention Month, Hi Neighbor Month, Identity Theft Prevention and Awareness Month, Read a New Book Month, Safe Toys and Gifts Month, Sign Up for Summer Camp Month, Spiritual Literacy Month, Stress-free Family Holidays Month, Tie Month, Universal Human Rights Month, Write a Friend Month, Holiday Thank-you Month, Interfaith Month

Skywatch for December includes: December 5th-Full Moon; December 14th- Geminids Meteor Shower. Considered by many to be the best meteor shower. Produces up to 60 multicolored meteors per hour at the peak. The peak night this year is December 14th. Meteors should be visible from December 6th - 19th; December 20th- The Winter Solstice: The Sun is at its lowest point in the sky and it will be the shortest day of the year, the first official day of winter.

The birthflowers for December are the narcissus and holly.
The birthstones are turquoise, lapis lazuli, zircon, topaz (blue), or tanzanite. (Blue is a good color for Decemberites.)

November is...

I like November. Mostly, because I like Thanksgiving. But, I just remembered that I forgot to blog about November... oh my! Talk about Absent-minded!

The name November comes from the Latin "novem" which is the Latin for the nine. The moons for November are the "Snow Moon," the "Moon of the Falling Leaves." In Finnish, November is called marraskuu, meaning "month of the dead."

During the month of November we are able to experience the Leonids meteor shower. This year there will not be a moon to interfere with viewing, if the weather is mild, it might be a good opportunity to enjoy November.

The weatherlore for November states "if the geese on St. Martin's Day (November 11) stand on ice, they will walk in mud at Christmas;" and "if the first snow sticks to the trees, it foretells a bountiful harvest;" "if sheep feed facing downhill, watch for a snowstorm;" "thunder in November indicates a fertile year to come;" "if there be ice in November that will bear a duck, there will be nothing thereafter but sleet and muck." So, be very wary of the geese, sheep, and ducks this month.

November is...National Adoption Awareness Month, AIDS Awareness Month, Alzheimer's Disease Month, Aviation History Month, National Beard Month, Celebrate Empty Nester Month, Child Safety Protection Month, COPD Awareness Month, Diabetes Awareness Month, Diabetic Eye Disease Month, Epilepsy Awareness Month, Family Stories Month, Family Caregivers Month, Good Nutrition Month, Home Care & Hospice Month, Hunger Awareness Month, I Am So Thankful Month, Impotency Month, Inspirational Role Models Month, International Micro-finance Month, International Drum Month, Latin American Month, Learn Chinese Month, Life Writing Month, Lung Cancer Awareness Month, Marrow Awareness Month, Military Family Appreciation Month, Model Railroad Month, National Novel Writing Month aka NaNoWriMo (write a 500,000 word novel during the month of November), Peanut Butter Lovers Month, Pet Cancer Awareness Month, Pomegranate Month, Prematurity Awareness Month, Real Jewelry Month, Red Ribbon Month, Roasting Month, Scholarship Month, Slaughter Month, Sleep Comfort Month, Stamp Collecting Month, Vegan Month

November's flower is the chrysanthemum and November's birthstone is the citrine or yellow topaz.

October is...

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns." -George Eliot

October is...

The name October comes from the Latin word "octo" which means "eight". October was the 8th month in the Roman calendar. October became the 10th month when the beginning of the year was moved from March 1st to January 1st.

The Dutch name for October is Wijnmaand or "wine month." For the Finnish, October is called lokakuu, meaning "month of dirt". In Gaelic, October has several names: in Scottish, October is called an Damhar, meaning "rutting time" for the Irish, October is called Deireadh Fómhair, meaning "end of harvest-time," and for the Welsh, October is called "Hydref", meaning "autumn". In the Japanese calendar, the month is called Kan'na dzuki, which means "the absence of god." (Wikipedia)

The full moon month names for this month are the Hunter's Moon, Travel Moon, and the Dying Grass Moon. (Farmer's Almanac).

The weather proverbs for this month are:

Much rain in October,
Much wind in December. -Traditional English Proverb

If October bring much frost and wind,
Then are January and February mild. -Traditional English Proverb

A warm October,
A cold February. -Traditional English Proverb

Full Moon in October without frost,
No frost till November’s Full Moon. -Traditional English Proverb
(The full moon in October will be the 6th)

There are always nineteen fine days in October. -Traditional English Proverb

As the weather in October, so will it be in the next March. -Traditional English Proverb

When birds and badgers are fat in October, expect a cold Winter.- Traditional American Proverb (Wilson's Almanac)

October is...

Awareness Month (that's it, just Awareness), Adopt A Shelter Dog Month, AIDS Awareness Month, Alternate History Month (one of my favorite literary devices), Animal Safety and Protection Month, Anti-Boredom Month, Apple Jack Month, Apple Month, Auto Battery Safety Month, Billiard Awareness Month, Book Fair Month, Book Month, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Car Care Month, Caramel Month, Celebrate Sun Dried Tomatoes Month, Celiac Disease Awareness Month, Child Health Month, Children's Magazine Month, Chili Month, Church Safety and Security Month, Class Reunion Month, Clergy Appreciation Month, Clock Month, Co-Op Awareness Month, Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Month, Commune With Your Kid Month, Computer Learning Month, Construction Toy Month, Consumer Information Month, Cookie Month, Cosmetology Month, Country Music Month, Crime Prevention Month, Dental Hygiene Month, Depression Education and Awareness Month, Dessert Month, Diabetes Month, Disability Employment Awareness Month, Diversity Awareness Month, Dog Service Month, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Down Syndrome Month, Dryer Vent Safety Month, Eat Better, Eat Together Month, Eat Country Ham Month, Energy Management Family Month, Ergonomics Month, Family Health Month, Family History Month, Family Sexuality Education Month, Fantasy Month, Gain the Inside Advantage Month, Gay & Lesbian History Month, Go Hog Wild Month, Go On A Field Trip Month, Gourmet Adventures Month, Halloween Safety Month, Head Start Awareness Month, Health Literacy Month, Healthier Babies Month, Healthy Lungs Month, Home Inspection Month, International Drum Month, International Fired-Up Month, International Starman Month, International Strategic Planning Month, Kitchen and Bath Month, Lazy Eye Month, Listen To Your Inner Critic Month, Literacy Month, Liver Awareness Month, Long Term Care Planning Month, Lupus Awareness Month, Make a Will Month, Medical Librarian Month, Orthodontic Health Month, Pajama Month, Pasta Month, Pastor Appreciation Month, Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month, Physical Therapy Month, Pickled Pepper Month, Pizza Month, Popcorn Poppin' Month, Pork Month, Positive Attitude Month, Pretzel Month, Reading Group Month, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Awareness Month, Rett Syndrome Awareness Month, Right Brainers Rule Month, Roller Skating Month, RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) Awareness Month, Sarcastics Awareness Month, Seafood Month, Self-Promotion Month, Skin Care Month, Spina Bifida Awareness Month, Spinach Lovers Month (ironic isn't it), Spinal Health Month, Stamp Collecting Month, Substance Abuse Prevention Month, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month, Talk About Prescriptions Month, Teller Appreciation Month, Toilet Tank Repair Month, Vegetarian Awareness Month, Women's Small Business Month, Workplace Politics Month.

October's traditional birthstone is opal, for hope, but folklore states that opals will bring bad luck to those not born in October who wear it. Gemologists believe this comes from the fact that opals are soft, liquid filled and prone to crack if not taken care of properly. Non-traditional birthstones are rose quartz, pink saphire, or tourmaline.

October's flower is the marigold (calendula).

October’s child is born for woe,
And life’s vicissitudes must know
But lay an Opal on her breast,
And hope will lull those woes to rest. Annie Fellows Johnston