January, Just a Giant Monday?

Mid-January, Little Rhody
- and yes, that was taken Monday morning, this week -
OAFS Photo

A friend of mine over at the Book of Faces posted a January = Giant Monday meme over the weekend. My first reaction, which I left in the comments was, "Not if you're retired." Which is true, to a certain extent.

Then it started snowing.

Now I've been through much larger snowstorms, what we had Sunday would be scoffed at in Buffalo. (A place I drove through in December of '75. There was probably a foot of fresh powder on the ground. When we stopped for fuel, the attendant admitted to having received "a dusting" in the night.) But Sunday's snow fall was heavy and wet. Nasty to be out in, nastier still to have to shovel. (I thank the Lord for my next door neighbors every day, they cleared the driveway for us and cut a path for the oilman.)

Anyhoo.

Another friend pointed out that for her, January is very much a giant Monday. She is also retired. Looking outside, I realized, it's the weather that makes January such a bloody Monday.

January in the northern tier is cold, snowy, unforgiving, and generally unpleasant as to its weather. So yes, I informed her, I now understood what she meant. Thanks, Helen!

Source

In my post regarding the games I had received at Christmas, one of which covered the Battle of Blenheim, comrade-in-blogging Toirdhealbheach Beucail (THB as I call him) mentioned the book depicted above. Which I, on something of a whim, decided then and there to order from Amazon.

Having had a number of books recommended to me by a number of readers concerning subjects which lie within my "sphere of interest," so to speak, and having yet to be disappointed, my decision wasn't that hard. (I should also note that the author is brother to the late Princess Diana, a lady I much admired.)

Well, long story short, I started reading it Monday, I'm through the first chapter and am captured, enthralled if you will. The book is superbly written, history told, as it should be, as a fascinating story populated by real people.

Well done, THB! Thank you for the tip.

Now THB's blog is called The Forty-Five, and by his moniker and the graphic depicting the blogger, is Scots-centric, after a fashion. The lad is also an incipient samurai. So there's two things I like, the Scots-ness of him and his love of things Japanese, something I share.

(Uh, Sarge, where you going with this?)

Ah yes, the '45, not the blog but the uprising which took place in 1745 in Scotland. An uprising which wanted to put the Catholic "Bonnie Prince Charlie" on the combined throne of England and Scotland.

Now as a lad I grew up being all in favor of the Prince. Being "all growed up" now, I realize that the '45 was sold to me as a glorious and wondrous thing when it reality it wasn't.

Now I recalled having seen a documentary done by the BBC back in the '60s about Culloden, the battle which really ended the '45. So I went looking for it, and found it.

Now it's longish (over an hour) but very well done. I liken it to being on the field with a reputable news crew (i.e. not any modern network) covering the fight as it happens. And it's aftermath.

I'm thinking of posting it tomorrow, what say you?

We shall see.

That's it for now, enjoy the week. I need to rest up from an overdose of football over the weekend!

Ciao!