Sonoma Country Life

Phrase of the Week: Log-Rolling

Applied in politics to the 'give and take' principle, by which one party will help further specific interests of others in return for help in passing its own measures, "Log Rolling" sounds startlingly familiar to anyone following our new government's stimulus package negotiations.

In literary circles, log rolling means mutual admiration and alludes to the convivial American neighbors who assisted new settlers in rolling away the logs of their clearing!

By the way, if you'd like to get a closer look at the folks who will be at the forefront of modern American log-rolling in the reshaping of the country, pick up a copy of the marvelous March issue of Vanity Fair. Annie Leibovitz's amazing photography has captured all the new movers and shakers in Obama's cabinet and staff.

Multiple group pictures were taken either just before or just after the inauguration, hence the inclusion of an extremely over-confident looking Tom Daschle. Oh dear. Too late to pull that one. Particularly cool are the pics of the Economy Team, the Green Team, the News Tracking Team, the First Lady's Team.

Putting faces to political personalities we've never taken much notice of before peaks additional interest in who has been charged with precisely which responsibilities within the new regime. It's fascinating.

And if you are sick and tired of politics for now, there's another striking Leibovitz section in the March issue, in which she captures ten intriguing pairs of pre-Oscar celebrity partnerships.

Phrase of the Week: Candlemas Day

Did you know that February 2nd is Candlemas Day? The feast of the Purification of the blessed Virgin Mary for Catholics and lovers of light on a winter's evening.

It is said that if the weather is fine and frosty at the close of January and the beginning of Feb, there is more winter ahead than behind.

A good thing for sure here in Sonoma County where we are getting fairly frantic for a mere drop of rain on the horizon.

The Anglo-Saxons called February "Sprout-Kale' from the sprouting of cabbage and.... ur, Kale. In the French Republican calendar, however, this time of year was known as Pluvoise, rain month (Fill-Dyke in old English!).

There, a four-for-one this week!

Sleep Better with the Phrase of the Week

Word of the week appears to have morphed into Phrase of the Week due to all sorts of intriguing emails I have been receiving giving me insight into several familiar sayings I for one, take for granted on a daily basis and had little idea as to their origins.

Did you know that in Shakespeare's day, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes? By pulling on the rope, a mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on, hence this week's phrase "Good night sleep tight".

No doubt the knowledge of this will have you dreaming like a baby! Thanks to Elaine in Lincolnshire for scoring this little bit of trivia from the back of a Horlicks box. And for my American readers who may be wondering what on earth Horlicks may be, I won't keep you waiting until next week's word of the week - check out all sorts of suggestions for improving your slumber on the Horlicks site.