February is the Year of the Horse in the 12-year Chinese zodiac cycle. Occurring once every 12 years, the year is associated with energy, independence and progress. The Year of the Horse starts on Feb. 17. Those born in Horse years, such as 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, and 2014, are seen as charismatic individuals who personify the spirit of the horse. They are also characterized as enthusiastic, free-spirited and unafraid to take risks.
This year is also the Year of the Fire Horse, which occurs once every 60 years. Those born in the Fire Horse year will have a heightened sense of passion, determination and a desire to leave a lasting impact on the world.
For all of us, we can expect a period of renewed vigor; we will embrace the entrepreneurial spirit and we will appreciate life’s journey.
Horses are such beautiful and strong animals, so I wanted to recognize “their” year. It’s kind of fun!
February is also Black History Month, Presidents Day, Valentine’s Day, Groundhog Day, Mardi Gras and American Heart Month. The latter is addressed in the El Paso County Public Health’s column this month. We’ve also touched on Presidents Day, Valentine’s Day and Black History Month. By the way, newspapers nationwide use Associated Press style guidelines (they are supposed to anyway), and their ruling is no comma in Presidents Day!
In our newspaper this month, we also recognize charter schools. Deb Risden interviewed quite a few charter school leaders for information on their focus and areas of expertise — and a little bit about the difference between public and charter schools. We hope to do a follow up because there is so much interesting information related to charter schools. Many people ask the question, “Why can’t all public schools follow the charter school curriculums?
Jon Huang has again written about food and farming. He recently attended a conference that he summarizes in his article. There is a lot of focus these days on the relationship between good food and health, especially chronic health issues. There is a large and diverse group of people studying the effects of how food is grown and the relationship to health care issues.
A fun read this month is Coben Scott’s Yesterear column. He talks about the infamous outlaws that roamed the Pikes Peak region, stealing money and murdering innocent people. Maybe it’s not a fun read but an interesting one!
Valentine’s Day has a bit of a new twist (not so new). An increasing number of people are observing the unofficial holiday of Galentine’s Day on Feb. 13.
Galentine’s Day originated from the popular television series “Parks and Recreation” and has since become a tradition for many women. The day is dedicated to celebrating the special bond of female friendships, with women gathering to enjoy each other’s company, and share a meal.
And Valentine’s Day is somewhat strong, despite a fragile economy and inflation. See a story on the popular holiday on Pg.
I hope you all have a great Valentine’s Day no matter who you are celebrating with and an awesome start for the Year of the Horse.
See you in March!
Michelle
