Soon spring will be here, but first we got to get through February the shortest month in the year. Here are some important dates you may want to circle on the calendar. The Super Bowl plays on the 1st, Groundhog Day is on the 2nd, the 14th is Valentine's Day, Presidents Day lands on the 16th, Mardi Gras starts the 17th and on the 18th Ash Wednesday. Chinese New Year is the 19th and its the year of the Sheep. 

To some, the reference to Groundhog Day means the hit 1993 movie by the same name. To the majority of us its to celebrate Punxsutawney Phil who will burrow out of his hole to check the weather conditions, look for his shadow and make a prediction for the remainder of winter. To those who never seen the spectacle, here is last year's pomp and circumstance -http://www.visitpa.com/groundhog-day-live-stream

 Ah, he's soooooooo cute! This year will Punxsutawney Phil predict 6 more weeks of winter?

Chinese families celebrate the Spring Festival eating symbolic foods such as Chinese dumplings and fish in hopes of good luck and wealth.They also have their New Year superstitions. Some believe cleaning the home and washing hair in the first few days will sweep/wash away good luck. A child's cry is bad luck. Asking someone for money is a no-no. Many visit temples praying for good fortune. And wearing red underwear wards off bad luck and misfortune. This is obviously a popular tradition, since red underwear not only sells in street markets but in supermarkets! 

World Champion Ice Sculptor Heather Brice

Heather proclaims she hates the cold. Speaking of her work wardrobe, "It's all about layering. I wear a long-sleeved shirt, a polar fleece, a battery-heated sweatshirt, two jackets, jeans, a fur hat, fisherman's gloves and thick military boots -- I always have an extra pair warming on a space heater for when my feet get cold. If I'm going to be carving outside, I add fleece pants, leather mittens and toe warmers."

To see more of her and her husband's work - http://www.stevebrice.net/

Thomas Alva Edison was the founder of modern innovation, the process of turning an invention idea into a fully realized and patented commercial product. Edison held 1,093 patents.

He pioneered practical electric lighting, spawned the sound recording industry and created the first commercial system for motion pictures. He also had lesser known inventions.

You can thank your tattoo to Edison. His pneumatic stencil gun is the ancestor to the tattoo gun, and if you are a fan of talking dolls, Edison's miniaturized phonograph inserted into the doll was ahead of its time but lacked the sound recording technology we have today.

"Genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration. Accordingly, a  'genius' is often merely a talented person who has done all of his or her homework."  

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."

"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."