messymimi's meanderings

Vacation Bible School. A friend of mine used to attend every single one when she was a child. Her mom would take them to the Baptists, the Methodists, the Presbyterians, the Lutherans, all of them. Her family was Mormon, but their mom wanted them to have something to do in the summer, so they would go, week after week.

My job at VBS is simple -- feed the volunteers. Fruit tray, veggie tray, chips and dips, trail mix, a sweet like mini cheesecake squares or cookies, something savory like mini quiches or small sandwiches. Each day i try to vary what i put out there. The volunteers work hard and the children participating get snacks, so i know the adult and teen volunteers get hungry, too.

As usual, on the first day, you end up forgetting something. In my case, it was a decent knife for cutting veggies, as the church knives are typical church kitchen knives, meaning they are as dull as my head. Also, this year i was put in the basement kitchen, which has no stove or oven, just a microwave, ice machine, and fridge. No supplies, either, i have to go get everything from the upstairs kitchen or the one by the gym. That means i'm going to bring my own cutting board, too.

Little Girl is assisting me, and i knew i needed to go get a few things from the store when we left. So i took her home, stopped to feed the Lorax, and while my hands were full with him, and listened to the messages on the answering machine from some of the ladies at the church, who had called me between the time i left there and the time i got home.

Ms. Libby: I know you were going to the store, could you get some 7 ounce cups, the small, square napkins and 6 inch paper plates? And forks, we will need more forks for the volunteer break room.

Ms. Maggie: Since you are going to the store, could you get some Bagel Bites? We had more kids register than we thought, and we won't have enough for tomorrow.

Ms. Liz: I know Ms. Libby said for you to get 7 ounce cups, but we'd rather have 5 ounce cups for the children, if you could pick some of those up for us.

While i was out, Little Girl texted me a message: You said you were going to get chicken nuggets, right? Please get the dinosaur shaped ones! Everyone loves those, even the grown ups.

After two stores and much searching and waiting in lines, i got home to one more message.

Ms. Libby, I wanted to let you know, since you were going to be putting chicken nuggets in the break room, that you don't have to buy any. We have several packages left over from Sunday that you can use.

Thank goodness i had only bought one big pack of the dinosaur shaped ones.

The Lorax is having his surgery today -- cleft palate and his neutering at the same time, poor guy. Anyway, please think good thoughts for him, and if you feel it's okay to pray for an animal, that would be nice, too.

The Lorax, daring me to take his picture!

Today is

Call of the Horizon Day -- can't find any history on this one, but if the idea of following your dreams over the Horizon has ever called you, take the time to follow today!

Constitution Day -- Australia; Palau

Constitutionalist Revolution Day -- São Paulo, Brazil

Don't Put All Your Eggs In One Omelet Day

Feast of Our Lady of Chiquinquira (Patron of Colombia; the Venezuelan National Guard)

Independence Day -- Argentina(1816); South Sudan(2011)

Martyrdom of the Bab -- Baha'i

Muffler Appreciation Day -- if you've ever had a loud vehicle, you will understand why someone started this one

National Culture Day -- Kiribati

National Sugar Cookie Day -- what could be simpler or more versatile? make them plain or make them fancy, but be sure you make enough!

Nunavut Day -- NU, Canada

Offerings to Heru and Amun -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (day Heru hears prayers in the presence of the Netjers; date approximate)

Shiman Rokusen-nichi -- Sensou-ji Temple, Asakusa, Tokyo (Day of 46,000; a visit to the temple on this day through tomorrow credits you the same as visiting 46,000 times on ordinary days)

St. Mary Hermina Grivot's Day (Patron of martyrs)

Wyandotte Street Art Fair -- Downtown Wyandotte, MI, US (over 250 seasoned and emerging artists display and sell their wares, with music and entertainment; through Saturday)

Anniversary Today:

Steven Cauble marries Lisa Whelchel, 1988

Birthdays Today

Mitchel Musso, 1991
Kiely Williams, 1986
Fred Savage, 1976
Jack White, 1975
Courtney Love, 1964
Kelly McGillis, 1957
Tom Hanks, 1956
Fred Norris, 1955
Jimmy Smits, 1955
Margaret Gillis, 1953
John Tesh, 1952
Chris Cooper, 1951
Mitch Mitchell, 1947
O.J. Simpson, 1947
Richard Roundtree, 1942
Brian Dennehy, 1938
David Hockney, 1937
Vince Edwards, 1928
Ed Ames, 1927
Mathilde Krim, 1926
Ottorino Respighi, 1879
Elias Howe, 1819
Anne Ward Radcliffe, 1764

Today in History

Roman military commander Avitus is proclaimed emperor of the Western Roman Empire, 455
Henry VIII annuls his marriage to Anne of Cleves (his 4th wife), 1540
In Versailles, the National Assembly reconstitutes itself as the National Constituent Assembly and begins preparations for a French constitution, 1789
The Act Against Slavery is passed in Upper Canada and the importation of slaves into Lower Canada is prohibited, 1793
The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified guaranteeing African Americans full citizenship and all persons in the United States due process of law, 1868
In Provident Hospital on Chicago’s South Side, black surgeon Dr. Daniel Hale Williams performed the first successful open-heart surgery, 1893
Queen Victoria gives royal assent to an Act creating the Commonwealth of Australia thus uniting separate colonies on the continent under one federal government, 1900
Johnny Weissmuller swims the 100 meters freestyle in 58.6 seconds breaking the world swimming record and the 'minute barrier', 1922
The Russell-Einstein Manifesto is released by Bertrand Russell in London, 1955
In a seminal moment for pop art, Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans exhibition opens at the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles, 1962
Margaret Thatcher begins her second term as British prime minster, 1982
South Africa is readmitted into the Olympic movement after 30 years of exclusion, 1991
The African Union is established in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2002
South Sudan gains independence and secedes from Sudan, 2011

In the good/great news category, The Lorax came through his surgery very well. He was neutered and his cleft palate fixed at the same time, so he is sore all over, but recovering at the veterinary hospital. They will keep him on the IV until they actually see him eat, which they will begin encouraging him to do right away. At four months of age, he will finally get to start eating solids!

In the not so good news category, we had a thunderstorm roll through yesterday that poured rain sideways because the wind was blowing so hard, and lightening knocked out the electricity for many of us. The generator here had a hard time kicking on, so we turned off the central A/C, we really didn't need it because the temperatures weren't that bad, and we unplugged a lot of extraneous stuff and turned off every light possible. After that it ran fine.

It did, however, in coming on when the electricity went out, then in shutting down and restarting, and then in having to come back on when the electricity shut down a second time, send some kind of surge that destroyed Sweetie's DVD player. We don't watch TV, but he has an old, small one in his man cave, and he loves to watch his DVDs -- mostly old westerns, and old action flicks, and concerts that were recorded live of singers like Paul McCartney and Roy Orbison. So i will hie me to the BigBoxStore once again to get him another cheap DVD player. It's not worth it to buy and expensive one, they croak as quickly as the cheap ones.

And in the weird news category, #2 Son has come up with another way to eat leftover goulash. He makes it into a sandwich.

Tomatoey, meaty, noodly goodness.

On whole wheat bread. Yum!

Well, i guess i deserve to have kids who eat weird stuff. It's generational and familial, Grandpa taught me to use ice cream as potato chip dip when i was a kid!

Today is

Armed Forces Day -- Mauritania

Clerihew Day -- in honor of the poetic form he invented, the clerihew:
     Edmund's middle name was Clerihew
     A name possessed by very few
     But verses by Mr. Bentley
     Succeeded eminently!

Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo -- Vernal, UT, US (one of the top rodeos in the country; through Saturday)

Don't Step On A Bee Day -- Wellcat Holidays wants to remind you, when going barefoot this time of year, watch out!

Feast Day of Knut the Reaper, Hela, Holda, and Skadi -- Norse deities whose celebration this day is due to their later association with Danish King Canute the Great

Hodag Country Festival -- Rhinelander, WI, US (at the Hodag "50" Track, a large open-air country music festival; through Sunday)

Independence Day -- Bahamas(1973)

International Carthage Festival -- Tunis, Tunisia (the country's biggest arts event and music festival, through Aug. 16)

Lady Godiva Day -- tradition says she took her famous ride on this day in 1040

National Pina Colada Day

Oregon Trail Days -- Gering, NE, US (the oldest continuing celebration of the Oregon Trail; through Sunday)

Pick Blueberries Day -- variously set on different days in July depending on the website; with blueberries being so good for you, find a day to go gather or buy some soon

Pictou Lobster Carnival -- Pictou, NS, Canada (a tail gate party and more;through Sunday)

Silence Day -- followers of Meher Baba

St. Amalburga's Day (Patron of people with fever; Ghent, Belgium; against arm pain, bruises, and fevers)

Teddy Bear Picnic Day -- no idea why today, especially when the author of the song, Jimmy Kennedy, was born on July 20

Turkey Rama -- McMinnville, Oregon (family fun on "Oregon's Favorite Main Street" that includes the "World's Largest Turkey BBQ"; through Sunday)

Worshipful Company of Vintners (Winemakers) of the City of London Annual Procession

Anniversaries Today

Wyoming becomes the 44th US State, 1890

Birthdays Today

Jessica Simpson, 1980
Andre Nolan Dawson, 1954
Arlo Guthrie, 1947
Sue Lyon, 1946
Ron Glass, 1945
Virginia Wade,1945
Arthur Ashe, 1943
Lawrence Pressman, 1939
Jerry Herman, 1933
David Norman Dinkins, 1927
Fred Gwynne, 1926
Jean Kerr, 1923
Jake LaMotta, 1921
Eunice Kennedy Shriver, 1921
David Brinkley, 1920
Don "Mr. Wizard" Herbert, 1917
John Gilbert, 1897
Edmund Clerihew Bentley, 1875
Mary Jane McLeod Bethune, 1875
Marcel Proust, 1871
Nikola Tesla, 1856
Adolphus Busch, 1839
James Whistler, 1834
George Mifflin Dallas, 1792
William Blackstone, 1723
John Calvin, 1509

Debuting/Premiering Today:

The Fox And The Hound(Animated film), 1981
"Your Hit Parade"(TV), 1950

Today in History

Julius Caesar barely avoids a catastrophic defeat to Pompey in Macedonia at the Battle of Dyrrhachium, BC48
The most severe of several early fires of London burns most of the city to the ground, 1212
Lady Jane Grey takes the throne of England, 1553
Alexander Mackenzie reaches the Mackenzie River delta, 1789
The Vellore Mutiny is the first instance of a mutiny by Indian sepoys against the British East India Company, 1806
The United States takes possession of its newly bought territory of Florida from Spain, 1821
Big Ben, the great bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, rings for the first time, 1859
The eruption of Tarawera volcano destroys the famous pink and white calcium carbonate hot-spring terraces of North Island, New Zealand, 1886
Meher Baba, self declared Avatar of the Age, begins his silence of 44 years; his followers observe Silence Day on this date in commemoration, 1925
In Dayton, Tennessee, the so-called "Monkey Trial" begins with John T. Scopes, a young high school science teacher accused of teaching evolution in violation of the Butler Act, 1925
Howard Hughes sets a new record by completing a 91 hour airplane flight around the world, 1938
Telstar, the world's first communications satellite, is launched into orbit, 1962
Boris Yeltsin begins his 5-year term as the first elected President of Russia, 1991
In London scientists report the findings of the DNA analysis of a Neanderthal skeleton which supports the "out of Africa theory" of human evolution, 1997
Spain opens its first mosque since the Moors were expelled in 1492, in Granada, 2003
France O'Grady is appointed the first female General Secretary by Britain's Trade Union Congress, 2012

In this house, we go through, and wash, a lot of cups.

Clean cups drying.

Every time someone besides me comes through the kitchen, s/he grabs another cup (i use one cup that everyone else leaves alone, and wash it each morning before i use it). Even when the cups don't mostly look the same, they don't remember from one time to the next which was theirs, and so grab another from the cabinet each time. Or they take it outdoors or to the car or to their rooms or hand them off to friends who walk off with them, and they don't migrate back unless i call for a round-up.

Yes, i buy disposable cups and wash them over and over until they break, then recycle them. Someday, when i don't have kids taking them outside and losing them and such, i will have sets that match!

Photo-Finish Friday is the brainchild of Leah, at The Goat's Lunch Pail.

Today is

Advice-to-the-Lovelorn-Day -- date, in 1896, the New Orleans Picayune first published the advice column of Dorothy Dix, Mother Confessor to Millions; it eventually ran in 300 papers for 55 years

Bear Lake Days --Bear Lake, MI, US (the fun even includes a Venetian boat parade; through Sunday)

Blissfest -- Harbor Springs, MI, US (three music stages, workshop areas, and the preservation of folk and roots music; through Sunday)

Bonfire Night -- Northern Ireland (precursor to The Twelfth a/k/a Orangemen's Day)

Bowdler's Day

China National Maritime Day -- People's Republic of China

Collector Car Appreciation Day -- brought to you by the SEMA Action Network

Convenience Store Day -- the first Seven Eleven opened on this day in 1927 in Dallas, TX; it was open 7am to 11pm, thus the name

Cow Appreciation Day® -- sponsored by Chick-fil-A; wear a partial cow costume, get a free entree, dress head to hoof, get a free meal

Day of the Flemish Community -- Flemish community of Belgium, commemorates the Battle of the Golden Spurs of 1302

Feast of Theano, Philosopher, Mathmatician, wife of Pythagoras, patron of vegetarianism (date approximate, supposedly when she was born)

Feast of Min -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Free Slurpee Day at Seven-Eleven -- if you have these stores where you live, stop by between 11am and 7pm to get a free 11.7oz. Slurpee (TM) today

Full Buck Moon a/k/a Full Thunder Moon or Full Hay Moon; related observances
Esala Full Moon Poya Day -- Sri Lanka
Waso Full Moon / Dhamma Cakka Day -- Myanmar

Harrison Festival of the Arts -- Harrison Hot Springs, BC, Canada (a celebration of the world of music, dance, theater, and visual arts; through the 20th)

Imamat Day -- Ismailism

Kilburn Feast -- Kilburn, North Yorkshire at The Square, England (dating back hundreds of years, it's no longer a horse-fair, but a great many fun events for villagers; the Mayor and Mayoress, both men in costume, are the highlight, handing out "fines" for "crimes" such as carrying an umbrella or having a moustache, with money going to a local charity; through Sunday)

Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant -- DeSmet, SD, US (get a taste of pioneer life, this weekend Friday-Sunday plus the next two weekends, in the original Little Town on the Prairie she wrote about)

Naadam Festival -- Mongolia (a/k/a Revolution Day/National Day, traditional sporting events nationwide, but best at Ulaanbaatar, through the 13th)

National Blueberry Muffin Day

National Cheer Up The Lonely Day -- begun by Francis Pesek of Detroit, Michigan; he chose to spend his birthday as a day to promote kindness, especially the forgotten at nursing homes and shut ins who have no visitors

Reading Guilt Day -- the day you are supposed to start reading that book you only read the Cliff's Notes on in school

St Benedict's Day (Patron of agricultural workers, cavers/speliologists/spelunkers, civil engineers, coppersmiths, farm workers/farmers, Italian architects, monks, people in religious orders, people who are dying, school children, servants who have broken their masters belongings, students; Europe; Heerdt, Germany; Norcia, Italy; Subiaco, Italy; against erysipelas, fever, gall stones, inframmatory diseases, kidney disease, nettle rash, poison, temptations, and witchcraft)

Three Rivers Festival -- Ft. Wayne, IN, US (Fort Wayne's biggest summer party; through the 19th)

Wayne Chicken Show -- Wayne, NE, US (this year's theme is "Cluck Dynasty", and the family friendly fun includes a rubber chicken chuck and National Cluck Off; through Sunday)

World Population Day -- UN

Birthdays Today:

David Henrie, 1989
Marie Sernehold, 1983
Michael Rosenbaum, 1972
Justin Chambers, 1970
John Henson, 1967
Greg Grunberg, 1966
Rod Strickland, 1966
Al MacInnis, 1963
Lisa Rinna, 1963
Richie Sambora, 1960
Richie Sambora, 1959
Suzanne Vega, 1959
Mark Lester, 1958
Sela Ward, 1956
Leon Spinks, 1953
Stephen Lang, 1952
Bonnie Pointer, 1951
Beverly Todd, 1946
Giorgio Armani, 1934
Tab Hunter, 1931
Harold Bloom, 1930
Yul Brynner, 1920
E.B. White, 1899
John Quincy Adams, 1767

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Space Oddity"(Single release), 1969
"The Newlywed Game"(TV), 1966
To Kill A Mockingbird(Publication date), 1960

Today in History

Admiral Zheng He sets sail on his first exploratory expedition for the Ming Dynasty, 1405
Samuel de Champlain returns to Quebec, 1616
Jews are expelled from Little Russia, 1740
Halifax, Nova Scotia is almost completely destroyed by fire, 1750
Captain James Cook begins his third voyage, 1776
Jacques Necker is dismissed as France's Finance Minister sparking the Storming of the Bastille, 1789
French astronomer Jean-Louis Pons made his first comet discovery (he discovered 36 over the next 27 years, more than any other person), 1801
Vice President of the United States Aaron Burr mortally wounds former Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton in a duel, 1804
Waterloo railway station in London opens, 1848
Tijuana, Mexico, is formally founded, 1889
The Lumière brothers demonstrate film technology to scientists, 1895
Babe Ruth makes his Major League debut, 1914
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is first published, 1960
The first U.S. space station, Skylab, is destroyed as it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere over the Indian Ocean, 1979
According to the UN, the Earth's population crosses the 5,000,000,000 mark, 1987
The United States announces it will reestablish full diplomatic relations with Vietnam, 1995
Colton Harris-Moore, the so-called "Barefoot Bandit", is caught in the Bahamas after a 2 year manhunt, 2010

There are times, when July 12 rolls around again, when i'm not so sure whether to publicly acknowledge the anniversary or not. This time, i will just say it's been 20 years, and if you really want to know 20 years since what, you can go here. A fair warning, it's not an easy read to some.

Other than that, i will say Vacation Bible School went well. Little Girl and i served the snacks to all of the other volunteers. They enjoyed what we served, some things more than others. The nachos were a hit, as were the chocolate lacey cookies. The trail mix, to which i added more candy, went over very well indeed. The donut holes i brought the last day served to keep them from coming in looking for food before we even had it set out!

The Lorax is continuing to heal. It seems the cleft was bigger than they thought so the surgery took longer, but he is healing and progressing faster than they expected. He should come home early next week and he will finish out his recovery time here, then go to his forever home.

The cat shelter was busy yesterday, they did two adoptions while i was there! One was a kitten, and the other an adult cat that was being chased by a dog. The owner got the dog to stop in time, and found the cat trembling and hiding in his garage, and didn't know what to do. We took her in, and she gifted us with 5 kittens! Not any more she won't, though, we've taken care of that, and she has a great home.

And in "mom is vindicated" news from the world of teens, Little Girl came to me and said, "Mom, you know how you say that the music you listen to affects you for good or for evil? Well, I think I now know what you mean. When I'm around people listening to very heavy, very negative music, it's like it brings me down. Now I know why you like to keep the music in the house positive!"

You become what you think about, kid. That includes your music.

Today is

Art Fair on the Square -- Madison, WI, US (one of the Midwest's largest juried art fairs; through tomorrow)

Bald In - Bald Out Day -- sponsored by Bald Girls Do Lunch; if men can be bald and brazen, then women and children who cannot grow hair should bring bald INto their lives, and never feel on the OUTs!

Bohemian Club Annual Rites begin -- Bohemian Grove, CA US (if you are into conspiracy theories, this is supposedly when and where the male movers and shakers of the world meet for two weeks and decide the fate of the world for the next 12 months; the members of the club, including former presidents and other high level officials, do meet for a couple of weeks this time of year to have, among other things, a Cremation of Care ceremony)

Carver Day -- George Washington Carver National Monument, Diamond, MO, US

Circus City Festival -- Peru, IN, US (did you ever want to run off and join the circus? This is the week kids age 7-21 get to do just that, so go watch and have fun with them! through the 19th)

Different Colored Eyes Day -- people with heterochromia, celebrate!

Etch-a-Sketch Day -- the toy was first manufactured on this day in 1960, timed to hit toy shelves for Christmas that year

Fairfest -- Hastings, NE (a parade today, and starting on Monday a full week of traditional county fair fun plus world class stage entertainment)

Galicnik Svadba -- Galicnik, Macedonia (wedding festival, when one lucky couple gets to be married in a traditional "Galichka" style wedding, through tomorrow)

Independence Day -- Kiribati(1979; a/k/a National Day); Sao Tome & Principe(1975)

Kronia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate, a festival for Kronos, part of which included masters and slaves switching places for a meal)

National Pecan Pie Day

Omaha Railroad Days -- celebrating all things track and train, through tomorrow

Orangemen's Day (a/k/a Twelfth Day) -- Northern Ireland (Battle of the Boyne commemoration)

Pori Jazz Festival -- Pori, Finland (a major international music event with world class performances; through the 20th)

Rainmaker Day -- Salem, Oregon (while it is understood that in Salem, you are more likely to rust than sunburn, from 1892 until 2006, no measurable rain fell on this date in this normally wet city)

Simplicity Day -- sponsored by www.doonething.org on Thoreau's birthday, highlighting the concepts in the book Voluntary Simplicity by Duane Elgin, and advocating finding sustainable ways to live

Sodbuster Days -- Fort Ransom, ND, US (learn how rural North Dakotans lived in the early 1920s; through tomorrow)

Sourdough River Festival -- Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (Float Fest and a big water fight! with the famous Sourdough Raft Race tomorrow)

St. John Gualbert's Day (Patron of foresters and forest workers, park services and parks)

St. Veronica's Day (Patron of laundry workers and photographers)

Stone House Day -- Hurley, NY, US (tour of several 250+ year old stone houses within 150-yards of each other)

Anniversaries Today

Henry VIII marries Catherine Parr, 1543 (the lucky wife who outlived him)

Birthdays Today

Erik Per Sullivan, 1991
Michelle Rodriguez, 1978
Brock Lesnar, 1977
Anna Friel, 1976
Kristi Yamaguchi, 1971
Lisa Nicole Carson, 1969
Rolonda Watts, 1959
Mel Harris, 1957
Paul Guilfoyle, 1955
Cheryl Ladd, 1951
Jamey Sheridan, 1951
Richard Simmons, 1948
Denise Nicholas, 1945
Christine McVie, 1943
Bill Cosby, 1937
Van Cliburn, 1934
Andrew Wyeth, 1917
Curly Joe DeRita, 1909
Milton Berle, 1908
Pablo Neruda, 1904
R. Buckminster Fuller, 1895
Oscar Hammerstein II, 1895
George Washington Carver, 1861
George Ohr, 1857
George Eastman, 1854
Henry David Thoreau, 1817
Josiah Wedgwood, 1730

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Northern Exposure"(TV), 1990
"Family Feud"(TV), 1976
"Evening At Pops"(TV), 1970
"Baseball's Sad Lexicon (Tinker to Evers to Chance)"(Publication date), 1910

Today in History

England is unified by Athelstan of England, 927
Saladin's garrison surrenders to Conrad of Montferrat, ending the two-year siege of Acre, 1191
Fray Diego de Landa, acting Bishop of Yucatan, burns the sacred books of the Maya, 1562
Ostrog Bible, the first printed Bible in a Slavic language, is published, 1580
The United States invades Canada at Windsor, Ontario, 1812
The Commonwealth Franchise Act, granting women's suffrage in Australia, is given royal assent and takes effect, 1902
Pune, India floods due to failure of Khadakvasala and Panshet dams; half of the city is submerged and the death toll exceeded 2000, 1961
A fire destroys the entire 6th floor of the National Personnel Records Center of the United States, 1973
Boris Yeltsin quits the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, 1990
Israel invades Lebanon in response to Hezbollah's kidnapping of Israeli soldiers, 2006
A ticket holder in Britain wins the largest EuroMillions jackpot in history, 161,653,000GBP, 2011
The Rolling Stones, English rock band, celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of its first performance at the Marquee Club in Oxford Street, London, 2012

Silly Sunday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus. It's the place to come for weekly laughs. It's easy to participate, just laugh and link up!

Little Girl came to me and said, "Mom, what does it mean when the top of the back of your throat itches, and you are coughing up a stuff that has a bit of blood in it?"

It means you probably have a sinus infection and you need to go to the doctor, i told her.

"But I don't want to go to the doctor!" she whined.

Tough, i told her, i'm calling in the morning to make an appointment.

This, of course, reminds me of a joke.

Boudreaux run into Dr. Comeau one day down at de local watering hole, and de good doctor ax him, "Hey, Boudreaux, how come you never come see me?"

Boudreaux, he say, "Well, Dr. Comeau, it be like dis. For to digest my food, I drink beer. If I don't got no appetite, I drink strawberry wine. If my blood pressure get too low, I drink muscadine wine. If'n it get too high, I drink Scotch. When I got a cold, I drink schnapps."

"When do you ever drink water?" Dr. Comeau ax.

"Doc, I ain't never been dat sick!"

Today is

Anne Hutchinson Memorial Day -- Portsmouth, RI, US (honoring Anne Marbury Hutchinson, co-founder of Portsmouth, in 1638)

Asalhka Puja Day -- Buddhism (Buddhist "Lent" begins)

Barbershop Music Appreciation Day -- anniversary of the founding of Sweet Adelines International

Beans and Franks Day

Disability Awareness Day -- UK (the world's largest "not for profit" volunteer-led disability exhibition)

Embrace Your Geekness Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays, celebrate your love of online dungeon games, comic books, or dressing up like a vampire

Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival -- University of Fairbanks, AK (a unique study and performance festival; through the 27th)

Feast of Kalimat (Words) -- Baha'i Faith

Fool's Paradise Day -- a day to figure out how a fool can achieve paradise? or how it can be paradise if it is full of fools?

Go West Day -- commemorates Horace Greeley's "Go West, young man, and grow up with the country."

Gruntled Workers Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays; those of us who are gruntled, as opposed to the disgruntled, should unite and pass along some "great work" compliments to those doing a good job

International Puzzle Day -- some sites say Jan. 29, but today is Erno Rubik's birthday

Lá Cuimhneacháin Náisiúnta -- Republic of Ireland (National Day of Commemoration, honoring all Irish people who have died in war or as part of a UN peacekeeping mission)

La Retraite Aux Flambeaux -- France (night watch, before Bastille Day)

National French Fries Day

Obon (Ulambana) -- Buddhist; Shinto (Festival of the Lanterns, a time of honoring the ancestors, a reunion of them with the living; through the 15th, although Obon festivals are held on various dates in July at temples throughout the world)

Ss. Cyril and Methodius' Parish Festival -- Sheboygan, WI, US (dance, Slovenian foods and music, and a Polka Mass)

Statehood Day -- Montenegro

St. Henry the Emperor's Day (Patron of childless people, disabled people, dukes, handicapped people, kings, people rejected by religious orders, physically challenged people; Bamberg, Germany; Basel, Switzerland; Benedictine Oblates; against sterility)

St. Joel the Prophet's Day (Old Testament prophet of the Book of Joel)

Birthdays Today

Anthony Jerome “Spud” Webb, 1963
Cameron Crowe, 1957
Jane Hamilton, 1957
Michael Spinks, 1956
Louise Mandrell, 1954
Cheech Marin, 1946
Erno Rubik, 1944
Harrison Ford, 1942
Roger McGuinn, 1942
Robert Forster, 1941
Patrick Stewart, 1940
Jack Kemp, 1935
Wole Soyinka, 1934
David Storey, 1933
Bob Crane, 1928
Dave Garroway, 1913
Nathan Bedford Forrest, 1821
Julius Caesar, BC100

Today in History

Capt James Cook begins 2nd trip (Resolution) to South Seas, 1772
William Wordsworth, on a walking tour through the Wye Valley, visited the ruins of Tintern Abbey and a few miles further on composed a poem about them, 1798
Greek War of Independence: Greeks defeated Ottoman forces at Thermopylae, 1822
Henry R Schoolcraft discovers the source of the Mississippi River, 1832
After 9,957 unnumbered patents, the U.S. Patent Office issues Patent No. 1, for locomotive wheels, 1836
Queen Victoria becomes the first British monarch to live at Buckingham Palace in London, 1837
First day of the New York Draft Riots in response to President Abraham Lincoln's Enrollment Act of Conscription, 1863
Horace Greeley publishes his editorial advising young men to "Go West, young man, go west and grow up with the country," 1865
PT Barnum's American Museum was destroyed in one of the most spectacular fires in New York City's history, 1865
Gold was discovered near Cochrane, Ontario, Canada, 1909
The British airship R34 lands in Norfolk, England, completing the first airship return journey across the Atlantic in 182 hours of flight, 1919
Alexander Butterfield reveals the existence of the Nixon tapes to the special Senate committee investigating the Watergate break in, 1973
The Live Aid benefit concert, a telecast fundraising concert for famine relief in Ethiopia, was held in London and Philadelphia, as well as other venues such as Sydney and Moscow, 1985
American Thoroughbred racehorse Cigar wins his 16th consecutive top-class race, the first horse to do so since Triple Crown winner citation, 1996
Researchers reveal two studies showing the antiretroviral drugs prescribed to treat AIDS can also prevent HIV infections, 2011

Awww Monday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus. We could all stand to start the work week with a cute picture that makes you say, "Awww!" So post a cute picture, and enjoy a nice start to the day!

Today, Hope is asking the question so many of us ask, "Awww, mom, do I have to get up?"

But I don't wanna get up!

HopeCat has a hard life, at least in her mind. She has to share our room with Horizon and Kida and she can never, in her own opinion at least, get enough food. Or sleep.

v

Today is

Barn Day -- celebrating barns, old and new, and their history and importance

Bastille Day / National Day -- France, French Territories and some former Colonies (Quatorze Juillet/Fete Nationale)

Birthday of Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden -- an official Flag Day of Sweden

Central Maine Egg Festival -- Pittsfield, Maine (more fun with eggs than you ever thought you could have; through Saturday)

Children's Party at Green Animals Topiary Garden -- Portsmouth, RI, US (annual party for children and the young at heart)

Feast of St. Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain

Festival of Millennial Fairy Olympics -- Fairy Calendar (Closing Ceremonies)

International Town Criers Day

Macaroni Day

M&Ms Argument Day -- which are best? plain? peanut? almond? minis? spend the day in a heated discussion with friends and end with an M&M feast

Nachi Himatsuri -- Kumano-Nachi Taisha, Nachi-Katsuura, Japan (one of Japan's 3 largest fire festivals, a grand summer festival and purification ritual, through tomorrow)

National Grand Marnier Day -- on Bastille day, to show the friendship between France and the US

National Nude Day -- New Zealand (although now it's often called International Nude Day, and celebrated everywhere as a day to enjoy your beautiful human form)

Pandemonium Day -- internet generated; don't let the crazy things that happen in your life get you down, celebrate instead!

Republic Day -- Iraq

Runic Half-Month Ur begins (primal strength)

Shark Awareness Day

Snake River Stampede -- Nampa, ID (the 93rd year of one of the top 15 professional rodeo events in the nation; through Saturday)

St. Kateri Tekakwitha's Day ("Lily of the Mohawks", first Native American proposed for canonization; Patron of ecologists, ecology, environment, environmentalism, environmentalists, exiles, people ridiculed for their piety, people who have lost their parents)

Tape Measure Day -- the first modern spring tape measure was patented this day in 1868 by Alvin Fellows of New Haven, NJ, US

Birthdays Today

Missy Gold, 1970
Robin Ventura, 1967
Matthew Fox, 1966
Jackie Earle Haley, 1961
Jane Lynch, 1960
Joel Silver, 1952
Tommy Mottola, 1949
Steve Stone, 1947
Roosevelt "Rosie" Grier, 1932
Polly Bergen, 1930
John Chancellor, 1927
Harry Dean Stanton, 1926
Dale Robertson, 1923
Ingmar Bergman, 1918
Douglas Edwards, 1917
Gerald R. Ford, 1913
Woodie Guthrie, 1912
William Hanna, 1910
Ken Murray, 1903
Dave Fleischer, 1893
Florence Bascom, 1862

Debuting/Premiering Today:

License to Kill(Film), 1989
"Spring Symphony"(Britten Op. 44), 1949
Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care(Publication Date)

Today in History

Foundation of the Mission San Antonio de Padua in modern California by the Franciscan friar Junípero Serra, 1771
Citizens of Paris storm the Bastille and free seven prisoners, 1789
First ascent of the Matterhorn, by Edward Whymper and party, four of whom die on the descent, 1865
The Campanile in St Mark's Square, Venice collapses, also demolishing the loggetta, 1902
The United States $500, $1,000, $5,000 and $10,000 bills are officially withdrawn from circulation, 1969
A powerful solar flare, later named the Bastille Day event, causes a geomagnetic storm on Earth, 2000
The United States Government admits to the existence of "Area 51", 2003
In Borneo, a rainbow toad, believed to be extinct since 1924, is sighted, 2011
Neptune, discovered in 1846, completes its first orbit of the sun since that date, 2011

With one of those early morning notes from the kids.

My kids know i get up early, usually 4am early. By somewhere between 5-5:30am i'm usually downstairs getting the day going. They know i check email first things (then don't usually mess with it the rest of the day), so if they have something they need to tell me, they leave a note, usually on scratch paper with whatever pen/pencil/marker is handy, right on my computer.

Monday morning's note:

#1 Son's note.

For any who can't read his writing, it says, "Mom, The van is totally out of gas. It was turned on with the keys in ignition when I got home at 11:30pm."

Ferreting out the whys and wherefores, it turned out that when #2 Son came home around 8pm from taking Young Jacob home, he was so tired he simply got out of the vehicle and left it running, came in and went to bed! He gets up at 3am to be at work for 4, so it's understandable, but still. How do you forget to turn off the car?

Anyway, Sweetie had a light day at work as The Big Boss is out of town, so he managed to grab a spare gas can on the way to run work errands. fill it and bring me enough gas to get it going. It was almost dead empty. It probably would have started, but wouldn't have made it to the nearest gas station, about a half a mile away, that's how low it was.

Talking about it later, #1 Son said, "I had to leave the note, I didn't want you to get in and start driving and then wonder why the van stopped!"

Smart move, and we've all had a great chuckle of it. Except #2 Son, who is slightly red faced.

Today is

Alpenfest -- Gaylord, MI, US (a Swiss inspired festival for the whole family that includes "The World's Largest Coffee Break"; through Saturday)

Be a Dork Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays, which encourages you to wear goofy clothes and fall off a swingset today and be proud of Dorkiness

Cigarette Warning Day -- anniversary of the 1968 law passed in the US that requires health warnings on cigarette packaging

Fast of Shiva Asar B'Tammuz -- Judaism (a day of fasting and mourning the destruction of the tablets by Moses, the disruption of Temple services in 423BCE, and the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem right before the Temple was destroyed in 70AD)

Feast of Rowana/Rauni -- Druid/Cornish/Flemish (rowan tree goddess; date approximate)

Festival of Castor and Pullox -- Ancient Roman Calendar every five years (celebrated with a cavalry and chariot procession)

Festival of Santa Rosalia -- Palermo; Sicily (remembrance of the Patron saint of the city on the date, in 1624, when she stopped the plague)

Gorestnici -- Bulgaria (fire festival of 3 days duration, honoring the ancient belief that these are the 3 hottest days of the year)

Gummi Worm Day

Hakata Gion Yamagasa -- Kushida Shrine, Fukuoka, Japan (festival of floats, dates back to the 13th century, includes dousing teams carrying one ton floats with water as they race!)

Hundadagar -- Icelandic tradition, the "dog days" of summer begin, through Aug. 23

Ides of July -- Ancient Roman Calendar

I Love Horses Day -- all over the web with no specific reason given, but do you need a reason to celebrate horses?

Marrakesh Popular Arts Festival -- Marrakesh, Morocco (the country's best Folklore Festival, featuring art and music as well; through Sunday)

National Tapioca Pudding Day

Nazul Al-Quran -- Brunei Darussalam; Malaysia (Quran Revelation Day)

No-Hitter Day -- George Bradley of the St. Louis Brown Stockings pitched the first officially recognized no-hitter in MLB against the Hartford Dark Blues on this date in 1876

Petal-Hopping for Beginners Day -- Fairy Calendar

Pet Fire Safety Day -- make a plan to get yourself and your pets safely out of your home in case of a fire!

Respect Canada Day -- because Canada deserves it!

St. Bonaventure's Day (Patron against intestinal problems; of Bagnoregio, Italy; Cochiti Indian Pueblo; St. Bonaventure University, New York)

St. Swithun's Day -- Saint Swithun's Society Annual Celebration in Toronto, ON, Canada; the weather prognostication associated with this saint says if it rains today, it will rain for the next 40 days (Patron against drought; of Stavenger, England; Winchester, England)

St. Swithun's Festival -- St Swithun's Church, Church Street, Worcester, England (from today, which is St. Swithun's Day, through the 18th)

St. Vladimir of Kiev's Day (Patron of converts, parents of large families, reformed and penitant murderers; Russia; Ukranian Catholic Diocese of Stamford, Connecticut; Winnipeg, Manitoba)

Sultan's Birthday -- Brunei Darussalam

Thangka unveiling Tashilungpo -- Tibet (Buddha Exhibition Festival) related observance
Zamling Chisang -- Universal Prayer Day (to the Tibetan Deities, especially Samye Dolde)

Birthdays Today

Tanner Maguire, 1998
Emily Roeske, 1991
Brian Austin Green, 1973
Beth Stern, 1972
Adam Savage, 1967
Irene Jacob, 1966
Forest Whitaker, 1961
Lolita Davidovich, 1961
Kim Alexis, 1960
William Aames, 1960
Terry O’Quinn, 1952
Jesse Ventura, 1951
Arianna Huffington, 1950
Richard Russo, 1949
Linda Ronstadt, 1946
Jan-Michael Vincent, 1944
Alex George Karras, 1935
Ken Kercheval, 1935
Julian Bream, 1933
Clive Cussler, 1931
Jacques Derrida, 1930
Mother Fraqnces Xavier Cabrini, 1850
Thomas Bulfinch, 1796
Clement Clarke Moore, 1779
Rembrandt Van Rijn, 1606

Debuting/Premiering Today:

MSNBC(Network), 1996
"One Life to Live"(TV), 1968

Today in History

Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final assault of a difficult siege, 1099
John Ball, a leader in the Peasants' Revolt, is hanged, 1381
Alexei Chirikov sights land and sends men ashore in a longboat, making them the first Europeans to visit Alaska, 1741
The Rosetta Stone is found in the Egyptian village of Rosetta by French Captain Pierre-François Bouchard during Napoleon's Egyptian Campaign, 1799
Zebulon Pike begins an expedition from Fort Belle Fountaine to explore the west, 1806
Napoléon Bonaparte surrenders aboard HMS Bellerophon, 1815
A fire destroys the ancient Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, 1823
Georgia becomes the last of the former Confederate states to be readmitted to the Union, 1870
The stratovolcano Mount Bandai, Japan, erupts killing approximately 500 people, 1888
In Seattle, Washington, William Boeing and George Conrad Westervelt incorporate Pacific Aero Products (later renamed Boeing), 1916
Eighteen Nobel laureates sign the Mainau Declaration against nuclear weapons, later co-signed by thirty-four others, 1955
AOL Time Warner disbands Netscape Communications Corporation; the Mozilla Foundation is established on the same day, 2003
Entire villages are burned to the ground and 40,000 people flee their homes in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 2010

...a birthday. At least, here.

First, pick a good cake.

The more chocolate, the better.

Let Little Girl have fun mixing the ingredients, and pour the batter into round pans that will fit in our toaster oven.

A batter filled pan, buttered, but she forgot the flour. Hope it won't stick!

Bake in said toaster oven, the only oven we have right now, remembering to turn every 10 minutes so as not to overcook in the one hot spot the oven has.

Well baked!

After they cool, cut and fit the cakes into a rectangular cake pan, because we just don't get them to come out right when we try to make layer cakes.

See! They fit!

Have Little Girl make frosting, which means getting powdered sugar everywhere -- we can't help it!

Powdery sweetness all over.

While the pan frosting is still hot, spread over the cake.

Maybe not a thing of beauty, but a joy for eating!

Happy 23rd birthday, #1 Son!

Today is:

Atomic Bomb Day -- the first experimental bomb was set off today in 1945

Closet Space Appreciation Day -- if you have some, enjoy (we have tiny closets!)

Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel; related observances (many noting her relationship to Carmen, ancient goddess of healing and midwifery)
     Fiesta of the Virgin of Carmen -- Santurtzi, Basque Region, Spain
     Lady of Carmen Day -- Chile
     La Madonna della Carmine -- Naples, Italy (all of Italy, actually, but especially here)
     Virgen Del Carmen -- Cetano, Puerto Rico

Fresh Spinach Day -- yippee!

Friendship Festival -- Lathrop, Missouri, US (this year's theme is "Cheers to 50 Years!"; through Saturday)

Ice Cream Cone Day -- this is one of the many days people say the confection was invented, so why not?

LaPaz Day -- Bolivia

Manu'a Cession Day -- American Samoa

National Baby Food Festival -- Fremont, MI, US (in the hometown of Gerber Products, adults have a baby food eating contest and tots have crawling races, among other fun things; through Saturday)

National Corn Fritters Day

National Personal Chef Day -- some websites say Feb. 24, but since i'm not going to have one, you may celebrate it whichever you choose

Parking Meter Day -- the first parking meter was installed on this day in 1935 in Okalahoma City, OK

Petal-Hopping for Non-Starters Day -- Fairy Calendar

Sinclair Lewis Days -- Sauk Centre, MN, US (a grand celebration in Lewis's hometown; through the 20th)

St. Eustathius' Day

Talk to a Telemarketer Day -- only if i can mess with his/her mind in some way!

Anniversary Today:

Michael J. Fox marries Tracy Pollan, 1988

Birthdays Today

Mark Indelicato, 1994
Jayma Mays, 1979
Corey Feldman, 1971
Larry Sanger, 1968
Barry Sanders, 1968
Will Ferrell, 1967
Phoebe Cates, 1963
Michael Flatley, 1958
Stewart Copeland, 1952
Ruben Blades, 1948
Pinchas Zukerman, 1948
Bess Myerson, 1924
Ginger Rogers, 1911
"Miss Frances" Horwich, 1907
Barbara Stanwyck, 1907
Orville Reddenbacker, 1907
Roald Amundsen, 1872
Ida B. Wells, 1862
Mary Baker Eddy, 1821
Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1723
Andrea del Sarto, 1486

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Golden Horseshoe Revue"(Disneyland show), 1955
The Catcher in the Rye(Publication date), 1951
"Das Entfuhrung aus dem Serail"(Opera, Mozart K. 384), 1782

Today in History

The Islamic Calendar begins, 622
East-West Schism between the Eastern and Western Christian churches begin, 1054
The first banknotes in Europe are issued by the Swedish bank Stockholms Banco, 1661
Manchu Qing Dynasty naval forces under traitorous commander Shi Lang defeat the Kingdom of Tungning in the Battle of Penghu near the Pescadores Islands, 1683
Father Junipero Serra founds California's first mission, Mission San Diego de Alcalá. Over the following decades, it evolves into the city of San Diego, 1769
First performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera The Abduction from the Seraglio, 1782
The city of La Paz, in what is today Bolivia, declares its independence from the Spanish Crown, 1809
Emily Stowe becomes the first female physician licensed to practice medicine in Canada, 1880
The world's first parking meter is installed in the Oklahoma capital, Oklahoma City, 1935
The world's first nuclear weapon, the "atom bomb," is detonated in New Mexico, 1945
The storming of the cockpit of the Miss Macao passenger seaplane, operated by a subsidiary of the Cathay Pacific Airways, marks the first aircraft hijacking of a commercial plane, 1948
J.D. Salinger novel The Catcher in the Rye published by Little, Brown and Company, 1951
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus closes its very last "Big Tent" show in Pittsburgh, due to changing economics all subsequent circus shows will be held in arenas, 1956
USS George Washington (SSBN-598) a modified Skipjack class submarine successfully test fires the first Ballistic missile while submerged, 1960
The Mont Blanc Tunnel linking France and Italy opens, 1965
Apollo 11, the first manned space mission to land on the Moon, is launched from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida, 1969
Mahathir bin Mohamad becomes Malaysia's 4th Prime Minister; he will be in office 22 years, Asia's longest-serving political leader, 1981
Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 collides with Jupiter (impacts continue until July 22), 1994
John F. Kennedy, Jr., piloting a Piper Saratoga aircraft, dies in a plane mishap over the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, along with his wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and sister-in-law Lauren Bessette, 1999
Chicago's Millenium Park is opened to the public, 2004
The funeral for the final heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Otto von Habsburg, occurs in Vienna, attended by monarchs and members of the political elite, 2011

"Mom, guess what happened at work today!" Bigger Girl will sometimes come home and say that almost before the door is open.

My usual answer is, Since i'll never guess, you'll have to just tell me.

"Well, today was the day they were supposed to run the mares from the front pasture to the back pasture. These are the pregnant mares, and they wanted them closer where they could watch them as they get close to foaling. And guess what! One of them had already had her foal, and it's a month early! They didn't notice it until after they ran them all, too! So the little thing had to take a long run the day he was born!"

Well, i said, they are made to run, and in the wild, he'd have to run from predators as early as the day he was born, so he should be fine.

"Yes, but they are all worried about him. They were fussing about whether the mother has enough milk, and she had so much he couldn't drink it all! They are also upset she hasn't passed the placenta yet, but it's her first time to foal, so it can take up to 24 hours."

Can it, now? i asked. Well, what have they decided to name this one?

"Since it was Ms. Sonnie's birthday, they said she could name it. And she said, since it came early, she would name it 'Early'! So that's its name, Early!"

That's cute, i said. And the mom will probably be fine. He might have trouble being born so early.

"Well, Felipe, who is the main stable hand there and has been around horses for 30 years, says they need to quit worrying. The foal is eating, and he's looking good, and the mare isn't hemorrhaging, and she's eating, so there's nothing to worry about.

"Those scientists may be smart, and they may know a lot about the science of horse genes, but they need to listen to the stable hands more. Those are the guys who know what's up. If Felipe says to quit worrying, they need to quit!"

You're right, i noted, and they may be smart, but they don't have as much common sense about it as the men who work directly with the horses day to day.

"Yep! Oh, and Felipe says this new one has enough quarter horse in him, and has that perfect black stripe down the back, he's going to be much sought after for stud when he grows up!"

Good for him, i said drily.

"And I like my friends at work, but all of them being scientists, they need to get more common horse sense!" she said with a mischievous grin.

Today is

Air Conditioner Day -- the first modern electrical air conditioning unit, invented by William Carrier, began working on this day in 1902

Constitution Day -- South Korea

Feast of St. Kenelm -- saint mentioned in "The Nun's Priest's Tale" of The Canterbury Takes

Feast of the Clockless NowEver -- can't find any confirmation on what this one is, but it sounds like fun if i don't have to bother with a clock or schedule

Festival for Victoria and Virtus -- Ancient Roman Calendar (goddess of victory and god of bravery in warfare)

Get To Know Your Customers Day -- third Thursday of each quarter

Gion Matsuri -- Yakasa Shrine, Kyoto, Japan (one of the largest and best Gion festivals)

Hot Dog Night -- Luverne, MN, US (free hot dogs to all comers!)

King Letsie III's Birthday -- Lesotho

National Peach Ice Cream Day

Petal-Hopping for Hopeless Cases -- Fairy Calendar

St. Alexius Day (Patron of Alexians, beggars, belt makers, nurses, pilgrims, travellers)

Virginia Lake Festival -- Clarksville, VA, US (fun for the family, including tethered hot air balloon rides; through Saturday)

Wear Crazy Socks to Work Day -- at your own risk

World Day for International Justice

Wrong Way Corrigan Day -- anniversary of the flight of Douglas "Wrong Way" Corrigan, who was supposedly heading for California from New York and ended up in Ireland instead

Yellow Pig Day -- mathematics festivals at various universities, celebrating the number 17 and the yellow pig with 17 eyelashes, created by mathematicians Michael Spivak and David C. Kelly

Birthdays Today

Tash Hamilton, 1982
Alex Winter, 1965
Dawn Upshaw, 1960
Mark Burnett, 1960
Aaron Lansky, 1955
J. Michael Straczynski, 1954
David Hasselhoff, 1952
Phoebe Snow, 1952
Lucie Arnaz, 1951
Camilla Parker Bowles, 1947
Diahann Carroll, 1935
Donald Sutherland, 1934
Phyllis Diller, 1917
Art Linkletter, 1912
James Cagney, 1899
Berenice Abbott, 1898
Erle Stanley Gardner, 1889
John Jacob Astor, 1763
Elbridge Thomas Gerry, 1744
Isaac Watts, 1674

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Yellow Submarine(Animated film), 1968
Punch(Magazine, first publication), 1841

Today in History

Twelve inhabitants of Scillium in North Africa are executed for being Christians, the earliest record of Christianity in that part of the world, 180
Zhu Di, better known by his era name as the Yongle Emperor, assumes the throne over the Ming Dynasty of China, 1402
Catherine II (the Great) becomes tsar of Russia upon the murder of Peter III of Russia, 1762
Londoner Thomas Saint patented the first sewing machine, 1790
The first issue of Punch magazine was published, England, 1841
The Harvard School of Dental Medicine is established in Boston as the first dental school in the U.S, 1867
On the orders of the Bolshevik Party carried out by Cheka, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his immediate family and retainers are murdered at the Ipatiev House in Ekaterinburg, Russia, 1918
The RMS Carpathia, the ship that rescued the 705 survivors from the RMS Titanic, is sunk off Ireland by the German SM U-55; 5 lives are lost, 1918
An Armed Forces rebellion against the recently-elected leftist Popular Front government of Spain begins the Spanish Civil War, 1936
After being denied permission to make a transatlantic crossing, Douglas Corrigan takes off from Brooklyn to fly the "wrong way" to Ireland and becomes known as "Wrong Way" Corrigan, 1928
Disneyland televises its grand opening in Anaheim, California, 1955
An American Apollo and a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft dock with each other in orbit marking the first such link-up between spacecraft from the two nations, 1975
The opening of the Summer Olympics in Montreal is marred by 25 African teams boycotting the New Zealand team, 1976
The F.W. Woolworth Company closes after 117 years in business, 1997
A tsunami triggered by an undersea earthquake destroys 10 villages in Papua New Guinea killing an estimated 3,183, leaving 2,000 more unaccounted for and thousands more homeless, 1998
A diplomatic conference adopts the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, establishing a permanent international court to prosecute individuals for genocide, crime against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression, 1998
South Korea develops a long range cruise missile, 2010
Astronauts, Sunita Williams of the United States, Yuri Malenchenko of Russia and Aki Hoshide of Japan, arrive at the International Space Station for a three-month long mission, 2012
In an effort to curb obesity rates, the United Arab Emirates offers its citizens one gram of gold for every kilogram of weight they lose, 2013

Feline Friday was started by Steve, The Burnt Food Dude, and i'm going to believe it's because he likes cats.

Feline Friday is easy to do, post a picture of a cat, and link up!

Our Kida the Mosquito, always buzzing around.

Wait, what's that? Do I need to go investigate?

Okay, maybe not. Maybe I'll just ignore it.

Oh, yes, that's more interesting! Mom's got a can of tuna!

Kida is 14 and getting frail, but doesn't like to let things get out of hand around here.

Today is

Anti-Bigot Day -- doesn't seem to be sponsored by any particular group, which is good on a day to practice tolerance of all

Arts in the Park -- Kalispell, MT, US (juried arts and crafts show, with food and entertainment; through Sunday)

Big Sky Games -- Billings, MT, US (an Olympic-style festival for citizens of the Big Sky State, to encourage all ages and abilities to be physically active and even compete sometimes; through Sunday)

Cheyenne Frontier Days -- Frontier Park, Cheyenne, WY, US (held annually since 1897, the world's largest outdoor rodeo; through the 27th)

Constitution Day -- Uruguay

Folkmoot USA -- Waynesville, NC, US (festival of international folk dance; through the 27th)

Georgia Mountain Fair -- Hiawassee, GA, US (an authentic Pioneer Village with demonstrations, arts and crafts fairs, family fun; through the 26th)

Gentse Feesten -- Ghent, Belgium (a ten day music and theatre festival)

Great Wellsville Balloon Rally -- Wellsville, NY, US (balloons galore, plus food, music, and fireworks; through Sunday)

Lindenfest -- Geisenheimer, Rhineland, Germany (a new wine festival in the shade of a 600 year old linden tree; through Monday)

Lunch of the Forward Goblins -- Fairy Calendar (not surprisingly, attended by Fairies only, since every Goblin is known to be as backward as the day is long)

Mandela Day -- UN

National Caviar Day -- no one knows how it started, but even The Russian Tea Room in New York has celebrated it for years and caviar importers know all about it; pair it with ice cold vodka or a Burgundian pinot or unoaked chardonnay, but never with champagne!

Northwestern State University Folk Festival and the Louisiana State Fiddle Championship -- Prather Coliseum, NSU, Natchitoches, LA, US (only traditional Louisiana folk art and music are featured; through tomorrow)

Sherwood Robin Hood Festival -- Sherwood, OR, US (a free Renaissance festival, which includes an archery contest between archers both in Oregon and in Nottingham, England, with results tallied as each group sends in the information from their respective locations; through Sunday)

Stirling Settler Days -- Stirling, Alberta, Canada (parade, pancake breakfast, firefighter games, a movie in the park, dancing, rodeo, and more; through tomorrow)

St. Theneva's Day (Patron of Glasgow, Scotland)

Targhee Fest -- Grand Targhee Mountain, Alta, WY, US (food, games, fun and tons of music in the beautiful Grand Teton mountains; through Sunday)

Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival -- Dorset, England (celebrating freedom, especially the freedom of workers to form unions; through Sunday)

Vancouver Folk Music Festival -- Jericho Beach, Vancouver, BC, Canada ( folk music from around the globe, performed in a beautiful outdoor venue; through Sunday)

Vitulatio -- Ancient Roman Calendar (Vitula, goddess of exultation, joy, and life, is given the first fruits of the earth)

Wienermobile Day -- celebrating the creation, in 1936, of the now iconic vehicle by Oscar Mayer's nephew Carl

World Listening Day -- here for information

Yarmouth Clam Festival -- Yarmouth, ME, US (annual 3 day celebration of the gifts of the sea that are clams with 120,000 of your closest friends)

Anniversary Today:

Timothy Verner Taylor marries The Lady Helen Windsor, 1992
Bobby Brown marries Whitney Houston, 1992

Birthdays Today

Chace Crawford, 1985
Priyanka Chopra, 1982
Kristin Bell, 1980
Vin Diesel, 1967
Elizabeth McGovern, 1961
Ricky Skaggs, 1954
Richard Branson, 1950
Steve Forbes, 1947
James Brolin, 1941
Martha Reeves, 1941
Joe Torre, 1940
Dion DiMucci, 1939
Paul Verhoeven, 1938
Hunter S. Thompson, 1937
Yevgeny Yevtushenko, 1932
Dick Button, 1929
Screamin' Jay Hawkins, 1929
John Glenn, 1921
Nelson Mandela, 1918
Harriet Nelson, 1914
Richard "Red" Skelton, 1913
Hume Cronyn, 1911
Clifford Odets, 1906
Samuel Ichiye Hayakawa, 1906
George "Machine Gun" Kelly, 1895
Charles E. "Chick" Evans, Jr., 1890
Vidkun Quisling, 1887
Margaret "Unsinkable Molly" Brown, 1867
William Makepeace Thackeray, 1811
Gilbert White, 1720
Robert Hooke, 1635

Today in History

A Roman army is defeated by raiding Gauls, leading to the subsequent sacking of Rome, BC390
The Great Fire of Rome begins in the merchant area of the city, 64
King Edward I of England issues the Edict of Expulsion, banishing all Jews (numbering about 16,000) from England; this was Tisha B'Av on the Hebrew calendar, a day that commemorates many Jewish calamities, 1290
Matthew Flinders leaves England to circumnavigate and map Australia; it was he who gave the continent its name, 1801
The First Vatican Council decrees the dogma of papal infallibility, 1870
Britain introduced voting by secret ballot, 1872
Marie and Pierre Curie announce the discovery of a new element and propose to call it polonium, 1898
Adoph Hitler publishes Mein Kampf, 1925
The Intel Corporation is founded in Santa Clara, California, 1968
Nadia Comaneci became the first person in Olympic Games history to score a perfect 10 in gymnastics at the 1976 Summer Olympics, 1976
Beverly Lynn Burns becomes first female Boeing 747 airline captain, 1984
On the Caribbean island of Montserrat, the Soufriere Hills volcano erupts; over the course of several years, it devastates the island, destroying the capital and forcing most of the population to flee, 1995
Storms provoke severe flooding on the Saguenay River, beginning one of Quebec's costliest natural disasters ever, 1996
Phoenix, AZ, US, is hit by a dust storm of the kind known as a "haboob", 2011
King Jong-un, son of King Jong-il, is announced the official Supreme Leader of North Korea, 2012
The 'immediate and severe' fiscal emergency declared by the U.S. city San Bernardino, California, allows it to declare bankruptcy without negotiating with creditors, 2012
Investigators on the case of the October 2012 Kunsthal gallery theft of paintings by Picasso, Matisse and Monet, discover paint, canvas and nails in the oven of a woman whose son has been charged with the crime, 2013
Detroit, Michigan files the largest municipal bankruptcy in history, 2013

Just across the highway from where we live, there was a grocery story, a MomAndPop Store. Mom and Pop started the first one over 50 years ago, several miles up the road from here. It went well, so they opened a second, also a good drive away.

Then, about 22 years ago, looking to expand to a third location, they came to this area. It was a great choice, except for one problem.

Mom and Pop owned the grounds and buildings and everything at the other two locations. Here, they would have to rent. It would only be about half the size of the other two stores, but that wasn't the main difficulty.

The main difficulty was that the Landlord was actually a Slum Lord.

The place didn't start out as a slum, of course. When Slum Lord bought it, it was still in great shape from the previous owner. Slum Lord, though, once he bought the place, didn't want to ever, under any circumstance, put another penny into it. After all, every penny of upkeep was a penny he didn't get in profit.

So the place went downhill. When i say downhill, i don't mean the area, which is working middle class. And i don't mean the stores located on the property, because they are really nice places. No, i mean things like the MomAndPop Store manager calling the Slum Lord to say the roof was leaking. Slum Lord would send his guys out, and then call back and tell the manager that there was no leak. The next morning, after the heavy rain continued all night, manager opened the doors of MomAndPop Store to find part of the roof had caved in and landed on the floor.

That kind of downhill and lack of maintenance. The place leaked, it looked as clean as they could get it but had a shabby appearance, the parking lot was nothing but potholes, and there was always something going wrong at either MomAndPop Store or one of the other stores on the property.

Slum Lord got tired of the complaints and wanted to cash out. He tried to sell a couple of times, but it always fell through. Something about a former dry cleaner located on the property and the soil needed to be decontaminated. Anyway, he kept trying.

A few months ago, he succeeded. A buyer was found. The buyer managed to renegotiate with every store on the property, except MomAndPop Store. The buyer is planning to fix what needs fixing, but if MomAndPop Store wanted to stay and expand this store to the size of the other two, the rent was going to be exorbitant.

The family had to say no, and MomAndPop Store is now closed, to be reopened in a new location a bit up the road. Closer than the other two, but not as convenient as this place.

It was a sad day when i bought my last few groceries there, and said good-bye temporarily to the people who work there. No, no one is losing his/her job. Mom and Pop taught their kids, who now run the outfit, how to treat people. Every employee will be working at one of the other two locations until the new place can open, then will move over there. All are guaranteed to continue to get the same number of hours and same benefits. They are a class act.

A few days later, i found myself in need of a few things that i always liked to get at MomAndPop Store. They had brands i liked and certain items i liked, and their produce is always fresh and high quality. They carry local items, and i like that a lot. So i decided, for the first time ever, to venture to one of the other stores.

The first thing i noted when i arrived was that there were no holes in the parking lot, so i didn't have to dodge to keep from jarring my teeth loose when hitting a crater the size of a kitchen sink anywhere.

The second thing i noted was the size of the place. It rivaled many of the smaller national chains in size!

Then i walked up to the front, and saw a sign that said, "Fresh sushi, made in house daily."

Sushi!!! Yowzers!!!

Walking through the door, i had to make sure i didn't let my jaw drop too far. Yes, they have sushi. And an area where you can sit and eat that, or the salads from the salad bar, or the hot plate breakfasts and lunches you can buy there. In the store that just closed, you could buy the salad or the hot plate of food, but you had to take it to go, there was no room to just enjoy it there.

The familiar coffee pots, with complimentary coffee, are there.

And so is a whole lot more. More organics. Lots of things that you would expect to see at a natural foods store. Things i never dreamed the MomAndPop Store would have. It reminded me more of shopping at one of the higher end national chains than in the dinky little store i was familiar with.

It turns out, this is how they wanted their third store to be, but they never had the room, and didn't dare put some of that stuff in, considering how Slum Lord let the place go.

The new place where they are going, they will have the room to make it just as nice as the first two stores, and i can hardly wait. Yes, i'll have to drive a bit further, but it's only just around the corner from the cat shelter, where i go regularly anyway.

And meanwhile, i'll be coming to this other location. It's worth it.

Today is

Back-to-Front Yad -- Fairy Calendar

Bannack Days-- Bannack, MT, US (through tomorrow; explore the territorial capital now turned ghost town and celebrate the pioneer spirit)

Bloomer Day -- anniversary of the opening day of the first US women's rights convention in 1848*

Canada's Parks Day -- Canada (showcasing Canada's beautiful parks and historic sites, it's worth traveling to a park near you!)

Celebration of the Horse -- Charlotte's Saddlery, Houston, TX, US (in honor of the human/equine bond; through tomorrow)

Festival of Honos -- Ancient Roman Calendar (personification of morality and honor)

Kokura Gion Taiko -- Yasaka Shrine, Fukuoka City, Japan (shrine festival that incorporates a taiko drumming competition with up to 100 teams; through the 21st)

La Festa del Redentore / Feast of the Redeemer -- Venice, Italy (procession of gondolas and other craft to commemorate the end of the epidemic of 1575; through tomorrow)

Liberation Day -- Nicaragua

Long Beach Island Festival of the Arts -- Loveladies, NJ, US (juried arts and crafts show, entertainment, food and more; through tomorrow)

Martyr's Day -- Myanmar

National Daiquiri Day

National Woodie Wagon Day -- pay homage today to this great American symbol of freedom and the casual lifestyle

Prince Lot Hula Festival -- Moanalua Gardens, Hawai'i

Route 66 Summerfest -- Albuquerque, NM, US (a free celebration)

Stick Out Your Tongue Day -- internet generated, do it just because it's fun

St. Justa's Day (Patron of potters; Seville, Spain)

Toss Away the "Could Haves" and "Should Haves" Day -- write down all the "could have" and "should have" things in your life, then toss them in the trash! Resolve from this day to live in the present, not the past.

Triple Play Day -- the first Major League unassisted triple play was made by Neal Ball on this day in 1909

Wrong Days in Wright, Minnesota -- in honor of "Wrong Way" Corrigan (through tomorrow)

*Amelia Bloomer's birth anniversary on May 27 is also called "Bloomer Day"

Anniversaries Today:

Frank Sinatra marries Mia Farrow, 1966
Isis marries Osiris (year unknown, ask the ancient Egyptians!)
Adonis marries Aphrodite (year unknown, ask the ancient Greeks!)

Birthdays Today:

Stephen Anthony Lawrence, 1990
Jared Padalecki, 1982
Topher Grace, 1978
Angela Griffin, 1976
Clea Lewis, 1965
Anthony Edwards, 1962
Campbell Scott, 1962
Brian May, 1947
Ilie Nastase, 1946
Vikki Carr, 1941
Arthur Rankin, Jr., 1924
George McGovern, 1922
Rosalyn Sussman Yalow, 1921
Eve Merriam, 1916
Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith, 1904 (last direct descendent of Abraham Lincoln)
Max Fleischer, 1883
Charles Horace Mayo, 1865
Lizzie Borden, 1860
Edgar Degas, 1834
Samuel Colt, 1814

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"That's All Right"(Elvis' first single release), 1954

Today in History

A dragon more than 100 metres long was found dead on Yehwang Mountain in Henan province and was seen as a bad omen for Emperor Huan, who ignored it and died at age 35 (three years later); Xiang Kai, who had warned him of the omen, was released from the prison the emperor had placed him in, and lionised as a hero, BCE164
Moslem forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad defeated the Visigoths led by their king Roderic, 711
A hailstorm brings down the ceilings of the Papal Palace, Rome, 1500
Lady Jane Grey is replaced by Mary I of England as Queen of England after having that title for just nine days, 1553
Five women are hanged for witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts, 1692
Representatives of the Iroquois Confederacy sign the Nanfan Treaty, ceding a large territory north of the Ohio River to England, 1701
Australia's first recorded use of gaslight was commenced in a Sydney shop, 1826
The British Medical Association was founded as the Provincial Medical and Surgical Association by Sir Charles Hastings at a meeting in the Board Room of the Worcester Infirmary, 1832
The two day Women's Rights Convention opens in Seneca Falls, New York; "bloomers," named after developer Amelia Bloomer, are worn at this very early feminist convention, 1848
A meteorite with an estimated mass of 190 kg explodes over the town of Holbrook in Navajo County, Arizona causing approximately 16,000 pieces of debris to rain down on the town, 1912
Joe Walker flies a North American X-15 to a record altitude of 106,010 metres (347,800 feet) on X-15 Flight 90. Exceeding an altitude of 100 km, this flight qualifies as a human spaceflight under international convention, 1963
The Sandinista rebels overthrow the government of the Somoza family in Nicaragua, 1979
The first three-dimensional reconstruction of a human head in a CT is published, 1983
President Clinton announces his idea for a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in regards to gays in the US military, 1993
A Tel Aviv judges orders safe deposit boxes that contain manuscripts of Franz Kafka to be opened, 2010
A Pontifical Commission is established by Pope Francise to investigate current accounting practices and implement new strategies for greater fiscal transparency and fiscal responsibility among all Vatican office, 2013

Silly Sunday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus. It's the place to come for weekly laughs, and it's easy to participate. Just laugh and link up!

As usual on Saturday, Brother-in-Law, The Mouth, came for dinner. He and Sweetie wanted "breakfast for dinner," which meant pancakes and bacon.

"Make them really big pancakes, please!" Sweetie requested. "As big as you can. And can you get a can of Steen's cane syrup to go on them?"

So i obliged him on both fronts, making the biggest pancakes my cast iron skillet could hold and still get them flipped, and about a half inch thick each.

Little Girl came in from swimming after Sweetie and his brother had eaten, and grabbed one. When it was done, she said, "You done good, mama! And yes, I know I should say 'you did well,' but sometimes you just have to say it the other way."

Thank you, i responded.

"Those were some big pancakes! How many did dad and Uncle eat?"

Four each, i noted.

"Four!" she exclaimed. "Those were so big I'm stuffed after one!"

Yep, those two boys can still eat, i said.

This reminds me of a pancake joke, too.

Thibodeaux and his wife, Marie, was goin' outta town, to get demseves a bit o' time wit'out de chilluns. Boudreaux and Clothile agree to let de chilluns stay wit' dem for de weekend.

Dat firs' mornin', dey all get to de table an' Clothile gots dese big platters of sausage and scrambled eggs an' toast on de table. Dey say Grace, an' all Boudreaux's chilluns and Thibodeaux's chilluns, an' Boudreaux too, sail in an' start passin' de platters an' tearin' in.

Den one li'l Thibodeaux boy, he say, "On Saturday, my mama allus makes pancakes for breakfast!"

Wantin' to oblige, Clothile get up and go in de kitchen, and a bit later she return wit' some pancakes on a platter, an' de rest of dem tear right in, still eatin'.

Clothile, she hand dat li'l boy a plate wit' a pancake on it, and he say, "No, t'ank you!"

"But you say dat on Saturday, you mama allus makes pancakes!" Clothile say, startled.

De li'l chile say, "Oh, she do, but I don't eat dem!"

Today is

Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swim -- Istanbul, Turkey (over 1,000 swimmers take the opportunity to swim from one continent to the other, crossing the Bosphorus Strait from Asia to Europe)

Cleat Dancing Day -- don't ask me who started this, i don't want to know what kind of mind came up with trying to tap dance in cleats

Codman Estate Antique Auto Show -- Codman Estate, Lincoln, MA, US (a day to appreciate antique and classic cars, trucks, motorcycles, and fire engines)

Concours D'elegance -- Forest Grove, OR, US (one of the premier vintage auto shows in the US)

Dia del Amigo -- Argentina; Uruguay

Dornach Commemoration Day -- Dornach Battlefield and nearby city of Solothurn, Switzerland (victory in 1499 which ended the Swabian War)

Fortune Cookie Day

Galla Bayramy -- Turkmenistan (celebration of the wheat harvest)

Independence Day -- Colombia(1810)

International Chess Day -- "Of Chess it has been said that life is not long enough for it, but that is the fault of life, not Chess" ~ William Ewart Napier

Lake Superior Day -- info at the Lake Superior Forum

Luxembourg Beer Festival -- Diekirch, Luxembourg

Moon Day/Space Exploration Day -- one small step...was taken 45 years ago today

National Hot Dog Day

National Ice Cream Day -- by US Presidential proclamation on the 3rd Sunday of July each year; at this time of year, the trick is to eat it fast enough that it doesn't melt, but not so fast that you get a brain freeze!

National Ice Cream Soda Day

National Lollipop Day

Peace and Freedom Day -- North Cyprus

Perun's Day -- Asatru/Slavic Pagan Calendar (celebration of Perun, great god of thunder)

Ragbrai / Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa(TM) -- Iowa, US (the oldest, largest and longest bicycle touring event in the world; through the 26th)

Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival -- Santa Fe, NM, US (highly acclaimed chamber music festival that draws international talent; through Aug. 25)

Special Olympics Day -- anniversary of the first Special Olympics in 1968

St. Elijah the Prophet's Day (Patron of Carmelites; Romanian Air Force; against drought, earthquakes) related observance;
Festival at the Monastery of Profitis Ilias -- Santorini, Greece (Prophet Elijas' festival)

Saint Margaret of Antioch's Day (Patron of childbirth, dying peple, escape from devils, exiles, expectant mothers, falsely accused people, martyrs, nurses, peasants, people in exile, women, women in labor; for safe childbirth; against kidney disease, loss of mother's milk by nursing mothers, sterility; Lowestoft, Suffolk, England; Montefiascone, Italy; Queens College Cambridge; Rixtel, Netherlands; Sannat, Gozo, Malta)

St. Uncumber's Day (Patron of difficult marriages; against men's lust; Las Tablas, Panama)

Synoikia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate; a celebration of the unification of all Attica, held in Athens)

Thgir-yaw-Dnuor Day -- Fairy Calendar

Ugly Truck Day -- must be a guy thing, they know where every scratch and dent came from, after all!

Vigil for Peace, Justice, and Respect for the Human Rights of all in Columbia -- a movement begun among Native Americans of many tribes, now open to all who seek peace

Birthdays Today

John Daley, 1985
Gisele Bundchen, 1980
Josh Holloway, 1969
Chris Cornell, 1964
Billy Mays, 1958
Donna Dixon, 1957
Carlos Santana, 1947
Kim Carnes, 1946
Judy Chicago, 1939
Diana Rigg, 1938
Natalie Wood, 1938
Chuck Daly, 1933
Cormac McCarthy, 1033
Sally Ann Howes, 1930
Michael Ilitch, 1929
Sir Edmund Hillary, 1919
Alberto Santos-Dumont, 1873
Gregor Mendel, 1822
Francesco Petrarch, 1304
Alexander the Great, BCE 356

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Like a Rolling Stone"(Single release), 1965
"Stop the World I Want to Get Off"(Musical), 1961
"The Arthur Murray Party"(TV), 1950
"Gang Busters"(Radio drama), 1935

Today in History

Titus, son of emperor Vespasian, storms the Fortress of Antonia north of the Temple Mount; the Roman army is drawn into street fights with the Zealots during the Siege of Jerusalem, 70
The Riot Act takes effect in Great Britain, 1712
French explorer Pierre Gaultier de Varennes et de la Vérendrye reaches the western shore of Lake Michigan, 1738
Citizens of Bogotá, New Granada declare independence from Spain, 1810
British Columbia joins the confederation of Canada, 1871
Sioux Chief Sitting Bull leads the last of his fugitive people in surrender to United States troops at Fort Buford, North Dakota, 1881
Ford Motor Company ships its first car, 1903
Congresswoman Alice Mary Robertson becomes the first woman to preside over the US House of Representatives, 1921
In London, 500,000 march against anti-Semitism, while in Nuremburg, Germany, 200 Jewish merchants are arrested and paraded through the streets, 1933
The Organization for European Economic Cooperation admits Spain, 1959
Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) elects Sirimavo Bandaranaike Prime Minister, the world's first elected female head of government, 1960
The Special Olympics is founded, 1968
Apollo 11 successfully lands on the Moon 3:39 a.m. GMT 21st July, 1969
India expels three reporters from The Times, The Daily Telegraph, and Newsweek because they refused to sign a pledge to abide by government censorship, 1975
The Viking 1 lander successfully lands on Mars, 1976
Hank Aaron hits his 755th home run, the final home run of his career, 1976
In Zimbabwe, Parliament opens its new session and seats opposition members for the first time in a decade, 2000
Canada becomes the 4th country to permit same-sex marriage, 2005
The Olympic Torch arrives in London, beginning the final countdown to the Summer Olympics, 2012

Awww Monday is hosted by Sandee, at Comedy Plus. It's easy to do, just post a picture that makes you say, "Awww!" After all, there's nothing like some cute to start the work week!

When you can enjoy life this much, wouldn't you want to be a cat?

Mikey is totally relaxed!

#1 Son's cat Mikey shows how it is done!

Today is

Birthday of Don Luis Muñoz Rivera / Munoz-Rivera Day -- Puerto Rico (obs.)

Coldest Day Ever -- the lowest natural temperature ever recorded on Earth was -89.2 *C (-128.6 *F; 184.0 *K) at the Soviet Vostok Station in Antarctica on this day in 1983

Feast of Damo -- Ancient Greek Calendar (keeper of secrets of philosophy; daughter of Greek sages, Pythagoras and Theano, date approximate)

Global Hug Your Kids Day

Hemingway Birthday Celebration -- Hemingway Museum, Oak Park, IL, US

Independence Day / National Day -- Belgium(1830)

Kazanskaya -- Russia (Feast of Our Lady of Kazan)

La Guelaguetza a/k/a Los Lunes del Cerro -- Oaxaca, Mexico (folk dance, music and costumes, an extension of the celebrations of the Lady of Carmel, which used to be the feast of Xilonen, goddess of tender corn; now celebrated on two consecutive Mondays)

Lakota Sun Dance -- Lakota Native Americans (festival of the sun god Wi, with offerings to Maka (mother earth) and Haokah (father sky), both aspects of Creator Tukaskanskan; dating approximate, as outsiders are usually no longer allowed at these multi-day ceremonies)

Liberation Day -- Guam (1944; from Japan)

Lucaria -- Ancient Roman Calendar ("Feast of Clearings", with prayers said as land was cleared for planting)

National Get Out of the Doghouse Day -- the day to work out any troubles with people you care about, so that you "get out of the doghouse"

National Junk Food Day

No Pet Store Puppies Day -- ASPCA sponsored this on this date last year, and while i can't find a confirmation of another campaign, you can still Take The Pledge to not shop at any pet store that sells puppies, because they are almost certainly from puppy mills

Nova Scotia Bluegrass and Oldtime Music Festival -- Bible Hill, NS, Canada (Canada's longest running bluegrass festival and a great event for the whole family; through Sunday)

President's Day -- Botswana

Racial Harmony Day -- Singapore

Sapporo Summer Festival -- Odori Park, Sapporo, Japan (through Aug. 20, the park becomes a beer garden)

Schoelcher Day -- French West Indies; Martinique (Schoelcher worked for abolition)

St. Lawrence of Brindisi's Day (Patron of Brindisi, Italy)

St. Praxedes' Day (Patron of single laywomen)

Touch Hammer's Birthday Bargain Day -- Fairy Calendar

Tug-Of-War Tournament Day -- if you have a problem with someone today, solve it with an old fashioned tug-of-war!

Umi No Hi -- Japan (Ocean Day / Marine Day)

Birthdays Today

Hatty Jones, 1988
Josh Hartnett, 1978
Justin Bartha, 1978
Lance Guest, 1960
Matt Mulhern, 1960
Jon Lovitz, 1957
Michael Connelly, 1956
Robin Williams, 1951
Garry Trudeau, 1949
Cat Stevens, 1948
Kenneth Starr, 1946
Tony Scott, 1944
Edward Herrmann, 1943
Janet Reno, 1938
Norman Jewison, 1926
Don Knotts, 1924
Kay Starr, 1922
Isaac Stern, 1920
Marshall McLuhan, 1911
Ernest Hemingway, 1899
John Joseph "Johnny" Evers, 1881

Today in History

Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, BCE 356
A tsunami devastates the city of Alexandria, Egypt, 365
The first landing of French troops on the coast during the French invasion of the Isle of Wight, 1545
Twenty-four-year-old Scottish physician and explorer Mungo Park became the first European to see the Niger River, the third longest river in Africa, 1796
In the market square of Springfield, Missouri, Wild Bill Hickok shoots and kills Davis Tutt in what is regarded as the first true western showdown, 1865
At Adair, Iowa, Jesse James and the James-Younger Gang pull off the first successful train robbery in the American Old West, 1873
Louis Rigolly, a Frenchman, becomes the first man to break the 100 mph (161 km/h) barrier on land, driving a 15-liter Gobron-Brille in Ostend, Belgium, 1904
In Dayton, Tennessee, high school biology teacher John T. Scopes is found guilty of teaching evolution in class and fined $100, 1925
Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin become the first men to walk on the Moon, during the Apollo 11 mission, 1969
After 11 years of construction, the Aswan High Dam in Egypt is completed, 1970
The world's lowest temperature is recorded at Vostok Station, Antarctica at -82.9*C (-129*F), 1983
The fully restored USS Constitution (aka "Old Ironsides") celebrates her 200th birthday by setting sail for the first time in 116 years, 1997
NASA's Space Shuttle program ends with the landing of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-135, 2011

Just another Monday?

No, i don't think so.

At least, it started as one. Then #2 Son called as i was trying to get a couple of quick errands done.

"Mom, I'm sick, can you come pick me up from work?"

Sure, be there in a few, i said, and i was.

He didn't look very good, and when he asked to go to the doctor, i knew it wasn't good.

A quick call got him an appointment for 4pm, so we went home and i got a few other things done. Not enough, but a few.

He had a slight fever when we got there, and the doctor said it had probably been higher earlier in the day. Bronchitis, some pleurisy, needs an antibiotic and cough medicine with codeine, and something OTC for the excess mucus, please stay away from work until your fever has been gone 24 hours.

Back home, i thought i could relax and finally get a few things done, but i was wrong.

About an hour later i heard a thumping. Apparently he was feeling a bit better, so #1 Son and #2 Son were messing around. They were faking punches, being silly, and got in a contest.

The thumping was #2 Son hitting the door with his fists. The metal door. Very hard. The door won.

Back to the doctor, actually the mini emergency room/after hours clinic, where they take care of non-life threatening illness and injury, to take the pressure off of the big ER. Not one but two broken bones, one in each hand. What they call "boxer's fractures," where the blow lands on the pinkie knuckle first, and the pinkie bone in the hand, just under the knuckle, breaks.

The left side, his dominant hand, was bad enough that the bone had to be set. The right one was just broken and barely moved at all, so they expect it to grow back fine, although he will have a lump.

His care was excellent, and at one point the nurse was being silly and flirting with him and the doctor making jokes. They asked him how many punches he threw, and he said, "I'll have to count the dents in the door to know!"

One tech, looking at his hands, swathed up to the elbows with only a couple of fingers to use on each hand said, "Dude, I don't want to be too crass, but how are you going to wipe yourself?"

Very carefully! i piped up, and we all had to laugh.

So now his hands are mostly immobilized and he's on pain meds, and we get to see the orthopedist, although there's really not much more to do but just let the bones knit.

And i think he's going to be away from work for a bit longer than until that fever is gone.

Today is

Annie Oakley Days Festival -- Greenville, OH, US (keeping alive the legacy of "Little Miss Sure Shot" with a shooting contest today as well as a pilgrimage to her grave, then tomorrow starts the Melodrama performances, ugly boot contest, Family Fun Games, and more; through Sunday)

Aphrodisia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (bathing festival of Aphrodite and Peitho [Persuasion]; through tomorrow)

Festival of Boredom and Reverie -- Fairy Calendar

Hammock Day -- don't know who came up with this one, but at the height of the dog days, it seems appropriate; on some sites listed as Summer Leisure Day

International Childbirth Education Awareness Day -- can't find confirmation on this, but if you're going to have a kid, it's not a bad idea to get educated about what to expect!

King Father's Birthday -- Swaziland

Lailat al Kadr (Lailat al Qadr) -- Islam (Night of Destiny; begins at sundown, through sundown tomorrow, although local observances may vary)

National Penuche Fudge Day

Pi Approximation Day/Casual Pi Day (22nd day of month 7; 22/7 is the approximation of Pi)

Ratcatcher's Day -- celebrated by the British dating of the Pied Piper story; celebrated June 26 in Hamelin, Germany

Revolution Day -- The Gambia

Soma-Nomaoi Festival -- Haramachi City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan (Wild-Horse Chasing, a four day festival in which a thousand horsemen, clad in ancient armor, compete for possession of three shrine flags, and along the Hibarigahara Plain, men clad in white costumes attempt to catch wild horses)

Spooner's Day (Spoonerism -- Named for William Archibald Spooner, English cleric and scholar who once fussed at a student because "You hissed my mystery lesson," told a groom it was "kisstomery to cuss the bride," and once accidentally referred to Queen Victoria as "the queer old Dean.")

St. Mary Magdalene's Day (Patron of apothecaries, contemplative life and contemplatives, converts, druggists, glove makers, hairdressers and hair stylists, penitent sinners, penitent women, people ridiculed for their piety, perfumeries and perfumers, pharmacists, reformed prostitutes, tanners, women; Anguiano, Spain; Atrani, Salerno, Italy; Casamicciola, Italy; Elantxobe, Spain; Foglizzo, Italy; La Magdaleine, Italy; against sexual temptation)
Stilt Dance Day -- Anguiano, Spain (a special stilt dance performed on the Feast of the city's patron, St. Mary Magdalen)

Birthdays Today:

George Alexander Louis Windsor, His Royal Highness Prince of Cambridge, 2013
Madison Pettis, 1998
Selena Gomez, 1992
Scott Dixon, 1980
Daniel Jones, 1973
Rufus Wainwright, 1973
Irene Bedard, 1967
Rhys Ifans, 1967
Shawn Michaels, 1965
David Spade, 1964
John Leguizamo, 1964
Rob Estes, 1963
Keith Sweat, 1961
Willem Dafoe, 1955
Alan Menken, 1949
Albert Brooks, 1947
Don Henley, 1947
Danny Glover, 1946
Estelle Bennett, 1944
Bobby Sherman, 1943
Kay Bailey Hutchison, 1943
Alex Trebek, 1940
Terrence Stamp, 1939
Louise Fletcher, 1934
Oscar De la Renta, 1932
Orson Bean, 1928
Bob Dole, 1923
Amy Vanderbilt, 1908
Alexander Calder, 1898
Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, 1890
William Archibald Spooner, 1844
Gregor Johann Mendel, 1822 (Note: some sources say July 20)

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Plan 9 From Outer Space(Film), 1959

Today in History

King Edward I of England and his longbowmen defeat William Wallace and his Scottish schiltrons outside the town of Falkirk, 1298
The Swiss decisively defeat the Imperial army of Emperor Maximilian I in the Battle of Dornach, 1499
A second group of English settlers arrive on Roanoke Island off North Carolina to re-establish the deserted colony, 1587
Alexander Mackenzie reaches the Pacific Ocean becoming the first Euro-American to complete a transcontinental crossing of Canada, 1793
In the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Rear Admiral Nelson is wounded in the arm, and part of it is amputated, 1797
Death of Josef Strauss, Austrian composer, 1870
First ever motorized racing event is held in France between the cities of Paris and Rouen. The race is won by comte Jules-Albert de Dion, 1894
Wiley Post becomes the first person to fly solo around the world traveling 15,596 miles in 7 days, 18 hours and 45 minutes, 1933
Dezik and Tzygan become the first of Russia's Space Dogs, making a sub-orbital flight, which they both survived, 1951
Japan completes its last reparation to the Philippines for war crimes committed during WWII, 1976
Martial law in Poland is officially revoked, 1983
The second Blue Water Bridge opens between Port Huron, Michigan and Sarnia, Ontario, 1997
The Stonehenge World Heritage Site announces the discovery of a possible new henge, the biggest discovery at a major monument in over 50 years, 2010
Norway is the victim of twin terror attacks, on government buildings in Oslo and a youth camp at Utoya, 2011
Scientific studies reveal that dolphins have unique names for one another, much like humans do, 2013

Not really, but it felt like it. A call to the primary doc who had diagnosed #2 Son's bronchitis ended up being phone tag until we got an appointment with an orthopedic doc for Tuesday afternoon.

Why are the appointments always at 4pm? Just in time for the worst traffic.

The news for #2 Son was not what he wanted. He is left handed, so that hand hit harder and got most of the damage.

The right hand is splinted, and will be just fine in a few weeks.

The left hand is having surgery today to put in a plate and screws. It seems that even though the mini-ER doc did a great job with the reduction, these types of fractures usually don't stay, no matter how tight you splint it. So if he wants full use of that hand with no lingering hitches in the form of lumps that make it hard to grasp things, we do surgery. It would be no good for him to have trouble picking up heavy pans off of the stove with his dominant hand because of a lump of bone that healed funny, not if he's going to be a chef.

If all goes well, physical therapy starts Monday, and he can go back to work, on light duty, after that.

He is not happy, he's going to be missing out on a week's pay, but that's what happens when you hit a metal door.

The plan for today then is to take Sweetie to work, take my van in to have the brakes checked -- oh, did i mention the brake light came on while we were going to the doctor on Tuesday afternoon? It doesn't rain, it monsoons around here.

While the brakes are being checked by Kevin and Lenny and the crew, one of those nice people will give me a ride back to the house so i can take #2 Son in for surgery, then when he is done, i'll run him home and then pick up Sweetie.

The van we will get when we can, but that is the tentative plan. As we all know, though, the best laid plans...

Lots of prayers and good thoughts would be appreciated, mostly praying that i don't strangle a certain child or lose what little is left of my mind. And that said child heals up, too.

Today is

Birthday of Emperor Haili Selassi I -- Rastafari

Bregenzer Festspiele (Bregenz Festival) -- Bregenz, Austria (an amazing performing arts festival, through August 25)

Flag Day -- Abkhazia

Gorgeous Grandma Day -- a day to celebrate those who age, date, and mate in style!

Hot Enough For Ya Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays as the only day on which you may utter these words; any other day, and you will get high fived on the back of the head!;)

Lailat al Kadr (Lailat al Qadr) -- Islam (Night of Destiny; began at sundown yesterday, through sundown tonight, although local observances may vary and governmental days off vary from country to country)

Mayan Sun Festival -- honoring Ahau Kin, the sun god, date approximate

National Vanilla Ice Cream Day

Neptunalia and Salcia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (god and goddess of the ocean and wide seas, celebrates Neptune in his role as god of irrigation)

Oregon Brewers Festival -- Portland, OR, US (81 microbreweries from across the nation showcase their best, including rare, hard-to-find, and exotic beers; through Sunday)

Private Eye Day -- internet generated

Remembrance Day -- Papua New Guinea

Renaissance Day -- Oman (celebrates the accession of Qaboos bin Said Al Said, 14th Sultan of Oman)

Revolution Day -- Egypt

St. Apollinaris' Day (Patron against epilepsy, gout; of Aachen, Germany; Burtscheid, Germany; Düsseldorf, Germany; Ravenna, Italy; Remagen, Germany)

St. Bridget of Sweden's Day (Patron of widows; Europe; Sweden)

St. Phocas the Gardener's Day (Patron of agricultural workers, boatmen, farm workers, farmers, field hands, gardeners, husbandmen, mariners, market-gardeners,sailors, watermen)

Sumarauki -- Iceland (their calendar's extra days added to take into account the "drift" of the calendar from the moon phases)

Warei Shrine Summer Festival -- Warei Shrine, Uwajima City, Japan (through tomorrow, includes "bull-sumo", a non fatal type of bull fighting, where the bulls try to push each other out of the ring)

Anniversaries Today

Prince Andrew, Duke of York marries Sarah Ferguson, 1986
Coronation of King Mohammed VI of Morocco, 1999

Birthdays Today

Daniel Radcliffe, 1989
Michelle Williams, 1980
Omar Epps, 1975
Nomar Garciapara, 1973
Marlon Wayans, 1972
Charisma Carpenter, 1970
Philip Seymour Hoffman, 1967
Eriq La Salle, 1962
Woody Harrelson, 1961
Lamont "ShowBoat" Robinson, 1961
Edie McClurg, 1951
Belinda Montgomery, 1950
Don Imus, 1940
Nicholas Gage, 1939
Ronny Cox, 1938
Anthony M. Kennedy, 1936
Don Drysdale, 1936
Bert Convy, 1933
Arata Isozaki, 1931
Gloria DeHaven, 1925
Amalia Rodrigues, 1920
Harold "Pee Wee" Reese, 1918
Arthur Treacher, 1894
Haile Selassie I, 1892
Raymond Chandler, 1888
Samuel Augustus Maverick, 1803

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha! Ha!"(Single release), 1966
"The Gene Autry Show"(TV), 1950

Today in History

William Austin Burt patents the Typographer, a precursor to the typewriter, 1829
The Province of Canada is created by the Act of Union, 1840
The Federation Internationale de Gymnastique, the world's oldest international sport federation, is founded, 1881
The Ford Motor Company sells its first car, 1903
Fox Film buys the patents of the Movietone sound system for recording sound onto film, 1926
Telstar relays the first publicly transmitted, live trans-Atlantic television program, featuring Walter Cronkite, 1962
The International Whaling Commission decides to end commercial whaling within 4 years, 1982 *
Air Canada Flight 143 runs out of fuel and makes a deadstick landing at Gimli, Manitoba, 1983
Comet Hale-Bopp is discovered, 1995
Cape Verde becomes the 153rd member of the World Trade Organization, 2008
Patent law disputes between Samsung and Apple deadlock as the dispute addresses valuation of each other's patents, 2012

*Don't I wish that had worked!

#2 Son and i arrived for his surgery yesterday at 9:30am with me having already dropped Sweetie off at work, put a load of laundry on the line, finished all the prep work for dinner, and leaving the van to get the brakes checked and the oil changed.

Everything went so well that the doctor didn't have to cut into his hand and insert a plate, and he's disappointed because he was looking forward to having metal in his body. The bone shifted back into place so fast that the doctor inserted two pins and was done in under 15 minutes!

Meanwhile, he remembers nothing much after the anesthesiologist came in and gave him the "happy shot." It knocked him slap out, even though it's only supposed to make you relax. He doesn't remember the arm numbing medication being put in -- it was a nerve block that made his whole arm numb, like a dead weight, for about 12 hours. That means they don't have to do a general anesthesia, which is a good thing.

Upon awakening, he kept arguing that they couldn't have done the surgery yet, he didn't remember it. When he was told i was going to help him get dressed, he said he could handle that and fell promptly back to sleep. After i gently got the arm of his shirt over the surgical dressing and over his head, he woke up long enough to get his other arm through. Once i got his pants on him -- he never removed his underwear, so his privacy wasn't compromised, just a bit of his dignity because no 18-year-old wants his mom to see him in his boxers, but oh, well -- he woke up and asked how he had gotten dressed.

"Your mom dressed you, and you helped," the nurse said. Then she joked, "We took a video, you were singing a song about the baby rabbits in the woods, and we've already posted it to YouTube!"

"Great!" he answered, and dropped back to sleep again.

"When you get home, go to bed, and be very careful with your arm until the feeling comes back in it. You have to keep it in the sling so you don't accidentally hurt it while it is numb, but the best thing you can do is go to sleep," the nurse instructed.

"Not going to sleep when I get home!" he slurred. "I have people to see and things to do!" Then he fell back asleep before we could get him in the wheelchair.

"Sure you do!" the nurse grinned at me over his limp form.

He did sleep when he got home, and i went and got him lunch when he asked. He would take a bite, fall asleep, wake up and eat more. By the time he really woke up, it was later in the afternoon. Sweetie had gotten a ride to the shop and picked up the van. The oil was changed, the brakes are fine, the fluid was a little low, no leaks.

Now his only problem is he can't unbutton his pants by himself when he needs to go to the loo, because he can't get the removable brace off of his not quite so hurt hand with the other in a full surgical dressing. It's okay, he's going to learn a bit of humility until the dressing comes off, on Monday.

And we promise, no video, just a few jokes.

Today is

Amelia Earhart Day

Berne SWiss Festival -- Berne, NE, US (Swiss food, dancing, yodeling, a stein-toss, and lots more family fun; through Saturday)

Calgary Folk Music Festival -- Calgary, AB, Canada (one of Calgary's biggest and most fun festivals ;through Sunday)

Children's Day -- Vanuatu

Comic-Con International -- San Diego, CA, US (through Sunday)

Cousins Day -- because cousins are wonderful people to have around! sponsored by Claudia Evart of New York City, who must have had great cousins

Festival of St. Eloi -- French Basque

Great Texas Mosquito Festival -- Clute, Texas, US (Annual salute to the fact that if you can't beat 'em, and when it's mosquitoes, you can't, you might as well celebrate 'em. There's something for all ages, including the Skeeter Beaters Baby Crawl, a Mosquito calling contest, and a Mr. & Mrs. Mosquito Legs Contest, plus games, rides, carnival food, and more; through Saturday)

Jakaba Diena -- Ancient Latvian Calendar (beginning of St. James' [Jacob] Festival, whose day is tomorrow; the beginning of hay harvest)

Jilwalla Jinks' Jamboree -- Fairy Calendar

Lumberjack World Championships -- Hayward, WI, US (the world's greatest lumberjacks face off in the "Olympics of the Forest"; through Saturday)

National Drive Through Day -- but only if you won't pass out from the heat when you roll down the window! on the founding date of Jack-in-the-Box, the first drive through burger chain

National Tequila Day -- celebrate North America's first native-born distilled spirit

Phyang Tse-dup Festival -- Ladakh, India (Buddhist festival, through tomorrow)

Pioneer Day -- Mormon Christian

Pop a Wheelie Day -- before, not after, the tequila, please; a hospital visit is no fun

Public Opinion Day -- the first public opinion poll was published this date in 1824!

Quilt Odyssey 2014 -- Hershey, PA, US (national quilt competition, through Sunday)

Simon Bolivar Day -- Ecuador; Venezuela

Sts. Boris and Gleb's Day (Patrons of princes; Moscow, Russia)

St. Christina the Astonishing's Day (Patron of all with mental handicaps, disorders, or illnesses, and mental health care workers, psychiatrists and therapists; against insanity and mental disorders)

St. Christina of Bolsena's Day (Patron of archers, mariners, millers)

Tell an Old Joke Day

Tenjin Matsuri -- Tenmangu Jinja, Osaka, Japan (one of Japan's 3 major festivals, through tomorrow)

Anniversary Today:

Richard Moll marries Susan Brown, 1993

Birthdays Today

Bindi Irwin, 1998
Dhani Lennevald, 1984
Anna Paquin, 1982
Summer Glau, 1981
Rose Byrne, 1979
Eric Szmanda, 1975
Jennifer Lopez, 1969
Kristin Chenoweth, 1968
Kadeem Hardison, 1965
Barry Bonds, 1964
Julie A. Krone, 1963
Lynda Carter, 1951
Michael Richards, 1949
Peter Serkin, 1947
Robert Hays, 1947
Chris Sarandon, 1942
Ruth Buzzi, 1936
Pat Oliphant, 1935
Billy Taylor, 1921
Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald, 1900
Chief Dan George, 1899
Amelia Earhart, 1897
Oswald Chambers, 1874
Alexandre Dumas, pere, 1802
Simon Bolivar, 1783
John Newton, 1725 (wrote Amazing Grace)

Debuting/Premiering Today:

The Fellowship of the Ring(Publication date), 1954

Today in History

Death in Kyoto, Japan, of Kamo no Chomei (b. 1155), Japanese author, poet (waka) and essayist, critic of Japanese vernacular poetry and major figure of Japanese poetics, 1216
Citizens of Leeuwarden, Netherlands strike against a ban on foreign beer, 1487
Jacques Cartier plants a cross on the Gaspé Peninsula and takes possession of the territory in the name of Francis I of France, 1534
Mary, Queen of Scots, is forced to abdicate and replaced by her 1-year-old son James VI, 1567
Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac founds the trading post at Fort Pontchartrain, which later becomes the city of Detroit, Michigan, 1701
A Spanish treasure fleet of 10 ships under Admiral Ubilla leaves Havana, Cuba for Spain; on the 31st, all ships will be lost and come to be known as the !715 Treasure Fleet, 1715
Slavery is abolished in Chile, 1823
The first opinion poll was carried out in Delaware, USA, 1824
Benjamin Bonneville leads the first wagon train across the Rocky Mountains by using Wyoming's South Pass, 1832
After 17 months of travel, Brigham Young leads 148 Mormon pioneers into Salt Lake Valley, resulting in the establishment of Salt Lake City, 1847
The first tramway opened in England, 1861
Tennessee becomes the first U.S. State to be readmitted to the Union following the American Civil War, 1866
Captain Matthew Webb, who was the first person to swim the English Channel, drowned while trying to swim the rapids above Niagara Falls, 1883
O. Henry is released from prison in Austin, Texas after serving three years for embezzlement from a bank, 1901
Hiram Bingham III re-discovers Machu Picchu, "the Lost City of the Incas", 1911
The passenger ship S.S. Eastland capsizes while tied to a dock in the Chicago River. A total of 844 passengers and crew are killed in the largest loss of life disaster from a single shipwreck on the Great Lakes, 1915
The first insulin treatment is carried out, on a six-year-old girl, at St Guy's Hospital, London, 1925
The Kellogg-Briand Pact, renouncing war as an instrument of foreign policy, goes into effect, 1929*
The dust bowl heat wave reaches its peak, sending temperatures to 109°F (44°C) in Chicago and 104°F (40°C) in Milwaukee, 1935
During an official state visit to Canada, French President Charles de Gaulle declares to a crowd of over 100,000 in Montreal: Vive le Québec libre! ("Long live free Quebec!"), 1967
The Quietly Confident Quartet of Australia wins the Men's 4 x 100 metre medley relay at the Moscow Olympics, the only time the United States has not won the event at Olympic level, 1980
Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the last Tsar of Bulgaria when he was a child, is sworn in as Prime Minister of Bulgaria, becoming the first monarch in history to regain political power through democratic election to a different office, 2001
Lance Armstrong wins his 7th consecutive Tour de France, 2005
Over half of the country of Peru enters a state of emergency as a result of unusually cold weather, 2011
The scientific theory of supersymmetry is challenged after experiments with the Large Hadron Collider yield an incredibly rare particle decay event, 2013

*Nice try, fellas.

Feline Friday was started by Steve, The Burnt Food Dude, and i'm going to believe it's because he likes cats.

It's fun and easy to do Feline Friday, just post a cat picture and link up!

Heads are turning at the cat shelter with the news.

Wait! They did what?!

The cat shelter has had some trouble lately with two things -- ringworm, and upper respiratory infections.

Cats were coming down with one or the other or both like crazy, and even the volunteers and staff were starting to get ringworm, in spite of taking precautions. Bleaching the whole place has slowed it some, but it always crops back up.

It's gotten so bad, they've taken drastic action. The place is shut down, all the cats have been removed to be treated for ringworm whether they have it or not and monitored for respiratory symptoms, and there are ozone machines going in the building for a full 48 hours to kill off EVERYTHING.

It's expensive, but apparently it works and works well. So they've gone this route, and are hoping this gives a fresh start.

Today is

Aberdeen International Youth Festival -- Aberdeen, Scotland (talented young people in all areas of performing arts and from around the world participate; through Aug. 2)

Antique Power and Steam Exhibition -- Burton, OH, US (over 100 antique engines show they can still cut the mustard -- or saw the logs, thresh the grain, etc.; through Sunday)

Act Like A Caveman Day -- internet generated, just to be fun, especially if your neighbors think you are crazy anyway

Arcadia Daze -- Arcadia, NY, US (lots of family friendly fun in this scenic village; through Sunday)

Bayreuther Festspiele -- Bayreuth, Germany (Wagner festival, through Aug. 28)

Be Adamant About Something Day -- it's good practice

Commonwealth Constitution Day -- Puerto Rico

Culinarian's Day -- another one here because of the internet, but a good excuse to let your inner chef go wild, and enjoy the results

Dodge City Days -- Dodge City, KS, US (a celebration of Western heritage, this year's theme is "Saddle Up and Enjoy the Ride; through Aug. 4)

Ebernoe Horn Fair -- Sussex, England (ancient horn fairs were pagan fertility rites, now just a fun time for all)

Emperor Haile Selassi I birthday -- Rastafari

Eve of the Hathor Festival -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Farm Heritage Days -- American Farm Heritage Museum, near St. Louis, MO, US (celebrating America's farm heritage; through Sunday)

Festival of the Knee-Knockers -- Fairy Calendar

Furrinalia -- Ancient Etruscan Calendar (Furrina, goddess of the sacred grove and spring on Janniculum hill)
      also Ancient Roman Calendar (to honor those who searched for underground water sources)

Gilroy Garlic Festival -- Gilroy, California (the part of the world that grows more of our garlic than anywhere else, where you can almost marinate a steak just by hanging it on the clothesline in the breeze, celebrates the stinky rose; through Sunday)

Gold Discovery Days -- Custer, SD, US (bed races and pancake breakfast, children's fair and more; through Sunday)

Guanacaste Day -- Costa Rica

Guayaquil Day -- Guayaquil, Ecuador

Ilyap'a -- Ancient Inca Calendar (festival of the lightning god; date approximate)

Iowa Storytelling Festival -- Clear Lake, IA, US (come listen to professional and amateur storytellers in the scenic lakeside setting, and including a story exchange for novice storytellers; through tomorrow)

Jumatul Bidah/Jumat-ul Wida -- Bangladesh; JK, UK, & UP, India

Langholm Common Riding -- Langholm, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland (a traditional riding of the bounds, with lots of celebrating, begins 5am and ends 9:30pm)

Lieksa Brass Week -- Lieksa, Finland (the world's finest brass music in various styles by international class musicians; through August 2nd)

Lumberjack Day -- for no reason that i can fathom, but there it is; not as famous as the one in September, which has its own website

Mutomboko Ceremony -- Luapula Province, Zambia (among the Lunda of the Kazembe kingdom, a rich celebration of African cultural heritage, traditional dances and music, and sponsored by the Royal Family; through tomorrow)

National Hot Fudge Sundae Day

Republic Day -- Tunisia

Schools Tree Day -- Australia (because National Tree Day is always a Sunday, the schools participate in planting trees the Friday before)

St. Christopher's Day (Patron of archers, automobile drivers/motorists, bachelors, boatmen, bookbinders, busdrivers, cab drivers,epileptics, fruit dealers, fullers, gardeners, lorry drivers, mariners, market carriers, porters, sailors, taxi drivers, transportation/transporation workers, travellers, truck drivers/truckers, watermen; Baden, Germany; Barga, Italy; Brunswick, Germany; Fubine, Italy; Havana, Cuba; Mecklenburg, Germany; Rab, Croatia, St. Christopher's Island; Saint Kitts; Toses, Girona, Calalonia, Spain ;for a holy death; against bad dreams, epilepsy, floods, hailstorms, lightning, pestilence, storms, sudden death, toothache)

St. James' Day (The Apostle, brother of St. John and son of Zebedee, the first Apostle martyred; Patron of apothecaries/druggists/pharmacists, arthritis sufferers, blacksmiths, equestrians and horsemen, furriers, knights, laborers, pilgrims, soldiers, tanners, veterinarians; Altopascio, Lucca, Italy; Antigua, Guatemala; Bangued, Philippines; Brentino Belluno, Italy; Caltagirone, Italy; Cassine, Italy; Chile; Cicala, Catanzaro, Italy; Comitini, Italy; Compostela, Spain; Galicia, Spain; Gavi, Italy; Guatemala; Hettstedt, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany; Jemez Indian Pueblo; Loiza, Puerto Rico; Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina; Montreal, Canada; Nicaragua; Pistoia, Italy; Rivarolo Canavese, Italy; Sahuayo, Mexico; Seattle, Washington; Spain; Tesuque Indian Pueblo; against arthritis and rheumatism; sometimes called Jacob, the Latinized version of his name, also Iago and Jaques in Romance languages) related observances
     Dia Nacional de Galicia -- Galicia, Spain (National Day of Galicia, a/k/a Apostole Santiago, St. James the Apostle's Day)
     The Pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostela -- Galicia, Spain (one of the world's largest pilgrimages still, to the church that has the supposed relics of St. James, culminates on the Saint's feast day)
     Loiza Aldea Fiesta -- Puerto Rico

System Administrator Appreciation Day -- the day to thank your system administrator for keeping your computer up and running

Talk in an Elevator Day

UFO Days -- Elmwood, Wisconsin, US (Wisconsin's UFO capital, visit the petting zoo, shop at the community wide thrift sale, take part in the fun run, softball games, medallion hunts, bed races, and dances; watch the crowning of Miss Elmwood, the tractorcade, the car and truck show, the nightly fireworks, and stage bands; let the kids have a ball in the greased pig race and kiddie water fight; enjoy the Knights of Columbus pancake breakfast and the bake sale; and no need to miss church Sunday morning, bring a lawn chair for the ecumenical service so you don't miss a moment of the fun and excitement! through Sunday)

Video Games Day -- yet another one, this on the founding of the "U.S. National Video Game Team"

Birthdays Today

James Lafferty, 1985
Brad Renfro, 1982
Louise Brown, 1978
Matt LeBlanc, 1967
Illeana Douglas, 1965
Iman, 1965
Walter Payton, 1954
Nathaniel "Nate" Thurmond, 1941
Barbara Harris, 1935
Midge Decter, 1927
Estelle Getty, 1923
Jack Gilford, 1907
Walter Brennan, 1894
Maxfield Parrish, 1870

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"A Chorus Line"(Musical), 1975
"You Can't Hurry Love"(Single release), 1966

Today in History

Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar, co-ruler, 285
Constantine I is proclaimed Roman emperor by his troops, 306
The Edict of Pistres of Charles the Bald orders defensive measures against the Vikings, 864
Sebastián de Belalcázar, on his search for El Dorado, founds the city of Santiago de Cali, Colombia, 1536
Don Diego de Losada founds the city of Santiago de Leon de Caracas, modern-day Caracas, the capital city of Venezuela, 1567
Henry IV of France publicly converts from Protestantism to Roman Catholicism, 1593
James VI of Scotland is crowned James I of England, bringing the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into personal union; political union would occur later, 1603
Ignacio de Maya founds the Real Santiago de las Sabinas, now known as Sabinas Hidalgo, Nuevo León, México, 1693
British governor Charles Lawrence and the Nova Scotia Council order the deportation of the Acadians; thousands of Acadians are sent to the British Colonies in America, France and England, and some later move to Louisiana, while others resettle in New Brunswick, 1755
Horatio Nelson loses more than 300 men and his right arm during the failed conquest attempt of Tenerife (Spain), 1797
Costa Rica annexes Guanacaste from Nicaragua, 1824
The first commercial use of an electric telegraph is successfully demonstrated by William Cooke and Charles Wheatstone between Euston and Camden Town in London, 1837
The Japanese daimyo begin returning their land holdings to the emperor as part of the Meiji Restoration reforms, 1869
Kikunae Ikeda of the Tokyo Imperial University discovers that a key ingredient in Konbu soup stock is monosodium glutamate (MSG), and patents a process for manufacturing it, 1908
Sir Thomas Whyte introduces the first income tax in Canada as a "temporary" measure, 1917
The first transatlantic two-way radio broadcast takes place, 1920
Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union (TASS) is established, 1925
At Club 500 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis stage their first show as a comedy team, 1946
Italian ocean liner SS Andrea Doria collides with the MS Stockholm in heavy fog and sinks the next day, killing 51, 1956
The Republic of Tunisia is proclaimed, 1957
Louise Brown, the world's first "test tube baby" is born, 1978
Israel and Jordan sign the Washington Declaration, which formally ends the state of war that had existed between the nations since 1948, 1994
K.R. Narayanan is sworn-in as India's 10th president and the first Dalit— formerly called "untouchable"— to hold this office, 1997
Air France Flight 4590, a Concorde supersonic passenger jet, F-BTSC, crashes just after takeoff from Paris killing all 109 aboard and 4 on the ground, 2000
Pratibha Patil is sworn in as India's first woman president, 2007
Wikileaks publishes classified documents about the War in Afghanistan, one of the largest leaks in U.S. military history, 2010
Scientists in Britain identify the mechanism causing human allergy to cats; they believe a general cure for the condition could be available in the next five years, 2013

Because there really isn't a lot going on right now.

#2 Son is coming to terms with his short term disability. Not only does he have to ask for help tying his shoes, he has noted that "I never thought it would be so hard to eat!" He has trouble holding a fork, and is mostly wanting sandwiches. He's also stopped taking the pain medicine already, saying it really doesn't hurt now.

Bigger Girl came home from work very excited because "We got new goats today! By the way, I don't smell like goat, do I? I'm going to Vera's to study, and I'm taking them dinner, and I don't want to go smelling like goat. Although these are really nice goats, I would rather not smell like them!"

#1 Son's odd new work schedule has him off duty for almost a week. He isn't really enjoying it, though, as he wants to stay busy. He knows better than to tell me that he's bored, though, because I will most certainly find stuff for him to do!

Little Girl has noted with despair that she only has 3 weeks to get her sleep schedule straightened out before school will begin again. All four of the kids take after their father and are night owls, preferring to stay up late and sleep in. Unfortunately for them, the world is run by morning people, so she's started making herself go to bed by 10pm. She's not happy about it, though.

Our friend Young Jacob has a new set of wheels -- two wheels, to be exact. The crazy guy went and bought a fancy moped (that's what he calls it, it looks like a motorcycle to me, though). He said, "Well, work on my Tacoma isn't going so well, and I needed a way to get around, and this was cheap."

Yeah, $1,200 cheap. For that, he could have fixed the Tacoma!

Also, the brake light came on again in the van, even though it had been checked out. As soon as it did, i headed over to the shop, and pulled right up to one of the bays.

"What's up?" Kevin asked when he saw me jump out without shutting the engine.

That pesky light is on again, and i'm not going to shut the engine, so you can hook up your machine and get the code, and maybe we can get to the bottom of this! i said.

They got to the bottom of it, all right. Wheel bearings on both sides were giving out, which could have caused the wheels to fall off while driving. That has been repaired, to the tune of $900. The Jalopy strikes again!

The good news is that it seems to have fixed both the brake light and the ABS light that wouldn't shut off, even though nothing's wrong with the ABS. Time will tell, i guess.

And today, i am working. It seems an acquaintance needs a new housekeeper, and heard through the grapevine that i am available. If it goes well, that would be a good thing, to have another steady client. You can't count on people who just need a one time cleaning for a party or event or whatever to keep business going, although i won't turn those down.

Today is

Afrma Fancy Rat & Mouse Display -- Riverside, CA, US

All or Nothing Day -- no history on this one, but it's supposed to be the day you decide to live as if it's going to be your last!

Antique and Classic Boat Rendezvous -- Mystic Seaport, Mystic, CT, US (pre-1963 power and sailing yachts, river parade, and Rum Runners Rendezvous celebration; through tomorrow)

Aunt and Uncle Day -- originally proposed on this day in 2005 by Florida State Senator Tony Hill; if you have aunts and uncles you love, why not give them a call today

Carousel Day -- Johnson City, NY, US (Kids won't want to miss all the fun at this family event, and grown-ups, come be a kid again for a day!)

Dia de la Rebeldia -- Cuba (Revolution Anniversary)

Festival of Hathor -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Festival of Sleipnir -- Norse Pagan (date approximate, honored Odin's eight-legged horse, Sleipnir)

Geneva Arts Fair -- Geneva, IL, US (a juried event that is becoming one of the top such events in the US; through tomorrow)

Green Corn Ceremony -- Native Americans (thanksgiving for the maize harvest; these are celebrated by many tribes in many different ways and are not generally scheduled as they depend on how the corn grows; some have with rites including a Thanksgiving Prayer, Confession Chant, and Feather Dance; the Santa Ana Pueblo holds an annual Corn Festival on this date each year that is open to the public)

Groovy Chicken Day -- don't ask, just enjoy

Hanover Dutch Festival -- Hanover, PA, US (celebrating the area and it's heritage)

Independence Day -- Liberia(1847); Maldives(1965)

Kargil Vijay Diwas -- India (Kargil Victory Day)

National Coffee Milkshake Day

National Dance Day -- US (begun by Nigel Lythgoe, now a congressionally recognized day to encourage dance education and physical fitness, so go out and bust a move on a Saturday night, but don't bust you, please)

National Day of the Cowboy -- US (celebrating the heritage, and those who still work as cowboys/cowgirls today)

One Voice Day -- readings around the world of the Universal Peace Covenant, sponsored by the School of Metaphysics

Otaru Tide Festival -- Otaru Wharf, Otaru City, Japan (one of Japan's biggest sea festivals, through the 28th)

"Paddle for Perthes" Disease Awareness Day -- to promote awareness of the children's condition called Legg-Calve-Perthes disease

Racial Desegregation Day -- date in 1944 the US Army ordered training camp facilities desegregated, and the date in 1948 President Truman signed the order integrating the US armed forces

Shab-e-Qadar -- Bangladesh (Night of Destiny)

St. Anne's Day (traditional name given to the mother of Mary; Patron of broommakers, cabinetmakers, carpenters, childless people, equestrians, expectant mothers, grandmothers, grandparents, homemakers, horse men, horse women, housewives, lace makers, lace workers, lost articles, miners, mothers, old-clothes dealers, poor people, pregnancy, pregnant women, riders, seamstresses, stablemen, turners, women in labour; Canada; France; Micmaqs; over 20 cities around the world; against poverty and sterility)

St. Joachim's Day (traditional name given to the father of Mary; Patron of fathers, grandfathers, grandparents; Adjuntas, Puerto Rico)

Sumidagawa River Fireworks Festival -- Tokyo, Japan (one of Japan's largest fireworks festivals)

Taylor Horsefest -- Taylor, ND, US (big enough to be fun, small enough to get you lots of time with the stars of the show, the horses! through tomorrow)

Whitstable Oyster Festival -- Whitstable, Kent, England (celebrating the areas famed and protected oysters, Ostrea edulis; through August 1)

Wonderful Drinks Day -- Fairy Calendar

World Congress of Esperanto -- Buenos Aires, Argentina; through next Saturday

Anniversaries Today

Signing of the American's With Disabilities Act, 1990
New York becomes the 11th US State, 1788
The United States Postal Service is founded, 1775

Birthdays Today

Taylor Momsen, 1993
Kate Beckinsale, 1973
Jeremy Piven, 1964
Sandra Bullock, 1964
Kevin Spacey, 1959
Angela Hewitt, 1958
Dorothy Hamill, 1956
Susan George, 1950
Roger Taylor, 1949
Helen Mirren, 1945
Mick Jagger, 1943
Dobie Gray, 1940
Stanley Kubrick, 1928
Blake Edwards, 1922
Jason Robards, Jr., 1922
Vivian Vance, 1912
Gracie Allen, 1902
Aldous Huxley, 1894
Carl Jung, 1875
George Bernard Shaw, 1856
George Catlin, 1796

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Alice In Wonderland(Animated film), 1951
The Babe Ruth Story(Film), 1948
"The Bob Howard Show"(TV), 1948
"Young Widder Brown"(Radio), 1938

Today in History

The first recorded women's cricket match took place near Guildford, England, 1745
The birth of what would later become the United States Post Office Department is established by the Second Continental Congress, 1775
The Surrey Iron Railway, often considered the world's first public railway, opens in south London, 1803
In California, the poet and American West outlaw calling himself "Black Bart" makes his last clean getaway, 1878
Premiere of Richard Wagner's Parsifal at Bayreuth, 1882
Publication of the Unua Libro, founding the Esperanto movement, 1887
United States Attorney General Charles Joseph Bonaparte issues an order to immediately staff the Office of the Chief Examiner (later renamed the Federal Bureau of Investigation), 1908*
King Edward VIII, in one of his few official duties before he abdicated the throne, officially unveiled the Canadian National Vimy Memoria, 1936
The Labour Party wins the United Kingdom general election of July 5 by a landslide, removing Winston Churchill from power, 1945
U.S. President Harry S. Truman signs the National Security Act into United States law creating the Central Intelligence Agency, Department of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the National Security Council, 1947
U.S. President Harry S. Truman signs Executive Order 9981 desegregating the military of the United States, 1948
Fidel Castro leads an unsuccessful attack on the Moncada Barracks, thus beginning the Cuban Revolution, 1953
Syncom 2, the world's first geosynchronous satellite, is launched from Cape Canaveral on a Delta B booster, 1963
The National Assembly of Quebec imposes the use of French as the official language of the provincial government, 1977
A federal grand jury indicts Cornell University student Robert T. Morris, Jr. for releasing the Morris worm, thus becoming the first person to be prosecuted under the 1986 Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, 1989
Mumbai, India receives 99.5cm of rain (39.17 inches) within 24 hours, bringing the city to a halt for over 2 days, 2005
Over 92,000 classified documents detailing incidents related to the war in Afghanistan are released by Wikileaks in the largest leak in U.S military history, 2010
President of France, Francois Holland finalizes a deal with Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara to forgive $4.7 billion dollars in debt incurred by the Ivory Coast when it was a French Colonial Power, 2012

*Yes, the grand-nephew of Napoleon I started the FBI -- I'm not sure why that seems so odd to me.

Silly Sunday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus. Silly Sunday is the place to come for laughs to start the week off right.

It's easy to participate, just Laugh and Link Up!

Sweetie and i have been married for 29 years as of today.

Sometimes it seems like forever, and sometimes it seems like it's passed lickety-split.

Being married this long reminds me of a joke.

Boudreaux done gone into his favorite waterin' hole, an' order him a beer. Den he jes' tell de barkeep to not stop, keep 'em comin'.

Once he get about t'ree beers in him, he start cryin' and cryin'. By de fourth he be cryin' harder, and by de sixth, he jes' bawlin' his eyes out.

Fin'ly, de barkeep say, "Boudreaux, usu'ly I don' ax, 'cause some folk jes' don' like when people get nosy, but I gotta know, what you so upset about?"

"Today be my weddin' anniversary!" Boudreaux say, coughin' an' chokin' wit' tears.

"An' you be cryin''bout dat?" de barkeep say, amazed. "Dat should be a good t'ing!"

Well Boudreaux, he cry harder dan before, and he say, "No! You don' unnerstan'! Twenty-five years ago today, Clothile's daddy put a shotgun to my head, and tole me dat we was goin' to de justice of de peace right den, and I was goin' marry his daughter, or he was gonna set de law on me for what we done, and I realize, if I'd a jes' let him set de law on me instead, today is de day I'd be gettin' outta jail for good behavior!"

Today is:

Auntie's Day® -- as begun by The Savvy Auntie, celebrating those who chose to take on the active role of being an Auntie

Barbie-in-a-blender Day -- while i get why we do it to Barbie, what did your blender do to deserve this? originally thought of by Freeculture, to defend our rights to comment on cultural icons, whether they are trademarked/copyrighted or not

Bugs Bunny Day -- the "wascally wabbit" made his debut in A Wild Hare, released on this day in 1940

Day of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus -- date on the Julian Calendar, these are the legendary saints who, upon persecution by the Emperor Decius and being walled up in a cave to die as martyrs, instead slept for over 200 (in the Koran, yes, they are mentioned there, it is 300) years; based on an even more ancient legend and the prototypes of Rip Van Winkle; related observances
     National Sleepy Head Day -- Finland (the last person in the house to wake on this day is awakened with water, either thrown on him/her or the person is thrown into water; in honor of the story of the Saints of Ephesus)
     Seven Sleepers Day -- Ancient Latvian Calendar
     Siebenschlafer -- Germany (a weather prognostication day, if it rains today, there will be rain for seven weeks more)

Festival of Domhnach Chrom Dubh -- Ireland (Black Crom's Sunday, associated with the god Lugh and connected to the festival of Lammas; also connected to John Barleycorn, the personification of the grain, who is killed by being harvested at this time; many honor St. Patrick's Fast by making a pilgrimage to Croagh Patrick, where he fasted until he overcame the pagan deity Crom Cruach [Crom of the Reek])

Heyannir month commences -- Icelandic Calendar (Harvest Month, literally translates "Hay Working")

Hot August Nights -- Reno, NV, US (celebrate cars and music of the 50's and 60's at the largest classic car and nostalgia event in the United States; through Saturday)

Iglesia Ni Cristo Day -- Philippines

International Bog Day

Ipip Festival -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (festival for working on the king's tomb; date approximate)

Jose Celso Barbosa Day -- Puerto Rico

Mi'kmaq Pilgrimage to St. Anne Mission -- Mi'kmaq First Nations of Canada and Maine

National Blunt Object Day -- this one is just weird, and no one wants to take the blame for starting it, either

National Creme Brulee Day

National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day -- US

National Scotch Day

National Tree Day -- Australia

Over-The-Moon Night (Cows and Spoons) -- Fairy Calendar

Parent's Day -- US (information here)

Procession of the Penitents -- Veurne, Belgium (passion play dating back to the 15th century)

Ranggeln -- Mt. Hundstein, Germany (traditional form of wresting, called ranggeln, in honor of St. Jacob's Day [which most celebrate on July 25]; this particular festival harks back to the pre-Christian Lughnasadh celebrations, which went through Aug. 1 and contained athletic events)

St. Pantaleon's Day (Patron of bachelors, physicians, torture victims; against tuberculosis)

Take Your Houseplants For a Walk Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays, which claims doing this will orient them to their position on the earth and make them healthier (some websites mistakenly call it take your pants for a walk day!)

Valencia Fair Battle of the Flowers -- Valencia, Spain (conclusion and highlight of the Valencia Fair, with a parade and thousands of carnations thrown from floats, making a magical carpet of petals for all to enjoy)

Vardavar -- Armenia (continuation of an ancient pagan festival that encourages people to pull pranks, especially dousing everyone, friend and stranger, with water)

Victory Day -- North Korea

Walk on Stilts Day -- at your own risk always; sponsored by Bill "Stretch" Coleman, the Nine Foot Clown, who encourages everyone to walk on stilts to foster a chance to develop self-confidence, master balance and coordination, enjoy the challenge, and celebrate daring accomplishments at all ages

War Martyrs' and Invalids' Day -- Vietnam

Birthdays Today

Ashlyn Sanchez, 1996
Cheyenne Kimball, 1990
Courtney Kupets, 1986
Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, 1977
Alex Rodriguez, 1975
Maya Rudolph, 1972
Triple H, 1969
Julian McMahon, 1968
Maureen McGovern, 1949
Peggy Fleming, 1948
Betty Thomas, 1947
Bobbie Gentry, 1944
James Victor, 1939
Gary Gygax, 1938
Jerry Van Dyke, 1931
Norman Lear, 1922
Leo Ernest Durocher, 1905
Joseph Bert "Joe" Tinker, 1880
José Celso Barbosa, 1857
Alexandre Dumas, fils, 1824
Queen Hatshepsut, BC1508

Today in History

Siward, Earl of Northumbria invades Scotland to support Malcolm Canmore against Macbeth of Scotland, who usurped the Scottish throne from Malcolm's father, King Duncan; Macbeth is defeated at Dunsinane, 1054
Jesuit priest Francis Xavier's ship reaches Japan, 1549
The English Parliament passes the second Navigation Act requiring that all goods bound for the American colonies have to be sent in English ships from English ports, 1663
A Royal Charter is granted to the Bank of England, 1694
The Russian Navy defeats the Swedes atthe Battle of Grengam, 1720
The first U.S. federal government agency, the Department of Foreign Affairs, is established (later renamed Department of State), 1789
Robespierre is finally arrested, 1794
The Atlantic Cable is successfully completed, allowing transatlantic telegraph communication for the first time, 1866
Researchers at the University of Toronto led by biochemist Frederick Banting announce the discovery of the hormone insulin, 1921
The animated short A Wild Hare is released, introducing the character of Bugs Bunny, 1940
RMS Titanic, Inc. begins the first expedited salvaging of wreckage of the RMS Titanic, 1987
A pipe bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, GA, US, during the Summer Olympics, 1996
Photograph negatives purchased at a garage sale prove to be early works by photographer Ansel Adams, 2010

Awww Monday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus. Everyone could use some cute to start the week, so post a picture that makes us say, "Awww!" and link up!

Dansig says, "Yes, I know I'm good looking!"

Awww, aren't I handsome!

In other news, Dansig's owner, or "daddy" (yes, i have "grandcats"!), #2 Son, has his first physical therapy session today, and will get the surgical dressing off of his hand.

Today is

Buffalo Soldiers Day -- US (as designated by Congress)http://www.answers.com/topic/buffalo-soldiers-commemorations

Day of Commemoration of the Great Upheaval a/k/a Expulsion of the Acadians Day -- Canada

Eid al Fitr -- Islam (celebration of the end of Ramadan; begins at sundown, and runs through sundown on the 31st, but local dates and official government observances may vary)

Experimental Aircraft Association Airventure -- Wittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh, WI, US (world's largest sport aviation event, through Sunday)

Festival of Hedjihotep -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (goddess of weaving; date approximate)

Hurricane Supplication Day -- US Virgin Islands (churches hold special services to pray against hurricanes hitting the islands this season)

Imp-Handling Conference -- Fairy Calendar

Independence Day -- Peru(1821)

Liberation Day / Anniversary of the Fall of Fascism -- San Marino

Nagasaki Peiron Senshuken -- Nagasaki, Japan (two day dragon boat racing festival begun in the 17th century)

National Milk Chocolate Day

Olavsokuaftan (Olavsoka Eve) and the Olai Festival -- Faroe Islands (St. Olav's Eve, the night before the opening of Parliament and the festival of St. Olav; through tomorrow)

Soma-Nomaoi -- Haramachi City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan (three day wild horse chase which recreates a battle from over 1,000 years ago)

St. Arduinus of Trepino's Day (Patron of Trepino, Italy)

Terry Fox Day -- born in Winnipeg on this date in 1958, he raised $24 million for cancer research by running over 3,000 miles on an artificial leg before his death in 1981 at age 23

World Hepatitis Day -- International

Anniversaries Today

Henry VIII marries Catherine Howard, 1540
The first Singing Telegram is delivered, 1933

Birthdays Today

Lori Loughlin, 1964
Terrance Stanley "Terry" Fox, 1958
Hugo Chavez, 1954
Sally Struthers, 1948
Linda Kelsey, 1946
Jim Davis, 1945
Rick Wright, 1945
Bill Bradley, 1943
Phil Proctor, 1040
Darryl Hickman, 1931
Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, 1929
Jacques Piccard, 1922
Earl Tupper, 1907
Rudy Vallee, 1901
Joe E. Brown, 1892
Beatrix Potter, 1866
Thomas Heyward, Jr., 1746

Today in History

Thomas Cromwell is executed at the order of Henry VIII of England on charges of treason, 1540
Bermuda is first settled by Europeans, survivors of the English ship Sea Venture en route to Virginia, 1609
Maximilien Robespierre is executed by guillotine in Paris during the French Revolution, 1794
Welsh settlers arrive at Chubut in Argentina, 1865
The 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, guaranteeing due process and establishing citizenship for African Americans is certified, 1868
First flight of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1935
The Metropolitan Police Flying Squad foils a bullion robbery in the "Battle of London Airport", 1948
The Tangshan earthquake measuring between 7.8 and 8.2 moment magnitude flattens Tangshan, the People's Republic of China, killing 242,769 and injuring 164,851, 1976
Andorra joins the United Nations, 1993
Australian Ian Thorpe becomes the first swimmer to win six gold medals at a single World Championships, 2001
The Provisional Irish Republican Army calls an end to its thirty year long armed campaign in Northern Ireland, 2005
The U-550, a sunken German U-Boat, is discovered off the cost of Massachusetts, 2012

VBS: Messages. Lots of messages.

Good, Not so Good, and Weird

Photo-Finish Friday: Cups

Unsure

Silly Sunday: It's not that bad!

Awww Monday: Do I Have To?

What a way to start a week!

How to celebrate...

Smart, but not as much common sense as they could have.

Feline Friday: Kida the Mosquito

Yowzers!

Silly Sunday: Didn't Pan Out

Awww Monday: Everybody Wants To Be a Cat

Just Another Monday?

Musical Doctors

We Took A Video!

Feline Friday: They did what!!!

Odds and Ends

Silly Sunday: Anniversary Musings

Awww Monday: Yes, I Know It!