messymimi's meanderings

"Mom, I have a goal for my study of Spanish!" Bigger Girl informed me.

What's that? i asked.

"I want to be able to speak it so well that I can translate the story I wrote without having to look up every other word!" she said.

A worthy goal, i noted.

"By the way, how's my accent?" she asked.

Well, i know what words you are saying, but you will always sound like a gringo, i'm afraid.

"Like a what?"

A gringo, it's what some Hispanics call whites. It comes from the song the cowboys used to sing, "Green Grows the Grass."

"Oh, okay," she said, then started reciting vocabulary. "El chico, la chica, yes, both mean child. El novio, la novia, boyfriend, girlfriend, I don't need either one right now. Oh, by the way, be praying for my boy friend Tiger, that he will quit smoking."

How about i pray for his soul, too, i said.

"Well, yes, but I really want him to quit smoking."

Yes, smoking is definitely no good, now or in the afterlife, i grinned.

"Very funny," she snorted.

"Oh, wow, this is heavy!" Little Girl said at that moment, coming in with a package. "How can something so small be so heavy!"

It must be the salt your dad buys through mail order, i said. It's a five pound bag.

"Yes, it says 'Saltworks' on the package, but why does it have to be so heavy! The mailman handed it to me, and I tried to grab it with just one hand, and then I almost dropped it. I didn't expect it to be so heavy!"

Well, small doesn't always mean lightweight, i noted. A five-pound baby in your arms feels like it's going to float away, but a five-pound weight for working out sure doesn't. It's how dense the stuff is, like the old 'what's heavier, a pound of feathers or a pound of steel.'

Thinking for a minute, Little Girl said, "Oh, I get it! They weigh the same, but the feathers take up more room!"

Exactly. Like the way muscle on a human body takes up less room that fat for the same amount of weight. The muscle is more dense.

"Speaking of muscle, I can hardly wait for swim team to start up! I like how much leaner and more muscular I get when I'm working out on swim team," Little Girl said, then left to go do a bit of "working out" with her homework.

Today is:

Bunching of Fairies for the Second Flight -- Fairy Calendar

Charter Day -- Pennsylvania, US

Cheltenham Hunt Festival -- Cheltenham Racecourse, Prestbury, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England (a five day Festival, with the big race on that final day)

Debunking Day -- internet holiday possibly started by someone tired of internet myths

Feast Day of Hercules/Herakles -- Ancient Roman and Greek Calendars

Frankenstein's Birthday -- Mary Shelley's famous tale was published today in 1818

Johnny Appleseed Day / Apple Appreciation Day -- death anniversary of John "Johnny Appleseed" Chapman; some say March 18

King Moshoeshoe I's Anniversary -- Lesotho

National Oatmeal-Nut Waffles Day

Organize Your Home Office Day -- Lisa Kanarek wants everyone to organize their home office on the second Tuesday in March; my response is: in one day! is she out of her mind!

Reestablishment of Independence -- Lithuania (independence from the USSR)

St. Eulogius of Cordova's Day (Patron of carpenters, coppersmiths)

World Day of Muslim Culture, Peace, Dialogue and Film -- International

Worship of Tools Day -- begun by someone who knew we would be nowhere without tools

Anniversaries Today:

Romeo & Juliet's wedding day, according to Shakespeare, 1302
Emperor Napoleon married by proxy to Archduchess Marie Louise, 1810

Birthdays Today:

Terrance Howard, 1969
Alex Kingston, 1963
Curtis Brown, Jr., 1956
Douglas Adams, 1952
Bobby McFerrin, 1950
Jerry Zucker, 1950
Dominique Sanda, 1948
Charles W. Swan, 1942
Antonin Scalia, 1936
Sam Donaldson, 1934
Rupert Murdoch, 1931
Ralph Abernathy, 1926
Mercer Ellington, 1919
Ezra Jack Keats, 1916
Harold Wilson, 1916
Lawrence Welk, 1903
Robert Treat Paine, 1731
Torquato Tasso, 1544

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Cops"(TV), 1989
"A Raisin in the Sun"(Play), 1959
"Don Carlos"(Opera), 1867
"Rigoletto"(Opera), 1851
"I Capuleti e i Montecchi"(Opera), 1830
"The Daily Courant"(Newspaper; first British daily paper), 1702

Today in History:

Thutmose III, Pharaoh of Egypt, dies (according to the Low Chronology of the 18th Dynasty),BC1425
Volcano Etna in Italy erupts killing 15,000, 1669
The first English daily newspaper "Daily Courant," begins publishing, 1702
Queen Anne withholds Royal Assent from the Scottish Militia Bill, the last time a British monarch vetoes legislation, 1708
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is published, 1818
Unhappy with translational differences regarding the Treaty of Waitangi, chiefs Hone Heke, Kawiti and Maori tribe members chop down the British flagpole for a fourth time and drive settlers out of Kororareka, New Zealand, 1845
Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine and Robert Baldwin become the first Prime Ministers of the Province of Canada to be democratically elected under a system of responsible government, 1848
The Great Sheffield Flood: The largest man-made disaster ever to befall England kills over 250 people in Sheffield, 1864
The Meiji Japanese government officially annexes the Ryukyu Kingdom into what would become the Okinawa prefecture,1872
The Great Blizzard of 1888 begins, lasting 4 days, 1888
The first confirmed cases of the Spanish Flu are observed at Fort Riley, Kansas, 1918
The Bank of Canada opens, 1935
Reginald Weit became the first African American to play in the US Tennis Open, 1948
Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun," the first Broadway play by a black woman, opens, 1959
Mt. Etna in Sicily erupts, 1974
Pakistan successfully conducts a cold test of a nuclear weapon, 1983
Mikhail S Gorbachev replaces Konstantin Chernenko as Soviet leader, 1985
Infosys becomes the first Indian company listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange, 1999
Michelle Bachelet is inaugurated as first female president of Chile, 2006
An earthquake measuring 9.0 in magnitude strikes 130 km (81 mi) east of Sendai, Japan, triggering a tsunami killing thousands of people and triggering the second largest nuclear accident in history, 2011

#2 Son has now had a MeJob for over a month. A few days ago, he was finally able to access the money he has earned.

The whole situation has been one snafu after another. For one thing, many employers of hourly wage earners pay their employees via a pay card issued by a big bank. In theory, it's easy, just like a credit or debit card. In practice, there are fees to get your money, fees for inactivity on the card, fees to make a purchase, tons of fees, all charged to people who can afford such things the least -- hourly wage earners who only get minimum wage or just above it. There's an article about the practice here, and i don't like what i'm reading.

Then there's the whole explanation #2 Son was given when he asked about his pay after his first couple of weeks. "You should have been given a pay card when you went to orientation. Since you weren't, you have to go to the main office and talk to them."

Talking to them didn't do much good. He was given a card that they said would work. It didn't. He was eventually issued a check for a portion of his pay, and sent another pay card overnight from the main company.

After countless hours online trying to activate it all and calling customer service over and over and calling the regional office over and over, he finally got the right card, and it was activated, and he got his full pay.

Because of all this, i asked if they offer direct deposit to a bank account. It seems that they do, but they make that option harder to pick, and there is a ton of paperwork to fill out to have that done. We are going to do it anyway. He has had a savings account at the credit union since he was very young, and now that he's 18, we will go today and convert it over to a free student account with a checking account and his own debit card that won't have a ton of fees, unless he uses an out of network ATM.

Then we will wade through the work to get his money direct deposited. Wish us luck.

Today is:

Alfred Hitchcock Day -- some internet sources say March 8, and no one knows who picked either day, but his genius is worth celebrating

Arbor Day -- China; Taiwan

Donkey Appreciation Day -- formerly celebrated, but the lowly donkey is no longer as indispensable as he was; if you share my fondness for beasts of burden, celebrate it anyway

Girl Scouts Birthday -- US

Huddling of Fairies of the Third Flight -- Fairy Calendar

Kronprinsessans Namnsdag -- Sweden (Name Day of HRH Crown Princess Victoria, the Heir Apparent; an official flag day)

Lesser Eleusinian Mysteries -- Ancient Greek Calendar (three day festival, dates approximate; celebrates the marriage of Kore and Dionysos)

Martyrdom of Hypatia of Alexandria -- in 415, she was murdered for the three crimes of being intelligent, female, and pagan

National Baked Scallops Day

National Day -- Mauritius (anniversary of independence in 1968)

National Decoration Day -- Liberia

National No Smoking Day -- UK (for help quitting, go here)

Plant a Flower Day -- sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation; now's a good time to give wildlife friendly perennials a head start, starting them indoors if you have to

Registered Dietitian Day -- US

St. Gregory the Great's Day (Patron of choir boys, educators, masons, musicians, popes, schoolchildren, singers, stonemasons, stone cutters, students, and teachers; England; Kercem, Malta; Legazpi, Philippines; Montone, Italy; San Gregorio nelle Alpi, Italy; West Indies; against gout and plague)
     note that Pope St. Gregory is also celebrated on Sept. 3, the date he was elected pope
     Graekarismessa (Mass of St. Gregory) -- Torshavn, Faroe Islands (traditional day on which the oystercatcher, their symbolic national bird, returns)
     Gregoru Diena -- Ancient Latvian Calendar (Gregory's Day, similar to groundhog day for weather prediction)

St. Seraphina's Day (Patron of the disabled and handicapped, and of spinners)

World Day Against Cyber Censorship -- sponsored by Reporters Without Borders and Amnesty International

World Maths Day -- International

Youth Day -- Zambia

Anniversaries Today:

Mick Jagger marries Bianca Perez Morena de Macias, 1971
Paul McCartney marries Linda Louise Eastman, 1969

Birthdays Today:

Frank Catalano, 1978
Aaron Eckhart, 1968
David Daniels, 1966
Darryl Strawberry, 1962
Marlon Jackson, 1957
Rob Cohen, 1949
James Taylor, 1948
Liza Minnelli, 1946
Al Jarreau, 1940
Barbara Feldon, 1933
Andrew Young, 1932
Edward Albee, 1928
Wally Schirra, 1923
Jack Kerouac, 1922
Gordon MacRae, 1921
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, 1881
Simon Newcomb, 1835
Charles Cunningham Boycott, 1832
Clement Studebaker, 1821

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Moses und Aaron"(Opera), 1954
"Fervaal"(Opera; d'Indy Op. 40), 1897
"Simon Boccanegra"(Opera), 1857

Today in History:

Martyrdom of Hypatia of Alexandria, philosopher, 415
Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving the city in the hands of the victorious Roman general, Belisarius, 538
Orvieto, Italy, rules it will behead and burn Jewish-Christian couples, 1350
Jews are expelled from Syria, 1496
New Jersey becomes an English colony, 1664
The first steam engine in America installed, to pump water from a mine, 1755
Andrew Watson makes his Scotland debut as the world's first black international football player and captain, 1881
In Vicksburg, Mississippi, Coca-Cola is sold in bottles for the first time, 1894
The first main line electric train in UK, from Liverpool to Southport, begins running, 1904
The Girl Guides (later renamed the Girl Scouts of the USA) are founded in the United States, by Juliette Gordon Lowe, 1912
The foundation stone of the new Australian capital in Canberra is laid, 1913
Mohandas Gandhi begins 200m (300km) march protesting British salt tax, 1930
The Truman Doctrine is proclaimed to help stem the spread of Communism, 1947
The Church of England ordains its first female priests, 1994
Former Warsaw Pact members the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland join NATO, 1999
Financier Bernard Madoff plead guilty in New York to scamming $18 billion, the largest in Wall Street history, 2009
The U.S. Census Bureau reports the world now has 7 billion people, 2012

From where i was sitting on the floor feeding kittens, all i could see was that Festus was carrying a box, a rather large box.

Festus, what are you bringing into my house? i asked.

"Well, it's nothing that explodes, causes fires, or is really dangerous," he said, somewhat evasively.

As i turned a bit more, i could see a computer cord hanging out of it, and i know he's a computer genius. He and his father build all of their own, and he's come in handy a couple of times with ours.

Okay, i said, and turned back to feeding the kittens. Somehow i couldn't help but wonder if there was more to it, but in the course of cooking dinner and attending prayer service and all the other stuff of the day, i forgot about it.

Until i got home from prayer service. Sweetie let me use his car, as #2 Son takes the Jalopy to school in the evenings. As i got out, i saw something fly over my head and land at my feet with a clank.

It was a soda can. Turning to look behind me, i noticed Festus, looking sheepish. He had a tennis racquet in his hand. Looking the other direction, there was Young Jacob with another, and Little Girl laughing fit to be tied.

So it turned out the box did have his computer so that they could set up a three way competition game with our computer and an old laptop. It also contained two tennis racquets and an empty soda can, so they could play their own form of tennis, or maybe badminton, using Bigger Girl's car, Cicero, as the net.

Around here, somehow, there's always more than meets the eye.

Today is:

Africa Scout Day -- Africa (celebration of all Boy Scouts and Girl Guides in Africa)

Anniversary of the Election of Pope Francis

Ear Muff Day -- invented by Chester Greenwood in 1873, when he was only 15; if you need them today, keep a good thought for Chester

Good Samaritan Involvement Day -- emphasizing the importance of unselfish aid to others

Kasuga Matsuri -- Kasuga Grand Shrine, Nara, Japan (Monkey Festival)

K-9 Veterans Day -- US (on the day in 1942 the US Army K-9 Corps was established)

Louisiana Sportsmen's Show and Festival -- Gonzales, LA, US (boat show for NOLA, BR, and the Gulf Coast, and includes a jambalaya cook off; through Sunday)

National Coconut Tort Day

National Jewel Day -- for no other reason than that someone who liked jewels wanted a holiday for them

National Open An Umbrella Indoors Day -- an experiment in whether or not bad luck ensues

Saint Ansovinus of Camerino (Patron protector of crops)

Sticking Very Close Together for Fairies of the Fourth and Fifth Flights -- Fairy Calendar

Uranus Day -- the planet was discovered this day in 1781

World Kidney Day -- www.worldkidneyday.org

Birthdays Today:

Emile Hirsch, 1985
Rachael Bella, 1984
Will Clark, 1964
Adam Clayton, 1960
Glenne Headly, 1957
Dana Delany, 1956
Deborah Raffin, 1953
Charo, 1951
William H. Macy, 1950
Neil Sedaka, 1939
Helen "Callaghan" Candaele Saint Aubin, 1929
William Casey, 1913
L. Ron Hubbard. 1911
Sammy Kaye, 1910
Walter Annenberg, 1908
Percival Lowell, 1855
Lorenzo Delmonico, 1813
Joseph Priestly, 1733

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The Larry King Show"(TV), 1983
"Same Time, Next Year"(Play), 1975
"Brigadoon"(Musical), 1947
"Three Musketeers"(Musical), 1928
"The Pink Lady"(Musical), 1911
"Marie Magdalena"(Opera), 1846
"Médée"(Opera), 1797

Today in History:

Twelfth recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet, 607
Spanish explorer Cortez lands in Mexico, 1519
The Spanish fleet occupies Djerba, at Tripoli, 1560
Cambridge College is renamed Harvard for clergyman John Harvard, 1639
Jews are denied the right to build a synagogue in New Amsterdam, 1656
Massachusetts gains title to Maine for $6,000, 1677
The twenty-seventh recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet, 1759
William Herschel discovers Uranus, 1781
The Uncle Sam cartoon figure makes its debut in the NY Lantern weekly, 1852
The US Senate begins Pres Andrew Johnson's impeachment trial, 1868
Oxford defeats Cambridge in their first golf match, 1878
The Siege of Khartoum, Sudan begins, Madhist Sudanese against the Egyptian, British, and loyalist Sudanese forces, 1884
In France the length of the workday for women and children is limited to 11 hours by law, 1900
Mongolia (formerly Outer Mongolia) declares independence from China, 1921
A law is passed in the US state of Tennessee prohibiting the teaching of evolution, 1925
Clyde Tombaugh announces the discovery of Pluto at Lowell Observatory, 1930
Rotaract begins as a youth program of Rotary International, 1968
Apollo 9 returns safely to Earth after testing the Lunar Module, 1969
The Seikan Tunnel, the longest undersea tunnel in the world, opens between Aomori and Hakodate, Japan, 1988
India's Missionaries of Charity chooses Sister Nirmala to succeed Mother Teresa as its leader, 1997
Gold prices on the New York Mercantile Exchange hit $1,000 per ounce for the first time, 2008
A Harvard Medical School study claims that red meat increases the risk of death and has additional negative health implications, 2012
In Greenland, the Siumut party wins the parliamentary election, setting up Aleqa Hammond to become the country's first female Prime Minister, 2013

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, you can use a picture of your own perfect feline.

This is Mikey:

Mikey, one of the reason i have to rewash stuff in the kitchen so often.

His usual line: Whadda ya mean, get off your kitchen counter! I'm King of All I Survey!

Today is:

Constitution Day -- Andorra

Dita e Veres -- Albania (Summer Day)

Festival of Veturius Mamurius -- Ancient Roman Calendar (festival of armor makers)

Genius Day -- for Einstein, of course

International Ask A Question Day -- because that's what geniuses do

Jonquil Festival -- Washington State Park, Arkansas, US (through Sunday)

Learn about Butterflies Day -- if you go looking for who started this holiday, you will find out lots about butterflies and nothing about him/her, which i guess makes it a success

Moth-er Day -- for all individuals and museums that have moth collections; some websites have this listed as the day before Mother's Day

Mother Tongue Day -- Estonia

National Heroes Day -- Saint Vincent and Grenadines

National Potato Chip Day

National Pi Day - Why today? Because today is 3.14, the value of Pi.

Red Nose Day -- Comic Relief "Fun Raiser", for famine relief

Runic Half Month Beorc (Birch) begins

Sherlock Holmes Weekend -- Cape May, NJ, US (a weekend of mystery for amateur sleuths and fans of A.C. Doyle)

Shopping Cart Day -- patent filed today in 1938 by Sylvan Goldman

St. Matilda, Queen of Germany's Day (Patron of dying children, disappointing children, falsely accused people, large families, people ridiculed for their piety, queens, second marriages, widows)

Ten Most Wanted Day -- the FBI started its list this day in 1950

The European Fine Art Fair: Maastricht 2013 -- Maastricht, Netherlands (The Fine Arts Fair; through the 23rd)

White Day -- China; Japan; South Korea; Taiwan (One month after Valentine's Day, which is the day women give gifts to men; today, the men return the favor.)

World Sleep Day -- sponsored by the World Association of Sleep Medicine, aiming to lessen the burdens of sleep problems on society; this year's theme is Restuful Sleep, Easy Breathing, Healthy Body.

Birthdays Today:

Justin Bieber, 1994
Colby O'Donis, 1989
Taylor Hanson, 1983
Grace Park, 1974
Kirby Puckett, 1961
Tamara Tunie, 1959
Rick Dees, 1951
Pam Ayres, 1947
Billy Crystal, 1947
Rita Tushingham, 1942
Michael Caine, 1933
Quincy Jones, 1933
Frank Borman, 1928
S. Truet Cathy, 1921
Hank Ketcham, 1920
Horton Foote, 1916
Les Brown, 1912
Albert Einstein, 1879
Casey Jones, 1864
Lucy Hobbs Taylor, 1833
Johann Strauss, Sr., 1804

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"10 Most Wanted"(FBI list), 1950
"The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu"(Comic Opera), 1885
"MacBeth"(Opera), 1847

Today in History:

The Queen of Cyprus, Catherine Cornaro, sells her kingdom to Venice, 1489
England grants a patent for Providence Plantations (now Rhode Island), 1644
Scotland dismisses Willem III & Mary Stuart as king & queen, 1689
Eli Whitney is granted a patent for the cotton gin, 1794
The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church founded in New York, 1821
Gilbert and Sullivan's Mikado premiers in London, 1885
During the Great Blizzard of 1888, New York receives its second largest snowfall on record, 21", 1888
The United States goes on the gold standard, 1900
Hugo de Vries rediscovers Mendel's laws of genetics, 1900
The first theater for rear movie projection is built, in NYC, 1931
A jury in Dallas, Texas, finds Jack Ruby guilty of killing Lee Harvey Oswald, assumed assassin of John F. Kennedy, 1964
Linux kernel version 1.0.0 is released, 1994
Astronaut Norman Thagard becomes the first American astronaut to ride to space on-board a Russian launch vehicle, 1995
The Chinese city of Chongqing (formerly Chunking) is upgraded to a centrally administered municipality, 1997
Over a million Lebanese people take to the streets of Beirut to protest against Syrian military presence, in what comes to be called the Cedar Revolution, 2005
After measuring its spin and parity, scientists at the Large Hadron Collider announce they firmly believe the particle discovered in July 2012 is a Higgs boson, 2013

Lorax, who is doing a great gremlin/furby imitation these days, has the sniffles.

I really do look a lot like Gizmo, don't I?

The nice lady whose daughter's Persians were his parents wanted to see him. So we arranged, even with my broken cell phone, to figure out how to get together at the shelter. While there, Little Girl and i could do our usual shift feeding and watering and sweeping, and we could get him something for his sniffles, which are caused by the fact that half of his formula ends up going up his nose. It's that short Persian snout.

So we arrived at the shelter to find out that 16 of the cats are on meds, almost all for sniffles! It seems there is something going around. While Little Girl fed and watered, and the nice lady who now owns Lorax's parents petted and played with him, i set about getting medications down a whole bunch of cats, most of whom were not at all grateful.

In order to make sure i didn't mess up and medicate the wrong one (after all, when they say medicate the tabby in room 6 and there are 3 tabbies in there, it can get a bit crazy), i checked microchip numbers before administering each dose.

Then i came to poor Barney. He is one of the few who has more than just sniffles, he has a urinary tract infection, too. He was on Clavamox, which is a liquid (some got pills, some got liquid). He was lying listlessly in a basket, and i reached in but he paid me no mind. As i scruffed him and squirted the liquid in his mouth, he not only didn't struggle, but the skin on the back of his neck where i scruffed him didn't smoothly go back down to its usual place.

If you've ever seen a person who is severely dehydrated, when you pinch up the skin on the back of the hand, it stays up. It doesn't smooth back down right away. With a cat, if the skin on the back of the neck does that, it means the same thing.

My immediate reaction was to go tell Miss W or Cathy. His listlessness and the fact that he was that dehydrated could only mean he wasn't drinking at all, and who could blame him when it hurts to use the litter box? That's what a urinary tract infection does. As i told them, i dug around for the set up they should have for giving fluids through a needle under the skin. It's something i keep around my house, and i know they used to have a set up.

They no longer have the tubing, though i found the fluids and needles. Poor guy had to be carted off to the vet's office to be rehydrated.

Meanwhile, i'm just hoping i don't end up with the other kittens sniffling. Lorax's sniffles are now being treated, and as i said it was caused by the way he eats. Perhaps the little ones will be spared that. Having to medicate that many cats at the shelter once a week is fine, but having everyone in my house sneezing and needing meds gets overwhelming.

Today is:

1848 Revolution Day -- Hungary

Ag Day, Celebrating Our Bountiful Food Supply -- according to a foodie website

Birkebeinerrennet -- Rena to Lillehammer, Norway (54km ski marathon commemorating the 1205 rescue of infant prince Hakon Hakonsson by ski over this route)

Brutus Day -- for obvious reasons; watch for backstabbers today, because they are as numerous now as they were in ancient Rome

Commemoration of the Birth of Lao-Tzu -- Taoist (15th day of 2nd lunar month)

Constitution Day -- Belarus

Dumbstruck Day -- Fairy Calendar

Everything You Think is Wrong Day -- begun by someone who wants you to keep an open mind, apparently

Fallas de Valencia -- Valencia, Spain (a five day carnival/fiesta of partying that ends with turning off all the city lights and setting fire to hundreds of massive papier-mache statues stuffed with fireworks to celebrate St. Joseph's Day; sometimes called Fallas de San Jose)

Girl Scout Sabbath -- US (encouraging Girl Scouts to wear their uniforms to synagogue services and represent their troop to their congregations; the final day of Girl Scout Week in the US)

Honen Matsuri -- Tagata-jinja Shrine, Inuyama, Japan (festival for a good harvest and fertility)

Ides of March -- Ancient Roman Calendar; other observances
     Day Sacred to Anna Parenna and River Nymphs -- goddess of the returning year
     Day You Don't Want to Go Out if Your Name is Julius Caesar
     Festival of Attis and Cybele
     Guild Festival -- for guilds practicing the arts of Minerva, with weapons purified at her temple on this day

International Day Against Police Brutality

Joseph Jenkins Roberts' Birthday -- Liberia

Kashiram Jayanti -- UP, India (birth anniversary of politician Kashi Ram)

National Pears Helene with Chocolate Sauce and Brandy Day

National Quilting Day -- US, sponsored by the National Quilting Associationhttp://www.nqaquilts.org/

Offerings to Ra, Osiris, Horus, Ptah, Sokar, and Atum -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Purim -- Judaism (begins at sundown)

Save the Florida Panther Day -- FL, US

St. Clement Mary Hofbauer's Day (Patron of Vienna, Austria)

St. Louise de Marillac's Day (Patron of disappointing children, loss of parents, people rejected by religious orders, sick people, social workers, widows; Vincentian Service Corps)

Saint Patrick's Day Parades -- various cities around the English speaking world hold their celebrations on the Saturday nearest the Saint's day

Tagata Honen-Sai/Honen Matsuri -- Inuyama, Japan (fertility festival)

True Confessions Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays, because confession is good for the soul; if you are afraid to confess to the world, there's always your mirror

Turkey Buzzards Day -- Hinckley, OH, US (Two theories about why the turkey buzzards return on this date each year have to do with either witchcraft of a hunting story; festival in honor of them will be held this coming Sunday)

Wild Azalea Festival -- White Springs, FL, US

World Consumer Rights Day -- International

Youth Day -- Palau

Anniversaries Today:

Richard Burton marries Elizabeth Taylor, 1964
The University of Toronto is chartered, 1827
Maine becomes the 23rd US state, 1820

Birthdays Today:

Kellan Lutz, 1985
Sean Biggerstaff, 1983
Eva Longoria, 1975
Kim Raver, 1969
Mark McGrath, 1968
Bret Michaels, 1963
Fabio, 1961
Mary Carillo, 1957
Park Overall, 1957
Dee Snyder, 1955
Craig Wilson, 1954
Sly Stone, 1944
Mike Love, 1941
Phil Lesh, 1940
Judd Hirsch, 1935
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 1933
Alan Bean, 1932
Norm Van Brocklin, 1926
Harry James, 1916
Joe E. Ross, 1914
Macdonald Carey, 1913
Samuel "Lightnin" Hopkins, 1912
Andrew Jackson, 1767

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The Wonder Years"(TV), 1988
"Eight is Enough"(TV), 1977
"Three's Company"(TV), 1977
"The Godfather"(Film), 1972
"Purlie"(Musical), 1970
"Lady Madonna"(Music single), 1968
"My Fair Lady"(Musical), 1956
"Rapsodie Espagnole"(Ravel's Orchestral rapsody), 1908
"Caesar and Cleopatra,"(Play), 1899
"She Stoops to Conquer"(Comedy), 1773

Today in History:

Julius Caesar, Dictator of the Roman Republic, is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus, Gaius Cassius Longinus, Decimus Junius Brutus and several other Roman senators on the Ides of March, BC44
Liu Bei, a Chinese warlord and member of the Han royal house, declares himself emperor of Shu-Han and claims his legitimate succession to the Han Dynasty, 221
A Jew hating Monk in Seville, Spain stirs up people in that city to attack Jews, 1391
Christopher Columbus arrives back in Spain after his first trip to the New World, 1493
The first meeting of the Council of Trent, 1545
South Carolina becomes the first American colony to declare its independence from Great Britain and set up its own government, 1776
In an emotional speech in Newburgh, New York, George Washington asks his officers not to support the Newburgh Conspiracy; the plea is successful and the threatened coup d'état never takes place, 1783
A revolution breaks out in Hungary, and the Habsburg rulers are compelled to meet the demands of the Reform party, 1848
Jesse W. Reno patents an "inclined elevator" (escalator), 1892*
Rolls-Royce Limited is incorporated, 1906
Czar Nicholas II of Russia abdicates the Russian throne and his brother the Grand Duke becomes Tsar, 1917
Symbolics.com registers the very first Internet domain name, 1985
Mikhail Gorbachev is elected as the first President of the Soviet Union, 1990
French President Jacques Chirac signs the law on secularity and conspicuous religious symbols in schools, commonly known as the "headscarf ban", 2004
Lazarus Project scientists reveal that they successfully recovered frozen tissue from the 1970's and rejuvenated the cells of Rheobatrachus silus, a species of frog that has been extinct since 1983, 2013

*The first actual working model, at Coney Island, was built four years later.

Sandee, at Comedy Plus, links us all up for laughs at Silly Sunday. Come join the fun!

"I'm glad it's almost spring, but I hate the mosquitoes!" Little Girl said, as she came in scratching. She is very, very allergic to mosquitoes and they adore her. If she is outside, no one else need worry about being bitten, they all go after her. She already had welts rising from these bites.

Mosquitoes are bad enough, but i get tired of the flies, i noted.

We get a couple of weeks every summer where we just can't get rid of the flies, they are everywhere.

Spring is great, we just wish it didn't bring the pests back with it.

Speaking of pests reminds me of a joke, of course.

Clothile came in da house and seen Boudreaux wit' de fly flap. She ax him, "Mais, dem flies! Did ya get enny?"

"Mais, I done got me five!" Boudreaux say. "I done got tree males and two females."

"How ya know if dey's male or female?" Clothile ax him.

"Dat's easy! Two was on de phone, and tree was on dat dere beer can!"

Today is:

Butter Lantern Festival -- Tibet (the final celebration of the Tibetan New Year)

Buzzard Day -- Hinckley, OH, US (a day to celebrate the returning buzzards)

Camp Fire USA Birthday Week

Curlew Day -- Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge, OR, US (traditional date the long-billed curlew arrives, with up to 500 reported during their nesting season)

Day of the Book Smugglers -- Lithuania (recognizing the brave people who smuggled Lithuanian language books in the Latin alphabet into the country from 1866-1904, when the Russian Empire had banned such books)

Day After Dumbstruck Day -- Fairy Calendar

Doljatra/Holika Dahan -- regions of India (a festival of colors, similar to Holi)

Elaphebolia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (festival of Artemis; date approximate)

Everything You Do is Right Day -- another internet generated holiday designed to get you into trouble if you aren't careful

Feast of Heru and His Companions -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Festival of Bacchus / Bacchanalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (through tomorrow)

Freedom of Information Day -- on the birthday of James Madison, Father of the US Constitution and an advocate for openness in government

Full Worm Moon -- also called Leaf Moon, Seedling Moon, Crow Moon, Crust Moon, Sap Moon, Light Snow Moon, or Lenten Moon; considered the last full moon of winter
Medin Full Moon Poya Day -- Sri Lanka
Taubaung Full Moon -- Myanmar

Latvian Legion Day -- Latvia (no longer a formal national holiday, still celebrated by many in the region)

Lips Appreciation Day -- after all, where would you be without them, and how would you give kisses? sponsored by Wellcat Holidays

Magha Puja Day -- Buddhist (celebrations of the teachings of Buddha to an assembly of holy men)

National Artichoke Hearts Day

Purim -- Judaism (began sundown yesterday, through sundown today)

St. Heribert of Cologne's Day (Patron against drought)

St. Urho's Day -- Finnish communities in Canada and the US (a made up saint, the Finns answer to St. Patrick, who supposedly drove the grasshoppers out of Finland)

Anniversary Today:

The United States Military Academy at West Point is established, 1802

Birthdays Today:

Judah Friedlander, 1969
Lauren Graham, 1969
Kevin Tod Smith, 1963
Isabel Huppert, 1955
Alice Hoffman, 1952
Kate Nelligan, 1951
Erik Estrada, 1949
Victor Garber, 1949
Chuck Woolery, 1942
Bernardo Bertolucci, 1940
Jerry Lewis, 1926
Mercedes McCambridge, 1916
Patricia Nixon, 1912
Henny Youngman, 1906
Rosa Bonheur, 1822
Georg Simon Ohm, 1787
James Madison, 1751
George Clymer, 1739

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The Gumby Show"(TV), 1957
"1776"(Musical), 1969
"Der Unbestechliche"(Comedy), 1923
"In the South / Alassio"(Elgar, Op. 50), 1904
"Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen"(Mahler Song cycle), 1896
"Thaïs"(Opera), 1894
"Freedom's Journal"(first African American newspaper in the US, in New York), 1827

Today in History:

The Babylonians capture Jerusalem and replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king, BC597
Caligula becomes Roman Emperor after the death of his great uncle, Tiberius, 37
The Jews of York England commit mass suicide rather than submit to baptism, 1190
Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan reaches Philippines, 1521
Samoset, a Mohegan, visits the settlers of Plymouth Colony and greets them, "Welcome, Englishmen! My name is Samoset," 1621
The US Army Corps of Engineers is established to found and operate the United States Military Academy at West Point, 1802
Prince Willem of the House of Orange-Nassau proclaims himself King of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, the first constitutional monarch in The Netherlands, 1815
New York Stock Exchange slowest day ever (31 shares traded), 1830
Susan Hayhurst becomes the first woman to graduate from a pharmacollogy college, 1830
Edward Clark became Governor of Texas, replacing Sam Houston, who was evicted from the office for refusing to take an oath of loyalty to the Confederacy, 1861
Joseph Lister's article outlining the discovery of antiseptic surgery is published in The Lancet, 1867
Hiram R Revels makes the first official speech by an African American in the US Senate, 1869
The Barnum and Bailey Circus debuts, 1881
Sir Arthur Evans discovers the ancient city of Knossus, 1900
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket, at Auburn, Massachusetts, 1926
The Ford Motor Company produces its 50 millionth automobile, the Thunderbird, averaging almost a million cars a year since the company's founding, 1958
Gemini 8 is launched, the 12th manned American space flight and first space docking with the Agena Target Vehicle, 1968
General Motors produces its 100 millionth automobile, the Oldsmobile Toronado, 1968
Demolition of the radio tower Ismaning, the last wooden radio tower in Germany, 1983
Associated Press newsman Terry Anderson is taken hostage in Beirut; he will be held for 6 1/2 years, 1985
Pope John Paul II asks God for forgiveness for the inactivity and silence of some Roman Catholics during the Holocaust, 1998
Israel officially hands over Jericho to Palestinian control, 2005

Aww Monday is hosted by Sandee at ComedyPlus, and it's easy. Just post a picture that makes Monday a good day by eliciting an "Aww, how cute!"

Lorax says, "Now that they are sometimes out of their cage, what do I do with them?!"

Lorax among the six.

He's trying to play with them some, but they are not quite ready to understand playing. Soon, though.

Today is:

Act Happy Week begins -- acting happy releases the body chemicals that aid health, mental and physical

Dia de Benito Juarez -- Mexico (a Fiestas Patrias)

Ennensai -- Kyoto, Japan (festival and traditional performances)

Evacuation Day -- Suffolk County, Massachusetts, US (day the British troops left the city in 1776)

Festival of King Amenhotep I -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (rituals dramatizing his death and burial, held in the Valley; date approximate)

Hola Mohalla -- Sikh (3 day grand festival)

Holi -- Hindu (Festival of Color, where everyone gets doused with colored water, or powder, or paint, or all of them; it's been described as an iridescent madhouse)
     officially recognized holiday in Guyana; India; Nepal; Suriname
     Phagu Purnima / Basanta Utsay -- Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

Kustonu Diena -- Ancient Latvian Calendar (no planting today, to ward off insects)

Liberalia -- Ancient Roman Empire (fertility festival in rural areas)

National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day -- i wonder why

National Wildlife Week -- US (go learn how to safely observe wildlife this week)

Rubber Band Day -- patented in England this date in 1845 by Stephen Perry

Saint Patrick's Day (Patron of engineers, excluded people, ophidiophobics; Ireland; Nigeria; over 20 other towns/dioceses around the world; against fear of snakes, snakes and snake bite)
     a public holiday in the Canadian Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Montserrat, and Ireland, and widely celebrated throughout the world
     Trefuilnid Treochair (Feast of Triple Bearer of the Triple Key) -- Ireland (Ireland's National Day)

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's Birth Anniversary -- Bangladesh

St. Gertrude's Day (Patron of cats, for accommodations and lodging while traveling, gardeners, mentally ill people, pilgrims, poor people, sick people, suriphobics, travelers, widows; Nivelles, Belgium; against fear of mice and rats, fever, insanity and mental disorders, mice and rats)

St. Joseph of Arimathea's Day (Patron of funeral directors, morticians/undertakers, pallbearers, tin miners, tin smiths; Glastonbury Cathedral)

Submarine Day -- the sandwich or the submersible, your choice

Wellderly Day -- and the start of Wellderly Week, focusing on the health of the elderly

World Folk Tales and Fables Week -- encouraging all people to explore the cultural background and lessons learned from folk tales, fables, myths, and legends from around the world; originally sponsored by Language Lizard

Anniversaries Today:

Wellesley Female Seminary is established, 1870
Franklin D. Roosevelt marries Eleanor Roosevelt, 1905

Birthdays Today:

Caroline Corr, 1973
Mia Hamm, 1972
Rob Lowe, 1964
Arye Gross, 1960
Vicky Lewis, 1960
Gary Sinise, 1955
Lesley-Anne Down, 1954
Kurt Russell, 1951
Patrick Duffy, 1949
John Sebastian, 1944
Paul Kantner, 1941
Rudolf Nureyev, 1938
Paul Horn, 1930
Nat "King" Cole, 1919
Bayard Rustin, 1910
Bobby Jones, 1902
Shemp Howard, 1895
Jim Bridger, 1804
Roger B. Taney, 1777

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Camino Real"(Play), 1953
"Kiss and Tell"(Play), 1943
"Welded"(Play), 1928
"The Girl Friend"(Musical), 1926
"Wilhelm Tell"(Play), 1804

Today in History:

In his last victory, Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger in the Battle of Munda, BC45
Marcus Aurelius dies leaving Commodus as the sole emperor of the Roman Empire, 180
Led by Muhammad, the Muslims of Medina defeat the Quraysh of Mecca in the Battle of Badr, 624
Edward, the Black Prince is made Duke of Cornwall, the first Duchy made in England, 1337
Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated in New York City for the first time (at the Crown and Thistle Tavern), 1756
George Washington grants the Continental Army a holiday "as an act of solidarity with the Irish in their fight for independence," 1780
The Italian Republic, with Napoleon as president, becomes the Kingdom of Italy, with Napoleon as King, 1805
Henry Jones of Bristol patents "self-raising" flour, 1845
Stephen Perry of London patents the rubber band, 1845
John Joseph Montgomery makes the first glider flight, in Otay, California, 1884
The first practical submarine leaves the dock at NYC and submerges for one hour forty minutes, 1898
A showing of seventy-one Vincent van Gogh paintings in Paris, 11 years after his death, creates a sensation, 1901
Luther Gulick and his wife Charlotte found Camp Fire Girls (now Camp Fire USA), 1910
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley announce the creation of element 98, which they name "Californium", 1950
Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, flees Tibet for India, 1959
Golda Meir becomes the first female Prime Minister of Israel, 1969
A referendum to end apartheid in South Africa is passed 68.7% to 31.2%, 1992
President Bush delivers an ultimatum to Saddam Hussein: leave Iraq within 48 hours or face an attack, 2003
Scientists discover that a large number of bacterial life forms live in the deepest part of the world's oceans, the Mariana Trench, which is about 6.831 miles, 2013

Growing up, we almost always had a dog, a cat or two, and other pets. In fact, a lot of the time, we had a veritable menagerie.

Then, after we had moved out, the only pet left, the German shepherd named Sasha, died. Since they were selling the big house and moving into a space half the size, Grandma and Grandpa went without any pets for a while.

It couldn't last, though. Grandma loves having a dog around, and so they adopted B.B,, which stands for Browned Butter. She was a chocolate lab, big and somewhat goofy. She always barked when someone came near the house, and greeted you as if you had just come back from a 10 years absence if you just came in from going out to move the garbage can.

She loved the kids, although, in these last few years, they exhausted her. When they would come for the weekend, she would go nuts. She was in hog heaven, or maybe that should be dog heaven, at all the attention and extra food they would sneak to her. Then, when they left, she would sleep for two days or so to recover.

In these last years, though, she had trouble with arthritis, and needed hip surgery, as so many of those big dogs do.

Last Friday, Grandma and Grandpa took her in to have some things checked out. They knew it didn't look good, as she had been getting steadily weaker.

She was diagnosed with advanced cancer. Since she was already over 11 years old with other health trouble, they knew what was the kindest, though most difficult, thing to do.

Rest in Peace, B.B.

Today is:

Awkward Moments Day -- harness the power of humor in life's more uncomfortable situations

Asklepieia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (festival of Asklepios; date approximate)

Bindus Diena -- Ancient Latvain Calendar (believed to be the day bears woke from hibernation)

Birthday of Sparky the Fire Dog -- can't confirm the exact date, but Sparky became an official fire prevention mascot in Mar. 1951

Celtic Tree Month Fearn (Alder) begins

Cheikh Al Maarouf Day -- Comoros

Electric Razor Day -- Schick, Inc., marketed the first one today in 1931

Forgive Mom and Dad Day -- because we all make mistakes; sponsored by Wellcat Holidays

Goddess of Fertility Day -- a modern celebration of all goddesses of fertility

Grandparents' and Grandchildren's Day -- Michigan, US

Jacques de Molay's Day -- death anniversary of the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar

Men's and Soldiers Day -- Mongolia

National Anthem and Flag Day -- Aruba

National Biodiesel Day -- birth anniversary of Rudolph Diesel, who unveiled his engine at the World Fair in 1900

National Lacy Oatmeal Cookie Day

Oide Matsuri -- Hakui, Japan (horse-back archery; through the 23rd)

Sheelah's Day -- Ireland (probably Sheela Na Gig, goddess of fertility; celebrated the day after St. Patrick's Day by those who say she was either his wife or his mother)

Sheep and Goats (Separation) Day -- Fairy Calendar

St. Anselm of Lucca's Day (Patron of Mantua, Italy)

St. Edward the Martyr's Day

Supreme Sacrifice Day -- an internet generated holiday now used to honor those who have made a supreme sacrifice, all who have given their lives for others

Usajingu Reitaisai -- Japan (offerings to the Kami from the Imperial Household are shared in this very important festival)

Anniversary Today:

Eddie Murphy marries Nicole Mitchell, 1993

Birthdays Today:

Alexei Yagudin, 1980
Dane Cook, 1972
Queen Latifah, 1970
Bonnie Blair, 1964
Vanessa Williams, 1963
Irene Cara, 1959
Brad Dourif, 1950
Kevin Dobson, 1944
Wilson Pickett, 1941
Charlie Pride, 1938
Sashi Kapoor, 1938
F.W. deKlerk, 1936
John Updike, 1932
George Plimpton, 1927
John Kander, 1927
Peter Graves, 1926
William H. Johnson, 1901
Edward Everett Horton, 1886
Rudolph Diesel, 1858
Grover Cleveland, 1837
John Caldwell Calhoun, 1782

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Do I Hear a Waltz?"(Musical), 1965
"Tovarich"(Musical), 1963
"Tales of Wells Fargo"(TV), 1957
"The new Babylon"(Silent Film), 1929
"Verklarte Nacht"(Schonberg, Op. 4), 1902

Today in History:

Crusaders kill 57 Jews in Bury St Edmonds England, 1190
German emperor Frederick II crowns himself king of Jerusalem, 1229
Kraków is ravaged by Mongols, 1241
According to legend, Tenochtitlan is founded on this date, 1325
John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton sells his part of New Jersey to the Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as Quakers, 1673
Henry Wells and William Fargo form American Express in Buffalo, NY, 1850
Former Governor General Lord Stanley pledges to donate a silver challenge cup, later named after him, as an award for the best hockey team in Canada, 1893
Mohandas Gandhi is sentenced to six years in prison for civil disobedience (he served only 2 years), 1922
The first public celebration of Bat mitzvah, for the daughter of Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, is held in New York City, 1922
The Tri-State Tornado hits the Midwestern US states of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana, killing 695 people, 1925
The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in Italy kills 26 and causes thousands to flee their homes, 1944
Cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov, leaving his spacecraft Voskhod 2 for 12 minutes, becomes the first person to walk in space, 1965
The U.S. Congress repeals the requirement for a gold reserve to back US currency, 1968
In Egypt, a 4,400-year-old mummy is found nearby the Pyramid of Cheops, 1989
White South Africans vote overwhelmingly in favour, in a national referendum, to end the racist policy of Apartheid, 1992
Bosnia's Bosniaks and Croats sign the Washington Agreement, ending warring between the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and establishing the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1994
British Sign Language is recognized as an official British language, 2003
For the first time, a woman served as imam, leading a public, mixed-gender, Muslim congregation in Jum'ah prayer and delivering the sermon, 2005

When she's not in school or studying or spending time reading or with her friends, she has her favorite spring hobby -- making flower chains.

We have plenty.

She makes chains to wear in her hair, and she shares them with others. Lately, she's shared with the cats.

Dansig says, "Peace out, man!"

Mikey: "Yes, I'm still king."

Horizon: "And just what do you think you are doing?"

Hope: "I assume I'm getting a treat for doing this, right?"

Kittens: "Whatever you say; we don't know what's going on anyway!"

Today is:

Bali Spirit Festival -- Ubud, Bali (annual celebration of Balinese culture, yoga, healing arts, music and dance; through Sunday)

Commemoration of the Victory over Kadhafi -- Libya

Corn Dog Day -- some sites say the 20th; #2 Son will celebrate both days, if i can afford that many corn dogs

Dietician's Day -- Canada (information here)

Greater Dionysia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (largest festival to Dionysos, lasting five days; date approximate

Guan Shi Yin Pu Sa -- Buddhism (birthday of Guan Yin, the goddess of mercy)

Kashubians' Unity Day -- among Kashubians in northern Poland

Kids Kick Butts Day -- Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids www.tobaccofreekids.org and www.kickbuttsday.org/

Let's Laugh Day -- a holiday spread by ecard companies, because any day is a good day for a laugh

Mojoday -- Discordianism

National Chocolate Caramel Day

Oil Nationalization Day -- Iran

Pet Passport Day -- today in 2000, the UK passed the pet passport law, allowing pets into Great Britian without quarrantine if they met certain criteria

Poultry Day -- a day to honor the role poultry plays in our lives

Quinquatria -- Roman Empirical Calendar (celebration of Minerva and Mars, especially the birthday of Minerva today; through the 23rd)

See If You Can Find Someone Who Remembers Honey West Day -- internet generated trivia question

Swallows Return to San Juan Capistrano Day -- despite what you think, the bird you saw there yesterday was not a swallow, the natives will tell you

St. Joseph's Day (Patron of bursars, cabinetmakers, carpenters, civil engineers, confectioners, craftsmen, dying people, emigrants, expectant mothers, families, fathers, happy death, holy death, house hunters, immigrants, interior souls, laborers, married people, Oblates of St. Joseph, people in doubt, people who fight communism, pioneers, protection of the church, social justice, travellers, unborn children, wheelwrights, workers; Universal Church; over 50 cities, diocese, and countries; against doubt and hesitation)
As Patron of fathers, his day is also Father's Day in Belgium, Bolivia, Honduras, Italy, Portugal, and Spain.
Valencia, Spain has it's biggest day of the Las Fallas Festival today, with the fireworks.

Time Zone Day -- US Congress passed the Standard Time Act to sort out the fact that different states and cities used different times, with no rhyme or reason

Zimbor-Quattor's Revenge Week begins -- Fairy Calendar

Birthdays Today:
Michael Bergin, 1969
Bruce Willis, 1955
Glenn Close, 1947
Clarence "Frogman" Henry, 1937
Ursula Andress, 1936
Phyllis Newman, 1935
Renee Taylor, 1935
Phillip Roth, 1933
Ornette Coleman, 1930
Patrick McGoohan, 1928
Brent Scowcroft, 1925
John Joseph Sirica, 1904
Earl Warren, 1891
Edith Nourse Rogers, 1881
Charles M. Russell, 1864
William Jennings Bryan, 1860
Albert Pinkham Ryder, 1847
Wyatt Earp, 1848
Sir Richard Burton, 1821
David Livingstone, 1813
Thomas Mckean, 1734
William Bradford, 1590

Debuting/Premiering Today:
"Kate and Allie"(TV), 1984
"A Child of Our Time"(Oratorio), 1944
"Amos and Andy"(Radio), 1928
"Faust"(Opera), 1859
"Die Braut von Messina"(Schiller Play), 1803

Today in History:
A Mongolian victory in the Battle of Yamen ends the Song Dynasty in China, 1279
Explorer Robert Cavelier de La Salle, searching for the mouth of the Mississippi River, is murdered by his own men, 1687
The SS Georgiana, said to have been the most powerful Confederate cruiser, is destroyed on her maiden voyage with a cargo of munitions, medicines and merchandise then valued at over $1,000,000, 1863
Pluto is photographed for the first time but is not recognized as a planet, 1915
Eight American planes take off in pursuit of Pancho Villa, the first United States air-combat mission in history, 1916
The U.S. Congress establishes time zones and approves daylight saving time, 1918
Willie Mosconi sets a world record by running 526 consecutive balls without a miss during a straight pool exhibition at East High Billiard Club in Springfield, Ohio. The record still stands today, 1954
Gumby makes his debut, 1957
The wreck of the SS Georgiana, valued at over $50,000,000 and said to have been the most powerful Confederate cruiser, is discovered by then teenage diver and pioneer underwater archaeologist E. Lee Spence exactly 102 years after its destruction, 1965
Texas Western becomes the first college basketball team to win the Final Four with an all-black starting lineup, 1966
India and Bangladesh sign a friendship treaty, 1972
The United States House of Representatives begins broadcasting its day-to-day business via the cable television network C-SPAN, 1979
Argentinian forces land on South Georgia Island, precipitating the Falklands War with the United Kingdom, 1982
Zimbabwe is suspended from the Commonwealth on charges of human rights abuses and of electoral fraud, following a turbulent presidential election, 2002
A cosmic burst, GRB 080319B, that is the farthest object visible to the naked eye is briefly observed, 2008
After two decades of being closed due to civil war, the Somali National Theater reopens in Mogadishu, 2012
The papal inauguration ceremony for Pope Francis is held in St. Peter's Square, 2013

Sweetie is 60, and has worked for the local uni "forever." He's been in several different departments, used his training as an archaeologist at some points, and sometimes done something completely different, such as the two years he spent as a chef.

He's tired of working in an office. He's one of those odd creatures now, the person who ends up doing a full career at one employer. In fact, if there hadn't been a computer screw up that cost hundreds of workers two years of work credit each (yes, really, people had two years of credit erased and nothing done about it), he could have retired, well, almost two years ago.

He will technically be eligible to retire early next year with a full 30 years. However, there are other options. A certain amount of the sick leave you haven't used, and a certain amount of the annual leave you haven't used, can both be turned back in to the state. We've been crunching numbers until i am numb, but we think we have it all figured out.

Even if he didn't have a single hour of leave to turn back in, his retirement pay would be the same to within $100/month, if he retires on the date he wants, this year instead of next.

We've had an appointment with HR. We will have an appointment with the retirement people to get an exact number. The it will be back to HR. If i'm not so dizzy that i've done the numbers wrong, there will be some changes of employment in the near future.

There's a local music store that is looking for someone who understands tube amplifiers and old gear, what they call a "gearhead" in the business. They've already told him they want him, after seeing the gear he has had restored to perfect condition, and the fact that he knows every detail about every manufacturer and how to get the parts through his connections has pretty well cinched the deal.

Look out, people, he's getting out of the office, and i think he'll have a blast doing it.

Today is:

Absolutely Incredible Kid Day -- Camp Fire USA encourages everyone to send a note or letter to a young person today, telling him/her exactly what an incredible kid s/he is!

Big Bird Day -- it's his birthday, and he's still only 6 years old! (wish i could figure out that trick)

Bockbier/Bock Beer Day -- bock is the German word for strong, so a day to honor very strong, very dark, sweet, heavy beer

Cherry Blossom Festivals -- Japan (from now through mid-April, every city will welcome spring at some point with a Sakura Matsuri or Hanami, where people sit under the trees and enjoy beer or sake; scheduling in each place depends on weather and the blossoms themselves)

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Day -- birth anniversary of children's author Bill Martin

Companies That Care Day -- national event that encourages employers to highlight and expand their employee and community initiatives, and recognize the people who make their companies successful

Cumbre Tajin -- Veracruz, Mexico (Tajin Summit, alternative therapies, art, music, and dance; through Monday)

Equinox -- related celebrations (11:02 UTC)
     Akitu Festival begins -- Ancient Sumerian Calendar
     Chunfen -- China
     Festival of Dumuzi -- Ancient Sumerian Calendar (return of the god of life and death to be with the goddess of life and bring the spring)
     Festival of Iduna -- Ancient Norse Calendar (goddess of spring, keeper of the apples of youth for the gods)
     Haru-no-Higan -- Japanese Buddhist
     Harvest Festival and Coming Forth of the Great Ones from the House of Ra -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar
     Jare -- Old Slavic Calendar
     Kukulcan Snake God in Chichen Itza -- Yucatan (the snake shadow appears only at the equinox, and celebrations are held before and after)
     Maslenitsa -- Asatru/Slavic Pagan Calendar
     Ostara/Mabon -- Wicca/Pagan, Ancient Norse Calendar, Old Anglo-Teutonic Calendar
     Pacha Pucuy -- Ancient Inca Calendar ("Earth Ripening")
     Shunbun no Hi -- Japan
     Taoist festival of Shen -- Deities of water, East, and Spring

Extraterrestrial Abductions Day -- another silly made up one, but try telling that to the people who believe in it!

Festival of Houses and Gardens -- Charleston, SC, US (a rare opportunity to explore the private homes and gardens of historic Charleston; through Apr. 19)

Great American Meat Out Day -- go vegetarian today!http://www.meatout.org/

Independence Day -- Tunisia

International Day of the Francophonie / Journée internationale de la Francophonie

International Day of Happiness -- UN

International Earth Day -- the traditional date, still observed in many countries

Kiss Your Fiance Day -- do you really need to be reminded to do this? a wedding planner thinks so, that you should stop today and focus on each other, not the wedding

Lajos Kossuth Day -- Hungary

Martyrdom of Sibghatullah Shah Rashidi -- Pakistan

National Cherry Blossom Festival -- Washington, DC, US (through April 14; Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival and parade on April 13)

National Native American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day -- nnaapc.org

National Jump Out! Day -- sponsored by Discovery Girls Magazine and Fundex Games; encouraging kids to get out and get active

National Ravioli Day

Nowruz/Nauruz/Novruz Bairam/Norooz (begins at sunset) -- Iranian diaspora, Kurdish diaspora, Zoroastrians; Afghanistan; Azerbaijan; Georgia; Iran (Persian New Year); Iraq; Kazakhstan; Kyrgyzstan; Tajikistan; Turkmenistan; Uzbekistan
     celebrations go on for up to seven days or more
     Naw Ruz -- Baha'i (New Year, and an end of the time of fasting; begins sunset)

Proposal Day® -- a day for singles to propose to their true love; on the equinox, equal night and day symbolizing equal commitment; www.proposalday.com

Quebec City Hunting, Fishing, and Boat Show -- Quebec City, Quebec, Canada (through Sunday)

Smile Rejuvenation Day -- another one from the ecard companies, make someone smile today

Snowman Burning Day -- Lake Superior State College, Sault Ste. Marie, MI, US (celebration of the start of spring; cannot confirm date, but always on or near the first day of spring)

St. Cuthbert of Lindisfane's Day (Patron of boatmen/mariners/sailors, shepherds; England; Durham, England; Lancaster, England; Northumbria, England; against plague and plague epidemics)

Ultimate Sport Show -- Grand Rapids, MI, US (sports enthusiasts from around the US and Canada gather for buying and selling equipment, seminars, demonstrations, and displays; through Sunday)

Won't You Be My Neighbor Day -- in honor of Mr. Rogers' birth anniversary

World Frog Day -- an initiative, on the first day of spring, to remind people of our fragile ecosystems and the disappearance of our amphibian friends

World Storytelling Day -- to celebrate the tradition of oral storytelling

Zipper Day -- the 'Separable Fastener' by Gideon Sundback was patented this day in 1917

Birthdays Today:

Louis "Louie" Vito, 1988
Fernando Torres, 1984
Kathy Ireland, 1963
David Thewlis, 1963
Holly Hunter, 1958
Spike Lee, 1957
Theresa Russel, 1957
Jimmie Vaughan, 1951
William Hurt, 1950
Bobby Orr, 1948
Pat Riley, 1945
Paul Junger Witt, 1943
Brian Mulroney, 1939
Lois Lowry, 1937
Hal Linden, 1931
Fred "Mr." Rogers, 1928
Carl Reiner, 1922
Marian McPartland, 1920
Bill Martin, Jr., 1916
Ozzie Nelson, 1906
B.F. Skinner, 1904
Frederick Winslow Taylor, 1856
Henrik Ibsen, 1828
Ovid, BC43

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Uncle Tom's Cabin"(Publication date), 1852

Today in History:

Sixth recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet, 141
Maximus Thrax, who never set foot in Rome, becomes the first of the Foreign or Barracks Emperors of the Roman Empire, 235
A Saturn/Jupiter/Mars-conjunction is thought to be the "cause of plague epidemic," 1345
Sir Walter Raleigh is freed from the Tower of London after 13 years of imprisonment, 1616
France and Spain sign an accord for fighting protestantism, 1627
Nadir Shah occupies Delhi in India and sacks the city, stealing the jewels of the Peacock Throne, 1739
The Great Fire of Boston destroys 349 buildings, 1760
After escaping from Elba, Napoleon enters Paris with a regular army of 140,000 and a volunteer force of around 200,000, beginning his "Hundred Days" rule, 1815
US and Siam sign commercial treaty, 1833
Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" is published in Boston, 1852
An earthquake completely destroys Mendoza, Argentina, 1861
The first AC power plant in the US begins commercial operation, in Massachusetts, 1886
In the first known intercollegiate basketball game, Yale beats Penn 32-10, 1897
The first international figure skating championship takes place, in New Haven, Connecticut, 1914
Albert Einstein publishes his general theory of relativity, 1916
The Arts Club of Chicago hosts the opening of Pablo Picasso's first United States showing, 1923
A test of a practical radar apparatus is made by Rudolf Kuhnold in Germany, 1934
The precursor of the European Space Agency, ESRO (European Space Research Organization) is established, 1964
Libby Riddles becomes the first woman to win the 1,135-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, 1985
Ferdinand Marcos's widow, Imelda Marcos, goes on trial for bribery, embezzlement, and racketeering, 1990
Stephen Harper wins the leadership of the newly created Conservative Party of Canada, becoming the party's first leader, 2004
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake hits Fukuoka, Japan, its first major quake in over 100 years, 2005
Cyclone Larry makes landfall in eastern Australia, destroying most of the country's banana crop, 2006
In Morocco, thousands rally to demand and end to corruption and more civil rights for the Moroccan people, 2011

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

Lorax has figured out that i often take my briefcase with me, and he doesn't like it when he looks around and i'm not here in the kitchen. So he figured out how to keep me from leaving without him.

If she leaves, I'm going along for the ride!

Today is:

Aizu Higan Shishi/Sanbiki Shishimai -- Aizu Wakamatsu, Japan (lion dances to mark the end of winter)

All-Northwest Barbershop Ballad Contest -- Forest Grove, OR, US (quartets from throughouth the Pacific Northwest compete in an 1890s setting; through tomorrow)

Back Badge Day -- Gloucestershire Regiment, British Army

Birth of Benito Juarez, a Fiestas Patrias -- Mexico (trad.)

Charleston International Antiques Show -- Charleston, SC, US (world class show with museum quality objects in every category; through Sunday)

Common Courtesy Day -- commonly listed on this day on many sites, with no origin given, but it's not a bad idea!

Crane Watch Festival -- Kearney, NE, US (80% of the world's sandhill cranes congregate on the Platte River during March and April; what better reason to throw a 10 day party?)

Fragrance Day and Flower Day -- the first full day of spring

Harmony Day -- Australia (managed by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship)

Human Rights Day -- South Africa

Independence Day -- Namibia(1990)

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination -- UN

Macon, Georgia International Cherry Blossom Festival -- Macon, Georgia ("The Pinkest Party on the Planet"; through the 30th)

Memory Day -- internet based, to examine the use of memory aids throughout history

Mother's Day -- most Arabic nations

National Common Courtesy Day -- guess it's not so common any more, someone had to declare a holiday to try to foster some

National French Bread Day

National Single Parent Day -- US (by Presidential designation in 1984)

National Tree Planting Day -- Lesotho

Paper Dress Day -- the paper dress was introduced as part of an ad campaign by the Scott Paper Co. on this day in 1966

Pittsburgh Arts & Crafts Spring Fever Festival -- Monroeville, PA, US (fun way to break up the spring fever blues; through Sunday)

Schmeckfest -- Freeman, SD, US (two weekends full of sausage and sauerkraut, kuchen, musical entertainment, and more, celebrating the German, Russian, and Mennonite heritage of the area)

Single Parents' Day -- sponsored by Parents Without Parners, on the date of their inception in 1957

Spring Fairy Fun Day -- Fairy Calendar

St. Nicholas of Flue's Day (Patron of councilmen, difficult marriages, large families, magistrates, parents of large families, Pontifical Swiss Guards, separated spouses, Switzerland)

World Down Syndrome Day -- UN

World Forest Day/International Day of Forests and the Trees -- UN

World Poetry Day -- UNESCO

Youth Day -- Tunisia

Birthdays Today:

James T. Kirk, 2233
Ronaldinho, 1980
Kevin Federline, 1978
Matthew Broderick, 1962
Rosie O'Donnell, 1962
Ayrton Senna da Silva, 1960
Gary Oldman, 1958
Eddie Money, 1949
Timothy Dalton, 1944
Peter Brook, 1925
Julio Gallo, 1910
John D Rockefeller III, 1906
Bascom Lamar Lunsford, 1882
Florenz Ziegfeld, 1867
Modest Mussorgsky, 1839
James Jesse "King Strang" Strang, 1813
Benito Juarez, 1806
Francis Lewis, 1713
Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Annie"(Film), 1982
"Stop the Music"(Radio show), 1948

Today in History:

The Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the "True Cross" to Jerusalem, 630
Accession to the throne of Japan by emperor Antoku, 1188
3,000 Jews are killed in the Black Death riots in Efurt, Germany, 1349
n Oxford, Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer is burned at the stake, 1556
Czar Peter the Great begins his tour through West, 1697
Fire destroys 856 buildings in New Orleans, Louisiana, 1788
With the church leadership driven out of Rome during an armed conflict, Pius VII is crowned Pope in Venice with a temporary papal tiara made of papier-mâché, 1800
Code Napoléon is adopted as French civil law, 1804
The Bahá'í calendar begins, 1844
An earthquake in Tokyo, Japan kills over 100,000, 1857
The Zoological Society of Philadelphia, the first in the US, is incorporated, 1859
Journalist Henry Morton Stanley begins his trek to find the missionary and explorer David Livingstone, 1871
Loretta Walsh becomes the first female US Navy Petty Officer, 1917
Charles Lindbergh is presented the Medal of Honor for his first trans-Atlantic flight, 1928
Shah Reza Pahlavi formally asks the international community to call Persia by its native name, Iran, which means 'Land of the Aryans,' 1935
Alan Freed presents the Moondog Coronation Ball, the first rock and roll concert, in Cleveland, Ohio, 1952
Martin Luther King Jr. leads 3,200 people on the start of the third and finally successful civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, 1965
The first Earth Day proclamation is issued by San Francisco Mayor Joseph Alioto, 1970
Canadian paraplegic athlete and humanitarian Rick Hansen begins his circumnavigation of the globe in a wheelchair in the name of spinal cord injury medical research, 1985
Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones become the first to circumnavigate the Earth in a hot air balloon, 1999
The first full face transplant is performed by surgeons at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, 2011
Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard formally apologizes to people affected by forced adoptions during the 1950s through 1970s, 2013

Our church is a busy place. The very talented people there sometimes stage shows just to draw visitors in, and for months now they have been working on their latest production. Last night was the first performance, tonight will be the second, and then there's a Sunday afternoon matinee.

Since my Brother-in-law, The Mouth, comes to dinner on most Saturday evenings, i was considering going to the Friday show. Then Miss Audrey called to ask if i could help with child care both nights.

As i opened my big mouth to say yes, because i'm a pushover, she clinched the deal by saying it was a paid gig. Done.

So, Friday began with getting Sweetie and #2 Son out the door in time for me to get to the church for Bible study and prayer at 6:30 am. Back home for all that needs doing at home, then to pick up Little Girl and go to the shelter to do feeding and medication duty.

The shelter is quite an adventure these days. They are preparing for the big fund raiser this weekend, a garage sale of huge proportion that has eaten half the building. Right now, there are 16 cats on medications for upper respiratory infections, too. It's barely controlled chaos.

At home, i fed kittens and got out the door just barely in time to fight traffic and get to the church. It was all made worth while when Gracie showed up. Her mother had brought a friend to see the show.

There were 8 of us, and it was just enough for the number of kids. The two teens took some of the older kids to the gym, the younger kids we divided into babies in one room, two through 6-year-olds in the other. Everyone got time on the playground, and Gracie loved that i chased her and Steve up and down the equipment, and i'd never seen her laugh so hard as she did when i went down the slide right behind her.

Because i got to see her with children who don't all come to rEcess, i was able to really note how she is growing in maturity and vocabulary by leaps and bounds. She greeted me by name when she came in, and gave me a huge hug, which she's never done before. She has enough words now to usually tell you what she wants, at least, and she's starting to learn to play with the other children.

One of the other girls decided to put on the play princess dress, and got the other teacher in there, Miss Pearl, to pretend to be the wicked stepmother to her Cinderella. The "Stepmother" got into character very well, so well, in fact, that she rather scared Gracie! In one moment of pure genius, that i could never reproduce but have to try, the "Stepmother" very harshly asked Cinderella, "Where is my coffee, Cinderella!" To which the girl simply looked up and said, "You drank it already." We were all speechless!

We did have a bit of difficulty with one sibling pair who just wouldn't stop running. They are a brother and sister who are a handful by themselves. He kept sneaking is water cups over to the toy area and leaving it where it would spill, inside a toy where it would tumble out when the toy was picked up or moved. Other than those two. whom we know to watch out for, it was a fun evening.

The best part, though, was when Gracie's mother came to get her. She said, "Isn't her vocabulary growing? Tonight, at dinner, for the first time, she told me 'I love you, mommy!'"

Hearing that is worth the chaos that today will continue to bring. Cooking for Brother-in-Law, The Mouth, at least showing up at the shelter garage sale, helping at the church during the special clean-up time they are having, and babysitting again tonight. By the time i'm done with Sunday School tomorrow, i think i will be done in, but in a good way.

Today is:

As Young As You Feel Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays, which encourages you to stop acting your chronological age and go act peppy!

Banned in Boston Day -- see history for 1630 for explanation of why today

Coq Au Vin Day

Daylight Saving Time begins -- Iran

Día de la Abolición de la Esclavitud (Emancipation Day) -- Puerto Rico

International Goof-off Day -- sponsored by Monica A. Dufour and A.C. Vierow, who think everyone needs a special day each year to goof off.

International Day of the Seal -- drawing attention to a disappearing species

Laser Day -- the first patent on a laser was granted this day in 1960 to Arthur Schawlow and Charles Townes

Maple Syrup Saturday -- Appleton, WI, US (please note that, starting now, almost every Saturday has a maple syrup festival or demonstration somewhere in Canada or the US where maple syrup is produced)

National Bavarian Crepes Day

National Sing-Out Day -- begun by an anonymous person who must love singing; and yes, i promise, i won't sing where anyone has to listen to me

St. Darerca's Day (reportedly the sister of St. Patrick; Patron of Valentia Island, Ireland)

World Day for Water -- UN

Anniversary Today:

The Tuskegee Airmen are activated, 1941

Birthdays Today:

Cristen Powell, 1979
Reese Witherspoon, 1976
Elvis Stojko, 1972
Matthew Modine, 1959
Stephanie Mills, 1957
Lena Olin, 1955
Bob Costas, 1952
Andrew Lloyd Webber, 1948
James Patterson, 1947
George Benson, 1943
Bruno Ganz, 1941
Marvin Yagoda, 1938
M. Emmet Walsh, 1935
J.P. McCarthy, 1933
William Shatner, 1931
Pat Robertson, 1930
Stephen Sondheim, 1930
Allen Neuharth, 1924
Marcel Marceau, 1923
Karl Malden, 1912
Louis L'Amour, 1908
Chico Marx, 1887

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Conversations with My Father"(Play), 1992
"Brighton Beach Memoirs"(Play), 1983
"All You Need is Cash"(TV movie), 1978
"I Can Get It For You Wholesale"(Musical), 1962
"Mr. Wonderful"(Musical), 1956
"This Year of Grace"(Musical), 1928
"El maleficio de la mariposa/The Butterfly's Evil Spell"(Play), 1920

Today in History:

Hugo de Groot escapes imprisonment in Loevenstein Castle in a book case, 1621
The Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony sign a peace treaty with Massasoit of the Wampanoags, 1621
Algonquian Indians kill 347 English settlers around Jamestown, Virginia, a third of the colony's population, 1622
Massachusetts Bay Colony outlaws the possession of cards, dice, and gaming tables, 1630
Joseph Priestly invents carbonated water (seltzer), 1733
The Parliament of Great Britain passes the Stamp Act, which introduced a tax to be levied directly on its American colonies, 1765
The Emerald Buddha is moved with great ceremony to its current place in Wat Phra Kaew, Thailand, 1784
The three protecting powers (Britain, France and Russia) establish the borders of Greece, 1829
Cornstarch is patented by Orlando Jones, 1841
Slavery is abolished in Puerto Rico, 1873
The Edmunds Act adopted by US to suppress polygamy in the territories (especially aimed at the Mormons), 1882
August and Louis Lumiere privately screen the first "motion picture" ever made, of workers leaving their factory three days earlier, 1895
World's first airline, St Petersburg Tampa Airboat Line, begins, 1914
The Arab League is founded when a charter is adopted in Cairo, Egypt, 1945
Arthur Leonard Schawlow and Charles Hard Townes receive the first patent for a laser, 1960
Karl Wallenda of The Flying Wallendas dies after falling off a tight-rope between two hotels in San Juan, Puerto Rico, 1978
The Intel Corporation ships the first Pentium chips, 1993
Cosmonaut Valeriy Polyakov returns after setting a record for 438 days in space, 1995
The Comet Hale-Bopp has its closest approach to earth, 1997
Tara Lipinski, age 14 years and 10 months, becomes the youngest women's World Figure Skating Champion, 1997
ETA, the armed Basque separatist group, declares a permanent ceasefire, 2006
Mount Redoubt, a volcano in Alaska began erupting after a prolonged period of unrest, 2009

"Mom, mom, mom, mom!" #2 Son came in very from work very excited. "Guess what! I've already been given a twenty-five cent an hour raise for my good work, and they said that within two months i'm going to be a crew chief/trainer, and if I keep doing such good work, they're going to move me into management in 6-8 months!"

Great job! i told him. But aren't you getting a bit ahead of yourself? What about culinary school?

"Yeah, I still want to do that, but I think it would be great if I had management experience when I went into it."

Remember, too, you still have to get that high school diploma, i reminded him.

"Yes, that's very important. I'm not going to forget, and neither are they. In fact, they pay you more if you stay in school and get good grades, so I want the diploma, and some work experience at management, and then go into culinary school later. I'm not going to skip out on getting my degrees."

Sounds like a good plan, i told him.

This reminds me of a joke.

Tee Boudreaux was in danger of flunkin' out of da high school, so his daddy decide to have a talk wit' him.

"Son," said Boudreaux, "you ought to be ashamed! You makin' de family look bad! You need to study and do better, boy!

"Mais, I know dat," Tee hung his head. "But I don' like to read and study!"

"Shame on you, boy!" Boudreaux said. "Don' you know dat some people in dis world would love to have de chance to go to school an' learn? T'ink about Abraham Lincoln. When he was your age, he would stay up and study half the night by de light from a candle! He had to walk to school, an' dere weren't no air condition in the class, and sometime he don' have de books he want, so he walk miles to get a book! An' look at you, you got a bus to school an' air condition an' a good lunch dere an' free books! You ought to be ashamed you not takin''vantage of all dat!"

"Mais, I know dat!" Tee answered. "But I also know dat by de time Lincoln was your age, he was de President! Now who's shamin' de family!"

Today is:

Ancient Roman Calendar Celebrations on this date
     Day of Mouring -- leading up to the festival for Hilaria
     Invocation Day of Mars and Saturn
     Tubilustrium -- Ancient Roman Calendar (ceremony to purify the trumpets used in sacred ceremonies)

Cuddly Kitten Day -- because the cats can't let the dogs get all the attention

Dandelion Dance -- Fairy Calendar

Day of Hungarian-Polish Friendship -- Hungary and Poland

Day of the Sea -- Bolivia (Dia del Mar)

Liberty Day -- today in 1775, Patrick Henry said, “I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death.”

Lieldienas -- Ancient Latvian Calendar ("Big Days" or "Long Days", four day celebration of spring, each day devoted to a different deity)

National Chip and Dip Day

National Melba Toast Day

National Puppy Day -- encouraging you to adopt a shelter pup today

Near Miss Day -- commemorates the mountain sized asteroid that was a near miss on this day in 1989

Rally for Decency Day -- Commemorates the first Rally for Decency, prompted on this day in 1969 by Jim Morrison

Republic Day -- Pakistan

St. Turibius de Mongrovejo's Day (Patron of Latin American bishops, native rights; Peru)

Toast Day -- supposedly for the invention of Melba toast; a recent article says it takes 6 steps to toast bread "right"; i say if you can't put bread in the toaster and butter it when it comes out and need long sets of instructions, you shouldn't be let loose in society!

World Meteorological Day -- UN

Anniversaries Today:

The University of California is founded in Oakland, California, 1868

Birthdays Today:

Michelle Monaghan, 1976
Keri Russell, 1976
Richard Grieco, 1965
Amanda Plummer, 1957
Chaka Khan, 1953
Louie Anderson, 1953
Roger Bannister, 1929
Wernher Von Braun, 1912
Akira Kurosawa, 1910
Joan Crawford, 1905

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The Bold and the Beautiful"(TV), 1987
"Detective Story"(Play), 1950
"Truth or Consequences"(Radio), 1940

Today in History:

Eighteenth recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. 1066
The first dated edition of Maimonides "Mishna Torah" published, 1490
George Frideric Handel's oratorio "Messiah" premieres in London, 1743
Patrick Henry delivers his famous speech – "Give me Liberty, or give me Death!"– at St. John's Church in Richmond, Virginia, 1775
After traveling through the Louisiana Purchase and reaching the Pacific Ocean, explorers Lewis and Clark and their "Corps of Discovery" begin their arduous journey home, 1806
Elisha Otis's first elevator is installed at 488 Broadway New York City, 1857
The Boers and Britain sign a peace accord that ends the First Boer War, 1881
President Benjamin Harrison opens Oklahoma to white settlement starting on April 22, starting a Land Run, 1889
The Wright Brothers apply for a patent on their invention of one of the first successful airplanes, 1903
Pakistan becomes the first Islamic republic in the world, 1956
NASA launches Gemini 3, the United States' first two-man space flight (crew: Gus Grissom and John Young), 1965
Archbishop Óscar Romero of El Salvador gives his famous speech appealing to men of the El Salvadoran armed forces to stop killing the Salvadorans, 1980
Taiwan holds its first direct elections and chooses Lee Teng-hui as President, 1996
The Russian Mir space station is disposed of, breaking up in the atmosphere before falling into the southern Pacific Ocean near Fiji, 2001
In Tokyo, the Metropolitan Government Bureau of Waterworks reports that radioactive iodine in city tap water is two times the recommended level for infants, 2011

Sandee at Comedy Plus started Awww Monday. It's fun and easy, just post a photo that will brighten Monday mornings with a big, "Awww!"

Lorax is getting bigger, but he is glad to have siblings now.

Lorax is getting big!

He loves being part of the gang.

Today is:

Commonwealth Covenant Day -- Northern Mariana Islands

Day of Remembrance for Truth and Justice -- Argentina

Dies Sanguines -- Ancient Roman Calendar (sacrifices to the war goddess Bellona)

Houdini Day -- see if you can pull a disappearing act in his honor

International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims -- UN

Kazimiras Diena -- Ancient Latvian Calendar (return of the larks)

Komoeditsi -- Asatru/Slavic Pagan Calandar (honors the great Bear God, Meveshii Bog and includes sacrifices to the Great God of Honey)

Labour Day -- Christmas Island

Left-of-Field Fanciers' Fortnight begins -- Fairy Calendar

National Arts Advocacy Day -- US; through tomorrow

National Chocolate Covered Raisins Day

National Revolution Day -- Kyrgyzstan

Otago Provincial Anniversary -- Otago, New Zealand

Pandia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (festival of Zeus that immediately followed the Greater Dionysia; date approximate)

St. Catherine of Sweden's Day (Patron against miscarriages)

St. Gabriel the Archangel's Day (traditional date, now usually celebrated in September; Patron of childbirth, diplomats, messengers, postal workers, stamp collectors, telephone workers)

St. MacCairthinn of Clogher (St. Patrick's "Strong Man" and fellow worker; Patron of Clogher, Ireland)

World Tuberculosis Day -- UN & WHO

Birthdays Today:

Peyton Manning, 1976
Alyson Hannigan, 1974
Lara Flynn Boyle, 1970
Sharon Corr, 1970
Mase, 1970
Mark "The Undertaker" Calaway, 1965
Annabella Sciorra, 1964
Star Jones, 1962
Donna Pescow, 1954
Louie Anderson, 1953
Alan Sugar, 1947
R. Lee Ermey, 1944
Bob Mackie, 1940
Steve McQueen, 1930
Byron Janis, 1928
Lawrence Ferlinghetti, 1919
Dorothy Height, 1912
Joseph Barbera, 1911
Clyde Barrow, 1909
Ub Iwerks, 1901
Dorothy Constance Stratton, 1899
Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, 1887
Edward Weston, 1886
Harry Houdini, 1874
Andrew W. Mellon, 1855
William Morris, 1834
John Wesley Powell, 1834
Fanny Crosby, 1820

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Nightline"(TV News), 1980
"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof"(Play), 1955
"Native Son"(Play), 1941
"Letter from America"(Radio), 1946

Today in History:

Turko-Mongol emperor Timur sacks Damascus, 1401
James VI of Scotland becomes James I of England, 1603
The first game law passed in American colonies, by Virginia, 1629
Roger Williams is granted a charter to colonize Rhode Island, 1664
Britain enacts Quartering Act, required colonists to provide temporary housing to British soldiers, 1765
Benjamin West of the US becomes president of Royal Academy of London, 1792
In Hiram, Ohio a group of men beat, tar and feather Mormon leader Joseph Smith, Jr., 1832
Canada gives African men the right to vote, 1837
Robert Koch of Germany announces the discovery of the bacterium responsible for tuberculosis (mycobacterium tuberculosis), 1882
Oscar Straus is appointed the first Jewish ambassador from US (to Turkey), 1887
A. A. Popov makes the first radio signal transmission in history, 1896
"Census of the British Empire" shows England rules 1/5 of the world, 1906
Greece becomes a republic, 1923
U.S. Congress passes the Tydings-McDuffie Act allowing the Philippines to become a self-governing commonwealth, 1934
The longest game in NHL history is played between Detroit and Montreal; Detroit scored at 16:30 of the sixth overtime and won the game 1-0, 1936
In an event later dramatized in the movie The Great Escape, 76 prisoners begin breaking out of Stalag Luft III, 1944
The British Cabinet Mission arrives in India to discuss and plan for the transfer of power from the British Raj to Indian leadership, 1946
Elvis Presley joins the army (serial number 53310761), 1958
NASA spacecraft Ranger 9, equipped to convert its signals into a form suitable for showing on domestic television, brings images of the Moon into ordinary homes before crash landing, 1965
The United Kingdom imposes direct rule over Northern Ireland, 1972
In Argentina, the armed forces overthrow the constitutional government of President Isabel Perón, 1976
Archbishop Óscar Romero is killed while celebrating Mass in San Salvador, 1980
In Prince William Sound in Alaska, the Exxon Valdez spills 240,000 barrels (42,000 m³) of petroleum after running aground, 1989
Discovery of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, 1993
Apple Inc. releases the first version of the Mac OS X operating system, 2001
Bhutan officially becomes a democracy, with its first ever general election, 2008

Last year, as a morale booster, The Big Boss where Sweetie works decided to take everyone bowling. It worked so very well, that he did it again.

Sweetie broke out his Hawaiian shirt again, at their request.

The famous shirt. From Hawaii, too.

Every team had specific shirts or symbols this time, picked by the team captains.

Decor added.

This year, Sweetie was able to actually bowl, not just cheer others on and give pointers. As with last year, they ate and joked and laughed and teased and had a lot of fun.

The captain of Sweetie's team, Ms. A, is apparently a terrible bowler. Even though she had several good people on her team, they didn't win. Her method, as described by Sweetie, is walk up to the line, swing the ball back and forth in both hands and just wildly pitch it. Most of them end up as gutter balls, of course. That's okay, she has fun laughing at herself, too.

Mr. Harold remembered his lesson from last year, and did very well again. Young Jacob admitted, "I'm terrible at it, but I had fun and got to eat a lot of cheese sticks."

The winning team gets a day off next week, as per last year. It seems this will become a tradition.

It's been way too long since i've been bowling. Maybe soon.

Today is:

American Diabetes Association Alert Day -- a day to remind people about how serious the illness is, and what the risk factors are

Ann Arbor Film Festival -- Ann Arbor, MI, US (independent digital, 16mm and 35mm films, including experimental film; through Sunday)

Anniversary of the Arengo and the Feast of the Militants -- San Marino

Annunciation of the Virgin Mary -- Roman Catholic Christian
     Lady Day/Quarter Day -- England; Ireland; Wales (traditional New Year's Day)
     Varfrudagen -- Sweden (waffle day)

Day of the Shining Ones of Heaven move Upstream -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Einmanudur Month Begins -- Traditional Icelandic Calendar (Lone Month, the month dedicated to young men)
     Yngismannadagur -- Young Men's Day

Festival of King Amenhotep I -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (rituals depicting his death and burial, performed for the Deir-el-Medina workforce; date approximate)

Hilaria -- Ancient Roman Empire ("Day of Joy", honoring Attis)

Independence Day -- Cyprus; Greece(1821)

International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade -- UN

International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members -- UN

International Waffle Day -- based on Sweden's tradition of having waffles on Annunciation Day

Medal of Honor Day -- US (first one awarded this date in 1963)

Mother's Day -- Slovenia

National Agriculture Day -- agday.org (if you eat, thank a farmer!)

National Day of Celebration of Greek and American Democracy -- Greece; US

National Lobster Newburg Day

National Pecan Day -- anniversary of George Washington's planting of Pecan trees at Mt. Vernon in 1775

National Waffle Day -- possibly also International Waffle Day, depends on the site you search

Numbskulls and Clodhoppers' Dance -- Fairy Calendar (i know a couple of people who qualify on both counts; i need to find out how to buy tickets!)

Old New Year's Day -- until 1751, British Empire

Revolution Day -- Greece (anniversary of the revolt against the Ottoman Empire in 1821)

Sacrifice to Kronos -- Ancient Greek Calendar (private sacrifices to Kronos; date approximate)

Shunki-Korei-Sai -- Shinto (rite to honor ancestral spirits)

St. Dismas' Day ("Dismas" is the name given to the unnamed "Thief on the Cross", crucified next to Jesus according to Biblical accounts, and who repented; Patron of condemned/death row prisoners, funeral directors/undertakers, penitent criminals, prisoners, reformed thieves; Merizo, Guam)

Struggle for Human Rights Day -- Slovakia

The Tichborne Dole - in Alresford, Hampshire, UK; since 1150, a gallon of flour is given to every resident by the Tichborne family head on this day, to avoid a curse

Tolkien Reading Day -- sponsored by The Tolkien Society on the anniversary of the fall of Sauron

Birthdays Today:

Danica Patrick, 1982
Lee Pace, 1979
Sheryl Swoopes, 1971
Sarah Jessica Parker, 1965
Marcia Cross, 1962
John Stockwell, 1961
Mary Gross, 1953
Paul Miles, 1952
Bonnie Bedelia, 1948
Elton John, 1947
Bonnie Bedelia, 1946
Paul Michael Glaser, 1943
Aretha Franklin, 1942
Anita Bryant, 1940
Gloria Steinem, 1934
James Lovell, 1928
Eileen Ford, 1922
Simone Signoret, 1921
Howard Cosell, 1920
Norman Borlaug, 1940
David Lean, 1908
Bela Bartok, 1881
Arturo Toscanini, 1867
Gutzon Borglum, 1867

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Barrymore"(Play), 1997
"Cagney & Lacey"(TV), 1982

Today in History:

The first Easter, according to calendar-maker Dionysius Exiguus, 31
According to legend, Venice, Italy is born today at noon, 421
Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France, leading to his death on April 6, 1199
Robert the Bruce becomes King of Scotland, 1306
Sir Walter Raleigh renews Humphrey Gilbert's patent to explore North America, 1584
Henry Hudson embarks on an exploration for Dutch East India Co., 1609
Lord Baltimore founds Catholic colony of Maryland, 1634
Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is discovered by Christian Huygens, 1655
Mount Etna in Sicily erupts, destroying Nicolosi, killing 20,000, 1669
The Slave Trade Act becomes law, abolishing the slave trade in the British Empire, 1807
The Swansea and Mumbles Railway in England, then known as the Oystermouth Railway, becomes the first passenger carrying railway in the world, 1807
Percy Bysshe Shelley is expelled from the University of Oxford for publishing the pamphlet The Necessity of Atheism, 1811
Greeks revolt against the Ottoman Empire, beginning the Greek War of Independence, 1821
In New York City, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 garment workers, leading to factory reform laws, 1911
The Georgian Orthodox Church restores its autocephaly abolished by Imperial Russia in 1811, 1917
The first successful tornado forecast predicts that a tornado will strike Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, 1948
The European Economic Community is established (West Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg), 1957
Canada's Avro Arrow makes its first flight, 1958
Civil rights activists led by Martin Luther King, Jr. successfully complete their 4-day 50-mile march from Selma to the capitol in Montgomery, Alabama, 1965
The first fully functional space shuttle orbiter, Columbia, is delivered to the John F. Kennedy Space Center to be prepared for its first launch, 1979
The world's first wiki, a part of the Portland Pattern Repository, is made public by Ward Cunningham, 1995
The European Union's Veterinarian Committee bans the export of British beef and its by-products as a result of mad cow disease, 1996
Protesters demanding a new election in Belarus, following the rigged Belarusian presidential election, clash with riot police, 2006
In southwest China, environmental and health concerns among residents are raised when 1,000 dead ducks pulled from the Sichuan River, 2013

Irrefutable proof.

Today is:

Day to Mourn Victims of Biological Weapons -- commemorates the day they were outlawed in 1975

End of Zimbor-Quattor's Revenge Week and Day of Reconciliation with All Those Whose Hats Have Been Damaged -- Fairy Calendar

Fiesta del Arbol -- Spain (Tree Festival or Arbor Day)

Independence Day and National Day -- Bangladesh(1971)

Khordad Sal -- Zoroastrian (Birth of the Prophet Zaranhushtra)

Legal Assistants' Day

Make Up Your Own Holiday Day -- Wellcat Holidays, which has made up a bunch, wants you to do the same today!

Martyr's Day / Democracy Day -- Mali

Mi-Careme -- Guadeloupe; Saint Barthelemy; Saint Martin (Mid-Lent)

National Nougat Day

Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianole Day -- Hawaii, US (Hawaiian Royal who worked to preserve the Hawaiian culture)

Purple Day -- International (supporting epileptics around the world)

Spinach Day -- on this day in 1937, spinach growers in Crystal City, Texas, erected a statue of Popeye in honor of their favorite veggie

St. Braulio's Day (Patron of Aragon, Spain)

St. William of Norwich's Day (Patron of kidnap and torture victims)

Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel -- Eastern Orthodox Christianity (celebration of his role is the Annunciation)

Anniversaries Today:

Ricki Lake weds Rob Sussman, 1994
Founding of the University of Utrecht, 1636

Birthdays Today:

Keira Knightley, 1985
Amy Smart, 1976
T.R. Knight, 1973
Josh Lucas, 1972
Leslie Mann, 1972
Kenny Chesney, 1968
John Stockton, 1962
Marcus Allen, 1960
Jennifer Grey, 1960
Catherine Keener, 1960
Leeza Gibbons, 1957
Curtis Sliwa, 1954
Teddy Pendergrass, 1950
Martin Short, 1950
Vicki Lawrence, 1949
Steven Tyler, 1948
Diana Ross, 1944
Bob Woodward, 1943
Erica Jong, 1942
James Caan, 1939
Alan Arkin, 1934
Leonard Nimoy, 1931
Sandra Day O'Connor, 1930
Pierre Boulez, 1925
Tennessee Williams, 1911
Viktor Frankl, 1905
Robert Frost, 1874
Jane Arminda Delano, 1862
Nathaniel Bowditch, 1773

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Fences"(Play), 1988
"The Young and the Restless"(TV), 1973
"Cannon"(TV), 1971
"Funny Girl"(Musical), 1964
"Die Ehe des Herrn Mississippi/The Marriage of Mr. Mississippi"(Play), 1952

Today in History:

William Caxton prints his translation of Aesop's Fables, 1484
The first British Sunday newspaper is published (British Gazette & Sunday Monitor), 1780
The US Congress orders removal of Indians east of Mississippi to Louisiana, 1804
An earthquake destroys 90% of Caracas, Venezuela, leaves 20,000 dead, 1812
The Book of Mormon is published in Palmyra, NY, 1830
Eastman Film Co manufactures the first commercial motion picture film, 1885
New Delhi replaces Calcutta as capital of British-Indies, 1931
William H. Hastie becomes the first black Federal Judge in the US, in the US Virgin Islands, 1937
Jonas Salk announces the first successful test of his polio vaccine on a small group of adults and children, 1953
East Pakistan declares its independence from Pakistan to form People's Republic of Bangladesh, 1971
Anwar al-Sadat, Menachem Begin and Jimmy Carter sign the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty in Washington, D.C., 1979
The "Melissa worm" infects Microsoft word processing and e-mail systems around the world, 1999
A jury in Michigan finds Dr. Jack Kevorkian guilty of second-degree murder for administering a lethal injection to a terminally ill man, 1999
The Taiwanese government calls on 1 million Taiwanese to demonstrate in Taipei, in opposition to the Anti-Secession Law of the People's Republic of China, 2005

"Mom, I'm disturbed by something." Bigger Girl had come in from a college sponsored music event. The student jazz band had played a concert, and she had attended for a class assignment with several friends.

What's up? i asked.

"Well, there's this song out called "Blurred Lines," and it's about how when a girl says 'no' she really means 'yes,' and it's vulgar and awful. Here we have a college that stresses to us that 'no means no' and girls have to watch out and how to defend ourselves, then they sponsor a concert where the student band, taught by a professor at the college, plays this horrible song. My friends and I got up and left when they started that song.

"I don't think the college should condone that song, or songs like it. So what do I do? I really want to protest it. But in sociology we are talking about deviancy, and whether it should be curtailed, or if it can be. If I start a campaign to get that song banned from college sponsored events, and make them get that professor to stop teaching that song to students, am I pro curtailing deviancy, which I really don't believe can be done?"

That song shouldn't be played at college sponsored events, and there's nothing wrong with you telling the administration so, and as for deviancy, that's a different subject. If she says 'no,' it's 'no,' period, and the college needs to reinforce that, not say one thing in policy and another in practice, is what i told her.

Bigger Girl's 21st birthday is here. She's amazing.

She wanted chocolate cake with pecans, and she got it.

Pecans were sprinkled on top, and she loved it.

Today is:

Armed Forces Day -- Myanmar

Cherry Blossom (Sakura) Viewing and Celebrations begin -- Japan (the festivities get started around now, and vary by region depending on when the trees bloom in that area over the next 6 weeks)

Commemoration of Sen no Rikyu -- Omotesenke School of the Japanese Tea Ceremony, Japan (remembering the influential master in The Way of Tea)

Corkscrew Day -- M.L. Byrn of New York patented "covered gimlet screw with a 'T' handle" on this date in 1860

National "Joe" Day -- no, it isn't official, but today you can make everyone call you "Joe" if you want, and call them the same; probably started by someone who had no memory for names

National Letting Go of Stuff Day -- see lettinggocafe.com for details

National Spanish Paella Day

Quirky Country Music Song Titles Day -- after all, they do need their own day; sponsored by Wellcat Holidays

Savannah Tour of Homes and Gardens -- Savannah, GA, US (tours of Savannah's historic homes; through Sunday)

St. John Damascene's Day (Patron of pharmacists, icon paiting, theology students)

St. Rupert of Salzburg's Day (Patron of Salzburg; celebrated on the 24th in the rest of the Church)

World Theatre Day

Anniversary Today:

Mary Pickford marries Douglas Fairbanks, 1920

Birthdays Today:

Brenda Song, 1988
Stacy "Fergie" Ferguson, 1975
Nathan Fillion, 1971
Mariah Carey, 1970
Quentin Tarantino, 1963
Xuxa, 1963
Maria Schneider, 1952
Austin Pendleton, 1940
Michael York, 1942
David Janssen, 1931
Anthony Lewis, 1927
Mstislav Rostropovich, 1927
Sarah Vaughan, 1924
Harold Nicholas, 1921
Gloria Swanson, 1899
Thorne Smith, 1892
Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe, 1886
Edward Steichen, 1879
Patty Smith Hill, 1868
Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, 1845
Nathaniel Currier, 1813

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Starlight Express"(Rock musical), 1984
"Funky Winkerbean"(Comic strip), 1972
"Singin' in the Rain"(Film), 1952
"La Rondine/The Swallow"(Puccini Opera), 1917
"The Colleen Bawn"(Play), 1860

Today in History:

Ptolemy V ascends to the throne of Egypt, BC196
Pope Clement V excommunicates the entire population of Venice, 1309
Juan Ponce de Leon discovers Florida, 1513
The first English child born in Canada at Cuper's Cove, Newfoundland to Nicholas Guy, 1613
The dike at Hardinxveld breaks, causing the Alblasserwaard flood, 1709
Spain losses Menorca & Gibraltar, 1713
John Parker Paynard originates medicated adhesive plaster, precursor to the band-aid, 1848
First reported sighting of the Yosemite Valley by Europeans, 1851
M L Byrn patents "covered gimlet screw with a 'T' handle" (corkscrew), 1860
The first international rugby football match, England v. Scotland, is played in Edinburgh at Raeburn Place, 1871
Famous Apache warrior, Geronimo, surrenders to the U.S. Army, ending the main phase of the Apache Wars, 1886
The first Japanese cherry blossom trees planted in Washington, D.C., 1912
The first successful blood transfusion takes place in Brussels, 1914
Typhoid Mary, the first healthy carrier of disease ever identified in the United States, is put in quarantine, , 1916
Charlie Chaplin receives France's distinguished Legion of Honor, 1931
Nikita Khrushchev becomes Premier of the Soviet Union, 1958
The Good Friday Earthquake, the most powerful earthquake in U.S. history at a magnitude of 9.2 strikes South Central Alaska, killing 125 people and inflicting massive damage to the city of Anchorage, 1964
The Concorde makes its first supersonic flight. 1970
Construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System begins, 1975
The Norwegian oil platform Alexander L. Kielland collapses in the North Sea, killing 123 of its crew of 212, 1980
The Solidarity movement in Poland stages a warning strike, in which at least 12 million Poles walk off their jobs for four hours, 1981
The US FDA approves Viagra, 1998
HMS Scylla (F71), a decommissioned Leander class frigate, is sunk as an artificial reef off Cornwall, the first of its kind in Europe, 2004

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

Lorax says, "Hey, mom, look what i taught my little brother!"

Lorax showed him how to get up there!

Today is:

Children's Picture Book Day -- while i can't find a sponsor for this day, starting kids on a lifelong love of books is as good an excuse for a holiday as any

Commemoration of Sen no Rikyu -- Urasenke School of the Japanese Tea Ceremony, Japan (remembering the influential master in The Way of Tea)

Daylight Saving Time begins -- Gaza Strip; Israel; Jordan; Syria; West Bank

Feast of Artemis -- Ancient Greek Calendar (as protector of wild animals, vegetation, and places, begins at sundown; date approximate)

Festival of the Sacrifice at the Tombs -- Ancient Roman Calendar (to honor the ancestors)

"Greatest Show on Earth" Day -- Barnum and Bailey merged their circuses on this day in 1881

Hot Tub Day -- because we all need one!

Invasion of Loaming Shores Beyond the Certain Sea Anniversary -- Fairy Calendar

Khordad Sal (Birth of the Prophet Zarathushtra) -- Zoroastrianism (Fasli Calendar)

Komamorijinja Reisai -- Nakaedo, Kashi-sh, Gifu, Japan (festival of the the Kosazukeishi "child-granting stone")

National Black Forest Cake Day

National Health Day -- Kiribati

National Skipping Day -- UK (a fun and healthy way to exercise)

Ragnar Lodbrok's Day -- Asatru/Slavic Pagan Calendar (remembrance of this Viking's sack of Paris)

Respect Your Cat Day -- anniversary of King Richard II's edict in 1384 forbidding the consumption of cats

Serfs Emancipation Day -- Tibet

Something on a Stick Day -- something edible, of course, what were you thinking? never mind; almost everything tastes better on a stick

St. Guntramnus' Day (Patron of divorced people, guardians, repentant murderers)

Teachers' Day -- Czech Republic; Slovakia

Tempe Festival of the Arts -- Tempe, AZ, US (hundreds of artists and craftspeople, continuous entertainment, children's area; through Sunday)

Wear a Hat Day -- UK (a brain tumour awareness event and fundraiser)

Weed Appreciation Day -- at last, for those of us with black thumbs, since this is all we can grow! "Weeds are flowers once you get to know them!" A.A. Milne

Birthdays Today:

Lady Gaga, 1986
Julia Stiles, 1981
Annie Wersching, 1977
Kate Gosselin, 1975
Scott Mills, 1974
Juliandra Gillen, 1971
Vince Vaughn, 1970
Reba McEntire, 1955
Dianne Wiest, 1948
Ken Howard, 1944
Conchata Ferrell, 1943
Jerry Sloan, 1942
Freddie Bartholomew, 1924
Dirk Bogarde, 1921
Irving "Swifty" Lazar, 1907
August Anheuser Busch, Jr., 1899
Maxim Gorky, 1868
Frederich Pabst, 1836
St. Teresa of Avila, 1515
Fra Bartolomeo, 1472

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Hair"(Rock musical), 1968
"Philadelphia Story"(Play), 1939

Today in History:

Roman Emperor Pertinax is assassinated by Praetorian Guards, who then sell the throne in an auction to Didius Julianus, 193
Viking raiders sack Paris, who leave in exchange for a huge ransom, 845
The origin of the Fasli Era in India, 1556
Juan Bautista de Anza finds the site for the Presidio of San Francisco, 1776
Nathaniel Briggs of NH patents a washing machine, 1797
Heinrich Wilhelm Matthäus Olbers discovers 2 Pallas, the second asteroid known to man, 1802
The US Salvation Army is officially organized, 1885
Henri Fabre becomes the first person to fly a seaplane, 1910
Jews are expelled from Tel Aviv & Jaffa by Turkish authorities, 1917
Constantinople and Angora change their names to Istanbul and Ankara, 1930
The McGill français movement protest occurs, the second largest protest in Montreal's history, 1969
Operators of Three Mile Island's Unit 2 nuclear reactor outside of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania fail to recognize that a relief valve in the primary coolant system has stuck open, leading to a partial meltdown, 1979
In South Africa, Zulus and African National Congress supporters battle in central Johannesburg, resulting in 18 deaths, 1994
The 2005 Sumatran earthquake rocks Indonesia, and at magnitude 8.7 is the second strongest earthquake since 1965, 2005
At least 1 million union members, students, and unemployed take to the streets in France in protest at the government's proposed First Employment Contract law, 2006
Australian diplomat Peter Woolcott's draft for the first-ever treaty to regulate the conventional arms trade is discussed by members of the United Nations, 2013

"Have you had some of mom's soup? It's so good, I love this soup!" Little Girl said, as she helped herself to the bowl of vegetarian soup from the pot. The bigger crock contained the soup with meat, the cast iron pot the vegetarian.

Yes, i'm one of those moms who cooks separate things for different kids. It's okay, it's my own fault half of them are vegetarian.

"No, I like the soup, but it's not my favorite, I already had dinner. I'll have some as a snack later.," Bigger Girl responded.

"What! You have insulted the soup! I hate you!" Little Girl teased.

"You hate me! Do you not understand that the fact that I have been hated means that I have liv..."

"Wait, no, I don't hate anyone. I dislike you for disliking the soup!" Little Girl interrupted.

"You have interrupted my soliloquy on how the fact that someone has hated me means that I have existed! Okay, the fact that you have disliked me, and over soup at that, means..."

"Okay, I don't really dislike you, either, but how can anyone not like this awesome soup?" Little Girl interrupted again.

"Your interruptions of my soliloquies on how my existence is affirmed and justified by the fact that others have acknowledged my existence with their dislike and hatred have made me blue. I will now go and finish my painting on my wall from my Blue Period. It is my 'Blue Nude With a Red Blanket.'" Bigger Girl and Little Girl both laughed, and Bigger Girl did leave to finish the painting on her wall.

Why the red blanket, i asked later.

"Because I can't paint feet! I don't have time to paint feet," she said. "I have to many other things to do, like go pick up my friends in an hour so we can go down to the abandoned pier and sit and eat chips and drink root beer and discuss life," was her answer.

You need to read the Chubby Chatterbox's blog post about how he learned to draw feet, i told her.

Until she does, here's her latest.

Blue Nude With a Red Blanket.

Today is:

Barthelemy Boganda Day -- Central African Republic

Borrowed Days begin -- old English/Scottish/Irish legends about how March borrowed the next 3 days from April; these are still seen as weather prognostication days based on several different legends

Day of Redress -- Fairy Calendar

Earth Hour -- 8:30pm-9:30pm, your local time; turn off your lights to take a stand against climate change

Hatsume Fair -- Morikami Museum and Japanese Garden, Delray Beach, FL, US (celebrating the culture and beauty of Japan; through tomorrow)

Knights of Columbus Founders Day

Martyrs' Day -- Madagascar

National Lemon Chiffon Cake Day

National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day -- as recognized by AICPA

Smoke and Mirrors Day -- some sites call it "Festival of Smoke and Mirrors Day," but appropriately no one knows who started it

St. Armogastes of Africa's Day (Patron of the poor and torture victims; against poverty and torture)

St. Gladys' and St. Gwynllyw's Day (the Welsh "Bonny and Clyde", who led a life of crime before their conversion)

USA Memory Championship -- New York, NY, US ("Mental Athletes" compete for the title of National Memory Champion, and the winner goes on to the World Memory Championships)

Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day whvvd.org

Youth Day -- Taiwan

Yo-Yo & Skill Toys Convention -- Spinning Top and Yo-Yo Museum, Burlington, WI, US (19th annual, with exhibits, demos, contests, and fun; through tomorrow)

Anniversaries Today:

Harry Hamlin weds Lisa Rinna, 1997
Yeshiva College (now University) is chartered in New York, 1928

Birthdays Today:

Hideaki Takizawa, 1982
Jennifer Capriati, 1976
Lucy Lawless, 1968
Elle Macpherson, 1964
Christopher Lambert, 1957
Kurt Thomas, 1956
Earl Christian Campbell, 1955
Karen Ann Quinlan, 1954
Bud Cort, 1950
George Blaha, 1945
Eric Idle, 1943
John Major, 1943
John Joseph McLaughlin, 1927
Pearl Bailey, 1918
Sam Walton, 1918
Eugene Mccarthy, 1916
Philip Ahn, 1905
Denton True "Cy" Young, 1867
Isaac Mayer Wise, Rabbi and Founder of Reform Judaism, 1819
John Tyler, 1790
Carlo Buonaparte, father of Napoleon Bonaparte, 1746

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Woman of the Year"(Play), 1981
"The King and I"(Play), 1951
"Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows"(circus), 1919
"Mutt and Jeff"(Comic strip), 1908
"Jevgeni Onegin/Eugene Onegin"(Opera; Tchaikovsky Op. 24), 1879

Today in History:

The city of Salvador da Bahia, the first capital of Brazil, is founded, 1549
Treaty of Saint-Germain is signed, returning Quebec to French control after the English had seized it in 1629, 1632
Swedish colonists establish the first settlement in Delaware, 1638
Ludwig von Beethoven, age 24, debuts as a pianist in Vienna, 1795
Construction is authorized of the Great National Pike, better known as the Cumberland Road, becoming the first United States federal highway, 1806
Niagara Falls stops flowing for 30 hours due to an ice jam, 1848
The United Kingdom annexes the Punjab, 1849
Ohio makes it illegal for children under 18 & women to work more than 10 hours a day, 1852
Queen Victoria gives Royal Assent to the British North America Act which establishes the Dominion of Canada on July 1, 1867
Queen Victoria presides over the opening of Albert Hall in London, 1871
The Knights of Columbus are established, 1882
Dr. John Pemberton brews the first batch of Coca-Cola in his back yard, 1886
The North American Radio Broadcasting Agreement goes into effect at 03:00 local time, 1941
Ethel and Julius Rosenberg are convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage, 1951
NASA's Mariner 10 becomes the first spaceprobe to fly by Mercury, 1974
The Canada Act 1982 (U.K.) receives the Royal Assent from Queen Elizabeth II, setting the stage for the Queen of Canada to proclaim the Constitution Act, 1982
Catherine Callbeck becomes premier of Prince Edward Island and the first woman to be elected in a general election as premier of a Canadian province, 1993
Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia join NATO as full members, 2004
The Republic of Ireland becomes the first country in the world to ban smoking in all work places, including bars and restaurants, 2004
Thirty-five countries and over 370 cities join Earth Hour for the first time, 2008
A transistor-like transcriptor is built out of DNA and RNA molecules by American bioengineers at Stanford University, 2013

Silly Sunday is easy, just link up and laugh!

Thank you, Sandee at Comedy Plus, for starting Silly Sunday.

Harry came into Bible study with home baked cookies, after Josie had joked with him the week before about how he hadn't brought anything in a while.

"These aren't just any chocolate chip cookies!" he announced. "These have Ghirardelli chocolate chips in them!"

As they were passed around, Harry said, "Have you heard the latest, that they've decided the fat free diets are all wrong and that it's worse for you than a regular diet?" he added.

"Yes," Anne said, "and especially when you consider the chemicals they add to the food to make up for leaving the fat out!"

That is why you should eat either food that grew out of the ground the way G-d intended, or animals that ate such food, and leave the process stuff alone, i noted. At least, that's how i do it.

"So by that standard, does that mean you would say it's okay to smoke marijuana? After all, it's natural and it grows out of the ground!" Dave grinned as he asked.

No, i was talking about things to eat, i grinned back. Smoking is a no no!

"Yes, the people in Colorado are finding out that there were consequences to marijuana that they'd never imagined," Tyler piped up.

"Such as?" Lisa asked.

"Well there was the guy who baked marijuana brownies and took them to a kid's birthday party," Dave said.

"Okay," Tyler cut in there. "It's time to start discussing the topic at hand, 'The Power of an Endless Life." It's represented in our study guide first by this picture."

"In it you see the gates of Hell have been torn down, and the Devil is being trampled. Jesus is reaching out to grasp the hand of Adam, and Eve is by his side. There are several of the Old Testament saints represented"

"What I notice is that Eve is the only one there without a beard!" Dave said.

"Well, she might just be freshly shaved, you know," Lisa said.

As we laughed, Josie said, "Is the one in the back you can barely see John the Baptist?"

"Maybe, if it's only his head!" Harry said.

"Okay, everyone. Harry, are you sure you didn't put anything in those cookies besides the chocolate chips?" Tyler asked, as all of us were laughing almost too hard to keep going.

So, who says you can't have fun at Bible study?

This also reminds me of a joke, about the time "Tee" Boudreaux went to Bible study.

They were discussing the story of Lot, and when the study leader got to the part where Lot's wife looks back and turns into a pillar of salt, "Tee" says, "That's funny. Mias, my Mama done turn aroun' to look back once when she was drivin', an she turn into a light pole!"

Today is:

Check for Change in Every Coin Return You Pass Day -- because someone has a sense of humor and put it on the internet

Culture and Traditions Day -- Micronesia

Daylight Saving Time begins -- Albania; Andorra; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Estonia; Faroe Islands; Finland; France; Germany; Gibraltar, Greece; Greenland (some areas); Holy See (Vatican City); Hungary; Ireland; Isle of Mann; Italy; Kosovo; Latvia; Lebanon; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia; Malta; Moldova; Monaco; Montenegro; Morocco; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Portugal; Romania; San Marino; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Turkey; Ukraine; United Kingdom; Western Sahara

Doctors Day -- US (begun by Eudora Almond in 1933 because she thought her husband, Dr. Charles B. Almond deserved recognition for his hard work; check here for ideas on how to thank your doctor)

European Union: Daylight Saving Time (Summer Time) Begins

Fairies of the First Wand Reunion Dinner -- Fairy Calendar

Feast of Janus and Concordia -- Ancient Roman Calendar

Festival of Bast -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (cat goddess; date approximate)

Festival of Reality Fabrication -- internet holiday to celebrate your imagination

Festival of Salus -- Ancient Roman Calendar (god of health)

Ghode Jatra -- Kathmandu Valley, Nepal (Horse Festival)

Grass Is Always Browner On The Other Side Of The Fence Day -- remember how good you have it; sponsored by Wellcat Holidays

I am in Control Day -- remember Alexander Haig's words on this date in 1981? well today, if you find the phones won't stop ringing, the kids got into the glue again, the coffee maker is on the fritz, and somebody dyed the poodle purple, stand up and declare that you are in control!

Laetare Sunday -- Western Christianity, 4th Sunday of Lent; related Observances
Carnaval de la Laetare -- Stavelot, Belgium
Mothering Sunday -- UK (fourth Sunday of Lent, originally a day to visit your "mother church" in the parish where you were raised, now celebrated as Mother's Day)

Land Day Commemoration -- West Bank/Palestinian remembrance

Limited Liability Day -- because no one can be responsible for everything

National Week of the Ocean Sea-Son -- Fort Lauderdale, FL, US (celebration includes school marine fair, waterway cleanup, Mother Ocean Day and more; through Apr. 5, as part of the larger Season which lasts until June 7)

Pencil Day -- the pencil with an eraser top was patented this day in 1858 by Hyman Lipman

Root Canal Awareness Week begins -- sponsored by the American Association of Endodontists

Runic Half-Month Ewhas (Horse) begins

Spiritual Baptist/Shouter Liberation Day -- Trinidad and Tobago

St. Leonard Murialdo's Day (Patron of apprentices)

Take a Walk in the Park Day -- begun by someone who wanted to get out of the office

Turkey Neck Soup Day

Birthdays Today:

Scott Moffatt, 1983
Jason Dohring, 1982
Norah Jones, 1979
Matt Doran, 1976
Mark Consuelos, 1971
Celine Dion, 1968
Ian Ziering, 1964
Tracy Chapman, 1964
M.C. Hammer, 1962
Paul Reiser, 1957
Robbie Cotrane, 1950
Eric Clapton, 1945
Astrud Gilberto, 1940
Warren Beatty, 1937
John Astin, 1930
Rolf Harris, 1930
Peter Marshall, 1930
Richard Dysart, 1929
Peter Marshall, 1927
Frankie Laine, 1913
Sean O'casey, 1880
Anna Sewell, 1820
Vincent Van Gogh, 1853
Francisco Jose De Goya, 1749

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Agnes of God"(Play), 1982
"Applause"(Musical), 1970
"Jeopardy"(TV), 1964
"Verkaufte Braut/The Bartered Bride"(Comic opera), 1866

Today in History:

The first recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet, BC240
Ketsugan, Zen teacher, performs exorcisms to free aizoji temple, 1422
Henry VIII divorces Catherine of Aragon, 1533
British and coalition forces march into Paris after the defeat of Napoleon, 1814
Dr. Crawford Long of Georgia, US, performs the first operation with anesthesia (ether), 1842
A pencil with attached eraser is patented by Hyman L Lipman of Philadelphia, 1858
Alaska is purchased from Russia by US Secretary of State William Seward, for $7,200,000 (about 2 cents per acre), 1867
Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, 1932
Einstein announces his revised unified field theory, 1953
The Yonge Street Line, the first subway in Canada, opens in Toronto, 1954
President Ronald Reagan is shot in the chest outside a Washington, D.C., hotel by John Hinckley, Jr., 1981
The oldest copy of Codex Holmiensis, dating from 1280, is returned to Denmark from Sweden after 300 years, and 45,000 Inca artifacts are returned to Peru's Machu Picchu after spending 100 years at Yale University, 2011

Weighty matter.

The Worker is Worthy of His Wages

Games Kids Play

Feline Friday: All I Survey

And a big achoo.

Silly Sunday:Isn't It Obvious?

Aww Monday: What do I do with them now?

B.B.

What Little Girl is Up To Lately

Numb, Numbers, Numbest

Feline Friday:You Aren't Going Anywhere!

Full Days

Silly Sunday: Comparisons Work to a Degree

Aww Monday

Bowled Them Over, Again

Wordless Wednesday: How to know you have teens in the house.

The Years Go By

Feline Friday: My Protege

Her Blue Period

Silly Sunday: Overheard at Bible Study