messymimi's meanderings

Feline Friday was started by Steve, The Burnt Food Dude, and i'm going to believe it's because he likes cats. It's easy to do Feline Friday, just post a cat picture and link up and you are in!

It's no secret that we have lots of cats.

There's a problem with lots of cats. They are territorial, and they will fight.

SissyCat, the one with three legs who is also sometimes called Tripod, is not ours. My #2 Son told me his friend wanted to leave her here for a very short time. That was several months ago, with no end in sight. She hates all other cats, and most people, and is a very moody, cranky cat. Bigger Girl says it's because she's the reincarnation of a British librarian from the Victorian era, and she hates how we run things now. #1 Son swears it's because she's resentful that she's a cat and not a human. Whatever the reason, she is a pill and she especially does not like Mikey.

To give you a further idea of her personality, she only has three legs because she was convinced she could take that German shepherd. She's still convinced she could take the German shepherd.

Mikey is #1 Son's cat who moved out with him for a year, and is now back. He's part Maine Coon and big and strong and used to ruling the roost. He's not particularly mean or prone to fighting, but he is used to being the Big Cat On Campus and to not having to put up with anything from the others.

To say that he and SissyCat get into it is an understatement. They both love lying on the bar that separates the kitchen from the dining area, and they fight about who gets to be up there.

Then, yesterday, i realized they seem to have declared a truce.

SissyCat and Mikey.

Maybe they've decided they can just turn their backs on each other and take half and it will work. At least, it did this time.

Today is

Anguilla Day -- Anguilla

Arrival Day -- Trinidad and Tobago

Centralia Anchor Festival -- City Square, Centralia, MO, US (anchor driving, archery shoot, tractor show, carnival, crafts, softball and more; through Sunday)

Dia de Canarias -- CN, Spain (Canary Island Day)

Dia de las Madres -- Nicaragua(Mother's Day)

Einherjar -- Asatru (Modern Norse Pagan) Calendar (a memorial for the war dead in Valhalla)

Feast Day of St. Joan of Arc (Patron of captives, martyrs, opposition of Church authorities, people ridiculed for their piety, prisoners, rape victims, soldiers, WACs, WAVES; France)

Heirloom Seed Day -- While i can't find the history of this one, it's a good one to celebrate, we need to raise awareness of and preserve heirloom seeds

Indian Arrival Day -- Trinidad and Tobago (anniversary of the 1845 arrival of the first Indian laborers to Trinidad)

Lod Massacre Remembrance Day -- Puerto Rico

Loomis Day -- because if we are going to honor Marconi, we should also honor the Washington, D.C., dentist Mahlon Loomis, who patented a wireless telegraphy system before Marconi was even born

My Bucket's Got a Hole In It Day -- this one may be listed on another day as well, since no two sites agree; mercy, just go get a new one already! or go get out your Hank Williams records

National Mint Julep Day

Pilgrimages to St Patrick's Purgatory begin -- Station Island, Lough Derg, County Donegal, Ireland (three day pilgrimages to the island where St. Patrick supposedly showed the Irish heathens Purgatory so they would be converted continue through Aug. 15; such pilgrimages date back at least to the 10th century)

Portland Rose Festival -- Portland, OR, US (over 50 events, including three parades, dragon boat races, and more celebrate a city full of roses; through June 15)

Route 66 Summerfest -- Rolla, MO, US (citywide celebration to kick off the summer; through tomorrow)

St. Walstan of Bawburgh's Day (Patron of agricultural workers, farmers and farm workers, field hands, husbandmen)

This Day -- Fairy Calendar

Water a Flower Day -- no sponsor or reason given for this day, except that the spring rains are slowing and you don't want your garden to wilt

Anniversary Today:

Henry VIII marries Jane Seymore, 1536

Birthdays Today:

Blake Bashoff, 1981
Trey Parker, 1972
Wynonna Judd, 1964
Tom Morello, 1964
Ted McGinley, 1958
Colm Meaney, 1953
Stephen Tobolowsky, 1951
Meredith MacRae, 1945
Gale Eugene Sayers, 1943
Michael J. Pollard, 1939
Keir Dullea, 1936
Clint Walker, 1927
Benny Goodman, 1909
Mel Blanc, 1908
Countee Cullen, 1903
Peter Carl Fabergé, 1846
Czar Peter the Great, 1672

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Paperback Writer"(Single release), 1966
"War Requiem"(Britten Op. 66), 1962
"Odisséia de uma raça / Odyssey of a Race"(Villa-Lobos Symphonic poem), 1954
"Prodana nevesta / The Bartered Bride"(Opera), 1866

Today in History:

Titus and his Roman legions breach the Second Wall of Jerusalem; the Jewish defenders retreat to the First Wall, 70
19-year-old Joan of Arc is burned at the stake by an English-dominated tribunal, 1431
In Florida, Hernando de Soto lands at Tampa Bay with 600 soldiers with the goal of finding gold, 1539
Publication of La Gazette, the first French newspaper, 1631
The Pennsylvania Evening Post become the first daily paper in the US, 1783&
John Francis attempts to murder Queen Victoria, 1842
Westminster's Big Ben rang for the first time in London, 1859
Decoration Day (the predecessor of the modern "Memorial Day") is observed in the United States for the first time, 1868
New York City's Gilmores Garden is renamed Madison Square Garden by William Henry Vanderbilt and is opened to the public, 1879
The Treaty of London, 1913, ends the First Balkan War and Albania becomes an independent nation, 1913
In China protests erupt against the Great Powers infringing on Chinese sovereignty, 1925
A dike along the flooding Columbia River breaks, obliterating Vanport, Oregon within minutes, 1948
The Auckland Harbour Bridge, crossing the Waitemata Harbour in Auckland, New Zealand, is officially opened, 1959
launch of Surveyor 1 the first US spacecraft to achieve landing on an extraterrestrial body, 1966
At the Ascot Park in Gardena, California, daredevil Evel Knievel jumps his motorcycle over 16 cars lined up in a row, 1967
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989: the 33-foot high "Goddess of Democracy" statue is unveiled in Tiananmen Square by student demonstrators, 1989
272 days after the September 11 attacks, closing ceremonies are held for the clean up/recovery efforts at the World Trade Center site in New York City. The last remaining steel beam is removed and transported to the Fresh Kills Landfill in Staten Island, 2002
In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel pledges to end all nuclear power within 12 years, 2011

It's the 21st Annual Cram Everyone in a Two-Bedroom Condo at the Beach for a Week, Family Should Be Close But Not This Close Vacation!

Time again for sand in our shorts, sunscreen in our eyes, salt breezes tickling our noses, pool chlorine bleaching our hair, and sandals on our happy to finally be out and free toes.

For the next week i'll be checking in as i can, as we swim, shop, go to the zoo and the naval air museum, and attend church at the Flora-Bama Bar Sunday morning. (Yes, really, service is at 10am, beach wear is acceptable, and if you are looking to be baptized, the Gulf of Mexico is just a few steps away.)

Our cast of characters isn't as big as it used to be, since #1 Son is staying home to work and Bigger Girl is staying home to work and go to school. Appearing as usual this year are:

Grandpa -- a/k/a Doc, whom i refer to as Dr. Born Organized Clean. Patriarch of the clan. Retired physician who is on so many boards of so many different non-profits and other organizations that he's almost as busy retired as he was when he was working. More than just a Mr. Clean, he's so Born Organized that, when Hurricane Katrina threatened NOLA, he pulled out his portable file boxes and packed six of them, put together a small valise of clothes, and one bag of other items he didn't want to lose. It fit in a bit less than half the trunk of the car, and he could have restarted his entire life just with what he had there.

Grandma -- Miss Prissy, the matriarch. A woman born to shop, who would be a hoarder if Grandpa didn't clean up behind her and make her get rid of stuff. The bigger half of the trunk that he didn't fill when they fled the hurricane was filled with her stuff, as was the back seat up to the ceiling and she had a few things in the front seat by her feet. She and Grandpa will attend Catholic mass every morning (unlike us half-heathen Protestants who only go on Sunday), as well as plan the meals to be cooked.

Uncle J -- Youngest son of Grandma and Grandpa. A born salesman who could just as easily have been a con artist. Divorced father of two who has primary custody. Loves whipping the snot out of teenagers at computer games.

Bryn -- Young teen daughter of Uncle J. Used to be described by my kids, her cousins, as a brat. She's grown up and they now love having her around. She hit 13 last year and got "cool," apparently.

Dre -- Uncle J's son. A typical kid, too old for diapers and the kiddie pool, too young to be considered a tween yet. Still into the typical little boy stuff, including thinking bodily noises are hysterical and girls are yucky.

Sweetie -- my husband. Rock n' Roller wanna-be, with more energy than you can shake a stick at, even at almost 61 and almost retired. Just make sure he has his guitar and amp with him, and all is right with his world.

#2 Son -- 18 and on top of the world. Works hard and plays hard. Looks and acts a lot like Uncle J, and could easily grow up to be either a chef, which is what he wants to study, or a felon. He's got that con man inside, and i hope he never really lets it out.

Little Girl -- Sweet Sixteen and a straight A student. Loves to swim, especially on swim team, and hates to shop. Her fashion is whatever she has because she won't go buy anything unless hog-tied and dragged somewhere. An artist, too, and, though she won't do it, she can sing and play piano, and has perfect pitch.

And then there is me, eldest child and only daughter of Grandma and Grandpa. Chief bottle washer, kitchen cleaner and the one who makes sure your shorts get washed.

On the docket for the week are the usual things: swimming, sand castles, ghost crab hunting, fishing, visiting the Naval Aviation Museum, visiting the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo, shopping, going to the antique store, and lots of lounging around.

Also on the docket this time is getting to a branch of our mortgage company for some business i have to attend, because there are no actual branches where we live. There's one just up the street from one of my favorite stores, and they already know i'll be stopping by, because this business is best handled in person.

If you happen to be in the Pensacola area, give us a shout! We'll meet up for some fun.

And remember, if it wasn't fun, this wouldn't be the 21st Annual.

Today is

Bicycle Race Day -- anniversary of what is supposed to have been the first bicycle race ever, at the Parc de Saint-Cloud, Paris, in 1868

California Artichoke Festival -- Castroville, CA, US (lots of fun in the Artichoke Capital of the World; through tomorrow)

Dia de Castilla-La Mancha -- Castile-La Mancha, Spain

Doha Document for Peace in Darfur Commemoration -- Sudan

English Riviera Dance Festival -- Torquay, Devon, England (learn ballroom dance, or take a master class, all levels are welcome, with Gala Evenings where you can dance the night away; through next Friday)

Feast of the Visitation of Mary -- Christianity (Mary's visit of her cousin Elizabeth, chronicled in Luke 1:39-56)

Kaiko Kinenbi -- Yokohama, Japan (Yokahama Port Opening Festival; through tomorrow)

"Make My Day" Day -- birth anniversary of Clint Eastwood

Missouri State Championship Racking Horse Show -- Stoddard County Fairgrounds, Dexter, MO, US (an afternoon and evening of excellent and elegant showmanship)

National Macaroon Day

Royal Brunei Malay Regiment Day / Royal Brunei Armed Forces Day -- Brunei

Save Your Hearing Day -- because once it is gone, you will regret it; on the anniversary of the concert by The Who which set a Guiness World Record for loudest rock concert in 1976

Sjómannadagurinn -- Iceland (traditional Seamen's Day is June 6, but now a two day Festival of the Sea)

Speak in Complete Sentences Day -- be a good example!

St. Petronilla's Day (Patron of mountain travellers; against fever)

Take This Job and Shove It Day -- birth anniversary of Johnny Paycheck

This Day (again) -- Fairy Calendar

What You Think Upon Grows Day -- Stephanie West Allen wants you to remember the power of positive thinking

Wicket World of Croquet® Day 2014 -- The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, Indianapolis, IN, US (croquet tournament fundraiser, includes an Alice and Friends game for the little ones)

World No Tobacco Day -- WHO

Birthdays Today:

Jonathan Tucker, 1982
Colin Farrell, 1976
Phil Keoghan, 1967
Brooke Shields, 1965
Lea Thompson, 1961
Chris Elliot, 1960
Roma Maffia, 1958
Kyle Secor, 1958
Gregory Harrison, 1950
Tom Berenger, 1950
John Bonham, 1948
Sharon Gless, 1943
Joe Namath, 1943
Johnny Paycheck, 1941
Terry Waite, 1939
Peter Yarrow, 1938
Clint Eastwood, 1930
Patricia Roberts Harris, 1924
Prince Rainier of Monaco, 1923
Denholm Elliott, 1922
Don Ameche, 1908
Norman Vincent Peale, 1898
Fred Allen, 1894
Walt Whitman, 1819

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Survivor"(TV), 2000
"Seinfeld"(TV), 1990
"Beatlemania"(Musical), 1977

Today in History:

Rameses II (The Great) becomes pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, BC1279
A devastating earthquake strikes Antioch, Turkey, killing 250,000, 526
Mongol armies of Genghis Khan led by Subutai defeat Kievan Rus and Cumans, 1223
Citing poor eyesight, Samuel Pepys records the last event in his diary, 1669
The Godiva procession through Coventry begins, 1678
The Province of Pennsylvania bans all theater productions, 1759
In Australia, Lawson, Blaxland and Wentworth, reached Mount Blaxland, effectively marking the end of a route across the Blue Mountains, 1813
In the Fenian Invasion of Canada, John O'Neill leads 850 Fenian raiders across the Niagara River at Buffalo, New York/Fort Erie, Ontario, as part of an effort to free Ireland from the United Kingdom. Canadian militia and British regulars repulse the invaders in over the next three days, 1866
Dr James Moore of the UK wins the first recorded bicycle race, a 2k velocipede race at Parc de St Cloud, Paris, 1868
Dr. John Harvey Kellogg patents corn flakes, 1884
Arrival at Plymouth of Tawhiao, King of Maoris, to claim protection of Queen Victoria, 1884
Over 2,200 people die after a dam break sends a 60-foot (18-meter) wall of water over the town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, 1889
The Union of South Africa (predecessor of the Republic of South Africa) is created, 1910
The last Ford Model T rolls off the assembly line after a production run of 15,007,003 vehicles, 1927
A 7.1 magnitude Earthquake destroys Quetta in modern-day Pakistan, 1931
The Republic of South Africa is created, 1961
The Ancash earthquake causes a landslide that buries the town of Yungay, Peru, 1970
In accordance with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act passed by the U.S. Congress in 1968, observation of Memorial Day occurs on the last Monday in May for the first time, rather than on the traditional Memorial Day of May 30, 1971
The Muppet Movie, Jim Henson's Muppets' first foray into the world of feature length motion pictures, is released, 1979
The burning of Jaffna Library, Sri Lanka, is one of the violent examples of ethnic biblioclasm of the twentieth century, 1981
Forty-one tornadoes hit Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Ontario, leaving 76 dead, 1985
Athena 98.4 FM, the first legal private radio station in Greece, starts broadcasting, 1987
Vanity Fair reveals that Mark Felt was Deep Throat, 2005
Asteroid 1998 QE2, an asteroid measuring nearly 1.7 miles across, and its moon, pass within 3.6 million miles of the earth, 2013

Silly Sunday is hosted by Sandee of Comedy Plus. It's easy to laugh and link up!

"Okay, who has a prayer request?" Tyler always starts Friday morning Bible study and prayer meeting with that question.

"I have one," Josie said. "I'm going in for some surgery next Friday. It's got me very nervous, as I've never been fully under anesthesia before."

"So when we meet next week at this time, you'll be at the surgical center?" Jim asked.

"Yes," she answered, "and I'm very nervous. I hate the idea of being anesthetized so much that I won't even let them give me a shot when I have to have dental work done."

"What are you trying to do, Josie?" Dave asked. "Transcend dental medication?"

After a stunned second, we all burst into laughter.

"Dave, that was such a good one!" Anne said.

"Yes, I've been waiting a long time to use that pun," Dave noted.

"Josie, thank you for pulling that one out of him!" Lisa said. "It's not often we get such lines from Dave."

"And we don't even have Harry's cookies to blame this time!" Jim added.

Note that our study group does get down to the serious business of praying and studying, but it's really great that they all have a great sense of humor.

Speaking of sense of humor, since we are on vacation today, if you are reading this in the morning, i am probably at the Flora-Bama Bar, attending the Worship on the Water service held there every Sunday at 10am. It goes with my sense of the fitness of things to attend worship at a beach bar when we are at the beach.

Today is:

Arrival of the Swiss at the Port-Noir -- Switzerland

Celebration of the Arts -- Community Center, Yorba Linda, CA, US (fine arts and music festival for all ages)

Children's Awareness Memorial Day -- a day to remember children who have died from violence

Day of the Rice God -- Chiyoda, Japan (rice transplanting festival to honor Wbai-sama, the Shinto rice god)

Dia da Crianca -- Cape Verde (Youth Day)

Dia de la Marina -- Mexico (Day of the Navy)

Duanwu Jie -- China; Hong Kong; Macao[Tung Ng]; Taiwan (Dragon Boat Festival Day, today and tomorrow, in which spectacularly decorated boats loaded with rowers and drums race)

Early Bird Day -- an internet derived day that reminds us the early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese

Famadihana -- Madagascar (from now until November, various areas celebrate the Malagasay culture's "turning the bones," a fascinating reburial of the dead ceremony)

Father's Day -- Lithuania

Feast of St. Justin Martyr (a/k/a Justin the Philosopher; Patron of apologists, lecturers, orators, philosophers, speakers)

Festival of Non-Linearity -- another one you find on the internet, no meaning or rhyme to it, but if you like to think in non-linear ways, enjoy today!

Festival of the Oak Nymph -- Celtic/Pagan (around this time of year, the Celts took a day to honor all hamadryads, the female nature spirits who inhabit oak trees)

Flip a Coin Day -- as noted by The Ultimate Holiday Site, which claims Julius Caesar invented it (doubtful, but the Romans did toss coins)

Gawai Dayak -- Sarawak, Malaysia (harvest festival begins today)

Global Day of Parents -- UN

Go Barefoot Day -- originally sponsored by Soles4Souls, which recycles shoes to those who have none; while i cannot find if they are sponsoring a day or week this year, it's a good reminder not to let your old shoes end up in a landfill

Hari Lahir Pancasila -- Indonesia (Pancasila Day)

Heimlich Maneuver Day -- Dr. Heimlich first published his suggestion for aiding choking victims with "subdiaphragmatic pressure" on this day in 1974

Helen Keller Day -- sponsored by the Lions Clubs

Hen-Peeler's Holiday -- Fairy Calendar

Independence Day/National Day -- Samoa

International Children's Day

Kalends of June -- Ancient Roman Calendar; related observances:
     Day Sacred to Tempestas (goddess of storms)
     Festival for Juno Moneta (Juno as goddess of money)
     Festival of Carna (goddess of health and vitality, and also of doors and locks, which were to be repaired today)

Madaraka Day -- Kenya (National Day or self-rule/responsibility day)

Mint Julip Day -- Oxford University, England (the drink was introduced there this day in 1845, and they liked it so well, they dedicated a day to it!)

Mothers' and Children's Day -- Mongolia

National Cancer Survivors Day -- US (National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation)www.ncsd.org

National Hazelnut Cake Day

National Tree Planting Day -- Cambodia

Oscar the Grouch Day -- according to the Sesame Workshop, today is his birthday

President's Day -- Palau

Say Something Nice Day -- as declared by the mayor of a town in South Carolina who is tired of all the negative talk all the time

Fashion in Colonial Virginia -- Jamestown Settlement, Williamsburg, VA, and Yorktown Victory Center, Yorktown, VA, US (spend time this month exploring American agriculture of the 17th and 18th centuries, learning the practical used of herbs and plants)

South Carolina Festival of Flowers -- Greenwood, SC, US (thirty-six events, something for everyone; through the 22nd, but the displays are through the month)

Stand for Children Day -- stand.org founded by a rally this day in 1996, seeking to ensure all children graduate from high school

St. Theobald Roggeri's Day (Patron of church cleaners, cobblers, porters, shoemakers; against fever and sterility)

Summer Library Book club Season begins -- anywhere that school is out, check your local library for a summer book club for children or adults; you never know what world you will discover when you read

Superman Day -- publication of the first Superman comic was this day in 1938

Victory Day -- Tunisia (anniversary of the Adoption of the Constitution of Tunisia in 1959)

Yobuko Otsunahiki -- Higashi Matsuura, Saga prefecture, Japan (two day Big Tug-of-War Festival, with one team representing the land and the other the sea; victory for the land means good crops, for the sea means good catches)

Anniversaries Today:

Charlie Chaplin marries Paulette Goddard, 1934
Ohio University, in Athens, Ohio, is founded as the first US land-grant university, 1808
Tennessee becomes the 16th US state, 1796
Kentucky becomes the 15th US state, 1792
Anne Boleyn is crowned Queen Consort of England, 1533

Birthdays Today:

Justine Henin, 1982
Alanis Morissette, 1974
Heidi Klum, 1973
Mark Curry, 1964
Lisa Hartman Black, 1956
Ron Wood, 1947
Jonathan Pryce, 1947
Frederica von Stade, 1945
Robert Powell, 1944
Rene Auberjonois, 1940
Cleavon Little, 1939
Morgan Freeman, 1937
Colleen McCullough, 1937
Pat Boone, 1934
Edward Woodward, 1930
James Hadley Billington, 1929
Bob Monkhouse, 1928
Andy Griffith, 1926
Marilyn Monroe, 1926
Nelson Riddle, 1921
Brigham Young, 1801
Jacques Marquette (Père Marquette), 1637

Debuting/Premiering Today:

FX(TV channel), 1994
Gremlins(Film), 1984
Cable News Network/CNN(TV network), 1980
"Live and Let Die"(Song release), 1973
"The Prisoner"(TV), 1968
"Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"(Album release), 1967

Today in History:

Hugh Capet is elected King of France, 987
Beijing, then under the control of the Jurchen ruler Emperor Xuanzong of Jin, is captured by the Mongols under Genghis Khan, ending the Battle of Beijing, 1215
Friar John Cor records the first known batch of scotch whisky, 1495
Anne Boleyn is crowned Queen of England, 1533
Mary Dyer is hanged for defying a law banning Quakers from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1660
The battle of the Glorious First of June is fought, the first naval engagement between Britain and France during the French Revolutionary Wars, 1794
U.S. President James Madison asks the Congress to declare war on the United Kingdom, 1812
James Lawrence, the mortally-wounded commander of the USS Chesapeake, gives his final order: "Don't give up the ship!" 1813
James Clark Ross discovers the North Magnetic Pole, 1831
American adventurer William Walker conquers Nicaragua, 1855
Treaty of Bosque Redondo is signed allowing the Navajos to return to their lands in Arizona and New Mexico, 1868
Thomas Edison receives a patent for his electric voting machine, 1869
Napoleon Eugene, the last dynastic Bonaparte, is killed in the Anglo-Zulu War, 1879
The United States Census Bureau begins using Herman Hollerith's tabulating machine to count census returns, 1890
Louis D. Brandeis becomes the first Jew appointed to the United States Supreme Court, 1916
The First Conference of the Communist Parties of Latin America is held in Buenos Aires, 1929
Charles de Gaulle comes out of retirement to lead France by decree for six months, 1958
New Zealand's first official television broadcast commences at 7.30pm from Auckland, 1960
Kenya gains internal self-rule (Madaraka Day), 1963
The Heimlich maneuver for rescuing choking victims is published in the journal Emergency Medicine, 1974
The first black-led government of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in 90 years takes power, 1979
The Warsaw Pact officially dissolves, 1991
Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines erupts for the first time in 600 years, 1991
Air France Flight 447 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil, Killing all 228 passengers and crew, 2009
General Motors files for chapter 11 bankruptcy, 2009
Russia enacts a country-wide smoking ban, effecting most public places, 2013

Friday is always "cram everything in so you can get out of town" day.

So i crammed in:

get up at 4am
feed and water cats
start laundry
go to Bible study
go to Trader Joe's
go home and get kitten that needs to be spayed and take it to the vet
drop that vehicle off for tire change before we go on vacation
get tire guys to run me home
go to the pool across the street to pay Little Girl's fee for swim team
take a different kitten to the vet for an emergency
take that vehicle to the tire place and trade vehicles with them so the second one could get tires
go to MallMart
go to Albertson's
go to MomAndPop Grocery
go home and unload
make business phone calls
go to shelter for food for the second kitten to stay at the vet for the weekend
come home and make more business calls
go to the bank for business
go pay for the cars at the tire place
go home and get a ride to swing by the tire place and pick up the second car on our way to clean the shelter
clean the shelter
leave the kittens who are now up for adoption at the shelter
come home and clean the fridges and the dishes and the ice chests
do more laundry
pack

Saturday we drove. We drove in rain. We drove in torrential rain. We drove in drizzle, We drove in traffic.

Then, we got to MallMart and picked up food and supplies, and finally got in around 5pm.

That meant i got time for a sunset walk on the beach, which was lovely.

Today is

Coronation Day -- United Kingdom

Coronation Day and Social Forestry Day -- Bhutan (anniversary of the coronation day of the Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the 4th Druk Gyalpo, in 1974, and the day children plant trees)

Emanicipation Day -- Tonga

Festa della Republica -- Italy (National Day/Feast of the Republic)

Festival of Light and Dark Spots -- Fairy Calendar

Festival of Utter Confusion -- an internet declared holiday, and this is the one for me!

Hristo Botev Day -- Bulgaria (poet and national hero who fell fighting the Turks this day in 1876)

"I Love My Dentist" Day -- no one will claim starting this one, so it makes me suspicious

Isabel Province Day -- Isabel Province, Solomon Islands

National Bubba Day -- created by comedian T. Bubba Bechtol for Bubbas everywhere to have their day

National Leave the Office Earlier Day -- sponsored by Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro, who urges people to maximize productivity so they can leave the office earlier every day
note that some websites say this should be the first Monday, and some the first Wednesday, of June

National Rocky Road Day

Queen's Birthday -- New Zealand; Niue

Sovereign's Birthday -- Cook Islands

St. Blandina's Day (Patron of girls, people falsely accused, torture victims; Lyon, France)

St. Elmo's Day (a/k/a St. Erasmus; Patron of ammunition workers, boatmen, childbirth and women in labor, explosives workers, mariners, navigators, ordnance workers, sailors, watermen; Gaeta, Italy; against abdominal pains, appendicitis, birth pains, childhood intestinal disease, colic, danger at sea, intestinal disorders, seasickness, stomach diseases, storms)

Tano Festival -- Korea (start of a 3 day traditional festival of spring and farming, with summer food offered at the household shrine of the ancestors)

Western Australia Day -- Western Australia (formerly called Foundation Day)

Yell "Fudge" at the Cobras in North America Day -- at noon, your local time, because according to Wellcat Holidays, cobras hate fudge and will not stay if we mention it

Anniversaries Today:

U.S. President Grover Cleveland marries Frances Folsom, 1886 (only president to wed in the executive mansion)
Elizabeth II is crowned Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Her Other Realms and Territories & Head of the Commonwealth, 1953 (the first major international event to be televised)

Birthdays Today:

Justin Long, 1978
Zachary Quinto, 1977
Queen 'Masenate Mohato Seeiso, Queen consort of Lesotho, 1976
Wayne Brady, 1972
Wentworth Miller, 1972
Joel Tobeck, 1971
Dana Carvey, 1955
Gary Grimes, 1955
Dennis Haysbert, 1954
Diana Canova, 1953
Cornel West, 1953
Jerry Mathers, 1948
Marvin Hamlisch, 1944
Charles Haid, 1943
Stacy Keach, Jr., 1941
Charlie Watts, 1941
Sally Kellerman, 1937
Milo O’Shea, 1926
Johnny Weissmuller, 1904
Hedda Hopper, 1890
Sir Edward Elgar, 1857
Thomas Hardy, 1840
Marquis de Sade, 1740
Martha Dandridge Custiss Washington, 1731

Today in History:

The Vandals enter Rome and begin 2 weeks of plundering, 455
The First Siege of Antioch ends when Crusader forces take the city, 1098
The first Récollet missionaries arrive at Quebec City, from Rouen, France, 1615
Bridget Bishop is the first person to go to trial in the Salem witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts, 1692
The Derby horse race is held for the first time in Epsom, England, 1780
P. T. Barnum and his circus start their first tour of the United States, 1835
The Slavic congress in Prague begins, 1848
Guglielmo Marconi applies for a patent for his early radio device, 1896
U.S. President Calvin Coolidge signs the Indian Citizenship Act, making Native American Indians withing US territories and states US citizens, 1924
Lou Gehrig begins his streak of 2,130 consecutive games played, 1925
In a referendum, Italians vote to turn Italy from a monarchy into a Republic, and exile their king, Umberto II di Savoia, 1946
The USSR and Yugoslavia sign the Belgrade declaration and thus normalize relations, 1955
Surveyor 1 lands in Oceanus Procellarum on the Moon, becoming the first U.S. spacecraft to soft land on another world, 1966
Pope John Paul II visits his native Poland, becoming the first Pope to visit a Communist country, 1979
The Bhutan Broadcasting Service brings television transmissions to the Kingdom for the first time, 1999
Europe launches its first probe to voyage to another planet, Mars, 2003
The World Health Organization announces the E. coli strain responsible for the 2011 E.coli O104:H4 outbreak had never before been isolated from patients, 2011

So far, it's been a fun and odd and fabulous and discouraging and then fun again vacation.

Sunday evening was just plain weird. My "new to me" phone just stopped working. Wouldn't come on, wouldn't take a charge, nothing. So when i got up Monday morning and it was raining so i couldn't walk on the beach, i drove to MallMart and bought a new Cheap-O Phone and put my SIM card in it, just so i could have something.

It was depressing to think that such a nice and not very used and still in good shape phone would just stop.

Monday is usually "big shopping" day for the family. Most of us load up into several cars and we go to the Outlet Mall to get everyone clothes and shoes and such for the coming year. Grandma gets taken to the scrapbook shop and the cosmetics store, the kids go to the weird places with "mod" fashion that the kids like, and i get a pair of jeans or two that i can at least hope to keep from getting clawed up by the kittens for a short time.

Everything went well as usual, but i didn't get to a couple of the stores i like to get to because Grandma's back was hurting. It was much more important to get her home than to wander through the kitchen supply places looking at doodads.

When i got back from that, the phone i thought was dead was working again. Right now, i'm not so sure if i trust it. The last thing i need is to have it and not realize it just quit on me then find out there was an emergency.

Speaking of emergencies, there was one. Most of the afternoon was quiet, with bouts of rain and sun and then rain again. During one of those quiet times, i took a walk up to the state park area to pay for my use of the park every morning when i walk. As i talked to Ranger Bob, #2 Son called to ask if i would take him to get more fishing poles. There was only one between the four kids.

As we got back from that errand, and i was grabbing the door handle to go back in the condo, i heard a horrible sound and turned just in time to see, eleven stories below, a car spinning out on the highway as two other vehicles pulled to the side of the road, obviously part of whatever crash had caused the spinning.

By instinct i grabbed my cell phone and dialed 911. It was answered in Alabama, but since the accident was just barely a mile on the Florida side, i had to be transferred twice, to both the local police and then the highway patrol It means i had to tell the story three times, but they finally figured it out and eventually got people there.

No one was hurt, either, although the car that spun out was totaled.

The evening ended with plans to go to the National Museum of Naval Aviation on Tuesday.

Today is

Broken Dolls Day -- Japan (all broken dolls are taken by their children to monks for burial)

Callynteria -- Ancient Greek Calendar (a service of atonement and cleaning Athena's temple; date approximate)

Chimborazo Day -- to publicize that while Mt. Everest may be the highest, the top of Mt. Chimborazo in Ecuador is the furthest from the center of the earth

Dr. Charles Drew Day -- honoring the man who made blood transfusions possible

Festival to Bellona -- Ancient Roman Calendar (goddess of war)

Impersonate Authority Day -- at your own risk, i will not bail you out just because i noted an internet holiday and you decided to celebrate it ;)

Jack Jouett Day -- Virginia (the "Paul Revere" of his day and place, rode to warn Governor Thomas Jefferson that the British were coming, 1781)

Mabo Day -- Australia

Martyr's Day -- Uganda

National Egg Day

National Chocolate Macaroon Day

Opium Suppression Movement Day -- Taiwan

Pull Your Pants Up Day -- internet generated, various dates given, and some are trying to make it a national movement; to encourage young men to pull up their pants for 24 hours and see if they enjoy having both hands free

Repeat Day -- i said, "repeat day" (no, i don't know who comes up with this stuff, sometimes; if i do, i try to place the blame appropriately)

Shavuot -- Judaism (Pentecost; begins at sundown, through sundown on the 5th)

St. Clotilde's Day (Patron of adopted children, brides, disappointing children, exiles, parenthood, parents of large families, queens, widows; against the death of children)

St. Kevin of Glendaulough's Day (Patron of blackbirds; Dublin, Ireland; Glendaulough, Ireland; Ireland)

Worst Day in the Fairy Year -- Fairy Calendar (must be nice to know when your worst day will be)

Anniversaries Today:

U.S. Air Force Academy first graduating class, 1959
The Duke of Windsor marries Wallis Simpson, 1937
Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo founded, 17

Birthdays Today:

Lalaine, 1987
Rafael Nadal, 1986
Anderson Cooper, 1967
Charles Hart, 1961
Scott Valentine, 1958
Deniece Williams, 1951
Suzi Quatro, 1950
Curtis Mayfield, 1942
Larry McMurtry, 1936
Norman Brinker, 1931
Raul Castro, 1931
Chuck Barris, 1929
Colleen Dewhurst, 1926
Allen Ginsberg, 1926
Tony Curtis, 1925
Leo Gorcey, 1917
Josephine Baker, 1906
Dr. Charles Drew, 1904
Ransom E. Olds, 1864
Jefferson Davis, 1808

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Dragnet"(Radio), 1951
“Casey at the Bat”(Publication date), 1888

Today in History:

French scholar Peter Abelard is found guilty of heresy, 1140
Hernando De Soto claims Florida for Spain, 1539
Construction of the oldest stone church in French North America, Notre-Dame-des-Anges, begins at Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, 1620
Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo is founded in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, 1770
President John Adams moves to Washington, D.C., to live in a tavern (the White House wasn't ready), 1800
In Humen, China, Lin Tse-hsü destroys 1.2 million kg of opium confiscated from British merchants, which prompts the First Opium War, 1839
In the last military engagement fought on Canadian soil, Cree leader Big Bear escapes the North West Mounted Police, 1885
The poem "Casey at the Bat", by Ernest Lawrence Thayer, is published in the San Francisco Examiner, 1888
The coast to coast Canadian Pacific Railway is completed, 1889
One thousand unemployed Canadian workers board freight cars in Vancouver, British Columbia, beginning a protest trek to Ottawa, Ontario, 1935
Launch of Gemini 4, the first multi-day space mission by a NASA crew, which included the first space walk by an American, 1965
A blowout at the Ixtoc I oil well in the southern Gulf of Mexico causes at least 3,000,000 barrels of oil to be spilled into the waters, the worst oil spill ever recorded, 1979
SkyDome is officially opened in Toronto, Ontario, 1989
Aboriginal Land Rights are granted in Australia in Mabo v Queensland (1988), a case brought by Eddie Mabo, 1992
USS Carter Hall engages pirates after they board the Danish ship Danica White off the coast of Somalia, 2007
A pageant on London's River Thames marks the highpoint of a series of events celebrating The Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II, 2012
Three of the most extremely well-preserved and most complete triceratops specimens ever found are unearthed in Wyoming, 2013

We did go to the National Museum of Naval Aviation on the Naval Air Base in Pensacola. We got to see our favorite exhibits at the museum, and then the kids went to climb the lighthouse while Sweetie and I went to the forts. We've seen the Blue Angels practice several times in the past few years, so this time, instead of trying to squeeze in with everyone else, the kids watched from near the lighthouse and we watched from Fort Barrancas. You don't see the whole thing, but it's enough.

Soon it was time to get lunch, so the kids headed back to the condo. Since we were in the area and had business to attend, Sweetie and i went to Ever'mans with our local friend. Sweetie was impressed with how they had completely remodeled and changed the whole property, not just the building.

When we left after lunch to try to find the Wells Fargo Bank so we could get the signatures we need (there aren't any branches in Louisiana, and i hate that our mortgage is with a company that isn't local, but there's nothing we can do about it), there was a police barricade blocking us off. Thank heaven for the local friend who was with us, and who has a GPS. We got to come in from the back way, and got the signature we needed.

After that, Sweetie wanted to go see Pensacola Beach. Yes, in all the years we've come down here, we've only seen the beach at Perdido Key, where we stay. He was always told that Pensacola Beach is where the action is. We drove all the way out there, and as far as i am concerned, it's over-commercialized, and the beach itself looks the same as Perdido: sandy, with dune grass. He didn't seem as impressed as he thought he'd be, either. There are a couple of restaurants down there he may want to try someday, but other than that, it's a long drive to a more crowded beach, and that's about it.

The kids spent the rest of the day, after the lighthouse, swimming, bugging Grandma and Grandpa, and going to see a movie in the evening. We ended the day with plans for Wednesday -- it's off to the zoo!

Today is

Audacity to Hope Day -- to encourage all to have the audacity to keep hope

Clean Air Day -- Canada

Emancipation Day -- Tonga (trad.)

Festival for Hercules Custos -- Ancient Roman Calendar (Hercules the Custodian)

Flag Day -- Estonia

Flag Day -- Finland (Armed Forces observe the birth anniversary of Carl Gustaf Mannerheim)

Hug Your Cat Day -- yet another date for this noted on many sites; if you celebrate all of them, your cat will be well hugged!

International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression -- UN

Jarila's Day -- Asatru/Slavic Pagan Calendar (Festival of Jarila, god of the sun and fertility)

Lassie Day -- the first dog to play the role of Lassie, in the movie Lassie, Come Home, was born this day in 1940

National Cheese Day -- not to be confused with Cheese Lover's Day earlier in the year

National Cognac Day

National Frozen Yogurt Day -- not to be confused with the Frozen Yogurt Day celebrated on Feb. 6 in Los Angeles, where the temperatures make such a thing possible

National Running Day -- runningday.org

National Unity Day -- Hungary

Old Maid's Day -- supposedly established after WWII, when there were so many eligible young ladies who weren't getting any younger

Plynteria -- Ancient Greek Calendar (festival in Athens in honor of Athena; date approximate)

Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival -- Sedalia, MO, US (with a variety of free and paid venues, it's a good time for all; through Saturday)

Shavuot -- Judaism (Pentecost, began at sundown yesterday, through sundown tomorrow)

St. Petroc's Day (Patron of Cornwall and Wales, as well as many locations in Cornwall, Wales, and England, and Saint-Meen, France)

Tailor's Day -- the first Wednesday of June is noted on many sites as the day to thank your tailor

The National Tournament -- Spruce Meadows, Calgary, AB, Canada (features the Spruce Meadows Show Jumping Championship and the Nexen Cup, with live entertainment and activities daily; through Sunday)

Turtle Races -- Nisswa, MN, US (Wednesdays through August 10th, go race a turtle, it's only $4 to adopt a turtle for the race and get a participation racing button!)

Birthdays Today:

Evan Lysacek, 1985
Russell Brand, 1975
Angelina Jolie, 1975
Noah Wyle, 1971
James Callis, 1971
Scott Wolf, 1968
Cecilia Bartoli, 1966
Sam Harris, 1961
Eldra DeBarge, 1961
Keith David, 1956
Parker Stevenson, 1953
George Noory, 1950
Bettina Gregory, 1946
Michelle Phillips, 1944
Joyce Meyer, 1943
Freddy Fender, 1937
Bruce Dern, 1936
John Drew Barrymore, 1932
Dr. Ruth Westheimer, 1928
Dennis Weaver, 1924
Robert Merrill, 1919
Rosalind Russell, 1907
George III, 1738
Aesop, BCE620 (not certain, but close enough)

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Born in the USA"(Album release), 1984
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan(Film), 1982
"Cavalcade of Stars"(TV), 1949

Today in History:

Chinese astronomers make the first recording of a solar eclipse, BC781
Sir Walter Raleigh establishes the first English colony on Roanoke Island, old Virginia (now North Carolina), 1584
Forces under the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu take Osaka Castle in Japan, 1615
New England planters arrive to claim land in Nova Scotia, Canada taken from the Acadians, 1760
A transit of Venus is followed five hours later by a total solar eclipse, the shortest such interval in history, 1769
The Montgolfier brothers publicly demonstrate their montgolfière (hot air balloon), 1783
Captain George Vancouver claims Puget Sound for the Kingdom of Great Britain, 1792
The Ottoman Empire cedes Cyprus
to the United Kingdom but retains nominal title, 1878
Henry Ford test drives his first prototype automobile, the Ford Quadricycle, 1896
Massachusetts becomes the first state of the United States to set a minimum wage, 1912
A patent for the ATM is granted to Donald Wetzel, Tom Barnes and George Chastain, 1973
The Tiananmen Square protests are violently ended in Beijing by the People's Liberation Army, 1989
Solidarity's victory in the first (somewhat) free parliamentary elections in post-war Poland sparks off a succession of peaceful anti-communist revolutions in Eastern Europe, 1989
Falcon 9 Flight 1 was the maiden flight of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, 2010

While its official title is the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo, Animal Planet has dubbed this place "The Little Zoo That Could."

It is little, but it packs a lot of fun into a small space. They were given a larger tract of land further inland, to be more protected from storms, but they are still raising the funds needed to get moved over there.

Meanwhile, as i noted, they make great use of the space they have. There are a lot of critters that love to eat the "zoo puffs" that you can purchase, so you get the enjoyment of having your hands licked by sheep and goats and alpacas and deer and a very cute little donkey. If you want, you can go in to have animal encounters with reptiles, lemurs, and kangaroos.

The lemurs are among my favorites. They love belly rubs, and for some reason, they always take a shine to #2 Son. He won't bother to go in with the kangaroos, but the lemurs flock to him. He really does have a way with animals, i think they sense, somehow, that he understands them and won't hurt them.

Sweetie, as expected, stayed as far from the reptiles as he could. Little Girl spent as much time at the wolf exhibit as possible. All of her friends claim she's about half wolf herself. If i believed in totem animals, i'd say hers was the wolf.

This year, we even got to see Chuckie. This behemoth of an alligator, instead of being way in the back of his exhibit where he could barely be seen, was right up front, lying in a puddle of water in the sunshine. If 'gators could smile, he would have been grinning from ear to ear.

Chuckie has been at the zoo longer than any other animal. He used to live in one of the local state parks, but he took to stealing picnic baskets. Yes, really. Instead of simply destroying him, park rangers tried to find another place for him. He was accepted by the zoo and given a new home.

During Hurricane Ivan back in 2004, he got out of his exhibit. He didn't leave zoo property, he just got into the swamp behind his exhibit to lie low until the storm was over, and it took them a while to figure out where he was.

This year's trip was one of the most delightful zoo trips we've had. Not too hot, no rain threatening, and we all got to see all the critters we like best, including one i love, the capybara. Yes, really, there's a special place in my heart for the world's biggest rodent.

Right after the zoo, Sweetie and i made a trip to a Credit Union Service Center to conclude the business portion of our trip.

The rest of the day was slow paced and included some examinations of the insides of my eyelids for cracks, one of my favorite vacation occupations.

Today is

15th Khordad National Uprising -- Iran (1963)

Apple II Day -- the Apple II first went on sale today in 1977
note that some historians say it went on sale June 10, others say the first models were shipped out that day

Arbor Day -- New Zealand

Curwood Festival -- Owosso, MI, US (over 40 events commemorate the life and work of James Oliver Curwood, the Owosso-born author and conservationist; through Sunday)

Fardagar -- Traditional Icelandic Calendar (time when farm workers moved from one farm to another, the time to settle debts, and until the 20th-Century, the day to start the fiscal year; always the Thursday through Sunday of the 7th week of summer)

Farmington Country Days -- Farmington, MO, US (fun for the family, celebrated the old country way; through Sunday)

Festival of Popular Delusions Day -- begun as this was the last day before D-Day that the Germans could delude themselves that they could win; thus a day to question your own assumptions and try to align your beliefs with facts and reality

Great American Brass Band Festival -- Danville, KY, US (this year's theme is Slides Rule, a Celebration of the Trombone; through Sunday)

Grunklovsdag -- Denmark and the Faroe Island (Constitution Day)

Indian Arrival Day -- Suriname (marking the arrival of indentured laborers from the Indian subcontinent)

Judgement Day -- Fairy Calendar (Nosegays)

June Bug Days -- Baldwin, WI, US (music, tractor pull, free outdoor movie night, and more; through Sunday)

Liberation Day -- Seychelles

Natalicio de Oblang Nguema Mbasogo -- Equatorial Guinea (President's Day)

National Attitude Day -- if this is really a day to celebrate, try to have a positive one

National Gingerbread Day

National Moonshine Day -- with its own sponsor

Nones of June -- Ancient Roman Calendar; related observance
Festival of Semo Sancus -- god of loyalty, honesty and oaths (one of the oldest Roman cults, probably Etruscan or Oscan originally)

Red Earth Native American Cultural Festival -- Oklahoma City, OK, US (more than 100 tribes meet to pow wow and celebrate their heritage, through Saturday)

Shavuot -- Israel (Pentecost, ends at sunset)

Shelburne County Lobster Festival -- Shelburne County, NS, Canada (celebrating the Lobster Capital of Canada; through Sunday)

Shirane Takogassen -- along the Nakanokuchi river bank in Shirone, Japan (kite flying and kite fighting; through the 9th)

St. Boniface's Day (Patron of brewers, file cutters, tailors; Fulda, Germany; Germany; Saint-Boniface, Manitoba, Canada)

Stevenson Depot Days -- Stevenson, AL, US (bringing back the days when the Iron Horse of the Rails was king of transportation; through Sunday)

Winnipeg International Children's Festival -- The Forks, Winnipeg, MB, CA (a premier family festival with incomparable entertainment and activities; through Sunday)

World Environment Day -- UN

Birthdays Today:

Chad Allen, 1974
Mark Wahlberg, 1971
Brian McKnight, 1969
Kenny G, 1956
Jill Biden, 1951
Suze Orman, 1951
Ken Follett, 1949
Spalding Gray, 1941
Margaret Drabble, 1939
Bill Moyers, 1934
Tony Richardson, 1928
Richard Mcclure Scarry, 1919
William "Hopalong Cassidy" Boyd, 1895
Panco Villa, 1878
Adam Smith, 1723 (O.S. Date)
Thomas Chippendale, 1718
Pu Songling, 1640

Today in History:

Traditional date for the sinking of Atlantis, 8498BC
Titus and his Roman legions breach the middle wall of Jerusalem in the Siege of Jerusalem, 70
Kraków, Poland receives city rights, 1257
The first Great Lakes steamer, the Frontenac, is launched, 1817
Houston, Texas is incorporated by the Republic of Texas, 1837
Denmark becomes a constitutional monarchy, 1849
Harriet Beecher Stowe's anti-slavery serial, Uncle Tom's Cabin or, Life Among the Lowly starts a ten-month run in the National Era abolitionist newspaper, 1851
Denmark amends its constitution to allow women's suffrage, 1915
Elvis Presley introduces his new single, "Hound Dog", on The Milton Berle Show, scandalizing the audience with his suggestive hip movements, 1956
The first government of the State of Singapore is sworn in, 1959
The Apple II, the first practical personal computer, goes on sale, 1977
Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi orders an attack on the Golden Temple, the holiest site of the Sikh religion, 1984
A severe heat wave across Pakistan
and India reaches its peak, as temperatures exceed 50°C (122°F) in the region, 2003
The planet Venus makes its last transit of the 21st century beginning at 22:09 UTC June 5, and ending 4:49 UTC June 6, 2012

While taking one of my dawn walks on the beach, i found a Driftcard.

If you don't know what that is, well, i didn't either until i found it.

Self-explanatory.

Yes, i followed the directions and emailed the researchers, telling them where and when i found it, and asking whether i should throw it back in the water or send it back to them. A nice researcher wrote back to thank me for reporting it found, and telling me to keep it as a souvenir.

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

Today is

Beypazari Havuç Güveç -- Turkey (weekend festival celebrating a traditional carrot dish)

Bonza Bottler Day™

Buffalo Days Celebration (with Buffalo Chip Throw) -- Luverne, MN, US (parade, arts in the park, and the throwing contest; through Sunday)

Children's Day -- North Korea

D-Day -- 71st Anniversary

Derby Festival begins -- Epsom Downs Racecourse, Surrey, England (today is Surrey Ladies Day, with Derby Day tomorrow)

Drive-In Movie Day*

Great Wisconsin Cheese Festival -- Little Chute, WI, US (celebrate with other Cheeseheads; through Sunday)

Harvard Milk Days Festival -- Harvard, IL, US (parade, carnival, food, fireworks, petting zoo, and more, all as a salute to hard working dairy farmers; through Sunday)

Helicopter Day -- the first one was tested in Berlin on this day in 1936

International Horseradish Festival -- Collinsville, IL, US (lots of fun in the "Horseradish Capital of the World"; through Sunday)

Hyun Choong Il -- South Korea (Memorial Day)

Judgement Day -- Fairy Calendar (Petal Hats)

Labour Day / Sir Randol Fawkes Day -- Bahamas

Lilac Festival -- Mackinac Island, MN, US (largest summer event on the Island; through the 15th)

National Applesauce Cake Day

Nationaldagen -- Sweden (National Day)

National Donut Day -- US (successor to the original Donut Day begun by the Salvation Army in 1938 to honor the women who served doughnuts to soldiers during WWI and as a fundraiser in Chicago, and it is still used as a fundraiser there for Salvation Army projects; look for a
doughnut shop to give out freebies near you)

National Gardening Exercise Day -- because gardening is good for the body and soul

National Huntington's Disease Awareness Day -- US

National Lemonade Days -- Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation wants everyone to either run or patronize a lemonade stand this weekend to help fight childhood cancers, one cup at a time

National Yo-Yo Day -- Donald F. Duncan, Sr.'s, birth anniversary; go get out your old Duncan and see if you still remember how to go around the world (but not near Great Aunt Mabel's antique lamp she left you, please)

Riverbend Festival -- Chattanooga, TN, US (nine days of fun on the banks of the Tennessee River)

Russian Language Day -- UN

Senior Race Day -- Isle of Man (final day of the Tourist Trophy races which is for Seniors only)

St. Norbert of Xanten's Day (Patron of peace; Bohemia; Madgeburg, Germany; against birth complications)

Summer Farm Toy Show -- National Farm Toy Museum, Dyersville, IA, US (farm toys, parade, tractor rides, and more; through tomorrow)

Teachers' Day -- Bolivia

Tecumseh! the Epic Outdoor Drama -- Chillicothe, OH, US (Mon-Sat, until Aug. 30; spectacular reenactment of the life and death of the great Shawnee leader)

Telluride Balloon Festival -- Telluride, CO, US (volunteer to help with the festival and you may get a free balloon ride! through Sunday)

Birthdays Today:

Staci Keanan, 1975
Max Casella, 1967
Paul Giamatti, 1967
Ena, 1966
Amanda Pays, 1959
Bjorn Borg, 1956
Kenny G, 1956
Sandra Bernhard, 1955
Harvey Fierstein, 1954
Harvey Fierstein, 1952
Robert Englund, 1947
Gary U.S. Bonds, 1939
Marian Wright Edelman, 1939
Billy Whitelaw, 1932
Thomas Mann, 1875
Robert Falcon Scott, 1868
Alexander Pushkin, 1799
Nathan Hale, 1755

Debuting/Premiering
Today:

"20/20"(TV), 1978
"Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust"(Album release), 1972

Today in History:

Twenty-four wagonloads of Talmudic books are burned in Paris, 1242
The Qing Dynasty Manchu forces led by the Shunzhi Emperor capture Beijing during the collapse of the Ming Dynasty; the Manchus would rule China until 1912 when the Republic of China is established, 1644
The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England, opens as the world's first university museum, 1683
A devastating fire destroys one-third of Moscow, including 18,000 homes, 1752
Napoleon's brother, Joseph Bonaparte is crowned King of Spain, 1808
The Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) is founded in London, 1844
More than 100,000 inhabitants of Bombay are killed as a cyclone in the Arabian Sea pushes huge waves into the harbour, 1882
The eruption of Novarupta in Alaska begins, the second largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century, 1912
The Chrysler Corporation is founded by Walter Percy Chrysler, 1925
*The first drive-in theater opens, in Camden, New Jersey, United States, 1933
A new Instrument of Government is promulgated making Sweden a parliamentary monarchy, 1974
Mongolia holds its first direct presidential elections, 1993
A near-Earth asteroid estimated at 10 meters diameter explodes over the Mediterranean Sea between Greece and Libya with an estimated force slightly greater than the Nagasaki nuclear bomb, 2002
Tamil is established as a Classical Language in India, 2004
In east London, archeologists find remains of the Curtain Theatre, which opened in 1577 and was where some of Shakespeare's plays were performed, 2012
A solar plane, called The Solar Impulse, lands in Morocco after completing the world's first intercontinental flight powered by the Sun, 2012

It's going home day, and that makes us all a bit crabby.

A ghost crab. They are very hard to see!

We've had a blast. There was rain, but there was more sunshine. There were gorgeous sunrises and sunsets, and lovely hours sitting by the pool or walking on the beach.

Today, we go home. Tomorrow, i'm back in the nursery at church, and Sweetie is back in the choir loft, and i get to start fussing at the contractor for not starting on the house like he said he would.

Meanwhile, we meander on home.

Today is

Belmont Stakes -- Belmont, NY, US (146th Annual, the third jewel of the Triple Crown)

Birthday of Prince Joachim -- Denmark

Birthday of SPB Yang di-Pertuan Agong -- Malaysia (in this elective monarchy, the current king's birthday is celebrated on the first Saturday in June, regardless of his actual birth date)

Capitol Hill People's Fair -- Denver, CO, US (arts, entertainment, and fun; through tomorrow)

Daniel Boone Day -- Kentucky, US (date in he first sighted, in 1767, what would become Kentucky)

Dare Day -- Manteo, NC, US (a fun festival and unofficial kick-off for summer)

Derby Day -- Epsom Downs Racecourse, Surrey, England

Do-Dah Parade -- Kalamazoo, MI, US (a "Salute to Silliness" that is worth seeing)

Drawing Day/Pencil Day -- used to be sponsored on the first Saturday with the motto "Drop Everything and Draw", but even though no longer promoted by any specific group, you can still enjoy some time drawing today

Eel Festival -- Jyllinge, Denmark (through tomorrow; every restaurant and pub in town serves fried eel, and there's lots more fun around town)

Elfreth's Alley Day (Fete Day) -- Philadelphia, PA, US (one of the oldest continuously inhabited streets in the country)

Enshu Hamakita Hiryu Matsuri -- Hamamatsu City, Japan (honors the river god Ryujin)

Flag Day -- Peru

Journalist's Day -- Argentina (marking the first publication of a newspaper in Argentina on this day in 1810)

Judgement Day -- Fairy Calendar (Leaping songs)

Maritime Gig Festival -- Gig Harbor, WA, US (parades, entertainment, and fun with the view of Mount Rainier to grace it all; through tomorrow)

National Chocolate Ice Cream Day

National Family Recreation Day -- US (seems to have been started by the community of Arvada, CO, US, wanting families to enjoy the great outdoors together)

National Trails Day -- US (be safe out there, if you want help becoming a hiker there's info here)

Peddler's Village Fine Art and Contemporary Craft Show and Festival -- Lahaska, PA, US (juried competitions, crafts, art activities for children, and more; through tomorrow)

Sette Giugno -- Malta (commemoration of the tragedy of June 7, 1919, considered their National Day)

St. Meriadoc's Day (Patron of the deaf and against deafness)

Strawberry Festival -- Independence, MO, US (one of many such festivals all over as strawberries come into season -- look for one near where you live some time this month, and go have a good time)

Texas Folklife Festival -- San Antonio, TX, US (the signature event of the Institute of Texan Cultures; through tomorrow)

Toppenish Mural Society's "Mural-In-A-Day" -- Toppenish, WA, US (professional artists work to paint a complete and historically accurate mural in one day, accompanied by an arts and crafts show and food fair)

Torikoe Matsuri -- Torikoe Jinja Shrine, Tokyo, Japan (festival and highlighting of Tokyo's largest Mikoshi[portable Shinto shrine]; through tomorrow)

Union Dissolution Day -- Norway

VCR Day -- the first Sony Betamax went on sale today in 1975

Vestalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (multi-day festival for Vesta, goddess of the hearth, this first day termed the Vesta Asperit; through the 15th)

Vivien Kellems Memorial Day -- born this date in 1896, she fought the IRS and income tax for her whole life

Xterra Off-Road Triathlon, Four Corners Event -- NM, US (some of the most extreme racing anywhere)

Anniversaries Today:

Jimmy Osmond marries Michele Larson, 1991
YMCA is founded by George Williams, 1844

Birthdays Today:

Michael Cera, 1988
Anna
Kournikova, 1981
Larisa Oleynik, 1981
Bill Hader, 1978
Allen Iverson, 1975
Bear Grulls, 1974
Karl Urban, 1972
Roberto Alagna, 1963
Prince, 1958
Louise Erdrich, 1954
Liam Neeson, 1952
Orham Pamuk, 1952
Jenny Jones, 1946
Bill Kreutzmann, Jr, 1946
Tom Jones, 1940
John Napier Turner, 1929
Gwendolyn Brooks, 1917
Dean Martin, 1917
Jessica Tandy, 1909
Virginia Apgar, 1909
James Braddock, 1906
Paul Gauguin, 1848

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Ghostbusters(Film), 1984
"Johnny Cash Show"(TV), 1969
"The $64,000 Question"(TV), 1955
"The Seven Deadly Sins"(satirical ballet chanté), 1933

Today in History:

The first Crusaders begin their Siege of Jerusalem, 1099
Port Royal, Jamaica, is devastated by an earthquake, 1692
David Thompson reaches the mouth of the Saskatchewan River in Manitoba, 1800
Asian cholera reaches Quebec, brought by Irish immigrants, and kills about 6,000 people in Lower Canada, 1832
1,800 Fenian raiders are repelled back to the United States after they loot and plunder around Saint-Armand and Frelighsburg, Quebec, 1866
Tolbert Lanston receives patents for monotype typesetting machines, 1887
Norway's parliament dissolves its union with Sweden, 1905
Sony introduces the Betamax videocassette recorder for sale to the public, 1975
Priscilla Presley opens Graceland to the public, 1982
Mt. Pinatubo erupts, sending an ash cloud 7km/14.3mi high, 1992
The United Nations defines the Blue Line as the border between Israel and Lebanon, 2000
According to a new study, breast milk boosts brain development by 30% compared to babies who are fed formula, 2013

It's here! Nurse Mabel is here!

We arrived from vacation weary, and, in my case, starting a bit of a fever.

Bigger Girl had done as much around the house as she could, but she is also working full time and in a summer class. The house, especially after we unloaded all of our stuff, looked like a bomb had gone off.

There was a pile of mail, as usual, and it included stuff for Sweetie's retirement info, bills, and more. My eyes were transfixed by one thing though, and that was a package with a London return address.

Ripping into it, i found this:

The book! In all its glory.

As much as i had on my list to do, i sat right down and read it cover to cover.

It's a wonderful book! The story is fun and engaging. It's a mix of history and how kids would think things should happen, with the heroes saving the day in a way only fleas (and children) would imagine.

If you have a child or grandchild, love children's stories, or just want to support a good cause, go order this enchanting little book.

Today is

Abused Women And Children's Awareness Day

Best Friends Day -- as declared by the ecard people

Bounty Anniversary Day -- Norfolk Island (celebrates the arrival of the Bounty descendants from Pitcairn Island)

Children's Sunday -- many US churches

Feast of Bona Mens -- Ancient Roman Calendar (goddess of right thinking, the personification of the mind)

Judgement Day -- Fairy Calendar (The Good and Evil are given their just rewards)

Lindisfarne Day -- Asatru/Slavic Pagan (commemorating the Viking raid on Lindisfarne in 793)

Multicultural American Child Day -- listed as a celebration on the second Sunday in June on many sites, with no way to trace it that i can find

Name Your Poison Day -- just another wacky holiday with no explanations

National Caribbean-American Health and Aids Awareness Day -- with events all over the US

National Jelly-Filled Doughnut Day

Primoz Trubar Day -- Slovenia (birth anniversary of the author of the first Slovene language books and consolidated the Slovene language)

Puerto Rican Day Parade -- NYC, NY, US (recognizing the many Puerto Ricans in the US, and especially in New York City)

Race Unity Day -- Baha'i sponsored observance promoting racial harmony

St. Medard's Day (Patron of brewers, captives, imprisoned people, mentally ill people, peasants, prisoners, vineyards; for good harvests, good weather, and rain; against bad weather, imprisonment, sterility, and toothache) related event:
     Festival of the Rose -- Salency, France (on St. Medard's Day, and supposedly begun by that saint before the year 545)

Upsy Daisy Day -- the day to remind people to get up joyfully and gratefully each morning (tell that to my sleep-til-noon family!)

Vacuum Cleaner Day -- Ives W. McGaffee obtained a patent on this day in 1869 for the first carpet cleaner that worked on a vaccuum principle

Watch Day -- the sign that you are over 30, you still wear a watch!

Whit Sunday / Pentecost -- Christian
     Hvitasunnudagur -- Iceland (sleeping in on Whitsunday is detrimental to your health, but monsters are asleep through the day and can be taken by surprise)
     Romeria del Rocia -- Huelva, Spain (pilgrims transport an image of the Virgen del Rocio [Our Lady of the Dew] through Andalucia, with no motorized transport allowed, accompanied by Gypsy Caravans; when the image gets to the shrine, there is mass and a few days of
fireworks and celebrating)

World Brain Tumor Day -- International

World Oceans Day -- www.worldoceanday.org

Write to Your Father Day -- a week before Father's Day, write him a letter and ask him things like what he finds most enjoyable or exciting or scary or satisfying; encouraging people to stay in touch with Dad on a deeper level than the commercial holidays

Anniversary Today:

Christopher O'Neill marries Princess Madeleine of Sweden, 2013

Birthdays Today:

Kim Clijsters, 1983
Kayne West, 1977
Julianna Margulies, 1966
Keenen Ivory Wayans, 1958
Scott Adams, 1957
Tim Berners-Lee, 1955
Griffin Dunne, 1955
Kathy Baker, 1950
Sara Paretsky, 1947
Boz Scaggs, 1944
Don Grady, 1944
Andrew Weil, MD, 1942
Nancy Sinatra, 1940
Bernie Casie, 1939
James Darren, 1936
Joan Rivers, 1933
Jerry Stiller, 1927
Barbara Bush, 1925
Robert Preston, 1918
Byron Raymond White, 1917
Francis Crick, 1916
Frank Lloyd Wright, 1867

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Trading Places(Film), 1983
Malaeska; The Indian Wife of the White Hunter(First "dime novel", Publication date), 1860

Today in History:

Vikings raid the abbey at Lindisfarne in Northumbria, commonly accepted as the beginning of the Scandinavian invasion of England, 793
Richard the Lionheart's Crusade begins with his arrival at Acre, 1191
American attackers are driven back at Trois-Rivières, Quebec, 1776
The volcano Laki, in Iceland, begins an eight-month eruption which kills over 9,000 people and starts a seven-year famine, 1783
Mr. Hall of NYC advertises the first commercially made ice cream, 1786
Ives W McGaffey of Chicago patents the first vacuum cleaner, 1869
Herman Hollerith receives a patent for his punched card calculator, 1887
Theodore Roosevelt signs the
Antiquities Act into law, authorizing the President to restrict the use of certain parcels of public land with historical or conservation value, 1906
Carl Laemmle incorporates Universal Pictures, 1912
Milton Berle hosts the debut of Texaco Star Theater, 1948
The United States Supreme Court rules that Washington, D.C. restaurants could not refuse to serve black patrons, 1953
The first World Ocean Day is celebrated, coinciding with the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1992
The first Transit of Venus since 1882 takes place, 2004
Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, is hit by the State's worst storms and flooding in 30 years, 2007
Australia bans live cattle exports to Indonesia for up to six months in response to reports of cruel treatment at Indonesian slaughterhouse, 2011

Awww Monday is hosted by Sandee of Comedy Plus, because seeing pictures that make you say "Awww!" is a great way to start the week.

Charges will be pressed against the man who was caught trying to throw these cuties in a Dumpster.

Five of them, all beautiful.

Today is

Accession Day -- Jordan (King Abdullah's accession to the throne in 1999)

Community Day -- LO, MU, Spain

Donald Duck Day -- his screen debut was today in 1934

La Rioja Day -- La Rioja, Spain

Murcia Day -- Murcia, Spain

National Heroes Day -- Uganda

National Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day

Profess Your Love Day -- promoted by ecard companies which think you need to say "I love you" more often

Purple People Eater Day -- Sheb Wooley's hit reached #1 this date in 1958

Queen's Birthday -- Australia (except WA); Papua New Guinea

Remembrance for Sigurd the Dragonslayer -- Asatru/Slavic Pagan (in some traditions called Siegfried)

Sjalvstyrelsedagen -- Aland Islands (Self-Governing Day)

St. Columbia of Iona's Day -- Celtic Christian, today is one of the luckiest days of the year to superstitious Highland Scots, especially propitious if it's a Thursday (Apostle to the Picts; Patron of bookbinders, poets; Ireland; Scotland; Pemboke, Ontario, Canada; against floods)

St. Ephraem's Day (creator of hymns; Patron of spiritual directors, spiritual leaders; Syria)

Whit Monday

World APS Day -- spreading awareness of Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome

Anniversaries Today:

Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito marries Masako Owada, 1993
Andrew Cuomo marries Mary Kerry Kennedy, 1990
Nero marries Claudia Octavia, 53

Birthdays Today:

Natalie Portman, 1981
Johnny Depp, 1963
Michael J. Fox, 1961
Dick Vitale, 1940
Jackie Mason, 1928
Les Paul, 1915
Robert Cummings, 1910
Cole Porter, 1891

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Congo(Film), 1995
What's Love Got To Do With It(Film), 1993
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier(Film), 1989

Today in History:

Roman Emperor Nero commits suicide, 68
Odo of Aquitaine defeats the Moors in the Battle of Toulouse, 721
Jacques Cartier is the first European to discover the Saint Lawrence River, 1534
The Harvard Corporation is established as the first corporation in the Americas, 1650
James Oglethorpe is granted a royal charter for the colony of Georgia, 1732
The Congress of Vienna, forerunner of the League of Nations and the UN, ends with much of Europe's borders redrawn and settled, Switzerland's neutrality confirmed, and free navigation guaranteed on many rivers, 1815
Five hundred Mormons leave Iowa City, Iowa and head west for Salt Lake City carrying all their possessions in two-wheeled handcarts, 1856
Alexandra Palace in London burns down after being open for only 16 days, 1873
China agrees to lease Hong Kong to Britain for 99 years, 1898
Alice Huyler Ramsey, a 22-year-old housewife and mother from Hackensack, New Jersey, becomes the first woman to drive across the United States, 1909
Queen Elizabeth II officially opens London Gatwick Airport, 1958
Israel captures the Golan Heights from Syria, 1967
Secretariat wins the Triple Crown, 1973
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) opens its priesthood to black males after 148 years, 1978
The British lease of Hong Kong expires, 1997
The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and NATO sign a peace treaty, 1999
In Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, six women were arrested for practicing driving in an empty car lot; women are banned from driving on the road, 2011

Just turn on the news. We've heard it all. Another shooting, another kid caught in trouble, another reason for us to sigh and say, "Kids these days!"

Then you hear or read about one, and a bit of hope returns.

That's what happened when i heard about Hunter Gandee. There was an infusion of hope.

Hunter is 14, and on the wrestling team in high school. His 7-year-old brother, Braden, has Cerebral Palsy, and cannot walk without assistance.

Hunter wanted to put a face on the disease, and encourage more research into ways to help kids like his brother become and stay mobile. So he planned, and pulled off, a two day, 40 mile walk to bring this disease into the spotlight.

A 40 mile walk with his little brother strapped to his back.

When i think about kids these days, i want to think about kids like Hunter.

Today is

Abolition Day -- French Guiana

Alcoholics Anonymous Founders Day

Army Day -- Jordan

Ball Point Pen Day -- date, in 1943, Biro patented one of the early models of a ball point pen (it was as awful as the other early ones, though!)

Birthday of Cheng Huang -- Taiwan (the gods that are city guardians are celebrated with a procession of actors on stilts doing dragon and lion dances on this 13th day of the fifth moon)

Celtic Tree Month Duir (Oak) commences

Dia de Portugal e de Camoes -- Portugal (National Day)

Guan Sheng Di Jun Dan -- Taoism (Heavenly Sage Guan Di's Birthday [god of war])

Herbs & Spices Day

Holiday of the Wan Thing -- Fairy Calendar (the Wan Thing arrived in Fairyland this day and has sat there looking wan ever after, so the Fairies decided to give it its own holiday)

National Black Cow Day

National Iced Tea Day

Petit Jean Antique Auto Show and Swap Meet -- Morrilton, AR, US (sponsored by the Museum of Automobiles in Morrilton, and the place to be if you love old cars; through Saturday)

Rape of Lidice/Lidice Memorial Day -- Czech Republic and Slovakia/New Jersey, US (in one of the most-remembered atrocities of WWII, the small town of Lidice, Czechoslovakia, was invaded by Nazi troops who murdered every man, burned every house, and sent all the women and children for "reeducation.")

Reconciliation Day -- Republic of the Congo

St. Brigid of Ireland's Day (Patron babies/infants/newborns, blacksmiths, boatmen/mariners/sailors/watermen, cattle, children whose parents are not married, dairymaids/dairy workers, fugitives, midwives, nuns, poets, poultry farmers, printing presses, scholars, travellers; Douglas, Lanarkshire, Scotland; Ireland; Ivrea, Turin, Italy; Kildare, Ireland; Leinster, Ireland)

Steamboat Days -- Burlington, IA, US (fun on the Mississippi Riverfront; through Sunday)

Where the Wild Things Are Day -- birth anniversary of Maurice Sendak

World Pet Memorial Day -- some sites say this is always on June 10, others that it's always on the second Tuesday in June, but none can tell us where it came from or who started it that i can find

Anniversary Tday:

Alcoholics Anonymous is founded, 1925

Birthdays Today:

Joey Zimmerman, 1986
Tara Lipinski, 1982
Leelee Sobieski, 1982
Hoku Ho, 1981
Shane West, 1978
Doug McKeon, 1966
Elizabeth Hurley, 1965
Linda Evangelista, 1965
Jeanne Tripplehorn, 1963
Michael Burger, 1957
John Edwards, 1953
Jeff Greenfield, 1943
F. Lee Bailey, 1933
Maurice Sendak, 1928
Nat Hentoff, 1925
Judy Garland, 1922
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, 1921
Saul Bellow, 1915
Frederick Loewe, 1904
Hattie McDaniel, 1889

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Tales from the Crypt"(TV), 1989
"Paperback Writer"(UK song release), 1966
"Tristan und Isolde"(Opera), 1865

Today in History:

Frederick Barbarossa drowns leading his troops across the Saleph River to attack Jerusalem in the Crusades, 1190
The first American log cabin is built, at Fort Christina in Wilmington, Delaware, 1639
Bridget Bishop becomes the first person hanged for witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts, 1692
Captain James Cook runs aground on the Great Barrier Reef, 1770
A landslide dam on the Dadu River created by an earthquake ten days earlier collapses, killing 100,000 in the Sichuan province of China, 1786
The Jardin des Plantes museum opens in Paris; a year later, it becomes the first public zoo, 1793
The first Boat Race between the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge takes place, 1829
Myall Creek Massacre in Australia: 28 Aboriginal Australians are murdered, 1838
The first class of the United States Naval Academy students graduate, 1854
Mount Tarawera in New Zealand erupts, killing 153 people and destroying the famous Pink and White Terraces, 1886
Americus Callahan of Chicago patents the window envelope, 1902
The inaugural service for the United Church of Canada, a union of Presbyterian, Methodist, and Congregationalist churches, is held in Toronto Arena, 1925
Dr. Robert Smith takes his last drink, and Alcoholics Anonymous is founded in Akron, Ohio, United States, by him and Bill Wilson, 1925
Six-Day War ends: Israel and Syria agree to a cease-fire, 1967
Apple ships its first Apple II personal computer, 1977
The Spirit Rover is launched, beginning NASA's Mars Exploration Rover mission, 2003
Twenty inches of rainfall in Escambia County, Florida damages roadways and bridges, and leaving parts of the Florida Panhandle and coastal Alabama under water, 2012
German authorities are forced to evacuate 10 villages as heavy rains swell the Elbe River, breaching its banks, 2013
Heavy monsoon rains cause the collapse of a partially-finished building on a residential block in Mumbai, India, 2013

As Sweetie says, if you are standing in a long line at the bank, you don't ever want to ask, "Hey, what's the holdup?"

Around here, the holdup, though, is generally kitten related.

"Mama, you aren't going anywhere!" says Appleblossom.

In other news, the big oops is finally being repaired. The holdup on that was, at first, being unable to find a contractor, then the usual contractor shenanigans in which dates were set and broken, and, yesterday, rain.

It is getting done, though. Poor #1 Son had water pouring into his room when the tarp they put over the front wall came loose, and ended up with wet bedding and almost with a wet power strip that was on the floor. Then, the bedding got washed and hung in the sun to dry, only to have sunshine pouring down on it along with a rain storm only over our neighborhood! Really, i set his stuff out to dry, took Little Girl and her friend Annie to the movies, and when i got back, it was pouring rain in our neighborhood while the sun was shining beautifully down, seeming to laugh at the whole thing.

So now that you've suffered through one of our bad family jokes and been treated to yet another kitten photo, i won't hold you up any longer.

Today is

Arrephoria -- Ancient Greek Calendar (ceremony for the two girls chosen to weave the new robe for Athena's Statue and care for her sacred olive tree during the next year; date approximate)

Bali Arts Festival -- Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia (a full month of daily performances, handicraft exhibitions, and cultural activities showcasing all Bali has to offer in dance, music, art, food, and more; through July 9)

Birthday of Prince Henrik -- Denmark

Corn on the Cob Day

Fandens Fodselsdag(The Devil's Birthday) -- Denmark (traditional date when contracts between masters and servants expired, making them free to renew or renegotiate or sever ties; it was also considered The Devil's Birthday because taxes and rents came due!)

Holiday of the Happy Gnomes -- Fairy Calendar (grumpy Gnomes are not allowed to attend this holiday!)

Hug Holiday -- some internet sites have this one, and since hugs are good for mental health, indulge!

King Kamehameha Day -- Hawaii, US

Midnight Sun Film Festival -- Sodankyla, Lapland, Finland (one of the world's most unique film festivals; through Sunday)

National German Chocolate Cake Day

National Time Out Day -- US, sponsored by The Association of Operating Room Nurses, which want everyone involved in surgeries to take time out before the procedure to verify the surgery site, type, and patient and decrease OR errors

Rites of Matralia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (honoring of Mater Matua, goddess of dawn and childbirth, by women who had been married once) related observance:
Day Sacred to Fortuna Virgo (Fortune the Virgin, the day marriage robes of girls were dedicated to this goddess)

St. Barnabas the Apostle's Day (Patron of Antioch; Cyprus; Marbelia, Costa del Sol, Spain; Marino, Italy; invoked as a peacemaker; against hailstorms) a/k/a Barnaby Bright Day or Long Barnaby*

Windsurfing Regatta/Unvarnished Music Festival -- Worthington, MN, US (windsurfing, swap meet, and music on the beach; through Sunday)

*Under the Julian calendar, June 11, St. Barnabas' Day, was the longest day of the year --
Barnaby Bright, Barnaby Bright,
The longest day
And the shortest night

Anniversaries Today:

Henry VIII marries Catherine of Aragon, 1509

Birthdays Today:

Shia LeBeouf, 1986
Joshua Jackson, 1978
Caroline Quentin, 1961
Dr. Mehmet Oz, 1960
Hugh Laurie, 1959
Joe Montana, 1956
Peter Bergman, 1953
Adrienne Barbeau, 1945
Jackie Stewart, 1939
Chad Everett, 1936
Gene Wilder, 1933
William Clark Styron, Jr., 1925
Vince Lombardi, 1913
Jacques Cousteau, 1910
Jeannette Pickering Rankin, 1880
Richard Georg Strauss, 1864
John Constable, 1776
Ben Jonson, 1572

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"American Idol"(TV), 2002
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial(Film), 1982
"Main Street Electrical Parade"(Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida), 1977
"Rock 'n' Roll Music"(Beatles' UK album release), 1976
A Day at the Races(Marx Brothers film), 1937

Today in History:

Troy is sacked and burned, according to calculations by Eratosthenes, BC1184
Philip II recognizes the rights and privileges of the local nobles and chieftains in the Philippines, which paves way to the creation of the Principalía, 1594
The Continental Congress appoints Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston to the Committee of Five to draft a declaration of independence, 1776
Russian explorer Gerasim Izmailov reaches Alaska, 1788
The first American stove patent is granted to Robert Haeterick, 1793
The Limelight Department, one of the world's first film studios, is officially established in Melbourne, Australia, 1892
New Zealand annexes the Cook Islands, 1901
Sir Barton wins the Belmont Stakes, becoming the first horse to win the Triple Crown, 1919
Frank Morris, John Anglin and Clarence Anglin become the only prisoners to escape from the prison on Alcatraz Island, 1962
Anna Mae Hays and Elizabeth P. Hoisington become the first women to receive the rank of general in the U.S. Army, 1970
Cassini-Huygens makes its closest flyby of the Saturn moon Phoebe, 200
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper makes an official apology to Canada's First Nations for residential school abuse that isolated native children from their homes, families, and cultures for a century, 2008
Ancient Korean royal books looted by French troops in 1866 are returned to South Korea; 1,000 officials and locals celebrate the return of the 297-volume 'Oegyujanggak' books, 2011
Winds in southwestern Western Australia of up to 140km/h batter the area and leave more than 170,000 homes without power, 2012

"Thank you, mom!" #1 Son said as he came in from work.

You're welcome, i answered, but for what?

"For giving me a normal name!" he exclaimed. "Did you hear the latest? Some crazy person has named her child 'Hashtag'. I mean, it's a social media thing, not a name! Do you know how much that kid's going to get teased in school?"

Yes, i've heard some crazy ones, i noted. The specifically ethnic names don't bother me, or the ones that could be a boy or girl name. But 'Hashtag?' You are right, twenty years from now that term probably won't even be a memory.

"Well, anyway, thank you for giving us normal names!" he said. "I mean, I really like my name, but even if you had given me any other regular name, like John or George, I would have been grateful. But, thank you."

Again, you're welcome. Your dad and i decided that if you and your friends wanted to give you guys weird nicknames, that would be your decision, we would give you nice names that wear well and don't fade in the wash of time.

No "Talulah does the Hula from Hawaii" here. Yes, a couple in Australia really did name their daughter that. When she was 11, she sued them to have her name changed. Because she was a minor, her last name was never allowed out, and the first name she requested was also kept quiet. The judge agreed with her, and that name is now just a bad memory.

As for Hazzelelponi, yes, that's a name in the Bible, a woman's name. Aren't you glad that one never came into vogue?

Today is

Bachfest Leipzig -- Leipzig, Germany (celebrating the great composer in the city where he composed some of his best-known works; through the 23rd)

Career Nursing Assistants' Day -- spotlighting those who help nurses to help you

Crowded Nest Awareness Day -- for those whose problem is the opposite of the Empty Nest, a day to remind you to keep your sense of humor and get support when you need it

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

Full Strawberry Moon / Rose Moon*; related observances
     Ancient Celtic month Equos (horse-time) begins
     Nayon Full Moon -- Mayanmar
     Poson Full Moon Poya Day -- Sri Lanka

Ghost in the Machine Day -- the internet holiday that explains everything!

Glenn Miller Birthplace Society Festival -- Clarinda, IA, US (come celebrate the music of an era; through Sunday)

Helsinki Day -- Finland

Independence Day -- Philippines

International Cachaca Day -- the once illegal cocktail now has its own day of celebration

Kuopio Dance Festival -- Kuopio, Finland (exotic dance art by familiar and new artists from around the world on the sunlit summer nights; through next Wednesday)

Loving Day -- US (commemoration of Loving vs.Virginia decision by the Supreme Court which struck down all anti-miscegenation laws)

National Jerky Day -- begun a couple of years ago, possibly by one of the jerky manufacturers (no one can track it down, sounds suspicious to me)

National Peanut Butter Cookie Day

Prairie Villa Rendezvous -- Prairie du Chien, WI, US (learn about the fur trader lifestyle of days gone by, make Indian fry bread, learn how hard it was to load a rifle with gunpowder back in the day, learn about plants and medicines, and more; through Sunday)

Red Rose Day -- found all over the internet, with June 12 as the most common date cited; may have begun with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Australia, which has Rose Days as fundraisers

Russia Day -- Russia

St. Anthony's Eve -- Brazil; Portugal
     Dia dos Namorados -- Brazil (Lover's Day, celebrated on St. Anthony's Eve)

St. Onuphrius' Day (Patron of weavers; Centrache, Catanzaro, Italy)

Superman Celebration -- Metropolis, IL, US (only in Metropolis, right? through Sunday)

World Day Against Child Labour -- The UN, Education International and the International Labour Organization; this year, the spotlight is on extending social protection

Birthdays Today:

Frances O'Connor, 1969
Timothy Busfield, 1957
Marv Albert, 1941
Chick Corea, 1941
Jim Nabors, 1932
Anne Frank, 1929
Vic Damone, 1928
George H.W. Bush, 1924
David Rockefeller, 1915
Alexandre Tasman, 1897

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Doctor Doctor"(TV), 1989
Raiders of the Lost Ark(Film), 1981
You Only Live Twice(Film), 1967
Cleopatra(Film), 1963

Today in History:

Joan of Arc leads the French army in their capture of the city and the English commander, William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk in the second day of the Battle of Jargeau, 1429
The French begin their colonization of Algeria with the landing of 34,000 troops, 1830
The world's first Fingerprint Bureau opens in Calcutta, India, after the Council of the Governor General approves a committee report that fingerprints should be used for classification of criminal records, 1897
Shooting begins on Paramount Pictures' Dr. Cyclops, the first horror film photographed in three-strip Technicolor, 1939
Anne Frank gets her diary as a birthday present, 1942
The United States Supreme Court in Loving v. Virginia declares all U.S. state laws which prohibit interracial marriage to be unconstitutional, 1967
The first man powered flight across the English Channel is performed by Bryan Allen in the Gossamer Albatross designed by Paul MacCready, 1979
At the Brandenburg Gate U.S. President Ronald Reagan publicly challenges Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall, 1987
Russia Day – the parliament of the Russian Federation formally declares its sovereignty, 1990
Queen Elizabeth II reopens the Globe Theatre in London, 1997
A disputed presidential election in Iran leads to widespread protests, 2009
Ending an extensive study on the wooly mammoth, scientists conclude that they were wiped out by multiple things, including climate change, human hunters, and shifting habitats, 2012

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

So, if you are a cat, what's the best way to spend the afternoon?

Like this:

Just like this.

Laid out, upside down, chilling, in front of the refrigerator, of course.

This does two things. First, it makes sure mom can't mop right here, because we don't like it when mom mops, it makes the floor wet. Second, it makes sure you are the first to know when the fridge is open so you can try to either sneak or beg something yummy!

Yes, this is how many of the kittens spend a lot of their time.

Today is

Avon Heritage Duct Tape Festival -- Avon, OH, US (everything wacky and wonderful about duct tape is celebrated in the Duct Tape Capital of the World, home of the Duck brand of duct tape; through Sunday)

Banana Split Festival -- Wilmington, OH, US (through tomorrow, in the city claiming to be the birthplace of the banana split)

Bell Tower Festival -- Jefferson, IA, US (shows, entertainment, parade, and more all in the shadow of the Mahanay Memorial Bell Tower; through tomorrow)

Blame Someone Else Day -- the first Friday the 13th of the year is a day you get a free pass to blame someone else

Chicago Blues Festival -- Chicago, IL, US (the largest free blues festival in the world; through Sunday)

Coal Miner Days -- Sparwood, BC, Canada (festival and fun! through Sunday)

Day of the Living Children of Nut -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Dulcimer Days -- Coshocton, Ohio, US (enjoy the restored 19th Century Roscoe Village and the charming music of dulcimers; through Sunday)

Feast of Epona -- Ancient Celtic Calendar (Rhiannon in Wales, Macha in Ireland, guardian goddess of horses, stables, horse owners, agriculture, and transportation; date approximate, and disputed, she was the only Celtic goddess worshiped by the Romans, and they celebrated her on December 18)

Fes Musiques Sacrees du Monde -- Fez, Morocco (Fez Festival of World Sacred Music, with all types of sacred music featured, from Spanish gypsy laments to Sufi chanting and everything between; through the 21st)

First-in-Line and Queue-Jumping Tournament -- Fairy Calendar

Goettafest -- MainStrasse Village, Covington, KY, US (a celebration of goetta, a favorite regional food, plus entertainment, and arts and crafts; through Sunday)

Huck Finn's Jubilee -- Mojave Narrows Regional Park, Victorville, CA, US (river-raft building, country and bluegrass music, an old-time tent circus, and more; through Sunday)

Ides of June -- Ancient Roman Calendar; related observances:
     Festival of Jupiter Invictus (Jupiter the Unconquered)
     Lesser Quinquartrus/Quinquatrus Minusculae (festival for those who played flutes at religious ceremonies; through the 15th)

Kitchen Klutzes of America Day

Lailat al-Bara'ah (Shab Barat) -- Islam (Night of Forgiveness, a preparation for Ramadan; begins at sunset, local custom dates may vary)

Lord Buddha's Parinirvana -- Bhutan

National Day of Prayer for Law Enforcement Officers -- on the second Friday of June, sponsored the last couple of years by Wives Behind the Badge

Old Fort Days and Billy the Kid Tombstone Race -- Fort Sumner, NM, US (fun for all, including a rodeo, dance, demonstrations by Native Americans, and, on Saturday, the finale, a race through an obstacle course carrying an 80lb tombstone!)

Queen's Birthday -- Solomon Islands

Roller Coaster Day -- the world's first "Gravity Pleasure Switchback Railway", patented by LaMarcus Thompson, opened on this day in 1884 on Coney Island, at a cost of five cents per ride

Sewing Machine Day -- why this day is anyone's guess, but we must admit it's a useful invention

St. Anthony of Padua's Day, the "Hammer of Heretics" (Patron of amputees, animals, asses, boatmen, domestic animals, elderly people, expectant mothers, faith, fishermen, harvests, horses, mail, mariners, Native Americans, oppressed people, paupers, poor people, sailors, seeksers of lost objects, starving people, swineherds, Tigua Indians, travel hostesses, travellers, watermen; Amantea, Italy; Anzio, Italy; Brazil; Cianciana, Italy; Dorado, Puerto Rico; Favara, Italy; Ferrazzano, Italy; Giano Vetusto, Italy; Lisbon, Portugal; Nocolosi, Italy; Padua, Italy; Portugal; San Antonio Tiayacapan, Mexico; San Fulgencio, Spain; Sandia Indian Pueblo; against barrenness, shipwreck, starvation, and sterility)
     a municipal holiday in Lisbon, Portugal and parts of Spain

The Strawberry Festival -- Crawfordsville, IN, US (historic Lane Place hosts three days of fun, and all the city museums are open; through Sunday)

Versailles Poultry Day -- Versailles, OH, US (fun for the whole family, with parades, 5K, and even a Miss Chick contest; through Sunday)

Weed Your Garden Day -- a reminder to get out there and do a little each day, so the little buggers don't get out of hand

Work @ Home Fathers' Day -- special kudos to the dads who work from home by telecommuting, or care for house and kids while the wife works outside the home

Anniversaries Today:

Mission San Luis Rey de Francia is founded, 1798
Martin Luther marries Katharina von Bora, 1525

Birthdays Today:

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, 1986
Raz-B, 1985
Rivers Cuomo, 1970
Jamie Walters, 1969
Ally Sheedy, 1962
Tim Allen, 1953
Richard Thomas, 1951
Ban Ki-Moon, 1944
Malcolm McDowell, 1943
Siegfried Fischbacher, 1939
Christo, 1935
Paul Lynde, 1926
Ralph Edwards, 1913
Red Grange, 1903
Dorothy L. Sayers, 1893
Basil Rathbone, 1892
William Butler Yeats, 1865
Winfield Scott, 1786

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The Closer"(TV), 2005
Roadie(Film), 1980
"Les vêpres siciliennes"(Verdi opera) 1855

Today in History:

Coronation of Alexander III as King of Scots, 1249
Ibn Battuta, who was to become the foremost world traveler of his day, seeing most of the known world in his time, begins his first hadj, 1325
Rhode Island becomes the first of Britain's North American colonies to ban the importation of slaves, 1774
Mission San Luis Rey de Francia is founded, 1798
Meriwether Lewis and four companions sight the Great Falls of the Missouri River, 1803
A fire devastates much of Vancouver, British Columbia, 1886
King Ludwig II of Bavaria is found dead in Lake Starnberg south of Munich at 11:30 PM, 1886
Yukon Territory is formed, with Dawson chosen as its capital, 1898
The University of the Philippines College of Engineering is established, the largest degree granting unit in the Philippines, 1910
Mir Mine, the first diamond mine in the USSR, is discovered, 1955
The United States Supreme Court rules in Miranda v. Arizona that the police must inform suspects of their rights before questioning them, 1966
Thurgood Marshall is nominated to become the first black justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, 1967
Fahd becomes King of Saudi Arabia upon the death of his brother, Khalid, 1982
Pioneer 10 becomes the first man-made object to leave the solar system, 1983
President Kim Dae Jung of South Korea meets Kim Jong-il, leader of North Korea, for the beginning of the first ever inter-Korea summit, 2000
The US withdraws from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, 2002
The Al Askari Mosque is bombed for a second time, 2007
A capsule of Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa returns to Earth with particles of asteroid 25143 Itokawa, 2010
The U.S. Supreme Court invalidates gene patents held by Myriad Genetics when it rules that isolated human genes are not patentable, 2013

The Lorax is getting bigger.

He's growing!

He's around 3 1/2 pounds. He is supposed to get to 4 pounds so he can have his surgery.

He is still having to be bottle fed with a special nipple on the bottle that acts for the roof of his mouth that isn't really there.

It's a bit comical and a bit wistful to watch him as he watches the other kittens that are big enough eating the kitten kibble. He will stand next to the kibble bowl and stare at it, then at them, watching with his big eyes as they pick up a piece of food and eat it. Then he heaves a big sigh, walks over to me, and swipes at me with his paw to say he's hungry. If i don't get the message the first time, he jumps at me, trying to dig in and climb me.

His formula is the usual kitten formula with canned cat food pushed through a strainer so that, when mixed with formula, he can drink it from the bottle. That way, he's learned what food is supposed to taste like, not just formula, and it adds to the calorie count.

As big as he is, though, he's still nothing more than a big baby. He follows me around like a puppy, and skitters across the floors chasing shadows.

Then he comes back for another bottle. It won't be too much longer, though, and i'll get to hand him over to his new family.

That will make the work worth it.

Today is:

24 Hours of LeMans -- Le Mans, France (the biggest sporting challenge for car manufacturers, as they have to be the best over a 24 hour period; through tomorrow)

Badger State Summer Games -- Appleton, WI, US (Wisconsin residents of all ages and skill levels can compete this weekend and the next two in a fun Olympic-style sports festival)

Betty Picnic -- the Betty Club, founded by Betty Wilder and Betty Patterson of Grant's Pass, Oregon, began hosting a picnic for all with their name in 1987, and want Bettys all over the world to have a Betty Picnic on the second Saturday of June each year

Big Mac Shoreline Spring Scenic Bike Tour -- Mackinaw City, MI, US (weekend bike tours of varying lengths along the beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline, with a concluding ride over the Mighty Mackinac Bridge; through tomorrow)

Billy the Kid Tombstone Race -- Fort Sumner, New Mexico (racers carry an 80 pound tombstone through an obstacle course! a tribute to the number of times the tombstone has been stolen over the years; there is also a triathlon)

Dollars Against Diabetes Days -- always on Father's Day weekend, with information here

Family History Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays, urging people to brush up on family history during summer family reunions

Feast Day of Elisha the Prophet -- Christian

Flag Day -- United States

Freedom Day -- Malawi

International Young Eagles Day -- Experimental Aircraft Association members and chapters focus on providing introductory flights to children 8-17

Lailat al-Bara'ah (Shab Barat) -- Islam (Night of Forgiveness, or sometimes Night of Records, a preparation for Ramadan; began at sunset yesterday, local custom dates may vary)

Leinapaev -- Estonia (Mourning and Commemoration Day; remembering those deported under Soviet rule)

Liberation Day -- Falkland Islands

Magic Circles Day -- marking the founding of The Magic Circle, a society of amateur and professional magicians

Missing Mutts Awareness Day -- to help families whose beloved pets have gone missing

Mourning and Hope Day -- Lithuania (remembering those exiled to Siberia under the Soviets)

National Bourbon Day -- celebrating America's "Native Spirit"http://www.nationalbourbonday.com/

National Strawberry Shortcake Day

Pause for the Pledge Day -- US, in conjunction with Flag Day, all citizens are asked to pause at 7pm EDT to recite the Pledge

Pig Callers' Day -- no clue where this came from, or why; any pig callers out there want to weigh in?

Pop Goes the Weasel Day -- and just as no one knows for sure the origins of the song or it's meaning, no one knows why it is celebrated on this day

Rice Planting Festivals -- Sumiyoshi Shrine, Osaka and Izawanomiya Shrine, Mie Prefecture, Japan (rice planting at sacred fields, some rites date back over 1,700 years)

Rumor Sunday -- Fairy Calendar (usually held on a weekday)

Runic Half-month Dag (day) commences

Sandpaper Day -- Isaac Fisher, Jr., of Vermont, was issued the first US patent for sandpaper on this day in 1834

Sovereign's Day/Queen's Birthday -- British Virgin Islands; Pitcairn Island (leave it to the descendants of mutineers to celebrate on a different day from the rest of the Commonwealth, and convince others to do so, also!)

St. Basil the Great's Day (traditional date in Roman Catholic Church, current date in Episcopal Church; Patron of education, exorcisms, hospital administrators, monks, liturgists, reformers; Cappadocia; Russia)

St. Castora Gabrielli's Day (Patron of difficult marriages, widows)

Trooping the Colour -- UK (military celebration of the monarch's birthday, one of London's biggest and most colorful celebrations))

World Blood Donor Day -- International (2014's host country is Australia, and the emphasis is on "Safe blood for saving mothers")
Blood Type Awareness Day -- while donating, make sure you know your type, and that of your loved ones; in an emergency, it's good to know

World Juggling Day

World Wide Knit in Public Days -- better living through stitching together! through the 22nd

Anniversaries Today:

The United States Army is founded, 1775
Munich, Germany is founded, 1158

Birthdays Today:

Daryl Sabara, 1992
Lucy Hale, 1989
Kevin McHale, 1988
Diablo Cody, 1978
Steffi Graf, 1969
Yasmine Bleeth, 1968
Traylor Howard, 1966
Boy George, 1961
Eric Arthur Heiden, 1958
Will Patton, 1954
Eddie Mekka, 1952
Donald Trump, 1946
John F. MacArthur, 1939
Jerzy Kosinski, 1933
Joe Arpaio, 1932
Marla Gibbs, 1931
Che Guevara, 1928
Pierre Salinger, 1925
Gene Barry, 1919
Burl Ives, 1909
Alois Alzheimer, 1864
John Bartlett, 1820
Harriet Beecher Stowe, 1811

Debuting/Premiering Today:

The Cable Guy(Film), 1996
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves(Film), 1991
"The Gong Show"(TV), 1976

Today in History:

Kublai Khan defeated the force of Nayan and other traditionalist Borjigin princes in East Mongolia and Manchuria, 1287
Richard II in England meets leaders of Peasants' Revolt on Blackheath and the Tower of London is stormed by rebels who enter without resistance, 1381
Margaret Jones is hanged in Boston for witchcraft in the first such execution for the Massachusetts colony, 1648
The Stars and Stripes is adopted by Congress as the Flag of the United States, 1777
Bounty mutiny survivors including Captain William Bligh and 18 others reach Timor after a nearly 7,400 km (4,000-mile) journey in an open boat, 1789
Whiskey distilled from maize is first produced by American clergyman the Rev Elijah Craig, who named it Bourbon because he lived in Bourbon County, Kentucky, 1789
Badi VII, king of Sennar, surrenders his throne and realm to Ismail Pasha, general of the Ottoman Empire, ending the existence of that Sudanese kingdom, 1821
The village of Henley, on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, stages its first Royal Regatta, 1839
Trade unions are legalised in Canada, 1872
Norway adopts female suffrage, 1907
John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown depart St. John's, Newfoundland on the first nonstop transatlantic flight, 1919
Action Comics issue one is released, introducing Superman, 1938
The Canadian Library Association is established, 1946
UNIVAC I, the world's first commercial computer, is dedicated by the U.S. Census Bureau, 1951
The European Space Research Organisation is established in Paris – later becoming the European Space Agency, 1962
The Vatican announces the abolition of the Index Librorum Prohibitorum, 1966
The 1994 Stanley Cup Riots occur after the New York Rangers win the Stanley Cup from Vancouver, 1994
The Wallow Fire becomes the largest wildfire in the history of the US State of Arizona, 2011
Australia announces its plan to create the largest marine reserve in the world, 2012

Silly Sunday is a great way to start the week with a laugh. It's brought to us by Sandee, from Comedy Plus, and it's easy to do. Just laugh and link up!

Kids can have some of the funniest conversations, even teen and early 20's kids.

Red-Headed Alec, who has been one of my kids' best friends from forever, was here for a visit. He only gets over once in a while now, since he lives in the next parish over.

The kids were all talking, and i'm not sure what topic they got on, but Little Girl at one point put up her dukes and pretended that she was going to fight #1 Son.

He said, "A girl is going to fist fight with me! I'm leaving now, backing away slowly, I've never had a fist fight with a girl before!"

Red-Headed Alec responded with, "Yes you have."

"Who?" #1 Son inquired.

"Me!" Red-Headed Alec, very much a male, said with a laugh.

As they all laughed, #1 Son said, "Oh, that's right! I have fought a girl before -- your sister. But she's bigger than me, so it counts!"

No, i have no idea why Red-Headed Alec said that, but they all got a kick out of it, and it reminded me of a joke.

Boudreaux an' Thibodeaux, dey's mostly good frien's, but las' week dey done got dem in a argument, and mais! cher did it get bad. Dey ended up in a fis' fight!

When dey finish, didn't neither one o' dem look too good, an' de nex' day, Boudreaux feel like he be hurtin' all over. So, he go to de doctor.

De doctor he say, "Boudreaux, you don' look too good!"

"Mais, I don' feel so good!" Boudreaux say. "I done got me in a fight wit' Thibodeaux las' night, and today, I be hurtin' ever'where, all over. Do you t'ink he done me some of dat internal damage and I gonna die?"

"Well, where do it hurt de mos'?" de doctor ax.

"Oh, ever'where!" Boudreaux answer. "Watch."

Den Boudreaux he touch his stomach, and he yell in pain. Den he touch his head, an' he yell more. Den he touch his leg, an' same t'ing.

"So, what you t'ink, Doc? Did Thibodeaux do me in?"

"Boudreaux, I t'ink you goin' to be okay, but when you done hit Thibodeaux, you broke your finger!"

A Happy Father's Day to everyone, i hope your kids give you a good laugh today, among other things.

Today is

A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed Day -- simply a good day to remember this, and thank a friend

Dia del Arbol -- Costa Rica (Tree Day/Arbor Day)

Father's Day -- Afghanistan; Albania; Antigua and Barbuda; Argentina; Aruba; Bahamas; Bahrain; Bangladesh; Barbados; Belize; Bermuda; Brunei Darussalam; Canada; Cambodia; Chile; People's Republic of China; Colombia; Costa Rica; Cuba; Curaçao; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Dominica; Ecuador; Ethiopia; France; Ghana; Greece; Guyana; Hong Kong; Hungary; India; Ireland; Jamaica; Japan; Kenya; Kosovo; Kuwait; Laos; Macau; Madagascar; Malaysia; Malta; Mauritius; Mexico; Mozambique; Myanmar; Namibia; Netherlands; Nigeria; Oman; Pakistan; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Philippines; Puerto Rico; Qatar; Saint Lucia; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Singapore; Slovakia; South Africa; Sri Lanka; Suriname; Trinidad and Tobago; Tunisia; Turkey; United Kingdom; United States; Venezuela; Vietnam; Zambia; Zimbabwe
Family Awareness Day -- US (a day to reflect on the importance of fathers)

Feast of All Saints -- Orthodox Christian

Fly A Kite Day (on the anniversary of Ben Franklin's kite experiment)

Global Wind Day -- to celebrate wind energy

Husband Caregiver Day -- to honor husbands who give health care to family members (wives, children, or extended family)

Magna Carta Day -- UK (King John set his seal on the document this day in 1215)

Mangaia Gospel Day -- Mangaia, Cook Islands

Native American Citizenship Day -- US (passage, in 1924, of the legislation recognizing citizenship of Native Americans in the US)

National Lobster Day

Nature Photography Day -- sponsored by the North American Nature Photography Association

Procession of the Golden Chariot and the Battle of Lumecon -- Mons, Belgium (a horse-drawn coach carrying the relics of St. Waudry circles the town to commemorate the delivery of Mons from plague in 1349, and in the afternoon, the Fraternity of St. George reenact the Battle, with St. George defeating the dragon)

Salvation Day/National Day of Salvation -- Azerbaijan

Separation Day -- Delaware, US (date of declaration of separation from England and Pennsylvania)

Smile Power Day -- test out smile power today, it's free!

Sneak a Kiss Day -- usual litany of cautions with this internet generated holiday

St. Vitus' Day (Patron of actors, comedians, dancers, dogs, epilepsy sufferers; against animal attacks, dog bites, epilepsy, lightning, oversleeping, rheumatic chorea, Saint Vitus' Dance, snake bites, storms, wild beasts; Badia Calavena, Italy; Czech Republic; Forio, Italy; Prague, Czech Republic; Recanati, Italy; Vacha, Germany; Wetsens, Netherlands; Zeven, Germany)

Swedish Day Midsommar Festival -- Geneva, IL, US (celebrating Swedish heritage in the granddaddy of all Illinois festivals with fun for the whole family)

Trinity Sunday -- Christian

Valdemar's Day and Reunion Day -- Denmark (an official Flag Day)

Vestalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (main and final celebration, in which the Temple of Vesta was swept clean)

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day -- because our elders deserve to be protected and cared for properly

Worldwide Day of Giving -- we can all make a difference

Anniversaries Today:

King Hussein of Jordan marries Lisa Halaby (Queen Noor), 1978
Gustaf, Crown Prince of Sweden marries Princess Margaret of Connaught, 1905
Arkansas becomes the 25th US State, 1836

Birthdays Today:

William Dean Martin, 1981
Neil Patrick Harris, 1973
Leah Remini, 1970
Ice Cube, 1969
Lisa McCall, 1969
Dina Meyer, 1969
Courtneney Cox Arquette, 1964
Helen Hunt, 1963
Julie Hagerty, 1955
Jim Belushi, 1954
Simon Callow, 1949
Nicola Pagett, 1945
Waylon Jennings, 1937
Mario Cuomo, 1932
Erroll Garner, 1921
Muzaffer Tema, 1919
Bob Wian, 1914
Edvard Grieg, 1843
Rachel Donelson Robards Jackson, 1767
Henry FitzRoy, illegitimate son of Henry VIII, 1519
Edward the Black Prince, 1330

Debuting/Premiering Today:

The Lion King(Animated film), 1994
Dick Tracy(Film), 1990
"Hee Haw"(TV), 1969
"My Little Margie"(TV), 1952

Today in History:

The Assyrians record a solar eclipse that is later used to fix the chronology of Mesopotamian history, BC763
King John of England puts his seal to the Magna Carta, 1215
The first human blood transfusion is administered by Dr. Jean-Baptiste Denys, 1667
Benjamin Franklin proves that lightning is electricity, 1752
Delaware votes to suspend government under the British Crown and separate officially from Pennsylvania, 1776
Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier, co-pilot of the first-ever manned flight (1783), and his companion, Pierre Romain, become the first-ever casualties of an air crash when their hot air balloon explodes during their attempt to cross the English Channel, 1785
Charles Goodyear receives a patent for vulcanization, a process to strengthen rubber, 1844
The Oregon Treaty establishes the 49th parallel as the border between the United States and Canada, from the Rocky Mountains to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, 1846
Crown Prince Wilhelm becomes Kaiser Wilhelm II and is the last emperor of the German Empire, 1888
The most destructive tsunami in Japan's history kills more than 22,000 people, 1896
A fire aboard the steamboat SS General Slocum in New York City's East River kills 1000, 1904
Tabulating Computing Recording Corporation (IBM) is incorporated, 1911
U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signs a bill incorporating the Boy Scouts of America, making them the only American youth organization with a federal charter, 1916
A German expedition led by Karl Wien lost sixteen members in an avalanche on Nanga Parbat (9th highest mountain), the largest single day loss of life on an 8,000m peak, 1937
In the Saskatchewan general election, the CCF, led by Tommy Douglas, is elected and forms the first socialist government of North America, 1944
Israel and Vatican City establish full diplomatic relations, 1994
Near earth asteroid 2002 MN misses the Earth by 75,000 miles (121,000 km), about one-third of the distance between the Earth and the Moon, 2002
In Bulgaria, remains that some believe to be the bones of John the Baptist, are scientifically proven to be from a Middle Eastern man and dated to be from the first century AD, 2012

Sandee, from Comedy Plus, is the host of Awww Monday. Everyone should start the work week with a smile, and Awww Monday is the perfect place to find one! Just post a picture that makes people say, "Awww!"

The latest kittens, all five of them, are still mostly in the big kitten cage. We have a calico, two dilute calicoes, a dark orange tabby boy, and a creamy orange tabby boy.

Pile O' Kittens.

They use the litter box in the cage, and i hope they will be well on the way to weaned by next week so they can go to a different foster home. Too many kittens staying here makes our own natives restless, and Mikey has taken to "marking" territory again, so we need to back off on how many we keep al the way until surgery time.

Today is

Bloomsday -- commemoration of James Joyce and his novel, Ulysses

Peace of Chaco Day / Chaco Armistice Day -- Paraguay and Bolivia (commemorates the end of a war between the two)

Day of Third-Hand Reports and Shaky Evidence -- Fairy Calendar

Festival of Ludi Piscatari -- Ancient Roman Calendar (festival for fishermen; some sites say it was on the 17th)

Fresh Veggies Day -- before you have that fudge later

International Day of the African Child -- Organisation of African Unity

Ladies' Day (Baseball) -- anniversary of the first ever Ladies' Day baseball game, hosted by the New York Giants in 1883

Martyrdom Day of Guru Arjan Dev -- Sikh

National Fudge Day

National Heroes' Day -- Bermuda

National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest and Festival -- Weiser, ID, US (through Saturday)

National Morticians Day -- honoring the last people to ever let you down

National Vinegar Day

Organic Act Day -- US Virgin Islands (commemorates the organization of how the islands are governed)

Ride to Work Day -- ride your motorcycle or scooter! if you don't have one, watch for others who do, please

St. Benno's Day (Patron of anglers, fishermen, weavers; Dresden-Meissen, Germany; Munich, Germany)

St. John-Francis Regis' Day (Patron of embroiderers, lace makers, social workers; Sisters of Saint Francis Regis; against plague)

Sussex Day -- West Sussex, England (on St. Richard's Day as celebrated in this area [current feast day is April 3 elsewhere]; he was Bishop of Chichester from 1245 to 1253, and his shrine was an important pilgrimage site)

The Queen's Birthday Celebration -- Anguilla; Cayman Islands; Gibraltar; Montserrat; Norfolk Island; Turks and Caicos Islands; Tuvalu

Youth Day -- South Africa

Birthdays Today:

Abby Elliott, 1987
Diana DeGarmo, 1987
Phil Mickelson, 1970
Laurie Metcalf, 1955
Sonia Braga, 1950
Joan Van Ark, 1943
Joyce Carol Oates, 1938
Erich Segal, 1937
John Howard Griffin, 1920
Stan Laurel, 1890
Geronimo, 1829

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Ghostbusters II(Film), 1989
The Blues Brothers(Film), 1980
Psycho(Film), 1960

Today in History:

The Zoroastrian Religious Calendar begins with the ascension of Yasdegerd III of Persia, the start of the Persian Era, 632
Battle of Stoke Field, the final engagement of the Wars of the Roses, 1487
British troops take Cape Breton Island, which is now part of Nova Scotia, Canada, 1745
The French surrender Fort Beauséjour to the British, leading to the expulsion of the Acadians, 1755
Abraham Lincoln delivers his House Divided speech in Springfield, Illinois, 1858
The Victoria Hall theatre panic in Sunderland, England kills 183 children, 1883
John Abbott becomes Canada's third prime minister, 1891
The Ford Motor Company is incorporated, 1903
The storming of the cockpit of the Miss Macao passenger seaplane, operated by a subsidiary of the Cathay Pacific Airways, marks the first aircraft hijacking of a commercial plane, 1948
Rudolf Nureyev defects at Le Bourget airport in Paris, 1961
Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space, 1963
The largest single-site hydro-electric power project in Canada starts at Churchill Falls, Labrador, 1972
Soweto uprising: a non-violent march by 15,000 students in Soweto, South Africa turns into days of rioting when police open fire on the crowd and kill 566 children, 1976
Israel complies with UN Security Council Resolution 425 after 22 years of its issuance, which calls on Israel to completely withdraw from Lebanon, 2000
The 9/11 Commission, contradicting White House claims, determines Saddam Hussein had no strong ties to al-Qaeda, 2004
British Petroleum agrees to finance a $20 billion fund to compensate those whose livelihood was damaged by the Deepwater Horizon disaster, 2010
Prince Harry of Wales is cleared to return to active duty in the Afghan War, 2011
Egypt's voters go to the polls for a second round of voting in their first presidential election, 2012

Back in April, Little Girl, who has her learning permit for driving, had a Big Oops.

Big Oops, when your foot hits the gas instead of the brake.

An Oops from any other view isn't too pretty.

We searched a long time for a contractor. No one wanted to touch the job, saying it was too small. Then Grandpa came to the rescue, calling a good friend of his. The man came out and not only didn't say it was too small, he found that the front wall had fallen in during the accident, and the side wall had slid off the foundation. Neither the insurance adjustor or the other contractors had noticed that!

Another visit from the adjustor and lots of plans, and lots of days of the contractor and his people working in the hot sun (and waking #1 Son early, as that is his bedroom door you see above), and we now have a wall again!

We have wall!

Today is

Bake Your Own Bread Day -- it's really not that hard

Bunker Hill Day -- Suffolk County, MA, US (actual date and parade date)

Dia del Padre -- El Salvador; Guatemala (Father's Day)

Eat All of Your Vegetables Day / Fresh Veggies Day -- yes, i have this listed yesterday, too; internet sites disagree about the actual date, and you need your veggies today, too!

Independence Day/National Day -- Iceland

International Violin Day -- Stravinsky's birth anniversary

National Apple Struedel Day

Okinawa Day -- Japan/US (remembrance of signing the treaty, in 1971, to return Okinawa to Japan)

Pirate Radio Day -- no actual pirate (i.e., unlicensed) radio stations will admit to declaring this a holiday, but what do you expect?

Royal Ascot -- Ascot Racecourse, Ascot, Berkshire, England (a unique event bringing together the best of fashion, style, sport, and entertainment for five days)

Soviet Occupation Day -- Latvia

St. Botulph of Ikanhoe's Day (Patron of agricultural and farm workers, sailors, travellers; Bossal, England; Boston, England; Boston, MA, US; Botesdale, England; Botolph Bridge, Huntingdonshire, Englad; Botolph's Bridge, Kent, Englad; Botolph, Sussex, England)

St. Herve's Day (Patron of the blind; against eye diseases and problems)

Toadstool-Squatting begins -- Fairy Calendar (Leprechauns)

Vice President's Remembrance Day -- not officially, just a day to see how many vice presidents you remember

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought -- UN

Anniversary Today

Orpheus marries the nymph Eurydice, Ancient Greek traditional date

Birthdays Today:

Mark Walker, 1999
Lee Ryan, 1983
Venus Williams, 1980
Will Forte, 1970
Dan Jansen, 1965
Greg Kinnear, 1963
Thomas Haden Church, 1960
Mark Linn-Baker, 1953
Joe Piscopo, 1951
Barry Manilow, 1946
Art Bell, 1945
Newt Gingrich, 1943
Gene De Paul, 1919
John Richard Hersey, 1914
Ralph Bellamy, 1904
Sammy Fain, 1902
M.C. Escher, 1898
Igor Stravinsky, 1882
William Hooper, 1742
John Wesley, 1703

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Barney Google and Snuffy Smith"(Comic strip), 1919

Today in History:

Vlad III the Impaler (a/k/a Vlad Dracul or Count Dracula) attempts to assassinate Mehmed II (The Night Attack) forcing him to retreat from Wallachia, 1462
Matsunaga Hisahide assassinates the 13th Ashikaga shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiteru, 1565
Sir Francis Drake claims a land he calls Nova Albion (modern California) for England, 1579
Mumtaz Mahal dies during childbirth; her husband, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan I, then spends more than 20 years building her tomb, the Taj Mahal, 1631
The Battle of Bunker Hill, 1775
In the Kingdom of Hawaii, Kamehameha III issues the Edict of toleration which gives Roman Catholics the freedom to worship in the Hawaiian Islands, 1839
1,500 Sioux and Cheyenne led by Crazy Horse beat back General George Crook's forces at Rosebud Creek in Montana Territory, 1876
The Statue of Liberty arrives in New York Harbor, 1885
The College Board introduces its first standardized test, the forerunner to the SAT, 1901
"Barney Google" cartoon strip, by Billy De Beck, premieres, 1919
Iceland declares independence from Denmark and becomes a republic, 1944
The Wooden Roller Coaster at Playland, which is in the Pacific National Exhibition, Vancouver, Canada opens; it is still open today, 1958
The New Democratic Party of Canada is founded with the merger of the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and the Canadian Labour Congress, 1961
Five White House operatives are arrested for burglarizing the offices of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate Hotel, 1972
With the death of the last individual, the Dusky Seaside Sparrow becomes extinct, 1987
The South African Parliament repeals the Population Registration Act, which had required racial classification of all South Africans at birth, 1991
Australian scientists report that they have "teleported" a laser beam, breaking it up and reconstructing it in another location, 2002
The first condemnation of discrimination against gays, lesbians and transgender people is issued by the United Nations Human Rights Council, 2011

Red-Headed Alec has been helping with some organizing and furniture tetris around here. He prides himself on making shelves look nice. Here's the china hutch now:

He's proud of the job well done!

Today is

Autistic Pride Day -- an Aspies for Freedom initiative; shifting the view from "disease" to "different"

Constitution Day / National Day -- Seychelles

Eid el-Galaa -- Egypt (Evacuation Day; final withdrawal of British this date in 1956)

Foundation Day -- Benguet, Philippines

Going Forth of Neith Along the River -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (goddess of war and hunting; date approximate)

Go Fishing Day -- anniversary of the first American fly-casting tournament this day in 1861 in Utica, NY

Ice Cream Days -- LeMars, IA, US (the home of Wells's Blue Bunny Ice Cream calls itself the Ice Cream Capital of the World and has a parade, basketball tournament, children's activities, fishing derby, and more along with tons of ice cream; through Saturday)

International Picnic Day

International Sushi Day

Inti Raymi Festival -- Cusco, Peru (traditional Inca sun worship festival, through the 24th, which is the biggest and best day)

National Cherry Tart Day

National Splurge Day -- place the blame here

Queen Mother's Birthday -- Cambodia (Ex-Queen Norodom Monineath)

Sonoma-Marin Fair and World’s Ugliest Dog Contest® -- Petaluma, CA, US (livestock exhibitions, wine gardens, demolition derby, Ugly Dog Contest, and more; through Sunday)

St. Gregory of Fragalata's Day (Patron of Fragalata, Sicily)

St. Osanna Andreasi's Day (Patron of school girls)

Tiger-Get-By's Birthday -- Fairy Calendar

Waterloo Day -- UK (no longer an official holiday, but still of historic importance)

Birthdays Today:

Eddie Cibrian, 1973
Nathan Morris, 1971
Richard Powers, 1957
Carol Kane, 1952
Isabella Rossellini, 1952
Roger Ebert, 1942
Paul McCartney, 1942
Lou Brock, 1939
John D. Rockefeller IV, 1937
Tom Wicker, 1926
Donald Keene, 1922
Red Adair, 1915
Sammy Cahn, 1913
Sylvia Field Porter, 1913
E.G. Marshall, 1910
Bud Collyer, 1908
James Kern "Kay" Kyser, 1905
Jeanette MacDonald, 1903
Grand Duchess Anastasia Nicolaievna Romanova of Russia, 1901
George Herbert Leigh Mallory, 1886
Henry Clay Folger, Jr., 1857
E.W. Scripps, 1854

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Archipelago S"(Takemitsu orchestral work), 1993
"Der Freischütz/The Marksman"(Opera, Weber Op. 77, J. 277), 1821

Today in History:

Li Yuan becomes Emperor Gaozu of Tang, initiating three centuries of Tang Dynasty rule over China, 618
Five monks from Canterbury report seeing "two horns of light" on the shaded side of the moon, probably witnessing the meteor impact formation of the Giordano Bruno crater, 1178
The Parliament of Ireland meets at Castledermot in County Kildare, the first definitively known meeting of this Irish legislature, 1264
French forces under the leadership of Joan of Arc defeat the main English army under Sir John Fastolf at the Battle of Patay, 1429
Samuel Wallis, an English sea captain, sights Tahiti and is considered the first European to reach the island, 1767
The U.S. Congress declares war on the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 1812
The Battle of Waterloo leads to Napoleon Bonaparte abdicating the throne of France for the second and last time, 1815
Charles Darwin receives a paper from Alfred Russel Wallace that includes nearly identical conclusions about evolution as Darwin's own, prompting Darwin to publish his theory, 1858
Susan B. Anthony is fined $100 (US) for attempting to vote in the prior year's US presidential election, 1873
Empress Dowager Longyu of China orders all foreigners killed, including foreign diplomats and their families, 1900
Aviator Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly as a passenger in an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean, 1928
The "Finest Hour" speech is delivered by Winston Churchill, 1940
The Republic of Egypt is declared and the monarchy is abolished, 1953
Governor of Louisiana Earl K. Long is committed to a state mental hospital; he responds by having the hospital's director fired and replaced with a crony who proceeds to proclaim him perfectly sane, 1959
The AIDS epidemic is formally recognized by medical professionals in San Francisco, California, 1981
Astronaut Sally Ride becomes the first American woman in space, 1983
Kazakhstan launches its first satellite, KazSat, 2006
Sequoia, IMB's Blue Gene/Q system installed at the Department of Energy becomes the world's fastest supercomputer, 2012
New data reveals that over 280 previously unknown craters exist on the Moon, 2013

Feline Friday: Truce

It's Time!

Silly Sunday: Waiting a Long Time

Article 1

Ups and Downs

Sand is Sand

Wednesday was Wonderful

Photo-Finish Friday: Driftcard

Feeling Crabby

It's Here!

Awww Monday: We Aren't Trash!

Kids These Days

Holdup

Just don't call me Hazzelelponi.

Feline Friday: How to spend the afternoon.

Getting There

Silly Sunday: Hit me with your best shot.

Awww Monday: Pile O' Kittens

From Big Oops to Big Hurrah!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday: Proud