messymimi's meanderings

Time, once again, to play musical cars! The game in which you try to figure out whose car is going to be available for whom, and when!

Will the car be fixed on time? The answer this time was, no, it sure won't!

#1 Son has been driving on borrowed time for quite a while. His inspection sticker expired, and he kept putting off having the windshield replaced and the side mirror fixed so it could pass. He spent every day holding his breath and hoping he didn't get pulled over.

Finally, yesterday, he decided to take it in. The company where Sweetie gets all glass work done for his job is owned by great people who really do take pride in what they do.

Unfortunately, they didn't do it quite fast enough yesterday. The nice lady told us, when he dropped it off, that if i brought him back by 3pm, it would be done. After all, she said, that's 6 hours from now! Plenty of time to fix what ails the car and get the inspection done.

Then her inspection guy didn't tell her he had an offsite job.

No car at 3pm, thus a game of musical cars. He uses Jalopy to go to work. #2 Son and i have to juggle Sweetie's car to get his errands run and get me to church for prayer service.

And the big question, what time will the vehicle be ready tomorrow, because i have work and so does Sweetie, but one of us has to get him over there.

Musical cars is a fun game at times, but i don't recommend it often, because it can leave you stranded if not played correctly. Like one family a mechanic friend of ours knew that had 6 people and 6 cars. All 6 cars ended up in the shop at the same time, and they had to rent two cars to just get everyone to work and school for a week.

Don't try that version of the game, it's too much drama.

Today is:

Basketball Day -- birth anniversary of James Naismith

Birth of Tiamat -- Ancient Babylonian Calendar (mother of gods, goddess of primeval chaos; date approximate)

Constitution Day -- Dominican Republic; Tajikistan; Tatarstan, Russian Federation

Electric Razor Day -- Jacob Schick patented the first electric razor on this day in 1937

Finnish Swedish Heritage Day -- Finland

Fish Returning Days begin -- Fairy Calendar (the fairies borrow centuries old fish in sealed crystal boxes from each other, and why they prefer each others or what they do with them, they will not tell)

Full Beaver Moon / Full Frosty Moon
     Bonn Om Touk -- Cambodia (Water Festival continues)
     Ill Full Moon Poya Day -- Sri Lanka
     Palden Lhamo Festival -- Tibet (protectress of Tibet, celebrated mostly by women)
     Loy Krathong -- Thailand (Floating of the Lamps festival; to appease the water spirits, dedicated to Mae Kongkha, Goddess of Rivers)
     Tazaugmone/Thasaung Mong Full Moon -- Myanmar (Festival of Lights begins)
     That Luang Festival -- Laos (Ventiane's most important Theravada Buddhist festival)

Green March Day -- Morocco; Western Sahara

Guru Nanak Jayanti -- India; Nepal (celebration of the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak)

Gustavus Adolphus Day -- Sweden

Halfway Point of Autumn

International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict -- UN

International End Gossip Day -- the founder of this didn't want to be gossiped about, and left no trace

Marching Band Day -- birth anniversary of John Philip Sousa

Marooned Without A Compass Day -- internet generated; how's your sense of direction?

Men Make Dinner Day -- BBQ is not allowed, but you can go to menmakedinnerday.com for ideas

National Nachos Day / I Love Nachos Day

Pirates Week Festival -- Cayman Islands (mock pirate invasions, old sailing vessels, and lots of good natured fun; through the 16th)

Saxophone Day -- Adolphe Sax birth anniversary

St. Illtyd's Day (Abbot, reputed cousin of King Arthur)

St. Leonard's Day (Patron of barrel makers/coopers, blacksmiths, captives, childbirth, coal miners, coppersmiths, greengrocers, horses, imprisoned people, locksmiths, miners, porters, P.O.W.'s, prisoners; Castelmauro, Italy; Conegliano, Italy; Kirkop, Malta; against burglaries, robberies/robbers)

Thanksgiving Day -- Liberia

Birthdays Today:

Ethan Hawke, 1970
Pat Tillman, 1976
Rebecca Romijn, 1972
Thandie Newton, 1972
Ethan Hawke, 1970
Kelly Rutherford, 1968
Lance Kerwin, 1960
Maria Shriver, 1955
Nigel Havers, 1949
Glenn Frey, 1948
Sally Field, 1946
Mike Nichols, 1931
Walter Perry Johnson, 1887
James Naismith, 1861
Ignace Paderewski, 1860
John Philip Sousa, 1854
Cesare Lombroso, 1835
Adolphe Sax, 1814

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Good Morning America"(TV), 1975
"The Phil Donahue Show"(TV), 1967
"Meet The Press"(TV), 1947

Today in History:

Shipwrecked Spanish conquistador Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca becomes the first known European to set foot in Texas, 1528
Spain grants independence to the Dominican Republic, 1844
Scenes of Clerical Life, the first work of fiction by the author later known as George Eliot, is submitted for publication, 1856
Canada celebrates its first official, national Thanksgiving Day, 1879
Mohandas Gandhi is arrested while leading a march of Indian miners in South Africa, 1913
Colonel Jacob Schick patents the first electric razor, 1928
Edwin Armstrong presents his paper "A Method of Reducing Disturbances in Radio Signaling by a System of Frequency Modulation" to the New York section of the Institute of Radio Engineers (hello, FM radio!), 1935
Parker Brothers acquires the forerunner patents for MONOPOLY from Elizabeth Magie, 1935
Plutonium is first produced at the Hanford Atomic Facility, 1944
The United Nations General Assembly passes a resolution condemning South Africa's racist apartheid policies and calls for all UN member states to cease military and economic relations with the nation, 1962
Cuba and the United States formally agree to begin an airlift for Cubans who want to go to the United States, 1965
Green March begins: 300,000 unarmed Moroccans converge on the southern city of Tarfaya and wait for a signal from King Hassan II of Morocco to cross into Western Sahara, 1975
Australians vote to keep the Head of the Commonwealth as their head of state in the Australian republic referendum, 1999

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 participate, just post a picture of a cat. Your cat, your friend's cat, a cat picture you find on the internet, even a LOL cat, any cat!

Some weird things happen around here.

#2 Son teases his boss at work about how they have to make sacrifices to his dark lord, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, with his noodley appendages.

Bigger Girl likes to joke, when she leaves the house, that she's off to join the rebellion, whichever one happens to be handiest at the moment.

And the cats find weird things, too:

What is it?
I'm not sure, but I think the food providers eat it!

Today is:

Arbor Day -- Samoa

Christkindl Markt -- Canton, OH (fine arts and crafts sale for the benefit of the Canton Museum of Art; through Sunday)

Colorado Country Christmas Gift Show -- Denver, CO, US (through Sunday)

Commemoration Day -- Tunisia

Day of Accord and Reconciliation -- Russia (formerly Great October Socialist Revolution Day, with the date determined by the Gregorian Calendar)

Feast of Blessed John Duns Scotus (the Subtle Doctor, known for merging the views from many philosophies)
Dunce Day -- from the word Dunse, a name for the followers of the philosophy of John Duns Scotus

Feast of Stolen Fire -- find it listed on several sites, but none have any background; maybe celebrate that Prometheus stole fire for us?

International Tongue Twister Day -- internet generated

National Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day

National Farm Toy Show -- National Farm Toy Museum, Dyersville, IA, US ("The Granddaddy of Them All" among farm toy enthusiasts and collectors; through Sunday)

Medical Science Liaison (MSL) Awareness And Appreciation Day -- US

National Notary Public Day -- US

National Revolution and Solidarity Day -- Bangladesh

October Revolution Day -- Belarus; Kyrgyzstan; Transdniestria

Stay Away from Anyone named Honest John Day -- internet generated; no comment

St. Florentius' Day (Patron against gall stones, ruptures)

St. Willibrord's Day (Patron of epileptics; Luxembourg; Netherlands; Utrecht, Netherlands; against convulsions, epilepsy)

Wish Granting Championships -- Fairy Calendar (Fairies)

World Community Day -- sponsored by Church Women United to focus on justice and peace through non-violent means; this year's theme is "Through G-d Our Hands Can Heal"

Anniversary Today:

The Old Stoughton Musical Society, the oldest choral society in the US, is founded, 1786

Birthdays Today:

Jeremy London, 1972
Keith Lockhart, 1959
Joni Mitchell, 1943
Johnny Rivers, 1942
Barry Newman, 1938
Joan Sutherland, 1926
Al Hirt, 1922
Billy Graham, 1918
Albert Camus, 1913
Dean Jagger, 1903
Leon Trotsky, 1879
Madame Marie Curie, 1867
Captain James Cook, 1728

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"America Hurrah"(van Itallie play), 1966
"Face the Nation"(TV), 1954
"Buck Rogers in the 25th Century"(Radio),1932
The Republican Elephant, as drawn by T. Nast in Harper's Weekly, 1874
"The Conscious Lovers"(Steele play), 1722
The Oxford Gazette(first edition), 1665 (Now The London Gazette)

Today in History:

The oldest meteorite with a known date of impact, the Ensisheim Meteorite, strikes around noon in a wheat field near the village of Ensisheim, Alsace, France, 1492
Pierre Gassendi observes the transit of Mercury as predicted by Kepler, 1631
Anne Htchinson is banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony as a heretic, 1637
The first edition of the "London Gazette", the oldest surviving journal, is published, 1665
Lewis and Clark first sight the Pacific Ocean, 1805
The first Thomas Nast cartoon depicting the Republican Party Elephant is published, 1874
Edward Bouchet becomes the first black to receive a PhD from a US college (Yale), 1876
Women in the U.S. state of Colorado are granted the right to vote, 1893
The first air freight shipment is undertaken by the Wright brothers and department store owner Max Moorehouse (from Dayton, Ohio to Columbus, Ohio), 1910
Mao Tse Tung proclaims the "Chinese People's Republic", 1931
Fiorello H. La Guardia is elected the 99th mayor of New York City, 1933
Carl B. Stokes is elected as Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, becoming the first African American mayor of a major American city, 1967
Douglas Wilder wins the governor's seat in Virginia, becoming the first elected African American governor in the United States, 1989
Mary Robinson becomes the first woman to be elected President of the Republic of Ireland, 1990
NASA launches the Mars Global Surveyor, 1996
U.S. voters in the state of Massachusetts approve a referendum legalizing the use of medical marijuana; Colorado and Washington approve the legalization of recreational use of the drug, 2012

rEcess night! Our theme was spies, and we all got spy names so we could play. Everyone picked out of a ha.

Yes, that was my spy name!

Yes, i was assigned a sidekick.

Gracie got a way cool name!

There was fun for all with "lasers" for them to crawl under.

No, it's not string! Use your imaginations!

My sidekick had her own sidekick to hold her flashlight when we went to spy out the playground.

It's Sorcerer Micky, and the flashlight for the dark playground.

We had 6 special needs kids, and only about a dozen siblings, and a ton of fun, and ended the evening watching Spy Kids.

Don't you wish you could be spies like us?

Today is:

Abet and Aid Punsters Day -- promoted by Punsters Unlimited, which seems to know better than to host a website

Cook Something Bold & Pungent Day -- especially for those who have had to close up the house for winter, we need to create a beautiful aroma for the house; sponsored by Wellcat Holidays

Dunce Day -- death anniversary of John Duns Scotus (one of the three most important philosopher-theologians of the Middle Ages, he was called the "Subtle Doctor" but his enemies turned his name into the word we use today for someone who isn't too bright)

Feast of the Four Crowned Martyrs (Patrons of cattle, masons, sculptors, stone cutters; against fever)

Festival of the Mania -- Ancient Roman Calendar (to placate the Manes)

Fuigo Matsuri -- Kyoto City, Japan (Bellows Festival, Shinto festival in honor of Inari, the kitchen hearth goddess)

Herring King Festival -- Etaples, France (Hareng Roi, a festival worth seeing at least once in your life; through tomorrow)

I Hate to Cook Day -- internet generated, and probably started by someone who wanted an excuse to go out to dinner!

National Cappuccino Day

National Harvey Wallbanger Day

National Parents as Teachers Day -- US

Pohnpei Constitution Day -- Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia

Sadie Hawkins Day -- US (on the Saturday nearest Nov. 9, and based on the Li'l Abner comic, a day for women to ask out the man of their choice; also widely observed on Feb. 29 because of a law passed by Parliament of Scotland in 1288)

Saints, Doctors, Missionaries, and Martyr's Day -- Church of England

Synaxis of the Archangel Michael and the other Bodiless Powers of Heaven -- Eastern Orthodox Church

The Lord Mayor's Show -- London, England (originally "The Lord Mayor's Day," according to the official website this show has marched, floated, trotted, and occasionally fught through almost 800 years of London history, making it one of the oldest civic pageants in the world)http://lordmayorsshow.london

Wish-Granting Championships -- Fairy Calendar (Leprechauns)

World Urbanism Day/World Town Planning Day

X-Ray Discovery Day / World Radiography Day -- commemorating the discovery, in 1895, of x-rays

Anniversaries Today:

Montana becomes 41st US State, 1889
Mount Holyoke Seminary for Women is founded, 1837 (considered by many to be the first true college for women in the US)
Opening of the Louvre, 1793

Birthdays Today:

Tara Reid, 1975
Masashi Kishimoto, 1974
Parker Posey, 1968
Courtney Thorne-Smith, 1967
Gordon Ramsay, 1966
Leif Garrett, 1961
Rickie Lee Jones, 1954
Alfre Woodard, 1953
Mary Hart, 1951
Bonnie Raitt, 1949
Virna Lisi, 1937
Morley Safer, 1931
Patti Page, 1927
Christiaan Barnard, 1922
Esther Rolle, 1920
Martha Gellhorn, 1908
Margaret Mitchell, 1900
Hermann Rorschach, 1884
Milton Bradley, 1836
Edmond Halley, 1656

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Six Degrees of Separation"(Guare drama), 1990
"Night and Day"(Stoppard play), 1978
"Days of our Lives"(TV), 1965
"Life With Father"(Play), 1939
Sister Carrie(Publication date), 1900
"Ruy Blas"(Victor Hugo drama), 1838

Today in History:

Emperor Theodosius declares Christianity to be the state religion, 392
Uprising against Piero de' Medici in Florence, Italy, 1494
First meeting of Montezuma and Hernando Cortez in Tenochtitlan, Mexico, 1519
The Bodleian Library at Oxford University is opened to the public, 1602
Benjamin Franklin opens the first US library, in Philadelphia, PA, 1731
Elijah Craig, of Bourbon, Kentucky, US, first distills Bourbon whiskey from corn, 1789
Sarah Bernhardt makes her US debut at NY's Booth Theater, 1880
The New Orleans general strike begins, uniting black and white American trade unionists in a successful four-day general strike action for the first time, 1892
Wilhelm Roentgen of Germany discovers X-rays, 1895
The New Testament Gospels are translated into Demotic Greek (as opposed to the Koine Greek of ancient texts), resulting in bloody clashes in Athens, 1901
The first Washington state elections in which women could vote take place, 1910
Operation Grapple X, Round C1: Britain conducts its first successful hydrogen bomb test over Kiritimati in the Pacific, 1957
Former Massachusetts Attorney General Edward Brooke becomes the first African American elected to the United States Senate, 1966
Manolis Andronikos discovers the tomb of Philip II of Macedon (Alexander the Great's father), 1977
The UN Security Council demands that Saddam Hussein disarm or face serious consequences, 2002
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao releases pictures of the moon's Sinus Iridium, or Bay of Rainbows, taken during the Chang e-2 lunar mission, 2010

Silly Sunday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus. It's the place to come for weekly laughs, and the rules are simple, just have fun!

It's easy to Laugh and Link Up!

He must not be feeling well, i thought to myself. Seven-year-old boys don't ask for a bath out of the blue unless they just don't feel well.

At least, i don't ever remember mine doing that.

Saturday, and again i found myself at Ms. P's house. The flaky ex had a good reason not to have the kids on his weekend this time, as his stepson has the flu.

Unfortunately, that seems to be what Youngest Boy has, also. And here i only got my flu shot a few days ago.

The day was to be packed with doings, from morning until evening, with a very exciting football game capping it all off. Because of that, they asked if i could come at 8am and stay the day, which i did.

Also, i went to the drug store for soda, blue "ade" of the kind they like, and Tamiflu, a prescription for each of the children. Yes, the doctor went ahead and prescribed it for all of them, even though it's the Youngest Boy who is feverish, coughing (right in my face!), sneezing, and feeling so miserable he asked for a bath. They will simply keep it here so that when the rest get sick, since they are all now exposed, they can start on it right away.

When he got hungry, he wanted beans and rice from Popeye's, so we went and got it. He was so weak, he said, he couldn't get to the car. "Could you carry me?" he asked in that pathetic, I'm-so-sick voice little ones have. Yes, just like i used to do with my kids, i carried him. He even asked me to sit next to him while he was lying on the couch, sniffling and coughing and comatose with junk on TV.

They can be so sweet when they don't feel well. They don't have the strength to argue!

This reminds me of the time Boudreaux was sick, and he went to see Dr. Comeaux.

Boudreaux he be moanin', and groanin', an' when Dr. Comeaux come in he say, "Doc, I be so sick!"

"Flu?" ax Dr. Comeaux.

An' Boudreaux say, "Mais, no! I din't fly here, my wife Clothile drove me!"

Today is:

Allama Iqbal Day -- Pakistan

Chaos Never Dies Day -- internet generated, and just look in my closets if you want proof that we need this one

Couch Beachcombing Day -- internet generated; also called sofa diving, you will be amazed what you will find!

Dia de los Natitas -- La Paz, Bolivia (Day of the Skulls, when skulls are decorated and then offered cigarettes, coca leaves, and other items)

Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

Father's Day -- Estonia; Finland; Iceland; Norway; Sweden

Fiesta de Nuestra Senora de la Almudena -- Madrid, Spain (Feast of the Virgin of the Almudena, Patroness of the City)

Flag Day -- Azerbaijan

Go to an Art Museum Today Day -- it's a good idea, whoever started this one

Independence Day -- Cambodia (1953)

Lord Mayor's Day / Lord Mayor's Show -- London, England (traditional date, celebrated on the nearest Saturday; a traditional Show since 1215, when King John granted the people of London the right to elect their own mayor)

National Nibble Day -- as promoted by Adrienne Sioux Koopersmith

National Scrapple Day

Neon Sign Day -- Georges Claude received a patent for the neon sign on this day in 1911

Night of Nicnevin (Gyre-Carling), Daughter of Frenzy, Banshee -- Scots Pagan (date approximate)

Paul is Dead Day -- Beatle's Conspiracy Theorists, who claim Paul died this day in 1966 and was replaced by Billy Campbell

Remembrance Sunday -- England

Schicksalstag -- Germany (Destiny Day or Fateful Day) anniversary of
     the execution of Robert Blum in 1848
     dethroning of Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1918
     The Beer Hall Putsch in 1923
     Kristallnacht (Crystal Night, marks the beginning of the Holocaust), 1938
     the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989

Snakes and Ladders Tournament -- Mirano, Italy (a real life size Gioco dell'Oca [snakes and ladders] game dating back to the Medici period, in which competitors dress in medieval garb as the different areas of the city compete against each other)

St.Theodore the General's Day (Patron of soldiers; Brindisi, Italy; invoked for the recovery of lost objects)

Tag der Erfinder -- Austria; Germany; Switzerland (Inventor's Day; birth anniversary of Hedy Lamarr, who was an inventor as well as an actress)

Wish-Granting Championships -- Fairy Calendar (Sprites)

World Freedom Day -- US

Birthdays Today:

Nikki Blonsky, 1988
Nick Lachey, 1973
Chris Hericho, 1970
Thomas Quasthoff, 1959
Lou Ferrigno, 1951
Tom Weiskopf, 1942
Tom Fogerty, 1941
Mary Travers, 1936
Bob Gibson, 1935
Carl Sagan, 1934
Dorothy Dandridge, 1923
Spiro Agnew, 1918
Hedy Lamarr, 1913
James William Fullbright, 1905
Ed Wynn, 1886
Stanford White, 1853
Elijah P. Lovejoy, 1802
Benjamin Banneker, 1731 (first freeborn child of free African American parents)

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Wizard of Id"(Comic strip), 1964
"Omnibus"(TV), 1952

Today in History:

Egica, a king of the Visigoths of Hispania, accuses Jews of aiding Muslims, sentencing all Jews to slavery, 694
The Family de' Medici were expelled from Florence, 1494
Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower sight land at Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 1620
Hungarian parliament promises Protestants freedom of religion, 1681
The Rabbi Yehuda Hasid synagogue in Jerusalem is set afire by Arabs, 1720
Napoleon becomes dictator of France, 1799
The first US pharmacy college begins classes in Philadelphia, 1821
The NY Symphony Orchestra holds its first public performance, 1858
The first documented Canadian football game is held, at the University of Toronto, 1861
Ulyses Grant issues orders to bar Jews from serving under him, 1862
The Great Boston Fire destroys nearly 1,000 buildings, 1872
Theodore Roosevelt becomes the first US president to visit other countries during his tenure, visiting Puerto Rico and Panama, 1906
The Great Lakes Storm of 1913, the most destructive natural disaster ever to hit the lakes, destroys 19 ships and kills more than 250 people, 1913
Albert Einstein is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work with the photoelectric effect, 1921
Several U.S. states and parts of Canada are hit by a series of blackouts lasting up to 13 hours in the Northeast Blackout of 1965
First issue of Rolling Stone Magazine is published, 1967
Garry Kasparov 22, of the Soviet Union becomes the youngest World Chess Champion, 1985
The chemical element Darmstadtium is discovered, 1994
The Venus Express mission of the European Space Agency is launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, 2005
The German Bundestag passes the controversial data retention bill mandating storage of citizens' telecommunications traffic data for six months without probable cause, 2007

...and then i met Jeff and Stan.

See, the first Sunday every other month our church has a Community Outreach Meal. Pastor W. or Mr. Alfred cook up a big entree, and others bring desserts and bread, and a free meal is served to all who want to come.

Most of the people who show up are homeless, including homeless families. Each volunteer has a name tag, and each person who comes is given a name tag and is escorted to a seat at a table, and served a meal. Volunteers bring them whatever they need, and we sit with them and talk to them.

As i was plating up desserts, Jeff walked up to me and Mary, who was working with me. He has been on the streets for many years, the pastors all know him, but i hadn't met him before. He can barely speak, but he indicated to me and Mary that his side is hurting, his ribs and his lungs. He asked for prayer, so we prayed over him, then made sure he sat down for a meal. Jeff looks like what you typically think of when you think about a homeless person, and he does have many health issues, made worse by the years on the streets, and the fact that he can only stay sober occasionally. He tries, though, and last night, he came for prayer and food, and for someone to actually lay hands on him and pray, because he probably doesn't get much physical contact with people. He got it last night.

Once i was done setting all the desserts out on plates, i noticed a table with only one person sitting there, so i went over and introduced myself and sat down.

Stan and i started talking. He asked if i had any brothers and sisters. Yes, i told him, i have two younger brothers.

He asked if i loved them, and i told him that indeed i did. He then told me, "I don't have any family except my father in Mississippi, who isn't in the best of health, and my sister, who hates me."

When i noted how sad it must be for him that his sister feels that way, he continued his story.

"When I was three years old, she tried to choke me to death with a pillow, and when I was eight she split the back of my head with a baseball bat. Both times, she was trying to kill me. After that, my mom kept me with her and sent my sister to live with my dad, so we wouldn't be near each other.

"Then, when our mother died, and we were at the funeral, she wouldn't even hug me. She told me to stay away from her. One of my uncles asked her why she treated me that way, and she told him she hated me because I was born, and that me being born meant she wasn't an only child any more, and so she would never like me because I was born!"

He and i commiserated about how awful it is to have such a hard, hateful heart. We discussed family, and the importance of love, and a few other things. When he left i made sure he got an extra plate of food to take with him for later, and i gave him my word i would pray for his sister's heart toward him to heal and be changed.

The evening was a long one, as we served meals, and packed meals for another pastor who works with the homeless every week to take out that evening. He gave every one of them out that night, he goes into the woods, and behind the places in the city where most of us don't even think to go, and he fed the homeless who live there the meals we had packed.

After that, the youth group and the children's choir came in and had their dinners, too. They had brought more food for their groups and all of the food got shared, and nothing went to waste as any extras will be given to people who come to the church during the week asking for help.

So i didn't get an Awww Monday picture, because of Jeff, and Stan, and the homeless children and their parents for whom we packed extra boxes, and our own children's choir and youth group, and thinking about how it all fits together that we need to raise our kids to be of service so that maybe someday there won't have to be people who wait for the Community Outreach Meal to get a good dinner, to find people who will sit and talk with them and hear their stories, to find someone willing to lay hands on them and pray. We all need that stuff every day, not just once every couple of months.

Today is:

Area Code Day -- US (went into effect this day in 1951)

Day of Russian Militsiya -- Russia

Dia de la Tradicion -- Argentina (birth anniversary of Jose Hernandez)

Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Beacon Lighting -- Split Rock Lighthouse, Two Harbors, MN, US (memorial for the Edmund Fitzgerald and all who have lost their lives in Great Lakes shipwrecks)

First Cry of Independence Day / Los Santos Uprising Day -- Panama (an official flag day)

Forget-Me-Not Day -- informal day to spend a bit of time with relatives you don't see often

Goddess of Reason's Day (Revolutionary France)

Guinness World Records' Day -- celebrating ordinary people who do extraordinary things, go try for a record! anniversary of the day in 1951 that Sir Hugh Beaver got the idea to create a book supplying answers to much debated questions, such as which game birds are the fastest fliers
The Guinness World Records Book now holds the title of the best-selling copyrighted book of all time, and is one of the most frequently stolen books from US libraries!

Hari Pahlawan -- Indonesia (Heroes' Day/Warrior's Day)

Heir to the Throne Day -- Tuvalu (Prince of Wales birth anniversary celebration)

Martini -- Ancient Latvian Calendar (beginning of winter festival that starts on Martinmas Eve)

Maputo Day -- Maputo, Mozambique

National Toothpaste Appreciation Day -- not official, but i'm sure the dentifrice industry loves this one

National Vanilla Cupcake Day

National Young Readers' Week -- US, sponsored by Pizza Hut's BookIt! Program and the Library of Congress; listen to a different celebrity read a book each day through the 14th

Sleep Dangerously Night -- internet generated, a night to switch sides of the bed with your spouse and see who falls out of bed first

St. Andrew Avellino's Day (Patron of apoplexics, for a holy death, stroke victims; Badlato, Naples, and Sicily, Italy; stroke victims; for a holy death; against apoplexy, strokes, and sudden death)

St. Martin's Eve -- Germany; Portugal (Martimas Eve)

Tori No Ichi -- Japan (a "rooster day" in which to wish good luck and prosperity at temple and shrine ceremonies around the country)

Tree Festival Day -- Tunisia (equivalent to Arbor Day, as well as an agricultural festival)

USMC Day -- US (anniversary of founding in 1775, includes the Marine Corps Birthday Ball)

Wish-Spoiling Sports Day -- Fairy Calendar (Imps, Gremlins, and grumpy Goblins)

World Orphans Day -- originally an initiative of The Stars Foundation; cannot find a current sponsor, although there is a Facebook page for this day, and a site where you can find out more about orphans in the developing world

World Science Day for Peace and Development -- UN

Anniversaries Today:

Establishment of Badlands National Park, SD, US, 1978
Establisnment of the United States Marine Corps, 1775

Birthdays Today:

Ellen Pompeo, 1969
Vanessa Angel, 1963
Neil Gaiman, 1960
MacKenzie Phillips, 1959
Sinbad, 1956
Roland Emmerich, 1955
Ann Reinking, 1949
Donna Fargo, 1949
Tim Rice, 1944
Russel Charles Means, 1940
Russel Means, 1939
Roy Scheider, 1932
Richard Burton, 1925
Jane Froman, 1907
Claude Rains, 1889
Friedrick Voon Schiller, 1759
Oliver Goldsmith, 1728
William Hogarth, 1697
Martin Luther, 1483

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Microsoft Windows, 1983 (sometimes so slow, it's called "win-doze")
"Sesame Street", 1969

Today in History:

Rene Descartes has the dreams that inspire his Meditations on First Philosophy, 1619
The Dutch formally cede New Netherlands to the English; it is renamed New York, 1674
France ends forced worship of God, substitute the Goddess of Reason, 1793
The US state of Kentucky outlaws dueling, 1801
Stanley presumes that he has met Livingston in Ujiji, Central Africa, 1871
The first Woman's Christian Temperance Union meeting is held in Boston, 1891
The first Gideon Bible is put in a hotel room, 1908
Hirohito ascends the throne as Emperor of Japan, 1928
The Hope Diamond is donated to the Smithsonian Institution by New York diamond merchant Harry Winston, 1958
The 729-foot-long freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald sinks during a storm on Lake Superior, killing all 29 crew on board, 1975
A 106-car Canadian Pacific freight train carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals from Windsor, Ontario, Canada derails in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada just west of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, causing a massive explosion and the largest peacetime evacuation in Canadian history and one of the largest in North American history, 1979
The communist regime of Bulgaria falls, 1989
The "Codex Leicester", the only Leonardo da Vinci manuscript owned in the United States and the only one in the world still in private hands, was sold at auction to Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, who paid $30.8 million, 1994
Thousands of people people march toward the royal palace of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur to hand over a memorandum to the King demanding electoral reform, 2007
Vietnam evacuates about 600,000 citizens under the threat of Typhoon Haiyan, 2013

"Guess what!" Red-Headed Alec called out as he came in from spending a couple of days with friends in another town. "I passed the driving test! I can drive now, all legal!"

Good for you! i cheered.

"Yeah, it went great. While I was taking the driving part of the test, someone took an illegal left turn right in front of me, and I was able to see what they were going to do, and I slowed down and so I didn't hit them. Then, someone ran a stop sign right in front of me when I didn't have a stop sign at all, and I anticipated that they weren't going to stop, and so I slowed and didn't hit them!

"So then the instructor says, 'Well, I was going to make the test more difficult and take you through a couple of more turns, but you just anticipated two potential accidents and avoided them, so I'd say you've done more than enough.' And we went back and I got my license!"

That's wonderful, i repeated a couple of times.

A few minutes later, he got a call from his Nana -- the grandmother who adopted him and raised him, and who is now not always in her right mind, but tries when she can remember to.

"Yes, Nana, I passed!" i heard him say. "Yes, I did great! How much? It's only $20 to get the car put in my name if it's a donation? Wow! But what about the repairs? Uh-huh, yeah. Oh! Great! Thank you, Nana!"

"Guess what now!" he grinned. "The car that my mom is supposed to give me is only going to cost $400 to fix, and only $20 to get it in my name! So all I need now is more work!"

You will get that, i said.

"Yes, because on the way here I stopped at the McDonald's, and I walked straight in and asked for the manager. When he came up, I grabbed his hand and said, 'Hello! My name is Alec White, and I want to work here. In fact, I'm ready to be put to work this moment if you wanted! I have filled out the application, and you can call the four-star restaurant where I worked when I lived in that town, and they will tell you that I am a great, hard worker!' And the manager said, 'Come in Wednesday at 9am for an interview.' So I'm going to have a job. and then a car, and someday I'm going to get that GED and get into culinary school! I haven't ever given up on that, and I won't!"

Good news and determination make a good mix.

Today is:

Armistice Day/Poppy Day/Remembrance Day/Veterans Day

Bonza Bottler Day

Constitution Day and King's Birthday -- Bhutan

Day of Remembrance of the Volhvs/Einherjar Feast -- Asatru/Slavic Pagan Calendar (Norse "Feast of the Fallen")

Death/Duty Day

Fasching/Karneval -- Germany; Netherlands (official beginning of next year's pre-lent celebration starts on 11/11 at 11:11, when the Council of Eleven, in colorful fools caps, meet to plan the upcoming festivities)

Four Ones Day -- it is 11/11, after all

Hollantide Day a/k/a Hallow-tide -- Isle of Mann (season of All Saints, first day of Winter, celebrated in conjunction with Martintide, the Feast of St. Martin of Tours)

Independence Day -- Angola(1975); Poland(1918)

Independence of Cartagena City -- Colombia

Lacplesis -- Latvia (Remembrance Day)

Lunantishees Day -- Ireland (Fairies who guard the blackthorn trees, cutting a branch today, the old calendar's November 1, means bad luck.)

National Sundae Day

Old November Eve -- In the old calendar, this was actually All Hallow's Eve

Origami Day -- Japan

Pepero Day -- South Korea (similar to a Valentine's Day, when couples exchange Pepero brand cookie sticks)

Pocky and Pretz Day -- Japan (see Pepero day, but substitute the Japanese brand cookie sticks)

Republic Day -- Maldives

Singles Day -- China (Guang Gun Jie, literally "bare sticks day", celebrating the single life on the calendar date that has the most 1's)

St. Martin's Day a/k/a St. Martin of Tours's Day (Western), Martinmas (Old England) (Patron of beggars, cavalry, equestrians, geese, horses, innkeepers, Pontifical Swiss Guards, quartermasters, reformed alcoholics, riders, soldiers, tailors, vintners/wine growers and makers; against alcoholism, impoverishment; highly celebrated through Sweden, Switzerland, and the island of St. Martin/St. Maarten and Patron of over 25 diocese, cities, and countries around the world)
     Beggar's Day -- Netherlands (children act as beggars on St. Martin's Day, similar to trick-or-treat in English speaking countries)
     Martinigians -- Sursee, Switzerland (a celebration of the day in front of Town Hall)
     St. Maarten Day -- Sint Maarten

St. Menas of Egypt's Day (Patron of falsely accused people, peddlers, traveling merchants)

Veterans of Foreign Wars Day -- Federated States of Micronesia

Anniversaries Today:

Vietnam Women's Memorial is dedicated, 1993
Route 66 is established by the US Highway System, 1926
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetary is dedicated, 1921
Washington becomes the 42nd US State, 1889

Birthdays Today:

Leonardo DiCaprio, 1974
Peta Wilson, 1970
Calista Flockhart, 1964
Demi Moore, 1962
Marc Summers, 1951
Bibi Andersson, 1935
Jonathan Winters, 1925
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., 1922
Alger Hiss, 1904
Pat O'Brien, 1899
George Patton, 1885
Victor Emmanuel III, 1869
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky, 1821
Abigail Smith Adams,1744

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Shadowlands"(Play), 1990An Early Frost(TV movie), 1985
"Prisoner of Second Avenue"(Play), 1971
"La Plume de Ma Tante"(Revue), 1958
"God Bless America(Song, first public performance)", 1938
"The Tinker's Wedding"(Synge play), 1909
"Society"(Thompson play), 1865

Today in History:

The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare Maxentius and Licinius to be Augusti, while rival contender Constantine I is declared Caesar of Britain and Gaul, 308
41 pilgrims land in Massachusetts, sign Mayflower Compact, 1620
Massachusetts passes 1st US compulsory school attendance law, 1647
Gottfried Leibniz demonstrates integral calculus for the first time to find the area under the graph of y = ƒ(x), 1675
The F.H.C. Society, also known as the Flat Hat Club, is formed at Raleigh Tavern, Williamsburg, Virginia, as the first college society in the US, 1750
Chrysanthemums are introduced into England from China, 1790
British and Canadian forces defeat a larger American force, causing the Americans to abandon their Saint Lawrence campaign, 1813
Mary Edward Walker, the 1st Army female surgeon, is awarded the Medal of Honor, 1865
The Victorian Aboriginal Protection Act is enacted in Australia, giving the government control of indigenous people's wages, their terms of employment, where they could live, and of their children, effectively leading to the Stolen Generations, 1869
The 11/11/11 cold wave: Many cities in the U.S. Midwest broke their record highs and lows on the same day as a strong cold front rolled through, 1911
The Tomb of the Unknowns is dedicated by US President Warren G. Harding at Arlington National Cemetery, 1921
Prime Minister Alexandros Papanastasiou proclaims the first recognized Greek Republic, 1924
U.S. Route 66 is established, 1926
Patent number US1781541 is awarded to Albert Einstein and Leó Szilárd for their invention, the Einstein refrigerator, 1930
The Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia is opened, 1934
Kuwait's National Assembly ratifies the Constitution of Kuwait, 1962
NASA launches Gemini 12, 1966
Antigua and Barbuda joins the United Nations, 1981
The General Synod of the Church of England votes to allow women to become priests, 1992
New Zealand Tomb of the Unknown Warrior is dedicated at the National War Memorial, Wellington, 2004
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II unveils the New Zealand War Memorial in London, United Kingdom, commemorating the loss of soldiers from the New Zealand Army and the British Army, 2006
The RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) sets sail on her final voyage to Dubai, 2008

Anybody home? i called out as i went into Ms. P's house.

It started as a busy enough day, and got busier. #2 Son called at 5am for me to come get him from work. He was being sent home because his stomach was hurting so badly he could barely stand up. Once i got him home and started the laundry, i took Little Girl to school and then i called the doctor. Could we have him there for 7:45am?

We were there by 7:20, before the office staff even showed up. It's amazing what you can do when the doc agrees to work you in before the other patients.

It all boiled down to stress and too many energy drinks. He's started burning that candle at both ends again, trying to work 4am to noon and yet stay up late with friends. It doesn't work out too well for him.

Once i got him back home, i went to the store for milk and cat food and bananas, then came home and found that the car Grandpa had chosen to get #2 Son, an old Honda Civic, was being delivered. Grandpa had made a mistake, though -- he put it in #2 Son's name. He's only 18, and because the car is in his name instead of ours, he has to have his own insurance.

Guess how many companies will cover an 18-year-old on their own policy? Very few. Guess how much we finally had to pay? $300/month. He and i went to my insurance agent, because she was the only one who could cover him at all. That, as i tried to remind Grandpa, is why we put Bigger Girl's car in our name instead of hers. It makes a difference.

When we got back from that, and i finished the ironing, everything was breaking loose with The Big Boss and Ms. P. They needed Sweetie to go pick up a parking pass, pick up one of the kids from school, and then i had to go meet them where the parking pass was being delivered. From there, Sweetie would go get Little Girl from school, and i would take Middle Boy home, make sure the other three who were home sick were resting well, go get their dinner, and babysit for the rest of the evening.

So i went in, calling out to see if any of them were still extant. They were, though all lying in bed, watching TV, and Youngest Boy was very upset at being awakened. The boys requested beans and rice and biscuits from a local fast food place for dinner, and Daughter wanted an order from the sushi place next door to that, so i went and got what they wanted.

It was an evening. The house was a wreck, and Littlest Boy is feeling much better -- he and Middle Boy misbehaved the whole night. It took an act of Congress, and the threat of no hot cocoa, to get Middle Boy to do his homework.

There was lots of screaming, lots of sassing and back-talk, and three times i had to physically separate the boys because they were really hurting each other. Times like this remind me of why some animals in the wild eat their young.

Eventually baths were taken and bedtime came, and while refereeing and doing everything else i managed to clean the kitchen, run the dishwasher, and do a load of laundry.

By the end of it all, Middle Boy was coughing up a storm and saying he didn't feel well. He was starting a fever, i could tell.

When i get back on Thursday, i'll probably have a lot of work cut out for me, but at least i'll have one load of laundry out of the way.

Today is:

A&W Rootbeer Mug Day -- see if you can frost your mug like they did

Birth of Baha'u'llah -- Baha'i

Birth of Sun Yat-Sen, Doctors Day, and Cultural Renaissance Day -- Taiwan

Chicken Soup for the Soul Day -- "Changing the world, one story at a time."

Constitution Day -- Azerbaijan

Dia del Cartero -- Mexico (Postman's Day; postal carriers are shown appreciation with small gifts left in mailboxes)

Fancy Rat and Mouse Day -- the American Fancy Rat and Mouse Association wants you to know these little critters can give you a lot of love

Journee Nationale Maore -- Comoros (Admission to the UN Day)

Khalkeia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (festival of smiths, associated with Hephaists and Athena; date approximate)

National Pizza with the Works Except Anchovies Day

National Youth Day -- East Timor

St. Emillian's Day (Patron of Spain, finding lost objects)

St. Josaphat's Day (Patron of Edmonton, Alberta; Toronto, Ontario; Ukraine)

Tewa Buffalo Dance -- Native American Tewa of the Tesuque Pueblo rites on the feast day of their Patron, San Diego, to honor Mother Earth, Father Sky, the four directions, and the elements; through the 15th

Triple Crown of Surfing -- Oahu, HI, US (3 separate events, through Dec. 20)

World Pneumonia Day -- because we lose a million children a year to this preventable illness

Anniversaries Today:

The Arches National Park established, 1971
Ellis Island closes, 1954

Birthdays Today:

Anne Hathaway, 1982
Ryan Gosling, 1980
Sammy Sosa, 1968
Michael Moorer, 1967
David Schwimmer, 1966
Nadia Comaneci, 1961
Megan Mullally, 1958
Neil Young, 1945
Al Michaels, 1944
Wallace Shawn, 1943
Grace Kelly, 1929
Jo Stafford, 1918
Harry A. Blackmun, 1908
Sun Yat-sen, 1866
Auguste Rodin, 1840
Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 1815

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Grand Hotel"(Musical), 1989
"Irma la Douce"(Musical), 1956
"Paint Your Wagon"(Musical), 1951
Song of the South(Disney film), 1946
The first Sunday American-style football game is held in Philadelphia, 1933

Today in History:

Tibetan troops occupy Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, for fifteen days starting today, 764
Plymouth, England, becomes the first town incorporated by the English Parliament, 1439
Sir James Young Simpson, a British physician, is the first to use chloroform as an anaesthetic, 1847
Jules Leotard performs 1st Flying Trapeze circus act (Paris); he also designed garment that bears his name, 1859
World's Fair in Paris opens, 1900
The first movie stunt: man jumps into Hudson river from a burning balloon, 1910
Norway holds a referendum in favor of monarchy over republic, 1905
Robert Scott's diary & body are found in Antarctica, 1912
Austria becomes a republic, 1918
The first underwater tunnel, the Holland Tunnel connecting NY to NJ opens, 1927
The first photo of whatever is in Loch Ness is taken, 1933
Morocco, Sudan and Tunisia join the United Nations, 1956
Equatorial Guinea joins the United Nations, 1968
The Comoros joins the United Nations, 1975
The NASA space probe Voyager I makes its closest approach to Saturn and takes the first images of its rings, 1980
The Space Shuttle Columbia becomes the first time a manned spacecraft launched into space twice, 1981
Crown Prince Akihito is formally installed as Emperor Akihito of Japan, becoming the 125th Japanese monarch, 1990
Tim Berners-Lee publishes a formal proposal for the World Wide Web, 1990
Shanghai Transrapid sets up a new world speed record (501 kilometres per hour (311 mph)) for commercial railway systems, 2003
The Comparative Toxicogenomics Database is launched on the web and revolutionizes chemical-gene-disease information for research scientists, 2004
Philippine volcano Mount Bulusan erupts again, 2010

"How could you do that?" Craig, a friend of #1 Son, was yelling into his phone.

As he kept up the conversation, from what i could hear, he was not very happy with his brother.

Finally, he hung up and looked at me. "My brother," he said, "is a lot like a black light. It glows, is sometimes fun to have around, but it's not too bright and mostly useless!"

Knowing his brother, that's about correct.

Speaking of light, how many baby sitters does it take to change a light bulb? None, they don't make diapers small enough.

It's supposed to be back to work for me today, and i hope at least some of the children are feeling better.

Today is:

Ides of November -- Ancient Roman Calendar; also
     Epulum Iovis -- Festival of Feronia, Juno, Minerva, and Jupiter
     Fortuna Primigenia -- Fortune of the Firstborn

Lhabab Duechen -- Buddhism (Descending Day of Lord Buddha)
     a public holiday in Bhutan

National Indian Pudding Day

National Reread Old Letters and Magazines Day -- internet generated sentimentality

Runic Half Month Nyd begins (necessity)

St. Brice of Tours' Day (Patron against stomach diseases)

St. Homobonus' Day (Patron of business people, cloth workers/garment workers/tailors, cobblers/shoemakers, merchants)

St. Stanislaus Kostka's Day (Patron of aspirants to the Oblates of Saint Joseph, last sacraments; against broken bones)

Tooth Collection Days begin -- Fairy Calendar

World Kindness Day -- promoting a more compassionate world, on the anniversary of the first World Kindness Movement® conference (www.randomactsofkindness.org  http://www.kindness.com.au/)
     Kindness Day UK -- http://www.kindnessuk.com/

Anniversaries Today:

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is dedicated, 1982
The Holland Tunnel opens, 1927

Birthdays Today:

Monique Coleman, 1980
Gerard Butler, 1969
Steve Zahn, 1968
Tracy Scoggins, 1959
Jimmy Kimmel, 1967
Vinny Testaverde, 1963
Chris Nth, 1957
Whoopi Goldberg, 1955
Chris Noth, 1954
Shella E. Frazier, 1948
Joe Mantegna, 1947
Jean Seberg, 1938
Gary Marshall, 1934
Madeleine Sherwood, 1922
Oskar Werner, 1922
Nathaniel Benchley, 1915
Louis Brandeis, 1856
Robert Louis Stevenson, 1850
Edwin Thomas Booth, 1833
James Clerk Maxwell, 1831
Edward John Trelawney, 1792

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The Lion King"(Play), 1997
"As the Girls Go"(Musical), 1948
Fantasia(Disney animated film), 1940
"Grand Hotel"(Drake play), 1930

Today in History:

English king Æthelred II orders the killing of all Danes in England, known today as the St. Brice's Day massacre, 1002
Lady Jane Grey and Bishop Cranmer are accused of high treason, 1553
Patriot revolutionary forces under Col. Ethan Allen attack Montreal, Quebec, defended by British General Guy Carleton, 1775
Benjamin Franklin says, “Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” 1789
The first US anti-slavery party, the Liberty Party, convenes in New York, 1839
James Braid first sees a demonstration of animal magnetism, which leads him to study the subject and come up with what he later calls hypnosis, 1841
The Denny Party arrives at Alki Point, becoming the first settlers of what would become Seattle, Washington, 1851
The first shipment of canned pineapple leaves Hawai'i, 1895
French cyclist Paul Cornu flies the first helicopter, 1907
Russia completes development of the AK-47, one of the first proper assault rifles, 1947
A 150-mph tropical cyclone hits the densely populated Ganges Delta region of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), killing an estimated 500,000 people in one night. This is regarded as the 20th century's worst natural disaster, 1970
The Double Eagle V becomes the first hot air balloon to make it across the Pacific Ocean, 1981
Xavier Suarez is sworn in as Miami, Florida's first Cuban-born mayor, 1985
The High Court of Australia rules in Dietrich v The Queen that although there is no absolute right to have publicly funded counsel, in most circumstances a judge should grant any request for an adjournment or stay when an accused is unrepresented, 1992
In a referendum voters in Sweden decide to join the European Union, 1994
NASA announces that water has been discovered on the moon, 2009

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 participate, just post a picture of a cat -- your cat, a cat picture from the internet, even draw a picture, it doesn't matter! Post it and link up, and that's it.

Link, also known as LinkerStinker says, Where else would I sit?

Where else would I sit? Here, I can make sure you pay attention to me!

He's right, too -- you can't sit down without having to get around him, and have him play with your feet!

And folks, i have to apologize that i cannot seem to link up with Steve over on his blog. Mr. Linky will not let me log in, even though i've had them send me my username and password, and i'm putting both in correctly. Yes, i will keep trying.

Today is:

Canterbury Provincial Anniversary Day -- Canterbury, New Zealand

Children in Need Day -- UK and Ireland (telethon begins)

Children's Day -- India

Christchurch Show Day -- Canterbury, NZ

Day of the Colombian Woman -- Colombia

Equorum Probatio -- Ancient Roman Empire (official cavalry parade of the equites)

Four Corner States Bluegrass Festival -- Wickenburg, AZ, US (an annual old-time fiddle, banjo, mandolin, flat-pick guitar championships, and general celebrations of bluegrass music; through Sunday)

Inasa Puppet Festival -- Hamamatsu, Japan (a rarity in Japan, 3 days of performances by professional puppeteers from around Japan)

International Girls Day -- for info, see confidencecoalition.org

Leftover Trading Day -- internet generated; trade your leftovers for the much more interesting ones in your neighbor's fridge

Loosen up, Lighten Up Day -- to remind us of the benefits of joy and laughter, begun by Stephanie West Allen of Denver, CO, US

Momentum World Day of Giving -- The More Projecthttps://www.themoreproject.org

National Donor Sabbath Weekend -- through Sunday, an initiative to encourage people of all faiths to consider organ donation; www.organdonor.gov

National Spicy Guacamole Day -- as opposed to National Guacamole Day back in September

National Pickle Day/Pickle Appreciation Day

National Teddy Bear Day -- US (anniversary of the day in 1902 that Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a cornered and tied bear, because it was unsportsmanlike)

Operating Room Nurse Day -- US, but feel free to celebrate those dedicated nurses around the world

Readjustment Movement's Day -- Guinea-Bissau

Salt Lake's Family Christmas Show -- Sandy, UT, US (through Sunday)

Spirit of NSA Day -- members of the National Speakers Association are encouraged to focus on giving back and mentoringhttp://nsaspeaker.org/

St. Dubricus' Day (the saint who crowned King Arthur)

St. Lawrence O'Toole's Day (Patron of the Archdiocese of Dublin, Ireland)

Surin Elephant Round-Up -- Surin, Thailand (includes elephant football, elephant tugs-of-war, and parades; through Sunday)

Waterfowl Festival -- Easton, MD, US (includes world class artworks, calling contests, retriever demonstrations, a wine-tasting, and more, to benefit wildlife conservation; through Sunday)

Works Getting Into Championships -- Fairy Calendar (Gremlins)

World Diabetes Day -- UN (learn more about diabetes here)

Anniversaries Today:

Princess Anne of the UK marries Captain Mark Phillips, 1973

Birthdays Today:

Joseph "Run" Simmons, 1964
Laura San Giacomo, 1962
D.B. Sweeney, 1961
Condoleezza Rice, 1954
Yanni, 1954
Prince Charles, 1948
King Hussein of Jordan, 1935
McLean Stevenson, 1929
Boutros Boutros-Ghali, 1922
Brian Keith, 1921
Veronica Lake, 1919
Barbara Hutton, 1912
Rosemary DeCamp, 1910
Joseph McCarthy, 1909
Harrison Salisbury, 1908
William Steig, 1907
Louise Brooks, 1906
Dick Powell, 1904
Aaron Copland, 1900
Mamie Dowd Eisenhower, 1896
Jawaharlal Nehru, 1889
Claude Monet, 1840
Robert Fulton, 1765

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Black or White"(Music video), 1991
"Murphy Brown"(TV), 1988
"Good Evening"(Revue), 1973
"Der Tapfere Soldat/The Chocolate Soldier"(Operetta), 1908
"The Girl of the Golden West"(Play), 1905

Today in History:

Conquistadors from Spain under the leadership of Francisco Pizarro arrive in Cajamarca, Inca empire, 1533
Samuel Pepys reports on the first blood transfusion (between dogs), 1666
Loius Timothee is hired in Philadelphia to be the first professional librarian in the US, 1732
Captain George Vancouver is the first Englishman to enter San Francisco Bay, 1792
John Mason debuts the first horse-drawn streetcar in NYC, with a route between Prince and 14th on 4th Ave., 1832
Herman Melville publishes "Moby Dick", 1851
The St. Andrews Golf Club, in Yonkers, NY, opens with 6 holes, 1888
New York World reporter Nellie Bly (Elizabeth Cochrane) began her attempt to surpass fictitious journey of Jules Verne's Phileas Fogg by traveling around world in less than 80 days; She succeeded, finishing the trip in January in 72 days and 6 hours, 1889
Albert Einstein presents his quantum theory of light, 1908
The first airplane flight from the deck of a ship takes place in Norfolk, Virginia, 1910
The BBC begins radio service in the United Kingdom, 1922
The first regular UK singles chart published by the New Musical Express, 1952
NASA launches Apollo 12, the second manned mission to the surface of the Moon, 1969
After German reunification, the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of Poland sign a treaty confirming the Oder-Neisse line as the border between Germany and Poland, 1990
The last direct-current electrical distribution system in the United States is shut down in New York City by Con Edison, 2007
Scientists discovery the closest known rogue planet to Earth, about 100 light years away, 2012

Or should i say, her own love for tribal art?

Little Girl has loved that style for a long time. Now Bigger Girl is trying her hand at it.

Her selection.

She has drawn these as gifts for her friends. For now, she is seeking images to copy, although she draws them freehand. As she gets more comfortable, she will probably design her own.

My mother is an artist, and Brother-in-Law, The Mouth, was once offered a full scholarship to an art institute, which his parents wouldn't allow him to accept. There isn't a bit of that in me, so i'm figuring on my family's side, it skipped a generation.

That's fine, i'm just glad it didn't disappear altogether.

Today is:

American Enterprise Day -- US (a project of Future Business Leaders of America, Phi Beta Lambda Chapter)

America Recycles Day -- UShttp://americarecyclesday.org/

Changeling Restitution Day -- Fairy Calendar (Goblins)

Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day -- this reminder comes from the folks at CooksInfo.comhttp://www.cooksinfo.com, where they think you need to get rid of USO's (unidentified shriveled objects)/clean-out-your-refrigerator-day

Day of the German-speaking Community of Belgium -- German-speaking Community of Belgium

Don't Try To Do Everything At Once Day -- internet generated, and a blow to us multitaskers

Ennead Feast in the House of Ra, Horus, and Osiris -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

George Spelvin Day/More Than One Role Day -- date of first use, in 1886, of this name for an actor playing two roles in one play; George and Georgette Spelvin have since acted in over 10,000 roles on Broadway

I Love to Write Day -- encouraging everyone to write something, begun by John Riddle; this is the perfect time for it, really, in the middle of NaNoWriMo

International Games Day @ Your Library -- libraries in many countries are sponsoring a local Games Day, check with yours!

Kalamazoo Russian Festival -- Kalamazoo, MI, US

King's Feast / Dynasty Day -- Belgium

National Bundt Pan Day -- yes, really, celebrating the pan itself

National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week -- US (remembering those who have little or nothing during the upcoming holiday celebrations, and making time to share our bounty with them; through the 24th)
co-sponsors National Coalition for the Homeless and National Student Campaign Against Hunger & Homeless

National Peace Day -- Cote d'Ivoire

National Philanthropy Day® -- Association of Fundraising Professionals

National Raisin Bran Cereal Day

National Spicy Hermit Christmas Cookie Day

Nativity Fast begins a/k/a Winter Lent (through Dec 24) -- Orthodox Christian

Pack Your Mom's Lunch Day -- in honor of all the times she packed yours; combine it with I Love to Write Day and include a note telling her how special she is

PCS Day and Homeplace Festival -- Waretown, NJ, US (a family affair with country, bluegrass, and traditional music)

Republic Day -- Turkish Republic of North Cyprus

Republic Proclamation Day -- Brazil

Rock Your Mocs Day -- Indigenous Americans (begun by Jessica Jaylyn Atsye, a Laguna Pueblo, to encourage all Native Americans to wear the one item they all have in common, hand-made moccasins, with pride)

Safety Razor Day -- King Gillette was granted the patent for his style of safety razor on this day in 1904, changing how men shaved each day

Shichi-Go-San (Shrine Visiting Day)/Seven-Five-Three Festival -- Japan (picturesque festival in which 3-year-old children of either sex, five-year-old boys, and seven-year-old girls go to shrines dressed in their best; guardian spirits are thanked for the health of the children and prayers said for their future to be equally bright)

Sing in Your Car Day -- they need a day for this?

St. Albertus Magnus' Day (Patron of medical technicians, natural sciences, philosophers, schoolchildren, scientists, students, theology students; Cincinnati, Ohio)

St. Leopold's Day (King Leopold III, Patron of dying children, large families, step-parents; Austria)
Leopoldstag/Goose Day -- Austria (the start of the heurigen, the new wine season)

Anniversary Today:

William Shatner marries Nerine Kidd, 1997

Birthdays Today:

Jonny Lee Miller,1972
Kevin Eubanks, 1957
Beverly D'Angelo, 1954
Daniel Barenboim, 1942
Sam Waterston, 1940
Yaphet Kotto, 1937
Joanna BArnes, 1934
Petula Clark, 1932
Ed Asner, 1929
Bill "C.W. McCall" Fries, 1928
Joseph Wapner, 1919
Erwin Rommel, 1891
Georgia O'Keeffe, 1887
Forrest Clare "Fogg" Allen, 1885
F. William Herschel, 1738
William Pitt the Elder, 1708

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"A Few Good Men"(Play), 1989
Love Me Tender(Film), 1956
"Li'l Abner"(Musical), 1956
"The Planets"(Holst Op. 32), 1920
"Masse Mensch/Mass Man"(Toller play), 1920

Today in History:

Christopher Columbus notes the first recorded reference to tobacco, 1492
The NY General Assembly permits Jews to omit the phrase "Upon the faith of a Christian" from adjuration oaths, 1727
Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon begin surveying the Mason-Dixon Line between Pennsylvania and Maryland, 1763
The Articles of Confederation are adopted by the Continental Congress, 1777
Georgetown University, the first Catholic college in the US, opens, 1791
Zebulon Pike gets his first sight of Pike's Peak, Colorado, 1806
Isaac Pitman introduces his steno/shorthand system of writing, 1832
Union Major General Sherman burns Atlanta, Georgia, 1864
King C. Gillette patents the Gillette razor blade, 1904
The first telecast of an unscheduled event, a fire, takes place on W2XBT, in NY, 1938
In Columbus, Ohio, Dave Thomas opens the first Wendy's restaurant, 1969
Intel releases world's first commercial single-chip microprocessor, 1971
René Lévesque and the Parti Québécois take power to become the first Quebec government of the 20th century clearly in favour of independence, 1976
The Anglo-Irish Agreement is signed at Hillsborough Castle by British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Irish Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald, 1985
An independent State of Palestine is proclaimed by the Palestinian National Council, 1988
The first Fairtrade label, Max Havelaar, is launched in the Netherlands, 1988
Cyclone Sidr hit Bangladesh, killing an estimated 5000 people and destroyed the world's largest mangrove forest, Sundarbans, 2007

Silly Sunday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus. It's the place to come for weekly laughs, and the rules are simple, just have fun!

Here's how it works: Laugh and Link Up!

Ms. P's kids have been sick. This past Thursday, she finally succumbed to it. We have had flu shots and we've all been talking about taking steps to prevent getting sick. Hand washing is frequent, and everyone wants to make sure they take their vitamins and eat their greens.

This reminds me of a joke.

Boudreaux used to ride to work ever' day wit' Gaston, an' Gaston was what dey call a health nut. One day, de boss Thibodeaux ax Boudreaux about it.

"Dat Gaston!" he say. "He be buggin' me about eatin' better an' all dat! Do he really eat as healthy as he say, an' work out ever' day?"

"Mais, he do eat good," Boudreaux say, "an he work out ever' day. But listen, he also do 80 mile per hour on de highway in de rain on bald tires!"

Today is:

Alascattalo Day -- Anchorage, Alaska (A salute to Alaskan humor, a parade in honor of the "alascattalo", a cross between a moose and a walrus; the longest running, shortest parade in the world, held in the alley behind Club Paris from 12:03 to 12:07 pm. A prize is given to the smallest and ugliest float -- yes, it must be both small and ugly. An anonymous queen will be crowned, if she has the bad sense to show up.)

Birth of the Blues Day -- birth anniversary of W.C. Handy, "Father of the Blues"

Button Day -- internet generated; a day to collect, or reminisce about collecting, buttons, with information about buttons here

Dagur Islenskrar tungu -- Iceland (Icelandic Language Day)

Day of Declaration of Sovereignty / Day of National Rebirth -- Estonia

Famous San Diego Chicken Day -- a day to celebrate anyone who has ever slugged a purple dinosaur

Flag Day/Statia and America Day -- St. Eustatius

Have a Party with Your Bear Day -- no comment, it's too obvious

Hecate Night -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate; celebrated still by some Wiccans)

International Day for Tolerance - UN

National Day -- Myanmar

National Fast Food Day -- why?

St. Gertrude the Great's Day (Patron of nuns; Naples, Italy; West Indies)

St. Margaret of Scotland's Day (Patron of learning, parents of large families, queens, widows; Scotland; against the death of children)

St. Matthew the Evangelist's Day (Eastern Churches)

Volkstrauertag -- Germany (National Day of Mourning for all victims of National Socialism and the dead of both world wars)

World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims -- UN

Anniversaries Today:

Oklahoma becomes the 46th US State, 1907

Birthdays Today:

Maggie Gyllenhall, 1977
Oksana Baiul, 1977
Martha Plimpton, 1970
Lisa Bonet, 1967
Diana Krall, 1964
Dwight Gooden, 1964
Susanna Clarke, 1959
Marg Heigenberger, 1958
Shigeru Miyamoto, 1952
Elizabeth Drew, 1935
Daws Butler, 1916
Burgess Meredith, 1908
W.C. Handy, 1873
Tiberius, Roman Emperor, BC42

Debuting/Premiering Today:

The Roman Catholic Church issues the first new Universal Catechism since 1563, to address modern issues, 1992
"The Real Thing"(Stoppard play), 1982
"The Sound of Music"(Musical), 1959

Today in History:

The second and final revision of the Codex Justinianus is published, 534
Francisco Pizarro captures the Incan emperor Atahualpa after the victory at Cajamarca, 1532
The first colonial prison is organized, in Nantucket, Massachussetts, 1676
Kentucky becomes the first state to nullify an act of Congress, 1798
The New York Evening Post publishes its first edition, 1801
An earthquake in Missouri causes the Mississippi River to flow backwards, 1811
Missouri trader William Becknell arrives in Santa Fe, New Mexico over a route that became known as the Santa Fe Trail, 1821
Napoleon Guerin of NYC patents a cork life preserver, 1841
Fyodor Dostoevsky is sentenced to death for anti-government activities; sentence is commuted to hard labor, 1849
Amsterdam post office at Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal opens, 1856
William Bonwill patents dental mallet to impact gold into cavities, 1875
6,000 Armenians massacred by Turks in Kurdistan, 1894
Arturo Tuscanini begins conducting NY's Metropolitan Opera, 1908
US Federal Reserve System formally opens, 1914
LSD is first synthesized by Swiss chemist Dr. Albert Hofmann at the Sandoz Laboratories in Basel, Switzerland, 1938
UNESCO is founded, 1945
NASA launches Skylab 4 with a crew of three astronauts from Cape Canaveral, Florida for an 84-day mission, 1973
The Hoxne Hoard is discovered by metal detectorist Eric Lawes in Hoxne, Suffolk, 1992
After nearly 18 years of incarceration, the People's Republic of China releases Wei Jingsheng, a pro-democracy dissident, from jail for medical reasons, 1997
The People's Republic of China begins to implement the "Great Firewall," filters which make it impossible to connect to internet sites the government deems illegal or unhelpful to the communist ideal, 2006
Hostess Brands reveals plans to file bankruptcy because of a baker's union strike, 2012

Awww Monday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus. It's nice to start the week with a smile, so post a picture that makes everyone say, "Awww!" and link up!

Our church decided to do Blessing Bags to give to the homeless in our area.

Gather the items:

Zip top bags and snacks and some toiletry items.

Water bottles, and cards that tell about resources for the homeless here.

Get a lot of stuff, and a lot of people:

Lots of people, and tables full of supplies.

Gather everyone around to stuff bags:

Busy bees stuffing bags.

Result, 1,000 Blessing Bags:

1,000 Blessing Bags, enough for everyone to take several.

A great time was had by all, and we ended with a gumbo dinner. In all my years, i've been part of many churches, but i've never been part of one that has so many outreaches, and i'm loving it.

Today is:

Army Day -- Democratic Republic of the Congo

Cartagena Independence Day -- Cartagena, Columbia

Coping With Uncertainty Day -- of uncertain origin, as it should be

Electronic Greeting Card Day -- internet generated, and of course probably started by the electronic greeting card websites

Homemade Bread Day -- use the bread machine, it's fun and easy, i promise! sponsored by the Homemade Bread Day Committee of Ann Arbor, MI, US

International Students Day -- International (meant to celebrate all students around the world, not specifically students studying in countries other than their own; anniversary of the Nazi storming and closing of the University of Prague)

John Peter Zenger Day -- marking his arrest in 1734 for libel; he continued to edit his newspaper from jail and was acquitted, an early victory for freedom of the press

National Baklava Day

National Farm Joke Day

National Unfriend Day -- all those people on Facebook you regret accepting as friends? Jimmy Kimmel suggests you unfriend them today!

Polytechneio -- Greece (anniversary of the 1973 student protests against the junta)

Presidents' Day -- Marshall Islands

Public Restroom Hand Dryer Appreciation Day -- internet generated, and why? they've been proven less sanitary, blowing germs everywhere; i will not appreciate this one

Revolution Day -- Mexico

Shogi Day -- Japan (celebrating shogi, a chess-like game)

St. Elizabeth of Hungary's Day (Patron of bakers, beggars, brides, charitable societies, charitable workers, countesses, exiles, falsely accused people, hoboes, homeless people, hospitals, lace makers/lace workers, nursing homes, nursing services, people in exile, people ridiculed for their piety, tertiaries, tramps, widows; Sisters of Mercy; Teutonic Knights; Erfurt, Germany; Jaro, Philippines; against in-law problems, the death of children, toothache)

St. Hilda's Day (Patron of learning and culture)

St. Hugh of Lincoln's Day (Patron of sick children, sick people, swans)

Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day -- Czech Republic; Slovakia

Take A Hike Day -- internet generated, and some websites say it's actually "Tell Your Boss to Take a Hike Day", but i don't recommend that unless you've recently inherited a fortune or won the Lotto

Winter Welcome Quadrilles and Dainty-Sixes -- Fairy Calendar

World Prematurity Day -- International (raising awareness about premature birth, the leading cause of newborn death each year, and what can be done to prevent it)

Birthdays Today:

Isaac Hanson, 1980
Laura Wilkinson, 1977
Matthew Settle, 1969
Daisy Fuentes, 1966
Sophie Marceau, 1966
Dylan Walsh, 1963
RuPaul, 1960
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, 1958
Danny DeVito, 1944
Lauren Hutton, 1944
Lorne Michaels, 1944
Tom Seaver, 1944
Lauren Hutton, 1943
Martin Scorsese, 1942
Gordon Lightfoot, 1938
Rock Hudson, 1925
Sichiro Honda, 1906
Lee Strassberg, 1901
Bernard Law Montgomery, 1887
August Mobius, 1790
John Peter Zenger, 1734
Atahualpa, last Emperor of the Inca, 1502
Flavius Claudius Julianus, Roman Emperor, 331
Vespian, Roman Emperor, 9

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Sunset Boulevard"(Musical), 1994
"Rumors"(Simon play), 1988
"The Elephant Man"(Play), 1977
"The Sorcerer"(Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera), 1877
"Andromaque"(Racine tragedy), 1667

Today in History:

Diocletian is proclaimed emperor by his soldiers, 284
England and Spain sign an anti-French covenant/treaty, 1511
Elizabeth I ascends the English throne, 1558
France and Spain sign the Peace of the Pyrenees treaty, 1659
The Church of England organizes in New England, 1785
Congress holds its first session in the still incomplete Capitol Building of Washington, D.C., 1800
The Delta Phi fraternity, America's oldest continuous social fraternity, is founded at Union College in Schenectady, New York, 1827
Ecuador and Venezuela separate from Greater Colombia, 1831
Street signs are first authorized at San Francisco intersections, 1853
David Livingstone becomes the first European to see Victoria Falls, 1855
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Slavonic March is given its première performance in Moscow, 1876
Japan and Korea sign The Eulsa Treaty, 1905
The first US dental hygienist course is formed, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, 1913
US declares the Panama Canal Zone to be neutral, 1914
Lenin defends the "temporary" removal of freedom of the press, 1917
American scientists John Bardeen and Walter Brattain observe the basic principles of the transistor, a key element for the electronics revolution of the 20th Century, 1947
Douglas Engelbart receives the patent for the first computer mouse, 1970
In Czechoslovakia, the Velvet Revolution that would overthrow the communist government begins when student protests in Prague are quelled by riot police, 1989
Brian May of the rock band Queen was appointed Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University, 2007
In Sweden, divers find the wreckage of the Svardet, a warship sunk in 1676 during the Battle of Oland, 2011

While in Kentucky last month, i got a picture of what revenge might look like.

On the farm.

The cow has his day!

The clouds looked worse than what they delivered, we didn't really get much rain, just wind. But the cow looked like he was having fun, no matter the weather!

Today is:

Constitution Day -- South Africa (the 1993 Constitution, granting blacks the right to vote, was approved)

Day of Ardvi Sura (Aredvi Sura Anahita), Mother of the Stars -- Ancient Persian Calendar (date approximate)

European Antibiotic Awareness Day -- ECDC (because prudent use of antibiotics can help stop antibiotic resistance)

Feast of the Virgen de Chiquinquirá -- Maracaibo, Venezuela

Hap-Dancing and Tiger-Tuning -- Fairy Calendar

Independence Day -- Morocco(1956); Western Saraha(1975)

Married to a Scorpio Support Day -- remembering those married to Scorpios (like me!) and suffering because of it, and encouraging them too hide the flow charts and assert themselves today; sponsored by Wellcat Holidays

National Day -- Oman (trad.; will be observed Nov. 27)

National Entrepreneurs Day -- US (by Congressional designation)

National French Vichyssoise Day

Ned Ludd Memorial Machine-Smashing Day -- internet generated, but enjoy! i know i will

Proclamation of the Republic -- Latvia (1918)

Push-Button Phone Day -- launched this day in 1963

School Pride Day -- US (always on the Tuesday of American Education Week)

St. Odo of Cluny's Day (Patron of needed rain)

Total Disregard for Taste Day -- marking the debut of Howard Stern's radio show on this day in 1985

Vertieres Day -- Haiti (Battle of Vertieres and Army Day)

William Tell Day -- the famed apple-off-his-son's-head-shot was today in 1307

Birthdays Today:

Owen Wilson, 1968
Elizabeth Perkins, 1960
Sinbad, 1956
Katy Sagal, 1956
Kevin Nealn, 1953
Andrea Marcvicci, 1948
Jameson Parker, 1947
Wilma Mankiller, 1945
Susan Sullivan, 1944
Linda Evans, 1942
Brenda Vaccaro, 1939
Margaret Eleanor Atwood, 1939
Mickey Mouse, 1928
Alan Shepard, Jr., 1923
John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer, 1909
Imogene Coca, 1908
George Gallup, 1901
Eugene Ormandy, 1899
Clarence Shepard Day, 1874
Dorothy Dix (Elizabeth Meriwether Gilmer), 1861
Ignacy Jan Paderewski, 1860
James Edward Sullivan, 1860
Sir William Schwenck Gilbert, 1836
Asa Gray, 1810
Louis-Jacques Daguerre, 1787
Sojourner Truth, 1787
Carl Maria von Weber, 1786

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Star Trek: Generations(Film), 1994
Malcolm X(Film), 1992
Calvin and Hobbes(Comic strip), 1985 (in this first strip, Calvin catches Hobbes in a tiger trap baited with a tuna sandwich)
"See It Now"(TV), 1951
"Skin of Our Teeth"(Wilder play), 1943
Steamboat Willie (a/k/a Mickey Mouse), 1928
US Uniform Time Zone Plan, 1883 (on this date, the railroads adopted the current uniform time zone plan; it wasn't legally mandated until 1918)

Today in History:

Old St. Peter's Basilica is consecrated, 326
The Japanese Emperor Kammy relocates the residence of Nara to Kioto, 794
William Tell shoots the apple off his son's head, 1307
The Holland/Zealand dikes break during a storm, resulting in thousands of deaths, 1421
The first English printed book, "Dictes & Sayengis of the Phylosophers", is published, 1477
Christopher Columbus first sights the island now known as Puerto Rico, 1493
Vasco da Gama reaches the Cape of Good Hope, 1497
The worst earthquake in Massachusetts Bay/Boston area, 1755
The first Unitarian Minister in the US is ordained in Boston, 1787
30 women meet at Mrs Silas Lee's home in Wiscasset Maine, to organize the Female Charitable Society, first woman's club in America, 1805
Mark Twain's story The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County is published in the New York Saturday Press, 1865
National Woman's Christian Temperance Union organizes in Cleveland, 1874
Standard time zones are formed by railroads in the US and Canada, 1883
The first newspaper Sunday color comic strip is printed, in the NY World, 1894
Britain flies its first sea plane, 1911
Lincoln Deachey performs the first airplane loop-the-loop, over San Diego, 1913
Sigma Alpha Rho, a Jewish high school fraternity, is founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1917
Release of the animated short Steamboat Willie, the first fully synchronized sound cartoon, directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks, featuring the third appearances of cartoon characters Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, 1928
Off the south coast of Newfoundland in the Atlantic Ocean, a Richter magnitude 7.2 submarine earthquake, centered on Grand Banks, breaks 12 submarine transatlantic telegraph cables and triggers a tsunami that destroys many south coast communities in the Burin Peninsula, 1929
New York City's Mad Bomber places his first bomb at a Manhattan office building used by Consolidated Edison, 1940
In the United States, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is ratified, 1993
HIP 13044 b, a planet that was formed in another galaxy, is discovered in the Helmi Stream, 2010

This week, i went to clean Ms. P's house on Monday instead of Thursday. Her ex has no money, isn't paying back the IRS because he has no salary, won't pay child support because he's broke, but on Thursday, he's taking all four kids, plus his new honey and the stepson, to Walt Disney World.

Anyway, the children have been protected, as much as possible, from the wiles and schemes he's laid, as we don't talk about him in front of them except to say when he is picking them up. They don't need to hear about it.

So it was with great glee that Youngest Boy, on Monday, had already packed his bag in anticipation of the trip:

A testimony to a child's anticipation, and a boy's ability to pack light!

Today is:

Alligator Wrestling Day -- internet generated, and i wonder if a cat that doesn't want its meds counts?

shi Vanguhi -- Ancient Persian Calendar/Zoroastrian (celebration of Ashi Vanguhi, or Holy Blessing; date approximate, but always two days after a full moon around this time of year)

Automatic Toll Collection Day -- the first machine went into use on New Jersey’s Garden State Parkway on this day in 1954

Beaujolais Nouveau Release -- France (at midnight, so really most of the celebration is tomorrow, a new wine celebration marked with fireworks and festivities)

Discovery Day -- Puerto Rico

Equal Opportunity Day / Dedication Day / Remembrance Day -- anniversary of the Gettysburg Address

Fete de S.A.S. le Prince Souverain -- Monaco (National Day)

Flag Day -- Brazil

Garifuna Day/Carib Settlement Day -- Belize

Geographic Information Systems Day

"Have a Bad Day" Day -- for the hidden, or not so hidden, grouch in all of us; sponsored by Wellcat Holidays

International Men's Day -- Australia; Canada; Ghana; Hungary; India; Ireland; Jamaica; Malta; Singapore; South Africa; Trinidad and Tobago; United Kingdom; United States

Liberation Day -- Mali

National Carbonated Beverage with Caffeine Day

National Educational Support Professionals Day -- US

Please Maintain Your Focus Today Day -- internet generated, but a good idea

Repentance Day -- Saxony, Germany (Day of Prayer and Repentance [Buss und Bettag])
Buss und Bettag -- German speaking Lutheran, Reformed, and United Protestants (Day of Repentance and Prayer)

Scottish International Badminton Championship -- Glasgow, Scotland (through Sunday)

St. Obadiah's Day (Obadiah the Prophet)

"What Ever Happened to Gary Pucket?" Day -- internet generated, and a fun question to research

Women's Entrepreneurship Day -- in partnership with Global Entrepreneurship Week

World Toilet Day -- sponsored by the World Toilet Organization (yes, really, to raise awareness of the 2.5 billion people who don't have access to proper sanitation)

Anniversaries Today:

Zion National Park is established, 1919
Women's Christian Temperance Union is founded, 1874

Birthdays Today:

McCaughey Septuplets, 1997
Kerri Strug, 1977
Savion Glover, 1973
Gail Devers, 1966
Terry Farrell, 1963
Jodie Foster, 1962
Meg Ryan, 1961
Allison Janney, 1960
Anne Curry, 1956
Eileen Collins, 1956
Scott Jacoby, 1956
Glynnis O'Connor, 1955
Kathleen Quinlan, 1954
Ahmad Rashad, 1949
Calvin Klein, 1942
Garrick Utley, 1939
Ted Turner, 1938
Dick Cavett, 1936
Jack Welch, 1935
Larry King, 1933
Roy Campanella, 1921
Indira Gandhi, 1917
Peter Drucker, 1909
Tommy Dorsey, 1905
Billy Sunday, 1862
James Garfield, 1831

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Heaven's Gate(Film), 1980
"Rocky and His Friends/Rocky and Bullwinkle"(TV), 1959
The first Automatic Toll Collection Machine, at the Union Toll Plaza in New Jersey, 1954

Today in History:

The Council of Clermont, called by Pope Urban II to discuss sending the First Crusade to the Holy Land, begins, 1095
Rabbi Isaiah b Abraham aha-Levi Horowitz arrives in Israel, 1621
The Jakobinen club forms in Paris, 1794
The Jay Treaty, the first US extradition treaty, is signed with Great Britain, 1794
Lewis and Clark reach the Pacific Ocean, becoming the first European Americans to cross the continent, 1805
Warsaw University is established, 1816
The St. Petersburg flood, caused by storms, kills 10,000, 1824
The second Canadian railway line, the Montreal and Lachine Railway, is opened, 1847
Lincoln delivers his Gettysburg Address, 1863
Boss Tweed is convicted, sentenced to 12 years, 1874
Carrie Nation attempts to address the US Senate, 1903
NY receives the first Marconi wireless transmission from Italy, 1911
Samuel Goldwyn and Edgar Selwyn establish Goldwyn Pictures (anybody want to guess what this eventually became?), 1916
The first issue of Time Magazine is published, with Emperor Hirohito on the cover, 1928
Télé Monte Carlo, Europe's oldest private television channel, is launched by Prince Rainier III, 1954
The first automatic toll collection machine is introduced on New Jersey's Garden State Parkway, 1954
Ford cancels the Edsel, 1959
Apollo 12 astronauts Pete Conrad and Alan Bean land at Oceanus Procellarum (the "Ocean of Storms") and become the third and fourth humans to walk on the Moon, 1960
Egyptian President Anwar Sadat becomes the first Arab leader to officially visit Israel, when he meets Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin and speaks before the Knesset in Jerusalem, seeking a permanent peace settlement, 1977
Lt. Gen. Maurice Baril of Canada arrives in Africa to lead a multi-national policing force in Zaire, 1996
Vincent van Gogh's Portrait of the Artist Without Beard sells at auction for $71.5 million USD, 1998
The People's Republic of China launches its first Shenzhou spacecraft, 1999
Claudia Castillo has a successful trachea transplant from stem-cell created organ, 2008
Many nations urge lower fishing rates on the Atlantic bluefin tuna; quota limits on the critically endangered fish are discussed by major fishing nations in Paris, 2010

When i came downstairs Tuesday morning, i knew something was "off". It smelled like someone had overcooked beans in the house, as if they were burning.

So i went downstairs figuring someone had left the toaster oven plugged in, or the coffee pot on, or some such. Nothing was on that shouldn't be, but the smell persisted.

Eventually, i noticed smoke, and Little Girl came in, as did #1 Son. We finally traced it to the main refrigerator in our kitchen, which we pulled forward. It sparked when we unplugged it.

On Monday, while i was at work, Red-Headed Alec cleaned out that fridge. He left it open a lot while he was cleaning it. That causes a refrigerator to overwork, and it apparently did, and by Tuesday morning it was on the verge of catching fire.

We pulled it out and cleaned under it, and even though i do that every 6 months or so, it was awful in there. The inside had lint and dust and cat hair built up so thick the fan wasn't turning well, and so the overheating the day before caused it to go.

Colin-from-Work will come by and take a look at it, see if it can be salvaged, but in the meantime, the house smells of ozone and Little Girl's friends at school told her she smelled like she had been near a fire.

It was scary, because it very nearly was a full blown fire. If it had gotten close to burning at any other time of day, we might not have caught it in time.

G-d is good.

Today is:

Absurdity Day -- an internet generated absurd holiday

Africa Industrialization Day -- UN

Air Your Dirty Laundry Day -- internet generated, and be careful with this one!

Beautiful Day -- Fairy Calendar

Catholic School Principal Appreciation Day -- designated by the National Catholic Education Association

Clean the Cat Hair Out of the Vacuum Cleaner Day -- internet generated, and always tops on my chore list

Day of Sekhmet and the Purifying Flame -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Day of National Sovereignty -- Argentina (commemorates the Battle of Vuelta de Obligado)

Dia da Consciencia Negra -- Brazil (Black Consciousness Day)

Fast for an Abundant World Harvest -- sponsored by Oxfam America

Globally Organized Hug A Runner Day aka G.O.H.A.R.D

Great American Smokeout -- save money and your life, try not to smoke today; started by the American Cancer Society

Name Your PC Day -- mine is Ol' Bessy, a/k/a Old Crankypants; sponsored by Wellcat Holidays

National Peanut Butter Fudge Day

Praetextatus and Paulina's Day -- Ancient Roman Calendar (Guardians of the Eleusinian Mysteries, pagan activists and devotees who tried to save Roman religions; date approximate)

Revolution Day -- Mexico (traditional)

St. Edmund the Martyr's Day (Patron of kings, torture victims, wolves; East Anglia, England; against plagues)

Teachers' Day -- Vietnam

Transgender Day of Remembrance -- memorial for those who have been killed because of transphobia

Universal Children's Day -- UN

Use Less Stuff Day -- a great idea! not an officially sponsored day, but you can get information about using less stuff at www.use-less-stuff.com/

World COPD Day -- International (helping people understand Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)

World Philosophy Day -- UNESCO

Zumbi Day -- Brazil (death anniversary of Zumbi dos Palmares, a day of Afro-Brazilian consciousness, as he was a hero and freedom fighter)

Anniversaries Today:

The Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) marries Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten at Westminster Abbey in London, 1947
The first municipal airport in the US opens, in Tuscon, AZ, 1919

Birthdays Today:

Sabrina Lloyd, 1970
Ming-Na Wen, 1967
Sean Young, 1959
Bo Derek, 1956
Steve Dahl, 1954
Richard Masur, 1948
Duane Allman, 1946
Judy Wooodruff, 1946
Veronica Hamel, 1943
Joe Biden, 1942
Dick Smothers, 1939
Don DeLillo, 1936
Richard Dawson, 1932
Estelle Parsons, 1927
Kaye Ballard, 1926
Robert F. Kennedy, 1925
Nadine Gordimer, 1923
Gene Tierney, 1920
Robert Byrd, 1917
Alistair Cooke, 1908
Chester Gould, 1900
Edwin Hubble, 1889
Karl von Frisch, 1886
Kenesaw Mountain Landis, 1866
Selma Lagerlf, 1858
Sir Wilfred Laurier, 1841
Thomas Chattertn, 1752
Oliver Wolcott, 1726
Susanna Wesley, 1669 (mother of John, Charles, and 17 other children)
Peregrine White, 1620 (born on the Mayflower)
Maximinus, Roman Emperor, 270

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Beatles Antology 1(album release), 1995
The Day After(TV movie), 1983
"A Soldier's Play"(Fuller Pulizer winning play), 1981
"Cabaret"(Musical), 1966
"The Seven Year Itch"(Play), 1952
"The Children's Hour"(Play), 1934
"The Goldbergs"(Radio), 1929
The Sheik(Film, with Rudolph Valentino), 1921
"Das Lied von der Erde/The Song of the Earth"(Mahler symphony), 1911
"The Doctor's Dilemma"(Play), 1906
"Fidelio"(Opera, Beethoven Op. 72), 1805

Today in History:

Bögü, Khan of the Uyghurs, conquers Lo-Yang, capital of the Chinese Empire, 762
Zumbi, the last leader of the Quilombo dos Palmares of Brazil, is executed, 1695
New Jersey becomes the first state to ratify the US Bill of Rights, 1789
Curacao's government forbids slave work on Sunday, 1795
Howard University is founded in Washington, D.C., 1866
US State Department starts requiring photographs for passports, 1914
The first municipally owned airport in US opens, in Tucson Az, 1919
In response to the Soviet Union agreeing to remove its missiles from Cuba, U.S. President John F. Kennedy ends the quarantine of the Caribbean nation, 1962
The SETI Institute is founded, 1984
Microsoft Windows 1.0 is released, 1985
The number of protesters assembled in Prague, Czechoslovakia swells from 200,000 the day before to an estimated half-million, 1989
In England, a fire breaks out in Windsor Castle, badly damaging the castle and causing over £50 million worth of damage, 1992
The first module of the International Space Station, Zarya, is launched, 1998
The Dow Jones Industrial Average reaches its lowest level in eleven years, 2008
NATO agrees to begin handing over Afghanistan's security to the Afghan military, 2010
The UN World Meteorological Organization announces the 2011 greenhouse gasses reached record levels, 2012
A vote of the General Synod of the Church of England approves women to be ordained bishops beginning the next year, 2013

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

Red-Headed Alec has a cat named Sparrow. When she was a baby, she used to perch on his shoulder when he walked around. She still perches on him sometimes.

Sparrow's favorite perch!

Today is:

Armed Forces Day -- Bangladesh

Colorado River Crossing Balloon Festival -- Yuma, AZ, US (through Sunday)

False Confessions Day -- internet generated, and not for the faint of heart

Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin -- Eastern and Roman Catholic Christian (those following the Gregorian Calendar)

Festival of Madonna della Salute -- Venice, Italy

Furniture Memory Day -- an internet generated test of your memory; see if you remember where you got each piece of furniture you own, how much it cost, and how its most precious scratch came to be; you are also encouraged to dust if you want to

General Framework Agreement Day -- RS, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Gerard d'Aboville Day -- marking the day, in 1991, he arrived in Ilwaco, WA, US, after departing Japan 4 months earlier in a rowboat!

Gingerbread Day

Grand Illumination Celebration and Gingerbread House Competition & Display -- Lahaska, PA, US (the holiday fun begins at the Peddler's Village)

Greater Pittsburgh Arts and Crafts Show -- Monroeville, PA, US (through Sunday)

Holiday Folk Fair International -- Milwaukee, WI, US (featuring costumes, dancing, entertainment, exhibits, and more from 65 cultures; through Sunday)

Holiday Lights on the Lake -- Altoona, PA, US (51 acres of lights, animations, gift shops, food, model train displays, and more; through the Sunday after New Year's Day)

National Stuffing Day -- various dates given on many sites, so if you enjoy stuffing, celebrate them all

No Music Day -- www.nomusicday.com for the explanation

Ranch Hand Festival and Breakfast -- King Ranch, Kingsville, TX, US (a real ranch hand meal, cooked and served outdoors, on a working cattle ranch where you can watch cowboys round up longhorns)
kickoff of the celebration La Posada de Kingsville, with special holiday celebrations through December

Silver Bells in the City -- Lansing, MI, US (the capital city sparkles as the business district lights up for the holidays)

St. Gelasius' Day

Substitute Educators Day -- US (the NEA encourages everyone to recognize those hard working substitute teachers, especially the ones who work most or all of the school year

Ugly Day -- Fairy Calendar

World Hello Day -- recognizing the importance of communication in world peace, say hello to people you don't usually greet today

World Television Day -- UN

York International Postcard Fair -- York, PA, US (over 100 international dealers in post cards show, sell, and trade their finest cards; through tomorrow)

Anniversaries Today:

South Carolina becomes the 12 US State, 1789

Birthdays Today:

Tasha Schwikert, 1984
Ken Griffey, Jr., 1969
Troy Aikman, 1966
Bjork, 1965
Nicollette Sheridan, 1963
Cherry Jones, 1956
Cynthia Rhodes, 1956
Lorna Luft, 1952
Goldie Hawn, 1945
Harold Ramis, 1944
Marcy Carsey, 1944
Tweety Bird, 1942
Juliet Mills, 1941
Marlo Thomas, 1938
James DePreist, 1936
Laurence Luckinbill, 1934
Joseph Campanella, 1927
Stan Musial, 1920
Coleman Hawkins, 1904
Rene Magritte, 1898
Hetty Green, 1834
William Beaumont, 1785
Josiah Bartlett, 1729
Voltaire, 1694

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"I'm Gonna Make You Love Me"(Single release), 1968
"A Tale of Two Kitties"(Warner cartoon, debut of Tweety Bird), 1942
"The Relapse, or, Virtue in Danger"(Vanbrugh play), 1696

Today in History:

Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family, restores the Temple in Jerusalem; this is the event commemorated each year by the festival of Hanukkah, BC164
The Pilgrims, aboard the Mayflower, reach what is now called Provincetown Harbor, Massachusetts, and sign the Mayflower Compact, 1620
Richard Johnson, a free black, is granted 550 acres in Virginia, 1654
In Paris, Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent, Marquis d'Arlandes, make the first untethered hot air balloon flight, 1783
Colonel Napoléon Bonaparte is promoted to full general and appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Armies of the French Republic, 1791
First Jewish Reform congregation in US forms, Charleston, SC, 1824
Moses F Gale patents a cigar lighter, 1871
Tom Edison announces his "talking machine" invention (phonograph), 1877
Rebecca Latimer Felton of Georgia takes the oath of office, becoming the first female United States Senator, 1922
First commercial crossing of Pacific by plane (China Clipper), 1935
The Alcan Highway is completed, 1942*
The British Natural History Museum announces that the "Piltdown Man" skull is a hoax, 1953
The first permanent ARPANET link is established between UCLA and SRI, 1969
Gerard d'Aboville completes his four-month solo journey to row across the Pacific Ocean, 1991
The Dayton Peace Agreement is initialed at the Wright Patterson Air Force Base, near Dayton, Ohio, ending three and a half years of war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1995
NATO invites Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia to become members, 2002
Iran's President Ahmadinejad rejects the country's successful family planning program and tells Iranian girls they should marry at 16, 2010
The three most senior surviving members of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge regime are charged with genocide and crimes against humanity, 2011
For the second time in four months, New Zealand's Mount Tongariro volcano, on the North Island, erupts, 2012

*Not opened to general vehicular traffic until the next year

It is Grandpa's birthday!

He grew up poor in NOLA, with a dad who abandoned the family and a mother who ran a small corner grocery to support her two children and her sister, who helped her raise the kids.

When he was 11, he got his first job, delivering newspapers. He'd get up at 2am to get his papers, fold and rubber band them, and deliver them on his bicycle. He was required to get the paper on the front porch, or the person would complain and he'd lose the money for that delivery. Some front porches were on the second floor of the building, so he developed a great arm. A few times, he was shot at while making deliveries.

After delivering papers, he rode past a bakery to buy bread, then went home to get ready for school. His sister would ride the streetcar with him, and she would have to wake him up when they got there.

Never afraid of work, he had after school jobs, weekend, jobs, and summer jobs, as well as delivering newspapers. His income paid his sister's allowance and her piano lessons, among other things. In college, he took 21 hours every semester, was the lab assistant for his head professor, and still worked. In med school, he still delivered papers, and in residency, he would come off of a 16-hour shift to spend 8 hours doing insurance physicals, then start it all over again.

His dream through his whole medical career as an Ob/Gyn was to revolutionize how women were treated in medicine in the New Orleans area, and he did. His other dream was to be able to practice medicine for free (and he did a lot of that even when he was seeing paying patients). That dream became a reality when he retired and was able to start going to Nicaragua regularly. He started a women's free clinic there, that is still run on the donations he set up and with the medical missionaries who worked with him.

We are so grateful that we still have Grandpa with us. It would take me hours to chronicle his life, so i'm summing up with Happy Birthday, Grandpa! We love you!

Today is:

Dispute-Settling Assizes -- Fairy Calendar (no, they won't tell us what kind of disputes)

Dita e Alfabetit -- Albania and Ethnic Albanians (Day of the Albanian Alphabet)

Family Volunteer Day -- to get families working together to better their communities and the world; info here

Go for a Ride Day -- internet generated; during the crazy holiday season, go out for a relaxing sleigh ride or something

Holidays in the City Grand Illumination Parade -- Norfolk, VA, US (to kick off Thanksgiving and the upcoming holidays)

Holodomor Remembrance Day -- international commemoration of the Death By Hunger Genocide in Ukraine

Independence Day -- Lebanon(1943)

International Aura Awareness Day -- to increase the awareness of the human energy body, or aura

International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day -- www.survivorday.org

Natchitoches Festival of Lights -- Natchitoches, LA, US (over 350,000 lights go on every night from now until Jan, 6, with carolers on Friday and Saturday evenings downtown, festivals and events every weekend; come celebrate the season in the Oldest Settlement in the Louisiana Purchase)

National Adoption Day -- US (encouraging us to find a home for every child; many courts finalize thousands of adoptions of children from foster care on this day each year)

National Cashew Day -- some sites have this on the 23rd, i celebrate both as i love cashews

National Stop the Violence Day -- a call by US radio and TV stations for a cease fire on American streets, on the anniversary of John Kennedy's assassination; observed with white ribbons and driving with headlights on during the day

National Survivors of Suicide Day -- US (by Congressional designation since 1999, and now an international movement; remembering those who have lost loved ones to suicide, especially as Thanksgiving and the holidays are coming)

Nordic Yulefest -- Nordic Museum, Seattle, WA, US (a Scandinavian holiday extravaganza; through tomorrow)

Phonograph Day -- Edison publicly demonstrated his new music playing device on this day in 1877

Start Your Own Country Day -- begun at the 1939 World's Fair in New York

St. Cecilia's Day (Patron of composers, luthiers, martyrs, music, musicians, musical instrument makers, poets, singers; Academy of Music, Rome, Italy; Albi, France; Omaha, Nebraska; Valleyfield, Quebec)

Tori No Ichi -- Japan (a "rooster day" in which to wish good luck and prosperity at temple and shrine ceremonies around the country)

World's Champion Duck-Calling Contest and Festival -- Stuttgart, AR, US (pageants for Queen Mallard and Junior Queen Mallard, carnival, and the best duck calling possible; through Nov. 30)

Ydalir -- Ancient Norse Calendar (Celebration of the wintertime god of skiing and archery, Ullr; date approximate)

Anniversary Today:

The Humane Society of the United States is founded, 1954

Birthdays Today:

Scarlett Johansson, 1984
Scott Robinson, 1979
Boris Becker, 1967
Mariel Hemingway, 1961
Jamie Lee Curtis, 1958
Richard Kind, 1957
Billie Jean King, 1943
Guion S. Bluford, Jr., 1942
Harry Edwards, 1942
Tom Conti, 1941
Terry Gilliam, 1940
Robert Vaughn, 1932
Rodney Dangerfield, 1921
Benjamin Britten, 1913
Hoagie Carmichael, 1899
Wiley Post, 1898
Charles de Gaulle, 1890
John Nance Garner, 1868
George Eliot (Mary A. Evans), 1819
Abigail Adams, 1744

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Cathy"(Comic strip), 1976
"The Beatles/The White Album"(Beatles album release), 1968
"Man of La Mancha"(Musical), 1965
"The Grand Canyon Suite"(Grofe suite for orchestra), 1931
"Bolero"(Ravel orchestral piece), 1928
"La Forza del Destino/The Power of Fate"(Verdi opera), 1862
On the Origin of Species(Publication date), 1859

Today in History:

The first Duke of all Brittany, Nominoe defeats the Frankish king Charles the Bald at the Battle of Ballon near Redon, 845
Spain delegates "New Laws" against slavery in America, 1542
Dutch colonial forces on Taiwan launch a pacification campaign against native villages, resulting in Dutch control of the middle and south of the island, 1635
Off the coast of North Carolina, British pirate Edward Teach (best known as "Blackbeard") is killed in battle with a boarding party led by Lieutenant Robert Maynard, 1718
Peregrine Williamson of Baltimore patents a steel pen, 1809
Canadian journalist and politician William Lyon Mackenzie called for a rebellion against Great Britain, 1837
In Dumbarton, Scotland, the clipper Cutty Sark is launched – one of the last clippers ever to be built, and the only one still surviving to this day, 1869
Victoria Street Cable Tram route begins in Melbourne, Australia, 1886
The Congress of Manastir establishes the Albanian alphabet, 1908
1st snowmobile patent granted to Carl Eliason of Sayner Wisconsin, 1927
The premier performance of Ravel's Boléro takes place in Paris, 1928
Gasoline pump patented that computes quantity & price delivered, 1932
"Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" first heard on Eddie Cantor's show, 1934
The Humane Society of the United States is founded, 1954
US President John F. Kennedy is killed and Texas Governor John B. Connally is seriously wounded by Lee Harvey Oswald, 1963
The United Nations General Assembly grants the Palestine Liberation Organization observer status, 1974
Juan Carlos is declared King of Spain following the death of Francisco Franco, 1975
In Palmdale, California, the first prototype B-2 Spirit stealth bomber is revealed, 1988
Toy Story is released as the first feature-length film created completely using computer-generated imagery, 1995
Angela Merkel becomes the first female Chancellor of Germany, 2005
Germany holds its first piracy trial in 400 years, placing 10 Somalis accused of piracy on trial for alleged attacks on a German ship, 2010
Scientists in New Britain, Papua New Guinea, discover the first orchid known to flower at night, 2011

Silly Sunday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus. It's the place to come for weekly laughs, and the rules are simple, just have fun, Laugh and Link Up!

Colin-from-Work, who does handyman work on the side and is licenced to do refrigeration and A/C work, came by yesterday to take a look at the refrigerator that tried to catch fire back on Tuesday.

He took it apart and thoroughly checked and tested it and pronounced it dead. The other fridges were cleaned to make sure the same didn't happen to them, neither being in anywhere near as bad of shape.

While i am sad that it couldn't be resurrected, i am glad that Grandpa and Grandma gave us a spare refrigerator several years ago, and someone at Sweetie's work gave us one a few months ago. It was nice have 3 of them with so many people in this house, but two will do.

The death of the fridge has reminded me of a joke.

Boudreaux, Thibodeaux, and Gaston were talking about what they wanted said of them at their funerals.

Gaston said, "Mais, when I be gone, I hope day say, 'Dat Gaston! He could fix anyt'ing, an' he was allus fixin' stuff for people, an' doin' great work at it.' Dat's what I hope dey say."

Thibodeaux said, "When I go to de great beyon', I hope say, "Oh, dat Thibodeaux! He could sing an' play dat fiddle an' cheer anybody up! Couldn't nobody be sad when dat Thibodeaux play an' sing!' Dat's what I hope dey say about me."

An' Boudreaux said, "At my funeral, I hope dey say, 'Look! He's moving!'"

Today is:

Can You Find Your Old Rubik's Cube and Still Work It Day -- internet generated, and why would you bother?

Celebration of Christ The King -- Christian (final Sunday of the Ecclesiastical Year) related observance
Stir Up Sunday -- the day to get your Christmas plum pudding started

Chinggis Khaan's Birthday -- Mongolia

Color Photos Day -- anniversary of the Kodak introduction of modern color film in 1935

Eat A Cranberry Day -- just to see why you add sugar, i guess

Feast of Qawl(Speech) -- Baha'i

Fibonacci Day -- celebrating the mathematical Fibonacci Series, which begins as 1,1,2,3

Giorgoba -- Georgia (St. George's Day; they celebrate their patron saint twice a year, today and May 6, his feast day on the OS calendar)

Hadakambo Festival -- Hofu, Japan (men dressed only in loincloths brave the cold carrying floats to the shrine)

International Image Consultant Day -- Association of Image Consultants International

Jukebox Day -- many days compete for this title, but the first known nickel-in-the-slot record machine went into service on this day in 1889 in San Francisco, CA, US

Kinro Kansha no Hi -- Japan (Labour Day Thanksgiving, when people express gratitude to each other for their work through the year)

Mother Goose Parade Day -- El Cajon, CA, US (kicking off the holiday season with good, family fun)

National Cashew Day -- some sites list it on the 22nd, i'm celebrating both as i love cashews

National Espresso Day

National Farm-City Week -- US (on the week of Thanksgiving, remember that it's the farmers, ranchers and growers who supply your celebratory foods)

Pencil Sharpener Day -- John Love of Massachusetts patented the first one this day in 1897

Repudiation Day -- Maryland, US (anniversary of the Franklin County Court refusal to cooperate with Britain's Stamp Tax Act)

Rudolf Maister Day -- Slovenia

St. Clement's Day (Patron of boatmen/mariners/sailors/watermen, marble workers/stonecutters, sick children; Dundee, Scotland; Velletri, Italy)

St. Columbanus's Day (Patron of motorcyclists; Bobbio, Italy; against floods)

St. Felicity's Day (Patron of martyrs, widows; against the death of children, sterility)

Totensonntag/Ewigkeitssonntag -- Germany (Sunday of the Dead/Eternity Sunday; a general celebration and memorial of all who have died, decreed to be celebrated in Lutheran Churches by King Frederick William III of Prussia in 1816)

Birthdays Today:

Miley Cyrus, 1992
Lucas Grabeel, 1984
Salli Richardson, 1967
Steve Harvey, 1956
Bruce Hornsby, 1954
Susan Anspach, 1945
Krzysztof Penderecki, 1933
Jerry Bock, 1928
Johnny Mandel, 1925
Emmett Littleton Ashfrd, 1914
Harpo Marx, 1888
Boris Karloff, 1887
Billy the Kidd (William H. Bonney), 1859
Franklin Pierce, 1804
Edward Rutledge, 1749

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"I Feel Fine"(Beatles single release), 1964
"Dr. Who"(TV), 1963
"Fiorello!"(Musical), 1959
"Of Mice and Men"(Play), 1937
Life Magazine(First issue), 1936
First play-by-play American style football game radio broadcast, 1919 (Texas A&M beat University of Texas, 7-0)

Today in History:

Thespis of Icaria becomes the first actor to portray a character onstage, BC534
Charlemagne arrives at Rome to investigate the alleged crimes of Pope Leo III, 800
Conquest of Seville by the Christian troops under King Ferdinand III of Castile. 1248
Areopagitica, a pamphlet decrying censorship, and written by John Milton is published, 1644
People of Frederick County Md refuse to pay England's Stamp tax, 1765
Henry Burden patents Horseshoe manufacturing machine, 1835
Patent granted for a process of making color photographs, 1863
The first jukebox goes into operation at the Palais Royale Saloon in San Francisco, 1889
King William III of the Netherlands dies without a male heir and a special law is passed to allow his daughter Princess Wilhelmina to become his heir, 1890
Andrew J Beard invents "jerry coupler," to connect railroad cars, 1897
Pencil sharpener patented by J L Love, 1897
Enrico Caruso makes his US debut at the Metropolitan Opera House, NY in "Rigoletto", 1903
Wright Brothers forms million dollar corporation to manufacture airplanes, 1909
Life Magazine publishes its first issue, 1936
The Cocos Islands are transferred from the control of the United Kingdom to Australia, 1955
The BBC broadcasts the first ever episode of Doctor Who (starring William Hartnell) which is the world's longest running science fiction drama, 1963
Representatives of the People's Republic of China attend the United Nations, including the United Nations Security Council, for the first time, 1971
A series of earthquakes in southern Italy kills approximately 4,800 people, 1980
The first all woman expedition to the south pole (3 Americans, 1 Japanese and 12 Russians), sets off from Antarctica on the 1st leg of a 70 day, 1287 kilometre ski trek, 1990
Convention on Cybercrime is signed in Budapest, Hungary, 2001
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is elected president of Liberia and becomes the first woman to lead an African country, 2005
A message is found on the leg of a mummified pigeon from WWII in Surrey, England, in a code that is unrecognized, 2012
A special 50th anniversary episode of Dr. Who is aired, simulcast to 94 countries and earning a Guiness World Record for the largest simulcast of a TV drama, 2013

Awww Monday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus.

It's great to start the week with a smile, so post a picture that makes people say, "Awww!" and link up, and spread the sunshine!

Kida, the elderly Siamese, is getting frail, but here's a picture from times past when she would cuddle the kittens to keep everyone warm.

Kida and her "fan club."

She now keeps mostly to herself, sleeping under the pie safe in the pantry hall, and coming out several times a day to sneeze and eat.

Today is:

Brumalia -- Byzantine Empire celebration of Dyonisus and New Wine Festival; until the solstice

Canadian Western Agribition -- IPSCO Place, Regina, SK, Canada (Canada's premier agriculture showcase; through Saturday)

Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day -- there used to be a website associated with this day, but it closed; that's no reason for you not to celebrate your uniqueness!

Celtic Tree Month Ruish (Elder) begins

Dia de la Soberania Nacional -- Argentina (Sovereignty Day)

D.B. Cooper Day -- anniversary of the 1971 hijacking

Discovery Day -- Tasmania (by Abel Tasman in 1642)

Evolution Day -- On the Origin of Species published this day in 1859

Feast of the Martyrs of Vietnam -- Roman Catholic Church

Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom - Sikh

Icelandic Calendar Month Ylir (Whiner) begins -- named after the whining winter winds

Learn When To Start Thawing the Turkey Day -- US (USDA "Let's Talk Turkey" hotline 800-535-4555; Butterball "Turkey Talk-Line" 800-323-4848)

Lachit Divas -- Assam, India

National Military Families Recognition Day -- US (by Presidential Proclamation in 1993, the Monday before Thanksgiving Day)

National Sardines Day -- wonder how this would go over next to the turkey today?

Persephone Day (a/k/a Kore -- Ancient Greek Calendar (celebration of her as wheel goddess of the underworld; date approximate, but she is often associated with St. Catherine)

Ragtime Day -- birth anniversary of Scott Joplin

St. Colman of Cloyne's Day (Patron of Cloyne, Ireland)

St. Joachim Ho's Day -- a Martyr of China

St. Mary of Cordoba's Day (Patron of martyrs)

Teacher's Day -- Turkey

Third Bash of the Tree-Toppers -- Fairy Calendar (fairy creatures who don't believe in "one" or "two", so start counting at three)

Use Even If Seal is Broken Day -- internet generated; observe at your own risk, always!

Zibelemarit -- Bern, Switzerland (Onion Market Festival, in front of the Federal Palace, one of the country's best known and most popular autumn markets, always on the fourth Monday in November to commemorate the granting of market right to people after great fire of Berne in 1405.)

Birthdays Today:

Katherine Heigl, 1978
Brad Sherwood, 1964
Stanley Livingston, 1950
Rudy Tomjanovich, 1948
Dwight Schultz, 1947
Oscar Palmer Robertson, 1938
William F. Buckley, Jr., 1925
Howard Duff, 1913
Charles "Lucky" Luciano, 1897
Dale Carnegie, 1888
Erich von Manstein, 1887
Alben William Barkley, 1877
Scott Joplin, 1868
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, 1864
Bat Masterson, 1853
Frances Hodgson Burnett, 1849
Bram Stoker, 1847
Zachary Taylor, 1784
Laurence Sterne, 1713
Charles Theodore Pachelbel, 1690
Baruch Spinoza, 1632(O.S. date)

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Guys and Dolls"(Musical), 1950
Softball, as a sport, invented this day as a spur of the moment game at the Farragut Boat Club in Chicago, IL, US, 1887

Today in History:

Theodosius I makes his formal entry into Constantinople, 380
Rabbi Nathan ben Yehiel of Rome completes his Talmudic dictionary, 1105
The Thames River freezes, 1434
First observation of transit of Venus occurred (only 2, record event), 1639
Abel Janzoon Tasman becomes the first European to see Van Damien's Land, later renamed Tasmania, 1642
First Lutheran pastor ordained in America, Justus Falckner at Philadelphia, 1703
Mt. Vesuvius erupts, 1759
Charles Darwin publishes "On the Origin of Species", 1859
Luik-Visé-Maastricht railway opens, 1861
Joseph F Glidden patents his improved barbed wire, 1874
The first US absentee voting law enacted by Vermont, 1896
Clyde Coleman of NYC patents automobile electric starter, 1903
Radio Belgium makes its first transmission, 1923
The first woman pilot on a transcontinental air flight, Miss Ruth Nichols (Mineola, NY to Calif), in a Lockheed-Vega, took 7 days, 1930
In Washington, D.C., the FBI Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory (better known as the FBI Crime Lab) officially opens, 1932
Lee Harvey Oswald is murdered by Jack Ruby, 1963
During a severe thunderstorm over Washington state, a hijacker calling himself Dan Cooper (AKA D. B. Cooper) parachutes from a Northwest Orient Airlines plane with $200,000 in ransom money, and is never seen again, 1971
A national speed limit is imposed on the Autobahn in Germany due to the 1973 oil crisis; it lasts only four months, 1973
The communist party resigns in Czechoslovakia, 1989
By a margin of only 50.28% t 49.72%, Ireland votes to end the 70 year old ban on divorce, 1995
Ireland presents its austerity package to the European Union and IMF, 2010
Palestinian officials announce their plan to exhume the body of Yasser Arafat too determine if he was poisoned, 2012

Suldog is leading the charge again, among those of us who celebrate Thanksgiving in November, to remember not to skip over this hallowed and august celebration before barreling our way into the madness that is the end of the year holidays of consumption.

Too many stores are trampling tradition and refusing their employees the dignity of a day to celebrate with their families, all in the name of chasing a few dollars which research has shown only siphon off Black Friday profits, not adding to them. Yes, really, opening on Thanksgiving Day itself doesn't bring store profits up, it just spreads the same amount of spending over two days.

No, i will not be shopping on Thanksgiving, nor will i be shopping on Black Friday. We have enough stuff in our house, anyway, and most of our gifts are home baked or very simple ones for family and close friends. This year, to keep them from losing the last of my tools, i think all of my kids will get their own small tool set. Perhaps then i can hide mine well enough that it will stay together.

Back to the subject at hand, i do not care how many tool sets are on sale only on Thanksgiving Day or Black Friday, i will find others on different days. While i understand that hospital workers, and some plant engineers, and people who keep our electricity flowing, our newspapers printing, and our convenience stores open will have to work, there's no reason most retail workers shouldn't have a day to enjoy and be thankful without having to go to work to sell stuff to people so greedy they can't wait one more day.

When i was young, i remember the grocery stores were open for a few hours in the morning only on Thanksgiving, so their own employees could go home and have an afternoon with their families. Grandpa was always called to the hospital, too -- he delivered babies, and they don't read calendars. Everything else was closed. That's what i miss, that you knew what the day was for, and you celebrated it that way.

The times they are a-changing, it is true, and in some things, for the better. In this tendency to play into the greedy season before we even have a chance to wipe the gravy from our lips, i think it's for the worse.

If you have the misfortune to have to work retail on Thanksgiving, you won't be seeing me. You are welcome.

Today is:

Anniversary of Moquegua City -- Peru (founded this date in 1541)

Banquet for Monkeys / Monkey Buffet Festival -- Khmer Ruins of Lop Buri, Thailand (about 3,000 monkeys are served lunch while humans get to watch; some describe it as a riot but without the police)

Cat-Napping Convention -- Fairy Calendar

Day Sacred to Proserpina -- Ancient Roman Calendar (also Persephone, of the Greeks, the Wheel goddess of the Underworld, often associated with St. Catherine; see below)

Evacuation Day -- 19th Century New York City (withdrawal of British troops in 1783)

Hari Guru -- Indonesia (Teacher's Day)

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women -- UN

International Hat Day -- www.internationalhatday.com

Mangé Yam -- Haiti (fete de la moisson; a yam harvest festival)

National Day -- Bosnia and Herzegovina (commemorates the 1943 declaration of statehood within Yugoslavia)

National Don't Utter A Word Day -- internet generated, and variously listed as the 25th of November, February, or May; pick one if you want

National Parfait Day

Persephone Day (a/k/a Kore) -- Ancient Greek Calendar (celebration of her as wheel goddess of the underworld; date approximate, but she is often associated with St. Catherine; see below)

Saint Catherine of Alexandria's Day -- of the Catherine Wheel, sometimes associated with the Wheel of Karma and the Hindu Kali; one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers (Patron of apologists, archivists, attorneys, barristers, craftsmen who work with wheels of any sort, dying people, educators, girls, jurists, knife grinders and sharpeners, lawyers, librarians, libraries, maidens, mechanics, millers, nurses, old maids, philosophers, potters, preachers, scholars, schoolchildren, scribes, secretaries, spinners, spinsters, stenographers, students, tanners, teachers, theologians, turners, University of Paris, unmarried girls, and wheelwrights; Aalsum, Netherlands; Bertinoro, Italy; Camerata Picena, Italy; Dumaguete, Philippines; Heidesheim am Rhein, Germany; Kuldiga, Latvia; Mähring, Germany; Saint Catharines, Ontario; Zejtun, Malta; Zurrieq, Malta) related observance
Women's Merrymaking Day -- Women go 'Cath'rining' and have a good time (in some places, especially France, women may propose marriage on this day)

Shopping Reminder Day -- exactly a month until Christmas

Srefidensi -- Suriname (Republic Day/Independence Day)

Statehood Day -- FBiH, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Strange Names Day -- in honor of all the celebrity -- and other -- kids with "unique" names; sponsored the last Tuesday in November by Marlar in the Morning at 101QFL in Rockford, IL, US

Vajiravudh Day -- Thailand

White Ribbon Day -- International (if you know a victim of violence, help break their silence! because domestic violence affects all of society)

Birthdays Today:

Barbara and Jenna Bush, 1981
Jerry Ferrara, 1979
Donovan McNabb, 1976
Eddie Steeples, 1973
Christina Applegate, 1971
Jill Hennessy, 1968
Cris Carter, 1965
Amy Grant, 1960
John F. Kennedy, Jr., 1960
Bucky Dent, 1951
John Larroquette, 1947
Ben Stein, 1944
Joe Jackson Gibbs, 1940
Lenny Moore, 1933
Paul Desmond, 1924
Ricardo Montalban, 1920
Joe DiMaggio, 1914
Solanus Casey, 1870
Carry Nation, 1846
Karl F. Benz, 1844
Andrew Carnegie, 1835

Today in History:

A tsunami, caused by the earthquake in the Tyrrhenian Sea, devastates Naples (Italy) and the Maritime Republic of Amalfi, among other places, 1343
The siege of Granada, the last Moorish stronghold in Spain, begins, 1491
A deadly earthquake rocks Shemakha, in the Caucasus, killing 80,000 people, 1667
The Great Storm of 1703, the greatest windstorm ever recorded in the southern part of Great Britain, reaches its peak intensity which it maintains through November 27. Winds gust up to 120 mph, and 9,000 people died, 1703
First English patent granted to an American, for processing corn, 1715
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is founded, 1758
Farmer's Almanac first published, 1792
The Greek frigate Hellas arrives in Nafplion to become the first flagship of the Hellenic Navy, 1826
A cyclone slams India with high winds and a 40 foot storm surge, destroying the port city of Coringa (never to be entirely rebuilt again); the storm wave sweeps inland, taking with it 20,000 ships and thousands of people. An estimated 300,000 deaths result from the disaster, 1839
Alfred Nobel patents dynamite, 1867
John B Meyenberg of St Louis patents evaporated milk, 1884
American College of Surgeons incorporates in Springield, Illinois, 1912
First Thanksgiving Day Parade is held in Philadelphia, 1920
690 earthquake shocks recorded in 1 day in Ito, Japan, 1930
The first Soviet liquid fuel rocket attains altitude of 261' (80m), 1933
Woody Woodpecker debuts with release of Walter Lantz's "Knock Knock", 1940
New Zealand ratifies the Statute of Westminster and thus becomes independent of legislative control by the United Kingdom, 1947
Agatha Christie's murder-mystery play The Mousetrap opens at the Ambassadors Theatre in London later becoming the longest continuously-running play in history, 1952
The Minneapolis Thanksgiving Day Fire destroys an entire city block, 1982
The United Nations establishes the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women to commemorate the murder of three Mirabal Sisters for resistance against the Rafael Trujillo dictatorship in Dominican Republic, 1999
Powerful storm brings 3 years worth of rain in 4 hours to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, sparking terrible floods, 2009

Musical Cars

Feline Friday: Weird Stuff

Spying Out Fun

Silly Sunday: Sick

Well, i was gonna do an Awww Monday...

Now for today's good news.

When do i get a normal day?

The Light Going Off

Feline Friday: Where else?

Found Her Tribe

Silly Sunday: Protecting Your Health

Awww Monday: It's In The Bag

Sweet Revenge

Almost Wordless Wednesday: Anticipation

Scary, Scary, Scary

Feline Friday: Cat-Bird

Many Happy Returns

Silly Sunday: Diagnosis -- RIP

Awww Monday: Blast from the Past

Thanksgiving Comes First, 2014