messymimi's meanderings

(Because some people like Blogger and some like WordPress, i am putting the same content at both. If you would prefer to read this on the other site, it is linked here.)

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

He has handed hosting duties off to Sandee, of Comedy Plus, and it's simple to join, just follow the link to Sandee's page for the rules and the code.

The only thing i can grow is felines:

Tripod SissyCat sleeping in a pot. The “tree” next to her is a fake.

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Friendly Fill-Ins are easy to do. There are four statements: the first two statements are provided by Ellen of 15AndMeowing, and the final two are offered by McGuffy Ann Morris of McGuffy's Reader. They try to make sure the statements will be fun to both answer and share. The linky will be posted at or about 12:00 AM on Friday. Please head over to one of their sites, link up, and share your thoughts!

My fill-ins for the statements are underlined:

Week 100: April 6, 2018

1. is one of my .

2. I to .

3. I have a hard time .

4. is easy for me.

Coffee is one of my must haves. There will be nothing done without coffee.

I love to laugh! Life is too short and too many wonderful things happen to be gloomy all of the time.

I have a hard time understanding how anyone can be purposefully mean or cruel.

Reading is easy for me. It’s not that way for everyone, i understand, because we all have our gifts and the different ways our brains work. For some people, reading is a chore not a delight. As for me, i don’t know what i would do without books.

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To enjoy more blogs participating in the A to Z Challenge, click here.

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Today is:

Act of Self Determination Day -- Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Animated Cartoon Day -- date of release, in 1908, of Humorous Phases of Funny Faces, often considered the first actual animated cartoon

Army Day -- US (by proclamation of FDR in 1942)

California Poppy Day -- California, US (state flower)

Chakri Dynasty Day and King Rama I Memorial Day -- Thailand

Drowsy Driver Awareness Day -- please pull over and take a nap when you need to

Hospital Admitting Clerks Day -- remembering those people at the front desk who make sure you get in and to the right place

International Day of Sport for Development and Peace -- UN (on the anniversary of the date of the opening of the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896)

Jump Over Things Day -- probably started by the same people who brought us Walk Around Things Day on the 4th; as if friends and family aren't looking at you strangely enough after that one

Medieval Fair -- Norman, OK, US (living history, and lots of fun; through Sunday)

National Caramel Popcorn Day

National Student Athlete Day -- US

National Walk to Work Day -- US (originally sponsored by Prevention Magazine, and different from the one in September)

New Beer's Eve -- US (unofficial celebration of the end of Prohibition; beer became legal to sell again on tomorrow's date in 1933)

North Pole Day -- Peary and Co. arrived there this day in 1909

Plan Your Epitaph Day -- figure out how you want to be remembered, and then live that way! (some sites celebrate this on Nov. 1)

President Ntaryamira Day -- Burundi (anniversary of assassination)

Sorting-Out of the Doggets Day -- Fairy Calendar

St. Sixtus' Day (Patron of Alatri, Italy)

Student Government Day -- US (encouraging kids to learn about how government works by learning to govern themselves)

Tartan Day -- Scottish diaspora of Canada and the US (anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320)

Teflon Day -- Polytetraflouroethylene resin was developed by Roy J. Plunkett while working for E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company in 1938

Think About Spring Cleaning Day -- don't do it, just think about it

Twinkie Day -- the snack cakes that will never go away were invented on this day in 1930

Birthdays Today:

Candace Cameron, 1976

Zach Braff, 1975

Ari Meyers, 1969

Paul Rudd, 1969

Marilu Henner, 1952

John Razenberger, 1947

Barry Levinson, 1942

Philip Austin, 1941

Roy Thinnes, 1938

Merle Haggard, 1937

Billy Dee Williams, 1937

Andre Previn, 1929

James Watson, 1928

Gerry Mulligan, 1927

Lowell Thomas, 1892

Rose Schneiderman, 1882

Butch Cassidy, 1866

René Lalique, 1860

Raphael, 1483

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Barney & Friends"(TV), 1992

Post-It Notes(first day of sale), 1980

"Entertaining Mr. Sloane"(Play), 1964

"Little Orphan Annie"(Radio series), 1931

"La Double Inconstance / Double Inconsistancy"(Play), 1723

Today in History:

Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato (Cato the Younger) in the battle of Thapsus, BC46

The Roman army under the command of Stilicho stymies the Visigoths under Alaric in the Battle of Pollentia, 402

Charlemagne confirms his father Pepin the Short's "Donation of Pepin," which had established the Papal States, 774

King Richard I, The Lionheart, of England dies from an infection following the removal of an arrow from his shoulder, 1199

The Scots reaffirm their independence by signing the Declaration of Arbroath, 1320

The Italian poet Petrarch first sees his beloved Laura, 1327

At the Cape of Good Hope, Dutch sailor Jan van Riebeeck establishes a resupply camp that eventually becomes Cape Town , 1652

An earthquake devastates Dubrovnik, then an independent city-state, 1667

Peter the Great of Russia ends the tax on men with beards in that country, 1722

Rama I succeeds King Taksin of Siam (modern day Thailand), who is overthrown in a coup d'état, 1782

The Committee of Public Safety becomes the executive organ of the republic in France, and the period known as the Reign of Terror begins, 1793

John Jacob Astor incorporates the American Fur Company, 1808

Celluloid, the first plastic, is patented, 1869

The city of Vancouver, BC, is incorporated, 1886

The Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City is dedicated, 1893

In Athens, the first modern Olympic Games are opened, 1,500 years after being banned by Emperor Theodosius I; James Connoly of the US becomes the first gold medalist of the modern games, 1896

The Kishinev pogrom forces thousands of Jews to seek refuge in Israel and the West, 1903

Robert Peary and Matthew Henson allegedly reach the North Pole, 1909

Governor Huey P. Long is impeached by the Louisiana House of Representatives, 1929

Mohandas Gandhi raises a lump of mud and salt and declares, "With this, I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire." Thus he starts the Salt Satyagraha, 1930

Launch of Early Bird, the first communications satellite to be placed in geosynchronous orbit, 1965

The American League of Major League Baseball begins using the designated hitter, 1973

Pakistan tests medium-range missiles capable of reaching India, 1998

Rolandas Paksas becomes the first president of Lithuania to be peacefully removed from office by impeachment, 2004

Scientists announce the discovery of three new animal species that spent their entire lives without oxygen, 2010

In England, lawmakers ban the display of tobacco products, hoping the move will lead to a reduction in the number of youths who smoke, 2012

(Because some people like Blogger and some like WordPress, i am putting the same content at both. If you would prefer to read this on the other site, it is linked here.)

Gratitude /ɡradəˌt(y)o͞od/

noun

the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

There's an online gratitude list where i post something every day for which i am grateful, and i try to think of several things to be thankful for each day.

As i've practiced this, i've noticed it has a positive benefit in many ways.

Now, i am thankful to find out that it's not all just in my head. There's a book called The Gratitude Diaries, by Janice Kaplan, and i highly recommend that everyone should read it.

Reading this book, i am grateful and thankful to find that:

Being grateful to your spouse can improve your relationship, because most people return gratitude with more gratitude.

You can teach children to be thankful by both modeling and showing them how fortunate they are.

While you cannot change some things, like the weather, quitting complaining about things you cannot control makes life more pleasant and adds to life satisfaction.

Stuff won't make you happy, but being grateful for what you have will help you get off of the treadmill of always wanting more.

You may think you would be happier if you had more money, but if you aren't thankful for what you have, you won't be happier with more.

Gratitude for where you are does not have to mean you want to stay there, being thankful can increase your ambition while making you happier on the way to where you are going.

Emotions affect us physically, and working to be more thankful and grateful has a positive affect on health.

Being exposed to nature and exercising can boost gratitude and thus well-being.

Taking time before you eat to be thankful for what is in front of you, and filling up on both gratitude and food that makes you feel grateful that you ate it (not bloated and sickly) will help you maintain a healthier weight.

Gratitude makes it easier to get through the hard times.

Acting on our gratitude by paying it forward is a wonderful way to approach life.

Being thankful increases our joy in life.

A big Thank You to the member of our Ladies Circle who introduced me to this book!

Josie Two Shoes gracefully hosts the Ten Things of Thankful blog, and i am very grateful to her for the work she puts into it. With so many benefits to being thankful, why not make your own list and link up?

An InLinkz Link-up

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To enjoy more blogs participating in the A to Z Challenge, click here.

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Today is:

Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia -- Philadelphia, PA, US (in conjunction with the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia; through the 15th)

Elmira Maple Syrup Festival -- Elmira, ON, Canada (fun for the whole family, and delicious, too!)

Every Day is Tag Day™ -- make sure your pet has an up to date tag or microchip, just in case!

Genocide Memorial Day -- Rwanda

Goddess Karna's Day -- Asatru/Slavic Pagan Calendar (goddess of crying and wailing)

Historic Pendleton Spring Jubilee -- Pendleton, SC, US (through tomorrow)

International Beaver Day -- celebrating the species that restores valuable wetlands www.beaversww.org

International Pillow Fight Day -- yes, really, and it is lots of fun

International Snailpaper Day -- relax today with a hard copy of a regular, old fashioned newspaper

Kasama Tsutsuji Matsuri -- Kasama, Japan (Azalea festival attended by about 3 million people through May 6)

Katori Jingu Otaue-sai -- Sawara, Chiba Prefecture, Japan (rice planting festival; through tomorrow)

Metric System Day -- officially adopted in France on this day in 1795

Motherhood and Beauty Day -- Armenia (day the Armenian Orthodox Church celebrated the Annunciation; it is the only Church to celebrate it on this day, which is also observed as Mother's Day in this country)

National Beer Day -- US (unofficial, the celebration of the end of Prohibition)

National Coffee Cake Day

National Health Day -- Kiribati

No Housework Day/Let Someone Else Clean Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays, enjoy this one!

Pandia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (a festival of Zeus; date approximate)

Pesach/Passover -- Judaism (ends at sundown tonight)

Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume Day -- Tanzania

St. Saint John Baptist de La Salle's Day (Patron of educators, school principals, teachers)

Tangible Karma™ Day -- set aside an hour today to become purposefully aware of the needs of someone around you, and to fulfill that need; because giving feels as good as receiving

Tater Day -- Benton, KY, US (old fashioned family fun centered around the sweet potato, with a parade, a mule pull, a carnival and more; through Monday)

Women's Day -- Mozambique

World Catfish Festival -- Belzoni, MS, US (a family friendly festival celebrating this ever-popular fish)

World Health Day -- UN

Anniversaries Today:

World Health Organization is founded, 1948

Prague University is chartered by Charles IV, the first university in central Europe, 1348

Birthdays Today:

Russell Crowe, 1964

Anthony Drew "Tony" Dorsett, 1954

Jackie Chan, 1954

Janis Ian, 1951

John Oates, 1948

Gerhard Schroeder, 1944

Francis Coppola, 1939

David Frost, 1939

William Hodding Carter III, 1935

Wayne Rogers, 1933

Daniel Ellsberg, 1931

James Garner, 1928

Ravi Shankar, 1920

Billie Holiday, 1915

Walter Winchell, 1897

Bronislaw Malinowski, 1884

John Joseph McGraw, 1873

David Grandison Fairchild, 1869

W.K. Kellogg, 1860

Walter Camp, 1859

William Ellery Channing, 1780

William Wordsworth, 1770

St. Francis Xavier, 1506

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"South Pacific"(Musical), 1949

"Monsieur Beaucaire"(Operetta), 1919

Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major,"Eroica"(Beethoven Op. 55), 1805

Today in History:

Attila's Huns plunder Metz, in northern France, 451

Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I issues the first draft of the Corpus Juris Civilis, the basis for much civil law even today, 529

A crowd in Florence, Italy, storms the Convent of San Marco, demanding Fra Savonarola be turned over as they rebelled against his Bonfires of the Vanities and interference with trade, 1498

Ferdinand Magellan arrives at Cebu, 1521

Michael Cardozo becomes the first Jewish lawyer in Brazil, 1645

American pioneers found Marietta, Ohio, as the first permanent settlement of the new Northwest Territory, 1788

France adopts the meter as the standard measure of length, 1795

The Mississippi Territory is established, 1798

English chemist John Walker invents wooden matches, 1827

Thomas D'Arcy McGee, one of the Canadian Fathers of Confederation is assassinated by the Irish, in one of the few Canadian political assassinations, and the only one of a federal politician, 1868

Nebraska establishes an 8 hour work day, 1891

Texas Oil Company (Texaco) is formed, 1902

An eruption of Mt. Vesuvius devastates Naples, 1906

Dr. K. Winfield Ney performs the first brain tumor operation under a local anesthesia, at Beth Israel Hospital, 1923

Using phone lines, the first long distance television image is sent, of Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover, from Washington, D.C. to NYC, 1927

Booker T. Washington becomes the first African-American depicted on a postage stamp in the US, 1940

Syria is officially recognized as independent from France, 1946

Dwight D. Eisenhower gives his "domino theory" speech, 1954

Spain relinquishes its protectorate in Morocco, 1956

IBM announces the System/360, 1964

The publication of RFC1 marks the symbolic birth of the Internet, 1969

Development of the neutron bomb is canceled by President Jimmy Carter, 1978

During STS-6, astronauts Story Musgrave and Don Peterson perform the first space shuttle spacewalk, 1983

Mars Odyssey is launched, 2001

Mass protests begin across Moldova under the belief that results from the parliamentary election are fraudulent, 2009

Following the death of Bingu wa Mutharika, Joyce Banda becomes President of Malawi, 2012

Longest-ever captured python found on Penang in Malaysia (26ft/8m), 2016

(Because some people like Blogger and some like WordPress, i am putting the same content at both. If you would prefer to read this on the other site, it is linked here.)

Just because Sandee of Comedy Plus no longer hosts Silly Sunday, don’t expect me to give up telling Cajun jokes.

While visiting at Grandma and Grandpa’s house, several of us were commiserating on the difficulty of setting up acceptable passwords for websites and then remembering them when the time comes.

Boudreaux come in to fin’ Thibodeaux settin’ at de computer an’ lookin’ like he ‘bout to pitch him a fit.

“What be wrong?” Boudreaux ax.

“Dis website!” Thibodeaux exclaim. “I be tryin’ to set me up a password, an’ it don’ want any dat I type in. I even done tried ‘Tchoutacabouffa’*, an’ it done tol’ me dat’s a weak password ‘cause it ain’t got no number in it!”

An’ Boudreaux shake his head an’ say, “Mais, dere jes’ be no pleasin’ some computer programs!”

*Name of a river near Biloxi.

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Sunday Selections was started as a way for bloggers to use photos that might otherwise just languish in their files. It is now hosted by River at Drifting Through Life.

From the beach, where we hope to go again this summer:

Can you find the “ghost” crab?

He should be easier to spot here.

We have to be very careful not to step on the fish.

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Today is:

Aerosol Day -- John D. Lynde receives a patent for an early aerosol dispenser on this day in 1862

All is Ours Day -- an internet holiday to remind us of what we do have

Buddah's Birthday -- Mahayana Buddhism in Japan (based on Gregorian Calendar, other Buddhists use a different dating system)

Hana Matsuri Flower Festival

Counter Stool Memorial Day -- when was the last time you got to sit on the stool at a diner counter and spin? if you can find such a place, go take a spin today

DAB(Draw a Bird) Day -- a movement begun in Britain in the 1940's, encourages everyone to draw a picture of a bird, and share it with friends

Feast of the Hummingbird -- Ancient Aztec Calendar (date approximate)

Global Day to End Child Sexual Abuse -- sponsored by The Innocence Revolution

Hammerin' Hank Day -- anniversary of his 715th homer in 1974, breaking Ruth's record

International Day of the Roma -- a celebration of Romani culture

Invocation of Lumps and Cysts -- Fairy Calendar (Goblin Celebration)

Kamakura Matsuri -- Kamakura and the Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine, Japan (parades, festival, and celebrating spring; through next Sunday)

Milk in Glass Bottles Day -- prior to this day in 1879, milk was sold in the container you brought with you to the seller

National Empanada Day

National Library Week begins -- US (sponsored by the ALA, this year's theme is "Discover your passions and achieve your goals at the library.")

Sealing the Frost -- Guatemala (Cuchumatan Indians ritual to protect their corn from frost; date approximate, always early in April)

St. Julie Billiart's Day (Patron against bodily ills, disease, and poverty)

Trading Cards for Grown-Ups Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays, and i got this out of my system dealing with Pokemon cards when my kids were young

Tutor Appreciation Day -- because some people need that extra boost

Zoo Lovers' Day -- go support your local zoo

Anniversary Today:

Voyageurs National Park established, Minnesta, US, 1975

Birthdays Today:

Kirsten Storms, 1984

Katee Sackhoff, 1980

Patricia Arquette, 1968

Robin Wright, 1966

Julian Lennon, 1963

John Schneider, 1960

Gary Carter, 1954

James Augustus “Catfish” Hunter, 1946

Stuart Pankin, 1946

Kofi Annan, 1938

Seymour Hersh, 1937

Shecky Greene, 1926

William D. Chase, 1922

Carmen McRae, 1920

Betty Ford, 1918

Sonja Henie, 1912

Mary Pickford, 1893

O. Raymond Knight, 1872

William Williams, 1731

Lewis Morris, 1726

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Falsettos"(Musical), 1992

"Twin Peaks"(TV), 1990

"White Horse Inn"(Musical), 1931

"The Bolt"(Shostakovich ballet), 1931 *Note: sometimes translated as "The Arrow"

"La Gioconda"(Ponchielli opera), 1876

Today in History:

Sultan Baybars conquers the Krak des Chevaliers in Syria, 1271

The first Jewish congregation in the US forms the Shearith Israel synagogue in NYC, 1730

The first fire escape, a wicker basket on a rope and pulley system, is patented, 1766

The statue Aphrodite of Milos (Venus de Milo) is discovered on the Aegean island of Melos, 1820

John D. Lynde patents the aerosol dispenser, 1862

William Ewart Gladstone introduces the first Irish Home Rule Bill into the British House of Commons, 1886

The first recorded college basketball game occurs in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, 1893

Longacre Square in Midtown Manhattan is renamed Times Square after The New York Times, 1904

Auguste Deter, the first person officially diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease, dies, 1906

The last meeting of the League of Nations is held, 1946

Hammerin' Hank Aaron hits his 715th home run, beating Babe Ruth's record, 1974

Retired tennis great Arthur Ashe announces that he has AIDS, acquired from blood transfusions during one of his two heart surgeries, 1992

The Republic of Macedonia joins the United Nations, 1993

The construction of the world's first building to integrate wind turbines is completed in Bahrain, 2008

The U.S. Department of Justice admits that it has probed WikiLeaks-related Twitter accounts, defending the practice and dismissing privacy and freedom of speech concerns, 2011

Wikileaks released 1.7 million U.S diplomatic and intelligence documents from 1973-1976 when Henry Kissinger was U.S. Secretary of State, 2013

(Because some people like Blogger and some like WordPress, i am putting the same content at both. If you would prefer to read this on the other site, it is linked here.)

Awww Monday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus.

Join us every Monday for Awww...Mondays. Post a picture that makes you say Awww... and that's it.

Make sure you get the code from Sandee's site, linked above, and leave a link to your post so we can visit you. What better way to start the week than with a smile!

Two Saturdays ago, a young man from our church was seriously injured -- nearly crushed in an elevator accident.

His main injury, a torn trachea, was such that the doctors said they'd never seen anyone survive this.

Yesterday at church, we got this picture:

Breathing on his own, sitting up in bed, posing with mom and his doctor (dad snapped the photo).

This is both an Awww! and an answer to prayer.

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The wonderful Annie of McGuffy's Reader has started the blog hop called Sparks as a way to put more positive energy into the world. Join her in combating the often negative influence of social media by adding your own Spark!

I believe we are meant to be lights in this world. If we allow our light to shine, we can see where we are going. It is then that we can begin to truly see each other clearly. Together, we can light up the entire world! ~ McGuffy Ann Morris

My "Spark" for the day:

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To enjoy more blogs participating in the A to Z Challenge, click here.

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Today is:

Appomattox Day -- US (marking the end of the US Civil War on this day in 1865)

Astronauts' Day -- web generated by someone who wants all these brave people honored

Baghdad Liberation Day -- Kurdistan, Iraq

Bataan Day/Day of Valor -- Philippines (Araw ng Kagitingan)

Dita e Kushtetutes -- Kosovo (Constitution Day)

Dry Milk Day -- the first patent for powdered milk was issued this day in 1972 to Samuel Percy

Feast of Jalal (Glory) -- Baha'i

Independence Restoration Day -- Georgia (formerly Day of National Unity)

Martyr's Day -- Tunisia

Name Yourself Day -- an internet holiday allowing you to change your name for a day, if you want to.

National Cherish An Antique Day -- hooray for old fashioned quality!

National Chinese Almond Cookie Day

National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day -- US

Observation of the Nazi Occupation -- Denmark (anniversary of the Nazi invasion)

Public Library Day -- US (anniversary of the opening of the first "publicly funded" library -- i.e. a tax based, free library -- in the US, in 1833 in Petersborough, New Hampshire)

Remembrance for Haakon Sigurdsson -- Asatru/Norse Pagan Calendar (Haakon the Great, one of the Jarls of Hladhir)

St. Casilda's Day (Patron against sterility)

St. Mary of Cleophas' Day (one of the Marys in the Bible who was present at the Crucifixion)

Verruca Day -- Fairy Calendar (Goblin Celebration again)

Vimy Ridge Day -- Canada

Winston Churchill Day -- commemmorates his becoming an honorary US citizen

World Konkani Day -- Goa (Official language of the Indian state of Goa; on the death anniversary of the pioneer of modern Konkani literature, Vaman Raghunath Varde Valaulikar)

Anniversaries Today:

Sophia Loren marries Carlo Ponti, 1966

Wayne Newton marries Kathleen McCrone, 1994

Charles, Prince of Wales, marries Camilla Parker-Bowles, 2005

Birthdays Today:

Elle Fanning, 1998

Kristen Stewart, 1990

Jesse McCartney, 1987

Leighton Meester, 1986

Taylor Kitsch, 1981

Keshia Knight Pulliam, 1979

Rachel Stevens, 1978

Gerard Way, 1977

Austin Peck, 1971

Jacques Villeneueve, 1971

Cynthia Nixon, 1966

Paulina Prizkova, 1965

Dennis Quaid, 1954

Michael Learned, 1939

Avery Schreiber, 1935

Jean-Paul Belmondo, 1933

Paul Krassner, 1932

Tom Lehrer, 1928

Hugh Hefner, 1926

John Presper Eckert, Jr., 1919

Ward Bond, 1903

Paul Robeson, 1898

Efrem Zimbalist, 1889

Frank King, 1883

Eadweard Muybridge, 1830

Charles Baudelaire, 1821

Tamerlane, 1336

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Ticket to Ride"(Beatles' single), 1965

"Diamond Lil"(Play), 1928

"Shadow of a Gunman"(Play), 1923

The World, the Flesh and the Devil(Film), 1914

Today in History:

The Mongol hordes defeat the Poles and Germans in the Battle of Liegnitz, 1241

Robert Cavalier de la Salle reaches the mouth of the Mississippi River and claims all the land drained by the river and its tributaries for France, 1682

The African Methodist Episcopal church in the US is formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1816

The oldest audible sound recording of a human voice is made, 1860

Robert E. Lee surrenders the Army of Northern Virginia to Ulysses Grant at Appomattox Court House, effectively ending the US Civil War, 1865

Passing by a single vote, the United States Senate ratifies a treaty with Russia for the purchase of Alaska, 1967

The Hudson Bay Company cedes its territory to Canada, 1869

Jumbo the Elephant arrives in the US, 1882

The Titanic leaves Queenstown, Ireland for NYC, 1912

The first full color film, "World, The Flesh, and The Devil", premiers in London, 1914

Mae West makes her NYC debut in "Diamond Lil," 1928

The first Japanese built aircraft to fly to Europe, the Kamikaze, arrives at Croydon Airport in London, 1937

The Suez Canal is officially opened for shipping, 1957

NASA announces the selection of the United States' first seven astronauts, whom the news media quickly dub the "Mercury Seven", 1959

In the first game in the Astrodome, Houston beats the Yankees 2-1 in an exhibition game, and Mickey Mantle hits the first indoor home run, 1967

The first British built Concorde makes its first flight, 1969

Georgia declares its indepedence from Russia, 1991

The funeral of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, at Westminster Abbey, 2002

Facebook purchases Instagram, a photo sharing application, for $1 billion, 2012

(Because some people like Blogger and some like WordPress, i am putting the same content at both. If you would prefer to read this on the other site, it is linked here.)

Incidentally, it’s time for linking up with Stacy's Random Thoughts at Stacy Uncorked, and today we focus on the letter I.

Sometimes things are incidental, happening because you are in the right place at the right time. Such as last night, when i happened to step outside at the perfect moment. Our neighbor, Mr. M, was pulling out of his driveway when he happened to see me.

He stopped and said, “I am so glad you are out here, it will save me a trip. Do you want some leftover potatoes and sausage and corn and onions from the crawfish boil this weekend?” The crawfish boil had been the engagement party in honor of his eldest son’s impending nuptials.

In south Louisiana, asking if you want the leftovers from such a fete is like asking a dog if it wants a treat. The potatoes make the best spicy potato salad you could ever have. He was on his way to give it all to a friend who lives a couple of miles away. Since he saw me, he decided to let it go closer to home.

We are having a bit of trouble with an irrational cat. Mikey has always been too smart for his own good. He knows several English words (do not say “outside” in front of him unless you want to take him there and sit with him for a while), and “talks” to #1 Son when he comes over.

Unfortunately, Mikey has chosen peeing on things as his method of letting us know when something is not to his liking. No food in the bowls? He pees on something. He just had a fight with Enigma Sissy Cat? Time to christen the sink again. It’s a good method as we certainly cannot just ignore him when he does it.

The day before yesterday, he got upset about something and “went” on the space heater that is usually in our room. It had been brought downstairs to keep Daughter-in-Law Becky’s chicks and ducklings warm, and it was not until the weather turned unseasonably cold again that we brought it up, plugged it in, and found out the hard way that Mikey had been up to his old tricks.

His irrationality is very irritating, to say the least, and he needs to improve his behavior before i decide to harelip him.

My work with Dr. D seems to be having an impact. She finally allowed me to go get a bunch of empty boxes and start sorting her massive files, which sit all over the house, into categories, medical, bills, lawsuits, etc. Getting all related items together will make a huge improvement, as right now there is not a flat surface in the house that is not covered with papers.

It helped that she was out of town this week and i got to go over there and dig and sort to my heart’s content.

That’s about all the news for now, and all of the letter I words i can think to use.

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To enjoy more blogs participating in the A to Z Challenge, click here.

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Today is:

ASPCA Day/Humane Day -- anniversary of founding in 1866

Be Kind to Lawyers Day -- after all, you will need one someday, for something

Birthday of Cybele -- Ancient Roman Calendar (great mother goddess)

Children's Day in Florida -- FL, US

Commodore Perry Day

Dust the Ceiling Fan Day -- before it gets hot and you have to turn it on and find out you forgot how dusty it gets up there the hard way

Encourage a Young Writer Day -- can't find out who started this, but it sounds like a great idea

Feast of Bau -- Ancient Babylonian Calendar (date approximate, around the same time of year the Romans honored Cybele)

Feast of Ezekiel the Prophet -- Roman Catholic

Feast of the Rivers and Seas -- Ancient Sumerian Calendar (mother of Ea[Earth]; date approximate, around the same time of year the Romans honored Cybele)

Founder's Day -- Salvation Army (birth anniversary of the founder, William Booth)

Frances Perkins Day -- US (birth anniversary of the first woman appointed to a Presidential Cabinet position)

Golfer's Day -- anniversary of founding of the Professional Golfers' Association of America in 1916

Iroquois Thunder Ceremony -- Iroquois Native Americans (week long ceremonial thanksgiving for the rain, which brings new growth in spring; date approximate, but most tribes celebrate in mid-April)

National Cinnamon Crescent Day

National Equal Pay Day -- US (the date of how far into 2018 a US woman had to work to earn what a US man did in 2017)

National Farm Animals Day -- US

National Library Workers Day -- US (always the Tuesday of National Library Week)

National Siblings Day -- US

Safety Pin Day -- patented this day in 1849 by Walter Hunt

St. Macarius of Antioch's Day (Patron of plague victims; Ghent, Belgium)

Sun 'n Fun International Fly in & Expo -- Lakeland, Florida, US (preserving and enhancing the future of flight; through Sunday)

Birthdays Today:

Haley Joel Osment, 1988

Mandy Moore, 1984

Ryan Merriman, 1983

Liz McClarnon, 1981

Shemekia Copeland, 1979

Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, 1957

Peter MacNicol, 1954

Steven Seagal, 1952

Paul Edward Theroux, 1941

Joe Don Meredith, 1938

John Madden, 1936

Omar Sharif, 1932

Dolores Huerta, 1930

Max Von Sydow, 1929

Chuck Connors, 1921

Robert Burns Woodward, 1917

Harry Morgan, 1915

Frances Perkins, 1880

Joseph Pulitzer, 1847

William Booth, 1829

James Bowie, 1796

Commodore Matthew Perry, 1794

Hugo Grotius, 1583(O.S. date)

Cybele, Roman goddess (traditional, year unknown)

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The Entertainer"(Play), 1957

House of Wax(Film), 1951 Note: first full color 3D film from a major studio

The Great Gatsby(Publication), 1925

Ein deutsches Requiem, nach Worten der heiligen Schrift/A German Requiem, To Words of the Holy Scriptures, Op. 45(Brahms' Requiem), 1868

Today in History:

Halley's Comet and Earth experienced their closest approach to one another when their separating distance equalled 0.0342 AU (3.2 million miles), 837

the lama Deshin Shekpa visits the Ming Dynasty capital at Nanjing. He is awarded with the title Great Treasure Prince of Dharma, 1407

The Charter of the Virginia Company of London is established by royal charter by James I of England with the purpose of establishing colonial settlements in North America, 1606

The first law regulating copyright is issued in Great Britain, 1710

The Mount Tambora volcano in Indonesia begins its peak eruption period that lasts until July 15, 1815

The 10,500 inhabitants of the Greek town Messolonghi start leaving the town after a year's siege by Turkish forces. Very few of them survive, 1826

The NY "Tribune" begins publishing under editor Horace Greeley, 1841

The safety pin is patented by Walter Hunt of NYC, who sells the rights for only $100, 1849

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is founded in New York City by Henry Bergh, 1866

The first Arbor Day is celebrated in Nebraska, 1874

The Titanic leaves Southampton, England, 1912

Mexican Revolution leader Emiliano Zapata is ambushed and shot dead by government forces in Morelos, 1919

Warner Brothers debuts the first 3-D movie, "House of Wax," 1953

Adolf Eichmann is put on trial as a war criminal in Israel, 1961

In an attempt to thaw relations with the United States, the People's Republic of China hosts the U.S. table tennis team for a weeklong visit, 1971

A 7.0 earthquake kills 1/5 of population of Iranian province of Fars, 1972

H J Heinz, Van Camp Seafood & Bumble Bee Seafood say they would not buy tuna caught in nets that also trap dolphins, 1989

A rare tropical storm develops in the Southern Hemisphere near Angola; the first to be documented by satellites, 1991

President of Fiji Ratu Josefa Iloilo announces he will suspend the constitution and assume all governance in the country, creating a constitutional crisis, 2009

Elon Musk, head of Tesla Motors, Inc., announces that the company will begin selling its luxury electric cars in China this month, 2014

(Because some people like Blogger and some like WordPress, i am putting the same content at both. If you would prefer to read this on the other site, it is linked here.)

(A note to my friends with Wordpress blogs: even though i have a Wordpress account, Wordpress is not allowing me to comment on your blogs. My work-around involves me using a different email address and not linking to either of my blogs. If i don't comment on your blog, please know it's not that i don't want to, but that i cannot. Thank you for your understanding.)

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Linking up with Wordless Wednesday.

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Words for Wednesday is a moveable feast of word or picture or music prompts that encourages us to write stories, poems, or whatever strikes our fancy. This month, the prompts are being posted by Elephant's Child.

This week's prompts are:

ghoul
ambiguous
forgery
benefit
affair
parade

And/or

delight
whisper
bottle
homicidal
sawdust
circle

"Hello, guys and GHOULS!" James said, his attempt at levity upon walking into the office falling flatter than usual when no one even looked up from the CIRCLE of desks around the perimeter of the room.

"What's wrong?" he then asked. "Such long faces should be reserved for when a HOMICIDAL maniac is running loose or your spouse has had an AFFAIR!"

"FORGERY is bad enough, we don't need either of the other two problems right now," his coworker Tony answered.

"What are you talking about?"

Gina, who seemed to take great DELIGHT in passing on bad news, and the more awful the news the more she delighted in it, answered. "That big, anonymous donation we got for the BENEFIT PARADE might be a fake!"

James took a deep breath as a feeling like SAWDUST in his throat came over him. Crossing to the tiny office fridge which, with the microwave on top, served as their only office kitchen, he grabbed a water BOTTLE and very carefully opened it, took several gulps. then looked at his co-workers again.

"The person donating was very AMBIGUOUS about the whole thing," he said, "so I guess I should have suspected. What do we do now?"

Tony looked him right in the eye and, in a voice barely above a WHISPER, said, "I guess we say we finally got you. April Fool!"

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To enjoy more blogs participating in the A to Z Challenge, click here.

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Today is:

Barbershop Quartet Day -- founding day of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America

Buchenwald Liberation Day -- at 3:15pm local time, by the Third Army

Eight Track Tape Day -- do you remember those; someone who fondly does has a day to honor them

Festival of Unmediated Play -- just go out there and have fun, like kids do

International "Louie Louie" Day -- a song that caused such a stir it deserves a day; on the birth anniversary of its composer, Richard Berry

Juan Santamaria Day -- Costa Rica (commemoration of the hero of the Battle of Rivas)

Liberation Day -- Uganda (fall of Idi Amin)

M&M Crisis in Space Day -- on this day in 1996, American astronaut Shannon Lucid reported from Space Station Mir that she was out of M&Ms; it was the only thing she regularly requested for resupply in her 188 days there!

National Bookmobile Day -- US, on the Wednesday of National Library Week

National Cheese Fondue Day

National Pet Day / Pet Day USA -- US (it's about the love, so adopt, don't shop!)

St. Antipas' Day (spiritual student of St. John, mentioned in the Book of the Revelation of St. John)

St. Stanislaus' Day (Patron of soldiers in battle; Cracow, Poland; Plock, Poland; Poland, where he is celebrated on May 8)

Thank Your School Librarian Day -- US, on the Wednesday of National Library Week

World Parkinson's Disease Day

Anniversary Today:

Spelman College is founded, 1881

Birthdays Today:

Joss Stone, 1987

Tricia Helfer, 1974

Vincent Gallo, 1961

Bill Irwin, 1950

Ellen Goodman, 1948

Meshach Taylor, 1947

Peter Riegert, 1947

Louise Lasser, 1939

Richard Berry, 1935

Tony Brown, 1933

Joel Grey, 1932

Ethel Kennedy, 1928

Oleg Cassini, 1913

Jane Matilda Bolin, 1908

Dalia "Dale" Messick, 1906

Percy Julian, 1899

Lizzie “Lillie” Bliss, 1864

Charles Evans Hughes, 1862

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"On Your Toes"(Musical), 1936

"Matthäus-Passion/St. Matthew's Passion"(Bach BWV 244), 1727

Today in History:

William III and Mary II are crowned as joint sovereigns of Britain, 1689

The last execution for witchcraft in Germany takes place, 1775

President Abraham Lincoln makes his last public speech, urging a spirit of concilliation during reconstruction, 1865

The Shogunate is abolished in Japan, 1868

The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is organized, 1876

Ellis Island is designated as an immigration station, 1890

Spain cedes Puerto Rico to the United States in the treaty ending the Spanish American War, 1899

The US Navy aquires its first submarine, designed by John P. Holland, 1900

Albert Einstein announces his Special Theory of Relativity, 1905

The International Labour Organization is founded, 1919

The Stone of Scone, the stone upon which Scottish monarchs were traditionally crowned, is found in Arbroath Abbey where Scottish nationalist students had taken it from Westminster Abbey, 1951

Britain agrees to Singaporean self-rule, 1957

Apollo 13 is launched, 1970

The Apple I is created, 1976

Ugandan dictator Idi Amin is deposed, 1979

The London Agreement is secretly signed between Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Shimon Peres and King Hussein of Jordan, 1987

Australia beats American Samoa in a 31-0 win, the biggest ever in an international match of football, 2001

The French ban of Islamic women's face coverings goes into effect, 2011

(Because some people like Blogger and some like WordPress, i am putting the same content at both. If you would prefer to read this on the other site, it is linked here.)

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“That was quite the rousing game of kickball,” Dad said with a smile as the children came trooping in.

“Loud enough to wake the dead,” Mom added with a wink at Dad as she served up bowls of steaming soup with thick pieces of crusty bread.

“Yeah, it was a lot of fun!” said the youngest, who had been allowed to join the big kids, along with their friends up the street, as the scorekeeper.

“And we can’t play any quieter,” one of the older ones added. “Yelling is the best part!”

Mom and Dad both laughed at this and Dad said, “Well, then, we promise not to put a damper on your yelling or your fun.”

Linking up with Denise at Girlie On The Edge Blog, where she hosts Six Sentence Stories, and the cue is Wake.

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Gosia, of Looking for Identity, has taken over Good Fences, and it's now Good Fences Around The World. Post a picture of a fence or gate, link back to her blog, and go visit others to see what interesting fences there are out in this big world.

If you don’t quite have the money to fix the fence, there’s more than one way to keep critters out:

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To enjoy more blogs participating in the A to Z Challenge, click here.

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Today is:

Big Wind Day -- anniversary of the strongest natural wind ever recorded on the earth's surface, at Mount Washington, NH, US; the wind gusts reached 231 mph

D.E.A.R. Day (a/k/a Drop Everything And Read) -- sponsored by the ALA, on Bevery Cleary's birth anniversary

Eat All Your Snacks Before the Movie Even Starts Day -- with all the ads before the movie, doesn't that happen anyway?

Festival of Cerealia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (seven day public and private festival for Ceres)

French Quarter Festival -- New Orleans, Louisiana, US (celebrate all that makes the Vieux Carre special, antiques, food, and 275 hours of musical entertainment; through Sunday)

Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day

Halifax Day -- North Carolina, US (anniversary of the resolution adopted authorizing voting for independence in 1776)

Houston Art Car Parade Weekend -- Houston, TX, US (the world's oldest and largest art car parade is on Saturday; festival through Sunday)

International Day for Street Children

Lailat al Miraj -- Islam (observance of Mohammed's night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem; begins at sundown, local customs and dates may vary)

National Licorice Day

Randox Health Grand National -- Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool, England (the world's greatest steeplechase, according to many, dating back to 1839; today is Grand Opening Day, tomorrow is Ladies Day, and Saturday is Grand National Day)

Sinhala & Tamil New Year's Eve -- Sri Lanka

St. Sabas' Day (Patron of Lectors, torture victims)

St. Zeno's Day (Patron of anglers, children learning to speak, children learning to walk, fishermen, newborn babies; city and diocese of Verona, Italy)

Support Teen Literature Day -- US (on the Thursday of National Library Week)

Thingyan -- Myanmar (Burmese Water Festival; part of the New Year celebrations)

Walk on Your Wild Side Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays, a day in which to do something no one would expect from you

Yom HaShoah -- Judaism (Holocaust Remembrance Day; began sunset yesterday, ends at sunset today)

Yuri's Night -- International (Commemoration of first human in space, Yuri Gagarin)

Cosmonaut's Day -- Russia

International Day of Human Space Flight -- UN

Birthdays Today:

Saoirse Ronan, 1994

Riley Smith, 1982

Claire Danes, 1979

Sarah Jane Morris, 1977

Nicholas Brendon, 1971

Shannen Doherty, 1971

Nick Hexum, 1970

Art Alexakis, 1962

Vince Gill, 1957

Andy Garcia, 1956

David Cassidy, 1950

Tom Clancy, 1947

Dan Lauria, 1947

David Letterman, 1947

Ed O'Neill, 1946

Herbie Hancock, 1940

Dennis Banks, 1937

Tiny Tim, 1930

Ann Miller, 1923

Beverly Cleary, 1916

Henry Clay, 1777

Lyman Hall, 1724

Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism, BC599

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"21 Jump Street"(TV), 1987

"Your Hit Parade"(Radio), 1935

"Madame Bovary"(Publication date), 1857

"Oberon, or The Elf King's Oath"(Weber opera), 1826

The Tatler(Journal, first edition), 1709 Note: this original version of a publication with the name lasted only two years

Today in History:

Constantinople falls to the Fourth Crusade, temporarily ending the Byzantine Empire, 1204

The formal inquest of Galileo by the Inquisition begins, 1633

The first edition of Tatler Magazine is published in London, 1709

The American Civil War begins at Fort Sumter, South Carolina, 1861

George C Blickensderfer patents a portable typewriter, 1892

Pierre Prier makes the first nonstop flight from London to Paris, in 3h 56m, 1911

Sir Frank Whittle ground-tests the first jet engine designed to power an aircraft, at Rugby, England, 1937

The strongest surface wind gust ever measured, 231 mph, at Mount Washington, New Hampshire, 1943

The Salk vaccine is declared safe and effective, 1955

Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to travel into outer space, 1961

Samuel Doe takes over Liberia in a coup d'etat, ending 130 years of peaceful and democratic presidential successions, 1980

The first launch of a space shuttle, the Colombia, 1981

The Euro Disney Resort officially opens (now Disneyland Paris), 1992

Canter & Siegel post the first commercial mass Usenet spam, 1994

Zimbabwe officially abandons the Zimbabwe Dollar as their currency, 2009

Following the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster, Japan raises the crisis level to 7, equal to the disaster in Chernobyl, 2011

(Because some people like Blogger and some like WordPress, i am putting the same content at both. If you would prefer to read this on the other site, it is linked here.)

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

He has handed hosting duties off to Sandee, of Comedy Plus, and it's simple to join, just follow the link to Sandee's page for the rules and the code.

Link was one day old, with his little umbilical cord still on, when someone heard him crying in a ditch after a rainstorm. They brought him to the shelter, and we bottle raised him. From that tiny beginning, we have this:

You can tell he is plotting mischief because he is breathing!

Little Girlie is one of the cats who does not get mentioned as often here. She is quiet and keeps mostly to herself. She was also bottle raised, with her siblings Horatio, Badlands Blackie, and Socks, and this May she will be 14.

Now that Bigger Girl has moved out, her favorite place is our bed.

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My fill-ins for the statements are underlined:

Week 101: April 13, 2018

1. __________ keeps me .

2. __________ is the secret to .

3. A friend .

4. Right now, I am thankful .

Working keeps me very busy. In fact, sometimes i am afraid i'm going to meet myself coming and going!

Prayer is the secret to not going insane, especially when you are so busy you do not know what to do first.

A friend loves at all times (Proverbs 17:17), and doesn't let you get away with things.

Right now, i am thankful that rEcess is today. Because of Easter we put it off one week and i have missed everyone.

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To enjoy more blogs participating in the A to Z Challenge, click here.

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Today is:

Anniversary of the Election of Pope Francis -- Holy See (Vatican City)

Blame Someone Else Day -- the first Friday the 13th of each year is the one time you get a free pass to blame someone else; started by Anne Moeller of Clio, Michigan on a Friday the 13th in 1982 when her alarm clock didn't go off, setting off a cascade of bad luck events for which she declared she should be allowed, just on that day, to Blame Someone Else!

Day to Give Thanks for Fish/Seafood -- anniversary of the US Fishery Conservation and Management Act 1976

Dogwood Festival -- Atlanta, GA, US (fine art, and beautiful trees; through Sunday)

Environmental Protection Day -- anniversary of the 1962 publication of Silent Spring

Fast and Prayer Day -- Liberia

Feast of Rotten Endings -- because some stories just don't end well

Holiday in Dixie -- Shreveport and Bossier City, Louisiana, US (ten days celebrating the Louisiana Purchase and what it meant to the US; at least, that's the formal excuse for a really fun party!)

Huguenot Day -- Huguenot Society of the US (anniversary of the 1598 Edict of Nantes, in which King Henry IV promoted peace between Catholics and Protestants)

Ides of April -- Ancient Roman Calendar; also

Festival of Libertas -- personification of freedom and political liberty

Festival of Jupiter Libertas

Festival of Jupiter Victor

International Plant Appreciation Day -- unsponsored by any but those who love plants

Lailat al Miraj -- Islam (observance of Mohammed's night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem; began at sundown yesterday, local customs and dates may vary)

Laotian New Year's Eve -- Laos (celebrations of Pi Mai, the new year, last through the 15th and sometimes beyond; at the start of the monsoon season)

Mennonite Relief Sale -- Hutchinson, Kansas, US (Mennonite, Bretheren in Christ, and Amish congregations from all across the area auction quilts, grandfather clocks, furniture, tools and crafts to raise money for hunger relief worldwide, through tomorrow)

Natchitoches Jazz Festival -- Natchitoches, LA, US (what Louisiana is known for, food, music, and passing a good time! through tomorrow)

National Peach Cobbler Day

Ozark UFO Conference -- Eureka Springs, Arkansas, US (experts -?- from around the world meet to exchange the latest info on UFOs; through Sunday)

Poshui Jie -- Jinghong, China (Water Splashing Festival; a 3 to four day festival around this time)

Poteet Strawberry Festival -- Poteet, TX, US (one of Texas' oldest and largest festivals; through Sunday)

Scrabble Day -- anniversary of the 1899 birth of its inventor, Alfred Mosher Butts

Songkran Festival / Chiang Mai Songkran / Tamil New Year / Bangla New Year / Bisket Jatra -- Bangladesh; Cambodia; India; Laos; Myanmar; Nepal; Singapore; Sri Lanka; Thailand (New Year festivals, celebrated over the next few days, as the sun enters the zodiac sign of Aries)

Squashing of Moonhopper Day -- Fairy Calendar

St. Hermengild's Day (Patron of converts; against drought, flood, and thunderstorms)

Thingyan Eve -- Myanmar (Water Festival Eve; through the 16th)

Thomas Jefferson Day -- US

U.S. Elephant Day -- marking the arrival of the first elephant in the US in 1796

Yayoi Matsuri -- Nikko, Japan (five day spring festival)

Birthdays Today:

Jonathan Brandis, 1976

Rick Schroder, 1970

Garry Kasparov, 1963

Saundra Santiago, 1957

Max Weinberg, 1951

Peabo Bryson, 1951

Ron Pearlman, 1950

Al Green, 1946

Tony Dow, 1945

Lowell George, 1945

Jack Casady, 1944

Bill Conti, 1942

Paul Sorvino, 1939

Lyle Waggoner, 1935

Don Adams, 1926

Howard Keel, 1919

Eudora Welty, 1909

Samuel Beckett, 1906

Butch Cassidy, 1866

F.W. Woolworth, 1852

Thomas Jefferson, 1743

Guy Fawkes, 1570

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Arcadia"(Play), 1993

Casino Royale(Film), 1967

Silent Spring(Publication date), 1962

"El Capitan"(Operetta), 1896

"Messiah"(Oratorio, HWV 56), 1742

Today in History:

The Seventh Crusade is defeated in Egypt with the capture of Louis IX of France, 1250

Henry IV of France signs the Edict of Nantes, granting freedom of religion and political rights to Huguenots (French Protestants), 1598

John Dryden, age 36, becomes the first English Poet Laureate, 1668

George Frideric Handel's oratorio Messiah makes its world-premiere in Dublin, Ireland, 1742

The first elephant seen in the Western Hemisphere arrives from India, 1796

The British Parliament grants religious freedom to Roman Catholics, 1829

Hungary becomes a republic, 1849

The first US Pony Express run is completed, 1860

George Westinghouse patents a steam powered brake, 1869

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is founded, 1870

J.C. (James Cash) Penney opens his first store, 1902

British troops fire on unarmed demonstrators in Amritsar, India, killing at least 379 and wounding over 1,200 more, 1919

Helen Hamilton becomes the first woman US Civil Service Commissioner, 1920

Lord Clydesdale makes the first flight over Mt. Everest, 1933

The Jefferson Memorial is dedicated on the 200th anniversary of his birth, in Washington, D.C., 1943

Van Cliburn becomes the first American to win the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, 1958

Sidney Poitier becomes the first African-American male to win the Best Actor Oscar for Lilies of the Field, 1963

An oxygen tank aboard Apollo 13 explodes, putting the crew in great danger and causing major damage to the spacecraft while en route to the Moon, 1970

The Universal Postal Union decides to recognize the People's Republic of China as the only legitimate Chinese representative, effectively expelling the Republic of China administering Taiwan, 1972

Western Union (in cooperation with NASA and Hughes Aircraft) launches the United States' first commercial geosynchronous communications satellite, Westar 1, 1974

Portugal and the People's Republic of China sign an agreement in which Macau would be returned to China in 1999, 1987

Tiger Woods becomes the youngest golfer to win the Masters Tournament, 1997

Former President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak and sons, Alaa and Gamal, are detained for 15 days of questioning regarding charges of corruption and abuse of power, 2011

The People's Republic of China and the U.S. agree to work towards eliminating nuclear weapons in the Korean Peninsula, 2013

(Because some people like Blogger and some like WordPress, i am putting the same content at both. If you would prefer to read this on the other site, it is linked here.)

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Saturdays are very special, it's time to count blessings!

When trying to come up with a thankful list for the letter M, the thought came to me that each of us has many sides. It's a good thing, it keeps us from getting boring.

My nurturing side is strong, i have it to thank for all the care i have given to kids and cats over the years.

There's a shy side that i thank for helping me know when to step back.

The bookworm side is always curious and never wants to quit learning.

Angry-at-injustice side wants to keep fighting, even when the odds are not good.

Part of me is grown up enough not to care much what other people think. While i'm not so sure what to call that side, i am thankful i have it.

The romantic side is a big part of why i've been married over 30 years.

Impatient side is learning to sit still, and i'm glad for the lessons i've learned when i've been able to control it.

My critical/perfectionist side has taught me to strive to improve, even as i've had to tell that side that perfect is impossible and is the enemy of what is truly possible.

The optimistic side keeps me from getting too bogged down for too long, even when things aren't going as well as they could be.

Fun-loving and joking side are the reason i can't stop trying to be funny on Sunday.

What sides of you do you like best?

Everyone has reasons to be thankful. Why not list yours and link up with our hostess, Josie Two Shoes, at Ten Things of Thankful? We won't fuss if it's not ten things, the whole idea is to celebrate and be thankful with and for each other.

An InLinkz Link-up

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To enjoy more blogs participating in the A to Z Challenge, click here.

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Today is:

Ambedkar Jayanti -- India (birth anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, father of the Indian Constitution)

Americas Day -- Honduras

Baby Massage Day

Black Day -- South Korea (for those who got neither Valentine's gifts nor White Day gifts; singles wear black and get together to eat black noodle soup)

Bodega Bay Fisherman's Festival -- Bodega Bay, CA, US (fun, fish, wine tastings, and more; through tomorrow)

Caballo de Paso Peruano -- Pachacamac, Peru (National Contest of Paso Horses/The National Horse Competition of the native Peruvian horse, the Paso; through the 20th)

Celebrations in the Houses of Ra, Osiris, and Horus -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Children with Alopecia Day

Cimarron Territory Celebration and World Cow Chip–throwing® Championship Contest -- Beaver, OK, US ("a highly specialized organic sporting event", as well as poker fun, food, crafts, and a parade; through next Saturday)

Day of Mologa -- Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia (commemorates the destruction of the town of Mologa during the construction of the Rybinsk Reservoir)

Day of the Georgian Language -- Georgia (marking the 1978 protests of Soviet attempts to suppress the Georgian language)

Elfin Choir Congress -- Fairy Calendar

Ex Spouse Day -- why?

Feria Nacional de San Marcos -- Palenque, Mexico (through May 7; feast of San Marcos, with rodeos, bull fights, folk dancing, parades, mariachi and muchos mas)

Georgia Renaissance Spring Festival -- Atlanta, GA, US (weekends through June 3)

Global Days of Action on Military Spending -- sponsored by by the International Peace Bureau (IPB) and the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), through May 3; this year's slogan is "Reducing 10% of military assets will help saving our planet. Take Action!"

International Moment of Laughter Day -- started by Izzy Gesell

John Wilkes Booth Escape Route Tours -- Surrat House Museum, Clinton, MD, US (for Civil War history buffs, a 12 hour bus tour over the route used by Lincoln's assassin; every Saturday through Apr. 28)

Kentucky Derby Festival -- Louisville, KY, US (the warm-up celebration for the big race, much of which is free; through May 4)

Kinetoscope Day -- the first commercial exhibition of motion pictures through Edison's "peep show" device occurred on this day in 1894

Look Up At The Sky Day -- internet generated, no history on this one, but if it's a pretty day, take advantage of it (some sites say April 12, but since we don't know who started it, today is fine)

National Dolphin Day -- US

National Love Our Children Day -- sponsored by STOMP Out Bullying and Love Our Children USA

National Pecan Day

N'Ko Alphabet Day -- Mande Language Speakers

Pan American Day -- Order of the American States

Pathologists' Assistant Day -- US (American Association of Pathologists' Assistants)

Rato Machhindranath Jatra -- Nepal (chariot races for the god of rain; cannot confirm this year's date, but always begins mid-April)

Reach as High as You Can Day -- internet generated, and listed on various dates; a good idea, anyway, whenever you decide to celebrate it

Runic Half Month of Man (humanity) begins

Sacrifices to Leto, Pythian Apollon, Zeus, Hermes, and the Dioscuri in the Deme of Erichia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate)

Scottsdale Culinary Festival -- Scottsdale, AZ, US (40 restaurants, 30 craft breweries, 20 bands, chef demos, teen chef challenge and more, all to raise money for arts education in the community; through tomorrow)

Sidereal Equinox New Year Celebrations -- throughout South and Southeast Asia, including

* Assamese New Year, or Rongali Bihu (India's Assam Valley)

* Bengali New Year, or Pohela Boishakh (Bangladesh and India's West Bengal state)

* Burmese New Year, or Thingyan (Burma)

* Hindu and Sikh New Year, or Vaisakhi (Punjab region)

* Khmer New Year, or Chol Chnam Thmey, most commonly celebrated on April 13 (Cambodia)

* Lao New Year, or Songkan / Pi Mai Lao, generally celebrated from 13 to 15 April (Laos)

* Malayali New Year, or Vishu (India's Kerala state)

* Nepali New Year, or Bikram Samwat / Vaishak Ek (Nepal)

* Oriya New Year, or Maha Visuba Sankranthi (India's Orissa state)

* Sinhalese New Year, or Aluth Avurudhu (Sri Lanka)

* Tamil New Year, or Puthandu (India's Tamil Nadu state)

* Thai New Year, or Songkran, celebrated from 13 to 15 April (Thailand)

* Tuluva New Year, or Bisu (India's Karnataka state)

Slow Art Day -- a global all-volunteer event with the simple mission of helping more people discover for themselves the joy of looking at and loving art

Sommarsblot -- Ancient Norse Calendar (celebration of the coming summer, with sacrifices to the gods over the next several days; through Walpurgis/May 1)

Spring Hula Hooping Day -- try out the old hula hoop one more time, then toss it

St. Benezet's Day (Patron of bachelors, bridge builders; Avignon, France)

St. Lydwina of Schiedam's Day (Patron of ice skating/roller skating/skaters, prolonged suffering, sick people; Schiedam, Netherland; against bodily ills and sickness)

St. Peter Gonzalez's Day (Patron of boatmen, mariners, sailors, watermen)

St. Tiburtius' Day (Considered the day the cuckoos return to England for the spring)

Takayama Spring Festival -- Takayama City, Japan (often considered one of the 3 most beautiful festivals in Japan; through tomorrow)

Thingyan -- Myanmar (Water Festival; through the Myanmar New Year on the 17th)

Yasurai Matsuri -- Imamiya Jinja, Kyoto, Japan (festival to prevent ill health)

Youth Day -- Angola

Birthdays Today:

Abigail Breslin, 1996

Sarah Michelle Gellar, 1977

Adrien Brody, 1973

Anthony Michael Hall, 1968

Greg Maddux, 1966

Cynthia Cooper, 1963

Robert Carlyle, 1961

Brad Garrett, 1960

Emma Thompson, 1959

Ritchie Blackmore, 1945

Julie Christie, 1941

Pete Rose, 1941

Loretta Lynn, 1935

Rod Steiger, 1925

John Gielgud, 1904

Arnold Joseph Toynbee, 1889

Anne Sullivan, 1866

Emperor Momozono, 1741

Christiaan Huygens, 1629

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The Boys in the Band"(Musical), 1968

"Bye Bye, Birdie"(Musical), 1960

The Grapes of Wrath(Publication date), 1939

"Jeux d'enfants"(Ballet), 1932

"Murders in the Rue Morgue"(Publication date), 1841

American Dictionary of the English Language(Publication date), 1828

Today in History:

Mark Antony, besieging Julius Caesar's assassin Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus in Mutina, defeats the forces of the consul Pansa, who is wounded, BC 43

Titus, son of emperor Vespasian, surrounds the Jewish capital with four Roman legions, beginning the Siege of Jerusalem, 70

Temur, grandson of Kublai Khan, is elected Khagan of the Mongols and Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, 1294

The foundation stone of Cathedral St. Peter and St. Paul in Nantes, France is laid, 1434

Benjamin Franklin and Benjamin Rush establish the first abolitionist society in the US, 1775

Napoleon calls for establishing Jerusalem for the Jews, 1799

Noah Webster copyrights the first edition of his dictionary, 1828

The Donner Party departs Springfield, Illinois, 1846

Harriet Tubman begins her first Underground Railroad run, 1853

William Bullock patents the continuous-roll printing press, 1863

Abraham Lincoln is shot at Ford's Theater by John Wilkes Booth, 1865

Canada sets denominations of currency as dollars, cents, & mills, 1871

Canada passes the Dominion Lands Act, 1872

The RMS Titanic hits an iceberg at 11:40pm and sinks 2 hours later, 1912

The first Volvo car premieres in Gothenburg, Sweden, 1927

The Grapes of Wrath, by American author John Steinbeck is first published by the Viking Press, 1939

The Soviet satellite Sputnik 2 falls from orbit, 1958

The heaviest hailstones ever recorded, at 1 kilogram, hailstones fall on the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh, killing 92, 1986

The most costly natural disaster in Australian history, a hailstorm, strikes Sydney, Australia, 1999

The Human Genome Project is completed with 99% of the human genome sequenced to an accuracy of 99.99%, 2003

The Oregon Supreme Court nullifies marriage licenses issued to gay couples a year earlier by Multnomah County, 2005

Ash from Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano drifts towards Europe, causing air traffic to close over Northern Norway, 2010

The first-ever European MP's of Croatia are determined in an election held in anticipation of Croatia gaining formal entry into the European Union, 2013

(Because some people like Blogger and some like WordPress, i am putting the same content at both. If you would prefer to read this on the other site, it is linked here.)

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Just because Sandee of Comedy Plus is no longer hosting Silly Sunday does not mean i will quit telling Cajun jokes.

Boudeaux's cousin, Gauthier, be de editor o' de local paper.

One day Gauthier call Boudreaux an' say, "Boudreaux, I needs fo' you to talk to you boy, Tee."

"Mais, what he done did now?" Boudreaux ax.

An' Gauthier say, "He done come by de paper office after school an' pay fo' a classified ad."

"What fo' he did dat?" Boudreaux ax.

"Dat be what we want to know," say Gauthier. "He done come in an ax us how much it be to print ten words, an' when we tol' him, he say 'Dat goin' be my whole 'llowance fo' de month, but it be worth it.' Den he done ax us to print de words, 'Authenticate, Perspicacious, Tertiary, Insolent, Unmediated, Plenipotentiary, Bifurcated, Contentious, Obstreperous, Extolled.' We goin' do it 'cause he done paid an' dey don' be words we cain't have in de paper, but we all want know why he want dem words enough to pay fo it."

So Boudreaux call Tee come in an' he tell him, "Gauthier done call me an' tell me 'bout you wantin' de ad in de paper."

"Do I be in trouble?" ax Tee.

"Mais, no, you ain't done nothin' wrong, we jes' want know what fo' you be willin' to pay for all dem big, fancy words to be in de paper."

An' Tee say, "Well, you know we get a paper in de school fo' to read an' discuss in de English class, an' my English teacher done say whoever can find dem ten words in the paper dis semester is goin' get an A, so now I know I be goin' find dem!"

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Sunday Selections was started as a way for bloggers to use photos that might otherwise just languish in their files. It is now hosted by River at Drifting Through Life.

One of the children at rEcess showed me this is it numbers/is it letters trick. If you cover the top of the paper, it shows something different than when you see the whole thing:

A hidden "I love you"

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To enjoy more blogs participating in the A to Z Challenge, click here.

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Today is:

Celtic Tree Month Saille (willow) begins

Cleaning for a Reason Week begins -- raising awareness of Cleaning For A Reason, which helps provide free residential cleaning to women fighting cancer

Day of the Sun -- North Korea (Kim Il Sung's Birthday Holiday)

Fast Food Day -- the first franchised McDonald's opened this day in 1955 in Des Plaines, IL, US

Father Damien Day -- Hawaii, US (Patron of lepers)

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

Fluff Appreciation Day -- internet generated

Fordicalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (cow sacrifice to the earth mother, Tellus Mater)

Guangzhou (Canton) Spring Trade Fair -- Guangzhou (Canton), China (a month-long spring trade fair held the same dates each year)

Hillsborough Disaster Memorial -- Anfield at Liverpool, England

Income Tax Pay Day -- Philippines

Jackie Robinson Day -- Major League Baseball

National Glazed Ham Day

National Pet ID Week -- the third full week of April, you are reminded to make sure your pets are microchipped or have an ID tag, just in case

Rubber Eraser Day -- today in 1770, Joseph Priestly described a vegetable gum which had the ability to rub out pencil marks

St. Hunna's Day (Patron of laundresses, laundry workers, washerwomen)

Swallow Day -- England (traditional date of the return of chimney swallows)

Take a Wild Guess Day -- sponsored by Jim Barber as a day to honor guesses, hunches, inspirations, speculations and other forms of “intuitive intelligence”

Tipsa Diena -- Ancient Latvian Calendar (celebration of the start of plowing)

Titanic Remembrance Day

Volunteer Recognition Week/National Volunteer Week begins -- sponsored by Points of Light

World Creativity and Innovation Week -- always begins on DaVinci's birth anniversary

World Art Day -- because he was an artist as well as inventor

Anniversary Today:

Gallaudet University is founded, 1817 (first US public school for the deaf)

Birthdays Today:

Emma Watson, 1990

Ilya Kovalchuck, 1983

Seth Rogen, 1982

Patrick Carney, 1980

Anna Torv, 1978

Emma Thompson, 1959

Evelyn Ashford, 1957

Heloise Cruse Evans, 1951

Amy Wright, 1950

Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, 1947

Claudia Cardinale, 1939

Roy Clark, 1933

Elizabeth Montgomery, 1933

Leon Schotter, 1922

Harold Washington, 1922

Hilda Simms, 1920

Hans Conried, 1917

Bessie Smith, 1894

Thomas Hart Benton, 1889

Sam Rodia, 1875

John Munroe Longyear, 1850

Henry James, 1843

Joseph E. Seagram, 1841

Charles Willson Peale, 1741(O.S. date)

Leonardo da Vinci, 1452

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"In Living Color"(TV), 1990

"Driving Miss Daisy"(Play), 1987

Today in History:

Pope Innocent III refuses to grant permission to the Jews of Cordova, Spain, to build a synagogue, 1250

Samuel Johnson's A Dictionary of the English Language is published in London, 1755

The first school for the deaf in the US opens in Hartford, Connecticut, 1817

The last day US silver coins are allowed to circulate in Canada, 1870

Harley Proctor begins producing Ivory Soap, 1878

General Electric Company is incorporated, 1892

The Titanic sinks, 1912

Insulin becomes available to diabetics, 1923

Rand McNally publishes its first road atlas, 1924

Jackie Robinson debuts with the Brooklyn Dodgers, 1947

White Rock, British Columbia officially separates from Surrey, British Columbia and is incorporated as a new city, 1957

Tokyo Disney Resort (and the Tokyo Disneyland park) opens in Tokyo Bay (Japan), 1983

Upon Hu Yaobang's death, the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 begin in the People's Republic of China, 1989

Representatives of 124 countries and the European Communities sign the Marrakesh Agreements revising the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and initiating the World Trade Organization, 1994

Astronomers at San Francisco State University announce the discovery of the first multiplanet solar system besides our own, three planets around Upsilon Andromedaie, 1999

Volcanic ash from the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland leads to the closure of airspace over most of Europe, 2010

In a Schrodinger's cat experiment, researchers in Japan and Australia successfully teleport wave packets of light; this is the first transfer of quantum information from one point to another, 2011

Nokia announces that it will purchase Alcatel-Lucent for $16.6 billion, creating the second-largest manufacturer of mobile communication products behind Ericsson, 2015

(Because some people like Blogger and some like WordPress, i am putting the same content at both. If you would prefer to read this on the other site, it is linked here.)

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Awww Monday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus.

Join us every Monday for Awww...Mondays. Post a picture that makes you say Awww... and that's it.

Make sure you get the code from Sandee's site, linked above, and leave a link to your post so we can visit you. What better way to start the week than with a smile!

Little Girl, who is in the Army National Guard, had a training weekend, so she spent her nights here. She brought Coda the German shepherd, and the dog slept on the cot with her. When i had to sneak down in the middle of the night, Coda jumped up in protection mode, a faithful night guard:

Halt! Who goes there?

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My "Spark" for the day

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To enjoy more blogs participating in the A to Z Challenge, click here.

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Today is:

Boston Marathon -- Boston, MA, US (121st running)

Day of Mushroom Encouragement -- Fairy Calendar

Dronningens Fodselsdag -- Denmark (Birthday of Queen Margrethe II)

Emancipation Day -- Washington, D.C., US

Holiday of Ra -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Jim Thorpe Day -- US (by Presidential Proclamation in 1973)

Jose de Diego's Birthday -- Puerto Rico (Father of the Puerto Rican Independence Movement, a/k/a Dia de Reafirmacion del Idioma Espanol)

National Eggs Benedict Day

National Healthcare Decision Week begins -- US (to inspire, educate & empower the public & providers about the importance of advance care planning; "It always seems to early, until it's too late.")

Offering to Demeter Khloe -- Ancient Greek Calendar (honoring Demeter as goddess of green shoots; date approximate)

Patriot's Day -- US (in observance of the first battles of the Revolutionary War)

Sechselauten -- Zurich, Switzerland (Six Ringing Festival, traditional driving out of winter through the symolic destruction of the Boog - Old Man Winter - in the form of a snowman)

St. Bernadette of Lourdes' Day (Patron of people ridiculed for their piety, poor people, shepherdesses, shepherds, sick people; Lourdes, France; against bodily ills, poverty, sickness)

St. Padarn's Day (Celtic peoples traditionally begin weeding crops on this saint's day)

World Entrepreneurship Day

World Voice Day -- if you've ever had laryngitis, you know how important it is to protect your voice

Anniversaries Today:

Harry Connick, Jr. marries Jill Goodare, 1994

Founding of the University of Queensland, 1910

Birthdays Today:

Lilliana Mumy, 1994

Lucas Haas, 1976

Selena Quintanilla, 1971

Martin Lawrence, 1965

Jon Cryer, 1965

Ellen Barkin, 1955

Jay O. Sanders, 1953

Kareem Adbud-Jabbar, 1947

Dusty Springfield, 1939

Bobby Vinton, 1935

Herbie Mann, 1930

Edie Adams, 1929

Pope Benedict XVI, 1927

Henry Mancini, 1924

Kingsley Amis, 1922

Peter Ustinov, 1921

Barry Nelson, 1920

Merce Cunningham, 1919

Charlie Chaplin, 1889

John Millington Synge, 1871

Wilbur Wright, 1867

Jose De Diego, 1866

Anatole France, 1844

John Franklin, 1786

Hans Sloane, 1660

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Brown Sugar"(Rolling Stones single release), 1971

"Fibber McGee and Molly"(Radio), 1935

"Mazeppa"(Symphonic poem, Liszt' S 100), 1854

"The Contrast"(Comedy), 1787 (First play by an American author, Royall Tyler, to be professionally produced on stage)

Today in History:

Calculated date of the return of Odysseus from the Trojan War, BC1178

The Jewish fortress of Masada falls to the Roman Army, ending the Jewish revolt, 73

Martin Luther is called before the Diet of Worms, 1521

Spanish conquistador Hernando de Lerma founds the settlement of Salta, Argentina, 1582

The United States Senate ratified the Rush-Bagot Treaty, establishing the border with Canada, 1880

The first passenger rail opens in India, 1853

Ebenezer Bassett, the first African-American diplomat, begins his service in Haiti, 1869

US Marshal Bat Masterson fights his last gun battle, in Dodge City, 1881

Harriet Quimby becomes the first female pilot to cross the English Channel, 1912

Gandhi organizes a day of "prayer and fasting" in response to the killing of Indian protesters in the Amritsar Massacre by the British, 1919

Annie Oakley shoots a record 100 clay targets in a row, 1922

Dr. Albert Hofmann first ingests LSD, thus discovering its effects, 1943

Bernard Baruch coins the term "Cold War" to describe the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union, 1947

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. pens his Letter from Birmingham Jail while incarcerated in Birmingham, Alabama for protesting against segregation, 1963

The Katina P. runs aground off of Maputo, Mozambique and 60,000 tons of crude oil spill into the ocean, 1992

The Queen Mary II embarks on her first transatlantic voyage, 2004

President of Côte d'Ivoire Laurent Gbagbo declares the First Ivorian Civil War to be over, 2007

For the first time since 1977 no Pulitzer Prize is awarded for fiction, 2012

The Vatican ends a five-year investigation into a key organization of U.S. nuns two years ahead of schedule and recommends no major changes; the group was under scrutiny for practices considered out of line with Catholic Church teaching, 2015

(Because some people like Blogger and some like WordPress, i am putting the same content at both. If you would prefer to read this on the other site, it is linked here.)

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It's Tuesday, time for linking up with Stacy's Random Thoughts at Stacy Uncorked.

We interrupt this week to say, Oh, Gracious! Yesterday i received a call from the shelter. A foster who was bottle raising three kittens got word a relative had been in a serious accident and she needed to fly home immediately. Could i take the kittens, since it was such an emergency?

Can we say of course?

The orange tabby boy is so small i am almost convinced he is not from the same litter as the other two. If he is, he is way behind in development.

The larger of the two calico females will not drink milk but insists on getting canned food. In over thirty years of bottle raising kittens, this is a first for me.

They do seem healthy and happy, which is the most important thing. Because i could only find one heating pad in the house (i think Bigger Girl moved out with the other one), i gave it to them and went to the store to get myself another. As i always say when i have to give up something to the babies, they are worth it.

Yes, it is still cool enough at night here that i need a heating pad. Since such cool weather means no A/C is needed yet, i will take it.

If i can get them to cooperate, i will try to get better pictures by Friday.

Dr. D kept me hopping yesterday. While i agree with the mother who said she was too smart to stick her hand under her son's bed, i am willing to stick a broom under Dr. D's. Seldom do i use the expression OMG, but i think it applies when you find twenty-seven pairs of shoes and a ton of Persian cat hair under one small bed.

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To enjoy more blogs participating in the A to Z Challenge, click here.

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Today is:

American Academy of Arts and Letters Charter Day

Bat Appreciation Day -- sponsored by Bat Conservation International, at the time of year when bats begin awakening from hibernation

Blah, Blah, Blah Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays

Eighty-Niner Days Celebration -- Guthrie, OK, US (commemoration of the Oklahoma Territory Land Run of April 22, 1889, celebrating their heritage with chuck wagon feeds, "gunfights", a parade and carnival; through Sunday)

Ellis Island Family History Day -- US (by proclamation of the nations governors and in conjunction with the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, a day to celebrate the achievements and contribution of the immigrants and their descendants who came through Ellis Island; on the anniversary of the day, in 1907, when 11,747 immigrants were processed through the island, the most in one day)

Equality Day -- Canada (the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms came into force on April 17, 1985, guaranteeing equality without regard to race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability)

Flag Day -- American Samoa

Ford Mustang Day -- International (on the "birthday" of the vehicle)

Income Tax Pay Day -- US

related observances:

Freak Out Day

National Griper's Day (after all, you have to pay your taxes)

Tax Resistors' Day -- good luck!

That Sucks Day (appropriate, isn't it)*

Independence Day / Evacuation Day -- Syria

International Day of Peasants Struggle

Myanmar New Year -- Myanmar

National Cheeseball Day

National Haiku Poetry Day -- sponsored by The Haiku Foundation

Nimble Fairies' Scattering -- Fairy Calendar

Nosy Neighbor Appreciation Day -- to be celebrated, if you dare, by greeting and thanking your neighbor for being nosy

Nothing Like A Dame Day -- a day to pay homage to the unique wit, wisdom, style and strength of dames past and present, and to cultivate the dame in you or in your life

St. Kateri Tekakwitha's Day (Patron of ecologists, ecology, environment, environmentalism, environmentalists, exiles, people who have lost their parents, people ridiculed for their piety)

St. Stephen Harding's Day (Co-founder of Cistercian Order)

Thargelia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (two day festival for the birthday of Apollon and Artemis; date approximate)

Toothbrush Appreciation Day -- think of what it would be like without one!

Verrazano Day -- New York, US (Celebrates discovery of New York harbor by Giovanni Verrazano, Florentine navigator)

Women's Day -- Gabon

World Hemophilia Day

*If you want to add others reasons why today should be considered "That Sucks Day", please go share your horror story of the day at www.thatsucks.net

Birthdays Today:

Victoria Beckham, 1974

Jennifer Garner, 1972

Liz Phair, 1967

Lela Rochon, 1966

Norman Julius “Boomer” Esiason, 1961

Sean Bean, 1958

Olivia Hussey, 1951

Don Kirshner, 1934

Cynthia Ozick, 1928

Harry Reasoner, 1923

William Holden, 1918

Thornton Wilder, 1897

Nikita Krushchev, 1894

Adrian Constantine “Cap” Anson, 1852

J.P. Morgan, 1837

Samuel Chase, 1741

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Caveman(Film), 1981

"McCartney"(Album), 1970 (first solo album)

"No Time for Comedy"(Play), 1939

Today in History:

Geoffrey Chaucer tells his Canterbury Tales for the first time, at the court of Richard II, ten years to the day after the pilgrimage actually began, 1397

Christopher Columbus signs his contract with Spain to find the Indes, 1492

Martin Luther stands firm and refuses to recant before the Diet of Worms, 1521

Sir Ralph Abercromby attacks San Juan, Puerto Rico in what would be one of the largest invasions of the Spanish territories in America, 1797

The first Sino-Japanese War ends with the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki, 1895

A one day record 11,747 immigrants are processed at Ellis Island, 1907

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios is formed by the merger of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures, and the Louis B. Mayer Company, 1924

Cartoon characters Daffy Duck, Elmer J Fudd & Petunia Pig, debut, 1937

At midnight, 26 Irish counties officially break with the British Commonwealth and form the Republic of Ireland, 1949

The Bay of Pigs Invasion fiasco begins, 1961

Ford Motor Company unveils the Mustang, 1964

Jerrie Mock becomes the first woman to circumnavigate the world by air, 1964

The ill-fated Apollo 13 spacecraft returns to Earth safely, 1970

Patriation of the Canadian constitution in Ottawa by Proclamation of Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, 1982

The Three Hundred and Thirty Five Years' War between the Netherlands and the Isles of Scilly ends, 1986

NJ Devil Martin Brodeur becomes the 2nd NHL goalie to score in a playoff game, 1997

The 5th Summit of the Americas takes place in Port of Spain; Trinidad, thirty-four heads of government attend, 2005

An explosion at a fertilizer plant in the city of West, Texas, causes 15 deaths and major damage to nearby buildings, residences, a nursing home and middle school, 2013

(Because some people like Blogger and some like WordPress, i am putting the same content at both. If you would prefer to read this on the other site, it is linked here.)

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Linking up with Wordless Wednesday.

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This week's prompts are:

tick
fresh
droplet
magnificent
juice
appeal

And/or

clue
cancel
cheap
purple
whales
love

“Gracious, child!” his grandmother exclaimed. “You splash in your bath worse than the WHALES in the ocean!”

Bailey looked at her Nonnie and grinned as only a six-year-old with no front teeth can. She knew the LOVE behind the mock scolding, that her grandmother really didn’t care that almost every surface of the bathroom had a sheen of DROPLETS on it.

Besides, if there was one thing Bailey enjoyed almost as much as splashing in the tub, it was wiping down the surfaces with the towel after. Truth be told, she loved wiping down everything except herself, and would run around wiping things until her towel was so wet she had to have a FRESH one to dry herself.

This MAGNIFICENT game had been going on for so long it had become their habit, a ritual neither was willing to miss out on. Like all children, Bailey reveled in the love and nurturing without having a CLUE what it actually cost.

She was not supposed to be here right now, although she had no way of realizing the forces beyond her that had brought her to this point. Her father’s lost job, then the house taken, the months in a CHEAP apartment while he tried to get their lives back on track, and finally his APPEAL to his mother to take the girl “for a while, so I can work in the oil fields — I can’t take her there with me, it’s no place for a child and I can send money home.”

Nonnie thought about these things as she coaxed her granddaughter into her favorite PURPLE pajamas. Time for the glass of JUICE before bed, which Bailey “sucked down like a TICK on a hound dog” as Nonnie put it. Then prayers and tucking in and a story and a kiss, and when Bailey finally fell asleep, Nonnie would finish cleaning up from supper and take her own weary self to bed.

As difficult as it was to care for a grandchild after raising her own kids, Nonnie knew the secret of being grateful for this time that would not last forever. She would not CANCEL a moment of it, or wish it away. Her son had sent word, he had a job offer near her, after almost a year away, he was coming home soon.

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To enjoy more blogs participating in the A to Z Challenge, click here.

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Today is:

Adult Autism Awarenes Day -- sponsored by aheadd.org

Army Day -- Iran (Rouz-e-Artesh)

Ebertfest/Roger Ebert's Film Festival -- Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL (in the best show biz tradition, the show will go on; through Sunday)

Feast of Pak Tai -- Macau (Pak Tai who conquered the Demon King, celebrated the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month)

Goddess Month of Maia begins

Independence Day -- Zimbabwe(1980)

International Amateur Radio Day/World Amateur Radio Day -- celebrating "ham radio" around the world; ARRI

International Day for Monuments and Sites -- UNESCO

Invention Day -- Japan

Laundromat Day -- the first self-service "washateria" opened on this date in 1934 in Fort Worth, TX, US

Look-Alike Day -- internet generated, a day to try to look like someone you admire; some sites list it on the 20th

National Animal Cracker Day

National CPA's Goof Off Day -- US, the day after tax day because they deserve it!

National Stress Awareness Day -- sponsored by the Health Resource Network (always on the first workday after paying taxes)

Newspaper Columnists' Day -- The National Society of Newspaper Columnists in honor of the anniversary of the death of Ernie Pyle

Pet Owners Independence Day -- the day to let your pet do the work and chores while you lie around and enjoy having only the responsibilies of your pet; sponsored by Wellcat Holidays

Shangsi Festival -- China (ancient Double Third festival, on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month)

Sleep Apnea Awareness Day -- US

Smile Big and Say Hi for No Particular Reason Day -- if some site gave the reason for this, it would defeat the purpose

St. Agapitus Day (Patron of Palestrina, Italy; against colic)

St. Agia's Day (Patron against lawsuits)

"Third World" Day -- the phrase was first used on this date in 1955

Ushibuka Haiya Matsuri -- Furukawa, Japan (one of the liveliest dance festivals, with elements of dance styles from around the country; through the 20th)

Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day -- US (the day after you pay your taxes, bring the comforts of home to the office; sponsored by PajamaGram)

Anniversaries Today:

The University of Alabama is founded, 1831

Birthdays Today:

America Ferrara, 1984

Cheryl Ann Haworth, 1983

Melissa Joan Hart, 1976

Eli Roth, 1972

David Tennant, 1971

Maria Bello, 1967

Conan O'Brien, 1963

Eric McCormack, 1963

Jane Leeves, 1961

Eric Roberts, 1956

John James, 1956

John Pankow, 1954

Rick Moranis, 1954

Dorothy Lyman, 1947

James Woods, 1947

Hayley Mills, 1946

Robert Hooks, 1937

Barbara Hale, 1921

Leopold Stokowski, 1882

Samuel Earl "Wahoo Sam" Crawford, 1880

Clarence Darrow, 1857

Lucrezia Borgia, 1480

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Beauty and the Beast"(Musical), 1994

"Real People"(TV), 1979

"Call Me Mister"(Musical), 1946

Today in History:

Boleslaw Chrobry is crowned the first king of Poland, 1025

The cornerstone of the current St. Peter's Basilica is laid, 1506

The Real Academia de la Historia (Royal Academy of History) is founded in Madrid, 1738

The British advancement by sea begins; Paul Revere and William Dawes, upon seeing two lanterns in the church steeple, set out to warn that "The British are coming!" 1775

Fighting ceases in the American Revolutionary War, eight years to the day after it began, 1783

Billy the Kid escapes from the Lincoln County jail in Mesilla, New Mexico, 1881

The St. Andrew's Ambulance Association is granted a Royal Charter by Queen Victoria, 1899

Denmark becomes the first country to formally adopt fingerprinting to identify criminals, 1902

Quetzaltenango, second largest city of Guatemala, is destroyed by an earthquake, 1902

The Great San Francisco Earthquake, 1906

The Los Angeles Times story on the Azusa Street Revival launches Pentecostalism as a worldwide movement, 1906

The RMS Carpathia brings the Titanic survivors to NYC, 1912

"The House that Ruth Built," Yankee Stadium, opens, 1923

Simon and Schuster publishes the first crossword puzzle book, 1924

The first "washateria" (laundromat) opens, in Ft. Worth, Texas, 1934

The League of Nations is formally dissolved, 1949

29 nations meet at Bandung, Indonesia, for the first Asian-African Conference., 1955

A United States federal court rules that poet Ezra Pound is to be released from an insane asylum, 1958

The Republic of Zimbabwe is officially established with the swearing in of Canaan Banana as its first President, 1980

The Pawtucket Red Sox and Rochester Red Wings, from the Triple-A International League, begin the longest game in professional baseball history, 33 innings, 1981

The Supreme Court of the United States upholds the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act in a 5-4 decision, 2007

Kepler-62e and Kepler-62f, two planets resembling planet Earth are discovered revolving around the star Kepler-62 in the habitable zone, an area around the stars whose atmospheric pressure can suport liquid water at the surface, 2013

(Because some people like Blogger and some like WordPress, i am putting the same content at both. If you would prefer to read this on the other site, it is linked here.)

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"We have to hatch a plan, and quickly!"

"What's the rush?"

"The deadline is tomorrow!"

"Wha...how...I can't come up with a good plan in under 24 hours!"

"Well, we have no choice, it snuck up on us as usual, and besides, we should get a refund, I don't know why we procrastinate like this."

"Okay, okay, pass the W-2s and 1099s and I'll get started on our taxes!"

Linking up with Denise at Girlie On The Edge Blog, where she hosts Six Sentence Stories, and the cue is Hatch.

(And no, i did not wait until the day before, nor did i get a refund!)

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To me, picket fences are the epitome of quaint.

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To enjoy more blogs participating in the A to Z Challenge, click here.

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Today is:

Bendideia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (festival for Bendis; date approximate)

Dogwood Festival -- Camdenton, MO, US (a rite of spring festival under the beautiful dogwood trees; through Saturday)

Dutch-American Friendship Day -- anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Netherlands and the US, America's oldest continuously peaceful diplomatic relations

Fiesta San Antonio -- San Antonio, Texas, US (annual celebration that honors the memory of Texas heroes who fought in the Texas war for Independence. More that 150 events, with sporting events, fireworks, dances...all culminating with the traditional "Battle of Flowers" parade! through the 26th)

Get to Know Your Customers Day (celebrated the 3rd Thursday quarterly)

Harpa Month Begins -- Traditional Icelandic Calendar (Harp, dedicated to young women as last month was dedicated to young men)

Sumardagurinn Fyrsti -- first day of summer, a legal holiday

Independence Declaration Day -- Venezuela

John Parker Day -- many US States (anniversary of the Battle of Lexington and Concord, where Parker said “Stand your ground. Don’t fire unless fired upon; but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.”)

King Mswati III's birthday -- Swaziland

Lozenge Competition -- Fairy Calendar (no, i don't know what they do with the lozenges that makes it a competition)

Nagasaki Tall Ships Festival -- Nagasaki, Japan (sailing festival, commemorating the 16th century opening of Nagasaki as Japan's sole foreign trade port; through the 24th)

National Amaretto Day

National D.A.R.E Day -- US (by Presidential Proclamation)

National Garlic Day

National Hanging Out Day -- Project Laundry List and other organizations promote bringing back the clothesline to save energy and the planet!

National High Five Day -- raising money for cancer research

Oklahoma City Bombing Commemoration Day

Okoshi Daiko Festival -- Furukawa, Japan (today, hundreds of men in loincloths fight to touch a wooden frame supporting a huge taiko drum as it is carried through the streets, and tomorrow is an elegant parade with lion dancers and traditional music)

Primrose Day -- UK (anniversary of the death of Disraeli)

Spring Fair in Puyallup -- Puyallup, WA, US (fun for the family, every year since 1900; through Sunday)

St. AElfheah's Day (Patron of kidnap victims; Greenwich and Solihull, England)

St. Expeditus of Melintine's Day (Patron of merchants, navigators; for expeditious and prompt solutions; against procrastination)

St. Leo IX's Day

Yom Ha’Atzmaut — Israel (Independence Day, through sunset)

Anniversaries Today:

Grace Kelly marries Ranier III of Monaco, 1956

Cheyney University is founded as The Institute for Colored Youth, 1837

Marie Antoinette marries Louis XVI by Proxy Marriage, 1770

Birthdays Today:

Maria Sharapova, 1987

Hayden Christensen, 1981

Kate Hudson, 1979

James Franco, 1978

Luis Miguel Basteri, 1970

Ashley Judd, 1968

Al Unser, Jr., 1962

Tony Plana, 1954

Paloma Picasso, 1949

Tim Curry, 1946

Alan Price, 1942

Elinor Donahue, 1937

Dudley Moore, 1935

Jayne Mansfield, 1933

Dick Sargent, 1930

Hugh O'Brian, 1925

Eliot Ness, 1903

Lucretia Rudolph-Garfield, 1832

David Ricardo, 1772

Roger Sherman, 1721

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope"(Musical revue), 1972

"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn"(Musical), 1951

"Carousel"(Musical), 1945

"Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder/Mother Courage and Her Children"(Play), 1941

"National Barn Dance"(Radio), 1924

"The Bing Boys are Here"(Musical revue), 1919

"Revizor/The Government Inspector"(Comedy), 1836

"Iphigenia in Aulis,"(Opera), 1774

Today in History:

Sir Francis Drake sails to Cadiz and sinks the Spanish Fleet, 1587

Because he has no male heirs, Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI issues the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713, assuring Habsburg lands and the Austrian throne would go to his daughter, Maria Theresa, 1713

Captain James Cook sights Australia, 1770

John Adams secures Dutch recognition of the United States, and his home in The Hague becomes the first American Embassy, 1782

Venezuela achieves home rule, 1810

The Treaty of London establishes Belgium as a kingdom and Luxembourg as a Grand Duchy, 1839

Charles Duryea claims to have taken the first automobile built in the US for a spin, 1892

The first Boston Marathon is won by John McDermott of NY in 2:55:10, 1897

Leslie Irvin of the United States makes the first successful voluntary free-fall parachute jump, 1919

The 125th and final fascicle of the Oxford English Dictionary is published, 1928

Burma (now Myanmar) joins the United Nations, 1948

The Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba ends in success for the defenders, 1961

Sierra Leone becomes a republic, 1971

India's first satellite, Aryabhata, is launched, 1975

The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA, is bombed, killing 168, 1995

The German Bundestag returns to Berlin, the first German parliamentary body to meet there since the Reichstag was dissolved in 1945, 1999

His Eminence Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is elected the 265th Pope of the Catholic Church, taking the name Benedict XVI, 2005

Fidel Castro resigns from the Communist Party of Cuba's central committee after 45 years, 2011

(Because some people like Blogger and some like WordPress, i am putting the same content at both. If you would prefer to read this on the other site, it is linked here.)

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

He has handed hosting duties off to Sandee, of Comedy Plus, and it's simple to join, just follow the link to Sandee's page for the rules and the code.

As i suspected, the litter of kittens i am bottle raising is actually a litter of one and a litter of two that animal control stuck together and handed to the shelter.

The orange tabby boy, whom i simply call Little Brother, is at least a week younger than the two girls. He has adapted well to being with them, and can rest no matter what they do. He even sleeps at times when they step over him!

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My fill-ins for the statements are underlined:

Week 102: April 20, 2018

1. New are .

2. I love to on the .

3. When I was a child, I loved to play .

4. One , I .

1. New shoes are more stylish than the old, but the old are more comfortable. It’s the same with opinions. Aunt Jimsie said that in Anne of the Island, and she was right!

2. I love to walk on the beach at sunrise. It never grows old.

3. When i was a child, i loved to play school Yes, i was weird. Still am.

4. One day, i am going to retire and let someone else do my cleaning!

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To enjoy more blogs participating in the A to Z Challenge, click here.

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Today is:

Anniversary of Something That Happened So Long Ago Everyone Has Forgotten Day -- Fairy Calendar

Chinese Language Day -- UN

Global Youth Service Day -- annual campaign to mobilize children and youth to make a difference (through Sunday)

Go Around Humming "You Light Up My Life" Until Everybody Screams Day -- the person who thought this one up should be tied down and forced to listen to Barry Manilow songs for 12 hours straight!

Harvest Offering to Renenutet -- Ancient Egypitian Calendar (offering to the Lady of the Fertile Fields; date approximate)

Lima Bean Respect Day

Main Street BBQ & Bluesfest -- Washington, MO, US (professional BBQ competition, plus music and fun; through Sunday)

National Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Day

National Take a Break to Reset Your Mind Day -- because everyone needs a day like this

National Teach Children to Save Day -- sponsored by the American Banking Association

Ridvan begins -- Baha'i (begins at sunset)

St. Caedwalla of Wales' Day (Patron of converts, repentant murderers)

Birthdays Today:

Danny Granger, 1983

Joey Lawrence, 1976

Carmen Electra, 1972

Shemar Moore, 1970

Crispin Glover, 1964

Don Mattingly, 1961

Clint Howard, 1959

Luther Vandross, 1951

Jessica Lange, 1949

David Leland, 1947

Steve Spurrier, 1945

Ryan O'Neal, 1941

George Takei, 1937

Nina Foch, 1924

Ernesto Antonio "Tito" Puente, 1923

John Paul Stevens, 1920

Lionel Hampton, 1908

Harold Lloyd, 1893

Joan Miró i Ferrà, 1893

Holland McTyeire "Howlin' Mad" Smith, 1882

Daniel Chester French, 1850

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Annie Hall(Film), 1977

"Your Hit Parade"(Radio), 1935

Today in History:

The last naval battle in Byzantine history, 1453

Jews are expelled from Orange Burgundy, 1505

Jacques Cartier begins the voyage in which he will claim Canada and Labrador for France, 1534

Freedom of religion is granted to the Jews of New Amsterdam, 1657

Admiral Robert Blake destroys a Spanish silver fleet under heavy fire at Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 1657

Captain Cook arrives in New South Wales, 1770

René Caillié becomes the first non-Muslim to enter Timbouctou, 1828

Edgar Allan Poe's Murder in the Rue Morgue becomes the first detective story ever published, 1841

Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard complete their first pasteurization tests, 1862

Pierre and Marie Curie refine radium chloride, 1902

Manfred von Richthofen, aka The Red Baron, shoots down his 79th and 80th victims marking his final victories before his death the next day, 1918

Western Electric and Warner Bros. announce Vitaphone, a process to add sound to film, 1926

Apollo 16, commanded by John Young, lands on the moon, 1972

Pianist Vladimir Horowitz performs in his native Russia for the first time in 61 years, 1986

Danica Patrick wins the Indy Japan 300 becoming the first female driver in history to win an Indy car race, 2008

The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion kills 11 and causes rig to sink, initiating a massive oil discharge in the Gulf of Mexico, 2010

Tens of thousands of people demonstrate in Tahrir Square against continuing military rule in Egypt, 2012

(Because some people like Blogger and some like WordPress, i am putting the same content at both. If you would prefer to read this on the other site, it is linked here.)

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After we got finished being taken to the cleaners by the Tax Man this past week, i spent a lot of time thinking about the Bible verse Hebrews 13:5, "Be content with such things as you have, for He has said 'I will never leave you nor forsake you'."

Another way to think about contentment is being satisfied, or grateful, or thankful.

Today is "S" day on A to Z, so i am thinking that i am satisfied.

Yes, i could envy those who have nicer cars, but i am satisfied with and thankful for the Jalopy and Lunceford the Land Yacht.

Sure, i could have more clothes, and more stylish clothes, but i am satisfied with and thankful for my jeans and t-shirts and my two dresses for special occasions.

We could wish for a bigger house, but i am more than satisfied with and thankful for the size of this one.

Some people dine at fine restaurants all of the time, but i am satisfied with and thankful for the food in our pantry and fridge and freezer. Also, i know that we have more from one grocery trip than some people in this world will get in a month.

There are those who are in much better physical shape than i am, but i am satisfied and thankful that yesterday i was able to climb into Ms. G's attic and get the inflatable bed down for her, and haul in all of the cat litter. She just had knee surgery and couldn't do it, and she didn't have to because i am at least fit enough to do that.

Ms. G also has a brand new vacuum cleaner that has all of the bells and whistles on it (the crack and crevice tool lights up!) and i could covet it, but i am satisfied with my modest Shark that does a good enough job for me.

Reading is one of my passions, and i could be cranky about not being able to buy every book i want to read, but instead i am satisfied to get a good used one sometimes and go to the library for the rest.

Most of my furniture is older and a bit shabby and worse for the wear after years of children and cats. Still i am satisfied with it and thankful for it because it works for us and our lifestyle, and i don't have to be always on pins and needles that a cat will destroy something.

The latest technological gadgetry is something that some people just have to have. Me, i will be quite satisfied with and thankful for the big tablet that Sweetie can see to use and the smaller one that i can see to use, and our phones that we got cheaper because they were out of style.

There are jobs that are a lot more glamorous than being a janitor, but i am satisfied that i can help people and they are really thankful to have me do the jobs they cannot do or don't have time to do.

While i could sit and wish for more, i am satisfied and thankful. Yes, some things i will work to change, or to eventually replace some worn items with better things, but that does not take away from my being thankful and grateful for the now. Nothing says i cannot be content and satisfied with where i am while still striving to get where i want to be.

Josie Two Shoes is the delightful hostess of Ten Things of Thankful, and it would make all of us thankful if you would work up a list (it doesn't have to be ten, that's just a suggestion, a goal to shoot for) and link up. That way we can all be thankful along with you.

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To enjoy more blogs participating in the A to Z Challenge, click here.

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Today is:

Administrative Professionals Day (original date)

Aggie Muster -- Texas A&M University

Astronomy Day 2018 / Spring Astronomy Day -- Saturday at or before the first quarter moon between mid-April and mid-May

sponsored by The Astronomical League; find out what your local astronomy society is doing today, and go enjoy

Banyan Tree Birthday Party -- Lahaina, Maui, Hawai'i (celebrating the "birthday" of Lahaina's most important landmark, their banyan tree planted back in 1973, which now covers over 2/3 of an acre; cake, nature displays, kid activities, history exhibits and more, through tomorrow)

Birthday of Rome -- Rome, Italy (753 BCE)

California Poppy Festival -- Lancaster, CA, US (two fun days celebrating California's State Flower)

Feast of Wadjet (a/k/a Udjet or Buto) -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

First Day of Ridvan -- Baha'i (began sunset yesterday; through May 2)

Grounation Day -- Rastafari (one of the Rastafarian's most important festivals, in honor of Haile Selassie's 1966 visit to Jamaica)

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

Healthy Kids Day® -- YMCA

Heroica Defensa de Veracruz -- Mexico (Heroic Defense of Veracruz)

Historic Garden Week in Virginia -- VA, US (enjoying some of Virginia's finest homes and gardens; through next Saturday)

Homecoming of the Elves -- Fairy Calendar (Singing Festival)

Huband Appreciation Day

International Marconi Day -- a 24-hour amateur radio event annually near the birth anniversary of Marconi

Iroquois Corn Planting Ceremony -- Iroquois Native Americans (three day celebration, always around this time of year)

John Muir Day -- US (American conservationist)

Kartini Day -- Indonesia (honoring a leader who helped emancipate women)

Keep Norfolk Beautiful Day -- Norfolk, VA, US (citywide volunteer cleanup effort that i would love to see duplicated everywhere)

Kindergarten Day -- Germany; US (birth anniversary of Friedrich Froebel, in 1782, who began the first Kindergarten in Germany in 1837)

Make a Quilt Day -- obviously begun by someone who has no idea how long the process really takes! not associated with National Quilting Day or Project Linus' Make a Blanket Day

Mibu Dainembutsu Kyogen -- Mibu Temple, Kyoto, Japan (nine day festival of kyogen performances which dates back to 1299)

National Auctioneers Day -- recognizing the contribution of auctioneers to American commerce

National Chocolate-Covered Cashew Truffle Day

National Tree Planting Day -- Kenya

Paralia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (shepherd's festival of Pares, goddess of herders)

Queen's Birthday -- Falkland Islands; St. Helena(except Tristan da Cunha)

Record Store Day -- celebrated by independent record stores everywhere, find one near you

San Jacinto Day -- Texas, US

St. Anselm of Canturbury's Day

St. Bueno Gasulsych's Day (Patron of diseased cattle, sick animals, and sick children)

Taro Festival -- East Maui, Hawaii, US (celebration of Hawai'ian culture; through tomorrow)

Teach Your Daughter to Volunteer Day -- encouraging awareness of volunteerism, but the original sponsor of the day is no longer online

Tiradentes Day/Brasilia Day -- Brazil (honors Joaquim José da Silva Xavier, called "tooth puller", who fought for Brazilian independence)

Inauguration of Brasilia, Distrito Federal -- Brazil (anniversary of the 1960 inauguration of the new federal capital)

Creativity and Innovation Day -- final day of World Creativity and Innovation Week, which always begins on DaVinci's birth anniversary

Birthdays Today:

Robert Smith, 1959

Andie MacDowell, 1958

James Morrison, 1954

Tony Danza, 1951

Patti LuPone, 1949

Iggy Pop, 1947

Charles Grodin, 1935

Elaine May, 1932

Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom, 1926

Anthony Quinn, 1915

John Muir, 1838

Charlotte Bronte, 1816

Friedrich Wilhelm August Fröbel, 1782

Catherine the Great, 1729

Jan van Riebeeck, 1619

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Annie"(Musical), 1977

"Inherit the Wind"(Play), 1955

"Arms and the Man"(Play), 1894

Today in History:

Traditional date for the founding of Rome by Romulus and Remus, BC753

Marc Antony continues to battle the senators who assasinated Julius Caesar in the Battle of Mutina, which he loses, BC43

Henry VIII ascends the throne of England, 1509

Hernan Cortez lands in Veracruz, 1519

The Maryland Toleration Act is passed, granting religious freedom to all in that colony, 1649

Catherine the Great ends noble privileges in Russia, 1785

Tiradentes, leader of the independence movement in Brazil, is executed, 1792

Republic of Texas forces under Sam Houston defeat Mexican troops under Santa Ana, winning the Battle of San Jacinto and the independence of Texas, 1836

The first train crosses the first bridge over the Mississippi River, crossing from Rock Island, Illinois to Davenport, Iowa, 1855

Alexander Douglas patents the bustle, 1857

Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Baha'i' faith, declares his mission, 1863

The first firehouse pole is installed in a firehouse in NYC, 1878

The Red Baron (Manfred von Richthofen)is shot down, 1918

The first Aggie Muster is held, a remembrance of fellow Texas A&M graduates who had died in the previous year, 1922

Brasilia is officially inaugurated as the capital of Brazil, 1960

In Beijing, around 100,000 students gather in Tiananmen Square to commemorate Chinese reform leader Hu Yaobang, 1989

Alexander Wolszczan announces his the discovery of extrasolar planets, 1994

The ashes of Timothy Leary and Gene Roddenberry are launched into orbit, 1997

By order of an Egyptian court, the name of Egypt's former President, Hosni Mubarak, is stripped from public spaces, schools and streets, 2011

Playing against the Seattle Mariners, Chicago White Sox pitcher Philip Humber pitches the 21st perfect game in MLB history and the third perfect game in team history, 2012

The Astronaut Hall of Fame inducts three new members; Curtis Brown, Eileen Collins, and Bonnie Dunbar, 2013

(Because some people like Blogger and some like WordPress, i am putting the same content at both. If you would prefer to read this on the other site, it is linked here.)

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Just because Sandee of Comedy Plus no longer hosts Silly Sunday does not mean i will quit telling Cajun jokes.

Yesterday's visit to Grandma and Grandpa's house went very well, and we got to go spend time with my brother, the children's Uncle P, and his wife. While at their house, we asked if he wanted to come to the flea market with us, and he said that no, he was going to be lazy and spend his Saturday at home sleeping.

His comment reminded me of Boudreaux.

Boudreaux's boss done call him in de office an' say, "Boudreaux, you be my frien' as well as my employee, so I gots to be honest wit' you. You be de laziest employee I done got here! You allus be tryin' to get out o' de work, an' you take you extra long lunch breaks, an' I know you rather be home ever' day sittin' an' not workin' at all!"

An' Boudreaux say, "Mais! You done bring me to tears! You be my true friend an' de only one dat really unnerstan' me!"

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Sunday Selections was started as a way for bloggers to use photos that might otherwise just languish in their files. It is now hosted by River at Drifting Through Life.

My sister-in-law is an artist:

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Today is:

Bob Wills Day -- Turkey, TX, US (celebrating Western Swing music and its king; through tomorrow)

Chemists Celebrate The Earth Day -- promoting public awareness of the important contribution of chemists

Discovery Day -- Brazil (landing of Cabral in 1500)

Drive It Day -- England (commemorates the 64 cars that left London on the first day of the Thousand Mile Trial on 23 April 1900)

Earth Day

Festival of Jupiter and Juno -- Ancient Roman Calendar

Girl Scout Leader Appreciation Day -- Girl Scouts of the USA

Granary Offering to Renenutet -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (offering to the Lady of Granaries; date approximate)

International Mother Earth Day -- UN

Lela's Holiday -- Asatru/Slavic Pagan Calendar (honoring the goddess-daughter, Lela)

London Marathon -- Greenwich to The Mall, London, England

National Jelly Bean Day

Queen Isabella Day -- Spain and some US states (birth anniversary of Isabella I of Castille)

St. Epipodius of Lyon's Day (Patron of bachelors, betrayal victims, torture victims)

Walpurgis celebrations begin -- through May 1, Norse, Scandinavian, and Germanic celebrations (remembering the sacrifice of Odin upon the World Tree Yggdrasil

Yggdrasil Day -- Asatru/Slavic Pagan Calendar

Birthdays Today:

Amber Heard, 1986

Francis Capra, 1983

Daniel Johns, 1979

Kim Elizabeth, 1978

Eric Mabius, 1971

Chris Makepeace, 1964

Byron Allen, 1961

Ryan Stiles, 1959

Peter Frampton, 1950

John Waters, 1946

Jack Nicholson, 1937

Glen Campbell, 1936

Aaron Spelling, 1928

Charlotte Rae, 1926

Yehudi Menuhin, 1916

Eddie Albert, 1906

Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev, 1891

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, 1870

Immanuel Kant, 1724

Queen Isabella, 1451

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The Who's Tommy"(Rock musical), 1993

"Le Triomphe de Plutus/Money Makes the World Go Round"(Play), 1728

Today in History:

Portuguese navigator Pedro Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil, 1500

President George Washington attends a performance of Rickett's, the first circus in the US, 1793

Thomas Stevens sets out from San Francisco on the first round the world journey by bicycle, 1884

The Oklahoma land rush begins at noon; thousands rush to claim land, and the towns of Oklahoma City and Guthrie are formed within hours with populations of over 10,000 each, 1889

Pravda begins publication in St. Petersburg, 1912

The Germans begin using poison chlorine gas as a chemical weapon, 1915

British yachtsman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston completes the first solo non-stop circumnavigation of the world, 1969

The first Earth Day is celebrated, 1970

The Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. is dedicated, 1993

Japan's Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi apologizes for Japan's war record, 2005

Four Canadian soldiers are killed 75 kilometers north of Kandahar, Afghanistan by a roadside bomb planted by Taliban militants, the worst single day combat loss for the Canadian army since the Korean War, 2006

The Pope, Benedict XVI, becomes the first pontiff to participate in a televised interview session, 2011

(Because some people like Blogger and some like WordPress, i am putting the same content at both. If you would prefer to read this on the other site, it is linked here.)

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Awww Monday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus.

Join us every Monday for Awww...Mondays. Post a picture that makes you say Awww... and that's it.

Make sure you get the code from Sandee's site, linked above, and leave a link to your post so we can visit you. What better way to start the week than with a smile!

Today featuring Little Sister:

A tiny handful.

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My "Spark" for the day is from an organization called Manners of the Heart, from their Business of Manners division. If you want to do business with good manners, these are the things you have To Know:

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To enjoy more blogs participating in the A to Z Challenge, click here.

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Today is:

Alfred G. "Alferd" Packer Day -- Colorado

Book Day and Lover's Day -- Spain, especially Catalan (women give books to men, while men give flowers to the women. Celebrated in the Spanish city of Barcelona since 1714 to honor Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes [author of "Don Quixote"] and in observance of St. George's Day)

Canada Book Day

Chance Day -- Fairy Calendar

Children's Day -- Nepal; North Cyprus; Turkey

Community Day -- CL, Spain

Community Day/St. George's Day -- AR, Spain

English Language Day -- UN

Impossible Astronaut Day -- if you are a Dr. Who fan, you know, and if not, go here and find out

Independence Day -- Conch Republic, Key West, FL. US (a tongue-in-cheek micronation which seceeded from the Union in 1982; celebrated yearly with a week long festival)

International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day -- on St. George's Day, encouraging members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America to continue to be what Howard V. Hendrix derrogatorily termed "webscabs", posting their stories free on the internet

International Sing Out Day -- no one will claim responsibility for this one, but i promise not to observe it!

Jurgi Festival -- Ancient Latvian Calendar (day sacred to Usins; first day outdoor work began for the summer)

Landing of the 33 Patriots Day -- Uruguay

National Cherry Cheesecake Day

National Picnic Day -- US

National Sovereignty Day -- Turkey

National Sovereignty and Children's Day -- Turkey

Peppercorn Ceremony -- St. George, Bermuda (commemorates the renting of what is now the Old State House by the Masonic Lodge to the governor of Burmuda for the cost of one peppercorn per annum, now a well attended festival)

Sigurd the Dragon Slayer's Day -- because he was probably the inspiration for the legends about St. George

St. Adalbert's Day (Patron of Bohemia; Czech Republic; Poland; Prague, Czech Republic; Prussia)

St. George's Day (Patron of archers, armourers, Boy Scouts, butchers, cavalry, chivalry, Crusaders, equestrians, farmers, field hands, field workers, horsemen, horses, husbandmen, knights, lepers, Order of the Garter, Palestinian Christians, riders, Romanian Army, saddle makers, saddlers, sheep, shepherds, soldiers, Teutonic Knights; Canada; England; Ethiopia; Georgia; Germany; Greece; Lithuania; Malta; Portugal; Cappadocia; Catalonia; Palestine; over 20 cities and diocese around the world; against herpes, leprosy, plague, skin diseases, skin rashes, syphilis; by the middle ages, St. George was revered in much of Europe as the personification of chivalry)*

St. George's Day -- NL, Canada (obs.)

Take a Chance Day -- internet generated encouragement to try something different

Talk Like Shakespeare Day -- on The Bard's attributed birth anniversary

Vinalia Priora -- Ancient Roman Calendar (tasting the first wines of the year)

World Book & Copyright Day -- UN (this date chosen because of how parts of Spain celebrate St. George's Day, with books)

World Book Night -- Germany; Ireland; UK; US (anniversary of the birth and death of Shakespeare, and the death of Miguel de Cervantes; over 20 book titles have been specially chosen for this year and special editions of those books printed so you can share books and your love of reading with those who don't read much

*To save a Maid, St. George the Dragon slew

A pretty tale, if all is told to be true

Most say, there are no Dragons, and tis said

There was no George: pray God there was a Maid.

-- John Aubrey, Remains of Gentilism (1688)

Birthdays Today:

Dev Patel, 1990

John Cena, 1977

Kal Penn, 1977

Scott Bairstow, 1970

Melina Kanakaredes, 1967

George Lopez, 1961

Valerie Bertinelli, 1960

Craig Sheffer, 1960

Jan Hooks, 1957

Judy Davis, 1955

Michael Moore, 1954

Joyce DeWitt, 1949

Bernadette Devlin McAliskey, 1947

Sandra Dee, 1942

David Birney, 1940

Lee Majors, 1940

Roy Orbison, 1936

Shirley Temple Black, 1928

Vladimire Nabokov, 1899

Lester Bowles "Mike" Pearson, 1897

Sergei Prokofiev, 1891

Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck, 1858

Granville T. Woods, 1856

James Buchanan, 1791

William Penn, 1621

William Shakespeare, 1564(attributed -- only the day of his baptism, April 26, is known for certain)

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Baywatch"(TV), 1989

"No Man's Land"(Play), 1975

"She Loves Me"(Musical), 1963

"Patience; or, Bunthorne's Bride"(Opera), 1881

"Il re pastore/The Shepherd King"(Mozart opera, K 208)1775

"The Tender Husband"(Comedy), 1705

Today in History:

The founding of the Order of the Garter by King Edward III is announced on St George's Day, 1348

William Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor is first performed, with Queen Elizabeth I in attendance, 1597

The first public school in the United States, Boston Latin School, is founded in Boston, Massachusetts, 1635

Connecticut is chartered as an English colony, 1662

Canada issues its first postage stamps, 1851

The Vitascope system of movie projection debuts the first motion picture at Koster & Bial's Music Hall in NYC, 1896

Namibia becomes the 160th member of the UN and the 50th member of the Commonwealth of Nations, 1990

Eritrians vote overwhelmingly for independence from Ethiopia, 1993

Beijing closes all schools for two weeks because of the SARS virus, 2003

The gamma ray burst GRB 090423 is observed for 10 seconds. The event signals the most distant object of any kind and also the oldest known object in the universe, 2009

Despite an initial ban on the film 'Borat,' Kazakhstan issues and official 'thank you' to actor Sacha Baron Cohen for his character, Borat Sagdiyev, 2012

(Because some people like Blogger and some like WordPress, i am putting the same content at both. If you would prefer to read this on the other site, it is linked here.)

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It's Tuesday, so it is time to link up with Stacy's Random Thoughts at Stacy Uncorked.

Dr. Dee is unbelievable. She is still trying to repair that Chevy Astro van that is about 15 years old. In order to have her mechanic repair it, it's being taken to another shop for some of the work, then will be brought back for the rest.

That meant yesterday was "get the rest of the junk out of the van" day.

Some of the stuff has been in there so long she forgot she had it.

We all need a brain shaped gelatin mold.

Toys. And under this are several ink pens and straws, i lost track of how many.

Someone also hit her truck and tore off the front bumper. She taped it back on:

We finally found the light bulbs she needs for her very odd light fixtures. They do not screw in, they have two prongs on the back, and they are very hard to get in when you are balancing on a ladder trying to get the prongs to go in the little holes the right way so you can twist it in.

Something a bit unusual happened yesterday, too. Friends from church who live part time here and part time in Michigan hired me to clean their house after they left to migrate back North. Sweetie was using their vacuum cleaner when it suddenly quit working.

In trying to figure out what was wrong, i noticed that the filter wasn't seated correctly. Pulling it out, i could see the housing for the filter was melted and warped! Sticking my hand up in there very carefully, i could tell you that i have never felt a vacuum cleaner get so hot on the inside in my life, and i have dealt with a lot of vacuum cleaners.

Mr. P, when i called him, said, "Oh, it stops sometimes, usually when I am almost finished vacuuming. If you leave it alone a while, it will come back on. I don't know what's wrong with it."

Well, i know, the doggone thing is overheating and he's going to cause a fire! When i told him what was up, he promised to buy a new one when they come back. That will probably be cheaper than trying to get it repaired.

Sweetie suggested a vacuum cleaner place he knows that could sell a replacement filter and housing, but as i told him, that won't change the underlying problem that causes it to overheat.

Here's a hint from a janitor: No vacuum cleaner should get so hot that it melts some of its parts. If it does, please go get a new one!

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To enjoy more blogs participating in the A to Z Challenge, click here.

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Today is:

Ambivalence Day -- a holiday to tell your friends about, or not

Concord Day -- Niger

Feast of Eros -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate)

Genocide Remembrance Day / Martyrs' Day-- Armenia

Happenstance and Coincidence Evening -- Fairy Calendar

Kapyong Day -- Australia (Battle of Kapyong, 1951)

Loktantra Diwas -- Nepal (Democracy Day)

Pigs in a Blanket Day

School Bus Driver's Day -- these longsuffering drivers put up with a lot, thank a school bus driver today!

Spring Cat Cleaning Day -- because someone, somewhere, thinks you need to bathe your cat; ask the cat, he will refuse, and if you become insistent, be careful

St. Ives' Day (Patron of St. Ives, Cambridgeshire, England)

St. Mark's Eve*

World Day for Animals in Laboratories

World Meningitis Day

*A young lady may eat a boiled dove's egg sprinkled with salt and place a tulip, sacred to St. Mark, in a vase next to her bed, and so she will dream of the man she will marry.

Anniversaries Today:

Mary, Queen of Scots marries Dauphin of France, François, at Notre Dame de Paris, 1558

Birthdays Today:

Courtnee Draper, 1985

Kelly Clarkson, 1982

Eric Balfour, 1977

Chipper Jones, 1972

Cedric the Entertainer, 1964

Djimon Hounsou, 1964

Michael O’Keefe, 1955

Eric Bogosian, 1953

Jean-Paul Gaultier, 1952

Doug Clifford, 1945

Barbra Streisand, 1942

Richard M. Daley, 1942

Sue Grafton, 1940

Jill Ireland, 1936

Shirley MacLaine, 1934

Stanley J. Kauffmann, 1916

Robert Penn Warren, 1905

Michael J. Dady, 1850

George N. Bascom, 1836

Anthony Trollope, 1815

Robert Bailey Thomas, 1766

Edmund Cartwright, 1743

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Dancing at Lughnasa"(Play), 1990

"Die Jahreszeiten/The Seasons"(Oratorio, Haydn H 21/3), 1801

The Boston News-Letter(Newspaper), 1704 (first successful newspaper in the British colonies)

Today in History:

Thutmose III ascends to the throne of Egypt, although power effectively shifts to Hatshepsut, BC1479

Traditional date for the Greeks entering Troy using the Trojan Horse, BC1184

The appearance of Halley's Comet causes monks in England to predict evil happenings, 1066

"La Marseillaise" is composed by Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle, 1792

The Boston "News-Letter" becomes the first successful newspaper in the colonies, 1704

The Library of Congress is established, 1800

A patent is granted for the first soda fountain, 1833

William Price of the Washington Star becomes the first reporter to be specifically assigned to the White House, 1897

The fathometer, which measures underwater depth, is patented, 1928

Winston Churchill is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, 1953

Cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov dies in Soyuz 1, the first person to die during a space mission, 1967

Mauritius becomes a member state of the United Nations, 1968

The first Chinese satellite, Dong Fang Hong I, is launched, 1970

Gruinard Island, Scotland, is officially declared free of the anthrax disease after 48 years of quarantine, 1990

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is inaugurated as the 265th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church taking the name Pope Benedict XVI, 2005

Snuppy, the world's first cloned dog, is born in South Korea, 2005

Iceland announces that Norway will shoulder the defense of Iceland during peacetime, 2007

Scientists in Kamchatka, Russia, report sighting the first adult white orca to be seen in the wild, 2012

(Because some people like Blogger and some like WordPress, i am putting the same content at both. If you would prefer to read this on the other site, it is linked here.)

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Linking up with Wordless Wednesday.

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This week's prompts are:

thin
frightened
scratch
wealthy
flowery
sulky

And/or

stove
unwieldy
fearless
zoo
price
inquisitive

And a photo to use or ignore as well.

“This is so much more fun than a ZOO!” he chortled gleefully.

She put on a THIN smile to try to hide the fact that she was a bit FRIGHTENED. She didn’t want to appear SULKY, after all. He had put up with going to a couple of museums that held little interest for him, the least she could do on their shared vacation was go with him to see alligators in their natural habitat.

He was very INQUISITIVE, asking their guide question after question about all of the swamp creatures. He was FEARLESS when the guide snatched a baby alligator out of the water and let him hold it; she wouldn’t go near it for any PRICE. It looked so UNWIELDY and it squirmed, and she had an unreasonable feeling that its mama was going to come roaring out of the water and STOVE in the side of the little boat, landing them right where they would be ‘gator bait.

Once they were back at the landing, heading for their rental car, he was still grinning from ear to ear as he said, “Well, I can SCRATCH holding an alligator off of my bucket list! Thank you so much, sweetheart, for indulging me in this. How about I take you out for a dinner fit for the WEALTHY?”

She looked at him with a real smile and said, “I’ll even wear that FLOWERY dress you like so much!”

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To enjoy more blogs participating in the A to Z Challenge, click here.

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Today is:

Administrative Professionals Day

Adonia -- Greece (women's festival mourning the death of Adonis; date approximate)

ANZAC Day -- Australia; Christmas Island; Cocos (Keeling) Islands; Cook Islands; New Zealand; Niue; Norfolk Island; Tonga

Army Day -- North Korea

DNA Day -- structure of DNA first published this day in 1953; human genome project ended today in 2003; related observance

DNA Day -- a day for teachers, students, and everyone to learn more about genetics and genomics sponsored by genome.gov and the Smithsonian

Duck Appreciation Society Day -- The Duck Appreciation Society (some sites say May 10; either way, go feed the ducks if you like them, but not stale white bread, it's no better for them than it is for us)

East Meets West Day -- Allies from the East and West finally met up this day in 1945 about 75 miles from Berlin

Festival of Robigalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (to protect against corn blight; festival of Robiga and Rogibus, the brother and sister fertility gods)

Flag Day -- Faroe Islands; Swaziland

Gio to Hung Vuong Day -- Vietnam (National Day; celebrating the founding of the nation by Emperor Hung Vuong some three millenia ago)

Hairstylist Appreciation Day -- if you have a good one, let him/her know (some sites put this on the 30th)

Hug A Plumber Day -- because when you are knee deep in it, you really need them around

International Guide Dog Day

Liberation Day -- Italy; Portugal

Mesir Paste Festival -- Manisa, Turkey (mesir paste is a blend of 41 different spices and is intended as a general cure-all and tonic; lots of craft exhibitions, concerts and sporting tournaments, as well as traditional throwing of paste off minaret of the Sultan Mosque; through Sunday)

National Crayola Day -- no one claims starting this holiday, observe it with your children/grandchildren/nieces/nephews/kids down the street, and remember how fun it is to color pictures

National Golf Day -- We Are Golf sponsors this day, and is holding an event on Capitol Hill today, too

National Zucchini Bread Day -- they hold this at a time when you are not yet sick of all that zucchini you grew in the garden

Parental Alienation Awareness Day -- raising awareness of Parental Alienation or Hostile Aggressive Parenting

Poetry & the Creative Mind Gala -- Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, New York, NY, US (an extraordinary evening celebrating the role of contemporary poetry in American culture sponsored by Academy of American Poets)

Red Hat Society Day -- first Red Hat Tea Party held this day in 1998

Sinai Liberation Day -- Egypt

St. Mark the Evangelist's Day (Patron of attorneys/barristers/lawyers/notaries, captives, glaziers, imprisoned people/prisoners, lions, stained glass workers, struma patients; Egypt; Boretto, Italy; Creazzo, Italy; Infanta, Philippines; Ionian Islands; Pordenone, Italy; Sonnino, Italy; Venice, Italy; against impenitence, insect bites, scrofulous diseases, struma)

Tag des Baumes -- Germany (Tree Day/Arbor Day)

Tucson International Mariachi Conference -- Tucson, AZ, US (festival showcasing the best of balle folklorico and mariachi; through Saturday)

USA Film Festival -- Dallas, TX, US (major showcase of new studio and indie films; through Sunday)

Vallenato Legend Festival -- Valledupar, Colombia (one of Colombia’s most important music and folk festivals; through Apr. 30)

Walk @ Lunch Day -- founded and encouraged by Blue Cross / Blue Shield

World Malaria Day / Malaria Awareness Day -- WHO and the International Community

World Penguin Day -- because they begin migrating on or around this day

Zabdrung Kuchhoe -- Bhutan (death anniversary of Zhabdrung)

20-Something Service Day -- can't find who started this one, but it's a good idea, whomever it was, whether you are 20 or older to do some community service or volunteer work regularly

Anniversaries Today:

Theodore Roosevelt National Park is established, ND, US, 1947

The United Negro College Fund is founded, 1944

Birthdays Today:

Jacob Underwood, 1980

Emily Bergl, 1975

Jason Lee, 1970

Renee Zellweger, 1969

Hank Azaria, 1964

Jeffrey DeMunn, 1947

Talia Shire, 1946

Stu Cook, 1945

Bjorn Ulvaeus, 1945

Al Pacino, 1940

"Meadowlark" Lemon, 1932

Paul Mazursky, 1930

Albert King, 1923

Ella Fitzgerald, 1918

Edward R. Murrow, 1908

William Joseph Brennan, Jr., 1906

John Henry "Pop" Lloyd, 1884

Guglielmo Marconi, 1874

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Little Murders"(Play), 1967

"Romulus the Great"(Play), 1949

"Another Language"(Play), 1932

"Turandot"(Opera), 1926

Robinson Crusoe(Publication date), 1719

Today in History:

Lysander's Spartan Armies defeated the Athenians and the Peloponnesian War ends, BC404

German geographer and mapmaker Martin Waldseemuller publishes his Cosmographiae Introductio map in which he gives the American continents their name, 1507

Highwayman Nicholas Pelletier becomes the first person executed by guillotine, 1792

Charles Fremantle arrives in the HMS Challenger off the coast of modern-day Western Australia prior to declaring the Swan River Colony for the United Kingdom, 1829

The last survivors of the Donner Party arrive back in civilization, 1847

The Governor General of Canada, Lord Elgin, signs the Rebellion Losses Bill, outraging Montreal's English population and triggering the Montreal Riots, 1849

British and French engineers break ground for the Suez Canal, 1859

New York State becomes the first US state to require automobiles to be licensed, 1901

First DC Comic with Batman is published, 1939

Fifty nations gather in San Francisco, California to begin the United Nations Conference on International Organizations, 1945

Francis Crick and James D. Watson publish Molecular structure of nucleic acids: a structure for deoxyribose nucleic acid describing the double helix structure of DNA, 1953

The St. Lawrence Seaway, linking the North American Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean, officially opens to shipping, 1959

Robert Noyce is granted a patent for an integrated circuit, 1961

Israel completes its withdrawal from the Sinai peninsula per the Camp David Accords, 1982

American schoolgirl Samantha Smith is invited to visit the Soviet Union by its leader Yuri Andropov after he read her letter in which she expressed fears about nuclear war, 1983

Pioneer 10 travels beyond Pluto's orbit, 1983

The Hubble Telescope is deployed, 1990

The Human Genome Project comes to an end 2.5 years before first anticipated, 2003

The final piece of the Obelisk of Axum is returned to Ethiopia after being stolen by the invading Italian army in 1937, 2005

Bulgaria and Romania sign accession treaties to join the European Union, 2005

The U.S. government 'condemns' international media outlets, including 'The New York Times' for publishing confidential files, 2011

The United Kingdom reopens its embassy in Somalia after 22 years, 2013
A 7.9-magnitude earthquake hits Nepal, causing over 2,400 deaths, fatal avalanches on Mt. Everest, and destruction of historic sites such as the Dharahara tower, 2015

A to Z: Feline Friday and Friendly Fill-Ins

A to Z: Gratitude

Not Pleased (Cajun Joke) and Sunday Selections

A to Z: Healthy (Awww Monday) and Happy (Sparks!)

A to Z: Incidents, Irrational Cats, and Impact, a Random Tuesday Post

A to Z: Jalopy (Wordless Wednesday) and Just Deserts (Words for Wednesday)

A to Z: Kickball (Six Sentence Story) and Keep Out (Good Fences)

A to Z: Link and Little Girlie (Feline Friday) and Loving Those Friendly Fill-Ins

A to Z: Many Thanks for Many Sides of Me (Ten Things of Thankful)

Fancy Words (Cajun Joke) and A Hidden Message (Sunday Selections)

A to Z: Night Guard (Awww Monday) and Nice (Sparks!)

A to Z: Oh, Gracious and OMG, a Random Tuesday Post

A to Z: Peace (Wordless Wednesday) and Play While You Can (Words for Wednesday)

A to Z: Quickly! (Six Sentence Story) and Quaint (Good Fences)

A to Z: Rest (Feline Friday) and Really Cool Fill-ins!

A to Z: Satisfaction (Ten Things of Thankful)

Understanding (Cajun Joke) and Sunday Selections

A to Z: Tiny (Awww Monday) and To Know (Sparks!)

A to Z: Unbelievable and Unusual, a Random Tuesday Post

A to Z: Vanquishing Spider Webs, a Lucky Throw (Wordless Wednesday) and Vacation (Words for Wednesday)