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.)

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It was her first time running such a big meeting -- with a vice-president in attendance yet! -- and it had gone very well so far, the butterflies in her stomach had settled, and they were close to done, no drips, runs, or errors as her father would say.

"We've agreed, then, that we will watch Thomson's handling of this next client and see if he's still on track for promotion," she noted, "and that should be everything."

"Yes, we will watch Thomson," the vice-president agreed, "but that isn't quite everything."

She looked up, startled, wondering what he meant, and scanned the agenda before her to see if she'd missed something.

The vice-president continued, "Thomson isn't the only one we are watching to see if he's on track for promotion."

He got up and walked over to her end of the table, handed her a file, and said, "We've watched you, too, and you get to move into that corner office in the new branch, if you want it!"

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

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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.

In keeping with the A to Z letter of the day, my favorite kind of fence, the white picket:

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

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Today is:

Audubon Day -- birth anniversary of John James Audubon

Day of Remembrance of the Chernobyl tragedy -- Belarus

Delphinia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (festival of Apollo; date approximate)

Fairy Laughter Convention -- Fairy Calendar

Festival of Individual Sovereignty -- an internet generated holiday that i think is a good idea!

Festival of Renenutet -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (as Lady of the Robes, who invented the bandages in which to wrap mummies; date approximate)

Fiddlers' Frolics -- Hallettsville, TX, US (home of the Texas State Fiddler Championships; through Sunday)

Harrogate Spring Flower Show -- Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England (Britain's premier spring flower show, through Sunday)

Hug an Australian Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays

Mayan Rain Festival -- to honor the rain gods and welcome the fruitfulness of the earth; date approximate

National Help A Horse Day -- US (Join the ASPCA in several rescue events)

National Pretzel Day

Remember Your First Kiss Day

Richter Scale Day -- birth anniversary of Charles Francis Richter

Sacrifice to Zeus Epacrios -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate)

Shuffleboard Day -- on the adopted birthday of the game (no exact date of origination can be pinned down, and fans want a day to celebrate, so here it is)

St. Rafael Arnaiz' Day (Patron of diabetics and against diabetes)

St. Stephen of Perm's Day / Old Permic Alphabet Day -- Russian Orthodox Church (inventor of the alphabet used for Russian before the Cyrillic was developed)

Union Day -- Tanzania

World Intellectual Property Day -- UN

Anniversaries Today:

Prince Albert (future George VI) marries Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, 1923

The Independent Order of Oddfellows, American branch, is established in Baltimore, MD, US, 1819

Moscow State University opens, 1755

Birthdays Today:

Jon Lee, 1982

Jason Earles, 1977

Tom Welling, 1977

Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, 1970

Kane, 1967

Kevin James, 1965

Jet Li, 1963

Joan Chen, 1961

Michael Damian, 1962

Giancarlo Esposito, 1958

Boyd Matson, 1947

Gary Wright, 1943

Bobby Rydell, 1942

Duane Eddy, 1938

Carol Burnett, 1933

I.M. Pei, 1917

Hans Detlef "Douglas" Sierck, 1897

Anita Loos, 1889

Gertrude Bridget "Ma" Rainey, 1886 (Some say April 3)

Frederick Law Olmsted, 1822

John James Audobon, 1785

Marcus Aurelius, 121

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Jelly's Last Jam"(Musical), 1992

"Dinosaurs"(TV), 1991

"China Beach"(TV), 1988

"Company"(Musical), 1970

"Grand Polonaise Brillante"(Chopin Op. 20), 1835

Today in History:

Copernicus makes his first observations of Saturn, 1514

William Shakespeare is baptized, 1564

English colonists of the Jamestown settlement make landfall at Cape Henry, Virginia, 1607

Napoleon Bonaparte signs a general amnesty to allow all but about one thousand of the most notorious émigrés of the French Revolution to return to France, 1802

Paul von Hindenburg defeats Wilhelm Marx in the second round of the German presidential election to become the first directly elected head of state of the Weimar Republic, 1925

In Libya, amendments to the constitution transform Libya (United Kingdom of Libya) into one national unity (Kingdom of Libya) and allows for female participation in elections, 1963

Tanganyika and Zanzibar merge to form Tanzania, 1964

A Rolling Stones concert in London, Ontario is shut down by police after 15 minutes due to rioting, 1965

The Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization enters into force, 1970

A nuclear reactor accident occurs at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the Soviet Union (now Ukraine), creating the world's worst nuclear disaster, 1986

Physicists announce first evidence of the top quark subatomic particle, 1994

Under international pressure, Syria withdraws the last of its 14,000 troop military garrison in Lebanon, ending its 29-year military domination of that country, 2005

During the second day of evidence at the Leveson Inquiry, Rupert Murdock reveals there was a 'cover-up' at 'News of the World' but that he had no knowledge of it, 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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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.

Kittens nap a lot, sort of like grown-up cats nap a lot. Only kittens are sometimes cuter when they are napping.

The girls tend to sleep on their little brother and he does not seem to mind.

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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 103: April 27, 2018

1. I could really use ____________________.

2. ________________________ is a charity that I like to support.

3. One time, I broke , and .

4. I wish that I had , when I was young(er).

1. I could really use a lot of things, but a vacation comes to mind as one that i might actually get.

2. Mission to Haiti is a charity that i like to support. It was founded by Pastor Nealey, and one of the earliest board members was one of the pastors who officiated at our wedding. They do great work helping people in this poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere.

3. One time, i broke my ankle, and twice i broke my arm. All three were when i was under 14.

4. I wish that i had gotten a degree in library science when i was younger -- i could have a good job now that would involve a lot more sitting down.

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

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Today is:

Abolition Day -- Mayotte

America's Family Pet Expo -- Costa Mesa, CA, US (includes displays on any type of domesticated pet you can imagine, as put on by the World Pet Association; through Sunday) www.petexpooc.org

Arbor Day -- US

Austin Food and Wine Festival -- Austin, TX, US (superstar chefs and sommeliers, over 40 cooking demos and wine seminars, private grand tastings and more; through Sunday)

Babe Ruth Day -- anniversary of the day dedicated to him in 1947 by every ball field in the US and Japan

Cape May's Spring Celebration -- Cape May, NJ, US (celebrating spring, Victorian lifestyle, and more; through May 20)

Dandelion Day/Springfest Weekend -- University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, US (annual celebration used as a respite to diffuse tension around exam time; through Sunday)

Freedom Day -- South Africa

Furze-Hopping Event -- Fairy Calendar

Hairball Awareness Day -- sponsored by Furminator (which product actually does work, by the way) and Hills Pet Nutrition

Independence Day -- Sierra Leone(1961); Togo(1960)

Interstate Mullet Toss / The Gulf Coast's Greatest Beach Party -- FloraBama Bar, Gulf Shores, Alabama, US (fish flingers stand on the Alabama side of the property and toss them onto the Florida side, with proceeds going to charity; through Sunday)

Jouvert Jump-Up -- Sint Maartin (Break of Dawn Parade and Festival)

"Just Pray No" Worldwide Weekend of Prayer and Fasting -- people around the world pray for healing for those who are addicted to drugs, through tomorrow http://justprayno.org

King's Birthday / Koninginnedag -- Kingdom of the Netherlands (Aruba, Curacao, Netherlands, and Sint Maartin); Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba

Matanzas Mule Day -- remembering the only casualty of one of the first naval actions of the Spanish-American War, a mule in the village of Matanzas, Cuba

Morse Code Day -- birth anniversary of Samuel Morse

National Dream Hotline® -- sponsored by the School of Metaphysics, any time from this evening until Sunday night, call in and get your, or someone else's for that matter, dream interpreted www.dreamschool.org

National Prime Rib Day

National War Veterans Day -- Finland

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival -- NOLA, US (the best music and food festival around! through May 6)

Panoply® -- Huntsville, AL, US (comprehensive arts festival, including music, theater, dance, and a juried art show; through Sunday)

Polk County Ramp Tramp Festival -- Polk County, TN, US (come out and celebrate with the 4-H club the ramp, a local wild leek, and enjoy the Bluegrass music and games; through Saturday)

Resistance Day/Day of the Uprising Against the Occupying Forces -- Slovenia

Store Bededag — Denmark; Faroe Islands; Greenland (Great Prayer Day)

St. Zita of Lucca's Day (Patron of butlers, domestic servants, homemakers, housemaids, lost keys, maids, manservants, people ridiculed for their piety, rape victims, servants, servers, single laywomen, waiters/waitpersons/waitresses; against losing keys)

Tell a Story Day -- US (no history of origin, although celebrated in many libraries)

The Ennead Sail Through the Land -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Togyu Taikai -- Tokunoshima Island, Japan (bull sumo, in which bulls push each other out of the ring, today and May 3-5)

Undiagnosed Children's Day -- sponsored by SWAN UK (Syndromes Without A Name), supporting families of children with undiagnosed genetic conditions http://undiagnosed.org.uk/

World Championship Wildfowl Carving Competition and Art Festival -- Ocean City, MD, US (carvings and sculpture of all sizes, for competition and for sale; through Sunday)

World Graphic Design Day

World Tapir Day

Write An Old Friend Today Day -- a real letter, in the mail, remember how exciting it is to get those?

Anniversaries Today:

Ringo Starr marries Barbara Bach, 1981

Cornell University is established as New York's land grant institution, 1865

Birthdays Today:

Patrick Stump, 1984

Sheena Easton, 1959

Ace Frehley, 1951

Cuba Gooding, Sr., 1944

Earl Anthony, 1938

Sandy Dennis, 1937

Anouk Aimee, 1932

Casey Kasem, 1932

Coretta Scott King, 1927

Jack Klugman, 1922

Walter Lantz, 1900

Sergei Prokofiev, 1891

Jessie Redmon Fauset, 1882

Ulysses S. Grant, 1822

Samuel Morse, 1791

Mary Wollstonecraft, 1759

Edward Gibbon, 1737

Suleiman the Magnificent, 1495

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Chips with Everything"(Play), 1962

"Le roi de Lahore/The king of Lahore"(Opera), 1877

"Roméo et Juliette"(Opera), 1867

"L'africaine/The African Woman"(Meyerbeer Opera), 1865

Today in History:

Ferdinand Magellan is killed by natives in the Philippines led by chief Lapu-Lapu, 1521

Re-founding of the city of Bogotá, New Granada (now Colombia), by Nikolaus Federmann and Sebastián de Belalcázar, 1539

Cebu is established as the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines, 1565

The blind and impoverished John Milton sells the copyright of Paradise Lost for £10, 1667

The British Parliament passes the Tea Act, 1773

Beethoven composes Für Elise, 1810

US troops capture the capital of Upper Canada, York (present day Toronto, Canada), 1813

The Foundation stone for new Palace of Westminster, London, is laid, 1840

The establishment of Jewish congregations in Lower Austria is prohibited, 1857

The steamboat Sultana, carrying 2,400 passengers, explodes and sinks in the Mississippi River, killing 1,700, most of whom are Union survivors of the Andersonville and Cahaba Prisons, 1865

In South Africa, the Group Areas Act is passed formally segregating races, 1950

Togo gains independence from French-administered UN trusteeship, 1960

Sierra Leone is granted its independence from the United Kingdom, 1961

Expo 67 officially opens in Montreal, Canada, 1967

Xerox PARC introduces the computer mouse, 1981

The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, comprising Serbia and Montenegro, is proclaimed, 1992

Betty Boothroyd becomes the first woman to be elected Speaker of the British House of Commons in its 700-year history, 1992

Russia and 12 other former Soviet republics become members of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, 1992

The first democratic general election in South Africa, in which black citizens could vote is held, 1994

The last successful telemetry from the NASA space probe Pioneer 10 is received, 2002

The superjumbo jet aircraft Airbus A380 makes its first flight from Toulouse, France, 2005

Construction begins on the Freedom Tower for the new World Trade Center in New York City, 2006

Estonian authorities remove the Bronze Soldier, a Soviet Red Army war memorial in Tallinn, amid political controversy with Russia, 2007

The wives and children of former Osama bin Laden are deported from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia, 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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Why, i wondered, did the letter Y have to fall on Saturday, when i list my thankfuls? Then i realized, i shouldn't grouse, but instead be grateful.

For what shall i be grateful today? And it has to start with Y. Let's see.

Well, how about you. And you. And you, too. To the collective You who read my silly meanderings, i am thankful for you. Many of you comment, and i am most grateful. You make this a fun endeavor.

Yesterday -- i am grateful for yesterday. Thankful that i got through cleaning two houses, the cat shelter, and helping serve the dinner at the Presbytery meeting at the church. Then getting this post ready, which i almost ran out of time to do!

Believe it or not, i am thankful for the ability to yawn. Also i am grateful for how cute a kitten yawn is.

The cheerful color yellow is a day brightener.

It makes me thankful to know that i don't have to yell unless the house is on fire.

Youth is a beautiful thing. Age is lovely, too, don't get me wrong. It's nice, though, to have young people around.

Being short, my yardstick comes in handy for dislodging things that are up high and getting them to fall to where i can reach them.

While i never got the hang of a yo-yo when i was a kid (mine would always just yo), i am thankful to be able to watch other people do neat tricks with them.

The aging yearbooks on my shelf are fun to pull down once in so often for reminiscing.

Yoga. When i can make myself take the time to do it, i do feel better after.

Josie Two Shoes is the wonderful hostess of Ten Things of Thankful. Why not join the party and link up your list of thankfuls today?

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

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Today is:

Biological Clock Day -- the "biological clock gene" that governs the`circadian rhythm in mice was isolated on this day in 1994

Chicken-Tickling Day -- Fairy Calendar (Leprechauns)

Cubicle Day -- ???

Eeyore's Birthday -- Austin, TX, US (Eeyore never need feel forgotten again; Austin celebrates his birthday as a fundraiser for local charities, with fun for all)

Feast of Jamal(Beauty) -- Baha'i

Festival of Floralia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (three day festival to Flora, goddess of flowers and vegetation)

Foxfield Races -- Charlottesville, VA, US (annual steeplechase)

Great Poetry Reading Day -- make sure you read some great poetry today

Hidaka Hibuse Matsuri -- Mizusawa, Iwate Prefecture, Japan (through the 29th; floats, child musicians, traditional costumes, and fun)

International Tabletop Day -- encouraging people to play games on a table, not online, face to face

James Monroe Birthday Celebration -- Charlottesville, VA, US (at his home, Ash Lawn-Highland)

Kiss Your Mate Day -- guys, do not forget this one, in case she reads it somewhere on the internet; kiss her, then read her a great poem

Mississippi River Valley Scenic Drive -- Mississippi River valley of southeast Missouri, US (several scenic small towns along the valley have homemade goodies, quilt shows, history tours, entertainment, and more; through Sunday)

National Blueberry Pie Day

National Day of Mourning -- Canada (In conjunction with Workers' Memorial Day and World Day for Safety and Health at Work, honoring those injured or killed on the job)

National Go Birding Day -- US (but feel free to participate wherever you are, birding is fun!)

National Herb Day -- different from the HerbDay in May, and unsponsored

National Heroes Day -- Barbados

National Rebuilding Day -- US (270,000 volunteers help rebuild and repair homes for the elderly and disabled)

National Sense of Smell Day -- US (sponsored by the Sense of Smell Institute, encouraging museums and science centers to focus on how the sense of smell plays an important role in daily life and how it interacts with other senses; While celebrating, remember those with anosmia [diminished ability or totaly inability to smell])

Pay It Forward Day -- International (begun in the US as National Pay It Forward Day, it is now observed in over 80 countries; this year the global initiative wants to inspire over 10 million acts of kindness around the world!)

Penguin Day -- different sponsor from World Penguin Day, but you can't have enough days dedicated to these cute guys, can you?

Redbud Trail Rendezvous -- Rochester, IN, US (living history along the Tippecanoe River; through tomorrow)

Rip Cord Day -- the first successful jump with a parachute that used a rip cord was this day in 1919 by Leslie Erwin of the U.S. Army Air Corps

Sa die de sa Sardinia -- Sardinia, Italy (Sardinia Day, celebrating the uprising of 1794)

Save the Frogs Day -- Save The Frogs Day is the world's largest day of amphibian education and conservation action

Southern Maryland Celtic Festival & Highland Games -- St. Leonard, MD, US (competitions in fiddling, bagpipe, Celtic harp, and dancing, heptathlon, Celtic marketplace and foods, parade of clans, and more)

St. Peter Chanel's Day (Patron of Oceania)

Saint Pierre-Chanel Day -- Wallis and Fortuna

Sts. Vitalis and Valeria's Day (Patrons of Thibodeaux, Louisiana)

Victory Day -- Afghanistan

Workers Memorial Day / World Day for Safety and Health at Work -- International (remembering all who have lost their lives or been injured on the job)

World Healing Day / World Tai Chi and Qigong Day

World's Biggest Fish Fry -- Paris, TN, US (parades, auto shows, arts and crafts, and of course, all-you-can-eat catfish dinner; through the 29th)

World Veterinary Day -- World Veterinary Association

Anniversaries Today:

Maryland becomes the 7th US State, 1788

Birthdays Today:

Jenna Ushkowitz, 1986

Jessica Alba, 1981

Penelope Cruz, 1974

Jorge Garcia, 1973

Nicklas Lidstrom, 1970

John Daly, 1966

Elena Kagan, 1960

Ian Rankin, 1960

Nancy Lee Grahn, 1958

Mary McDonnell, 1952

Jay Leno, 1950

Marcia Strassman, 1948

Ann-Margaret, 1941

Harper Lee, 1926

Oscar Schindler, 1908

Erich Salomon, 1886

Lionel Barrymore, 1878

Mifflin Wister Gibbs, 1828

James Monroe, 1758

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"One Man's Family"(Radio), 1932

Today in History:

Nichiren Buddhism is founded, 1253

Captain William Bligh and 18 crewmen from the HMS Bounty are set adrift, 1789

Chinese and Irish laborers for the Central Pacific Railroad working on the First Transcontinental Railroad lay 10 miles of track in one day, a feat which has never been matched, 1869

Azerbaijan is added to the Soviet Union., 1920

The first night game in organized baseball history takes place in Independence, Kansas, 1930

A vaccine for yellow fever is announced for use on humans, 1932

Thor Heyerdahl and five crew mates set out from Peru on the Kon-Tiki, 1947

The Sino-Japanese Peace Treaty (Treaty of Taipei) is signed in Taipei, Taiwan between Japan and the Republic of China to officially end the Second Sino-Japanese War, 1952

Charles de Gaulle resigns as President of France, 1969

The Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure is signed, 1977

Millionaire Dennis Tito becomes the world's first space tourist, 2001

According to the WHO, leading causes of death in the world include chronic illnesses such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes, 2011

In recognition of democratic reforms, the European Union opens an office in Burma, 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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Just because Sandee, of Comedy Plus, has stopped hosting the Silly Sunday hop, don't expect me to quit telling Cajun jokes.

A few days ago, i got an email from Addie at the shelter letting me know it was time for my kittens to get their second dose of wormer and their first shots. When i went in on Friday to clean, i picked up three doses of 4-in-1 and a big syringe full of Strongid.

Little Brother took his medicine with hardly a squirm and his vaccine without a peep. Big Sister made a tiny "mew" when i gave her the shot, but that was it.

Then there was Little Sister. She screamed. She squirmed. She moved around so much that she ended up bleeding just a little after, and she would not keep still for me to put pressure on it, so she made it that much harder on herself.

You would think, from the way she behaved, that i haven't got a clue what i am doing, and i used to be the only one they called when they had to give subcutaneous fluids to cats at the shelter because i've done it so much. It reminds me of Boudreaux and Thibodeaux.

Boudreaux done know dat Thibodeaux needed him a operation, so he ax, "Thibodeaux, how did de operation go?"

An' Thibodeaux say, "It don't go, I done run away from the operatin' room, an' I ain't goin' back!"

So Boudreaux say, "Mais, what happen dat you run away?"

An' Thibodeaux say, "I done hear de nurse say, 'It be okay, don' be nervous,' an' den she say, 'You don' have be afraid, dis be a small operation,' an' den I gets outta dere quick!"

Den Boudreaux say, "But Thibodeaux, de nurse jes' be tryin' to make you feel better!"

An' Thibodeaux say, "Mais, no! She don' be sayin' dat to me, she be sayin' it to de surgeon!"

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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.

We have a lovely view from our front porch swing. We can see the pet geranium, the Sago palm that is regrowing after it froze this winter, and watch sunsets.

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Today is:

Arita Ceramic Fair -- Arita, Japan (finest porcelain in Japan; during Golden Week until May 5)

Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day -- this one has its own Facebook page

Cheng Cheng Kung Landing Day -- Taiwan (352nd anniversary of the landing in Taiwan of Ming Dynasty loyalist Cheng Cheng Kung to oust the Dutch colonists)

Feast of the Secret Masters -- can't find any real info on this one, and why should i if it's such a secret, but it is fun to think about

Fish Cleaning Night -- sponsored by David Letterman (it's okay if you don't have an audience, or Mariel Hemingway)

Full Pink Moon -- a/k/a Full Sprouting Moon, Grass Moon, Egg Moon, White Moon, Virgin Moon, and Fish Moon; in other traditions

Bak Full Moon Poya Day -- Sri Lanka

Tagu Full Moon -- Myanmar

Helena Railroad Fair -- Helena, MT, US (largest railroad hobby event in the area)

International Dance Day -- International Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute (ITI), a UNESCO partner

Landsgemeinde -- Appenzell, Inner Rhoden Canton, Switzerland (one of the last examples of direct democracy left; the final Sunday of each April all voters in the canton age 18 and older, wearing traditional swords, gather for a church service and then vote directly on all affairs of the canton for the year; no secret ballots, all raise their hands to vote yea or nay; festival follows. This tradition dates back to the 14th century.)

Milk-Curdling Sunday -- Fairy Calendar (Gremlins)

Mother, Father Deaf Day -- to honor deaf parents and recognize the gifts of culture and language they give to their hearing children; sponsored by CODA (Children of Deaf Adults International)

National Adult Public Skipping Day -- because somebody out there either wants you to feel like a kid again, or make a fool of you

National Shrimp Scampi Day

"Peace" Rose Day -- an explanation of this name for the Rosa 'Madame A.' Meilland variety

Pet Parent's Day -- honoring those who consider pets a part of the family

Remembrance of Victims of Chemical Weapons -- on the day chemical weapons were outlawed in 1997

Ridvan, Ninth Day -- Baha'i (one of the festival days on which work and school should be suspended)

Runic Half Month of Lagu (water) begins

Showa No Hi -- Japan (Showa Day, the birth anniversary of Emperor Showa, begins the Golden Week holiday period of four major national days, through May 5)

Solar Alignment at Teotihuacan, City of the Gods -- Teotihuacan, Mexico (the ritual cave opening aligns to the sunset on Aug. 12 and Apr. 29, the same horizon position of the setting of the Pleiades)

Southern Appalachian Dulcimer Festival -- Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park, McCalla, AL, US (through next Sunday)

St. Catherine of Siena's Day (Patron of fire prevention, firefighter, nurses, nursing services, people ridiculed for piety, sick people; Europe; Italy; Theta Phi Alpha Sorority; Allentown, PA, US; Siena, Italy; Verazze, Italy; against bodily ills/sickness, fire, miscarriages, sexual temptation)

Turkmen Racing Horse Festival -- Turkmenistan

Vaisakhi/Baisakhi -- Sikh (celebration of the spring grain harvest and of the rebirth of the Sikh religion in the 15th Century)

Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day -- anyone, anywhere in the world who makes a pinhole photograph today may upload it to the world wide online gallery

World Wish Day -- from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, marking the date in 1980 that local police let seven-year-old leukemia patient Chris Grecicius be an officer for a day, sparking the idea of the Make-a-Wish Foundation

Zipper Day -- while i can't confirm it, the modern zipper was supposedly patented on this day in 1913

Anniversaries Today:

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, marries Catherine "Kate" Middleton, 2011

Mike Nichols marries Diane Sawyer, 1988

Princess Irene marries Prince Carel Hugo de Bourbon Parma, 1964

Birthdays Today:

Andre Agassi, 1970

Uma Thurman, 1970

Carnie Wilson, 1968

Eve Plumb, 1958

Michelle Pfeiffer, 1958

Daniel Day-Lewis, 1957

Kate Mulgrew, 1955

Jerry Seinfeld, 1954

Nora Dunn, 1952

Dale Earnhardt, 1951

Johnny Miller, 1947

Zubin Mehta, 1936

Lane Smith, 1936

Rod McKuen, 1933

Robert Gottlieb, 1931

Celeste Holm, 1919

Tom Ewell, 1909

Hirohito, 1901

Duke Ellington, 1899

William Randolph Hearst, 1863

Oliver Ellsworth, 1745

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Hair"(Musical), 1968

"ABC's Wide World of Sports"(TV), 1961

"Young Dr. Malone"(Radio), 1940

"There Shall be No Night"(Play), 1940

Roget's Thesaurus(Publication date), 1852

Violin Sonata No. 32 in B-flat major(Mozart K. 454), 1784

Today in History:

The Moors arrive at Gibraltar to begin their invasion of the Iberian Peninsula, 711

Joan of Arc arrives at Orleans to relieve the siege, 1492

Francis Drake leads a raid in the Bay of Cádiz, sinking at least 23 ships of the Spanish fleet, 1587

Eleven Dutch ships depart for the conquest of Peru, 1623

The Ming Dynasty occupies Taiwan, 1661

James Cook arrives at and names Botany Bay, Australia, 1770

The French Fleet prevents Britain from seizing the Cape of Good Hope, 1781

Peter Roget publishes the first edition of his Thesaurus, 1852

The "Elektromote"– forerunner of the trolleybus – is tested by Ernst Werner von Siemens in Berlin, 1882

Gideon Sundbach of Hoboken, NJ, receives a patent for the zipper, 1913

The North Sea floodgate at Ijmuiden, the biggest in world, officially opens, 1930

The telephone connection of England-Australia goes into service, 1930

The first U.S. experimental 3D-TV broadcast airs, and episode of "Space Patrol" shown over ABC affiliate KECA in Los Angeles, 1953

The first military nuclear power plant opens, in Ft. Belvoir 1957

A cyclone strikes the Chittagong district of southeastern Bangladesh with winds of around 155 mph, killing at least 138,000 people and leaving as many as 10 million homeless, 1991

Oldsmobile builds its final car ending 107 years of production, 2004

Syria completes withdrawal from Lebanon, ending 29 years of occupation, 2005

Economic losses mount and class action lawsuits are filed as the U.S. Coast Guard plans a controlled burn to remove spilled oil from the Deepwater Horizon disaster, 2010

The discovery in China of a new birdlike dinosaur with membranous wings similar to those of a bat is announced, 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!

Z is for Zillions, because that's how much we love our Little Girl. She is 20 today, our little baby, our soldier.

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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:

Armed Forces Day -- Georgia

Birthday of the King / Konungens födelsedag -- Sweden (HM King Carl XVI Gustav; an official flag day)

Bugs Bunny Day -- while some consider his debut to have been in "A Wild Hare," released in July two years later, other say that Bugs was the rabbit in "Porky's Hare Hunt," relased this date in 1938

Camarón Day -- French Foreign Legion

Carnival Day -- Sint Maarten

Consumer Protection Day -- Thailand

Díá De Los Niños/Díá De Los Libros -- American Library Association (Children Day/Book Day; a celebration that emphasizes the importance of literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds)

Dia de Rincon -- Rincon, Bonaire

El Dia del Nino -- Mexico (Children's Day)

Fairy Queen's Birthday -- Fairy Calendar

Faeriae Latinae -- Ancient Roman Calendar (Feast of the Latin League, a festival to honor Jupiter)

International Jazz Day -- UNESCO (originated with the New Jersey Jazz Society and sanctioned by the United Nations Jazz Society, the American Federation of Jazz Societies, and the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society)

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

Liberation/Reunification Day -- Vietnam

May Eve -- eve of the first day of summer in many traditions, including

Beltane/Samhain Eve -- Pagan traditions

Carodejnice -- Czech Republic; Slovakia

Maitag Vorabend -- Switzerland

Mange les Morts -- Haiti (festival of the dead)

Salus -- Portugal; Spain (festival of the dead)

Valborgsmässoafton -- Sweden

Walpurgis Night -- Ancient Celtic/Nordic Calendars

Mr. Potato Head Day -- the classic toy went on sale this day in 1952, and you used your own potato

National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day -- US (can't find a sponsoring organization, but it's not a bad idea)

National Honesty Day -- including Honest Abe Awards (Abies) and dishonorable mentions for those who have been particularly publicly egregious; celebrated today because we began the month with April Fooling and lies, so today is to celebrate the opposite*

National Raisin Day

St. Adjutor of Vernon's Day (Patron of drowning victims, sailors, swimmers, yatchsmen; Vernon, France; against drowning)

St. James the Great's Day -- Orthodox Christian

Teacher's Day -- Paraguay

Theravadin New Year -- Buddhist (through tomorrow; dates and length of celebration can vary locally)

*to nominate someone for an Abie or a dishonorable mention, contact M. Hirsh Goldberg, founder and author of The Book of Lies, mhgoldberg@comcast.net)

Anniversaries Today:

Pele marries Assiria Seixas Lemos, 1994

The Organization of American States is founded, 1948

Louisiana becomes the 18th US state, 1812

Birthdays Today:

Dianna Agron, 1986

Kirsten Dunst, 1982

Johnny Galecki, 1975

Jeff Timmons, 1973

Carolyn Dawn Johnson, 1971

Adrian Pasdar, 1965

Michael Waltrip, 1963

Isiah Thomas, 1961

Stuart Mathis, 1960

Stephen Harper, 1959

Jane Campion, 1954

Perry King, 1948

Carl XVI Gustav, King of Sweden, 1946

Michael J. Smith, 1945

Jill Clayburgh, 1944

Burt Young, 1940

Gary Collins, 1938

Willie Nelson, 1933

Cloris Leachman, 1926

Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, 1909

Eve Arden, 1908

Ellis Wilson, 1899

Louise Dilworth Beatty Homer, 1871

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Barnum"(Musical), 1980

"The Dresser"(Play), 1980

"Inside U.S.A."(Musical revue), 1948

"Arthur Godfrey Time"(Radio), 1945

"Pelleas et Melisande"(Opera), 1902

"Dmitri Donskoi"(Opera), 1852

"Love for Love"(Play), 1695

Today in History:

Supernova SN 1006, the brightest supernova in recorded history, appears in the constellation Lupus, 1006

Orbital calculations suggest that on this day, Pluto moved inside Neptune's orbit until July 23, 1503, 1483

Columbus is given a royal commission to equip his fleet, 1492

On the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York City, George Washington takes the oath of office to become the first elected President of the United States, 1789

The United States purchases the Louisiana Territory from France, 1803

Nicaragua declares independence from the Central American Federation, 1838

Casey Jones dies in a train wreck in Vaughn, Mississippi, while trying to

make up time on the Cannonball Express, 1900

Honolulu, Hawaii becomes an independent city, 1907

Peru becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty, 1920

Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford become the first celebrities to leave their footprints in concrete at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, 1927

The animated cartoon short Porky's Hare Hunt debuts in movie theaters, introducing Happy Rabbit (a prototype of Bugs Bunny, 1938

In Bogotá, Colombia, the Organization of American States is established, 1948

The Bristol Bus Boycott is held in Bristol to protest the Bristol Omnibus Company's refusal to employ Black or Asian bus crews, drawing national attention to racial discrimination in the United Kingdom, 1963

Communist forces gain control of Saigon and the Vietnam War formally ends, 1975

Accession of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, 1980

CERN announces World Wide Web protocols will be free, 1993

Cambodia joins the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, 1999

Two skeletal remains found near Ekaterinburg, Russia are confirmed by Russian scientists to be the remains of Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia and one of his sisters, 2008

Chrysler automobile company files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, 2009

Hailed as the largest World's Fair in history, Expo 2010 opens in Shanghai, China, 2010

Born without a trachea, a 2-year-old Korean-Canadian child is the youngest patient in history to receive a bioengineered organ made from stem cells; she received the transplanted organ at the Children's Hospital of Illinois, 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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It's Tuesday, time for a Random Thoughts post and linking up with Stacy's Random Thoughts at Stacy Uncorked.

It seems odd not posting an A to Z today. Finally get myself trained to link up at the A to Z page, and it's time to quit. For someone who is takes as long as i do to get the hang of things, it's mildly irritating.

Yesterday i got to Dr. D's house and she was in a lather. "You have to drop me off at the courthouse! My case is today! Let me know when it's nine o'clock so we can leave, meanwhile, I need my make-up and where is my hair brush!"

She finished getting ready while i washed dishes and did other things, i drove her downtown and got there just as her attorney was walking into the building, and then i ran errands and went back to the house to sort paperwork.

Her attorney brought her back home, and apparently the judgment was again in her favor. That's the second court case she has won, now she has to figure out how to collect on them. Two more suits to go.

If anyone can go four for four, it's Dr. D.

Big Sister and Little Sister kittens are mostly weaned. They want a bottle more for comfort than anything. Little Brother is still not quite ready to try eating from the bowl. It won't be long, though.

Speaking of the kittens, here's my contribution to Sandee's Tuesday Fun over at Comedy Plus. It's called, I'm trying to catch your tail!

Well, she had that tail for a moment, anyway.

This Wednesday, once i am done with the shelter in the morning, i have a partial day off! Ms. G is out of town, i took care of her place yesterday after Dr. D and Ms. JAI. Then on Wednesday evening, i have a treat -- i get to babysit Gracie! Her mother has to go to a cousin's funeral, so it's not a happy reason, still i will take it.

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Today is:

Agriculture Day and Labor Day -- Haiti

Amtrak Day -- the train service began this day in 1971

Beltaine / Samhain -- Wiccan/Pagan

Bladder Cancer Awareness Month

Calends of May -- Ancient Roman Calendar; related observances

Day sacred to Maia

Feast for Lares Praestites (household gods)

Childhood Stroke Awareness Month -- also called Pediatric Stroke Awareness Day, because kids can have strokes, too

Chimney Sweeps Day -- the boys as young as 4 who were trained to help master sweeps got Mayday off each year

Constitution Day / National Day -- Marshall Islands

Executive Coaching Day -- a reminder, on what is most countries' Labor Day, that workers deserve great leaders

Faint-Hearted Fairies May (or May Not) Ball -- Fairy Calendar

Feast of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage -- Antipolo, Rizal, Philippines (pilgrimages to the shrine of Nuestra Sra de la Paz y Buen Viaje; through the month)

Festival of Saint Efisio -- Cagliari, Italy (one of the most colorful religious festivals anywhere in the world; through the 4th)

Garland Dressing -- Charlton on Otmoor, England (a wooden cross is bedecked with yew and box leaves)

Give Local America -- US (encouraging people to support local charities with the largest crowdfuning event in history)

Global Love Day -- sponsored by The Love Foundation

Go Fetch! National Food Drive for Homeless Animals -- PALS Foundation

Gujarat Day / Maharashtra Day -- MH, India

Journée Internationale de la Guérilla Tournesol / International Sunflower Guerrilla Gardening Day -- begun in Belgium, now celebrated worldwide, guerrila gardeners are encouraged to plant sunflowers (or an appropriate plant for their climate) in a neglected public place or shabby flower bed

Keep Kids Alive! Drive 25 Day -- 20-25mph in school zones, please

Kevadpuha -- Estonia (Spring Day)

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

Law Day, USA -- US, by Presidential Proclamation

Lei Day -- Hawai'i (where you celebrate Mayday with a lei instead of mayflowers)

Loyalty Day -- US

May Day / Labor Day / Worker's Day -- International; celebrated as the beginning of summer in some places, as a Labor Day in others

Mother Goose Day -- as declared by the Mother Goose Society

National Chocolate Parfait Day

National Love Day -- Czech Republic (couples flock to the memorial of the poet Karel Hynek Mácha in Prague and kiss)

National Purebred Dog Day -- US (as proposed on this page)

New Homeowner's Day -- can't find confirmation on this one, listed at a few sites but no history or records of why this day

'Obby 'Oss (Hobby Horse) Parade -- Padstow, Cornwall, England (every May 1 since 1502, if the records are correct)

Play of St. Evermaar -- Belgium (annual performance of a mystery play, in its original form from over 1,000 years ago, by the village)

Riding of the Bounds -- Berwick-upon-Tweed, Casey, England (riders scour the countryside to be sure the Scots have not encroached upon English soil in this 5 century old tradition)

Rodonitsa -- Asatru/Slavic Pagan Calendar (day to offer feasts to the ancestors, named for Rod, god of family and the cosmos)

Santacruzan / Flore de Mayo -- Philippines (lasts through the month, with the biggest celebratory days being May 26-27 this year)

Save the Rhino Day / Rhino Mayday -- International

School Principal's Day -- since teachers get a day, so should the principal

Silver Star Day -- US (to honor all military who have earned a Silver Star)

SOS Radio Week -- UK (The Royal National Lifeboat Institution keeps the seas safer, and Radio Amateurs help them raise funds; it used to be a week, and though that's still the name, it now lasts the whole month of May)

Stepmother's Day -- sponsored by secondwivesclub.com

St. Joseph the Worker's Day -- Holy See(Vatican City)

St. Peregrine Laziosi's Day (Patron of AIDS patients, cancer patients, and the sick; against cancer, open sores and skin diseases)

St. Walpurga's Canonization Day (The saint who banishes the evil from Walpurgis night.)

Swieta Panstwowe -- Poland (National Day)

Tammany's Day / St. Tamenend -- US soldiers in the Revolution wanted a patron saint to rival St. George of the British Army, and chose Delaware Indian chief and wise man Chief Tamenend, also called Tammany

Unity Day -- Kazakhstan

Virgen de Chapi Festival -- Peru

World Asthma Day -- International (Global Initiative for Asthma)

Yotaka Matsuri -- Fukuno, Toyama, Japan (enjoy floats, paper lanters, and mock battles in this two day festival)

Zuni Green Corn Dance -- Zuni Native Americans (welcoming back the Corn Maidens who fled during the winter; dating approximate as many Native ceremonies are closed to outsiders)

Anniversaries Today:

Cheerios go on sale, 1941

Empire State Building Ribbon Cutting, 1931

Birthdays Today:

Wes Anderson, 1969

Tim McGraw, 1967

Charlie Schlatter, 1966

Steve Cauthen, 1960

Ray Parker, Jr., 1954

Paul Teutul, Sr., 1949

Rita Coolidge, 1945

Bobbie Ann Mason, 1940

Judy Collins, 1939

Sonny James, 1929

Charles "Chuck" Bednarik, 1925

Terry Southern, 1924

Jack Paar, 1918

Glenn Ford, 1916

Archie Williams, 1915

Kate Smith, 1909

Mark Clark, 1896

Leo Sowerby, 1895

Calamity Jane (Martha Jane Burke), 1852

Mary Harris "Mother" Jones, 1837

King Kamehameha I of Hawai'i, 1738

Joseph Addison, 1672

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"My One and Only"(Musical), 1983

Citizen Kane(Film), 1941

"Batman"(Detective Comics #27), 1939

"Buffalo Bill's Wild West"(touring Western show), 1883

"Le nozze di Figaro/The Marriage of Figaro"(Mozart Opera, K492), 1786

Today in History:

The Wars of Scottish Independence end with a treaty recognizing the Kingdom of Scotland as a separate entity, 1328

The Act of Union joins the Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, 1707

Species Plantarum is published by Linnaeus, marking the formal start date of plant taxonomy adopted by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, 1753

Josiah Wedgwood founds the Wedgwood pottery company in Great Britain, 1759

Jesuit-taught Adam Weishaupt establishes the Illuminati in Ingolstadt (Upper Bavaria), 1776

Kamehameha, the king of Hawai'i defeats Kalanikupule and establishes the Kingdom of Hawai'i, 1785

The British colonies abolish slavery, 1834

The Penny Black, the first official adhesive postage stamp, is issued in the United Kingdom, 1840

The first wagon train leaves from Independence, MO, bound for California, 1841

Hong Kong Police Force, the world's second, Asia's first modern police force is established, 1844

Queen Victoria opens the Great Exhibition in London, 1851

The Empire of Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay sign the Treaty of the Triple Alliance, 1865

The Folies Bergère opens in Paris, 1869

Moses Fleetwood Walker becomes the first black person to play in a professional baseball game in the United States, 1884

The RMS Lusitania departs from New York City on her two hundred and second, and final, crossing of the North Atlantic, 1915

The first cooked meals on a scheduled flight are introduced on an Imperial Airways flight from London to Paris, 1927

The dwarf planet Pluto is officially named, 1930

The Empire State Building is dedicated in New York City, 1931

The Summer Olympics are cancelled due to war, 1940

The Salk vaccine is made available to the public, 1956

Fidel Castro proclaims Cuba a socialist nation and abolishes elections, 1961

Amtrak is formed to take over the U.S. passenger rail service, 1971

Pope John Paul II beatifies Edith Stein, a Jewish-born Carmelite nun who was gassed in the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz, 1987

On the same day, Rickey Henderson of the Oakland A's sets the record for stolen bases (his 939th), and Nolan Ryan of the Texas Rangers pitches his 7th career no-hitter, breaking his own record, 1991

Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia join the European Union, , 2004

Same-sex marriage is legalized in Sweden, 2009

Pope John Paul II is beatified by his successor, Pope Benedict XVI, 2011

The U.N. Human Rights Office determine it is a violation of international law to force-feed hunger strikers at the U.S. Guantanamo Bay prison, 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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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:

baptism
dregs
pinafore
exploring
sugar
bee hive

And/or

heart
meddling
primary
contrary
mug
kitchen

Gilbert looked around to make sure they were alone and said, “All these women in their BEEHIVE hairdos make me nervous!”

“Yeah, me too,” Roger said, “but we have to stay in character. You keep breaking your role to talk to me like this and neither of us will ever get an assignment again!”

“Sorry,” Gilbert hissed. EXPLORING the past had been a dream of his since he was a youngster, and when he made the grades his HEART sang. Then, of course, came the reality of time travel — you have to actually live in that time, in character, for as long as your assignment lasts.

You must remember your PRIMARY mission at all times. No MEDDLING in the affairs you are there to observe. Don’t do anything anachronistic or CONTRARY to what would really happen in that time period and among those people.

In this case, the assignment was not anything like he had dreamed of growing up. “Cultural practices of the early Pentecostal Movement, with special attention to rituals such as BAPTISM, communion, and weddings.” He had almost quit just reading the title. Had they plumbed the DREGS of possible assignments to give him the worst one ever?

Roger had done two previous assignments and was a little more pragmatic. “Every once in a while you get a lousy one,” he’d noted.

“How many lousy ones have you had?” Gilbert had asked.

“Two.”

That answer didn’t sit too well with Gilbert, but he swallowed his misgivings and decided it was best to just get on with the job.

Rounding the corner of the hallway he saw a young girl in a PINAFORE coming out of the KITCHEN. She had a tray of MUGS of lemonade, and she offered them to Gilbert and Roger.

Taking one with an appreciative sniff and a “Thank you!” to the young lady, Gilbert added, “There’s one good thing about it all — they know how to cook, and when they make lemonade, they don’t skimp on the SUGAR!”

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Today is:

Anniversary of the 3rd Druk Gyalpo -- Bhutan

Anxiety Disorders Screening Day -- if you have symptoms, get checked, there is help

Baby Day -- birth anniversary of Dr. Spock

Badminton Horse Trials -- Badminton, Gloucestershire, England (international horse trials of show jumping, cross-country, and dressage; through Sunday)

Brothers and Sisters Day/Sibling Appreciation Day -- an internet generated holiday, not to be confused with National Siblings Day on April 10 each year

Community Day -- M, Spain

Day of Osiris going forth from his mountain -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Door-Banging and Window-Tapping Conference -- Fairy Calendar (Gremlins)

Flag Day -- Poland

Great American Grump Out Day -- encouraging everyone to avoid grumpiness and rudeness for 24 hours; who knows, you might enjoy it so much it will stick!

Holiday of the Region of Madrid -- Madrid, Spain

International Scurvy Awareness Day -- because yes, some people do still get this disease of Vitamin C deficiency

King James Bible Day -- marking the publication in 1611 of the King James Version of the Bible

National Day to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy -- US

National Education Day -- Indonesia

National Play Your Ukulele Day -- just because it's fun!

National Truffles Day

Oulu Theatre Festival for Young Audiences -- Oulu, Finland (a four day festival for children and young people, presenting 80 or more performances centering on traditional and contemporary children's theater)

Roberts Rules of Order Day -- birth anniversary of Henry M. Robert, author of the standard parliamentary guide Robert's Rules of Order

Rowdy Friends Day -- go look up the ones you haven't seen in a while

St. Athanasius the Great's Day

St. Zoe's Day

Teacher's Day -- Bhutan; Iran

Twelfth Day of Ridvan -- Baha'i

Birthdays Today:

Sarah Hughes, 1985

Jenna Von Oy, 1977

David Beckham, 1975

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, 1972

Elizabeth Berridge, 1962

Christine Baranski, 1952

Larry Gatlin, 1949

Lesley Gore, 1946

David Suchet, 1946

Bianca Jagger, 1945

Engelbert Humperdinck, 1936

Roscoe Lee Browne, 1925

Theodore Bikel, 1924

Satyajit Ray, 1921

Dr. Benjamin Spock, 1903

Baron Von Richthofen, 1892

Hedda Hopper, 1885

Henry M. Robert, 1837

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Sunday in the Park with George"(Musical), 1984

"Peter and the Wolf"(Prokofiev Op. 67), 1936

"The Jack Benny Program"(Radio), 1932

Good Housekeeping(Magazine), 1885

"La Bottega del Caffe/The Coffee Shop"(Play), 1750

Authorized King James Version of the Bible(Publication date, by printer Robert Barker), 1611

Today in History:

Anne Boleyn, Queen of England, is arrested and imprisoned on charges of adultery, incest, treason and witchcraft, 1536

John Knox returns from exile to Scotland to become the leader of the beginning Scottish Reformation, 1559

Mary, Queen of Scots, escapes from Loch Leven Castle, 1568

King Charles II of England grants a permanent charter to the Hudson's Bay Company to open up the fur trade in North America, 1670

William Herschel discovers 1st binary star, Xi Ursae Majoris, 1780

Charles Fremantle founds the Swan River Colony in Australia, 1829

Peruvian defenders fight off Spanish fleet at the Battle of Callao, 1866

Good Housekeeping magazine goes on sale for the first time, 1885

Cree and Assiniboine warriors win the Battle of Cut Knife, their largest victory over Canadian forces during the North-West Rebellion, 1885

The Congo Free State is established by King Léopold II of Belgium, 1885

Hannibal W Goodwin patents celluloid photographic film, 1887

General Motors acquires the Chevrolet Motor Company of Delaware, 1918

Pearl S. Buck is awarded the Pulitzer Prize for The Good Earth, 1938

The world's first ever jet airliner, the De Havilland Comet 1, makes its maiden flight, from London to Johannesburg, 1952

Tennessee Williams is awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, 1955

The British ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2 departs on her maiden voyage to New York City, 1969

The 1986 World Exposition in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, opens, 1986

The European Central Bank is founded in Brussels in order to define and execute the European Union's monetary policy, 1998

President Bill Clinton announces that accurate GPS access would no longer be restricted to the United States military, 2000

Cyclone Nargis makes landfall in Myanmar killing over 130,000 people and leaving millions of people homeless, 2008

Conservationists determine poachers killed the last known rhinoceroses in Mozambique; these poachers worked with game rangers responsible for protecting them, 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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She was having a very difficult time making the decision to move or stay.

As a single mom, did she want to stay where she had grown up, with good friends but no prospects for a job and a school she wasn’t convinced was doing her child much good?

Or did she move to where she could make a better living, with a nearby school that was excellent, but where she didn’t really know many people?

The worry and indecision were difficult, the idea of leaving tore at her heart, the idea of staying and watching her daughter struggle was worse.

Her best friend finally said to her, “You don’t get a do-over, you only have one chance to raise this child right!”

Packing and moving was the hardest thing she had ever done, but it made all the difference.

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

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This weathered fence in a garden caught my eye:

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Today is:

Bent Wand-Straightening Day -- Fairy Calendar

Bona Dia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (a women's festival)

Constitution Day -- Poland

Constitution Memorial Day -- Japan (Part of the Showa Golden Week Festivities)

Dia de la Cruz -- Mexico (Day of the Holy Cross, a festive day for construction workers, with parties and a flower decorated cross placed on every piece of new construction through the country)

Festa Dei Serpari -- Cocullo, Italy (The Procession of the Snake Catchers, in honor of the city's patron, St. Dominick, whom they believed could cure snakebite)

Florae -- Ancient Roman Calendar (ceremony at the temple of Flora)

Garden Meditation Day -- let go your concerns and center your attention on your garden

Kansas Barbed Wire Swap/Sell -- La Crosse, Kansas (held by the Barbed Wire Collectors Association, and no, i'm not making that up! through Sunday)

Lag B'Omer -- Judaism (began sunset yesterday, ends sunset today)

Lumpy Rug Day -- the tongue-in-cheek day to tease bigots about shoving unwanted facts under the rug, sponsored by Robert L. Birch of Puns corps

Make-a-Book Day -- the Thursday of Family Reading Week

National Day of Prayer -- US / Interfaith

National Day of Reason -- US Humanist alternative to the National Day of Prayer

National Raspberry Popover Day / National Raspberry Tart Day

National Two Different Colored Shoes Day -- celebrate your uniqueness, take a risk, and step outside of your routine today

Paranormal Day -- i have enough trouble with normal, thank you

Pithi Chrat Preah Neanng Korl -- Cambodia (Royal Ploughing Ceremony, to mark the beginning of the rice growing season)

Pregnancy Fitness Awareness Day -- can't confirm this is still sponsored by Karen Bridson

Richmond Mushroom Festival -- Richmond, MO, US (arts and crafts, carnival, barbecue contest, bike and car show, bands, and stage shows, all to celebrate the fun fungus; through Sunday)

Specially-Abled Pet Day -- to learn more about caring for disabled pets

St. James the Lesser's Day (Patron of apothecaries, druggists, the dying, fullers, hatters and hatmakers, miliners, pharmacists; Frascati, Italy; Monterotondo, Italy; Nemi, Italy; Uruguay; Venegono Inferiore, Italy)

St. Phillip the Apostle's Day (Patron of hatmakers and hatters, milliners, pastry chefs; Luxembourg; Monterotondo, Italy; Nemi, Italy; San Felipe Indian Pueblo; Uruguay; Venegono, Inferiore, Italy)

Sunfest -- West Palm Beach, FL, US (Florida's largest music, art, and waterfront festival; through Sunday)

Togyu Taikai -- Tokunoshima Island, Japan (bull sumo, in which bulls push each other out of the ring; through the 5th)

Wordsmith Day

World Press Freedom Day -- International/UN

World Whistlers Convention -- Tokyo, Japan (sponsored by the Japan Whistling Confederation; through Saturday)

Birthdays Today:

Joseph Addai, 1983

Christine Hendricks, 1975

Dule Hill, 1974

Christopher Cross, 1951

Mary Hopkin, 1950

Doug Henning, 1947

Greg Gumbel, 1946

Frankie Valli, 1937

Engelbert Humperdinck, 1936

James Brown, 1933

Sugar Ray Robinson, 1921

Pete Seeger, 1919

Bing Crosby, 1903

Golda Meir, 1898

Niccolo Machiavelli, 1469

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Bent"(Play), 1979

"All Things Considered"(National Public Radio Network first broadcast), 1971

"The Most Happy Fella"(Musical), 1956

"CBS Evening News"(TV), 1948

Today in History:

Christopher Columbus first sights Jamaica (Santiago), 1494

Francis Bacon is charged with bribery, 1621

A royal charter is granted for Connecticut, 1662

The last total solar eclipse to be observed from London for the next 900 years occurs as predicted by Edmund Halley; called Halley's eclipse as he predicted it to within 4 minutes accuracy and described its path to within 30km, 1715

The Constitution of May 3 (the first modern constitution in Europe) is proclaimed by the Sejm of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, 1791

Washington, D.C., is incorporated as a city, 1802

The Canterbury and Whitstable Railway is opened. It is the first steam hauled passenger railway to issue season tickets and include a tunnel, 1830

The Hudson's Bay Company gives up all claims to Vancouver Island, 1867

The Great Fire of 1901 in Jacksonville, Florida, destroys 1,700 buildings, 1901

Raja Harishchandra the first full-length Indian feature film is released, marking the beginning of the Indian film industry, 1913

The poem In Flanders Fields is written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, 1915

Nellie Tayloe Ross becomes the first woman to head the United States Mint, 1933

Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind is awarded the Pulitzer Prize, 1937

The Kentucky Derby is televised for the first time, 1951

Lieutenant Colonels Joseph O. Fletcher and William P. Benedict of the United States land a plane at the North Pole, 1952

The Anne Frank House opens in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1960

The first "spam" email is sent by a Digital Equipment Corporation marketing representative to every ARPANET address on the west coast of the United States, 1978

The strongest tornado ever recorded, one of 66 tornadoes recorded that day,with winds of up to 313mph, strikes Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 1999

The sport of geocaching begins, with the first cache placed and the coordinates from a GPS posted on Usenet, 2000

New Hampshire's famous Old Man of the Mountain collapses, 2003

New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art announces it will return two statues from northern Cambodia's archeological site Koh Ker, 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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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.

This is the sight that greets me in the mornings -- kittens wanting mama to come feed them:

Is she there yet? Is mama there yet?

It's not a great picture, but they move fast, so i have to snap it when i can.

Also, a bonus, here's a picture of how they often sleep:

Pile-up!

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Today is:

Bird Day -- anniversary of the first Bird Day declared in 1894 by the Superintendant of Schools in Oil City, PA, Charles Babcock

Cassinga Day -- Namibia

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta -- Portland, Oregon (the sister city to Guadalajara, Mexico, has a multicultural party; through Sunday)

Compliment Someone's Smile Day

Dandelion May Fest -- Dover, Ohio (if food or drink can be made from dandelion, you will find it here, and if you've ever wanted to celebrate dandelion wine, this is the place to be; through tomorrow)

Declaration of Independence Day -- Latvia

Dodenherdenking -- Netherlands (Remembrance of those in the armed forces who have died in war or peacekeeping missions.)

Fairy Ring Day (Giving) -- Fairy Calendar

Festival of Nations -- St. Paul, MN, US (cultural exhibits, food, dance, and folk art from 90 ethnic groups in a celebration held each year since 1932; through Sunday)

Frustrating the Fairies Day -- Ireland (a day to confuse the fairies so they may not cause any mischief, although i can't find any details about how to frustrate them)

Giro D'Italia -- San Lorenzo Al Mare to Milan, Italy (one of cycling's three Grand Tours; through May 27)

Hug Your Cat Day -- sponsored by Apricat

International Firefighters' Day

International Space Day -- UN

International Tuba Day

Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival -- Fernandina Beach, FL, US (celebrating the birthplace of the modern shrimping industry; through Sunday)

Kentucky Derby & Oaks -- Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY, US (the Oaks is today; the Derby tomorrow is the longest continually held sporting event in the US)

Magic Dragon Street Meet -- Historic Bagnell Dam Strip and Prewitt's Point, MO, US (if you like car shows, this is the place for you! through Sunday)

May Day Fairie Festival -- Spoutwood Farm, Glen Rock, PA, US (celebrate the beginning of spring and the return of all the nature spirits to the warm world with musicians, dancers, storytellers, a Maypole dance, fairie arts and crafts activities and vendors, education about healthy eating and organic farming, fairie and gnome habitat tours, fairie tea parties, and guest appearances by the Green Man, the Mossmen, Sweet Pea, and others; through Sunday)

May Fourth Movement

Literary Day -- Republic of China

Youth Day -- People's Republic of China

Memorial Day -- Curacao (military ceremonies to honor victims of WWII, not a government holiday)

Midori no hi -- Japan (Greenery Day/Arbor Day)

National Candied Orange Peel Day

National Kids Fitness Day -- this one doesn't seem to have any particular sponsor or organization behind it, but please get those kids outdoors to do something fun, any time you can!

National Orange Juice Day

National Weather Observers Day -- another fun day that doesn't seem to be sponsored by anyone, but Family Crafts has suggestions for how to celebrate

No Pants Day -- first Friday in May, and not to be confused with the annual No Pants Subway Ride in NYC

Orangeburg Festival of Roses -- Orangeburg, SC, US (celebrating flowers on the banks of the Edisto River, the longest black water river in the world; through Sunday)

Petite and Proud Day -- i've never heard of this one until now, but it's the one for me!

Relationship Renewal Day -- because someone, somewhere, wants you to stop taking the ones you love for granted

Remembrance Day for Martyrs and the Disabled -- Afghanistan

Respect for Chickens Day -- International (United Poultry Concerns)

Sagami Giant Kite Festival -- Sagami, Japan (through tomorrow; giant kite that requires a team of 100 people is flown on the banks of the Sagami River)

St. Florian's Day (Patron of brewers, chimney sweeps, coopers, drowning victims, fire prevention, firefighters, harvests, soap-boilers; Austria; Chur, Switzerland; Linz, Austria; Poland; against battle, drowning, fire, and flood)

a recognized holiday in Austria

St. Venerius of Milan's Day (Patron of lighthouse keepers)

Star Wars Day -- greet others with "May the 4th be with you!"

Toad Suck Daze -- Conway, AR, US (toad-jumping contests, carnival, parade, concerts, arts and crafts, softball tournament, and more; through Sunday)

Upper Canada Village -- Morrisburg, ON, Canada (through early October, various programs that let visitors and students enter the world of the 1860s)

Youth Day -- China

Birthdays Today:

Erin Andrews, 1978

Dawn Stanley, 1970

Randy Travis, 1959

Pia Zadora, 1956

David Guttersn, 1956

Jackie Jackson, 1951

Richard Jenkins, 1947

Nicholas Ashford, 1942

George F. Will, 1941

Roberta Peters, 1930

Audrey Hepburn, 1929

Heloise Bowles Cruse, 1919

Horace Mann, 1796

Bartolomeo Cristofori, 1655

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Beatles at Hollywood Bowl"(Album), 1977

"Another World"(TV), 1964

"New Girl in Town"(Musical), 1957

Today in History:

Religious reformers John Wycliffe and Jan Hus are condemned as heretics at the Council of Constance, 1415

Peter Minuit becomes director-general of New Netherlands, 1626

A French manufacturer debuts the first folding umbrella, 1715

Rhode Island becomes the first American colony to renounce allegiance to King George III, 1776

Mary Dixon Kies becomes the first woman in the US to obtain a patent, for a method of weaving hats with straw, silk, and thread, 1809

Napoleon arrives at Portoferraio on the island of Elba to begin his exile, 1814

The Haymarket Square Riot takes place in Chicago, 1886

The United States begins construction of the Panama Canal, 1904

The Royal Canadian Navy is created, 1910

May Fourth Movement: Student demonstrations take place in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, protesting the Treaty of Versailles, 1919

Al Capone begins serving an eleven-year prison sentence for tax evasion, 1932

Ernest Hemingway is awarded the Pulitzer Prize for The Old Man and the Sea, 1953

The "Freedom Riders" begin a bus trip through the South, 1961

The Don't Make A Wave Committee, a fledgling environmental organization founded in Canada in 1971, officially changes its name to "Greenpeace Foundation", 1972

An all-female Japanese team reaches the summit of Manaslu, becoming the first women to climb an 8,000-meter peak, 1974

Margaret Thatcher becomes the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, 1979

Latvia proclaims the renewal of its independence after the Soviet occupation, 1990

The Scottish National Party wins the Scottish general election and becomes the largest party in the Scottish Parliament for the first time ever, 2007

The last nuclear reactor in Japan is shut down, leaving the country without nuclear power for the first time since 1970, 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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Hooray for Saturday! It’s the day to stop and count my blessings, which are many and varied.

Today, i am thankful for some of the special people in my life. Special needs special people, who enrich my life.

On Wednesday, i got to spend time with Gracie. Some of you may remember her story — she spent the first two-and-a-half years of her life in an orphanage in Bulgaria. When she was born, the doctors there said that because of her epilepsy she would be blind and retarded, and since she was the 11th child of that family, the parents “put her away” as they used to say.

She was adopted and brought here, and i am so thankful to have been able to watch her bloom and grow. (She only very rarely has a seizure, and can see just fine with her glasses, and is in second grade now.)

Gracie and i had a great time when i stayed with her on Wednesday while her mother attended a funeral. After her dinner, bath and tooth brushing, she said, “Let’s go chill!” Chill we did, playing games all evening.

Their male Basset hound, Otis, kept looking at the door and whining, and i got to hear Gracie tell him, “Be quiet, bonehead!” This from a child who, because of lack of early stimulation, didn’t talk until she was almost 4.

Otis, a/k/a Bonehead.

On Thursday, i was at Ms. V’s house. She and her husband have an adult special needs son. He drives, and has a job rounding up carts at a store, but he will never be able to fully function on his own.

C has a great sense of humor, and a love of music. He’s always sharing a new musical discovery or a funny story, and i am thankful for the laughs we have shared.

Friday was rEcess, and it was a wild time. We celebrated Star Wars Day, making light saber crafts, wearing costumes, and it was a zoo in the gym with balls being thrown everywhere and tricycle races.

Peggy and Linda had wheelchair races (we pushed them, of course).

Petey got a lot of help on a tricycle, and made a couple of baskets on the basketball court.

Emmy got to run until she was tired.

Linda was my special charge, and we pretended to sneeze over and over, it is her current favorite game. We threw the ball, and crawled up and down the halls visiting everyone. (She is 12, about the size of a 7-year-old, has a severe mitochondrial disease of some kind and wasn’t even supposed to live this long, much less be able to crawl and play.)

Erin wasn’t able to be there this time, and i missed her. She’s my favorite root beer buddy. (She is 16, and has at least one crying spell each time, wanting her daddy, and root beer is what makes the tears go away.)

All this rambling about some of my favorite people to say, i am thankful for the joy they bring me. Grateful that they do as much as they can, and push until they can do more, making me want to do the same. Inspired by their parents, who have a load on their plates that i never had, and they don’t quit or give up on their kids.

Then there are the volunteers. Some are adults, and some are teens. Several of the teens already have all of their service hours for the year, and some don’t go to schools that require service hours, and yet they come to play with and love on these special children and their siblings. Think about that the next time someone is fussing about kids these days, there’s a group of them that give up a Friday night eight times a year because they have a great time carrying and playing with children who can’t walk, fetching diapers and rinsing out feeding tubes, and just generally helping out.

Maybe in all of this meandering you will find up to ten things for which i am thankful, or maybe not quite ten. It’s not a regular list, but that’s okay. Josie Two Shoes, our hostess of Ten Things of Thankful, isn’t a taskmistress, and if someone doesn’t quite have ten things, or expresses them in a crazy way, that’s okay.

The point is to count our blessings, and i have more than i can list in any regular way. Write up a few of your own and link up if you want, it’s a great way to share what’s good in our lives so we can celebrate with each other.

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Today is:

Arbegnoch Qen -- Ethiopia (Patriots' Victory Day)

Arrival Day -- Guyana

Bats Day in the Fun Park -- Anaheim, CA, US (includes The Bats Day Happy Haunts Swinging Wake: A Costumed Celebration, a Bat's Day Holiday Black Market, and a Spooky Trip to Disneyland; through tomorrow)

Bevrijdingsday -- Netherlands(Liberation Day)

Big Kansas Road Trip -- Barber, Comanche, and Kiowa Counties, KS, US (highighting all the great things there are to do in these Kansas Counties, and encouraging Kansans and tourists alike to come explore; through Sunday)

Bonza Bottler Day™

Cartoonists Day -- celebrates the first color cartoon ever published, The Yellow Kid, on this day in 1895.

Children's Day -- Japan (Kodomo-no-hi); South Korea (Orininal)

Cinco de Mayo / Anniversary of the Battle of Puebla -- Mexico, and anyplace that beer brewers want to make a minor battle into a big deal to increase beer sales today

Constitution Day -- Kyrgyzstan

Coronation Day -- Thailand (crowning of King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 1950)

Cotton Pickin' Fair -- Gay, GA, US (a fabulous two days of Southern family fun)

Day of Adoration of Anubis -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Europe Day -- Council of Europe

Fairy Ring Day (Receiving) -- Fairy Calendar

Free Comic Book Day -- check here for information, including a store locator

Galveston Historic Homes Tour -- Galveston, TX, US (Galveston Island’s great treasures of Victorian and post-Victorian architecture that are privately owned are opened for tours this weekend and next)

Halfway Point of Spring/Autumn

Herb Day -- an international celebration of herbs and all the flavor they add to our lives; try a new herb to season a dish today

Hidirellez -- Turkey (arrival of spring and a religious holiday of the Alevi peoples, celebrating the meeting on Earth of the Prophets Al-Khidr and Elijah; begins this evening and goes through tomorrow)

Holland Tulip Time Festival -- Holland, MI, US (one of the best small town festivals in the US, with visitors from around the world; through next Sunday)

International Day of the Midwife

Lemonade Day -- Louisiana, US (empowering youth to start their own small businesses; there's a Lemonade Day in every state where there's a Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers franchise)

Low Country Shrimp Festival -- McClellanville, SC, US (seafood, arts, crafts, civic displays, entertainment, and the blessing of the fleet)

Lusophone Culture Day -- Community of Portuguese-speaking countries

National Chocolate Custard Day

National Ferret Day -- UK (previously sponsored, but the link is no longer available)

National Hoagie Day

National Homebrew Day -- US (Home Brewers Association)

National Scrapbooking Day -- begun by Creative Memories, now celebrated by scrapbookers everywhere, a good article about it here

Perfect Game Day -- Cy Young pitches baseball’s first officially recorded perfect game on this day in 1904

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

Quincy Preserves Spring Home Tour -- Quincy, IL, US (tour some of the most beautiful homes in Illinois!)

Save Lives Clean your Hands Day -- WHO

Senior Citizens Day -- Palau

St. Judith's Day (Patron of Prussia)

Totally Chipotle® Day

Towsontown Spring Festival -- Towson, MD, US (four stages of continual entertainment, food, art and photography exhibit, and more; through tomorrow)

World Naked Gardening Day -- scare the neighbors! get rid of those pesky squirrels! experience nature (and sunburn, and mosquito bites) with your whole body! explore the website at your own risk

Anniversary Today:

The American Medical Association is founded, 1847

Birthdays Today:

Harry Cavill, 1983

Danielle Fishel, 1981

Tina Yothers, 1973

Brian Williams, 1959

Richard E. Grant, 1957

Jean-Pierre Leaud, 1944

Lance Henriksen, 1943

Michael Palin, 1943

Tammy Wynette, 1942

Michael Murphy, 1938

Pat Carroll, 1927

Ann B. Davis, 1926

Alice Faye, 1915

Tyrone Power, 1913

James Beard, 1903

Nelly Bly, 1864

John Batterson Stetson, 1830

Karl Marx, 1818

Soren Kierkegaard, 1813

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Damn Yankees"(Play), 1955

Today in History:

Rebel barons begin a chain of events that leads to King John of England's eventual signing of the Magna Carta, 1215

Kublai Khan becomes ruler of the Mongol Empire, 1260

Jews are expelled from Speyer Germany, 1430

Christopher Columbus lands at Jamaica and claims it for Spain, 1494

In France, the Estates-General convenes for the first time since 1614, 1789

Citizenship is denied to Jews of Canton of Aargau Switzerland, 1809

Mary Kies becomes the first woman issued a US patent, for a method of weaving, 1809

The American Bible Society organizes in NY, 1816

Emperor Napoleon I dies in exile on the island of Saint Helena, 1821

In Belgium, the first railway in continental Europe opens between Brussels and Mechelen, 1835

The American Medical Association forms in Philadelphia, 1847

Cinco de Mayo in Mexico: troops led by Ignacio Zaragoza halt a French invasion in the Battle of Puebla, 1862

The first train robbery in the US occurs in North Bend, Ohio, 1865

Sitting Bull leads his band of Lakota into Canada to avoid harassment by the United States Army, 1877

The Music Hall in New York City (later known as Carnegie Hall) has its grand opening and first public performance, with Tchaikovsky as the guest conductor, 1891

Cy Young pitches the first perfect game in modern baseball history, 1904

Coco Chanel introduces Chanel No. 5, 1921

John T. Scopes is arrested for teaching evolution in violation of Tennessee's Butler Act, 1925

West Germany gains full sovereignty, 1955

Alan Shepard becomes the first American to travel into outer space, 1961

Bobby Sands dies in the Long Kesh prison hospital after 66 days of hunger-striking, aged 27, 1981

The government of Sudan signs an accord with the Sudan Liberation Army, 2006

Mass protests in Greece erupt in response to austerity measures imposed by the government as a result of the Greek debt crisis, 2010

China announces it will upgrade Ethiopia's infrastructure in an effort to improve a China-Africa strategic partnership, 2014

Scientists announce the discovery of the oldest and most distant galaxy known to man, EGS-zs8-1, 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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Just because Sandee of Comedy Plus is no longer hosting a Silly Sunday blog hop, do not expect me to stop telling Cajun jokes.

There is trouble in Mudville, a young person i know (not one of my kids, one of their friends) is going through a tough break-up. So i had to tell this one from Boudreaux.

Boudreaux’ son Tee be likin’ a nice young lady, an’ dey done date a while, but den her Père tell her he don’ want his girl marryin’ a Boudreaux an’ he make dem break up.

Well Tee, he be heartbroke, an’ he be moanin’ an’ mopin’ an’ jes’ real down. Fin’ly, Clothile done tell Boudreaux, “You got’s to do somet’in’ ‘bout dat boy o’ ours! He be mopin’ an’ whinin’ ‘bout dat girl, an’ he gots to come to realize dey be mo’ fish in de sea!”

So Boudreaux ‘gree he goin’ talk to Tee. He say, “We gonna go fishin’, an’ I try to talk some sense to him.”

Den Boudreaux tell Tee, “We’s goin’ fishin’!” An’ Tee say, “Mais, non, I don’ wanna go!” But Boudreaux insist, an’ fin’ly dey get out in de pirogue on de bayou.

Once dey be out dere, Boudreaux say, “Tee, I gots a story to told you.”

An’ Tee say, “Go ‘head, Père.”

An’ Boudreaux say, “Once dere be a cat dat be tryin’ cross de railroad track, an’ he be racin’ to get ‘cross, but he done miss his time an’ Snap! de train done cut off a bit o’ his tail. Well, de cat be so mad ‘bout dat he turn ‘round to get his tail back an’ Snap! de train cut off his head, an’ de cat be dead.”

An’ Tee say, “Père, dat be a terrible story! What fo’ you done told me a story like dat!”

An’ Boudreaux say, “Dere be a moral to dat story, boy!”

An’ Tee ax, “What be de moral?”

An’ Boudreaux say, “Mais, de moral be dat it don’ be worth losin’ you head over a piece o’ tail!”

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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.

Some garden decor (not my garden, i assure you, i can’t grow crabgrass correctly):

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Today is:

Adhesive Postage Stamp Day -- the first adhesive postage stamps went on sale on this date in 1840 in Great Britain

Army Day/St. George's Day -- Bulgaria

Be Kind to Animals Week -- sponsored by the American Humane Association, through Saturday

Beverage Day -- an internet holiday that encourages you to try a beverage you've never had before

Clun Green Man Festival -- Clun, Shropshire, England (spring festival ending with the Clun Green Man battling and defeating the Frost Queen to end winter and bring in spring, along with a May Fair; through the Monday Spring Bank Holiday)

Festival of Min -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (a four day festival celebrating male fertility; date approximate)

International Bereaved Mothers' Day

International Dawn Chorus Day -- encouaging everyone to get up early and join others in listening to the early morning bird chorus

International No Diet Day -- for reasons not to diet, but focus on health instead, click here

Joseph Brackett Day -- birth anniversary of Shaker author of the song "Simple Gifts"

Martyr's Day -- Lebanon; Syria

Mayday for Mutts -- originally sponsored, but now celebrated by many animal rescues on different dates

Mother's Day -- Angola; Cape Verde; Hungary; Lithuania; Mozambique; Portugal; Romania; Spain

Motorcycle Mass and Blessing of the Bikes -- Paterson, NJ (on the first Sunday of May, which is Motorcycle Safety Month; some other places will also observe bike blessings throughout the month)

Mounikhia / Munichia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (festival of Artemis, date approximate)

National Crepe Suzette Day

National Infertility Survival Day® -- US (encouraging infertility survivors to reach out to those still coming to terms with being diagnosed as infertile)

National Nurses Day -- US, start of National Nurses Week

National Tourist Appreciation Day -- during US National Travel and Tourism Week

National Travel and Tourism Week begins -- US (this year's theme: "Travel Then and Now")

No Homework Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays (celebrated on Monday if it falls on a weekend)

Randwick Wap Cheese Rolling -- Randwick, Gloucestershire, England (Yes, they roll cheeses that were blessed last Sunday around the church and give the Mayor a good dunking in the pond; yes, they've been doing it for 700 years; no, no one is quite certain why, though many stories are told of the origin. The fayre is next Saturday.)

Remembrance for Eyvind Kelve -- Asatru/Norse Pagan Calendar (pagan martyr)

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

St. George's Day -- Eastern Orthodox Churches (the day to visit graves and decorate, leave special food, and provide entertainment for the dearly departed) related observance:

Shepherd's and Herdsman's Day -- Bulgaria

St. Gerard of Lunel's Day (Patron of epileptics and Montesanto, Italy; against epilepsy and headaches)

World Laughter Day -- sponsored by Dr. Madan Kataria, founder of the worldwide Laughter Yoga movement

Yale Lock Day -- the Yale lock was patented this day in 1861

Anniversaries Today:

David Duchovny marries Tia Leone, 1997

Princess Margaret marries Anthony Armstrong-Jones at Westminster Abbey (the first televised royal wedding), 1960

Birthdays Today:

Gabourey Sidibe, 1983

Leslie Hope, 1965

Roma Downey, 1964

George Clooney, 1961

Tom Bergeron, 1955

Tony Blair, 1953

Lynn Whitfield, 1953

Alan Dale, 1947

Ben Masters, 1947

Bob Seger, 1945

Willie Mays, 1931

Orson Welles, 1915

Stewart Granger, 1913

Rudolph Valentino, 1895

Gaston Leroux, 1868

Rabindranath Tagore, 1861

Sigmund Freud, 1856

Robert E. Peary, 1856

Maximilian Robespierre, 1758

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Entertaining Mr. Sloan"(Play), 1964

Today in History:

Spanish and German Imperial troops sack Rome, which many consider the end of the Renaissance, 1527

Mongol emperor Babur defeats the Afghans and Bengals, 1529

Henry VIII orders that English Bibles be placed in every church, 1536

Louis XIV of France moves his court to Versailles, 1682

The first African-American Masonic Lodge (African # 459) forms Prince Hall, Boston, 1787

John Deere produces the first steel plow, 1833

James Gordon Bennett, Sr. publishes the first issue of the New York Herald, 1835

The Glaciarium, the world's first mechanically frozen ice rink, opens, 1844

Dr John Gorrie patents a "refrigeration machine", 1851

Linus Yale patents the Yale lock, 1851

Chief Crazy Horse of the Oglala Sioux surrenders to United States troops in Nebraska, 1877

The Eiffel Tower is officially opened to the public at the Universal Exposition in Paris, 1889

George V becomes King of the United Kingdom upon the death of his father, Edward VII, 1910

George Herman "Babe" Ruth, of the Boston Red Sox, slams his first home run, against the New York Yankees, 1915

The German zeppelin Hindenburg catches fire and is destroyed, 1937

John Steinbeck is awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his novel The Grapes of Wrath, 1940

Bob Hope performs his first USO show, 1941

Roger Bannister becomes the first person to run the mile in under four minutes, 1954

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and French President François Mitterrand officiate at the opening of the Channel Tunnel, 1994

Chaiten Volcano erupts in Chile, forcing the evacuation of more than 4,500 people, 2008

François Hollande is elected the 24th President of France, 2012

Wal-Mart becomes the largest company by revenue on the Fortune 500 list, 2013

France bans too thin fashion models and makes labeling of digitally enhanced photos mandatory, 2017

(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 is Grandma's birthday.

She really was a beautiful baby!

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My "Spark" for the day

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Today is:

Beaufort Wind Force Scale Day -- birth anniversary of the British Navy officer whose wind scale, in refined form

Box Camera Day -- George Eastman patented the Box Camera on this day in 1888

Day of the Soldier -- El Salvador

Experience the Awesome Stomach-Churning Wonder of a Thrill Ride Day -- internet generated, and they can have it!

Feast of St. Nicola -- Bari, Italy (celebrates's the moving of the relics of St. Nicholas -- yes, later Santa Claus -- to this town, where they still are; here he is patron of orphans and pirates, and the date of his body's arrival is celebrated as a huge three-day festival with fireworks included)

Fire Escape Ladder Day -- Joseph Winters patented a wagon-mounted version on this day in 1878

Hamburg Harbor Day -- Hamburg, Germany (founding of the city)

Homeland Defender's Day -- Kazakhstan

Homespun History Day -- internet holiday often exploited by Modern Drunkard Magazine as a day upon which to drink specifically so the stories will sound better

Melanoma Monday -- learn how to check yourself for skin cancer, and how to get someone else to check your back, the most common spot for melanoma

National Barrier Awareness Day -- US (declared by Presidential Proclamation in 1986)

National Library Legislative Day and Virtual Library Legislative Days -- US (40+ years of the ALA advocating for libraries, encouraging librarians around the US to go to Washington, D.C., or their own state capitals to speak to legislators about the important library issues; through tomorrow)

National Meeting Planners Appreciation Day 2018 -- US (you are only obligated to celebrate this if you love meetings, love to plan meetings, or have a meeting planner in your organization to humor)

National Roast Leg of Lamb Day

Nones of May -- Ancient Roman Calendar

Radio Day -- Bulgaria; Russia

School Bus Driver Appreciation Day -- US

St. Domitian of Huy's Day (Patron of Huy Liege, Belgium; against fever)

Anniversaries Today:

Founding of Univerzita Karlova in Prague, the first university in Central Europe, 1348

Birthdays Today:

Owen Hart, 1965

Peter Reckell, 1955

Amy Heckerling, 1954

Tim Russert, 1950

Johnny Unitas, 1933

Teresa Brewer, 1931

Darren McGavin, 1922

Eva Peron, 1919

Gary Cooper, 1901

Archibald Macleish, 1892

Gabby Hayes, 1885

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, 1840

Johannes Brahms, 1833

Robert Browning, 1812

Francis Beaufort, 1774

David Hume, 1711

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Strike It Rich"(TV), 1951

Choral Symphony in D Minor(Beethoven's Ninth), 1824

Today in History:

The dome of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople collapses, 558

Joan of Arc leads the final charge in the Battle of Orleans, 1429

Louis XIV of France inaugurates The Palace of Versailles, 1664

The city of New Orleans is founded by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, 1718

Jews are expelled from Ukraine by Empress Catherine I of Russia, 1727

Chief Pontiac begins the "Conspiracy of Pontiac" by attacking British forces at Fort Detroit, 1763

The independence of Greece is recognized by the Treaty of London, 1832

George Eastman patents the "Kodak Box Camera," 1888

In Saint Petersburg, Russian scientist Alexander Stepanovich Popov demonstrates to the Russian Physical and Chemical Society his invention, the Popov lightning detector — a primitive radio receiver, 1895

German submarine SM U-20 sinks RMS Lusitania, 1915

England lowers age of women voters from 30 to 21, 1928

Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering (later renamed Sony) is founded with around 20 employees, 1946

The Council of Europe is founded during the Hague Congress, 1948

The concept of the integrated circuit, the basis for all modern computers, is first published by Geoffrey W.A. Dummer, 1952

Canadian Patrick Morrow became the first person to climb each of the Seven Summits, 1986

The Space Shuttle Endeavour is launched on its first mission, 1992

Mercedes-Benz buys Chrysler for $40 billion USD and forms DaimlerChrysler in the largest industrial merger in history, 1998

The tomb of Herod the Great is discovered, 2007

A new study reports that all Europeans are related to a small group of ancestors dating back only 1,000 years; researchers believe it's likely that everyone in the world is related over the past few thousand years, 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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Hey, kids, it's Tuesday! Do you know what that means? That's right, Random Tuesday Thoughts with Stacy Uncorked!

In the great news department, #1 Son has been promoted to manager at the pizza place and will run his first shift on Wednesday. He's had mixed feelings about going back into management. One the one hand, it means more money and more hours. On the other hand, if a customer is having a tantrum he cannot just say, "Let me get the manager for you," because he is the manager.

The benefits will outweigh the drawbacks, i believe, and so does he.

In the i-can't-believe-this-is-happening-again department, the Jalopy is down and needs another major repair. We are looking into a loan, a small, short term one. Meanwhile, Sweetie is stranded at home while i work or i am stranded at work if he drops me off. It could be worse, i am counting my blessings that i have work and two more people who want me to squeeze them in.

In the Dr. D department, we spent 6 hours yesterday sorting paperwork and got most of the way through the papers in the house. Next will be the storage building in the back yard, then the storage unit up the road. With four lawsuits going, all of which she researches and makes sure her lawyers are doing everything right, she keeps every bit of paper and goes over every word of every document, looking for anything amiss.

She also files all of her bills, stretching back for years and years. She hasn't kept all of the files in order, or in one place, is the problem. Right now i am trying to talk her into only keeping this year and last year, it would make a big difference.

Yesterday she was on a tear to get a certain amount done, and we did. She also let me throw away a whole bunch of stuff that's been in the yard long enough that she knows she isn't going to do anything with it.

In the kitten department, they are growing and mostly eating canned and dry food now.

Breakfast time!

Big Sister has managed to climb the obstacle course we use to try to keep them in the kitchen. My rule is, if they are big enough to climb out, they are big enough. The other two will probably follow suit soon, and we will remove said obstacles and no longer risk tripping ourselves up trying to get into the kitchen. What i really need is a baby gate with bars too close together for them to get through, but i haven't been able to find one.

Link has decided he does not like kittens, but he likes raiding their food. That's what he decides with every batch of kittens, so why should these be any different?

That's about all of the random news for today, i hope everyone has a great Tuesday!

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Today is:

Cannes Film Festival -- through the 19th

Dog-Prodding Day -- Fairy Calendar (Gremlins)

Festival of Matsu/Mazu -- Southern China and Taiwan (Taoists and Buddhists celebrate the goddess of the sea who protects fishermen and sailors; often worshiped in sea-faring areas surrounding China as well, although some local dates will vary; in Taichung City, the festival lasts through Sunday)

Fête de I'iris -- Belgium (Brussels Region Day)

Helston Furry Dance a/k/a The Flora -- Helston, Cornwall, England (the world-famous dance is each year on May 8, unless that day is Sunday or Monday, when it's held the Saturday before; dancing around the streets begins very early in the morning)

Iris Day -- celebrate these beautiful spring flowers

Liberation Day -- Czech Republic; Slovakia

Miguel Hidalgo Day -- Mexico (birth anniversary of the father of Mexican independence)

National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day -- US (FEMA wants you to make plans for your pets in case of disaster or emergency)

National Coconut Cream Pie Day

National Empanada Day

National Student Nurses Day -- US

National Teacher Appreciation Day -- US

No Socks Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays, who want you to let your toes go free, and cut down on your laundry a bit today

Parents' Day -- South Korea

St. Ida of Nivelles' Day (Patron of erysipelas patients, toothache sufferers; against erysipelas and toothache)

Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World War -- International

Truman Day -- Missouri, US

V-E Day -- some countries celebrate today, some celebrate tomorrow

World Ovarian Cancer Day -- International (because while up to 89% of women with breast cancer are likely to survive 5 years or more, only 45% of women who get ovarian cancer will survive that long)

World Red Cross Day / World Red Crescent Day

Birthdays Today:

Enrique Iglesias, 1975

Robert M. Hensel, 1969

Melissa Gilbert, 1964

Janet McTeer, 1961

David Keith, 1954

Toni Tennille, 1943

Peter Benchley, 1940

Rick Nelson, 1940

Thomas Pynchon, 1937

Charles “Sonny” Liston, 1932

Don Rickles, 1926

David Attenborough, 1926

Robert Johnson, 1911

Bishop Fulton Sheen, 1895

Harry S Truman, 1884

Louis Moreau Gottschalk, 1829

Jean-Henri Dunant, 1828

Miguel Hidalgo Y Costilla, 1753

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Let It Be"(Album), 1970

"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum"(Musical), 1962

"Look Back in Anger"(Play), 1959

Concerto in E-flat, "Dumbarton Oaks"(Stravinsky concerto), 1938

Today in History:

Hernando de Soto reaches the Mississippi River and names it Río de Espíritu Santo, 1541

Antoine Lavoisier, the father of modern chemistry, is tried and guillotined by the Reign of Terror, 1794

Future US president Zachary Taylor defeats a Mexican force north of the Rio Grande in the first major battle of the Mexican-American war, 1846

At Gilmore's Gardens in New York City, the first Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show opens, 1877

George B. Selden files the first patent for an automobile in the US, 1879

Pharmacist John Styth Pemberton first sells a carbonated beverage named "Coca-Cola" as a patent medicine, 1886

In Martinique, Mount Pelée erupts, destroying the town of Saint-Pierre and killing over 30,000 people, 1902

In Rheims, France, German forces agree to an unconditional surrender, ending the war in Europe, 1945

The rollercoaster Revolution, the first steel coaster with a vertical loop, opens at Six Flags Magic Mountain, 1976

Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler make the first ascent of Mt. Everest without supplemental oxygen, 1978

The World Health Organization announces the eradication of smallpox, 1980

The new Canadian War Museum opens, in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of V-E Day, 2005

Dmitry Medvedev appoints Vladimir Putin as Russian Prime Minister, 2008

The last piece of Yankee Stadium falls in the Bronx, New York, marking the end of the two year demolition process, 2010

Brazilian Roberto Azevedo is named the next Director-General of the World Trade Organization, 2013

Researchers announce the development of synthetic nucleobases, the molecules that form the backbone of DNA; organisms successfully replicated the synthetic bases, implying that creation of new life forms with these additional bases may be possible in the future, 2014

British Prime Minister David Cameron is re-elected for five more years in a decisive victory, 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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Linking up with Wordless Wednesday.

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Words for Wednesday was begun by Delores and has become 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 provided by Margaret Adamson and her friend Sue Fulton, with some pictures by her friend Bill, and are posted by Elephant's Child.

This week's prompts are:

Off one's rocker

And/or

Hit the sack

It's enough to make me think one of us is off our rocker.

Dr. D asked me to go get her cold pack for her hip, and what did i find?

The freezer is not just where she keeps her cold packs and frozen food -- she's apparently decided to freeze some of her liquid/cash assets as well.

When i asked her about it, she said, "Well, before I went to bed last night, I asked myself where would be a good place to hide my money where I wouldn't forget it. Since I have to get my cold packs for my sore hip every day, I will see it every day and not forget that I have it there."

Yep, sounds logical, before i hit the sack i always put my money in the freezer, too.

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Today is:

Donate a Days Wages to Charity Day 2018

Europe Day -- European Union

Independence Day -- Romania (1877, from the Ottoman Empire)

Lawn Mower Day -- a rotary blade mower was patented this day in 1899

Lemuralia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (first of 3 non-consecutive days dedicated to getting rid of the spirits of the malevolent dead; rituals performed today, the 11th, and the 13th)

Liberation Day -- Guernsey; Jersey

Lost Sock Memorial Day -- they go to the hozone layer!

National Bike to School Day -- US (encouraging kids to have fun, get their exercise, and get to school under their own steam)

National Butterscotch Brownie Day

National Moscato Day

National Nightshift Workers Day/Third Shift Workers Day -- US (remembering those intrepid souls who keep things running smoothly through the night)

National Receptionist Day -- US (because that first impression is important; National Receptionists Association)

National School Nurse Day -- US (the school nurse is there to help!)

Occupational Safety and Health Professionals Day -- US (info here)

Olympieia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (spring festival for Zeus; date approximate)

Remembrance for Gudrod of Gudbrandsdal -- Slavic Pagan/Asatru (pagan martyr)

Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Fairies Founded -- Fairy Calendar

Royal Windsor Horse Show -- Windsor, England (through the 13th)

St. Beatus of Lungern's Day (Apostle of Switzerland)

St. Nicholas Albergati's Day (Patron of learning)

Tear Tags Off of Mattresses Day -- yes, you can! If you bought it, you're allowed to.

Victory Day / Victory and Peace Day -- countries that didn't celebrate V-E day yesterday, mostly Russia and former SSR's

Xotira va Qadirlash Kuni -- Uzbekistan (Day of Remembrance and Honors)

Birthdays Today:

Rosario Dawson, 1979

Steve Yzerman, 1965

Tony Gwynn, 1960

Billy Joel, 1949

Candice Bergen, 1946

James L. Brooks, 1940

Charles Simic, 1938

Glenda Jackson, 1937

Albert Finney, 1936

Glenda Jackson, 1936

Richard Alonzo “Pancho” Gonzales, 1928

Mike Wallace, 1918

Howard Carter, 1873

J.M. Barrie, 1860

Belle Boyd, 1843

John Brown, 1800

Today in History:

The first battle recorded with what is considered historic accuracy and detail, the Battle of Megiddo between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Kadesh, BC1457

Christopher Columbus leaves Spain for his 4th and final voyage, 1502

Thomas Blood, disguised as a clergyman, attempts to steal England's Crown Jewels from the Tower of London, 1671

British inventor Joseph Bramah patents beer-pump handle, 1785

The city of Reno, Nevada, is founded, 1868

The Vienna stock market crash (Der Krach) heralds the Long Depression, 1873

The first horse-drawn bus makes its début in the city of Mumbai, 1874

Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show opens in London, 1887

The first horseless carriage show in London opens, featuring 10 models, 1896

The lawn mower is patented, 1899

Australia opens its first parliament in Melbourne, 1901

The steam locomotive City of Truro becomes the first steam engine in Europe to exceed 100mph, 1904

The Australian Parliament first convenes in Canberra, 1927

Edgar Bergen and Charley McCarthy take to the airwaves, becoming an overnight radio sensation, 1937

Rainier III of Monaco becomes Prince of Monaco, 1949

Sam and Friends, with Jim Hensen and his muppets, debuts, 1955

The FDA announces it will approve birth control as an additional indication for Searle's Enovid, making Enovid the world's first approved oral contraceptive pill, 1960

Iranian Jewish businessman Habib Elghanian is executed by firing squad in Tehran, prompting the mass exodus of the once 100,000 member strong Jewish community of Iran, 1979

The South African parliament chooses Nelson Mandela as president, 1994

Estonia ratifies the European Constitution, 2006

A report reveals that hackers using fraudulent ATM cards in February, 2013, stole $45 million, 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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It took a while, but the sound finally broke through her pain as she came back to consciousness.

"You are going to be okay, you hear! We have help coming!" echoed off the cliff.

With supreme effort she opened her eyes and when her sight cleared up a bit she remembered the screamed warning from her friends, the ground under her feet giving way, and the thump when she landed.

Stay still, she told herself to calm her rising panic, the rescue people are good at this, they will get here, stay still so you don't hurt yourself worse.

Considering what the doctors told her about her injuries, when she walked out of the rehab hospital a few months later, she was very glad she had taken her own advice.

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

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One of my favorite gates is an indoor gate that i see once a month at the Church Ladies Meeting.

Of course, the gentle giants are the main attraction.

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Today is:

Bonnie Blue Horse Show -- Virginia Horse Center, Lexington, VA, US (a major, A-rated, all-breed event of the American Horse Show Association; through Saturday)

Childhood Depression Awareness Day / National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day -- US (sometimes also called Green Ribbon Day, SAMHSA's"Caring for Every Child's Mental Health" public awareness event)

Clean up Your Room Day -- one of those holidays that no one knows how it got started, but it's a good idea, especially if your house is decorated by teens in "Recently Ransacked" style!

Constitution Day -- Federated States of Micronesia

Doodle 4NF Auction Days -- Neurofibromatosis Foundation's biggest fundraiser, from today until May 20, go to Ebay to bid on doodles drawn by celebrities

Golden Spike Day -- finishing the first US Trancontinental Railroad in 1869

Hafengeburtstag -- Hamburg, Germany (Hamburg Harbor Birthday celebration, through Sunday)

Mom's Nite Out -- lets give mom a nite to herself with her friends!

Mother's Day -- Belize; El Salvador; Guatemala; Mexico (always May 9 in these countries)

National Shrimp Day

St. Cathal's Day (Patron of blind people, drought relief, epileptics, paralyzed people; Taranto, Italy; against blindness, drought, epilepsy, hernias, paralysis, plagues, storms)

St. Father Damien of Moloka'i's Day (Patron of lepers, outcasts, those with HIV/AIDS; Hawaii)

St. Job the Patriarch's Day (Patron against depression and ulcers)

Trust Your Intuition Day -- practice, and you'll get better at it

World Lupus Day

Birthdays Today:

Kenan Thompson, 1978

Amanda Borden, 1977

Jason Brooks, 1966

Paul "Bono" Hewson, 1960

Phil and Steve Mahre, 1957

Donovan, 1946

Dave Mason, 1946

Marie-France Pisier, 1944

Judith Jamison, 1943

Gary Owens, 1936

Barbara Taylor Bradford, 1933

Pat Summerall, 1930

Ara Raoul Parseghian, 1923

Nancy Walker, 1922

T. Berry Brazelton, 1918

"Mother" Maybelle Carter, 1909

David O. Selznick, 1902

Fred Astaire, 1899

Max Steiner, 1888

Karl Barth, 1868

George Ross, 1730

Emperor Fushimi of Japan, 1265

Emperor Claudius, 213

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Twister(Film), 1996

"The Rest of the Story"(Radio), 1976

Piano Concerto No. 2 in F major(Shostakovich Op. 102), 1957

Today in History:

The Roman armies under Titus open a full scale assault on Jerusalem, 70

Vienna's church orders all Jews to wear a distinctive garb, 1267

Scottish nobles recognize authority of English king Edward I, 1291

Amerigo Vespucci allegedly leaves on a voyage to the New World, 1497

Christopher Columbus "discovers" the Cayman Islands, 1503

Jacques Cartier visits Newfoundland, 1534

Scottish Protestants under John Knox uprise against queen-mother Mary, 1559

England forcefully annexes Jamaice from Spain, 1655

Benjamin Franklin first tests the lightning rod, 1752

Louis XVI becomes King of France, 1774

The Barbary pirates of Tripoli declare war on the United States of America, 1801

New York City banks fail, and unemployment reaches record levels, 1837

In India, the first war of Independence begins, 1857

The First Transcontinental Railroad, linking the eastern and western United States, is completed at Promontory Summit, Utah (not Promontory Point, Utah) with the golden spike, 1869

Romania declares itself independent from Turkey, 1877

The Supreme Court of the United States rules in Nix v. Hedden that a tomato is a vegetable, not a fruit, under the Tariff Act of 1883, 1893

The first Mother's Day is observed, 1908

J. Edgar Hoover is appointed Director of the FBI, 1924

First successful launch of a V-2 rocket at White Sands Proving Ground, 1946

Bill Haley & His Comets release "Rock Around the Clock", the first rock and roll record to reach number one on the Billboard charts, 1954

The nuclear submarine USS Triton completes Operation Sandblast, the first underwater circumnavigation of the earth, 1960

The Federated States of Micronesia becomes self-governing, 1979

François Mitterrand becomes the first Socialist President of France in the French 5th republic, 1981

Nelson Mandela is inaugurated as South Africa's first black president, 1994

Deadliest day on the mountain: a rogue storm on Everest claims 8 lives, including experienced climbers, 1996

The Maeslantkering, a storm surge barrier in the Netherlands that is one of the world's largest moving structures, is opened by Queen Beatrix, 1997

Solicitor General Elena Kagan is the youngest Justice and third woman nominated for the Supreme Court of the United States, 2010

Microsoft announces plans to purchase Skype, 2011

The Red Cross suspends all humanitarian work in Pakistan after a worker was kidnapped and killed, 2012

The African National Congress wins the South African General Election, 2014

Unidentified remains of victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack are put to rest in a private depository next to the museum at the World Trade Center Memorial site where they will not be accessible or viewable to the public, 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.)

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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.

Dansig loves the kittens:

The girls think he's a big toy.

Special buddies.

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My fill-ins for the statements are underlined:

1. I spend ______________ hours per day online.

2. When I go online, I use my _________________.

3. Mother’s Day __________________.

4. I wish ______________________.

I spend too many hours per day online. After work, of course.

When i go online, i use my tablet or iPads, all of which i got free or cheap, and two of which are getting old.

Mother's Day will be celebrated at a restaurant with the usual suspects -- the whole family, minus Bryn and Dre, who will be with their mother of course.

I wish i could be the one helping others instead of the one who is always on the edge and who cannot do much.

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Today is:

Bath International Music Festival -- Bath, UK (with musicians from more than 30 countries, this is truly a premier festival; through the 27th)

Blow Bubbles for Your Cat Day -- internet generated entertainment urged for human and feline like

Blueberry Hill Open Dart Tournament -- St. Louis, MO, US (America's oldest and largest pub dart tournament; through Sunday)

Canadian Tulip Festival -- Ottawa, Canada (the largest tulip festival in the world; through the 21st)

Child Care Provider Appreciation Day -- US (on the Friday before Mother's Day, to recognize the important role of child care providers in society today)

Cormorant Fishing Festival -- Nagara River, Gifu, Japan (traditional fishing with trained cormorants is celebrated nightly under the light of blazing torches through mid-October)

Eat What You Want Day -- since none of the "experts" can totally agree on what's good and what isn't, today, ignore them all! sponsored by Wellcat Holidays

Fairy Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Royal Humans Founded -- Fairy Calendar

Fintastic Friday: Giving Sharks, Skates, and Rays a Voice -- Whale Times or Shark Research Institute (to raise awareness and encourage advocacy to protect elasmobranchs)

Holiday of the City of Miskolc -- Miskolc, Hungary

Hostess Cupcake Day -- the Hostess Cupcake, the first cmmercially produced cupcake, went on sale on this day in 1919

Josey's World Champion Junior 4-D Barrel Race -- Josey's Ranch, Marshall, TX, US (finest youth barrel racing in the world; through Sunday)

Lemuralia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (second day)

Lilac Festival -- Rochester, NY, US (a beautiful ten days of the biggest and best lilac festival anywhere)

Lokadagur -- Iceland (Final Day, festival to mark the end of the fishing season in the south-west of the country)

Military Spouse Appreciation Day -- US (Friday before Mother's Day)

National Mocha Torte Day

National Technology Day -- India

Nisga'a Day -- Nisga'a (one of the First Nations of Canada [ effective date of treaty])

One Day Without Shoes -- originally sponsored by Toms Shoes, to raise global awareness for children's health and education, which can be compromised when they do not have shoes

Root Canal Appreciation Day -- Dr. Chris Kammer, the 'rock and roll dentist', declared this day back in 2005 because he said the much maligned proceedure saves millions of teeth a year and needs an image make over

St. Gengulf's Day (Patron of knights, separated spouses, victims of adultery or unfaithfulness; against unhappy marriages)

St. Mamertus' Day (first of the Ice Saints, whose days are supposed to herald the last frost)

Tubeless Tire Day -- B. F. Goodrich Company announced the development of a tubeless tire on this day in 1947

Twilight Zone Day -- no, it didn't premier on this day, nor was Rod Serling born or died on this day; it's today on the internet for no particular reason except that someone decided to celebrate it today

Witching Day -- Isle of Man (Mayday Eve based on the OS calendar, be careful of the spirits today)

Anniversaries Today:

Sammy Davis, Jr., marries Altovise Gore, 1970

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is founded, 1927

Glacier National Park established, MT, US, 1910

Minnesota becomes the 32nd US state, 1858

Birthdays Today:

Corey Monteith, 1982

Jonathan Jackson, 1982

Natasha Richardson, 1963

Boyd Gaines, 1953

Robert Jarvik, 1946

Mort Sahl, 1927

Bernard Fox, 1927

Foster Brooks, 1912

Phil Silvers, 1911

Salvador Dali, 1904

Martha Graham, 1894

Irving Berlin, 1888

Charles Warren Fairbanks, 1852

Chang and Eng Bunker, 1811

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Once Upon a Mattress"(Musical), 1959

Today in History:

Constantinople becomes the capital of the Roman Empire and is also called Nova Roma and Byzantium, 330

Peter Stuyvesant arrives in New Amsterdam, 1647

Captain Robert Gray becomes the first documented European to sail into the Columbia River, 1792

The waltz is introduced into English ballrooms, and becomes popular in spite of being called "riotous and indecent," 1812

William Lawson, Gregory Blaxland and William Wentworth lead an expedition westwards from Sydney, opening the interior of Australia for settlement, 1813

Indian rebels seize Delhi from the British, 1857

Luxembourg gains its independence, 1867

U.S. Congress establishes Glacier National Park in Montana, 1910

Mercedes-Benz is formed by Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz merging their two companies, 1924

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is founded, 1927

Siam officially changes its name to Thailand for the second time, 1949

Israel joins the United Nations, 1949

In Baltimore, Maryland, the first heart-lung transplant takes place, 1987

In New York City, more than 170 countries decide to extend the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty indefinitely and without conditions, 1995

IBM Deep Blue, a chess-playing supercomputer, defeats Garry Kasparov in the last game of the rematch, becoming the first computer to beat a world-champion chess player in a classic match format, 1997

In Nepal, Sherpa Apa Sherpa achieves a new record by climbing Mount Everest for the 21st time, 2011

Picasso's The Women of Algiers (Version ‘O’) sells for a record setting US$179.3 million at Christies in New York, 2015

India's poulation officially reaches 1 billion - Astha Arora is named India's billionth person, 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 time to do a Saturday happy dance! Okay, so i do have two left feet. At least i can clap to the music and sway a little. Saturday is thankfulness day, and that’s worth a least a few minutes of a second line.

Second Line Dancing:

We have a happy dance/second line going for Mother’s Day, celebrating mothering and nurturing and just love in general!

Mother’s Day in itself is a reason to be thankful. It gives our family yet another excuse (as if we really need one) to get together and have fun.

The restaurant where we made reservations for Mother’s Day messed it up twice, so i am grateful Sweetie called and made certain and finally got a confirmation number.

Grandma loves one perfume and one only, and i managed to get her a bottle.

My children and daughter-in-law make me happy.

Mothering kittens makes me happy, especially when they grow up as fat and sassy and healthy as these three.

We love our tunnel tube!

The cats that live here full time are wonderful and all but one of them i bottle raised or we got as small kittens.

The grand-dogs. Everyone should have grand-dogs to spoil and then send home!

Coda, the faithful guard dog.

The one we call T-Bone, with a former foster kitten.

Pepe hiding, embarassed by his sweater.

Memories of the little hand-made gifts i used to get for Mother’s Day warm my heart.

Being able to continue to be part of the lives of children through the church nursery and rEcess is a special blessing.

It is so special that Red-headed Alec considers me his foster mother and has named me an honorary grandmother to Baby Lee, i am very thankful to have them in my life (even if i work and he works and i don’t get to see them as much as i would like).

He’s a cutie!

Most of all, i am grateful to and for Grandma, my children’s grandmother and my mother.

Happy Mother’s Day to everyone who is a mother, nurturer or caregiver, whether your children are people or pets. Let’s all join in on being thankful for the love that binds us together.

Josie Two-Shoes is the wonderful hostess of the Ten Things of Thankful. The more who join in, the more happiness as we rejoice with each other in thankful things. Make a list — it does not have to be ten, no one is picky — and come celebrate!

An InLinkz Link-up

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Today is:

Albany Tulip Festival -- Albany, NY, US (celebrate spring and Albany's Dutch heritage; through tomorrow)

Armed Forces/Amateur Radio Crossband Test Day -- US (today and tomorrow, ham operators and the US military team up to test ham operators ability and expertise in contacting appropriate military radio stations in an emergency)

Birth Mother's Day -- the day before Mother's Day, for all the women who have made an adoption plan for their babies

Cornelia de Lange Syndrome Awareness Day -- shedding light on this rare genetic condition

Day of Purification of All Things -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Fairy Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Royal Humans Disbanded -- Fairy Calendar (and don't ask how we blew it)

Fibromyalgia Awareness Day

Hug Your Cat Day -- another date given on many sites, and here's some advice about how to do it safely

International CFS/ME Awareness Day -- bringing awareness about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

International Nurses Day -- birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale

Jamestown Day -- Jamestown, Williamsburg, VA, US (special demonstrations and programs for the anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, America's first permanent English colony)

Letter Carriers "Stamp Out Hunger" Food Drive -- US (place non-perishable food items by your mail box, and help stamp out hunger in your area)

Limerick Day -- birth anniversary of Edward Lear

Martin Z. Mollusk Day -- Ocean City, NJ (if the hermit crab sees his shadow, summer comes a week early)

National Babysitter's Day -- US, giving recognition to the babysitters who make your date nights possible

National Bake Sale Day -- US (recognizing the tradition of raising money and expanding waistlines through the old fashioned bake sale)

National Miniature Golf Day -- this one should be in every country, mini golf is too much fun to hog!

National Nutty Fudge Day

National Train Day -- US (it used to be a day to explore why trains matter, with events sponsored by Amtrak, but budget cuts mean you have to celebrate this one on your own now)

Odometer Day -- actually first called a "roadometer", it measured wagon wheel revolutions, as 360 of them made a mile, and was invented and first used this day by William Clayton, Orson Pratt, and Appleton Milo Harmon, Mormon pioneers traveling to Utah in 1847

O. Henry Pun-Off World Championships -- Austin, TX, US (presented by The P.U.N.Y. [Punsters United Nearly Yearly]

Olde May Day (Julian Calendar)

Pilgrimage to Fatima -- Fatima, Portugal (procession, mass, and etc. to commemorate the first appearance of the Virgin of the Rosary to the three shepherd children on this day in 1917)

Rotuma Day -- Rotuma, Fiji

Saint Andrew, the First Called Day -- Georgia

Snellman Day/Day of Finnish Identity -- Finland

Stay Up All Night Night -- as declared by George Mahood of Northampton, England, everyone needs to relive the excitement of staying up late like you always wanted to as a kid at least once a year

St. Diomma of Kildimo's Day (Patron of Kildimo, County Limerick, Ireland)

St. Francis Patrizi's Day (Patron of reconciliations)

St. Pancras' Day (2nd Ice Saint; Patron of children, oaths, treaties; Albano, Italy; Iserlohn, Germany; Pontevico, Italy; Sestino, Italy; against cramps, false witness, headaches, and perjury)

Sun Awareness Day -- like Melanoma Monday, a few days back, a day to remember the damage the sun can do to skin and stock up on sunscreen, if you haven't already

Windmill Day -- Netherlands (on the second Saturday of May each year, more than 600 windmills, including many that are now national monuments, are open to the public)

World Belly Dance`Day -- to celebrate the wonderful art of belly dance

World Fair Trade Day -- sponsored by the World Fair Trade Organization; this year's theme is "Live Fair, one product at a time."

World Migratory Bird Day -- original date second Saturday in May, but the WMBD organization encourages you to celebrate when birds are migrating in your area; this year's theme is "Unifying our Voices for Bird Conservation"; one celebration that is on this date:

International Migratory Bird Celebration -- Chincoteague, VA, US (walks, talks, tours, art, and children's activities, all outdoors with the birds)

Yom Yerushalayim -- Israel (Jerusalem Day; began sunset yesterday, ends sunset today)

Anniversaries Today:

Mick Jagger marries Bianca De Macias, 1971

Eddie Fisher marries Elizabeth Taylor, 1959

Coronation of George VI of England, 1937

Maria Theresa of Austria is crowned Queen of Bohemia, 1743

National University of San Marcos is founded in Lima, Peru (oldest in the Americas), 1551

Jagiellonian University is fouded in Krakow, Poland (oldest in Poland), 1364

Richard I (Lionheart) of England marries Berengaria of Navarre, 1191

Birthdays Today:

Emily VanCamp, 1986

Cheryl Burke, 1984

Jason Biggs, 1978

MacKenzie Astin, 1973

Christian Campbell, 1972

Jamie Luner, 1971

Kim Fields, 1969

Tony Hawk, 1968

Stephen Baldwin, 1966

Emilio Estevez, 1962

Ving Rhames, 1961

Kim Greist, 1958

Bruce Boxleitner, 1951

Gabriel Byrne, 1950

Lindsay Crouse, 1948

Steve Winwood, 1948

Millie Perkins, 1938

George Carlin, 1937

Tom Snyder, 1936

Frank Stella, 1936

Burt Bacharach, 1929

Yogi Berra, 1925

Mary Kay Ash, 1918

Katharine Hepburn, 1907

Florence Nightingale, 1820

Edward Lear, 1812

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Lena Horne: The Lady And Her Music"(Musical revue), 1981

"Mary Had a Little Lamb"(Paul McCartney & Wings single release), 1972

"The Poisoned Kiss, or The Empress and the Necromancer"(Opera), 1936

The Symphony No. 1 in F minor(Shostakovich Op. 10), 1926

"L'elisir d'amore / The Elixir of Love"(Opera), 1832

Today in History:

English Barons serve an ultimatum on King John which eventually leads to the Magna Carta, 1215

Antipope Nicholas V, a claimant to the papacy, is consecrated in Rome, 1328

Rao Jodha, a Rajput chief of to the Rathore clan, founds Jodhpur, India, 1459

Philip Lenzi places the first ice cream advertisement, in the NY Gazette, 1777

Society of St Tammany is formed by Revolutionary War soldiers; it later becomes an infamous group of NYC political bosses, 1789

The Manitoba Act is given the Royal Assent, paving the way for Manitoba to become a province of Canada on July 15, 1870

US District Court Judge J. Dundy rules, in Standing Bear vs. George Crook, that Native Americans are persons within the meaning of the laws of the United States, 1879

Tunisia becomes a French protectorate, 1881

In the North-West Rebellion, the four-day Battle of Batoche, pitting rebel Métis against the Canadian government, comes to an end with a decisive rebel defeat, 1885

Ten weeks after his abduction, the infant son of Charles Lindbergh is found dead in Hopewell, New Jersey, 1932

Konrad Zuse presents the Z3, the world's first working programmable, fully automatic computer, in Berlin, 1941

A formal North American Aerospace Defense Command agreement is signed between the United States and Canada, 1958

West Germany and Israel establish diplomatic relations, 1965

The U.S. merchant ship Mayaguez seized by Cambodian forces in international waters, 1975

South Africa prisoner Nelson Mandela sees his wife for 1st time in 22 years, 1984

Amy Eilberg is ordained in New York as 1st woman Conservative rabbi, 1985

Fred Markham of the US becomes the first person to pedal a bike at 65mph unaided by wind, 1986

Ingrid Baeyens becomes the first Belgian woman to ascend Mount Everest, 1992

Russia and chechnya sign a peace agreement after 400 years of conflict, 1997

The Texas, US, legislature is brought to a standstill when 59 Democratic lawmakers go into hiding in a dispute with Republicans over redistricting, 2003

An 8.0 earthquake in southwest China kills more than 69,000 people, 2008

Queen Elizabeth II becomes the second-longest-reigning monarch in British history, 2011

Pope Francis canonizes a record 813 saints, the Martyrs of Otranto who were beheaded by Ottoman soldiers for refusing to convert to Islam, 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 a Silly Sunday blog hop, do not expect me to quit telling Cajun jokes.

Yesterday i spent my morning with Mr. BA in his garden. We were transplanting irises and ferns and sifting soil to get the weeds out. While i am learning a good bit about plants, my theory on gardening is still that the best thing to do is dig up everything and whatever grows back, you know that is a weed.

Clothile done decide dat her an’ Boudreaux’s son, Tee, done be four years, so he be old ‘nuff to come work in de garden wit’ her. So she take de boy out dere an’ show him where to dig up de sweet potato for de supper.

Well Tee, he be diggin’ an’ dey get some sweet potato, an’ den dey dig up some carrot, an’ Tee be hot an’ tired, so he say, “Mère, I gots to done ax you sumpin.”

An’ Clothile say, “Go ‘head, ax.”

An’ Tee, wipin' de sweat off his li'l head, say, “Mère, since you done want dese t’ings fo’ de dinner, what for you done bury dem in de ground?”

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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.

A few outdoor pictures:

Plants that like shade.

It was a beautiful, hot day for working outdoors.

Whatever they are, they are fuzzy.

And some kitten frolics:

Playtime!

Big Sister

Little Sister

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A very happy and blessed Mother’s Day to all of the mothers and nurturers out there!

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Today is:

Arlington National Cemetary Day -- US (the first serviceman to be interred here was Private William Henry Christman, on this date in 1964

Bun Bung Fai (Rocket Festival) -- Yasothon, Thailand (through the 14th, teams compete to build the highest flier, with no regard for safety!)

Celtic Tree Month Huath (hawthorn) commences

Fairy King and Queen Jumping Competition -- Fairy Calendar

Frog Jumping Day -- original date for celebrating Twain's short story

Garland Day -- Abbotsbury, Dorset, England

Infant Mortality Awareness Day -- as we celebrate mothers today, let's remember those who have lost children

King Norodom Sihamoni's Birthday -- Cambodia

Lemuralia -- Ancient Roman Empire (third day)

Leprechaun Day -- spread around the internet, presumably by the little people themselves, as since St. Patrick gets a day, so should they!

Mother Ocean Day -- celebrate the wonders of the ocean, wherever you happen to be; day originally proposed by the South Florida Kayak Fishing Club

Mother's Day -- Anguilla; Antigua and Barbuda; Aruba; Australia; Austria; Bahamas; Bangladesh; Barbados; Belgium; Bermuda; Bonaire; Botswana; Brazil; Brunei; Canada; Cambodia; Chile; China(People's Republic of China); Colombia; Croatia; Cuba; Curaçao; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Dominica; Ecuador; Estonia; Ethiopia; Fiji; Finland; Germany; Ghana; Gold Coast; Greece; Grenada; Guyana; Honduras; Hong Kong; Iceland; India; Italy; Jamaica; Japan; Kurdistan; Latvia; Liberia; Liechtenstein; Macao; Malaysia; Malta; Myanmar; Netherlands; New Zealand; Pakistan; Papua New Guinea; Peru; Philippines; Puerto Rico; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Samoa; Singapore; Sint Maarten; Slovakia; South Africa; Sri Lanka; Suriname; Switzerland; Taiwan; Tanganyika; Tonga; Trinidad and Tobago; Turkey; Uganda; Ukraine; United States; Uruguay; Vietnam; Venezuela; Zambia; Zimbabwe

National Apple Pie Day

National Fruit Cocktail Day

Punch's Birthday / Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppet Festival -- St. Paul's Cathedral, London, England (Punch, of Punch and Judy, celebrates his birthday on the Sunday closest to May 9 with a fair and by preaching at the cathedral to other puppets and their puppeteers, or "professors".)

Resistance and Liberation Day -- Lebanon

State Flag and State Emblem Day -- Belarus

St Julian of Norwich's Day (Author of what is believed to be the first book written by a woman in the English language, Sixteen Revelations of Divine Love, around 1393)

St. Servatus' Day (3rd Ice Saint, Patron for success; against foot problems, lameness, leg problems, mice, rats, rheumatism, vermin)

Yom Yerushalayim -- Israel (Jerusalem Day; began sunset yesterday, ends sunset today)

Birthday Today:

Debby Ryan, 1993

Robert Pattinson, 1986

Samantha Morton, 1977

Darius Rucker, 1968

Darius Rucker, 1966

Stephen Colbert, 1964

Julianne Phillips, 1962

Dennis Rodman, 1961

Frances Barber, 1957

Stevie Wonder, 1950

Bobby Valentine, 1950

Franklyn Ajaye, 1949

Tim Pigott-Smith, 1946

Mary Wells, 1943

Ritchie Valens, 1941

Harvey Keitel, 1939

Beatrice Arthur, 1923

Joe Louis, 1914

Arthur Sullivan, 1842

Maria Theresa, 1717

Debuting/Premiering Today;

Let It Be(Film), 1970

"Paint It Black"(Single release), 1966

"The Pajama Game"(Musical), 1954

Schelomo: Rhapsodie Hébraïque for Violoncello and Orchestra (Bloch concerto), 1917

"Apollo et Hyacinthus"(opera, Mozart K 38), 1767

Today in History:

The forces of Mary, Queen of Scots, are defeated by a confederacy of Scottish Protestants under James Stewart, Earl of Moray, her half-brother, 1568

A major earthquake in Santiago, Chile, kills 1/3 of the population, 1643

Captain Arthur Phillip leaves Portsmouth, England with eleven ships full of convicts (First Fleet) to establish a penal colony in Australia, 1787

Ecuador gains its independence from Gran Colombia, 1830

The first performance of Finland's national anthem, 1848

Queen Victoria declares Britain neutral in the US Civil War, 1861

The Great Comet of 1861 is discovered by John Tebbutt of Windsor, New South Wales, Australia, 1861

Thomas Edison performs the first test of his electric railway, 1880

The Royal Flying Corps (now the Royal Air Force) is established in the United Kingdom, 1912

Igor Sikorsky becomes the first man to pilot a four-engine aircraft, 1913

The first commercial FM radio station in the United States (WDRC-FM) is launched in Bloomfield, Connecticut, 1939

Winston Churchill makes his "blood, toil, tears, and sweat" speech to the House of Commons, 1940

The trade mark Velcro is registered, 1958

The Free Speech Movement is born at UC Berkeley, 1960

Dr. Zakir Hussain becomes the third President of India and the first Muslim President of Indian Union, 1967

Large groups of students occupy Tiananmen Square and begin a hunger strike, 1989

Johnny Carson makes his last television appearance on Late Show with David Letterman, 1994

A 33 years old British mother Alison Hargreaves, became the first woman to conquer Everest without oxygen or the help of sherpas, 1995

Star Trek: Enterprise broadcasts its final show in the U.S., 2005

Construction of the Calafat-Vidin Bridge between Romania and Bulgaria begins, 2007

In Belize, a construction company requiring road fill gravel destroys a 2,300 year-old Mayan pyramid, 2013

A shipwreck discovered off the coast of Haiti ten years previously is tentatively identified as the Santa Maria, one of the three ships led by Christopher Columbus, 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.)

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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!

The kittens didn’t know what to make of my keys, but at least the keys have a tail to play with:

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Annie of McGuffy's Reader is taking a blog break. This leaves me at loose ends, as there is no more Sparks! on Monday (unless she has handed hosting duties off to someone else and i've missed it -- if so, please tell me).

Since i had something prepared anyway, here’s a post-Mother’s Day happy thought:

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Today is:

Accounting Day -- promoting the profession of accounting and finance

Aso ote Tala Lei -- Tuvalu (Gospel Day)

Carabao Festival -- Pulilan, Philippines (to honor their patron, St. Isidro [St. Isadore the Farmer], hundreds of carabaos [water buffalo] are dressed up and paraded, and eventually blessed in front of the church; through tomorrow)

Dance Like a Chicken Day -- no idea why today, but i'm waiting for wedding season

Drunk Driving Memorial Day -- not sponsored by MADD, or anyone else i can find, but let's all work and pray for the day drunk driving by anyone is just a bad memory

French Fairy Awareness Day -- Fairy Calendar

Gesta de Independencia -- Paraguay

Izumo-taisha Shrine Grand Festival -- Izumo-taisha, Japan (through tomorrow)

Marshmallow Fluff Day -- Mr. Durkee and Mr. Mower announced, on this day in 1920, that they were in business producing this sweet confection

Mars Invictus Festival -- Ancient Roman Calendar

Midnight Sun at North Cape -- Norway (the sun will not set until July 30)

National Buttermilk Biscuit Day

National Unification Day -- Liberia

President Kamuzu Banda's Birthday -- Malawi

Runic Half-Month Ing (expansive energy) commences

"Stars and Stripes Forever" Day -- first public performance of the composition was this day in 1897

St. Bonifatius' Day (4th Ice Saint)

St. Matthias the Apostle's Day (Patron of carpenters, reformed alcoholics, tailors; Gary, Indiana; Great Falls-Billings, Montana; against alcoholism and smallpox)

Underground America Day -- Malcolm Wells wants us to imagine what our landscapes would look like if more of our buildings were under ground

Women's Check-up Day 2018 -- US (always the Monday after Mother's Day, encouraging women to be proactive about their health

Anniversaries Today:

Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark marries Mary Donaldson, 2004

Carlsbad Caverns National Park established, NM, US, 1930

Birthdays Today:

Miranda Cosgrove, 1993

Amber Tamblyn, 1983

Dan Auerbach, 1979

Martine McCutdcheon, 1976

Cate Blanchett, 1969

Danny Wood, 1969

Jose Da Silveira, 1965

Suzy Kolber, 1964

Tim Roth, 1961

Valerie Still, 1961

Ronan Tynan, 1960

David Byrne, 1952

Robert Zemechis, 1951

Meg Foster, 1948

George Lucas, 1944

Jack Bruce, 1943

Atanasio "Tony" Perez, 1942

Bobby Darin, 1936

Laszlo Kovacs, 1933

Patrice Munsel, 1925

Otto Klemperer, 1885

Robert Owen, 1771

Thomas Gainsborough, 1727

Gabrile Daniel Fahrenheit, 1686

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The Kids Are Alright"(Documentary), 1979

“It’s Time for Ernie"(Ernie Kovacs' TV premier), 1951

"When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd: A Requiem for those we love"(Hindemith composition), 1946

"Die Hebriden/The Hebrides"(Mendelssohn Op. 26), 1832

Today in History:

Jamestown, Virginia is settled as an English colony, 1607

Edward Jenner administers the first smallpox vaccination, 1796

The Lewis and Clark expedition sets out, 1804

Paraguay gains independence from Spain, 1811

The first edition of the London Illustrated Times is published, 1842

Gail Borden patents her process for condensed milk, 1853

Vaseline, the first petroleum jelly, is marketed, 1878

Lina Medina becomes the world's youngest confirmed mother in medical history at the age of five, 1939

Israel is declared to be an independent state and a provisional government is established; immediately after the declaration, Israel is attacked by the neighboring Arab states, triggering the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, 1948

Kuwait joins the United Nations, 1963

Skylab, the United States' first space station, is launched, 1973

The Institute for War documents publishes Anne Franks complete diary, 1986

The last episode of Seinfeld airs, with commercials going for $2M per 30 seconds, 1998

Scientists at Stanford University announce the invention of a working bionic eye that is powered only by focused light; the eye could eventually restore the sight of millions of people suffering from macular degeneration and retinal pigmentosa, 2012

Japan's cabinet approves a set of bills bolstering the role and scope of the military, as the pacifist country redefines its position in the increasingly roiled Asia-Pacific region, 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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Tuesday means it's time to get Random and link up with Stacy's Random Thoughts at Stacy Uncorked.

Dr. D was in the mood to clear some things out yesterday and she let me tackle the refrigerator. Whereas before it was so packed i could barely find room to put in one more item, now it is just mostly full, and everything in it has (mostly) not expired yet.

She went out of town to spend time with her son and daughter-in-law for Mother's Day, and she noted that it often leaves her feeling tired now when she gets home from a trip. She said she wanted an energy drink, and i told her she'd have more energy if she ate fresh food (as i threw away a solid-as-a-brick, very old breakfast sandwich from a fast food place that shall not be named) instead. She laughed and said that was true, then ate toast from day old bread with jam and drank leftover coffee from the day before -- coffee with cream and sugar no less.

She is a hoot, and will never change.

Ms. JAI was not feeling well at all. One of her grandchildren had a graduation from college party this past Saturday, and she overdid it with the celebrating.

The Jalopy is still awaiting repair, so yesterday got very complicated. Sweetie dropped me at Dr. D's, she took me to Ms. JAI's, he picked me up from there and took me to help Carl, and Carl's dad took me home.

Sweetie got his errands run, our state taxes in the mail (state is a month after federal, thank goodness), and his ear doctor appointment in. His ears are in good shape, he goes back in two months as usual.

Today i get Lunceford the Land Yacht mostly to myself. That is a must if i am to get to the laundromat. Tomorrow we may be playing musical cars again or perhaps even tug-of-war, who knows.

The kittens, meanwhile, are a constant source of hilarity when they are not sleeping.

One asleep in the play tunnel, two on the rug.

It is a bit frustrating that the only time i can photograph them properly is when they are sleeping. Any other time and most of the shots are blurry, if not total misses. That never stops me from trying.

May you all have a wonderful Tuesday!

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Today is:

Aoi Matsuri -- Kyoto, Japan (Hollyhock Festival, a pageant reproducing ancient imperial processions)

Cold Sophie's Day (5th Ice Saint; according to Nordic legend, this day may be very cold, but there will be no more frosts after this)

Flip Your Mattress Day -- because it's a good thing to do

Hyperemisis Gravidarum Awareness Day -- bringing attention to morning sickness that becomes life-threatening

Ides of May -- Ancient Roman Calendar; related observances

Feast of Maia and Vesta

Mercuralia -- festival for Mercury

Sacrifice day to the Tiber River

Independence Day -- Paraguay(1811)

International Conscientious Objectors' Day

International Day of Families -- UN

International MPS Awareness Day -- click here for details about these inherited diseases

Kan Phuetchamongkhon -- Thailand (Royal Plowing and Farmers Day)

La Corsa del Ceri -- Gubbio, Italy (festival on the eve of the saint day of the city's patron, St. Ubaldo)

Mother's Day -- Paraguay

National Chocolate Chip Day

National Safety Dose Day -- cannot confirm they sponsor a day any more, but the Safety Dose people still want us to remember that more is not necessarily better when it comes to taking medicines, and to dose them correctly for children

Nylon Stockings Day -- they went on sale at stores around the US this date in 1940

Over the Rainbow Day -- birth anniversary of Lyman Frank Baum

Police Officer/Peace Officer Memorial Day -- US (National Association of Chiefs of Police sponsor the main memorial event at the American Police Hall of Fame and Museum in Titusville, FL, but there may be services where you are also)

Ramadan begins -- Islam (at sunset, through the evening of June 14)

Relive Your Past By Listening to the First Music You Ever Bought No Matter What It Was No Excuses Day -- no, i can't find out who started this, or why; maybe we should all take a pass at this one

Sea Monkey Day -- because somebody really loves theirs, and wants you to love them, too

St. Dymphna's Day (Patron of epileptics, family happiness, incest victims, martyrs, mental asylums/hospitals, mental health caregivers and professionals/psychiatrists/therapists, mentally ill people, nervous disorders, neurological disorders, possessed people, princesses, rape victims, runaways, sleepwalkers, those who have lost parents; against sleepwalking, epilepsy, insanity, mental disorders, mental illness)

St. Hallvard's Day (Patron of Oslo; protector of innocence and virtue)

St. Isidore of Madrid's Day (a/k/a Isidore the Farmer; Patron of agricultural workers/farm workers/farmers/field hands/husbandmen/ranchers, day laborers, livestock, rural communities; Angono, Philippines; Asturias, Cebu, Philippines; Bukidnon, Mindanao, Philippines; Carampa, Peru; Castalla, Spain; Cuz Cuz, Chile; Digos, Philippines; Estepona, Spain; La Celba, Honduras; Leon, Spain; Lima, Peru; Lucban, Philippines; Madrid, Spain; Malaybalay, Philippines, diocese of; Morong, Philippines; Nabas, Philippines; Orotava, Spain; Pulilan, Philippines; Pulupandan, Philippines; Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico; San Isidro, Argentina; Saragossa, Spain; Sariaya, Philippines; Seville, Spain; Tavalera, Philippines; Tayabas, Philippines; United States National Rural Life Conference; against the death of children)

Carabao Festival -- San Isidro, Pulilan, and Angono, Philippines (second day and main festival; on St. Isidore of Madrid's Day; the farming communities celebrate their beasts of burden and have them blessed)

Municipal Holiday -- Madrid

San Isidro Day -- Mexico

St. Sophia of Rome's Day (considered by some to be among the Ice Saints, and invoked for protection against frost)

Straw Hat Day -- just as you don't wear white after Labor Day, you don't wear straw hats before today, the unofficial start of summer and the official start of straw hat season

Teacher's Day -- Mexico; South Korea

Tuberous Sclerosis Global Awareness Day

Anniversaries Today:

Mary, Queen of Scots, marries James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, 1567

Airmail service begins between NYC, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia, 1918

Birthdays Today:

Jamie-Lynn Sigler, 1981

David Krumholtz, 1978

David Charvet, 1972

Sam Trammell, 1971

Emmit Smith, 1969

Giselle Fernandez, 1961

Dan Patrick, 1956

Lee Horsley, 1955

George Brett, 1953

Chazz Palminteri, 1951

Brian Eno, 1948

David Cronenberg, 1943

Lainie Kazan, 1942

Madeleine Albright, 1937

Trini Lopez, 1937

Anna Maria Alberghetti, 1936

Jasper Johns, 1930

Richard Avedon, 1923

Eddy Arnold, 1918

Max Frisch, 1911

James Mason, 1909

Joseph Cotten, 1905

Abraham Zapruder, 1905

Katherine Anne Porter, 1890

Arthur Schnitzler, 1862

Ellen Louise Axson Wilson, 1860

Pierre Curie, 1859

L. Frank Baum, 1856

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Esclarmonde"(Opera), 1889

Today in History:

Anne Boleyn, Queen of England, is sentenced to death, 1536

Bartholomew Gosnold becomes the first European to see Cape Cod, 1602

Johannes Kepler confirms his discovery of the third law of planetary motion, 1618

James Puckle, a London lawyer, patents the world's first machine gun, 1718

The Seven Years' War begins when Great Britain declares war on France, 1756

Diego Marín Aguilera flies a glider for "about 360 meters", at a height of 5-6 meters, during one of the first attempted flights, 1793

George III survives two assassination attempts in one day, 1800

Opening of the first private mental health hospital in the United States, the Asylum for the Relief of Persons Deprived of the Use of Their Reason (now Friends Hospital) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1817

Francis Baily observes "Baily's beads" during an annular eclipse, 1836

Rama IV is crowned King of Thailand (The King and I), 1851

Opening of the present Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, 1858

Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton form the National Woman's Suffrage Association, 1869

Las Vegas, Nevada, is founded, 1905

The United States Supreme Court declares Standard Oil to be an "unreasonable" monopoly under the Sherman Antitrust Act and orders the company to be broken up, 1911

The Winnipeg General Strike begins; by 11:00 a.m., almost the whole working population of Winnipeg, Manitoba had walked off the job, 1919

In an attempted Coup d'état, the Prime Minister of Japan Inukai Tsuyoshi is killed, 1932

The Moscow Metro is opened to public, 1935

The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 3, 1958

Mercury-Atlas 9 astronaut L. Gordon Cooper becomes the first American to spend more than a day in space, 1963

President Richard Nixon appoints Anna Mae Hays and Elizabeth P. Hoisington the first female United States Army Generals, 1970

Portrait of Doctor Gachet by Vincent van Gogh is sold for a record $82.5 million, the most expensive painting at the time, 1990

Edith Cresson becomes France's first female prime minister, 1991

California becomes the second U.S. state after Massachusetts in 2004 to legalize same-sex marriage, 2008

Jessica Watson, age 17, becomes the youngest person to sail, non-stop and unassisted around the world solo, 2010

U.S. scientists develop a device that can generate electricity from genetically-engineered viruses; these piezoelectric materials are a step toward the development of personal power generators, 2012

Carl Icahn invests $100million in Lyft, a ride-sharing service, 2015

A to Z: Watch (Six Sentence Story) and White Pickets (Good Fences)

A to Z: X-tra Cute Kittens (Feline Friday) and X-tra Fun Fill-ins

A to Z: Yes, i am thankful. (Ten Things of Thankful)

Medical Mayhem (Cajun Joke) and Sunday Selections

A to Z: Zillions (Awww Monday) and Zeal (Sparks!)

Tuesday Means Random Fun!

Sadness is an Empty Chip Bag (Wordless Wednesday) and Words for Wednesday

Decision (Six Sentence Story) and Good Fences

Kittens! (Feline Friday)

Special Thanks (Ten Things of Thankful)

De Moral (Cajun Joke) and Garden Decor (Sunday Selections)

Beautiful Baby (Awww Monday) and Sparks!

Ups and Downs and All Arounds, a Random Tuesday Post

Frozen Assets (Wordless Wednesday AND Words for Wednesday)

Be Still (Six Sentence Story) and Gentle Giants (Good Fences)

Friends (Feline Friday) and Friendly Fill-ins

Oh, Mama! (Ten Things of Thankful)

Cajun Joke and Sunday Selections and Happy Mother’s Day!

It Has a Tail! (Awww Monday) and a Post Mother’s Day Thought

Musical Cars and Kitten Naps, a Random Tuesday Post