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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Tuesday means getting random with Stacy Uncorked.

Chicken and duck and quail sitting has presented a few challenges so far.

We had to move their base of operations, so to speak, to the side of the house that is shaded all day long. The back yard gets full sun for several hours a day and i know Daughter-in-Law Becky does not want to come home to roasted birds.

This means they are on concrete at night when they are in the pen, so we had to go buy a hose and nozzle to spray off the concrete each morning when i refill their baby pool that serves as the ducks’ pond.

Every day we are going out there several times a day to give fresh water and make sure they have feed. Also i’ve been cutting up grapes to give them. At first they were skeptical, now they fight over them!

Sweetie and i have had fun learning to get them back in the pen at night. The only way that seems to work is to gently drop a towel on them one at a time and quickly walk them to the pen, giving them no choice but to go in. They are generally not happy about it, but so far, none the worse for it.

Today is Pepe's annual visit to the vet. He doesn't know it yet, but he's due for his shots.

Dr. D was in a great mood yesterday, a mood to get things going. We got all of the bills prior to 2017 archived, so only the 2017 and 2018 bills are in the active files.

We've had no luck getting her second phone to work, though. Much calling of Google and Tracfone has resulted in us figuring out that she set the phone up with a gmail account, but it's not any of the three she currently has active. We have no clue how to go about finding a gmail account when you can't remember what you called it, so the phone may be history.

After a full day with her, i went and did 3 hours with Ms. JAI. It's not her week, but she is having company this weekend and she needed the help. Her bay window is sparkling (and the toilets are clean), so she is happy.

Sweetie and i are already talking about preparations for next week's vacation. The way my week has stacked up, i will be packing late Friday night and hitting the condo worn out on Saturday.

That's okay, there's a spot available where i like to sit back and examine the insides of my eyelids for cracks, and i intend to make copious use of it.

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Tuesday is fun day with Sandee of Comedy Plus.

Pepe, the mildly deformed Chihuahua, is missing his mama. He is also scared of the cats, since all of them are bigger than he is. He won’t eat unless i hold the bowl and make sure the mean kitties don’t steal his food!

Hold the food for me!

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Today is:

15th Khordad National Uprising -- Iran (1963)

Apple II Day -- the Apple II first went on sale today in 1977

note that some historians say it went on sale June 10, others say the first models were shipped out that day

Arbor Day -- New Zealand

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

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

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

Judgement Day -- Fairy Calendar (Nosegays)

Liberation Day -- Seychelles

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

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

National Gingerbread Day

National Moonshine Day -- with its own sponsor

Nones of June -- Ancient Roman Calendar; related observance

Festival of Semo Sancus -- god of loyalty, honesty and oaths (one of the oldest Roman cults, probably Etruscan or Oscan originally)

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

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

World Environment Day -- UN (this year's theme, "Connecting People to Nature")

Birthdays Today:

Chad Allen, 1974

Mark Wahlberg, 1971

Brian McKnight, 1969

Kenny G, 1956

Jill Biden, 1951

Suze Orman, 1951

Ken Follett, 1949

Spalding Gray, 1941

Margaret Drabble, 1939

Bill Moyers, 1934

Tony Richardson, 1928

Richard Mcclure Scarry, 1919

William "Hopalong Cassidy" Boyd, 1895

Panco Villa, 1878

Adam Smith, 1723 (O.S. Date)

Thomas Chippendale, 1718

Pu Songling, 1640

Today in History:

Traditional date for the sinking of Atlantis, 8498BC

Titus and his Roman legions breach the middle wall of Jerusalem in the Siege of Jerusalem, 70

Kraków, Poland receives city rights, 1257

The first Great Lakes steamer, the Frontenac, is launched, 1817

Houston, Texas is incorporated by the Republic of Texas, 1837

Denmark becomes a constitutional monarchy, 1849

Harriet Beecher Stowe's anti-slavery serial, Uncle Tom's Cabin or, Life Among the Lowly starts a ten-month run in the National Era abolitionist newspaper, 1851

Denmark amends its constitution to allow women's suffrage, 1915

Elvis Presley introduces his new single, "Hound Dog", on The Milton Berle Show, scandalizing the audience with his suggestive hip movements, 1956

The first government of the State of Singapore is sworn in, 1959

The Apple II, the first practical personal computer, goes on sale, 1977

Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi orders an attack on the Golden Temple, the holiest site of the Sikh religion, 1984

A severe heat wave across Pakistan and India reaches its peak, as temperatures exceed 50°C (122°F) in the region, 2003

The planet Venus makes its last transit of the 21st century beginning at 22:09 UTC June 5, and ending 4:49 UTC June 6, 2012

(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 Lee at Kitchen Connection.

This week’s “Words for Wednesday” are listed below:

Comedy

Shadows

Loss

Rainbow

Emotional

Heart

Contradictions

Sensitive

Legendary

Engage

Forever

Never-ending

They had been together long enough to know that life wasn’t all RAINBOWs and sunshine. That’s why, though it broke his HEART, he had to have the discussions with her now, while she still could. Now, while her LOSS wasn’t imminent, and she could still ENGAGE in a lucid discussion of anything.

For her part, she kept seeing the COMEDY in the situation. They’d always assumed she would outlive him, just like happens to most couples. This part of their lives had become what she called “a bundle of CONTRADICTIONS,” nothing going the way they’d thought. She the intellectual, facing the loss of her faculties, he the mechanic/handyman/jack of every trade you can imagine, having to learn how to do the bookkeeping and what he always called brain-work.

She didn’t allow the discussions they undertook to get too EMOTIONAL. Most people think of the wife as being more SENSITIVE, but that would be to assume these two were typical. Had she outlived him, she would have been saddened by the loss and yet have continued to make a life for herself. He was totally unnerved by the idea of being without her for any length of time, much less FOREVER.

“It’s not forever!” she reminded him sternly one day. His maudlin attitude that morning had brought out something he hadn’t seen in a while, her LEGENDARY mama bear side. In fact, since the kids had grown and gone, he’d never seen it. She called it up now, knowing he needed it.

“You know that it’s the next life that is NEVER-ENDING!” she scolded. “Here is just the SHADOWS of the life to come. You have grandchildren who need you to teach them to build a tree-house and work on a car. There are the widows at church who will still need your handyman skills. You can miss me all you want when the time comes, but you better promise me you are going to live and love and laugh and enjoy our family and friends and church just as much as you can while you still draw a breath!”

He had promised, and in years to come, keeping that promise is what gave him both the happiest and saddest and richest years of his life.

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Please note that i am still having trouble commenting on Wordpress blogs, even using my Wordpress account. Sometimes it won’t publish them at all, but please know, i’m still reading and trying to comment.

Curious as a Cathy, my computer is now saying your site certificate expired and that a copycat site may be trying to steal my personal information. Also, yours is one of the main ones i cannot comment on, not sure what’s up with all that, but i thought you might want to know.

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Today is:

Bonza Bottler Day™

Children's Day -- North Korea

Clean Air Day -- Canada

D-Day -- 74th Anniversary

Drive-In Movie Day*

Global Running Day

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

Hyun Choong Il -- South Korea (Memorial Day)

Judgement Day -- Fairy Calendar (Petal Hats)

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

National Applesauce Cake Day

Nationaldagen -- Sweden (National Day)

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

National Huntington's Disease Awareness Day -- US

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

Russian Language Day -- UN

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

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

Teachers' Day -- Bolivia

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

Turtle Races -- Nisswa, MN, US (Wednesdays through August 22nd, go race a turtle, it's only $5 to adopt a turtle for the race and get a participation racing button!)

Birthdays Today:

Staci Keanan, 1975

Max Casella, 1967

Paul Giamatti, 1967

Ena, 1966

Amanda Pays, 1959

Bjorn Borg, 1956

Kenny G, 1956

Sandra Bernhard, 1955

Harvey Fierstein, 1954

Harvey Fierstein, 1952

Robert Englund, 1947

Gary U.S. Bonds, 1939

Marian Wright Edelman, 1939

Billy Whitelaw, 1932

Thomas Mann, 1875

Robert Falcon Scott, 1868

Alexander Pushkin, 1799

Nathan Hale, 1755

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"20/20"(TV), 1978

"Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust"(Album release), 1972

"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"(Song release), 1965

Today in History:

Twenty-four wagonloads of Talmudic books are burned in Paris, 1242

The Qing Dynasty Manchu forces led by the Shunzhi Emperor capture Beijing during the collapse of the Ming Dynasty; the Manchus would rule China until 1912 when the Republic of China is established, 1644

The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England, opens as the world's first university museum, 1683

A devastating fire destroys one-third of Moscow, including 18,000 homes, 1752

Napoleon's brother, Joseph Bonaparte is crowned King of Spain, 1808

The Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) is founded in London, 1844

More than 100,000 inhabitants of Bombay are killed as a cyclone in the Arabian Sea pushes huge waves into the harbour, 1882

The eruption of Novarupta in Alaska begins, the second largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century, 1912

The Chrysler Corporation is founded by Walter Percy Chrysler, 1925

*The first drive-in theater opens, in Camden, New Jersey, United States, 1933

A new Instrument of Government is promulgated making Sweden a parliamentary monarchy, 1974

Mongolia holds its first direct presidential elections, 1993

A near-Earth asteroid estimated at 10 meters diameter explodes over the Mediterranean Sea between Greece and Libya with an estimated force slightly greater than the Nagasaki nuclear bomb, 2002

Tamil is established as a Classical Language in India, 2004

In east London, archeologists find remains of the Curtain Theatre, which opened in 1577 and was where some of Shakespeare's plays were performed, 2012

A solar plane, called The Solar Impulse, lands in Morocco after completing the world's first intercontinental flight powered by the Sun, 2012

(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 is not so easy to shed the chains that can bind us, whether it be bad habits or bad company or worse.

If we don’t shed them, though, it can break hearts.

#1 Son lost a friend this week, a friend who had been clean and sober from drugs for a couple of years, who had even become a mentor at a sober living house.

The young man fell off the wagon, and it cost him his life.

His younger brother died of a drug overdose about 7 months ago; they were the only two children in that family.

If you have such a chain, please shed it, before it is too late.

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

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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.

Some fences look welcoming, but some, like this, look like they mean to say "Keep Out!"

The house's back is to the street, and the gate says stay away.

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Today is:

Birthday of Prince Joachim -- Denmark

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

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

Flag Day -- Peru

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

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

Judgement Day -- Fairy Calendar (Leaping songs)

National Chocolate Ice Cream Day

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

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

Show-Me State Games -- Colombia, MO, US (Olympic-style sports festival for all ages and skill levels, to encourage people to develop their physical and competitive abilites to the height of their potential through participation in fitness activities; through Sunday, and again July 20-20 and 27-29)

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

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

Union Dissolution Day -- Norway

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

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

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

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

Anniversaries Today:

Jimmy Osmond marries Michele Larson, 1991

YMCA is founded by George Williams, 1844

Birthdays Today:

Michael Cera, 1988

Anna Kournikova, 1981

Larisa Oleynik, 1981

Bill Hader, 1978

Allen Iverson, 1975

Bear Grulls, 1974

Karl Urban, 1972

Roberto Alagna, 1963

Prince, 1958

Louise Erdrich, 1954

Liam Neeson, 1952

Orham Pamuk, 1952

Jenny Jones, 1946

Bill Kreutzmann, Jr, 1946

Tom Jones, 1940

John Napier Turner, 1929

Gwendolyn Brooks, 1917

Dean Martin, 1917

Jessica Tandy, 1909

Virginia Apgar, 1909

James Braddock, 1906

Paul Gauguin, 1848

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Ghostbusters(Film), 1984

"Johnny Cash Show"(TV), 1969

"The $64,000 Question"(TV), 1955

"The Seven Deadly Sins"(satirical ballet chanté), 1933

Today in History:

The first Crusaders begin their Siege of Jerusalem, 1099

Port Royal, Jamaica, is devastated by an earthquake, 1692

David Thompson reaches the mouth of the Saskatchewan River in Manitoba, 1800

Asian cholera reaches Quebec, brought by Irish immigrants, and kills about 6,000 people in Lower Canada, 1832

1,800 Fenian raiders are repelled back to the United States after they loot and plunder around Saint-Armand and Frelighsburg, Quebec, 1866

Tolbert Lanston receives patents for monotype typesetting machines, 1887

Norway's parliament dissolves its union with Sweden, 1905

Sony introduces the Betamax videocassette recorder for sale to the public, 1975

Priscilla Presley opens Graceland to the public, 1982

Mt. Pinatubo erupts, sending an ash cloud 7km/14.3mi high, 1992

The United Nations defines the Blue Line as the border between Israel and Lebanon, 2000

According to a new study, breast milk boosts brain development by 30% compared to babies who are fed formula, 2013

(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 says it's the time of year to take naps to stay cool.

Of course, he also says it's time to take naps in winter to stay warm. He likes naps.

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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 the new cohost of the Fill-Ins, Lorianne The Menagerie Mom of Four-Legged Furballs. 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!

Here are this week's statements with my responses underlined:

1. My favorite subject in school was _________.

2. An extracurricular activity I participated in was _________.

3. I want to learn _________.

4. It takes courage to _________.

1. My favorite subject in school was English literature, with history and science close behind. Math was fine once i figured out how and got away from mean elementary teachers.

2, An extracurricular activity i participated in was service through several organizations.

3. I want to learn Spanish — i’ve been at it for years, i seem to have a mental block and can’t quite get past the basics. It doesn’t help that most native speakers are so fast i cannot distinguish the words.

4. It takes courage to confront someone who has done something wrong to you, especially if it’s a person who doesn’t ever want to see him/her self as doing anything wrong.

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Today is:

Bachfest Leipzig -- Leipzig, Germany (celebrating the great composer in the city where he composed some of his best-known works; through the 17th)

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

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

Best Friends Day -- as declared by the ecard people

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

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

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

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

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

Jumat-ul Wida -- JK, UK, & UP, India

Lilac Festival -- Mackinac Island, MN, US (largest summer event on the Island; through the 17th)

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

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

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

National Day of Prayer for Law Enforcement Officers -- on the second Friday of June, begun by National Alliance for Law Enforcement Support (formerly Wives Behind the Badge)

National Jelly-Filled Doughnut Day

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

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

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

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

Sacred Heart of Jesus -- Catholic Christian

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

St. Medard's Day (Patron of brewers, captives, imprisoned people, mentally ill people, peasants, prisoners, vineyards; for good harvests, good weather, and rain; against bad weather, imprisonment, sterility, and toothache) related event:

Festival of the Rose -- Salency, France (on St. Medard's Day, and supposedly begun by that saint before the year 545)

Tecumseh! the Epic Outdoor Drama -- Chillicothe, OH, US (Mon-Sat, until Sept. 2; spectacular reenactment of the life and death of the great Shawnee leader)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wear It. Beat It -- UK (formerly Rock Up in Red Day, raising awareness of heart health and educating people about heart disease)

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

World Brain Tumor Day -- International

World Oceans Day

Anniversary Today:

Christopher O'Neill marries Princess Madeleine of Sweden, 2013

Birthdays Today:

Kim Clijsters, 1983

Kayne West, 1977

Julianna Margulies, 1966

Keenen Ivory Wayans, 1958

Scott Adams, 1957

Tim Berners-Lee, 1955

Griffin Dunne, 1955

Kathy Baker, 1950

Sara Paretsky, 1947

Boz Scaggs, 1944

Don Grady, 1944

Andrew Weil, MD, 1942

Nancy Sinatra, 1940

Bernie Casie, 1939

James Darren, 1936

Joan Rivers, 1933

Jerry Stiller, 1927

Barbara Bush, 1925

Robert Preston, 1918

Byron Raymond White, 1917

Francis Crick, 1916

Frank Lloyd Wright, 1867

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Trading Places(Film), 1983

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

Today in History:

Vikings raid the abbey at Lindisfarne in Northumbria, commonly accepted as the beginning of the Scandinavian invasion of England, 793

Richard the Lionheart's Crusade begins with his arrival at Acre, 1191

American attackers are driven back at Trois-Rivières, Quebec, 1776

The volcano Laki, in Iceland, begins an eight-month eruption which kills over 9,000 people and starts a seven-year famine, 1783

Mr. Hall of NYC advertises the first commercially made ice cream, 1786

Ives W McGaffey of Chicago patents the first vacuum cleaner, 1869

Herman Hollerith receives a patent for his punched card calculator, 1887

Theodore Roosevelt signs the Antiquities Act into law, authorizing the President to restrict the use of certain parcels of public land with historical or conservation value, 1906

Carl Laemmle incorporates Universal Pictures, 1912

Milton Berle hosts the debut of Texaco Star Theater, 1948

The United States Supreme Court rules that Washington, D.C. restaurants could not refuse to serve black patrons, 1953

The first World Ocean Day is celebrated, coinciding with the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1992

The first Transit of Venus since 1882 takes place, 2004

Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, is hit by the State's worst storms and flooding in 30 years, 2007

Australia bans live cattle exports to Indonesia for up to six months in response to reports of cruel treatment at Indonesian slaughterhouse, 2011

World leaders at the latest G7 meeting reinforce their commitments to reduce carbon-based emissions, reaffirm support for sanctions against Russia in light of the Ukraine conflict, and discuss issues related to Greece's debt load, 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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Ah, Saturday! First day of vacation! How am i thankful, and for what? Let me list the ways.

We had a hugely busy two weeks behind us which included house-sitting, pet care, and anywhere from 8-12 hours of work most days, and i am thankful that this extra busy season is over for the moment.

Also, i am grateful i did not have but one small heart episode in all of it, and it ended very quickly.

Yesterday, i woke up with one of those sensitive-to-light-and-sound headaches, and i am thankful i was able to work anyway and now it is gone.

Having our seven cats plus a visiting dog, quail, two ducks, and four chickens was quite a handful. As much as i enjoyed our guests, i am thankful they do not live here permanently. (If i were retired it might be a different story.)

For Mr. Quail, i am very grateful to the helpful Petco person who showed me what kind of sand to get him for his dust baths. It's calcium sand, very bright yellow. Mr. Quail looks like a running neon sign now.

The chickens and ducks decided they love cut up grapes, and i am grateful i was able to give them a whole bunch that was about to go bad faster than i could eat it.

There's a beautiful rental car on this trip with us, and i am so thankful for that, as there is no way we can put our vehicles on the road for more than about an hour distance.

Little Girl has been left in charge of the homestead, and i am grateful she is able and willing (and responsible enough!) to make sure the cats get fed and the home fires, or should i say air conditioners, are tended.

Seven days of no one to take care of but us, not much on the agenda but what we want to do, oh, i am so thankful for that.

Best of all, i am thankful to Grandpa, who makes this opportunity available to us each year. If it were not for his generosity, i would be at work today instead of on the road.

Counting your blessings is good for your health and well-being. Why not join the lovely Josie Two Shoes, hostess of Ten Things of Thankful, with a list of your own. It doesn't have to be fancy, it doesn't even have to be ten. Just share your thankfulness with us, and we will be thankful along with you.

Happy Saturday, everyone!

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Today is:

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

Belmont Stakes -- Belmont, NY, US (150th Annual, the third jewel of the Triple Crown)

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

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

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

Community Day -- LO, MU, Spain

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

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

La Rioja Day -- La Rioja, Spain

Murcia Day -- Murcia, Spain

National Heroes Day -- Uganda

National Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day

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

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

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

Sjalvstyrelsedagen -- Aland Islands (Self-Governing Day)

Sovereign's Day/Queen's Birthday -- British Virgin Islands; Pitcairn Island; Tuvalu

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

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

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

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

World APS Day -- spreading awareness of Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome

World Wide Knit in Public Day -- better living through stitching together!

Anniversaries Today:

Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito marries Masako Owada, 1993

Nero marries Claudia Octavia, 53

Birthdays Today:

Natalie Portman, 1981

Johnny Depp, 1963

Michael J. Fox, 1961

Dick Vitale, 1940

Jackie Mason, 1928

Les Paul, 1915

Robert Cummings, 1910

Cole Porter, 1891

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Congo(Film), 1995

What's Love Got To Do With It(Film), 1993

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier(Film), 1989

Today in History:

Roman Emperor Nero commits suicide, 68

Odo of Aquitaine defeats the Moors in the Battle of Toulouse, 721

Jacques Cartier is the first European to discover the Saint Lawrence River, 1534

The Harvard Corporation is established as the first corporation in the Americas, 1650

James Oglethorpe is granted a royal charter for the colony of Georgia, 1732

The Congress of Vienna, forerunner of the League of Nations and the UN, ends with much of Europe's borders redrawn and settled, Switzerland's neutrality confirmed, and free navigation guaranteed on many rivers, 1815

Five hundred Mormons leave Iowa City, Iowa and head west for Salt Lake City carrying all their possessions in two-wheeled handcarts, 1856

Alexandra Palace in London burns down after being open for only 16 days, 1873

China agrees to lease Hong Kong to Britain for 99 years, 1898

Alice Huyler Ramsey, a 22-year-old housewife and mother from Hackensack, New Jersey, becomes the first woman to drive across the United States, 1909

Queen Elizabeth II officially opens London Gatwick Airport, 1958

Israel captures the Golan Heights from Syria, 1967

Secretariat wins the Triple Crown, 1973

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) opens its priesthood to black males after 148 years, 1978

The British lease of Hong Kong expires, 1997

The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and NATO sign a peace treaty, 1999

In Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, six women were arrested for practicing driving in an empty car lot; women are banned from driving on the road, 2011

(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's trip down to the beach was no day at the beach, as usual. We took it slowly, didn't worry when the traffic on the interstate stopped multiple times, and were very glad to go the back way when we could, it's much more scenic.

Speaking of scenic, or not so scenic, if you live in Cajun country, the nearest beach on which to vacation is Holly Beach. One time, Boudreaux and Thibodeaux done meet up dere.

"Thib, what you be doing here?" Boudreaux ax when he see his frien'.

"Remember de raffle at de church?" Thibodeaux say. "I done won de first prize, a week here at Holly Beach. What you be doin' here?"

"Mais," say Boudreaux, "I done won de secon' place in de raffle. I gots to stay here two weeks!"

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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 pictures from a week of taking care of the farm birds visiting the city:

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Today is:

Abolition Day -- French Guiana

Abused Women And Children's Awareness Day

Alcoholics Anonymous Founders Day

Army Day -- Jordan

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

Blast from the Past: Artillery in the War for Independence -- Jamestown Settlement, Williamsburg, VA, and Yorktown Victory Center, Yorktown, VA, US (special events and exhibits through January 5, 2019)

Celtic Tree Month Duir (Oak) commences

Children's Sunday -- many US churches

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

Herbs & Spices Day

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

Lailat al Kadr (Lailat al Qadr) -- Islam (Night of Destiny; begins at sundown, through sundown tomorrow, although local observances may vary)

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

National Black Cow Day

National Iced Tea Day

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

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

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

Reconciliation Day -- Republic of the Congo

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

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

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

Anniversary Tday:

Alcoholics Anonymous is founded, 1925

Birthdays Today:

Joey Zimmerman, 1986

Tara Lipinski, 1982

Leelee Sobieski, 1982

Hoku Ho, 1981

Shane West, 1978

Doug McKeon, 1966

Elizabeth Hurley, 1965

Linda Evangelista, 1965

Jeanne Tripplehorn, 1963

Michael Burger, 1957

John Edwards, 1953

Jeff Greenfield, 1943

F. Lee Bailey, 1933

Maurice Sendak, 1928

Nat Hentoff, 1925

Judy Garland, 1922

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, 1921

Saul Bellow, 1915

Frederick Loewe, 1904

Hattie McDaniel, 1889

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Tales from the Crypt"(TV), 1989

"Paperback Writer"(UK song release), 1966

"Tristan und Isolde"(Opera), 1865

Today in History:

Frederick Barbarossa drowns leading his troops across the Saleph River to attack Jerusalem in the Crusades, 1190

The first American log cabin is built, at Fort Christina in Wilmington, Delaware, 1639

Bridget Bishop becomes the first person hanged for witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts, 1692

Captain James Cook runs aground on the Great Barrier Reef, 1770

A landslide dam on the Dadu River created by an earthquake ten days earlier collapses, killing 100,000 in the Sichuan province of China, 1786

The Jardin des Plantes museum opens in Paris; a year later, it becomes the first public zoo, 1793

The first Boat Race between the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge takes place, 1829

Myall Creek Massacre in Australia: 28 Aboriginal Australians are murdered, 1838

The first class of the United States Naval Academy students graduate, 1854

Mount Tarawera in New Zealand erupts, killing 153 people and destroying the famous Pink and White Terraces, 1886

Americus Callahan of Chicago patents the window envelope, 1902

The inaugural service for the United Church of Canada, a union of Presbyterian, Methodist, and Congregationalist churches, is held in Toronto Arena, 1925

Dr. Robert Smith takes his last drink, and Alcoholics Anonymous is founded in Akron, Ohio, United States, by him and Bill Wilson, 1925

Six-Day War ends: Israel and Syria agree to a cease-fire, 1967

Apple ships its first Apple II personal computer, 1977

The Spirit Rover is launched, beginning NASA's Mars Exploration Rover mission, 2003

Twenty inches of rainfall in Escambia County, Florida damages roadways and bridges, and leaving parts of the Florida Panhandle and coastal Alabama under water, 2012

German authorities are forced to evacuate 10 villages as heavy rains swell the Elbe River, breaching its banks, 2013

Heavy monsoon rains cause the collapse of a partially-finished building on a residential block in Mumbai, India, 2013

(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!

Awww! How cute!

The funny little ghost crabs, this one about the size of a quarter.

Awww, shucks!

Poor things get stranded when the tide goes out — nature can be merciless.

Awe-inspiring!

Watching the sun rise.

The sheer vastness of the water and sky.

That this same vast water can kiss your toes!

The very faint rainbow after being caught in the rain on your morning walk.

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Sparks! is on hiatus, so here’s an Inspiring Quote of the Week:

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Today is:

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

Birthday of Prince Henrik -- Denmark

Corn on the Cob Day

Cuti Bersama — Indonesia

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

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

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

King Kamehameha Day -- Hawaii, US

Lailat al Kadr (Lailat al Qadr) -- Islam (Night of Destiny; began at sundown yesterday, through sundown tonight, although local observances may vary and governmental days off vary from country to country)

National German Chocolate Cake Day

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

Queen's Birthday -- Anguilla; Australia (except QLD, WA); Cayman Islands; Gibraltar; Montserrat; Norfolk Island; Papua New Guinea: Turks and Caicos Islands; Tuvalu

Rites of Matralia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (honoring of Mater Matua, goddess of dawn and childbirth, by women who had been married once) related observance:

Day Sacred to Fortuna Virgo (Fortune the Virgin, the day marriage robes of girls were dedicated to this goddess)

Sagrado Corazon -- Colombia (Sacred Heart Holiday)

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

*Under the Julian calendar, June 11, St. Barnabas' Day, was the longest day of the year --

Barnaby Bright, Barnaby Bright,

The longest day

And the shortest night

Anniversaries Today:

Henry VIII marries Catherine of Aragon, 1509

Birthdays Today:

Shia LeBeouf, 1986

Joshua Jackson, 1978

Caroline Quentin, 1961

Dr. Mehmet Oz, 1960

Hugh Laurie, 1959

Joe Montana, 1956

Peter Bergman, 1953

Adrienne Barbeau, 1945

Jackie Stewart, 1939

Chad Everett, 1936

Gene Wilder, 1933

William Clark Styron, Jr., 1925

Vince Lombardi, 1913

Jacques Cousteau, 1910

Jeannette Pickering Rankin, 1880

Richard Georg Strauss, 1864

John Constable, 1776

Ben Jonson, 1572

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"American Idol"(TV), 2002

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial(Film), 1982

"Main Street Electrical Parade"(Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida), 1977

"Rock 'n' Roll Music"(Beatles' UK album release), 1976

A Day at the Races(Marx Brothers film), 1937

Today in History:

Troy is sacked and burned, according to calculations by Eratosthenes, BC1184

Philip II recognizes the rights and privileges of the local nobles and chieftains in the Philippines, which paves way to the creation of the Principalía, 1594

The Continental Congress appoints Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston to the Committee of Five to draft a declaration of independence, 1776

Russian explorer Gerasim Izmailov reaches Alaska, 1788

The first American stove patent is granted to Robert Haeterick, 1793

The Limelight Department, one of the world's first film studios, is officially established in Melbourne, Australia, 1892

New Zealand annexes the Cook Islands, 1901

Sir Barton wins the Belmont Stakes, becoming the first horse to win the Triple Crown, 1919

Frank Morris, John Anglin and Clarence Anglin become the only prisoners to escape from the prison on Alcatraz Island, 1962

Anna Mae Hays and Elizabeth P. Hoisington become the first women to receive the rank of general in the U.S. Army, 1970

Cassini-Huygens makes its closest flyby of the Saturn moon Phoebe, 200

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper makes an official apology to Canada's First Nations for residential school abuse that isolated native children from their homes, families, and cultures for a century, 2008

Ancient Korean royal books looted by French troops in 1866 are returned to South Korea; 1,000 officials and locals celebrate the return of the 297-volume 'Oegyujanggak' books, 2011

Winds in southwestern Western Australia of up to 140km/h batter the area and leave more than 170,000 homes without power, 2012

(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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Vacation can be both random and fun, so i’m linking up with Stacy’s Random Thoughts at Stacy Uncorked and Tuesday Fun with Sandee of Comedy Plus.

We’ve been having a great time at the beach. As usual, i take a walk each day at sunrise. Also as usual, i take along a bag and pick up trash on my walk. It saddens me that i have to do it, but people will be people. It’s mostly the usual stuff — bottle caps, plastic bottles, cans, pieces of children’s beach toys, plastic wrappers, cups, etc.

This year, i have found something new — Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. Now, i have no clue why i am finding Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, entire ones, soaking wet but otherwise obviously unused, on the beach. Anyway, i’m not so sure i want to know what’s behind that.

Some of my time has been spent under the waterfall, checking the insides of my eyelids for cracks.

In a lounge chair under the waterfall, the best place for eyelid checking.

Sunday was church day at the Flora-Bama Lounge. They do their best to cover up some of the signs in the area where they meet:

After church, the covers come off.

Still, it is impossible not to know where you are.

“Screw the Cracker, Polly Wants a Cocktail”

The people who run the place have a snese of humor (they must to allow a church to meet there every Sunday morning), and i’m sure the signs in the parking lot confuse some of the patrons who have imbibed a bit more than they should:

Entrance sign pointing, more or less, into the parking lot.

And the exit sign, also pointing into the parking lot!

We spent some time shopping, and one of the funniest things happened to me that i never would have imagined. At the Hanes store, i decided to try on a sports bra, and i must have really chosen the wrong size. Once i got into it, i couldn’t get out of it. Really, i thought i was wrestling an octopus, i got so tangled up. Sitting down to catch my breath (thank heaven the dressing room had a seat), i was afraid i was going to have to call for assistance and get someone to haul the thing off of me, or cut me out of it. In my imagination, i could hear the staff spending the next several weeks retelling the story of the crazy lady who couldn’t get herself out of a bra!

Of course, i didn’t buy that one.

Sweetie has been having trouble with his glasses ever since a screw fell out almost two weeks ago and it was replaced by a not quite right one. We passed an optical shop where the lady said she didn’t do such repairs, but she recommended one that might. Sure enough, they had just the right screw to fix it, and only charged $1.10.

At another store, i found this fun item:

Yes, these flip flops are $57.

Yep, no need to bring a bottle opener with you to the beach, just make sure you have your shoes!

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Today is:

Bali Arts Festival -- Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia (a full month of daily performances, handicraft exhibitions, and cultural activities showcasing all Bali has to offer in dance, music, art, food, and more; through July 17)

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

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

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

Helsinki Day -- Finland

Independence Day -- Philippines

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

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

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

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

National Peanut Butter Cookie Day

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

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

Russia Day -- Russia

St. Anthony's Eve -- Brazil; Portugal

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

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

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

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

Birthdays Today:

Frances O'Connor, 1969

Timothy Busfield, 1957

Marv Albert, 1941

Chick Corea, 1941

Jim Nabors, 1932

Anne Frank, 1929

Vic Damone, 1928

George H.W. Bush, 1924

David Rockefeller, 1915

Alexandre Tansman, 1897

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Doctor Doctor"(TV), 1989

Raiders of the Lost Ark(Film), 1981

You Only Live Twice(Film), 1967

Cleopatra(Film), 1963

Today in History:

Joan of Arc leads the French army in their capture of the city and the English commander, William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk in the second day of the Battle of Jargeau, 1429

The French begin their colonization of Algeria with the landing of 34,000 troops, 1830

The world's first Fingerprint Bureau opens in Calcutta, India, after the Council of the Governor General approves a committee report that fingerprints should be used for classification of criminal records, 1897

Shooting begins on Paramount Pictures' Dr. Cyclops, the first horror film photographed in three-strip Technicolor, 1939

Anne Frank gets her diary as a birthday present, 1942

The United States Supreme Court in Loving v. Virginia declares all U.S. state laws which prohibit interracial marriage to be unconstitutional, 1967

The first man powered flight across the English Channel is performed by Bryan Allen in the Gossamer Albatross designed by Paul MacCready, 1979

At the Brandenburg Gate U.S. President Ronald Reagan publicly challenges Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall, 1987

Russia Day – the parliament of the Russian Federation formally declares its sovereignty, 1990

Queen Elizabeth II reopens the Globe Theatre in London, 1997

A disputed presidential election in Iran leads to widespread protests, 2009

Ending an extensive study on the wooly mammoth, scientists conclude that they were wiped out by multiple things, including climate change, human hunters, and shifting habitats, 2012

(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 Lee at Kitchen Connection.

This week’s “Words for Wednesday” are listed below:

Attitude

Uphill

Insight

Lessons

Upheaval

Canopy

Patience

Engage

Humility

Strategy

Fortitude

Forbearance

"Putting these things up is an UPHILL battle!" he complained as they struggled to erect the CANOPY that would keep the family shaded on the beach during their week's vacation.

"It's all about your ATTITUDE!" his brother replied. "If you have INSIGHT you can use this as an opportunity to learn the LESSONS that enable you to ENGAGE in erecting this thing with STRATEGY, and if you have HUMILITY it can help you develop PATIENCE, FORTITUDE, and FORBEARANCE with such UPHEAVAL as these things bring!"

"Oh, can the lecture! I heard you muttering under your breath about being stuck with the job this year, too!"

Canopies on the beach, as seen from our balcony. Yes, i've put those things up, they are cantankerous.

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Today is:

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

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

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

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

Ides of June -- Ancient Roman Calendar; related observances:

Festival of Jupiter Invictus (Jupiter the Unconquered)

Lesser Quinquartrus/Quinquatrus Minusculae (festival for those who played flutes at religious ceremonies; through the 15th)

Kitchen Klutzes of America Day

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

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

Missing Mutts Awareness Day -- to help families whose beloved pets have gone missing, the Missing Mutts Awareness Society was formed; it no longer seems to sponsor a particular day, though its Facebook Page is active

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

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

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

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

a municipal holiday in Lisbon, Portugal and parts of Spain

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

Anniversaries Today:

Mission San Luis Rey de Francia is founded, 1798

Martin Luther marries Katharina von Bora, 1525

Birthdays Today:

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, 1986

Raz-B, 1985

Rivers Cuomo, 1970

Jamie Walters, 1969

Ally Sheedy, 1962

Tim Allen, 1953

Richard Thomas, 1951

Ban Ki-Moon, 1944

Malcolm McDowell, 1943

Siegfried Fischbacher, 1939

Christo, 1935

Paul Lynde, 1926

Ralph Edwards, 1913

Red Grange, 1903

Dorothy L. Sayers, 1893

Basil Rathbone, 1892

William Butler Yeats, 1865

Winfield Scott, 1786

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The Closer"(TV), 2005

Roadie(Film), 1980

"Les vêpres siciliennes"(Verdi opera) 1855

Today in History:

Coronation of Alexander III as King of Scots, 1249

Ibn Battuta, who was to become the foremost world traveler of his day, seeing most of the known world in his time, begins his first hadj, 1325

Rhode Island becomes the first of Britain's North American colonies to ban the importation of slaves, 1774

Mission San Luis Rey de Francia is founded, 1798

Meriwether Lewis and four companions sight the Great Falls of the Missouri River, 1803

A fire devastates much of Vancouver, British Columbia, 1886

King Ludwig II of Bavaria is found dead in Lake Starnberg south of Munich at 11:30 PM, 1886

Yukon Territory is formed, with Dawson chosen as its capital, 1898

The University of the Philippines College of Engineering is established, the largest degree granting unit in the Philippines, 1910

Mir Mine, the first diamond mine in the USSR, is discovered, 1955

The United States Supreme Court rules in Miranda v. Arizona that the police must inform suspects of their rights before questioning them, 1966

Thurgood Marshall is nominated to become the first black justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, 1967

Fahd becomes King of Saudi Arabia upon the death of his brother, Khalid, 1982

Pioneer 10 becomes the first man-made object to leave the solar system, 1983

President Kim Dae Jung of South Korea meets Kim Jong-il, leader of North Korea, for the beginning of the first ever inter-Korea summit, 2000

The US withdraws from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, 2002

The Al Askari Mosque is bombed for a second time, 2007

A capsule of Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa returns to Earth with particles of asteroid 25143 Itokawa, 2010

The U.S. Supreme Court invalides gene patents held by Myriad Genetics when it rules that isolated human genes are not patentable, 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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“I’m telling you, you have to look into this place, you will love it!”

“Of all the restaurants in this town we could go to, the only one you want to investigate is the one where you kiss the moose?”

"It's a tradition, and the steaks are worth it!"

"No steak is worth kissing a moose, and i'm a vegetarian anyway."

"Please, please, can't we go, it's a place that has character, you become an honorary Irishman just by stepping in, the bean soup is only eighteen cents a bowl, and there's over a million dollars in signed dollar bills on the ceiling!"

"Okay, okay, we'll try McGuire's Irish Pub -- but i am not kissing any moose!"

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

Some of the dollar bills on the ceiling.

No, i did not kiss the moose!

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Vacation location fences, the first is the state park fence. It's looking like close to time to replace it:

Fences between the pools and the beach used to be very small and made of wood. The powers that be felt sorry for parents whose small children would jump those little fences in glee and head for the water, and so replaced them:

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Today is:

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

Career Nursing Assistants' Day

Czech Days -- Tabor, SD, US (celebrating foods and traditions of the Czech people who settled this area; through Sunday)

Eid al Fitr -- Islam (celebration of the end of Ramadan; begins at sundown, and runs through sundown on the 17th, but local dates and official government observances may vary)

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

Feast Day of Elisha the Prophet -- Christian

Flag Day -- United States

Fort Union Trading Post Rendezvous -- Williston, ND, US (re-creation of the fur trade era; through Sunday)

Freedom Day -- Malawi

Kiamichi Owa-Chito Festival of the Forest -- Beaver's Bend State Park, Broken Bow, OK, US (celebration of Native American culture; through Saturday)

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

Liberation Day -- Falkland Islands

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

National Bourbon Day -- celebrating America's "Native Spirit"

National Strawberry Shortcake Day

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

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

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

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

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

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

Runic Half-month Dag (day) commences

Sam Steele Days -- Cranbrook, BC, Canada (fun for all, celebrating the life and legend of Sam Steele of the North-West Mounted Police in the 1880's; through Sunday)

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

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

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

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

World Blood Donor Day -- International (2018's host country is Greece, and the emphasis is "Be There For Someone Else")

Blood Type Awareness Day -- while donating, make sure you know your type, and that of your loved ones; in an emergency, it's good to know

Anniversaries Today:

The United States Army is founded, 1775

Munich, Germany is founded, 1158

Birthdays Today:

Daryl Sabara, 1992

Lucy Hale, 1989

Kevin McHale, 1988

Diablo Cody, 1978

Steffi Graf, 1969

Yasmine Bleeth, 1968

Traylor Howard, 1966

Boy George, 1961

Eric Arthur Heiden, 1958

Will Patton, 1954

Eddie Mekka, 1952

Donald Trump, 1946

John F. MacArthur, 1939

Jerzy Kosinski, 1933

Joe Arpaio, 1932

Marla Gibbs, 1931

Che Guevara, 1928

Pierre Salinger, 1925

Gene Barry, 1919

Burl Ives, 1909

Alois Alzheimer, 1864

John Bartlett, 1820

Harriet Beecher Stowe, 1811

Debuting/Premiering Today:

The Cable Guy(Film), 1996

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves(Film), 1991

"The Gong Show"(TV), 1976

Today in History:

Kublai Khan defeated the force of Nayan and other traditionalist Borjigin princes in East Mongolia and Manchuria, 1287

Richard II in England meets leaders of Peasants' Revolt on Blackheath and the Tower of London is stormed by rebels who enter without resistance, 1381

Margaret Jones is hanged in Boston for witchcraft in the first such execution for the Massachusetts colony, 1648

The Stars and Stripes is adopted by Congress as the Flag of the United States, 1777

Bounty mutiny survivors including Captain William Bligh and 18 others reach Timor after a nearly 7,400 km (4,000-mile) journey in an open boat, 1789

Whiskey distilled from maize is first produced by American clergyman the Rev Elijah Craig, who named it Bourbon because he lived in Bourbon County, Kentucky, 1789

Badi VII, king of Sennar, surrenders his throne and realm to Ismail Pasha, general of the Ottoman Empire, ending the existence of that Sudanese kingdom, 1821

The village of Henley, on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, stages its first Royal Regatta, 1839

Trade unions are legalised in Canada, 1872

Norway adopts female suffrage, 1907

John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown depart St. John's, Newfoundland on the first nonstop transatlantic flight, 1919

Action Comics issue one is released, introducing Superman, 1938

The Canadian Library Association is established, 1946

UNIVAC I, the world's first commercial computer, is dedicated by the U.S. Census Bureau, 1951

The European Space Research Organisation is established in Paris – later becoming the European Space Agency, 1962

The Vatican announces the abolition of the Index Librorum Prohibitorum, 1966

The 1994 Stanley Cup Riots occur after the New York Rangers win the Stanley Cup from Vancouver, 1994

The Wallow Fire becomes the largest wildfire in the history of the US State of Arizona, 2011

Australia announces its plan to create the largest marine reserve in the world, 2012

(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 Z Kitty, who lives with my friend Di Dreaming, not far from where we vacation.

You can tell by her tummy she loves her chow.

Z Kitty is also known for loving to play in the rain, especially rolling on the outdoor glass table when the water is pouring down on it.

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Here are this week's statements with my responses underlined:

1. My favorite Disney character is ____________________.

2. If I could stay any age for life, I would choose to be age _________________.

3. _________ is my secret talent.

4. Life is like a _________.

1. My favorite Disney character is Jacques the Mouse from Cinderella. He’s so funny!

2. If i could stay any age for life, i would choose to be age 35. Old enough to know better, young enough to still do just about anything i would want to do.

3. Escaping and disappearing from Sweetie’s view, then reappearing where he doesn’t expect me is my secret talent. He thinks it’s hilarious that i can “go poof” as he says, then come up behind him and he doesn’t know how i did it.

4. Life is like a meal at the school cafeteria — you don’t know ahead of time what’s on the menu, and you’ll probably like some of it and hate some of it.

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Today is:

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

Blues on the Fox -- Aurora, IL, US (celebration of the historical blues recordings made in Aurora, with blues musicians from around the country performing; through tomorrow)

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

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

Eid al Fitr -- Islam (celebration of the end of Ramadan; began sundown yesterday, runs through sundown on the 28th, although local dating and official government observances may vary)

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

Fulton County Historical Power Show -- Rochester, IN (featuring tractors, engines, antique power equipment, and food, music, and fun; through Sunday)

Global Wind Day -- to celebrate wind energy

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

Jumatul Bidah -- Bangladesh

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

Mangaia Gospel Day -- Mangaia, Cook Islands

Midnight Sun Festival -- Nome, AK, US (celebration of the solstice, when there is almost continual daylight, with a parade, raft race, folk fest, and more; through tomorrow)

Polar Bear Swim -- Nome, AK, US (since 1975, as soon as they can break through the ice! the intrepid swimmers gather on the shore of the frigid Bering Sea to swim; if they can't break through the ice yet, it may be rescheduled; part of the midnight sun festival)

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

National Flip Flop Day -- sponsored by Tropical Cafe Smoothie to raise funds for its national charity partner, Camp Sunshine

National Lobster Day

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

Queen's Birthday -- Solomon Islands

Salvation Day/National Day of Salvation -- Azerbaijan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day -- because our elders deserve to be protected and cared for properly; this year's theme is Seniors Aging Safely

Worldwide Day of Giving

Anniversaries Today:

King Hussein of Jordan marries Lisa Halaby (Queen Noor), 1978

Gustaf, Crown Prince of Sweden marries Princess Margaret of Connaught, 1905

Arkansas becomes the 25th US State, 1836

Birthdays Today:

William Dean Martin, 1981

Neil Patrick Harris, 1973

Leah Remini, 1970

Ice Cube, 1969

Lisa McCall, 1969

Dina Meyer, 1969

Courtneney Cox Arquette, 1964

Helen Hunt, 1963

Julie Hagerty, 1955

Jim Belushi, 1954

Simon Callow, 1949

Nicola Pagett, 1945

Waylon Jennings, 1937

Mario Cuomo, 1932

Erroll Garner, 1921

Muzaffer Tema, 1919

Bob Wian, 1914

Edvard Grieg, 1843

Rachel Donelson Robards Jackson, 1767

Henry FitzRoy, illegitimate son of Henry VIII, 1519

Edward the Black Prince, 1330

Debuting/Premiering Today:

The Lion King(Animated film), 1994

Dick Tracy(Film), 1990

"Hee Haw"(TV), 1969

"My Little Margie"(TV), 1952

Today in History:

The Assyrians record a solar eclipse that is later used to fix the chronology of Mesopotamian history, BC763

King John of England puts his seal to the Magna Carta, 1215

The first human blood transfusion is administered by Dr. Jean-Baptiste Denys, 1667

Benjamin Franklin proves that lightning is electricity, 1752

Delaware votes to suspend government under the British Crown and separate officially from Pennsylvania, 1776

Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier, co-pilot of the first-ever manned flight (1783), and his companion, Pierre Romain, become the first-ever casualties of an air crash when their hot air balloon explodes during their attempt to cross the English Channel, 1785

Charles Goodyear receives a patent for vulcanization, a process to strengthen rubber, 1844

The Oregon Treaty establishes the 49th parallel as the border between the United States and Canada, from the Rocky Mountains to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, 1846

Crown Prince Wilhelm becomes Kaiser Wilhelm II and is the last emperor of the German Empire, 1888

The most destructive tsunami in Japan's history kills more than 22,000 people, 1896

A fire aboard the steamboat SS General Slocum in New York City's East River kills 1000, 1904

Tabulating Computing Recording Corporation (IBM) is incorporated, 1911

U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signs a bill incorporating the Boy Scouts of America, making them the only American youth organization with a federal charter, 1916

A German expedition led by Karl Wien lost sixteen members in an avalanche on Nanga Parbat (9th highest mountain), the largest single day loss of life on an 8,000m peak, 1937

In the Saskatchewan general election, the CCF, led by Tommy Douglas, is elected and forms the first socialist government of North America, 1944

Israel and Vatican City establish full diplomatic relations, 1994

Near earth asteroid 2002 MN misses the Earth by 75,000 miles (121,000 km), about one-third of the distance between the Earth and the Moon, 2002

In Bulgaria, remains that some believe to be the bones of John the Baptist, are scientifically proven to be from a Middle Eastern man and dated to be from the first century AD, 2012

(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 has been a lovely week at the beach.

The saddest part of life is that things end; that shouldn’t stop us from enjoying and being thankful for them while they happen. When good things are happening, we are making memories to treasure.

In that light, here are my thankful things about vacation.

Vacation happened, and that is a big thankful. Grandpa is very kind to let the whole family use the condo in Florida once a year. He also pays for our groceries and gas to get here. His generosity makes it possible, without it, we would get no time away at all.

It has been the cloudiest and rainiest week we’ve ever had here, and i am thankful because i’ve spent more time noticing the beauty of clouds and how fast they can move than i ever have before. (Sunday Selections tomorrow will be many sky pictures.) Also, two rainbows!

Sunrise walks happened. A couple of times i got caught in a bit of rain, but for the most part i was able to enjoy my early morning beach time.

Sunset walks happened, and usually the rain was over by then, the sand was moist and the air cool and refreshing, not hot and sticky.

Spending time under the waterfall checking the insides of my eyelids for cracks was rejuvenating.

Our friend Di Dreaming got to come stay with us for a day, and any time i can visit my out-of-town friends is a pleasure.

She and i went on a duck boat tour, and it was great fun. Duck boats were build during WWII, they drive on the roads and then splash into the water and keep going. They are not built for speed, but they are useful and fun and were built to last. We toured Downtown Mobile and part of the bay, and then Di and i stopped at a couple of places on the tour to investigate further. It made for a fun afternoon.

Sweetie and i got to have a nice dinner out together, not something we do often.

The week did have a couple of problems, such as when we discovered that the A/C was leaking, the lock on one of the balcony doors was broken, and the internet went out. The front desk staff put in work orders and each of these things was cleared up within an hour or two, so i am grateful for the excellent people who work here.

The joys of seeing the birds, the crabs, the tiny fish swimming in the tidal pools in the sand, and especially watching the children playing at the beach makes me so happy. When mine were little, i was busy making sure they were safe, so while i enjoyed that time with them, there was always an edge to it. Watching other people’s children run and play is having the fun without the responsibility.

We’ve had a great time, and i am thankful to no end, even if there is an end to the time itself.

As usual, i am linking up with Ten Things of Thankful, where we are thankful for a new blog hop hostess with the mostess, Kristi from Thankful Me.

Thank you, Kristi, for agreeing to keep our hop going!

Thank you, Josie Two Shoes, for all you have done for us, we hope you check in often!

 An InLinkz Link-up

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Today is:

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

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

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

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

Duanwu -- China (Dragon Boat Festival; the actual festival day this year is Monday, but the offical holidays begin today)

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

Fresh Veggies Day -- before you have that fudge later

GRABAAWR / GReat Annual Bicycle Adventure Along the Wisconsin River -- WI, US (fun bicycle adventures for all ages, levels, and abilities; through next Saturday)

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

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

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

Longest Dam Race -- Fort Peck, MT, US (a run that crosses 1.8 miles of the Fort Peck Dam, as well as a fun run, a bike race, and more)

Madam Lou Bunch Day -- Central City, CO, US (Old Flop House Celebration of the Madam who ran the city's most famous house of ill repute during the gold rush, complete with period costumes and a brass bed race!)

Martyrdom Day of Guru Arjan Dev -- Sikh

Mermaid Parade -- Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY, US (wacky and wonderful and worth every wild moment)

National Fudge Day

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

National Vinegar Day

Norskedalen's Midsummer Fest -- Coon Valley, WI, US (celebrate summer solstice and Sankt Hans Dag[St. John's Day] the way pioneer Scandinavians did; through tomorrow)

Rochesterfest -- Rochester, MN, US (street dances, parade, exotic foods, children's and senior events, and more; through the 24th)

Spirit of the Woods Folk Festival -- Brethren, MI, US (a family friendly good time in the park)

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

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

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

World Juggling Day

Youth Day -- South Africa

Birthdays Today:

Abby Elliott, 1987

Diana DeGarmo, 1987

Phil Mickelson, 1970

Laurie Metcalf, 1955

Sonia Braga, 1950

Joan Van Ark, 1943

Joyce Carol Oates, 1938

Erich Segal, 1937

John Howard Griffin, 1920

Stan Laurel, 1890

Geronimo, 1829

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Ghostbusters II(Film), 1989

The Blues Brothers(Film), 1980

Psycho(Film), 1960

Today in History:

The Zoroastrian Religious Calendar begins with the ascension of Yasdegerd III of Persia, the start of the Persian Era, 632

Battle of Stoke Field, the final engagement of the Wars of the Roses, 1487

British troops take Cape Breton Island, which is now part of Nova Scotia, Canada, 1745

The French surrender Fort Beauséjour to the British, leading to the expulsion of the Acadians, 1755

Abraham Lincoln delivers his House Divided speech in Springfield, Illinois, 1858

The Victoria Hall theatre panic in Sunderland, England kills 183 children, 1883

John Abbott becomes Canada's third prime minister, 1891

The Ford Motor Company is incorporated, 1903

The storming of the cockpit of the Miss Macao passenger seaplane, operated by a subsidiary of the Cathay Pacific Airways, marks the first aircraft hijacking of a commercial plane, 1948

Rudolf Nureyev defects at Le Bourget airport in Paris, 1961

Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space, 1963

The largest single-site hydro-electric power project in Canada starts at Churchill Falls, Labrador, 1972

Soweto uprising: a non-violent march by 15,000 students in Soweto, South Africa turns into days of rioting when police open fire on the crowd and kill 566 children, 1976

Israel complies with UN Security Council Resolution 425 after 22 years of its issuance, which calls on Israel to completely withdraw from Lebanon, 2000

The 9/11 Commission, contradicting White House claims, determines Saddam Hussein had no strong ties to al-Qaeda, 2004

British Petroleum agrees to finanace a $20 billion fund to compensate those whose livelihood was damaged by the Deepwater Horizon disaster, 2010

Prince Harry of Wales is cleared to return to active duty in the Afghan War, 2011

Egypt's voters go to the polls for a second round of voting in their first presidential election, 2012

(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, don't expect me to quit telling Cajun jokes.

Any time you visit another area of the country, even if the drive is only a few hours away, you are recognized as not being from there by the way you speak. At the Florida coast they are used to lots of Louisiana visitors, so we don't get too many people asking about our accent.

Clothile done be visitin' her cousin in NOLA, an' dey decide to go in de Parran's shop to get dem a muffuletta fo' de lunch.

De nice lady behin' de counter done ax Clothile, "Where are you from? I love your accent!"

An' Clothile say, "Mais, I be from Pierre Part when I's growin' up, but now I live in Ville Platte, how 'bout you? You don' soun' like you be from N'awlins."

"Oh, yes, I'm from New Orleans," she said, "but I moved away for a few years because of Hurricane Katrina and I lost my accent!"

"Oh, you poor t'ing!" Clothile say. "Bless you heart, I know you done got back here soon as you could, an' you keep workin' on it, you goin' get it back right quick!"

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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.

Since i seem to have a plethora of vacation pictures, i will probably feature them for a bit. Watching the skies this time, considering how this time we did not have a single day without significant cloud cover, was magnificent.

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Happy Father's Day to all of the Dads out there!

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Today is:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Family Awareness Day -- US (a day to reflect on the importance of fathers)

Independence Day/National Day -- Iceland

International Violin Day -- Stravinsky's birth anniversary

National Apple Struedel Day

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

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

Soviet Occupation Day -- Latvia

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

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

Toadstool-Squatting begins -- Fairy Calendar (Leprechauns)

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

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought -- UN

Anniversaries Today

Orpheus marries the nymph Eurydice, Ancient Greek traditional date

Birthdays Today:

Mark Walker, 1999

Lee Ryan, 1983

Venus Williams, 1980

Will Forte, 1970

Dan Jansen, 1965

Greg Kinnear, 1963

Thomas Haden Church, 1960

Mark Linn-Baker, 1953

Joe Piscopo, 1951

Barry Manilow, 1946

Art Bell, 1945

Newt Gingrich, 1943

Gene De Paul, 1919

John Richard Hersey, 1914

Ralph Bellamy, 1904

Sammy Fain, 1902

M.C. Escher, 1898

Igor Stravinsky, 1882

William Hooper, 1742

John Wesley, 1703

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Oh! Calcutta!"(Revue), 1969

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

Today in History:

Vlad III the Impaler (a/k/a Vlad Dracul or Count Dracula) attempts to assassinate Mehmed II (The Night Attack) forcing him to retreat from Wallachia, 1462

Matsunaga Hisahide assassinates the 13th Ashikaga shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiteru, 1565

Sir Francis Drake claims a land he calls Nova Albion (modern California) for England, 1579

Mumtaz Mahal dies during childbirth; her husband, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan I, then spends more than 20 years building her tomb, the Taj Mahal, 1631

The Battle of Bunker Hill, 1775

In the Kingdom of Hawaii, Kamehameha III issues the Edict of toleration which gives Roman Catholics the freedom to worship in the Hawaiian Islands, 1839

1,500 Sioux and Cheyenne led by Crazy Horse beat back General George Crook's forces at Rosebud Creek in Montana Territory, 1876

The Statue of Liberty arrives in New York Harbor, 1885

The College Board introduces its first standardized test, the forerunner to the SAT, 1901

"Barney Google" cartoon strip, by Billy De Beck, premieres, 1919

Iceland declares independence from Denmark and becomes a republic, 1944

The Wooden Roller Coaster at Playland, which is in the Pacific National Exhibition, Vancouver, Canada opens; it is still open today, 1958

The New Democratic Party of Canada is founded with the merger of the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and the Canadian Labour Congress, 1961

Five White House operatives are arrested for burglarizing the offices of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate Hotel, 1972

With the death of the last individual, the Dusky Seaside Sparrow becomes extinct, 1987

The South African Parliament repeals the Population Registration Act, which had required racial classification of all South Africans at birth, 1991

Australian scientists report that they have "teleported" a laser beam, breaking it up and reconstructing it in another location, 2002

The first condemnation of discrimination against gays, lesbians and transgender people is issued by the United Nations Human Rights Council, 2011

(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!

This cute sign was a great idea:

A Daisy Girl Scout's drawing was chosen for the sign.

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Sparks! is on hiatus, so here is an Inspiring Thought for the Week:

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Today is:

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

Constitution Day / National Day -- Seychelles

Dano Festival/Surit-Nal -- Korea (start of a 3 day traditional festival of spring and farming, with summer food offered at the household shrine of the ancestors; 5th day of 5th lunar month)

Duanwu -- China (Dragon Boat Festival Day)

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

Foundation Day -- Benguet, Philippines

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

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

International Picnic Day

International Sushi Day

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

National Cherry Tart Day

National Heroes' Day -- Bermuda

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

National Splurge Day

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

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

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

Solmanudor -- Icelandic calendar, Sun Month, with the midnight sun dominating the time of year

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

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

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

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

Birthdays Today:

Eddie Cibrian, 1973

Nathan Morris, 1971

Richard Powers, 1957

Carol Kane, 1952

Isabella Rossellini, 1952

Roger Ebert, 1942

Paul McCartney, 1942

Lou Brock, 1939

John D. Rockefeller IV, 1937

Tom Wicker, 1926

Donald Keene, 1922

Red Adair, 1915

Sammy Cahn, 1913

Sylvia Field Porter, 1913

E.G. Marshall, 1910

Bud Collyer, 1908

James Kern "Kay" Kyser, 1905

Jeanette MacDonald, 1903

Grand Duchess Anastasia Nicolaievna Romanova of Russia, 1901

George Herbert Leigh Mallory, 1886

Henry Clay Folger, Jr., 1857

E.W. Scripps, 1854

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Archipelago S"(Takemitsu orchestral work), 1993

"Der Freischütz/The Marksman"(Opera, Weber Op. 77, J. 277), 1821

Today in History:

Li Yuan becomes Emperor Gaozu of Tang, initiating three centuries of Tang Dynasty rule over China, 618

Five monks from Canterbury report seeing "two horns of light" on the shaded side of the moon, probably witnessing the meteor impact formation of the Giordano Bruno crater, 1178

The Parliament of Ireland meets at Castledermot in County Kildare, the first definitively known meeting of this Irish legislature, 1264

French forces under the leadership of Joan of Arc defeat the main English army under Sir John Fastolf at the Battle of Patay, 1429

Samuel Wallis, an English sea captain, sights Tahiti and is considered the first European to reach the island, 1767

The U.S. Congress declares war on the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 1812

The Battle of Waterloo leads to Napoleon Bonaparte abdicating the throne of France for the second and last time, 1815

Charles Darwin receives a paper from Alfred Russel Wallace that includes nearly identical conclusions about evolution as Darwin's own, prompting Darwin to publish his theory, 1858

Susan B. Anthony is fined $100 (US) for attempting to vote in the prior year's US presidential election, 1873

Empress Dowager Longyu of China orders all foreigners killed, including foreign diplomats and their families, 1900

Aviator Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly as a passenger in an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean, 1928

The "Finest Hour" speech is delivered by Winston Churchill, 1940

The Republic of Egypt is declared and the monarchy is abolished, 1953

Governor of Louisiana Earl K. Long is committed to a state mental hospital; he responds by having the hospital's director fired and replaced with a crony who proceeds to proclaim him perfectly sane, 1959

The AIDS epidemic is formally recognized by medical professionals in San Francisco, California, 1981

Astronaut Sally Ride becomes the first American woman in space, 1983

Kazakhstan launches its first satellite, KazSat, 2006

Sequoia, IMB's Blue Gene/Q system installed at the Department of Energy becomes the world's fastest supercomputer, 2012

New data reveals that over 280 previously unknown craters exist on the Moon, 2013

(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 for some random Tuesday fun with Stacy's Random Thoughts at Stacy Uncorked and Sandee of Comedy Plus.

Friday of vacation was about the best vacation day i’ve ever had. Planting myself in a deck chair under the waterfall, i stayed there all day, getting up just to use the facilities and get something to eat. Much dozing was done, and i can say i have thoroughly inspected the insides of my eyelids, no cracks yet.

On our drive home Saturday, Sweetie and i stopped at the little “hole in the wall” BBQ joint that has become our day before Father’s Day tradition. We buy a huge amount of BBQ for Grandpa, and take it to him on our way back to our house. He thinks it’s some of the best (besides his own, of course) and he divides much of it into meal size portions and freezes them. Our intent is that he doesn’t have to worry about meals for at least a few days and it makes him very happy.

A Father’s Day tradition at our church is the men’s choir. Any man who can carry a tune (and even a few for whom that is questionable) is invited into the choir loft and they do sing their hearts out. This year, the choir director had them all put on their Blues Brothers sunglasses for the last song, Chainbreaker.

The men's choir for Father's Day, singing in style!

The work week started with a bang, as is usual, at Dr. D’s house. We got part way through sorting the stuff in one corner of the bedroom, and she already has an over-full bag of lipsticks and the nail polish tackle box is crammed.

We finally had to quit and run errands, the sum of which is that the Tracfone is unusable. She cannot remember which gmail account was used to set it up, and without that information, there’s nothing to be done but buy a new Tracfone and move the minutes over to it.

We were much more successful with getting her bed changed. We found two complete sets of sheets that actually fit her bed. The bed is the size that was called a “double” when i was a child, but is now called “full”. Or, if you are JCPenney, you have your own word for it:

No photo doctoring (i don't know how), they call it Matrimonial size.

How they came up with that, well, i am not sure i want to know, but it did give both of us a good laugh.

Ms. V and her family are on vacation, so i am doing their house in the odd hours after doing my other work this week. As they always do, they packed and dropped whatever they didn’t want to take with them and skedaddled. It’s going to be a long week, adding that work to the regular load.

This evening, i am picking up some foster kittens, just through Sunday. Their other foster mom has to go to a funeral out of town. They are between 2 and 3 weeks old, and there are four of them. Pictures will follow as soon as i can.

That’s about all the news their is, i hope everyone is having a fabulous Tuesday!

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Today is:

Asatru Alliance Founding Day -- Asatru/Slavic Pagan

Birthday of José Gervasio Artigas / "Never Again" Day -- Uruguay (Dia del Nunca Mas)

Butterfly Day -- an ecard holiday; if you know someone who loves butterflies, send an ecard, let them know you are thinking of them

Day of the Independent Hungary -- Hungary (a memorial day for those martyred in 1958, and for the end of Soviet occupation)

Festival for Minerva -- Ancient Roman Calendar (goddess of arts, crafts, skill, war, and intelligence)

Festival of the Coming Ice Age -- can't find out anything about this one, but it sounds hilarious

Garfield the Cat Day (his birthday/comic strip premier)

Juneteenth -- US, celebrates the news of freedom on the day it came to slaves on Galveston Island, Texas

Labour Day -- Trinidad and Tobago

National Martini Day -- some sites specify a dry martini

New Church Day -- Swedenborgian Christian

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

Rusalka's Week begins -- Asatru/Slavic Pagan Calendar (week long festival to honor the divinity of rivers)

Spooky Stories Appreciation Night -- because someone thought it would be a good night to tell a few scary tales

St. Boniface of Querfurt's Day (Patron of Prussia)

St. Jude's Day (Patron of desperate situations, forgotten/impossilbe/lost causes, hospitals, hospital workers; Saint Petersburg, FL, US)

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

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

Western Days -- Elgin, TX, US (music, carnival, parade, live music and more; through Saturday)

World Sauntering Day -- origin unknown, but perhaps begun at Grand Hotel (Mackinac Island) in Michigan during the 1970s as a response by W.T.Rabe to a growing movement toward the recreation of jogging and the idea was to encourage people to slow down and appreciate the world around them; the rules are to observe the lost art of Victorian sauntering, discouraging jogging, lollygagging, sashaying, fast walking, and trotting, but no word on meandering that i can find!

World Sicle Cell Day

Anniversaries Today:

Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, marries Sophie Rhys-Jones, 1999

Birthdays Today:

Zoe Saldana, 1978

Poppy Montgomery, 1972

Mia Sara, 1967

Andy Lauer, 1965

Aung San Suu Kyi, 1965

Paula Abdul, 1962

Kathleen Turner, 1954

Ann Wilson, 1951

Phylicia Rashad, 1948

Salman Rushdie, 1947

Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane, 1942

Gena Rowlands, 1930

Louis Jourdan, 1919

Pauline Kael, 1919

Pat Buttram, 1915

Abe Fortas, 1910

Earl W. Bascom, 1906

Lou Gehrig, 1903

Guy Lombardo, 1902

Moe Howard, 1897

Wallis Simpson, 1896

Elbert Green Hubbard, 1856

Charles H. Spurgeon, 1834

Blaise Paschal, 1623

King James I of England and VI of Scotland, 1566

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Inside Out(Pixar film), 2015

Batman Returns(Film), 1992

"The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas"(Musical), 1978

"The Rocky Horror Show"(Musical), 1973

"Devil May Hare"(Cartoon short, Tazmanian Devil's premier), 1954

"I've Got a Secret"(TV), 1952

"Moon Mullins"(Comic strip), 1923

Today in History:

King Louis IX of France orders all Jews found in public without an identifying yellow badge to be fined ten livres of silver, 1269

The Earl of Pembroke's army defeats Bruce's Scottish army at the Battle of Methven, 1306

English colonists leave Roanoke Island, N.C., after failing to establish England's first permanent settlement in America, 1586

Emanuel Swedenborg reports the completion of the Second Coming of Christ in his work True Christian Religion, 1770

Battle of Seven Oaks between North West Company and Hudson's Bay Company, near Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, 1816

The first officially recorded, organized baseball match was played under Alexander Joy Cartwright's rules on Hoboken's Elysian Fields (Hoboken, New Jersey)with the New York Base Ball Club defeating the Knickerbockers 23-1; Cartwright umpired, 1846

Over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, slaves in Galveston, Texas, United States, are finally informed of their freedom; the anniversary is still officially celebrated in Texas and 35 other states as Juneteenth, 1865

Maximilian I of the Mexican Empire is executed by a firing squad in Querétaro, Querétaro, 1867

After all of the Southern States are formally readmitted to the United States, the Confederate States of America ceases to exist, 1870

The Herzegovinian rebellion against the Ottoman Empire begins, 1875

The first Father's Day is celebrated in Spokane, Washington, 1910

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are executed at Sing Sing, in New York, 1953

Kuwait declares independence from the United Kingdom, 1961

In one of the first militant attacks by Hezbollah, David S. Dodge, president of the American University in Beirut, is kidnapped, 1982

Norway ratifies the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention of 1989, 1990

Prime ministers of several northern European nations participate in a ceremonial "laying of the first stone" at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Spitsbergen, Norway, 2006

In a very simple ceremony, Prince Felipe of Spain is crowned following his father's abdication, 2014

Nature Ecology and Evolution publishes the first full genetic study of domesticated cats, showing they were domesticated around 9,000 years ago and were bred from one species, the African wildcat, 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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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 Lee at Kitchen Connection.

This week’s “Words for Wednesday” are the words listed below:

Stellar

Resourceful

Frivolous

Revelation

Catastrophe

Perspective

AND/OR

Potential

Embodiment

Euphoria

Jeopardise

Unite

Groundswell

"Just what in the h-e-double-hockey-sticks did you think you were doing!"

Kylie knew her friend and business partner didn't want an answer yet. She had a reason, but Jaime needed to let off some steam before she would be able to see what had been done from another PERSPECTIVE.

"This could be a CATASTROPHE!" Jaime continued. "We have a STELLAR product, we've been RESOURCEFUL in getting it almost to market, and there is the POTENTIAL that this could make us both very rich. Then you go and JEOPARDISE the whole thing with a FRIVOLOUS conversation!"

"I think you are overstating it a bit, aren't you?" Kylie finally decided to speak up, hoping to speed up the defusing process. This was typical in their friendship and partnership, Jaime usually calmed down a bit faster if Kylie started to push back at the five minute mark.

Not this time, though.

"Overstating! No, I don't think I am overstating! What did you think your untimely revealing of our launch was going to do, UNITE everyone in a GROUNDSWELL of support? Draw everyone to our side?"

Jaime continued in this vein for about five more minutes when Kylie decided she'd had enough. Every once in a while, she had to cut in and shut her friend down, and this time, she had a good reason to do just that.

It was time for her REVELATION. so Kylie interrupted with a shout, "Actually, everyone is on our side now, if you would calm down enough to listen!"

On the rare occasion that Kylie shouted, Jaime was usually shocked enough to listen.

Kylie then gave a detailed account of the whole situation, her conversations, the reactions, and how she had poised them for even more success than either of them had envisioned.

Jaime, true to her nature, went from being the EMBODIMENT of anger to EUPHORIA in about half the time it took Kylie to tell her the whole thing.

Finally, Jaime caught Kylie up and swung her around, laughing and whooping.

"My friend," she said, "thank you for sticking with me, no matter how crazy I get! You let me rant even when you know you are right!"

"You're welcome," Kylie said with a grin. "It's worth it, especially when I get to have the last laugh!"

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Today is:

American Eagle Day

Cuckoo Warning Day -- if you hear the cuckoo today, it will be a wet summer, according to old European traditions

Day of the National Flag -- Argentina (Anniversary of General D. Manuel Belgrano's Death)

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

Feast of the Great Spirit / Great Mystery -- various Native Americans (celebrations are around the time of the solstice)

Cherokee call the spirit Asgaya Galun Lati

Iroquois call the spirit Orenda

Lakota call the spirit Wakan Tanka

Zuni call the spirit Awonawilona

Festival for Summanus -- Ancient Roman Calendar (the god who threw thunderbolts at night)

Festival of the New Knee -- Fairy Calendar

Hogueras de San Juan -- Alicante, Spain ("Bonfires of St. John," through the 29th, with the night of the 24th being the most magical as the festival is for St. John, whose day that is)

Ice Cream Soda Day -- i guess because it's hot enough now for one

International Surfing Day -- The Surfrider Foundation and Surfing Magazine suggest contests, barbecues, film screenings, and organizing beach clean ups to celebrate

Iron Skegge's Day -- Vikings (martyrdom of Iron Skegge, who died defending the temples of Maeri against Christians)

Martyr's Day -- Eritrea

Midsummer's Eve -- many and varying traditions, with some celebrating the day before the solstice, and some always tying it to June 23, St. John's Eve

Night of the Fairy Goddesses Aine and Finnen -- Ireland (watch out for the antics of the little people on Midsummer's Eve, whichever day you celebrate it!)

National Vanilla Milkshake Day

New Identity Day -- an internet generated holiday, just have fun thinking about who you might want to be for a day

Scira/Skirophoria -- Ancient Greek Calendar (festival for Demeter, organized by the women of Athens; date approximate)

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

St. Michelina of Pesaro's Day (Patron of mentally ill people, people with in-law problems, widows; against death of children, insanity and mental illness)

Takekiri Eshiki Matsuri -- Kuramadera, Kyoto, Japan (bamboo cutting festival; the bamboo represents snakes, so cutting it symbolizes victory over evil)

World Productivity Day -- no central focus, just a day for suppliers of productivity tools and training to celebrate what they contribute to society

World Refugee Day -- UN

Anniversaries Today:

The University of Oxford receives its charter, 1214

West Virginia becomes the 35th US state, 1863

Birthdays Today:

Robert Rodriguez, 1968

Nicole Kidman, 1967

Michael Landon, Jr, 1964

Cyndi Lauper, 1953

John Goodman, 1952

Lionel Richie, 1949

Andre Watts, 1946

Bob Vila, 1946

Anne Murray, 1945

Brian Wilson, 1942

John Mahoney, 1940

Danny Aiello, 1933

James Tolkan, 1931

Martin Landau, 1931

Olympia Dukakis, 1931

Chet Atkins, 1924

Audie Murphy, 1924

Jean-Jacques Bertrand, 1916

Errol Flynn, 1909

Lillian Hellman, 1905

Charles W. Chesnutt, 1858

Scipio Africanus, BC236

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Jaws(Film), 1975

"The Ray Stevens Show"(TV), 1970

"The Ed Sullivan Show"(TV), 1948

Today in History:

Flavius Aetius' battles Attila the Hun; the battle was inconclusive, and Attila retreats, causing the Romans to interpret it as a victory, 451

Jews are expelled from Brazil by order of regent Don Henrique, 1567

The Irish village of Baltimore is attacked by Algerian pirates, 1631

A British garrison is imprisoned in the Black Hole of Calcutta, 1756

King Louis XVI of France and his immediate family begin the Flight to Varennes during The French Revolution, 1791

The U.S. vessel SS Savannah, the first steam-propelled vessel to cross the Atlantic, arrives at Liverpool, 1819

Queen Victoria succeeds to the British throne, 1837

Samuel Morse receives the patent for the telegraph, 1840

Alexander Graham Bell installs the world's first commercial telephone service in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, 1877

Caroline Willard Baldwin becomes the first woman to earn a doctor of science degree, at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 1895

A rare June hurricane struck Canada's Gulf of St. Lawrence killing 35, 1959

The so-called "red telephone" is established between the Soviet Union and the United States following the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1963

The German parliament decides to move the capital from Bonn back to Berlin, 1991

The Wikimedia Foundation is founded in St. Petersburg, Florida, 2003

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers grants private companies the right to create new website domain suffixes, 2011

Instagram offers users the ability to upload videos to their service, 2013

Dunedin and Christchurch, New Zealand, have roads cut off and flights cancelled due to adverse weather conditions, 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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"I think you are going to agree that today it's time for me to polish up my 'excellent husband' halo," he called her at work, and she could hear the mischief in his voice that told her he was smiling and up to something.

"And what, pray tell, makes you say that?" she asked with barely suppressed mirth.

"First," he noted, "I talked my mother into taking all three children to spend the night at their house, and we don't have to go get them until noon, second, I talked your boss into letting you off early today so I am on my way to pick you up, and third, I scored tickets to that show you've been wanting to see. We are going to go home, get all fancy, go to dinner and see the show, so as to put me in 'excellent husband' standing!"

"Not only does it put the extra polish on your halo," she practically yelled as she danced around her office wildly, "it reminds me of why I married you!"

That, he thought to himself, makes it worth all the effort.

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

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From vacation, a lovely iron fence in Mobile, Alabama:

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Today is:

Baby Boomer Recognition Day

Father's Day -- Egypt; Jordan; Lebanon; Palestine; Syria; Uganda (always June 21 in these countries)

Festival of the Tarasque -- Tarascon, France (celebration of the legend of the dragon tamed by St. Martha; through Monday)

Helen Keller Festival -- Tuscumbia, AL, US (performances of The Miracle Worker, historic tours, other entertainment, a fair, and more; through Sunday)

Galesburg Railroad Days -- Galesburg, IL, US (celebrating the city's railroad heritage with carnival, exhibits, and more; through Sunday)

Go Skateboarding Day -- and break something? leaving this to the young; sponsored by the International Association of Skateboard Companies (IASC)

Martyr's Day -- Togo

National Aboriginal Day / First Nations Day -- NT, Canada

National ASK Day -- prevent gun violence and accidental deaths, ASK if there is an unlocked gun anywhere that your child plays, because Asking Saves Kids!

National Dump the Pump Day -- The American Public Transportation Association encourages you to consider public transportation as a way to cut down on high gasoline prices

National Peaches & Cream Day

Reaping Machine Day -- Cyrus McCormick was granted a patent for his mechanical reaper this day in 1834

Recess at Work Day -- engage in productive play!

Shakespeare on the Green -- University of Nebraska, Omaha, NE, US (nonprofit professional productions of the Bard's works, including preshow seminars, workshops, period music and entertainment; this year's performances will be King John and Much Ado About Nothing, through July 8)

Solstice -- 10:07am UTC/06:07am EDT; related observances:

Aimless Wandering Day -- use the extra daylight to wander someplace with nothing particular to do

Anne and Samantha Day -- remembrance for Anne Frank and Samantha Smith, and their contributions to our world

Daylight Appreciation Day -- celebrating the benefits of sunshine

Finally Summer Day/Finally Winter Day

Hump Day -- Tasmania (because it is the shortest in the year, Taswegians today feel they are over the "hump" of winter.)

Inti Raymi -- Inca (festival of the sun god Inti, ongoing);Sacsayhuamán Andes Mountain Natives (winter solstice and New Year festival)

Litha / Yule -- Wicca/Pagan (northern hemisphere / southern hemisphere)

Midnight Sun Baseball Game -- Fairbanks, AK, US (begins promptly at 10:35pm local time, and played without any artificial lights allowed)

Midsomarsblog -- Norse Viking celebrations (time of fishing, trading, and raiding)

Midsummer -- Midsummer Festivals begin -- Juhannus Day in Finland and Midsommar in Denmark and Norway, celebrated over the next several days in many Scandinavian traditions; often this time is also associated with betrayal, as the sunlight begins to decrease, this is when Baldur was betrayed, as well as Sigurd.

Midsummer -- Asatru/Slavic Pagan

Midsummer Baal -- Ancient Celtic Calendar

Polar Bear Swim -- Nome, AK, US (if they can break through the ice!)

Solsticio de Invierno / Ano Nuevo Aymara -- Bolivia (Winter Solstice / Aymara Indiginous People's New Year)

We Tripantu -- Chile (Mapuche natives winter solstice festival)

Wadjet Summer Solstice Ceremony -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate, it may have been a multi-day ceremony that began on Midsummer's Eve)

St. Alban's Day (Patron of epileptics, people with hernias; against epilepsy, hernias, kidney stones)

St. Aloysius Gonzanga's Day (Protector of young students, young men; Patron of AIDS care-givers and patients; for relief from pestilence; Castiglione delle Stiviere, Italy; Valmonte, Italy; against sore eyes)

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

Ulloortuneq -- Greenland (National Day)

World Handshake Day -- no one likes them fishy, and it's not a contest; practice a firm grip and a smile! not to be confused with National Handshake Day, today's sponsor is here

World Music Day -- begun in the UK, now celebrated everywhere

Anniversaries Today:

New Hampshire becomes the 9th US State, 1788

Birthdays Today:

Kris Allen, 1985

Prince William (William Arthur Philip Louis), 1982

Juliette Lewis, 1973

Larry Wachowski, 1965

Sammi Davis-Voss, 1964

Doug Savant, 1964

Berkeley Breathed, 1957

Rick Sutcliffe, 1956

Benazir Bhutto, 1953

Nils Lofgren, 1951

Meredith Baxter, 1947

Michael Gross, 1947

Ray Davies, 1944

Mariette Hartley, 1940

Joe Flaherty, 1940

Bernie Kopell, 1933

Maureen Stapleton, 1925

Jane Russell, 1921

Jean-Paul Sartre, 1905

Al Hirschfeld, 1903

Reinhold Niebuhr, 1892

Henry Ossawa Tanner, 1859

Daniel Carter Beard, 1850

Daniel D. Tompkins, 1774

Martha Dandridge Custis Washington, 1731

Increase Mather, 1639

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Evita"(Musical), 1978

"Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg"(Wagner opera), 1868

Today in History:

Jews are expelled from Nurenberg Bavaria by Emperor Maximillian, 1498

The Incident at Honno-ji takes place in Kyoto, Japan, 1582

In Montreal in New France, a slave known by the French name of Marie-Joseph Angélique is put to death, having been convicted of the arson that destroyed much of the city, 1734

Halifax, Nova Scotia, is founded, 1749

The first Victoria Cross is awarded during the bombardment of Bomarsund in the Åland Islands, 1854

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police fire a volley into a crowd of unemployed war veterans, killing two, during the Winnipeg General Strike, 1919

The first successful west-to-east navigation of Northwest Passage begins at Vancouver, British Columbia, 1940

Columbia Records introduces the long-playing record album in a public demonstration at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, 1948

Ellen Louks Fairclough is sworn in as Canada's first woman Cabinet Minister, 1957

In handing down the decision in Miller v. California 413 US 15, the Supreme Court of the United States establishes the Miller Test for obscenity in U.S. law, 1973

SpaceShipOne becomes the first privately funded spaceplane to achieve spaceflight, 2004

Pluto's newly discovered moons are officially named Nix & Hydra, 2006

Greenland assumes self-rule, 2009
The U.S. officially charges Edward Snowden with espionnage, 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.

Last Wednesday (meaning over a week ago, not day before yesterday), Ms. Annie from the shelter went to the local "pound" to pull out cats that are adoptable and bring them to our facility.

While she was there, a worker handed her a big laundry basket with, get this, 12 bottle feed kittens! A whole dozen, from two litters but born within a couple of days of each other.

Nine of them were orange tabbies, all boys; the girls were a brown tabby, a tortoiseshell, and a "tabico" (a tabby with some calico markings).

Ms. Annie divided them between three foster homes, giving each three orange boys and one girl. One of the fosters has had to leave town this weekend for a funeral, and so i have taken hers until Sunday when she comes back.

It's not easy getting pictures of kittens that are only about 2 weeks old:

My nicknames for them are Eenie, Meenie, Miney, and Maureen.

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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 the new cohost of the Fill-Ins, Lorianne The Menagerie Mom of Four-Legged Furballs. They try to make sure the statements will be fun to both answer and share. The linky will be posted at or about 12:00am on Friday. Please head over to one of their sites, link up, and share your thoughts!

Here are this week's statements with my responses underlined:

1. My favorite scent is ________________.

2. I hope to __________________ this weekend.

3. _________ is music to my ears.

4. Home is where _________.

1. My favorite scent is sweet olive, with jasmine and gardenia running a close second.

2. I hope to find my sanity hiding around here somewhere this weekend, although i am not holding my breath.

3. On the order of “no news is good news,” not hearing that any of my cars need repair is music to my ears. (No, i am not hearing that all of my cars are in good shape right now, i am hearing the "ka-ching" as dollar signs add up again since Jalopy has a serious gas leak.)

4. Home is where i get to take my work clothes off and relax.

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Today is:

Anti-Fascist Resistance Day -- Croatia

Antiques on the Bay -- St. Ignace, MI, US (annual show for antique and classic cars at least 25 years old or older; through tomorrow)

Bouphoria -- Ancient Greek Calendar (sacrifice of an ox to symbolize social order dissolving and being restored; date approximate)

Colorado Brewers' Festival -- Fort Collings, CO, US (celebrate Colorado's rich brewing history with over 30 breweries; through Sunday)

Dairy Queen Day -- the first Dairy Queen® opened this day in 1940 in Joliet, Illinois

Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Great Patriotic War -- Belarus

Elfin Music Festival -- Fairy Calendar

Fes Musiques Sacrees du Monde -- Fez, Morocco (Fez Festival of World Sacred Music, with all types of sacred music featured, from Spanish gypsy laments to Sufi chanting and everything between; through the 30th)

Festival of 1 Lithe -- Hobbit Calendar

Grantsville Days -- Grantsville, MD, US (annual homecoming weekend, with fun for all; through Sunday)

Heidi Festival -- New Glarus, Wisconsin (celebrations of the town's Swiss heritage; through Sunday)

Hjemkomst and Annual Viking Festival -- Moorhead, MN, US (celebrating all things Nordic, with exhibitions from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweeden and Saami Land; through tomorrow)

Kaposia Days -- South St. Paul, MN, US (Kaposia, or "Little Crows Village," was a seasonal American Indian settlement within the city limits of what is now St. Paul, MN, and a family oriented city festival is now held paying tribute to the orignal name; through Sunday)

Little Bighorn Days -- Hardin, MT, US (celebrating the life and legends of the American West, with battle reenactments at the "Custer's Last Stand" battle site this weekend; through Sunday)

Louisiana Peach Festival -- Ruston, LA, US (Ruston grows some peaches worth celebrating! through tomorrow)

Midsummer's Eve Holiday -- Aland; Finland; Sweden

National Chocolate Eclair Day

National Onion Rings Day

Newport Flower Show -- Newport, RI, US (New England's premier summer flower show; through Sunday)

Soap Microphone Day -- grab your soap in the shower and pretend you are on stage! (promise i won't tell)

St. Nicetas' Day (Patron of Romania)

St. Thomas More's Day (Patron of adopted children, civil servants, difficult marriages, large families, lawyers, politicians/politicos/statesmen, step-parents, widowers; Arlington, VA; Ateneo de Manila Law School; Pensacola-Tallahassee, FL; University of Malta; University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Arts and Letters)

Stupid Guy Thing Day -- included under protest; "guy things" aren't necessarily stupid, it should just be Guy Thing Day; sponsored by Wellcat Holidays, who want all women to just not count anything against guys today, but chalk it up to being a Stupid Guy Thing

Take Your Dog to Work Day -- depending on where you work, what did your dog do to deserve this?

Teacher's Day -- El Salvador

Ugliest Dog Day -- actual day, during the Sonoma-Marin Fair that began two days ago, of the 2018 World's Ugliest Dog® Contest; will Martha, last year's winner, keep her title?

Vikingespil Frederikssund (Viking Festival) -- Frederikssund, Denmark (the most famous Viking cultural event in Denmark, with two weeks of plays based on Danish Viking legends and a three day festival this weekend, as well as two markets and a Viking camp recreation)

Anniversary Today:

Harry Houdini marries Wilhelmina Beatrice "Bess" Rahner, 1894

Birthdays Today:

Eric Stretch, 1980

Donald Faison, 1974

Carson Daly, 1973

Mary Lynn Rajskub, 1971

Kurt Warner, 1971

Amy Brennenman, 1964

Dan Brown, 1964

Randy Couture, 1963

Tracy Pollan, 1960

Freddie Prinze, 1954

Cyndi Lauper, 1953

Todd Rundgren, 1948

Meryl Streep, 1949

Lindsay Wagner, 1949

Pete Maravich, 1947

Klaus Maria Brandauer, 1944

Ed Bradley, 1941

Michael Lerner, 1941

Kris Kristofferson, 1936

William Ralph "Bill" Blass, 1922

Joseph Papp, 1921

Billy Wilder, 1906

Anne Morrow Lindbergh, 1906

John Dillinger, 1903

Captain George Vancouver, 1757

Debuting/Premiering Today:

The Rescuers(Animated film), 1977

Lady and the Tramp(Animated film), 1955

Today in History:

Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom, BC217

Bilbo Baggins returns to his home at Bag End, (Shire Reconning), 1342

The Jewish quarter of Prague is burned and looted, 1559

Galileo Galilei is forced by Inquisition to "abjure, curse, & detest" his Copernican heliocentric views, 1633

A poisonous cloud from Laki volcanic eruption in Iceland reaches Le Havre in France, 1783

The British Parliament abolishes feudalism and the seigneurial system in British North America, 1825

Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee procession in London, 1897

The Flag of Sweden is adopted, 1906

The Flag of the Faroe Islands is raised for the first time, 1919

Erwin Rommel is promoted to Field Marshal after the capture of Tobruk, 1942

The Cuyahoga River catches fire, which triggers a crack-down on pollution in the river, 1969

The Canadian House of Commons abolishes capital punishment, 1976

Charon, a satellite of the dwarf planet Pluto, is discovered, 1978

The largest hailstone ever recorded falls in Aurora, Nebraska (7inch diameter, 18.75 inch circumfrence), 2003

Eastman Kodak Company announces that it will discontinue sales of the Kodachrome Color Film, concluding its 74-year run as a photography icon, 2009

UNESCO officially names Mount Fuji a World Heritage Site, 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 time for Ten Things of Thankful, and i am going to make it short and sweet this time because it’s very late when i am writing this and i am tired.

Part of this is about the car, and part is about the kittens.

On Thursday morning, i smelled gas, and i am thankful i smelled it and didn’t ignore it.

We took Jalopy in, and we are both thankful we got her in right away because she needs a new gas tank and could have gone boom if we hadn’t taken her in.

Lenny found a still-in-great-shape used one, which cost about half of what a new one is — have i ever said how thankful i am for Kevin and Lenny at the mechanic shop? Yes? Well, i’m saying it again.

While the plan had been to take two cars to work that day so Sweetie could run an errand separately, yet i am still thankful we had one vehicle running so we didn’t miss work, even if we had to modify all of our plans.

Our second client that day, when he found out we were short one vehicle, insisted that we take his family’s extra vehicle. His wife drives the minivan, he is driving the work truck, so the old Tahoe that sits in the driveway is ours to use for the weekend. It is still amazing to me that he is doing this. (We will be taking it for the fancy car wash and filling the tank before returning it as a thank you to him.)

Enough about the vehicle, onto the babies.

These little ones are so little that i’ve had to take them to work with me. Every client has been fine with me parking the carrier in an out of the way place and stopping to feed them when i needed to.

What’s the old saying about how constipation is going less often than your mother? Moms are always concerned about the state of the baby’s colon, and i am grateful to say i don’t need to have any concerns about these four.

The little girl, Maureen, had the beginnings of an eye infection, and i am grateful i had colloidal silver on hand to nip it in the bud. Not only is her eye clear after only three treatments, none of the others even caught it from her because i was able to treat it so fast.

These four eat like little champions, i’m thankful i’ve had no troubles getting them to latch on to the bottle.

As much as i love raising kittens, it’s difficult to do with a full work schedule, so i am thankful they go back to their regular foster tomorrow.

A bonus thankful, Mr. BA wanted me to work today as usual and his wife had something else for them to do, so i have an unexpected day off! My plan is to get some good photos of these kittens to use for Sunday Selections and Awww Monday.

Ten Things of Thankful is a wonderful blog hop that encourages everyone to count blessings and share them. The new blog hostess is Kristi of ThankfulMe.

If you’ve never tried it, it isn’t hard to do. We don’t demand ten things, just list a few if you want, and link up. It brightens your day to make your list, it brightens ours to read it!

 An InLinkz Link-up

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Today is:

Anubis Ceremony -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

ARRL Field Day -- American Radio Relay League's most popular on-air operating event, in which amatuer/ham radio operators practice and drill for communications during emergencies; through tomorrow www.aarl.org/fieldday

Baymen's Seafood and Music Festival -- Tuckerton, NJ, US (this year including a micro-brewers tent with the seafood and music; through tomorrow)

Birth Anniversary of Guru Rinpoche -- Bhutan

Dandruff Dance -- Fairy Calendar (Goblins and Gnomes)

Eastern Music Festival -- Guilford College, Greensboro, NC, US (an acclaimed festival and school, with world-class guest artists; through July 28)

Father's Day -- Nicaragua; Poland

Festival of the Purple Void -- only one internet reference, and not explained there, either, but since purple is my favorite color, and a Purple Void sound like something fun to celebrate, i'm including it!

Festivals of Het-Hert and Bast, and Great Feast of the Southern Heavens -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Grand Duke's Birthday & National Day -- Luxembourg

Great American Campout -- sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation, and remember that Happy Campers Protect Wildlife

Kupala -- Asatru/Slavic Pagan Calendar (Summer Solstice celebration, always on St. John's Eve, as the pagans hid their celebration by naming it "Ivan Kupala", their name for John the Baptist)

Let It Go Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays; whatever you are holding on to, just let it go and the day will get better

Long Beach Bayou and Blues Festival -- Rainbow Lagoon, Long Beach, CA, US (celebrating Cajun/Creole culture, food, music, arts and crafts, and even a Mardi Gras parade; through tomorrow)

Midsummer's Day -- Aland; Finland; Sweden

Mineral Collecting Field Trips -- Bancroft, ON, CA (every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday through July and August, geologists lead mineral collecting field trips, educating participants about mineral identification, collecting techniques, and earth sciences)

Napoleon Bivouacs -- Waterloo, Belgium (reenactment of Napoleon's military camp at the sight of his battle battle against Allied forces led by the Duke of Wellington; through tomorrow)

National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism -- Canada

National Pecan Sandy Day

National Pink Day -- the color or the flower, your choice, because the creator didn't leave a trail explaining it

Pink Flamingo Day -- honoring Don Featherstone, creator of the original pink plastic flamigo lawn ornament; decorate your lawn with at least four pink flamigos, the minimum number needed for a flock

Pixie Day -- Ottery St. Mary, Devon, England (reenacting of the "Revenge" of the Pixies who bothered the town until midsummer in 1454; now fun, games, music, pageant, and more)

Poop Out Early Day -- act pooped out, see if you can cut out early on whatever you are required to do today; your success at pooping out early may vary

Public Service Day -- UN

SAT Math Day -- birth anniversary of Alan Turing

St. Agrippina (Patron against bacterial diseases and infections, evil spirits, leprosy, storms and thunder; of Mineo, Italy)

St. Ethelreda's Day (Patron of those with neck and throat ailments, widows; University of Cambridge)

St. John's Eve -- start or culmination of many midsummer festivals, including:

Dragaica Fair -- Buzau, Romania

Golowan Festival -- Cornwall

Jaaniohtu -- Estonia

Kupala Days begin -- Belarus; Poland; Russia; Ukraine

Ligo / Lani -- Latvia (pagan midsummer celebration originally dedicated to the god Janis

Midsummer Eve -- Denmark; Sweden

Midsummer Festival -- Portugal

St. Joseph Cafasso's Day (Patron of captives, prisoners, prisons, and prison chaplains)

Typewriter Day -- patented this day in 1868 by Christopher Latham Sholes

Victory Day -- Estonia

Birthdays Today:

Bridget Sloan, 1992

Chellsie Memmel, 1988

Jason Mraz, 1977

Selma Blair, 1972

Louis Van Amstel,1972

Frances McDormand, 1957

Clarence Thomas, 1948

Bryan Brown, 1947

Ted Shackelford, 1946

James Levine, , 1943

Wilma Glodean Rudolph, 1940

June Carter Cash, 1929

Bob Fosse, 1927

Alan Turing, 1912

Edward VIII, King of England, 1894

Alfred Kinsey, 1894

Johannes Gutenberg, 1400 (estimated)

Ptolemy XV Philopator Philometor Caesar, BC47 (Son of Cleopatra VII and Julius Caesar)

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Batman(Film), 1989

"The Breakfast Club"(Radio), 1933

Today in History:

The world's oldest parliament, the Icelandic Althing, is established, 930

First Battle of Uji, starting the Genpei War in Japan, 1180

First War of Scottish Independence: The Battle of Bannockburn, south of Stirling, begins, 1314

The mutinous crew of Henry Hudson's fourth voyage sets Henry, his son and seven loyal crew members adrift in an open boat in what is now Hudson Bay; they are never heard from again, 1611

The French residents of Acadia are given one year to declare allegiance to Britain or leave Nova Scotia, Canada, 1713

Empress Catherine II of Russia grants Jews permission to settle in Kiev, 1794

Christopher Latham Sholes receives a patent for Type-Writer, 1868

The Rocky Mountains Park Act becomes law in Canada, creating the nation's first national park, Banff National Park, 1887

The International Olympic Committee is founded at the Sorbonne, Paris, at the initiative of Baron Pierre de Coubertin, 1894

The College Board administers the first SAT exam, 1926

Wiley Post and Harold Gatty take off from Roosevelt Field, Long Island in an attempt to circumnavigate the world in a single-engine plane, 1931

The 1946 Vancouver Island earthquake strikes Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, 1946

The Antarctic Treaty, which sets aside Antarctica as a scientific preserve and bans military activity on the continent, comes into force, 1961

Title IX of the United States Civil Rights Act of 1964 is amended to prohibit sexual discrimination to any educational program receiving federal funds, 1972

Himmy, of Australia, weighs in at domestic cat record 20.7 kg (45 lb) , 1982

Nintendo 64 goes on sale in Japan, 1996

Japan's Iwate prefecture experiences a 6.7 magnitude earthquake, 2011

Nik Wallenda completes a high wire walk across a Little Colorado River Gorge near the Grand Canyon, 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 has stopped hosting a Silly Sunday blog hop doesn't mean i'm going to quit telling Cajun jokes.

Bigger Girl came by to check in, see the kittens, and get a screwdriver so she could put together a bigger set-up for her pet rats. While here, we got to talking about her classes and her upcoming trip to Amsterdam. It seems she's going to get an assignment from her head professor to get in touch with some of his colleagues and make it a working vacation so that his grant will pay some of the expenses. (She is managing to fund this whole thing herself with various grants and work and determination, like she always does.)

We also talked about her summer class, which is a very high level math. It reminds me of one time when Tee Boudreaux was in school.

It seem de teacher done be teachin' de "new math", an' she tell de kids "A rich man done die an' he leave behin' ten million dollar.

"He done leave one fifth o' de money to de wife, one fifth do de son, an' one sixth to de butler. De rest he done leave to de charity. So what do each o' dem get?"

An' Tee raise his han' an' say, "Mais, I know! Dey each gets a lawyer!"

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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 pictures of the kittens. Sometimes they just sleep in their carrier, other times they play. There's also one picture of them in my lap:

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Today is:

America's Kids Day -- founded to encourage parents to teach their children the value of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

Araw ng Maynila -- Philippines (Manila Day)

Bannockburn Day -- Scotland (decisive battle of the first Scottish War of Independence, led by Robert Bruce)

Burning of the Lamps in Egypt at Sais -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar, a celebration of Isis and Neith (date approximate)

Calcio Fiorentino -- Florence, Italy (reviving 16th century style football in period costumes, through the 28th)

Carabobo Day -- Venezuela (battle commemoration)

Celebration of the Senses -- Wellcat Holidays urges you to enjoy all five (six?) of your senses today

Countryman's Day -- Peru (one of Peru's three Fiestas Patrias Peruanas)

Day of the Caboclo -- Amazonas State, Brazil

Descendent's Day -- on the final Sunday of June each year, an encouragement for all the world's citizens to take an accounting of their activities during the prior year and how those will affect those who come after us

Feast of Rahmat (Mercy) -- Baha'i

Flying Saucer Day -- anniversary of Kenneth Arnold's 1947 sighting, while flying near Mt. Rainier, of 9 metallic, circular objects he could not identify

Fors Fortuna -- Ancient Roman Calendar (rites and festival for the goddess of good luck and fortune)

Gioco Del Ponte -- Pisa, Italy (the Battle of the Bridge or Game of the Bridge, a medieval parade and contest for possession of the bridge)

International Fairy Day/Faerie Day -- day for collectors, believers, and artists to share their love for the little folkwww.faemagizine.com/international-faerie-day/

La Festa Dei Gigli -- Nola, Campagna, Italy (Festival of the Lilies, in honor of St. Paulinus; through tomorrow, with the traditional Ballad of the Lilies on June 28)

Log Cabin Day -- The Log Cabin Society, dedicated to preserving log cabins and the old fashioned ways of life; many places that have historic log cabins plan big events the last Sunday in June to celebrate

Lost Handkerchief Day -- Fairy Calendar

Mother's Day -- Kenya

Museum Comes to Life Day -- another fun and funny day someone came up with

National Creamy Pralines Day

Singing on the Mountain -- Grandfather Mountain, Linville, NC, US (traditional and modern gospel music, with local and nationally known artists and speakers)

St. John the Baptist's Nativity Day and related Midsummer celebrations (Patron of baptism, bird dealers, converts, children with convulsions, epileptics, farriers, French Canadians, lambs, monastic life, motorways, printers, tailors; against convulsions, epilepsy, hail and hailstorms, and spasms; Patron of over 60 cities and countries around the globe)

Inti Raymi -- Peru (Incan Sun Festival)

Jaanipaev -- Estonia

Jani -- Latvia

Jónsmessa -- Iceland (feast of St. John the Baptist, considered a magical night when cows can speak, seals take on human form, finding magical stones and herbs is propitious, and rolling naked in the dew is healing.)

Macau Day -- China (celebrating the defeat of Dutch invasion forces in 1622 and paying homage to St. John as the port's Patron Saint)

Midsummer Day -- England

National Holiday -- Quebec, Canada (Sant Jean-Baptiste)

Saint John the Baptist Day -- Andorra

Saint Jonas Festival or Jonines -- Lithuania

San Juan -- CT and GA, Spain

Surinal -- North Korea

Zuni Buffalo, Corn, and Comanche Dances -- Zuni Native Americans (for fertility of land and people; Vespers is also observed, as San Juan is their Patron Saint)

Swim a Lap Day -- just for fun!

Swing a Kid Day -- if swimming isn't right for you

Windjammer Days -- Boothbay Harbor, ME, US (the premier maritime event on the coast of Maine, with something for everyone; through Saturday)

Anniversaries Today:

Eton College is founded by Henry VI, 1441

Birthdays Today:

Sherry Stringfield, 1967

Joe Penny, 1956

Nancy Allen, 1950

Phyllis George, , 1949

Peter Weller, 1947

Mick Fleetwood, 1947

Ellison Shoji Onizuka, 1946

Jeff Beck, 1944

Michele Lee, 1942

Claude Chabrol, 1930

John Anthony Ciardi. 1916

Phil Harris, 1904

Jack Dempsey, 1895

Roy O. Disney, 1893

Ambrose Bierce, 1842

Henry Ward Beecher, 1813

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Catch-22(Film), 1970

"Hopalong Cassidy"(TV), 1949

"American Mercury Presents: Meet the Press"(Radio), 1945

Today in History:

Battle of Cedynia, the first documented victory of Polish forces, takes place, 972

A sudden outbreak of St. John's Dance causes people in the streets of Aachen, Germany, to experience hallucinations and begin to jump and twitch uncontrollably until they collapse from exhaustion, 1374

John Cabot lands in North America at Newfoundland; the first European

exploration of the region since the Vikings, 1497

Miguel Lopez de Legazpi founds Manila, the capital of the Republic of the Philippines, 1571

Samuel de Champlain discovers the mouth of the Saint John River, site of Reversing Falls and the present day city of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, 1604

The colony of New Jersey is founded, 1664

Kingston, Jamaica is founded, 1692

The Premier Grand Lodge of England, the first Masonic Grand Lodge in the world (now the United Grand Lodge of England), is founded in London, England, 1717

The first republican constitution in France is adopted, 1793

The decisive battle in the war of independence of Venezuela from Spain, the Battle of Carabobo takes place, 1821

First performance of O Canada, the song that would become the national anthem of Canada, at the Congrès national des Canadiens-Français, 1880

The first exhibition of Pablo Picasso's work opens, 1901

Mary Pickford becomes the first female film star to get a million dollar contract, 1916

The first airmail service in Canada from Montreal to Toronto begins, 1918

Siam is renamed Thailand by Plaek Pibulsonggram, the third prime minister, 1939

The Soviet Union makes overland travel between the West with West Berlin impossible, 1948

The United Kingdom grants Zanzibar internal self-government, 1963

Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud completes his first mission, becoming the first Arab and first Muslim in space, as a Payload Specialist, 1985

John Isner of the United States defeats Nicolas Mahut of France at Wimbledon, in the longest match in professional tennis history, 2010

The last known Pinta Island Tortoise, Lonesome George, is found dead in the Galapagos Islands, 2012

All Things Fowl (Random Tuesday) and Pepe (Tuesday Fun)

Forget Shoes, a Big Chair to Fill (Wordless Wednesday) and Words for Wednesday

"Get Shed Of" (Six Sentence Story) and Good Fences

The Best Naptime (Feline Friday) and Friendly Fill-Ins

Hooray for Time Away (Ten Things of Thankful)

Had to Stay (Cajun Joke) and Sunday Selections

Three Kinds of Awww Monday and the Inspiring Quote of the Week

Random Tuesday is a Fun Tuesday

His Side/Her Side (Wordless Wednesday) and Words for Wednesday

To Kiss or Not to Kiss (Six Sentence Story) and Good Fences

Z Kitty (Feline Friday) and Friendly Fill-Ins

Vacation Thankfulness (Ten Things of Thankful)

Accent Mark (Cajun Joke) and Sunday Selections

Snowy Plover's Plea (Awww Monday) and Inspiring Quote of the Week

Back to It, Random and Fun Tuesday

Mobile Hero Chief Slacabamarinico (Wordless Wednesday) and Words for Wednesday

Husband Halo (Six Sentence Story) and Good Fences

Catch a Kitten by the Toe (Feline Friday) and Friendly Fill-Ins

Five Plus Five Plus One (Ten Things of Thankful)

You Get What You Get (Cajun Joke) and Sunday Selections