In keeping with the month, today i will list several simple things for which i am thankful and that start with the letter S.
Salvation. "So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free." John 8:36 (NLT)
Savings. Trust G-d, save for a rainy day. "There is desirable treasure and olive oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish person devours all he has." Proverbs 21:20 (NLT) Yes, it's true, we are often saving only for the next car repair, but i'm thankful we do save as much as we can.
Sunrises and Sunsets. Days are usually a blur of work, but early morning and late evening are often the best, and prettiest, times of day. At sunrise and just before, i get to listen to the bird chorus. In the evenings, i can sit down finally and watch the clouds turn colors.
Salt. If you've ever had to cut down on it for dietary reasons, or been served bland food, you know why i'm including this. We use gray Celtic sea salt, and it is delightful.
Spring. It has certainly sprung here, and we have flowers, and i'm grateful it is warmer than winter but not yet hot.
Serendipity. Lovely surprises await, you just have to be looking for them. When i remember to look, i am thankful that i do see wonderful things.
Spiders. Yes, i am an arachnophile. When i run across spiders while cleaning houses, i try to save them and put them outdoors.
Solitude. Although i don't get much, i treasure it when i do. Twenty minutes alone to breathe and think and just be rejuvenates me.
Snacks. To me, food is more fun when it's a snack.
Songs. While i can't carry a tune in a bucket, i love music and sing along to my favorite songs when i'm in the car by myself.
Some of these may be silly to some people, but they are things i am grateful to have in my life. List your own Ten Things of Thankful and join in, you'll be glad you did!
Today is:
California Poppy Festival -- Lancaster, CA, US (two fun days celebrating California's State Flower)
Chemists Celebrate The Earth Day -- promoting public awareness of the important contribution of chemists
Discovery Day -- Brazil (landing of Cabral in 1500)
Earth Day
Festival of Jupiter and Juno -- Ancient Roman Calendar
Girl Scout Leader Appreciation Day -- Girl Scouts of the USA
Granary Offering to Renenutet -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (offering to the Lady of Granaries; date approximate)
Historic Garden Week in Virginia -- VA, US (enjoying some of Virginia's finest homes and gardens)
International Marconi Day -- a 24-hour amateur radio event annually near the birth anniversary of Marconi
International Mother Earth Day -- UN
"Just Pray No" Worldwide Weekend of Prayer and Fasting -- people around the world pray for healing for those who are addicted to drugs, through tomorrow
Lela's Holiday -- Asatru/Slavic Pagan Calendar (honoring the goddess-daughter, Lela)
Mississippi River Valley Scenic Drive -- Mississippi River valley of southeast Missouri, US (several scenic small towns along the valley have homemade goodies, quilt shows, history tours, entertainment, and more; through Sunday)
National Jelly Bean Day
Queen Isabella Day -- Spain and some US states (birth anniversary of Isabella I of Castille)
Record Store Day -- US (celebrated by independent record stores everywhere, find one near you)
St. Epipodius of Lyon's Day (Patron of bachelors, betrayal victims, torture victims)
Walpurgis celebrations begin -- through May 1, Norse, Scandinavian, and Germanic celebrations (remembering the sacrifice of Odin upon the World Tree Yggdrasil)
Yggdrasil Day -- Asatru/Slavic Pagan Calendar
World's Biggest Fish Fry -- Paris, TN, US (parades, auto shows, arts and crafts, and of course, all-you-can-eat catfish dinner; through the 29th)
Birthdays Today:
Amber Heard, 1986
Francis Capra, 1983
Daniel Johns, 1979
Kim Elizabeth, 1978
Eric Mabius, 1971
Chris Makepeace, 1964
Byron Allen, 1961
Ryan Stiles, 1959
Peter Frampton, 1950
John Waters, 1946
Jack Nicholson, 1937
Glen Campbell, 1936
Aaron Spelling, 1928
Charlotte Rae, 1926
Yehudi Menuhin, 1916
Eddie Albert, 1906
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev, 1891
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, 1870
Immanuel Kant, 1724
Queen Isabella, 1451
Debuting/Premiering Today:
"The Who's Tommy"(Rock musical), 1993
"Le Triomphe de Plutus/Money Makes the World Go Round"(Play), 1728
Today in History:
Portuguese navigator Pedro Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil, 1500
President George Washington attends a performance of Rickett's, the first circus in the US, 1793
Thomas Stevens sets out from San Francisco on the first round the world journey by bicycle, 1884
The Oklahoma land rush begins at noon; thousands rush to claim land, and the towns of Oklahoma City and Guthrie are formed within hours with populations of over 10,000 each, 1889
Pravda begins publication in St. Petersburg, 1912
The Germans begin using poison chlorine gas as a chemical weapon, 1915
British yachtsman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston completes the first solo non-stop circumnavigation of the world, 1969
The first Earth Day is celebrated, 1970
The Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. is dedicated, 1993
Japan's Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi apologizes for Japan's war record, 2005
Four Canadian soldiers are killed 75 kilometers north of Kandahar, Afghanistan by a roadside bomb planted by Taliban militants, the worst single day combat loss for the Canadian army since the Korean War, 2006
The Pope, Benedict XVI, becomes the first pontiff to participate in a televised interview session, 2011