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Saturday is Ten Things of Thankful Day here, and it's A to Z's day for the letter F, so how about Ten Things that begin with the letter F. Glad you agree!
Faith is first, and it's difficult to express just how thankful i am for it. It's not for pie-in-the-sky, it's for a full and abundant life now, because the next life starts now.
Family, of course because, family. As i like to joke, you can't live with them and there aren't enough places to hide the bodies (NSA, that is a joke, i haven't murdered any of them, you can take a head count if you like), but actually, there's no way to live without them and the joy and enrichment they bring to my life.
The fellowship of friends, in person and online, and sometimes meeting in person those i've first met online. It's always been a positive thing.
Fur family -- the critters. Cats, dogs, and, in the past, rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, ferrets and even a crazy squirrel (do NOT get a pet squirrel, you've been warned) have shared my life and made it wonderful and insane and often stinky, but wonderful nonetheless.
Feathered family, yes, we've had pet birds. Grandma had doves and we've had budgies here. They are a mess of their own, and great pets, too, so i'm thankful i got to know them and enjoy their company.
Farms, although not my farm. If it were up to me to grow our food, we'd all starve. My thanksgiving is to all of the farmers who make it possible for me to eat.
Fall, or autumn, even though it's months away, i am always thankful for that time of year because it means an end to the summer heat.
Festivals and celebrations, of which we have beaucoup here, although i may not make it to all of them, i enjoy the ones i do get to.
Florida, because, vacation. Just over 60 days to the second week of June, sand, the Gulf, and sitting under the waterfall to inspect the insides of my eyelids for cracks. Makes me thankful just thinking about it.
Flowers, because how can you not be thankful for beautiful flowers!
There, the letter F and thankful things. Worked like a charm.
Please join us and our gracious and wonderful hostess Kristi from ThankfulMe, write up your own list and link up to Ten Things of Thankful.
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Today is:
Act of Self Determination Day -- Cocos (Keeling) Islands (trad.)
Animated Cartoon Day -- date of release, in 1908, of Humorous Phases of Funny Faces, often considered the first actual animated cartoon
Army Day -- US (by proclamation of FDR in 1942)
California Poppy Day -- California, US (state flower)
Chakri Dynasty Day and King Rama I Memorial Day -- Thailand
Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia -- Philadelphia, PA, US (in conjunction with the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia; through the 14th)
Drowsy Driver Awareness Day -- please pull over and take a nap when you need to
Edinburgh International Science Festival -- Edinburgh, Scotland (a massive celebration of science and technology; through Apr. 15)
Elmira Maple Syrup Festival -- Elmira, ON, Canada (fun for the whole family, and delicious, too!)
Every Day is Tag Day™ -- make sure your pet has an up to date tag or microchip, just in case!
Hatsume Fair -- Morikami Museum and Japanese Garden, Delray Beach, FL, US (celebrating the culture and beauty of Japan; through tomorrow)
Historic Pendleton Spring Jubilee -- Pendleton, SC, US (through tomorrow)
International Day of Sport for Development and Peace -- UN (on the anniversary of the date of the opening of the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896)
Jump Over Things Day -- probably started by the same people who brought us Walk Around Things Day on the 4th; as if friends and family aren't looking at you strangely enough after that one
Kasama Tsutsuji Matsuri -- Kasama, Japan (Azalea festival attended by about 3 million people through May 6)
Katori Jingu Otaue-sai -- Sawara, Chiba Prefecture, Japan (rice planting festival; through tomorrow)
National Caramel Popcorn Day
National Student Athlete Day -- US
New Beer's Eve -- US (unofficial celebration of the end of Prohibition; beer became legal to sell again on tomorrow's date in 1933)
North Pole Day -- Peary and Co. arrived there this day in 1909
Plan Your Epitaph Day -- figure out how you want to be remembered, and then live that way! (some sites celebrate this on Nov. 1)
President Ntaryamira Day -- Burundi (anniversary of assassination)
Ramayana Week -- Hindu (through April 14th; local customs/celebratory dates may vary)
Slow Art Day -- a global all-volunteer event with the simple mission of helping more people discover for themselves the joy of looking at and loving art
Sorting-Out of the Doggets Day -- Fairy Calendar
St. Sixtus' Day (Patron of Alatri, Italy)
Tangible Karma™ Day -- set aside an hour today to become purposefully aware of the needs of someone around you, and to fulfill that need; because giving feels as good as receiving tangiblekarma.com
Tartan Day -- Scottish diaspora of Canada and the US (anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320)
Teflon Day -- Polytetraflouroethylene resin was developed by Roy J. Plunkett while working for E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company in 1938
Think About Spring Cleaning Day -- don't do it, just think about it
Twinkie Day -- the snack cakes that will never go away were invented on this day in 1930
World Catfish Festival -- Belzoni, MS, US (a family friendly festival celebrating this ever-popular fish)
Birthdays Today:
Candace Cameron, 1976
Zach Braff, 1975
Ari Meyers, 1969
Paul Rudd, 1969
Marilu Henner, 1952
John Razenberger, 1947
Barry Levinson, 1942
Philip Austin, 1941
Roy Thinnes, 1938
Merle Haggard, 1937
Billy Dee Williams, 1937
Andre Previn, 1929
James Watson, 1928
Gerry Mulligan, 1927
Lowell Thomas, 1892
Rose Schneiderman, 1882
Butch Cassidy, 1866
René Lalique, 1860
Raphael, 1483
Debuting/Premiering Today:
"Barney & Friends"(TV), 1992
Post-It Notes(first day of sale), 1980
"Entertaining Mr. Sloane"(Play), 1964
"Little Orphan Annie"(Radio series), 1931
"La Double Inconstance / Double Inconsistancy"(Play), 1723
Today in History:
Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato (Cato the Younger) in the battle of Thapsus, BC46
The Roman army under the command of Stilicho stymies the Visigoths under Alaric in the Battle of Pollentia, 402
Charlemagne confirms his father Pepin the Short's "Donation of Pepin," which had established the Papal States, 774
King Richard I, The Lionheart, of England dies from an infection following the removal of an arrow from his shoulder, 1199
The Scots reaffirm their independence by signing the Declaration of Arbroath, 1320
The Italian poet Petrarch first sees his beloved Laura, 1327
At the Cape of Good Hope, Dutch sailor Jan van Riebeeck establishes a resupply camp that eventually becomes Cape Town , 1652
An earthquake devastates Dubrovnik, then an independent city-state, 1667
Peter the Great of Russia ends the tax on men with beards in that country, 1722
Rama I succeeds King Taksin of Siam (modern day Thailand), who is overthrown in a coup d'état, 1782
The Committee of Public Safety becomes the executive organ of the republic in France, and the period known as the Reign of Terror begins, 1793
John Jacob Astor incorporates the American Fur Company, 1808
Celluloid, the first plastic, is patented, 1869
The city of Vancouver, BC, is incorporated, 1886
The Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City is dedicated, 1893
In Athens, the first modern Olympic Games are opened, 1,500 years after being banned by Emperor Theodosius I; James Connoly of the US becomes the first gold medalist of the modern games, 1896
The Kishinev pogrom forces thousands of Jews to seek refuge in Israel and the West, 1903
Robert Peary and Matthew Henson allegedly reach the North Pole, 1909
Governor Huey P. Long is impeached by the Louisiana House of Representatives, 1929
Mohandas Gandhi raises a lump of mud and salt and declares, "With this, I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire." Thus he starts the Salt Satyagraha, 1930
Launch of Early Bird, the first communications satellite to be placed in geosynchronous orbit, 1965
The American League of Major League Baseball begins using the designated hitter, 1973
Pakistan tests medium-range missiles capable of reaching India, 1998
Rolandas Paksas becomes the first president of Lithuania to be peacefully removed from office by impeachment, 2004
Scientists announce the discovery of three new animal species that spent their entire lives without oxygen, 2010
In England, lawmakers ban the display of tobacco products, hoping the move will lead to a reduction in the number of youths who smoke, 2012
The first baby with DNA from 3 parents through mitochondrial transfer is born in Mexico, 2016