***********************************
Hooray for Thankful Day!
One of the things we've been missing since the current crisis began is our rEcess gatherings. We can't have group get-togethers, of course, with special kids who would be very vulnerable to illnesses.
What to do? Ask what the parents need, and see if there's a way to help them get what they need.
Mr. and Mrs. H, parents of Becca, one of the special kids i've cared for often, had been invited out to a distanced gathering with friends. In fact, they'd been invited to at least 3 such gatherings, and hadn't been able to go.
Last Saturday, after i got back in town from NOLA, i'm thankful i went over to their house and took care of Becca for them so they could get out for an evening.
Becca and i had a great time. We played some easy board games, and when the timer went off for bedtime, she took her meds, we prayed and sang Jesus Loves Me, and then she went to bed, all very thankful things.
It was a nice evening for us, and her parents had a great time, which was the point. Parents of special kids are stretched even more than usual right now.
Sunday morning, Becca had a meltdown, and Mrs. H texted to ask if i could meet them at the church where she was singing with the worship team and had to be at practice for 8am.
Thankfully, my breakfast was portable, i threw everything in GusGus and made it with a minute to spare.
First i asked Becca what was wrong, and she said she was scared. We prayed together, then Becca and i went to Burger King for hash browns and to get Mrs. H a cup of coffee. By the time she'd eaten the hash browns and we got the coffee back to her mama at the church, she was ready to sit with me for the service, meltdown over.
It makes me so thankful to be able to do things like that. Also, thankful that i had a couple of extra dollars and some loose change.
Also, thankfully, i was able to take care of Kiki cat until her mama got back in town.
On Wednesday, Ms. G was hurting, and i was thankful that i was not, so i took care of the 40lb. sacks of bird seed, got the heavy stuff unloaded from the car and the truck, reloaded the truck with all of her spay day stuff, and got the extra supplies into the attic. Ms. G is a strong lady, but when her knee and back give out at the same time, well, i'm just glad i was able to get to it all for her.
Sweetie and Brother-in-Law had a birthday yesterday, as noted, and so they both were thankful for a free adjustment from the chiropractor (the clinic gives you a freebee on your birthday each year) and a day off work.
Two of the staff at the cat shelter have been out with a stomach bug, so i am thankful we got plenty done last night, and Carl showed up to help me. He loves helping, and he's getting less and less shy of actually handling the cats.
That, i believe, is enough for one list.
Please write up your own list and link up to Ten Things of Thankful, where Kristi and her co-hosts always have a warm welcome waiting.
***********************************
Today is:
Fall Back Night -- all areas that end Daylight Saving Time tomorrow; set your clock back one hour before you go to bed and change the batteries in your smoke alarms/carbon monoxide detectors (Aland Islands; Albania; Andorra; Antarctica (Troll Station); Austria; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Estonia; Faroe Islands; Finland; France; Germany; Gibraltar; Greece; Greenland; Guernsey; Hungary; Ireland; Isle of Man; Israel; Italy; Jersey; Kosovo; Latvia; Lebanon; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia; Malta; Mexico; Moldova; Monaco; Montenegro; Morocco; Netherlands; North Macedonia; Norway; Poland; Portugal; Romania; San Marino; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Ukraine; United Kingdom; Vatican City[Holy See])
Note: This does not apply to the United States, we have one more week of "summer time" left
Feast of Good & Plenty (the candies)
Food Day -- US (inspiring people to change their diets and our food policies)
Gormanudr -- Old Icelandic Calendar (beginning of "Innards Month," after all the animals have been butchered and fresh innards figure predominantly in the menu, as the rest of the meat has been preserved for winter)
Independence Day -- Zambia(1964)
Lilith's Day -- Ancient Mesopotamian Calendar (Lilith, legendary first wife of Adam, mother of the giants; date approximate)
Make A Difference Day -- US (Whoopie Goldberg once said that if every American would donate 5 volunteer hours a week, it would be the equivalent of several million full time jobs; whether or not it's strictly accurate, volunteering is a great thing to do no matter where you live. This day is no longer sponsored, but if you are looking for volunteer opportunities in your area, go here.)
Maladay -- Discordianism
National Bologna Day
Pit Bull Awareness Day -- it's not the breed, it's the owner
Share a Pop Tart With Someone You Love Day -- internet generated, and i wonder if the Kellog company may have had a hand in it?
St. Anthony Claret's Day (Patron of weavers; Catholic press; Claretians; Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary)
St. Crispin's Eve Celebration -- Tenby, Wales
St. Raphael the Archangel's Day (traditional date; Patron of health inspectors, druggists, happy meetings, leaving home, travelers; against blindness)
Suez Victory Day -- Egypt
Take Back Your Time Day -- Canada; U.S. (anniversary of the day in the US that the Fair Labor Standards Act went into effect, specifying a 40-hour work week as the standard, in 1938)
United Nations Day
Disarmament Week begins
World Development Information Day
World Origami Days -- held each year from today, the birth anniversary of Lillian Oppenheimer, founder of the first origami societies in Britain and the US, until Nov. 11, which is Origami Day in Japan; a couple of good sites to explore are here and here
Birthdays Today:
Monica, 1980
Kevin Kline, 1947
F. Murray Abraham, 1939
Bill Wyman, 1936
David Nelson, 1936
J. P. "Big Bopper" Richardson, 1930
Y. A. Tittle, 1926
Moss Hart, 1904
Melvin Purvis, 1903
Alexandra David-Neel, 1868 (first female foreigner to explore Tibet)
Belva A. Bennett Lockwood, 1838
Sarah Joseph Hale, 1788 (author of "Mary had a little lamb")
Antony van Leeuwenhoek, 1632
Domitian, Roman Emperor, 51
Debuting/Premiering Today:
"Dancing at Lughnasa"(Play), 1991
"Voices for Today"(Britten Op. 75), 1965
"Take Me Out to the Ball Game"(Single release), 1908
"Zibeunerbaron/The Gypsy Baron"(Strauss Opera), 1885
The first Transcontinental Telegram is sent, 1861
Today in History:
Cathedral of Chartres is dedicated, 1260
The Treaty of Westphalia ends the 30 Years War, recognized the independence of Switzerland, and marks the end of the Holy Roman Empire, 1648
Felix Mendelssohn, age 9, performs his first public concert in Berlin, 1818
The match is patented, by A. Phillips, 1836
The first US transcontinental telegram is sent, from San Francisco to Washington, DC, ending the need for the Pony Express after only 2 years, 1861
Levi P. Morton, US ambassador to France, drives the first rivet for the Statue of Liberty, 1881
Dr. Robert Koch discovers the germ that causes tuberculosis, 1882
Anna Taylor becomes the first woman to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel, 1901
The first NYC subway opens, 1904
Harry Houdini's last performance, 1926
The Hershey Company is incorporated, 1927
"Black Thursday", the start of the stock market crash, Dow Jones down 12.8%, 1929
Al Capone is sentenced for tax evasion, 1931
The George Washington Bridge, connecting NY to NJ, opens, 1931
US forbids child labor in factories, 1938
The United Nations Charter is signed by the first member nations, 1945
Eisenhower pledges US support to South Vietnam, 1954
Government of Poland legalizes Solidarity trade union, 1980
Launch of Deep Space 1 comet/asteroid mission, 1998
The Concorde makes its last commercial flight, 2003
Justice Rutherford of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice struck down the "motive clause", an important part of the Canadian Anti-Terrorism Act, 2006
"Bloody Friday" saw many of the world's stock exchanges experience the worst declines in their history, with drops of around 10% in most indices, 2008
The Northern Lights become visible over much of North America due to a coronal mass ejection, 2011
The E.U. plans to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent compared to 1990 levels and increase renewables to 27 percent of all energy sources, 2014
Iditarod officials confirm that some dogs in the race have been doped after they tested positive for banned substances, 2017
The remains of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco are removed from the mausoleum in Valley of the Fallen and reburied in private family vault in Madrid, 2019