Saturday, January 6, 2018

What a Week! (Ten Things of Thankful)

Ten Things of Thankful


Mercy, but it has been a week!  Is it really only the first week of the year?  Guess the calendar does not lie, does it? 

It feels a lot longer than that.  There must be a lot of thankful material in a week that has felt like a month, and there is.

The guest pup is still here because of the excessive cold weather, and in addition to the previously blogged-about purse-and-lipstick episode, he has snapped three leashes.  He makes me very thankful that he is a guest pup, and not a resident pup.

We have no central heat, and i am more thankful this week for our space heaters and heating pads than i have ever been before.  (Which reminds me, we are down by one heater because guest pup also chewed the cord of one of them --  it was unplugged at the time, thank heaven, we never leave them plugged in unless one of us is in the room).

Bigger Girl's car went back in the shop, and i'm thankful they caught the broken engine mounts and nail in her tire before she ended up stranded somewhere.

Also, she is out of town with a friend, so no need to share vehicles again, a bonus.

Kevin and Lenny have agreed to accept payments on her vehicle repairs this time.  Without that, we couldn't have had it done at all, and i am thankful they are so willing to work with us.

My wallet was stolen this week.  It makes me thankful that our credit union keeps a copy of my driver's license on file so they could give me a new debit card right away.  

Having that debit card makes you able to go immediately if not sooner to the notary/auto title place where they can give you a copy of your license in under half an hour, because the state has it on file with your picture, too.  You can even charge the cost for that replacement license to that debit card you just got.

That's  much better than the old system, which was wait two weeks for your debit card to be mailed, then another week for the pin number to show up, so you could get money out of the bank ATM and go wait in line at the DMV for several hours with your birth certificate and Social Security card and several bills with your name and address on them and hope they believed you and would give you a replacement license.  Yes, i'm thankful that system is no longer in place.

Our auto insurance people were very nice about printing out a new copy of my proof of insurance for my wallet, and i'm grateful i pass by there on the way from one client to another, no need to make a special trip.

The health insurance people have very kindly put a new card in the mail to me.

We have identity theft insurance, and i am so glad.  Whoever has my wallet didn't try to use the debit card and it's no good now, so i hope nothing happens.  Even if it does, the protection is in place.

Blogger, for reasons best known to itself, suddenly decided it could not post pictures on my blog.  Last year, to make it easier to comment on Wordpress blogs, i signed up with Wordpress and never did anything with it but use it for commenting.  What do you know, Wordpress will post the pictures that Blogger won't!  Now i am thankful to have a second possible blog, even if i only use it as back up.  Who knows, it may stay as a back up, or it may become primary.  Either way, i am thankful it's there.

Dr. D had me for two days this week, and i am very thankful i am not a lawyer as i had to help her craft letters to her attorneys.  She thinks like a lawyer and had me editing and re-editing.  So many words to say so few things!  

Also she had to take an online defensive driving course to get a ticket removed and she did it on my tablet and between us we figured out how to do it so she passed the course.  She is grateful i keep my tablet with me, or as she calls it, "Your contraption!"

No matter how short or long your week has been, i will bet you can come up with several things for which to be thankful, and i'd love to come by and celebrate with you, as would our host, Josie Two-Shoes.  Please link it up at Ten Things of Thankful, you will be glad you did.


Today is:

Armed Forces Day -- Iraq

Befana -- Italy (Befana is the fairy who resides in chimneys, flies on a broom, and leaves toys and candy in stockings on Epiphany, their traditional day to exchange gifts.)

Bean Day (Bake a bean or penny into a cake, whoever gets the slice with the bean is king for a day.  A tradition continued in New Orleans and vicinity, especially, all the way through Mardi Gras Day, only now a plastic baby toy, representative of Jesus, is put in the traditional cakes instead of a bean.)

Blessing of the Waters -- Piraeus, Greece; Turkey; among Greek Orthodox worshippers worldwide (on the traditional date of the Baptism of Jesus)

Carnival Season begins -- Christian, through Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday

Children's Day -- Uruguay

Cuddle Up Day -- internet generated, an excuse to get close to your special someone

Dakar Rally -- Buenos Aires, Argentina to Valparaiso, Chile (the legendary event of off-road rallies; through the 16th)

Daruma Ichi -- Takasaki City, Japan (the largest and most famous daruma market in the city where the good luck dolls originated; through tomorrow)

Deer Dance Ceremonies -- Taos Pueblo, NM, US (Native American celebration of the deer spirit)

Dezome-shiki -- Tokyo, Japan (fire fighters pray for a safe year, have a parade, help raise awareness of fire prevention, and men dressed as firefighters from the Edo period perform acrobatic feats from the tops of ladders to show agility)

Dia de los Reys -- Hispanic Christians(Three Kings Day)

Epiphany / Three Kings Day -- Western Christian

Epiphany of Kore (Persephone/Proserpina) -- Ancient Greek Calendar and Ancient Roman Calendar (a goddess of fertility and germination of seeds)

Feast of Ptah and Horus -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Feast of the Theophany -- Orthodox Christian

Four Freedoms Day -- US (commemorates the FDR speech about the four freedoms:  freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, freedom from fear.)

Greek Cross Day -- Tarpon Springs, Florida (as part of the Greek Orthodox Church celebration of Epiphany/Little Christmas)

Little Christmas -- Ireland

Maroon Festival -- Jamaica (celebration of descendents of former fugitive slaves)

National Shortbread Day

National Western Stock Show and Rodeo -- Denver, CO, US (108th edition of the Super Bowl of livestock shows; through the 21st)

Orthodox Christmas Eve -- Orthodox Christians following the Julian calendar

Pennsylvania Farm Show -- Harrisburg, PA, US (the largest indoor agricultural show in the US, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Dept. of Agriculture; through next Saturday)

Perchtenlauf -- Bad Gastein and Bad Hofgastein, Austria (A festival with scary masks and music to frighten away winter.)

Prettandinn -- Iceland (the last Day of Christmas, Epiphany, with bonfires and Elven Dances)

Shorinzan Daruma-Ichi -- Shorinzan, Japan (Good luck daruma dolls are purchased, with no eyes.  One eye is painted on when you make a wish, the other when the wish comes true.  Largest and oldest Daruma doll festival in Japan; through tomorrow.)

Smith Day -- the Smiths and Smythes and Smithes of the world want a day to be recognized; if your name is Smith or one of the variants of it, have a celebration of your very common name today!

Sts. Balthazar, Caspar, and Melchoir's Day (Patrons of travelers)

Surb Tsnund -- Armenia (Armenian Christmas Day)

Take a Poet to Lunch Day -- listed on a few sites, and who doesn't want an excuse to go out to eat?

Turisi -- Slavic Pagan Calendar (holiday of the bull, Jar-tur; a fertility rite)

Wassailing the Apple Trees -- various parts of the UK (from the Old English "waes hael," meaning "be well," a ritual to bless apple trees to ensure a good harvest)



Anniversaries Today:

George H. W. Bush marries Barbara Pierce, 1945
New Mexico becomes the 47th US State, 1912
Henry VIII marries Anne of Cleves, 1540 (his 4th wife)


Birthdays Today:

Joey Lauren Adams, 1971
Susan Perabo, 1969
Nancy Lopez, 1957
Rowan Atkinson, 1955
Bonnie Franklin, 1944
Lou Holtz, 1937
E.L. Doctorow, 1931
Vic Tayback, 1929
Earl Scruggs, 1924
Sun Myung Moon, 1920
Eugene T. Maleska, 1916
Loretta Young, 1913
Danny Thomas, 1912
Kahlil Gibran, 1883
Tom Mix, 1880
Carl Sandburg, 1878
Sherlock Holmes, 1854 (As celebrated by the Baker Street Irregulars.)
Charles Sumner, 1811
Jedediah Strong Smith, 1799
Haym Salomon, 1785
Joan of Arc, 1412


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Wheel of Fortune"(TV), 1975
"Schoolhouse Rock"(TV), 1973
"Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom"(TV), 1963
"Hallmark Hall of Fame"(TV), 1952


Today in History:

The first Roman Catholic Mass is celebrated in the "New World," at La Isabela, Hispaniola, 1494
All Jews are expelled from Syria, 1497
The city of Lima, Peru, is founded by Francisco Pizarro, 1535
The first recorded boxing match of the style now called English Boxing is held -- the Duke of Albemarle's butler versus his butcher, 1681
Massachusetts slaves petition the legislature for freedom, 1773
Samuel Morse makes his first public demonstration of the telegraph, 1838
The most damaging storm in 300 years sweeps across Ireland, damaging or destroying more than 20% of the houses in Dublin, 1839
A patent for reducing zinc ore granted to Samuel Wetherill of Pennsylvania, 1857
The Washington National Cathedral is chartered bu the US Congress and signed by President Benjamin Harrison, 1893
The first telephone call is made from a submerged submarine, by Simon Lake, 1898
Maria Montessori opens her first school and day care for working class families in Rome, 1907
The Great White Fleet passes through the Suez Canal, the largest group of ships to pass through up to that time, 1909
Mother Teresa arrives in Calcutta to begin her work among the poor of India, 1929
The first diesel-engined automobile trip is completed, from Indianapolis, Indiana, to New York City, 1930
Thomas Edison submits his last patent application, for a  "Holder for Article to be Electroplated," 1931
Barbara Hanley becomes Canada's first woman mayor, of the city of Webbwood, Ontario, 1936
The Pacific Clipper lands at Pan American's LaGuardia Field, completing the first around the world flight, 1942
The Crown of St. Stephen (also known as the Holy Crown of Hungary) is returned to Hungary from the United States, where it was held after World War II, 1978
The Ady Gil, a ship owned by Sea Shepherd, is sunk during a skirmish with the Japanese Whaling Fleet's Shonan Maru, 2010
Janet Yellen becomes the first woman to hold the post of chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, 2014
North Korea states that they have successfully conducted their fourth nuclear test, saying it was a hydrogen bomb, which is disputed by most international experts, 2016

11 comments:

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  2. Sorry your first week of 2018 has not been off to a good start. Having your wallet stolen is awful. I hope your year gets better now.

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  3. Wow, what a week. I'm so sorry for you Mimi. I hope that you get back to a happy normal my friend. How are you guys making out with the cold? Any snow come down yet? See ya my friend.

    Cruisin Paul

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  4. I'm sorry you had your wallet stolen. I hate having to get new everything. Okay, I hate thieves even worse.

    Way to go on the car repairs. Paying payments is much easier than coming up with the money at the time the work is done.

    Sorry you're so cold. I hope it warms up for you soon.

    That pup is giving you a run for your money in the chewing department. Pups and chewing just go together.

    Have a fabulous day and weekend. ♥

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  5. So sorry about your stolen wallet. It can be very troublesome having the report and get new documents done. Hope the 2nd week will be better! Stay warm!

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  6. Lovely that you pulled positive out of negative ... And thank you for inspiring me to join TToT this week ...

    gramswisewords.blogspot.com

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  7. Mimi,

    We rely heavily on space heaters, too. Our house has baseboard heaters but we don't trust them and shut those off years ago after a neighbor's caught fire. This is another reason why we want very much to move. Having central heat/air would be awesome! :) Yikes, sorry to hear about your purse getting stolen! Although it's a huge headache to do everything you did, at least it's far more convenient today than years' past as you pointed out. That's great everyone worked well with you on getting things back to normal. I hope nothing more comes from this thief. Were your keys in your purse? I hope not. Our week has been relatively uneventful and that's fine by me. I'm looking forward to the warming trend forecast for the new week. I'm turning into an icicle. Have a good weekend and thanks for visiting, my friend!

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  8. It's a good thing you have space heaters...and use that "pup" for a heater too (because I, too, am glad it's only visiting for your sake!!)...:)JP

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  9. You really did have quite the week! May this new week bring less excitement!

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  10. Yow! I'm exhausted and I'm only reading! Fortunately, your writing conveys the kind of spirit that makes the positive shine through even the most disturbing of events... including having wallet (and everything that entails) stolen. But, not including dogs chewing things because, well that's what they do... I suspect I am a bit biased.
    Good TToT

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  11. Any one of those events would have been more than enough of a trial in my book. So glad you survived it all.
    Your experience with the credit union makes me wonder if ours has a similar set up. It certainly made getting things back to normal quicker.
    Hopefully this week will be better.

    ReplyDelete

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