Saturday, October 25, 2025

Dreams Coming True, a Ten Things of Thankful Post

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A good part of this week's thankful is for #2 Son and Daughter-in-Law.


We're hugely thankful they were able to pull off the purchase of the piece of land they'd been wanting.


Yes, ultimately it means, once they have improved the property enough to move up there, our little Annie will live an 8-hour drive away.  I am still thankful for their sake, it's what they wanted, and at least it isn't Alaska!


Somebody working her way around a very big bagel.


Let's go back, though, to Saturday, when i was very thankful Uncle J mentioned ordering Thai food, which i love (even though it wasn't quite as spicy as i like this time).


Sunday was lovely and Mr. Cal was thankful for a good walk.  I was thankful for time with our little Annie in the evening.


Mr. D and i had a fun talk on Monday, I'm thankful we both laughed through a fun conversation, it makes the work day pass much more nicely.  Among other things, he said, "You know, we tell each other 'I love you' at least twice a day," and "If it weren't for my wife, I wouldn't be alive, but boy, can she fuss when I need it!"


Tuesday was the big day for the property buyers.  I was supposed to head over there at 8:30 to get Annie but #2 Son burst through the door with her and said, "The mobile notary will be here in an hour, we were just informed we have to get a cashier's check so we're having to go, can you take her early?"


Of course.  Thankfully she has fun over here so she stayed here until the signing up was done and i was thankful to see they got back from the bank with the check in plenty of time.


Wednesday, #1 Son came over, i was thankful to see he was feeling better as he recently had an ear infection.


All of us were thankful our Wednesday evening Bible study group was small but lively.


I was thankful Thursday afternoon to arrive home early enough for once to lie down a few minutes.


Friday morning upon my arrival at the church for prayer group, i was given quite a start.  There are some homeless people in the area, almost all are harmless but one church staff member was robbed at gunpoint several years ago when she arrived early.  I am always quite cautious and won't get out of the car if i see or hear anything suspicious, but Mr. C, one of the two sextons, snuck up so quietly when he did call out to me from quite close to the door i was heading through, i was thankful to be through it and slammed the door shut (it has automatic locks).  Then my brain registered who i had seen and heard and i was thankful to be able to sheepishly open the door for him before he had to fish out his own key.


I was thankful he understood my apology, as he knows how careful we have to be.


The evening shift at the cat shelter had plenty of extra volunteers and we were thankful to be done with time to spare.



Please write up your own list and link up to Ten Things of Thankful, where Clark and his co-hosts always have a warm welcome waiting.   





You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter



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Today is:


Armed Forces Day -- Romania


Constitution Day -- Lithuania


Day of the Basque Country -- Basque Country


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


Forgiveness Day -- a day to reconcile or forgive, for your own peace of mind; sponsored by Positive Peaceful Partners and the Center of Unconditional Love 


Gormánuðr -- 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)


Feast of Forty Martyrs of England and Wales -- Roman Catholic


International Artist Day -- invite an artist to lunch, buy that painting that you've wanted for so long, go to an art gallery or the symphony or a play -- celebrate how art adds to your life daily!  


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.)   


National Greasy Foods Day


Pit Bull Awareness Day -- it's not the breed, it's the owner   


Punk-for-a-Day Day -- internet generated; if you've always wanted to be a punk, try it out for a day


Republic Day -- Kazakhstan


Retrocession Day -- Taiwan


Sourest Day -- as a balance, because we have so many days that emphasize sweet


Sts. Crispin and Crispian's Day (Patrons of cobblers/shoemakers, glovemakers, lace makers/lace workers, leather workers, saddle makers, tanners, weavers)


Thanksgiving Day -- Grenada


World Pasta Day -- as established by the first World Pasta Congress in 1995; a related website is here 



Birthdays Today:


Katy Perry, 1984

Midori, 1971

Tracy Nelson, 1963

Brian Kerwim, 1949

Jon Anderson, 1944

Anne Tyler, 1941

Helen Reddy, 1941

Bobby Knight, 1940

Marion Ross, 1936

Billy Barty, 1924

Minnie Pearl, 1912

Leo G. Carroll, 1892

Pablo Picasso, 1881

Georges Bizet, 1838

Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1800



Debuting/Premiering Today:


"Victor/Victoria"(Musical), 1995

"Newhart"(TV), 1982

"Le Repetition"(Anouilh play), 1950

"The Time of Your Life"(Play), 1939



Today in History:


Seljuk Turks defeat the German crusaders under Conrad III at the Battle of Dorylaeum, 1147

Battle of Agincourt, in which the Welsh longbow defeats armored knights, 1415

Christopher Columbus, aboard the Santa Maria, lands at the Dominican Republic, 1492

Dutch sea-captain Dirk Hartog makes second recorded landfall by a European on Australian soil, at the later-named Dirk Hartog Island off the Western Australian coast, 1616

Governor Bradford of the US colony Plymouth disallows sport on Christmas Day, 1621

Wedding of future US President John Adams and Abigail Smith (the marriage lasted 54 years), 1764

Canadians and Mohawks defeat the Americans in the Battle of Chateauguay, 1813

Opening of the Erie Canal, 1825

Battle of Balaclava, memorialized as the "Charge of the Light Brigade", results in the deaths of 409 troops, 1854

The Toronto Stock Exchange is created, 1861

Traditionally understood date of the October Revolution in Russia, which corresponds to November 7 on the Gregorian Calendar, 1917

The Archbishop of Dubuque, Francis J. L. Beckman, denounces swing  music as "a degenerated musical system... turned loose to gnaw away at the moral fiber of young people", warning that it leads down a "primrose path to hell", 1938

Adlai Stevenson shows photos at the UN proving Soviet missiles are installed in Cuba, 1962

Uganda joins the United Nations, 1962

Nelson Mandela is sentenced to five years in prison, 1962

The United Nations seated the People's Republic of China and expelled the Republic of China, 1971

Proceedings on the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction conclude at The Hague, 1980

Three months after the end of the Ten-Day War, the last soldier of the Yugoslav People's Army leaves the territory of the Republic of Slovenia, 1991

Fidel Castro announces that transactions using the American Dollar will be banned in Cuba, 2004

Sony removed the original cassette Walkman from the market, 2010

Scientists announce that the completion of the nuclear genome study of a 24,000 year old Siberian boy's remains shows 2/3 of today's Native Americans are of Eastern Asia origin, and the others from Western Eurasia, 2013

The artificial intelligence created artwork "Portrait of Edward de Bellamy" becomes the first AI art to be sold at auction, bringing $432,500 at Christie's in New York, 2018

Sahle-Work Zewde becomes Ethiopia's first female President and Africa's only female head of state after being elected by parliament, 2018

Chile overwhelmingly votes to scrap their constitution, drafted during the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet, 2020

Pope Francis announces the appointment of thirteen new cardinals including the first African American cardinal, Wilton Daniel Gregory, 2020

For the first time, New Zealand's Parliament has more female than male members, 2022

NASA's Space-X Crew 8 returns to Earth after 235 days in space, 2024

Friday, October 24, 2025

Autumn and Spring (Feline Friday), Friendly Fill-Ins, and Nature Friday

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Feline Friday was originally started by Steve, The Burnt Food Dude (may he rest in peace), and i'm going to believe it's because he liked cats.

He handed hosting duties off to Sandee at Comedy Plus, and now she's entrusting it to me.


Feline Friday is simple to join.  All you have to do is: Post a picture, drawing, cartoon or video of a cat (they may be silly or cute).  Then add your link!


One thing for sure is this is a fun and easy meme to do.  So come and join us in Feline Friday.


What better way to start the weekend than with a feline!


Autumn and Spring sort of cooperated when i asked to take their pictures.










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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 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 hometown is _________.


2. October is a good time to _________.


3. If I saw the ghost of _________, I would _________.


4. You couldn't pay me to wear a _________ costume.



1. My hometown is   NOLA (New Orleans, Louisiana).


2. October is a good time to   start addressing your Christmas cards.


3. If I saw the ghost of   anyone,   I would   pray (and maybe scream, or make that probably scream).


4. You couldn't pay me to wear a   rude or revealing   costume.




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Nature Friday is hosted by LLB in Our Backyard Simply post a picture of the natural world, and link up!   


The trees and bushes around here are sporting some seasonal decor.








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Today is:


Deepavali/Diwali(Festival of Lights) -- Hindu; Jain; Sikh (fifth day of the festival)

     Bhai Tika -- ritual where sisters honor brothers for the protection they give

     Gyan Panchami -- Jain (celebration of knowledge and education)


Feast of Good & Plenty (the candies)


Food Day -- US (inspiring people to change their diets and our food policies)  


Independence Day -- Zambia(1964)


Lilith's Day -- Ancient Mesopotamian Calendar (Lilith, legendary first wife of Adam, mother of the giants; date approximate)


Maladay -- Discordianism


National Bologna Day


Provincial Anniversary Day -- Hawke's Bay, NZ


Ruler's Birthday -- Malaysia


Share a Pop Tart With Someone You Love Day -- internet generated, and how much do you want to bet the Kellogg 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 



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

The US West Coast experiences its strongest storm ever, with a recorded barometric pressure of 945.2mb and San Francisco's wettest ever day in October, 2021

Tom Brady becomes first quarterback in NFL history to record 600 touchdown passes, 2021

Rishi Sunak becomes the first Prime Minister of color in England's history, 2022

Silent film actress Anna May Wong becomes the first Asian-American featured on a US coin as part of the American Women Quarters Program celebrating female trailblazers, 2022

Women in Iceland go on strike to protest at gender inequalities, including its Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir, 2023