Thursday, January 15, 2026

At the Last Minute You Find Out (Six Sentence Story), Good Fences, Sammy’s Poetry Day, and Brian’s Thankful Thursday

 ***********************************





When he and his second wife each took a vow at the altar, it was with the understanding he would love and cherish and care for her, but his daughter from his first wife who had passed away would inherit the bulk of his estate.


He never would write a will, always saying, "She knows what I want and she'll do it."


Meanwhile, she spent up most of what he had saved, and now he was very ill, she was spending her money to pay the co-payments of the meds to try to keep him alive a bit longer because he realized how much of his money she'd blown through; he'd finally figured out what she had done, and that no, she wouldn't just do what he wanted.


Daughter was busy doing what she could, he still wouldn't make a will but she'd convinced him to put the house and major assets that were left in her name, and many of the physical items on the property were being moved onto a storage site.  Wife would be allowed to remain in the house, per daughter's agreement with her father, for as long as she could actually live there, but she wasn't going to let the woman sell off valuables if she could help it.


No amount of "love and cherish 'til death do us part" makes you ready for the greed which can surface when the parting is staring you in the face.



Linking up with Denise at Girlie On The Edge Blog, where she hosts Six Sentence Stories, and the cue is Vow.      





***********************************



While Good Fences Around the World seems to have gone the way of the dodo bird, i still enjoy looking for and posting interesting fences, so i will!






***********************************




It's Angel Sammy's Poetry Day This week's image and my poem:    







My buddy and I are having a ball

rolling in mud and letting out a squall,

when mom saw us she let out a laugh,

next she'll get to business and give us a bath.



***********************************




Angel Brian's Family of Brian's Home - Forever hosts the Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.   It's time to share something for which i am thankful.  


Today i am thankful Wednesday evening Bible study has started up again.






***********************************



Today is:


Arbor Day -- Jordan


Armed Forces Day / Remembrance Day -- Nigeria


Army Day -- India


Basketball Day -- rules for the game were first published this day in 1892 (day debated, year is certain)


Chosun-gul -- North Korea (Korean Alphabet Day)


Dia del Maestro -- Venezuela (Teacher's Day)


Feast of the Ass -- Ancient Roman Calendar (celebrates Vesta being saved by a donkey)


Feast of Entering Heaven and the Two Lands -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)


Fiesta Del Senor de Esquipulas/Pilgrimage of Cristo Negro de Esquipulas -- Esquipulas, Guatemala (Festival of the Black Christ)


John Chilembwe Day -- Malawi


Lailat al Miraj -- Islam (observance of Mohammed's night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem; begins at sundown, local customs and dates may vary)


Lenaea -- Ancient Greek Calendar (a Festival of Comedy; date approximate)


Moliere Day -- France


National Hat Day -- begun by a hat loving individual who has chosen to remain anonymous


National Strawberry Ice Cream Day


Nosso Senhor de Bonfim Festival -- Salvador, Brazil (Our Lord of the Happy Ending Festival, at the church by that name, the celebrations begin with washing the steps of the church today and celebrations run through this Sunday and to the next)


Procrastinator's New Year -- declared by someone who had a really great sense of humor


Sailing of Wadjyt -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (the icon of the cobra goddess, Wadjyt, is carried on the Nile to visit many cities; date approximate)


St. Ita's Day (Patron of Limerick, Ireland)


St. Paul the Hermit's Day (the first of the Egyptian hermits; Patron of clothing industry, weavers)


Thiruvalluvar Day -- PY, TN, India (remembrance of the celebrated Tamil poet)


Tree Planting Day -- Egypt


Tsunahiki Matsuri -- Japan (various shrines hold tug-of-war festivals in which the team for god Ebisu vie with the team for god Daikoku; if Ebisu wins, the next year will have good catches at sea, if Daikoku, it will bring good harvests)



Anniversaries Today:


Opening of the British Museum, 1759

Elizabeth I is crowned Queen of England, 1559



Birthdays Today:


Drew Brees, 1979

Chad Lowe, 1968

Mario Van Peebles, 1957

Charo, 1951

Andrea Martin, 1947

Margaret O'Brien, 1937

Ernest J. Gaines, 1933

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1929

John Cardinal O'Connor, 1920

Lloyd Bridges, 1913

Gene Krupa, 1909

Elie Siegmeister, 1909

Edward Teller, 1908

Aristotle Onassis, 1906

Goodman Ace, 1899

Pierre S. du Pont, 1870

Philip Livingston, 1766

Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, a/k/a Moliere, 1622 (baptismal date, actual birth date unknown)



Debuting/Premiering Today:


"Hill Street Blues"(TV), 1981

"Happy Days"(TV), 1974

The Democratic Donkey(symbol in newspaper comic), 1870

"Stella"(Goethe Play), 1816



Today in History:


Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah's reign, in a siege lasting until July 23, BC588

Christopher Columbus sets sail for Spain from Hispaniola, ending his first voyage to the New World, 1493

Third sitting of the Council of Trent opens, 1562

The British Museum opens in Montague House in London, 1759

John Etherington of London steps out sporting the first top hat, 1797

The first US built locomotive to pull a passenger train begins its first run, with Mr. and Mrs. Pierson on board for the first US railroad honeymoon trip, 1831

The donkey is first used as a symbol for the Democratic Party, in Harper's Weekly, 1870

The Coca-Cola Company, then known as the Pemberton Medicine Company, is originally incorporated in Atlanta, Georgia, 1889

James Naismith publishes the rules of Basketball, 1892

Tchaikovsky's ballet "Swan Lake" premieres in St Petersburg, 1895

Dr. Lee DeForest patents a 3-element vacuum tube (one of the inventions that later made radio possible), 1907

The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority becomes the first Greek-letter organization founded and established by African-American college women, 1908

The Boston Molasses Disaster, 2 million gallons of molasses spill, 21 killed, over 150 injured, 1919

The first building to be completely covered in glass, built for the Owens-Illinois Glass Company, is completed in Toledo, Ohio, 1936

The world's largest office building, The Pentagon, is dedicated in Arlington, Virginia, 1943

The US Supreme Court rules that "clear and present danger" of incitement to riot is not protected speech and can be a cause for arrest, 1951

The first Super Bowl is played in Los Angeles; the Green Bay Packers defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10, 1967

The USSR launches Soyuz 5, 1969

The United Nations deadline for the withdrawal of Iraqi forces from occupied Kuwait expires, preparing the way for the start of Operation Desert Storm, 1991

Wikipedia goes online, 2001

An intense solar flare blasts X-rays across the solar system, 2005

ESA's SMART-1 lunar orbiter discovers elements such as calcium, aluminum, silicon, iron, and other surface elements on the moon, 2005

The Stardust space mission returns dust from a comet to Earth, 2006

Chesley Sullenberger lands US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport in NYC. All passengers and crew members survive in what becomes known as the "Miracle on the Hudson", 2009

The American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan unveils its newest exhibit, a replica skeleton of a Titanosaur dinosaur (found in 2010 in Argentina), the largest known dinosaur at 70 tons, 37m, 2016

Chinese scientists confirm that they have germinated a cotton seed on the moon on board the Chang’e 4 lander, 2019

The underwater volcano Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha'apai violently erupts with a 20km ash plume, sending a tsunami over nearby Tonga, with shock waves heard in New Zealand, 2022

Mexico begins enforcement of one of the world's strongest anti-smoking laws, banning smoking in public places such as parks and beaches, 2023

English singer Elton John wins an Emmy Award for his television special "Elton John: Farewell From Dodger Stadium", giving him the final piece of his EGOT, 2024

Ispace and Firefly Aerospace launch their missions to the Moon, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, 2025

Wednesday, January 14, 2026

How You Know They've Hit Puberty (Wordless Wednesday) and Words for Wednesday

***********************************






Linking up with Wordless Wednesday, Keith, Catsynth, and Sandee at Comedy Plus.     





***********************************





Words for Wednesday was begun by Delores and has become a moveable feast of word or picture or music prompts to encourage us to write stories, poems, or whatever strikes our fancy.    


This month the words/prompts are supplied by Sean Jeating and they will appear on River's blog.


This week's words/prompts are:


1.garrote  

2.kisses  

3.neck  

4.philanthropist  

5.pragmatism


and/or:


1. balconies  

2.decadence  

3.entertainment  

4.genius  

5.public


use either list or both, or mix and match, just have fun.


Charlotte's colour of the month is Carmine.



If you are going to be a PHILANTHROPIST, don't put strings on your gift.  It's like putting a GARROTE around someone's NECK while also giving them KISSES.


Yes, I know, you have a GENIUS for staying in the PUBLIC eye as a "generous person," but for you, it's all about PRAGMATISM.  If you want them to ignore your DECADENCE and think well of you, you make your generosity their ENTERTAINMENT, announcing it from the BALCONIES standing on a Carmine carpet.


Behind the scenes, it's not so pretty when the recipient finds out how restricted is the use of it, and how you've made it so there's no way to let others know about those restrictions.


I know you won't take this advice, but I'm giving it and moving on.  I'd rather have people in my life who are real.




***********************************




It's National Dress Up Your Pet Day!  If your pets like it, today's your day to have a blast.


Thanks to Barb Kowalik and The Cat Blogosphere for the event badge.    


***********************************



Today is:


Assembly Line Workers' Day -- listed on many sites but no particular reason for it to be this day; then again, why not today?


Azhirnikhua -- Abkhazia (Day of World Creation)


Cakes and Ale Day -- emblems of the good life, a day to remember the good things we have, and be grateful


Daikoku Matsuri -- Kanda Myojin Shine, Tokyo, Japan (purification ceremony; through tomorrow)


Day of Defenders of the Native Land (Army Day) -- Uzbekistan


Feast of Divina Pastora -- Barquisimeto, Venezuela (religious procession attended by about 2 million people)


Feast of the Ass -- Medieval Christianity (commemorates the Flight Into Egypt)


International Kite Festival -- Jaipur and Ahmedabad, India


Makar Sandranti -- India/Hindu Calendar (part of the sidereal solstice festivals)


National Forest Conservation Day -- Thailand


National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day


Niino no Yukimatsuri -- Izu shrine, Niino, Nagano Prefecture, Japan (snow festival with offerings made to bring a good harvest in the coming year; through tomorrow)


Organize Your Home Day -- another one that i can't figure out who started it, but i will say s/he was nuts to think this could be done in one day


Orthodox New Year -- RS, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Serbia


Pongal continues -- Tamil New Year, among the Tamil People (multiple day thanksgiving festival at the end of harvest)

     Tamil Thai Pongal Day -- Sri Lanka

     Maghi Parba/Maghe Sankranti -- Western Nepal


Ratification Day -- US (anniversary of the Treaty of Paris that recognized the independence of the US from England)


Revolution and Youth Day -- Tunisia


Sidereal Winter Solstice Celebrations -- throughout South and Southeast Asia


St. Felix of Nola's Day (Patron of domestic animals, eyes; Nola, Italy; against eye diseases, false witness, lies, perjury)


St. Sava's Day (Patron of Serbia and all Serbs)


Take a Missionary to Lunch Day -- to honor Albert Schweitzer's birth anniversary




Anniversaries Today:


Joe DiMaggio marries Marilyn Monroe, 1954



Birthdays Today:


Kristin Cavallari, 1987

Jason Bateman, 1969

Emily Watson, 1967

Shepard Smith, 1964

Steven Soderbergh, 1963

Lawrence Kasdan, 1949

Carl Weathers, 1948

Nina Totenberg, 1944

Holland Taylor, 1943

Faye Dunaway, 1941

Jack Jones, 1938

Andy Rooney, 1919

William Bendix, 1906

John dos Passos, 1896

Hal Roach, 1892

Hugh Lofting, 1886

Albert Schweitzer, 1875

Thornton W. Burgess, 1874

Richard Felton Outcault, 1863

Matthew Fontaine Maury, 1806

Benedict Arnold, 1741



Debuting/Premiering Today:


"The Bionic Woman"(TV), 1976

"Sanford and Son"(TV), 1972

"Sinfonia Antarctica"(Vaughan Williams' 7th symphony), 1953

"Today Show"(TV), 1952

"Tosca"(Puccini Opera), 1900



Today in History:


The Knights Templar are formally approved by the Roman Catholic Church, 1129

Pope Leo X issues a papal bull against slavery, 1514

Spain annexes Cuba, 1539

The "Fundamental Orders", the first written constitution that created a government, is adopted in Connecticut, 1639

Massachusetts holds a day of fasting for wrongly accusing "witches", 1699

Congress ratifies the Treaty of Paris, formally ending the American Revolutionary War, 1783

The US Supreme Court rules that racial separation on trains is unconstitutional, 1878

An earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica, kills more than 1000, 1907

Henry Ford introduces the assembly line to the production of the Model-T, 1914

The first prototype of the MiG-17 makes its maiden flight, 1950

The Reserve Bank of Australia, the country's central bank and banknote issuing authority, is established, 1960

Toronto, Ontario Mayor Mel Lastman becomes the first mayor in Canada to call in the Army to help with emergency medical evacuations and snow removal after more than one meter of snow paralyzes the city, 1999

The national flag of Georgia, the so-called "five cross flag", is restored to official use after a hiatus of some 500 years, 2004

Landing of the Huygens probe on Saturn's moon Titan, 2005

The MESSENGER spacecraft performs a Mercury flyby, 2008

American rock climbers Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson become the first to successfully free-climb the Dawn Wall face of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, 2015

The US National Safety Council publishes a report saying that, for the first time ever, an American’s chance of dying of an opioid overdose is greater than the chance of dying in a traffic accident, 2019

The Jeopardy "Greatest of all Time" tournament is won by 74 time champion Ken Jennings, 2020

Frederik X becomes King of Denmark at Christiansborg Castle, Copenhagen, after the abdication of his mother Margrethe at 83, and the world's last reigning queen, 2024