Monday, May 11, 2026

Sometimes She Rides, Sometimes She Pushes (Awww Monday), Inspiring Quote of the Week, and Poetry Monday, Futuristic Landscape

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Awww Monday is hosted by Sandee at Comedy Plus.


Join us every Monday for Awww...Mondays.  Post a picture that makes you say Awww... and that's it.


Make sure you get the code from Sandee's site, linked above, and leave a link to your post so we can visit you.  What better way to start the week than with a smile!


Sometimes she rides, sometimes she pushes, and sometimes she pulls.










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Sparks is the brainchild of Annie of McGuffy's Reader, who wanted us to post something positive and uplifting at the start of the week.  While she no longer blogs, i like to post an Inspiring Quote of the Week in her honor.     








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Our dear friend Diane is taking a break

accommodations we must make

we miss her poetry and wit

so carry on as Poetry Monday's a hit!


Poetry Monday was started by Diane at On The Alberta/Montana Border.  Charlotte/Mother Owl and i are keeping it going while she takes a blog break, we hope temporarily.  Anyone else is welcome to join in the fun, just let us know!


This week the theme is Futuristic Landscape.   I wrote a free verse poem, matching stanzas by the number of words in each line, 5, 3, 1, 1, 5, 1.               



What the landscape will be

in the future

depends

solely

on how we treat it

today.


If we treat it with

the respect it

truly

deserves

we can expect a good

outcome.


If we run headlong with

no concern for

the

outcome

we all can only blame

ourselves.



Future themes are:


May 11 Futuristic Landscape (Today!)

May 18 Balcony

May 25 Scooter

June 1 Blue


(All themes are from the 365 Days of Drawing Prompts and Other Arts Facebook group.)


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Today is:


Blow Bubbles for Your Cat Day -- internet generated entertainment urged for human and feline like


Cormorant Fishing Festival -- Nagara River, Gifu, Japan (traditional fishing with trained cormorants is celebrated nightly under the light of blazing torches through mid-October)


Eat What You Want Day -- since none of the "experts" can totally agree on what's good and what isn't, today, ignore them all! sponsored by Wellcat Holidays


Holiday of the City of Miskolc -- Miskolc, Hungary


Hostess Cupcake Day -- the Hostess Cupcake, the first commercially produced cupcake, went on sale on this day in 1919


Lemuralia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (second day)


Lokadagur -- Iceland (Final Day, festival to mark the end of the fishing season in the south-west of the country)


National Mocha Torte Day


National Technology Day -- India


National Train Day -- US (celebrated on the anniversary of the 1869 completion of the first transcontinental railroad)


Nisga'a Day -- Nisga'a (one of the First Nations of Canada [ effective date of treaty])


One Day Without Shoes -- originally sponsored by Toms Shoes, to raise global awareness for children's health and education, which can be compromised when they do not have shoes  


Root Canal Appreciation Day -- Dr. Chris Kammer, the 'rock and roll dentist', declared this day back in 2005 because he said the much maligned procedure saves millions of teeth a year and needs an image makeover     


St. Gengulf's Day (Patron of knights, separated spouses, victims of adultery or unfaithfulness; against unhappy marriages)


St. Mamertus' Day (first of the Ice Saints, whose days are supposed to herald the last frost)


Te Aso o te Tala Lei -- Tuvalu (Gospel Day)


Tubeless Tire Day -- B. F. Goodrich Company announced the development of a tubeless tire on this day in 1947


Twilight Zone Day -- no, it didn't premier on this day, nor was Rod Serling born or died on this day; it's today on the internet for no particular reason except that someone decided to celebrate it today


Witching Day -- Isle of Man (Mayday Eve based on the OS calendar, be careful of the spirits today)


Women's Check-up Day 2026 -- US (always the Monday after Mother's Day, encouraging women to be proactive about their health   



Anniversaries Today:


Sammy Davis, Jr., marries Altovise Gore, 1970

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is founded, 1927

Glacier National Park established, MT, US, 1910

Minnesota becomes the 32nd US state, 1858



Birthdays Today:


Corey Monteith, 1982

Jonathan Jackson, 1982

Natasha Richardson, 1963

Boyd Gaines, 1953

Robert Jarvik, 1946

Mort Sahl, 1927

Bernard Fox, 1927

Foster Brooks, 1912

Phil Silvers, 1911

Salvador Dali, 1904

Martha Graham, 1894

Irving Berlin, 1888

Charles Warren Fairbanks, 1852

Chang and Eng Bunker, 1811



Debuting/Premiering Today:


"Once Upon a Mattress"(Musical), 1959



Today in History:


Constantinople becomes the capital of the Roman Empire and is also called Nova Roma and Byzantium, 330

Peter Stuyvesant arrives in New Amsterdam, 1647

Captain Robert Gray becomes the first documented European to sail into the Columbia River, 1792

The waltz is introduced into English ballrooms, and becomes popular in spite of being called "riotous and indecent," 1812

William Lawson, Gregory Blaxland and William Wentworth lead an expedition westward from Sydney, opening the interior of Australia for settlement, 1813

Indian rebels seize Delhi from the British, 1857

Luxembourg gains its independence, 1867

U.S. Congress establishes Glacier National Park in Montana, 1910

Mercedes-Benz is formed by Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz merging their two companies, 1924

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is founded, 1927

Siam officially changes its name to Thailand for the second time, 1949

Israel joins the United Nations, 1949

In Baltimore, Maryland, the first heart-lung transplant takes place, 1987

In New York City, more than 170 countries decide to extend the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty indefinitely and without conditions, 1995

IBM Deep Blue, a chess-playing supercomputer, defeats Garry Kasparov in the last game of the rematch, becoming the first computer to beat a world-champion chess player in a classic match format, 1997

In Nepal, Sherpa Apa Sherpa achieves a new record by climbing Mount Everest for the 21st time, 2011

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, reveals the latest Dragon space capsule; the craft is reusable and will allow astronauts to control re-entry and landing; the development suggests that full commercialization of the space industry will soon be a reality, 2014

The British Medical Journal publishes two new studies which show eating processed foods leads to an early death and ill health, 2019

The Falcon 9 rocket launches carrying the Dragon capsule from Cape Canaveral to the International Space Station, making SpaceX the first private company to launch astronauts into space, 2020

The US government approves the building of the first offshore wind farm in the country, 2021

A rare very strong solar storm reaches Earth prompting the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to issue a geomagnetic storm warning, 2024

Sunday, May 10, 2026

Slop Artiste (Cajun Joke), Sunday Selections, and Sunday Selfie

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Just because Sandee of Comedy Plus is no longer hosting a Silly Sunday blog hop, do not expect me to quit telling Cajun jokes, especially as it has now become a habit


Grandma got cake for her birthday, as she loves sweets, but it was a gift from a friend as Grandpa doesn't cook much beyond a special shrimp dish he makes and i've not had time to bake in years.


As i left yesterday after cleaning, she was asking for a piece, it looked delicious.


Clothile done be decoratin' de birfday cake she jes' done make fo' Grand-mère Boudreaux an' Aline ax, "Mère, you dec'rate de cakes so purty, but since Grand-mère be Père's Mère, what 'bout you let him make de cake fo' her?"


An' Clothile say, "Mais, if'n I lets Boudreaux dec'rate de cake it be's goin' look like de Picasso!"



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Sunday Selections was started as a way for bloggers to use photos that might otherwise just languish in their files.  The rules have been relaxed, and it is now simply a showcase for your photos, new or old, good or bad, although nothing rude, please.  Our friend River is hosting, and other participants often include Charlotte/Mother OwlAndrew, and WiseWebWoman.  


From the place where we have one of our ladies' meetings, front porches where it would be nice to sit and watch the world go by as people used to do.
















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This week, Jack wants to join the Kitties Blue at The Cat On My Head for their Sunday Selfies Blog Hop.  






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Today is Mother's Day!  At least, it is in many countries, which are listed in the next section.  I pray all mothers and motherly persons have a blessed and beautiful day.


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


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Today is:


Clean up Your Room Day -- one of those holidays that no one knows how it got started, but it's a good idea, especially if your house is decorated by teens in "Recently Ransacked" style!


Constitution Day -- Federated States of Micronesia


Golden Spike Day -- finishing the first US Transcontinental Railroad in 1869


Hanswijk Procession -- Mechelen, Belgium (since the year 1272, the Sunday before Ascension Thursday, the town celebrates Our Lady of Hanswijk, in thanks for the ending of plague and war)


Infant Mortality Awareness Day -- as so many of us celebrate mothers today, let's remember those who have lost children


Mother Ocean Day -- celebrate the wonders of the ocean, wherever you happen to be; day originally proposed by the South Florida Kayak Fishing Club


Mother's Day -- Belize; El Salvador; Guatemala; Mexico (always May 10 in these countries)


Mother's Day -- Anguilla; Antigua and Barbuda; Aruba; Australia; Austria; Bahamas; Bangladesh; Barbados; Belgium; Bermuda; Bonaire; Botswana; Brazil; Brunei; Canada; Cambodia; Chile; China(People's Republic of China); Colombia; Croatia; Cuba; Curaçao; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Dominica; Ecuador; Estonia; Ethiopia; Fiji; Finland; Germany; Ghana; Gold Coast; Greece; Grenada; Guyana; Honduras; Hong Kong; Iceland; India; Italy; Jamaica; Japan; Kurdistan; Latvia; Liberia; Liechtenstein; Macao; Malaysia; Malta; Myanmar; Netherlands; New Zealand; Pakistan; Papua New Guinea; Peru; Philippines; Puerto Rico; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Samoa; Singapore; Sint Maarten; Slovakia; South Africa; Sri Lanka; Suriname; Switzerland; Taiwan; Tanganyika; Tonga; Trinidad and Tobago; Turkey; Uganda; Ukraine; United States; Uruguay; Vietnam; Venezuela; Zambia; Zimbabwe                 


National Shrimp Day


Resistance and Liberation Day -- Lebanon


Root Canal Awareness Week begins -- originally sponsored by the American Association of Endodontists   


State Flag and State Emblem Day -- Belarus


St. Cathal's Day (Patron of blind people, drought relief, epileptics, paralyzed people; Taranto, Italy; against blindness, drought, epilepsy, hernias, paralysis, plagues, storms)


St. Father Damien of Moloka'i's Day (Patron of lepers, outcasts, those with HIV/AIDS; Hawaii)


St. Job the Patriarch's Day (Patron against depression and ulcers)


Trust Your Intuition Day -- practice, and you'll get better at it


World Lupus Day   



Birthdays Today:


Kenan Thompson, 1978

Amanda Borden, 1977

Jason Brooks, 1966

Paul "Bono" Hewson, 1960

Phil and Steve Mahre, 1957

Donovan, 1946

Dave Mason, 1946

Marie-France Pisier, 1944

Judith Jamison, 1943

Gary Owens, 1936

Barbara Taylor Bradford, 1933

Pat Summerall, 1930

Ara Raoul Parseghian, 1923

Nancy Walker, 1922

T. Berry Brazelton, 1918

"Mother" Maybelle Carter, 1909

David O. Selznick, 1902

Fred Astaire, 1899

Max Steiner, 1888

Karl Barth, 1868

George Ross, 1730

Emperor Fushimi of Japan, 1265

Emperor Claudius, 213



Debuting/Premiering Today:


Twister(Film), 1996

"The Rest of the Story"(Radio), 1976

Piano Concerto No. 2 in F major(Shostakovich Op. 102), 1957



Today in History:


The Roman armies under Titus open a full-scale assault on Jerusalem, 70

Vienna's church orders all Jews to wear a distinctive garb, 1267

Scottish nobles recognize authority of English king Edward I, 1291

Amerigo Vespucci allegedly leaves on a voyage to the New World, 1497

Christopher Columbus "discovers" the Cayman Islands, 1503

Jacques Cartier visits Newfoundland, 1534

Scottish Protestants under John Knox uprise against queen-mother Mary, 1559

England forcefully annexes Jamaica from Spain, 1655

Benjamin Franklin first tests the lightning rod, 1752

Louis XVI becomes King of France, 1774

The Barbary pirates of Tripoli declare war on the United States of America, 1801

New York City banks fail, and unemployment reaches record levels, 1837

In India, the first war of Independence begins, 1857

The First Transcontinental Railroad, linking the eastern and western United States, is completed at Promontory Summit, Utah (not Promontory Point, Utah) with the golden spike, 1869

Romania  declares itself independent from Turkey, 1877

The Supreme Court of the United States rules in Nix v. Hedden that a tomato is a vegetable, not a fruit, under the Tariff Act of 1883, 1893

The first Mother's Day is observed, 1908

J. Edgar Hoover is appointed Director of the FBI, 1924

First successful launch of a V-2 rocket at White Sands Proving Ground, 1946

Bill Haley & His Comets release "Rock Around the Clock", the first rock and roll record to reach number one on the Billboard charts, 1954

The nuclear submarine USS Triton completes Operation Sandblast, the first underwater circumnavigation of the earth, 1960

The Federated States of Micronesia  becomes self-governing, 1979

François Mitterrand becomes the first Socialist President of France in the French 5th republic, 1981

Nelson Mandela is inaugurated as South Africa's first black president, 1994

Deadliest day on the mountain: a rogue storm on Everest claims 8 lives, including experienced climbers, 1996

The Maeslantkering, a storm surge barrier in the Netherlands that is one of the world's largest moving structures, is opened by Queen Beatrix, 1997

Solicitor General Elena Kagan is the youngest Justice and third woman nominated for the Supreme Court of the United States, 2010

Microsoft announces plans to purchase Skype, 2011

An Indian fertility clinic announces that a 70 year old woman has successfully gave birth to a baby boy, 2016

The United States Geological Survey releases a report saying that some glaciers in Montana have receded by 85% in the last 50 years, 2017

Mahathir Mohamad is sworn in as the seventh Prime Minister of Malaysia, the world's oldest leader at 92, 2018

Taxi service Uber becomes a publicly traded company, 2019

Prince Charles delivers the Queen's Speech at the state opening of the UK parliament for the first time, 2022

Human genomic studies take a leap forward with the publication of the first of 47 DNA profiles from people in all areas of the world as an attempt to capture the entirety of human genetic variation, 2023

A Soviet-era failed Venus probe, the Kosmos 482, re-enters Earth's atmosphere and  crash-lands into the Indian Ocean, 2025