Fit to Be Tied (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 has finally quit pretending to care so much about how much she weighs and about her blood sugar.  She has no signs of diabetes, never has, and Grandpa has told her for years to just eat what she likes and enjoy it and no worries.

Boudreaux done be fussin' at de scale, an' Clothile done say, "You like you food so much, you's not goin' be givin' dat up, so maybe you should exercise.  You need to try you de new exercise dey call de cross fit."

An' Boudreaux say, "Mais, I's doin' cross fit, I cross my fingers an' hope my clothes fit!"

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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 Owl, Andrew, and WiseWebWoman.  

St. Patrick's Day decorations, some on the parade route (the parade was yesterday, it's always the Saturday before the 17th).

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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.  

Jack says, "I like lying on the cool floor in a dim room!"

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Today is:

1848 Revolution Day -- Hungary

Ag Day, Celebrating Our Bountiful Food Supply -- according to a foodie website

Brutus Day -- for obvious reasons; watch for backstabbers today, because they are as numerous now as they were in ancient Rome

Camp Fire USA Birthday Week

Constitution Day -- Belarus

Everything You Think is Wrong Day -- begun by someone who wants you to keep an open mind, apparently

Fallas de Valencia -- Valencia, Spain (a five day carnival/fiesta of partying that ends with turning off all the city lights and setting fire to hundreds of massive papier-mache statues stuffed with fireworks to celebrate St. Joseph's Day; sometimes called Fallas de San Jose)

Honen Matsuri -- Tagata-jinja Shrine, Inuyama, Japan (festival for a good harvest and fertility)

Ides of March -- Ancient Roman Calendar; other observances

     Day Sacred to Anna Parenna and River Nymphs -- goddess of the returning year

     Day You Don't Want to Go Out if Your Name is Julius Caesar

     Festival of Attis and Cybele

     Guild Festival -- for guilds practicing the arts of Minerva, with weapons purified at her temple on this day

International Day Against Police Brutality

Joseph Jenkins Roberts' Birthday -- Liberia

Kashiram Jayanti -- UP, India (birth anniversary of politician Kashi Ram)

Laetare Sunday -- Western Christianity, 4th Sunday of Lent; related Observances

     Carnaval de la Laetare -- Stavelot, Belgium

     Mothering Sunday -- UK (fourth Sunday of Lent, originally a day to visit your "mother church" in the parish where you were raised, now celebrated as Mother's Day)

Lailat al Kadr (Lailat al Qadr) -- Islam (Night of Destiny; began at sundown yesterday, through sundown tonight, although local observances may vary and governmental days off vary from country to country)

National Pears Helene with Chocolate Sauce and Brandy Day

Offerings to Ra, Osiris, Horus, Ptah, Sokar, and Atum -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

St. Clement Mary Hofbauer's Day (Patron of Vienna, Austria)

St. Louise de Marillac's Day (Patron of disappointing children, loss of parents, people rejected by religious orders, sick people, social workers, widows; Vincentian Service Corps)

Tagata Honen-Sai/Honen Matsuri -- Inuyama, Japan (fertility festival)

True Confessions Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays, because confession is good for the soul; if you are afraid to confess to the world, there's always your mirror

Turkey Buzzards Day -- Hinckley, OH, US (Two theories about why the turkey buzzards return on this date each year have to do with either witchcraft of a hunting story; festival in honor of them will be held this coming Sunday)

World Consumer Rights Day -- International   

Youth Day -- Palau

Anniversaries Today:

Richard Burton marries Elizabeth Taylor, 1964

The University of Toronto is chartered, 1827

Maine becomes the 23rd US state, 1820

Birthdays Today:

Kellan Lutz, 1985

Sean Biggerstaff, 1983

Eva Longoria, 1975

Kim Raver, 1969

Mark McGrath, 1968

Bret Michaels, 1963

Fabio, 1961

Mary Carillo, 1957

Park Overall, 1957

Dee Snyder, 1955

Craig Wilson, 1954

Sly Stone, 1944

Mike Love, 1941

Phil Lesh, 1940

Judd Hirsch, 1935

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 1933

Alan Bean, 1932

Norm Van Brocklin, 1926

Harry James, 1916

Joe E. Ross, 1914

Macdonald Carey, 1913

Samuel "Lightnin" Hopkins, 1912

Andrew Jackson, 1767

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The Wonder Years"(TV), 1988

"Eight is Enough"(TV), 1977

"Three's Company"(TV), 1977

"The Godfather"(Film), 1972

"Purlie"(Musical), 1970

"Lady Madonna"(Music single), 1968

"My Fair Lady"(Musical), 1956

"Rapsodie Espagnole"(Ravel's Orchestral rapsody), 1908

"Caesar and Cleopatra,"(Play), 1899

"She Stoops to Conquer"(Comedy), 1773

Today in History:

Julius Caesar, Dictator of the Roman Republic, is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus, Gaius Cassius Longinus, Decimus Junius Brutus and several other Roman senators on the Ides of March, BC44

Liu Bei, a Chinese warlord and member of the Han royal house, declares himself emperor of Shu-Han and claims his legitimate succession to the Han Dynasty, 221

A Jew hating Monk in Seville, Spain stirs up people in that city to attack Jews, 1391

Christopher Columbus arrives back in Spain after his first trip to the New World, 1493

The first meeting of the Council of Trent, 1545

South Carolina becomes the first American colony to declare its independence from Great Britain and set up its own government, 1776

In an emotional speech in Newburgh, New York, George Washington asks his officers not to support the Newburgh Conspiracy; the plea is successful and the threatened coup d'état never takes place, 1783

A revolution breaks out in Hungary, and the Habsburg rulers are compelled to meet the demands of the Reform party, 1848

Jesse W. Reno patents an "inclined elevator" (escalator), 1892*

Rolls-Royce Limited is incorporated, 1906

Czar Nicholas II of Russia abdicates the Russian throne and his brother the Grand Duke becomes Tsar, 1917

Symbolics.com registers the very first Internet domain name, 1985

Mikhail Gorbachev is elected as the first President of the Soviet Union, 1990

French President Jacques Chirac signs the law on secularity and conspicuous religious symbols in schools, commonly known as the "headscarf ban", 2004

Lazarus Project scientists reveal that they successfully recovered frozen tissue from the 1970's and rejuvenated the cells of Rheobatrachus silus, a species of frog that has been extinct since 1983, 2013

French fashion house Givenchy appoints it first female designer, Englishwoman Clare Waight Keller, 2017

Toys ‘R Us announces it will close all of its stores, 2018

More European countries impose restrictions on travel and borders to try to combat Covid19, while the US Federal Reserve slashes interest rates to near zero in an attempt to support the economy, 2020

Deb Haaland becomes the first Native American to lead a cabinet agency after being confirmed by the Senate as the new US Secretary of the Interior, 2021

An atmospheric river creates a storm across California, bringing widespread flooding and power outages, 2023

*The first actual working model, at Coney Island, was built four years later.

Water, Water Everywhere, a Ten Things of Thankful Post

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This Thankful Day finds me very thankful for my favorite water cup and the beverage which fills it most often.

Last Saturday as we were cleaning Grandma and Grandpa’s house, my Sweetie found a wet spot on the hall floor right next to the air conditioner intake and a coat closet.

We were thankful but puzzled when we opened the A/C intake screen and found no water in there.

Upon opening the closet, i was thankful to see the culprit was the water stored there in gallon jugs, who of which had sprung a leak.

I’m also thankful for towels to sop up the mess and clean out the closet, as well as the fact i can still pick up and carry and move the large pallets of 16-oz. size drinking bottles, as the two on the bottom were soaked and i had to tip them sideways to pour water out, then dry them and put them back.

Saturday night we were thankful for some rain to make up for our slight deficit so far on the year.  Although 7 inches in one night is enough to flood some low-lying areas and we’d all prefer it be in smaller quantities at a time, the plants and swamps are happy and we want to keep them so.

I’m also thankful as the rain continued Sunday morning, Becca and i did not melt on the way into church and all the items in my bag which got wet were dried out later.

Then, too, i’m thankful i got home to water on the floor in an unexpected place which caused me to look up and see another spot where the roof is going to need #2 Son’s attention.

Speaking of #2 Son, i am very thankful for him and his 30th birthday was this past Sunday.

I’m thankful he wanted to start working on the brakes on Slow-Moe on his birthday (he really likes working on cars).  When the brake caliper broke as he was putting it back on, we’re thankful the auto parts store was still open long enough for him to go get their last one in stock and get it on that night.

Sweetie was thankful to be able to use my car, Gus Gus die Fledermaus on Monday to go to work, and I was thankful Daughter-in-Law works from home and was able to let me use her car.

Late Monday afternoon, i was thankful to watch our little Annie again (as i had Sunday) so #2 Son could work on the other front brake.  We were both thankful the rain, on a day when the supposed chance of rain was 0% as it had spent itself out the day before, was just a very brief drizzle and he got the car fixed before i had to go to my meeting.

Speaking of the meeting, i got the very unwelcome news Monday morning our ladies’ circle meeting was canceled as our leader was suddenly called to work late that day and wouldn’t get home in time to host.

I’m thankful another member stepped up and offered her home and we had a wonderful time.

Bonus, our leader came straight from work, looked at me and said, “I forgot to bring my book, you’re teaching tonight!”

I laughed and was very thankful i’d already prepared this lesson as i’m teaching it at the other ladies’ circle early next month.  I’m also thankful my "preview lesson” was well received.

Tuesday was another beautiful day with our little Annie.

We’re thankful she’s getting to be such big girl.

Ms. G was thankful i was there to help her Wednesday on the gutters/leaf removal project, which was only partially successful, and we were both thankful to finally get Ms. Fiona’s new clothing rack put together and delivered to her.

That night, i was thankful i got home from Bible study before the rain started up again in right earnest and also thankful it only lasted a couple of hours, not all night.

Thursday was a double day, i was thankful to have enough energy left after Ms. V’s very busy job to be able to go do Kevin and Lenny’s place, which is also a very big, busy job.  I’m thankful my Sweetie helps me over there or i couldn’t do it on one day.

Friday evening at the cat shelter was a little different.  Not only have the spring kittens not arrived (they're still too small and in foster homes), there have been adoptions of older cats and even the rooms aren't very crowded.

We were thankful for many people in and looking, one adoption for the evening and one picking up a pre-adopt, and finally, i am thankful i stopped to speak to a mother of a child who is very obviously autistic and gave her the contact info for rEcess.  She admitted she and her husband almost never get time to go out or just be alone together and i'm thankful she showed up that evening, rEcess might be just what the doctor ordered.

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:

Constitution Day -- Andorra

Dita e Veres -- Albania (Summer Day)

Festival of Veturius Mamurius -- Ancient Roman Calendar (festival of armor makers)

Genius Day -- for Einstein, of course

International Ask A Question Day -- because that's what geniuses do

International Fanny Pack Day -- started by someone who really likes the things (although i do admit they come in handy for keeping your money with you at all times when you have a garage sale)

Lailat al Kadr (Lailat al Qadr) -- Islam (Night of Destiny; begins at sundown, through sundown tomorrow, although local observances may vary)

Learn about Butterflies Day -- if you go looking for who started this holiday, you will find out lots about butterflies and nothing about him/her, which i guess makes it a success

Moth-er Day -- for all individuals and museums that have moth collections; some websites have this listed as the day before Mother's Day

Mother Tongue Day -- Estonia

National Heroes Day -- Saint Vincent and Grenadines

National Potato Chip Day

National Pi Day - Why today? Because today is 3.14, the value of Pi (and check with your local pizza place, some sell a pizza pie for $3.14 today)

National Write Your Story Day

Runic Half Month Beorc (Birch) begins

Shopping Cart Day -- patent filed today in 1938 by Sylvan Goldman

St. Matilda, Queen of Germany's Day (Patron of dying children, disappointing children, falsely accused people, large families, people ridiculed for their piety, queens, second marriages, widows)

Ten Most Wanted Day -- the FBI started its list this day in 1950

White Day -- China; Japan; South Korea; Taiwan (One month after Valentine's Day, which is the day women give gifts to men; today, the men return the favor.)

Birthdays Today:

Justin Bieber, 1994

Colby O'Donis, 1989

Taylor Hanson, 1983

Grace Park, 1974

Kirby Puckett, 1961

Tamara Tunie, 1959

Rick Dees, 1951

Pam Ayres, 1947

Billy Crystal, 1947

Rita Tushingham, 1942

Michael Caine, 1933

Quincy Jones, 1933

Frank Borman, 1928

S. Truet Cathy, 1921

Hank Ketcham, 1920

Horton Foote, 1916

Les Brown, 1912

Albert Einstein, 1879

Casey Jones, 1864

Lucy Hobbs Taylor, 1833

Johann Strauss, Sr., 1804

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"10 Most Wanted"(FBI list), 1950

"The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu"(Comic Opera), 1885

"MacBeth"(Opera), 1847

Today in History:

The Queen of Cyprus, Catherine Cornaro, sells her kingdom to Venice, 1489

England grants a patent for Providence Plantations (now Rhode Island), 1644

Scotland dismisses Willem III & Mary Stuart as king & queen, 1689

Eli Whitney is granted a patent for the cotton gin, 1794

The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church founded in New York, 1821

Gilbert and Sullivan's Mikado premiers in London, 1885

During the Great Blizzard of 1888, New York receives its second largest snowfall on record, 21", 1888

The United States goes on the gold standard, 1900

Hugo de Vries rediscovers Mendel's laws of genetics, 1900

The first theater for rear movie projection is built, in NYC, 1931

A jury in Dallas, Texas, finds Jack Ruby guilty of killing Lee Harvey Oswald, assumed assassin of John F. Kennedy, 1964

Linux kernel version 1.0.0 is released, 1994

Astronaut Norman Thagard becomes the first American astronaut to ride to space on-board a Russian launch vehicle, 1995

The Chinese city of Chongqing (formerly Chunking) is upgraded to a centrally administered municipality, 1997

Over a million Lebanese people take to the streets of Beirut to protest against Syrian military presence, in what comes to be called the Cedar Revolution, 2005

After measuring its spin and parity, scientists at the Large Hadron Collider announce they firmly believe the particle discovered in July 2012 is a Higgs boson, 2013

President Putin orders Russian troops out of Syria, 2016

NASA releases data showing February 2016 warmest month ever recorded globally - 1.35C above the long-term average, 2016

The European Court of Justice rules companies can ban staff from wearing religious symbols, including headscarves, 2017

The world's oldest golf club, Muirfield in Scotland, votes to admit women as members after 273 years, 2017

The NASA twin study finds that astronaut Scott Kelly is no longer identical to his twin brother after one year in space, 7% of his genes altered, 2018

The World Happiness Report names Finland as world's happiest country and Burundi the unhappiest, 2018

Angela Merkel is sworn in for her fourth term as German Chancellor, 2018

Google announces its employee Emma Haruka Iwao has broken the world record for calculating pi, to 31.4 trillion digits, on pi day using Google Cloud, 2019

An Air Tahiti Nui plane safely completes the longest-ever scheduled passenger flight by distance, 15,715km/9,765m from French Polynesia to mainland France, 2020

Czech free diver David Vencl completes a record dive beneath ice to 52.1 meters without a wetsuit in Switzerland’s Lake Sils in temperatures between 1C and 4C (34F to 39F), 2023

A British warship that ran aground and sank in 1742 in what is now Dry Tortugas National Park in Key West, Florida, is positively identified as the HMS Tyger, 2024