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 Owl, Andrew, 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

Good Gets Better and Better, a Ten Things of Thankful Post

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We’ve reached Thankful Day after a banner week and it’s time to celebrate.

We’re thankful for Grandma, it was her birthday this past Thursday, she is 87.  

I’m thankful i noticed Grandpa, who does a great job taking care of her overall but not so great at the little details, hadn’t been cleaning her ice maker and it needed help.  It’s now on my weekly list to check.

We’re thankful for Carl’s move to his new place.  I’m going to break this one down.  He’s a special needs adult, his parents are getting to the age where he needs to be in a safe place because they won’t be able to take care of him forever, and the place has been found.

     I’m thankful i was able to be there Monday as they madly rushed around packing for the move, cleaning, advising, repacking and doing chores Ms. V just didn’t have time to do.

     We’re thankful the trip up was safe, and Ms. V, Rocket Scientist Brother and VetTech Sister-in-Law got back safely although they were delayed two hours while tornado debris was cleared from the freeway.

Other thankful things about it:

     The place he moved had a banner on their administration building which said, “Welcome, Carl!”

     The leader of each area of the campus met with them and gave them contact information.

     The dietician went over what Carl may and may not have to eat (Ms. V needs him to limit sweets as he’s prediabetic and he won’t do it voluntarily).

     The chief NP nurse (they have an infirmary staffed 24/7) went over his meds list, and they will hand him his meds daily at the times he needs them.

     The vocational specialist interviewed him extensively about what he did in his job at Mall-Mart so as to match his skill level to a job he can do and enjoy, with work at the set hours of 8-noon Monday through Friday like everyone else.

     He will have a set schedule, no more getting bored and sleeping a lot because he doesn’t have much else to do.

     Like everyone there, he will be taught to keep his room clean and have it inspected daily!

     Like everyone else, he will have a house chore each week so as to contribute to the house he’s in (his first chore was sweep the porch each day of this week).

     He will have free time after work at the same time as everyone else and there are lots of activities he can choose to do, and there won’t be any impediments to him doing them (at home, he had to consider if friends were off work or not, or if he had work the next day, etc.).

     There is compulsory PE every day and because he’s new, he will have to take the life-skills class.

     Our little social butterfly made his first friend within an hour and as his family left, he was walking with his new friend to go watch the pickle-ball games!

Carl and friend, heading to the pickleball court.

If any of his family and friends needed confirmation this was the right place and the right choice for Carl, thankfully, we have it.

Another big thankful event of the week, the pastor emeritus of our church has been noting for over a year my Sweetie and i are driving awful old cars and have no way to replace them, so when he and his wife moved he gave us his old car, a Honda with plenty of life left in it (at least several years).

He never said a word to us until three weeks ago, but it seems he and a handful of people have been praying over what to do for our car situation for a year!  I’m thankful for our church. 

I'm thankful #2 Son, the budding mechanic, looked it over.  He suggests changing out the O2 sensor as it keeps making the check engine light come on, but that's not a big deal.  He also sent a video to our friend Mechanic Wes to see if he recommends changing out the motor mounts, also not expensive when the work is done by family.  #2 Son is impressed with how nice the car is and how well kept and maintained, and we're very thankful. 

I'm thankful for our little Annie.

She continues to be a joy, we have fun walks, play and read, and each time she sees me, she greets me enthusiastically, calling out, "GG!"

Last but never least, the cat shelter is doing well.  The kittens are being preadopted so fast it's hard to keep up with their surgeries and there were two more adoptions last night while i was there.

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:

Birth Mother's Day -- the day before Mother's Day, for all the women who have made an adoption plan for their babies

Cornelia de Lange Syndrome Awareness Day -- shedding light on this rare genetic condition 

Europe Day -- European Union

Festival of Matsu/Mazu -- Southern China and Taiwan (Taoist goddess of the sea who protects fishermen and sailors; often worshiped in sea-faring areas surrounding China as well, although some local dates will vary)

     Ma Zu, Goddess of the Sea’s Birthday -- Buddhism; Taoism

Independence Day -- Romania (1877, from the Ottoman Empire)

Lawn Mower Day -- a rotary blade mower was patented this day in 1899

Lemuralia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (first of 3 non-consecutive days dedicated to getting rid of the spirits of the malevolent dead; rituals performed today, the 11th, and the 13th)

Letter Carriers "Stamp Out Hunger" Food Drive -- US (place non-perishable food items by your mailbox, and help stamp out hunger in your area)

Liberation Day -- Guernsey; Jersey

Lost Sock Memorial Day -- they go to the hozone layer!

National Babysitter's Day -- US, giving recognition to the babysitters who make your date nights possible

National Butterscotch Brownie Day

National Moscato Day   

O. Henry Pun-Off World Championships -- Austin, TX, US (at the park behind the O. Henry Museum, presented by The P.U.N.Y. [Punsters United Nearly Yearly])    

Olympieia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (spring festival for Zeus; date approximate)

Remembrance for Gudrod of Gudbrandsdal -- Slavic Pagan/Asatru (pagan martyr)

Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Fairies Founded -- Fairy Calendar

Stay Up All Night Night -- as declared by George Mahood of Northampton, England, everyone needs to relive the excitement of staying up late like you always wanted to as a kid at least once a year

St. Beatus of Lungern's Day (Apostle of Switzerland)

St. Nicholas Albergati's Day (Patron of learning)

Sun Awareness Day -- like Melanoma Monday, a few days back, a day to remember the damage the sun can do to skin and stock up on sunscreen, if you haven't already

Tear Tags Off of Mattresses Day -- yes, you can!  If you bought it, you're allowed to.

Victory Day / Victory and Peace Day -- countries that didn't celebrate V-E day yesterday, mostly Russia and former SSR's

Windmill Day -- Netherlands (on the second Saturday of May each year, more than 600 windmills, including many that are now national monuments, are open to the public)

World Belly Dance Day -- to celebrate the wonderful art of belly dance 

World Fair Trade Day -- sponsored by the World Fair Trade Organization; this year's theme is "The future of responsible trade." 

World Migratory Bird Day -- original date second Saturday in May, but the WMBD organization encourages you to celebrate when birds are migrating in your area; this year's theme is "Shared Spaces: Creating Bird-Friendly Cities and Communities"; one celebration that is on this date:

     International Migratory Bird Celebration -- Chincoteague, VA, US (walks, talks, tours, art, and children's activities, all outdoors with the birds)

Xotira va Qadirlash Kuni -- Uzbekistan (Day of Remembrance and Honors)

Birthdays Today:

Rosario Dawson, 1979

Steve Yzerman, 1965

Tony Gwynn, 1960

Billy Joel, 1949

Candice Bergen, 1946

James L. Brooks, 1940

Charles Simic, 1938

Glenda Jackson, 1937

Albert Finney, 1936

Glenda Jackson, 1936

Richard Alonzo “Pancho” Gonzales, 1928

Mike Wallace, 1918

Howard Carter, 1873

J.M. Barrie, 1860

Belle Boyd, 1843

John Brown, 1800

Today in History:

The first battle recorded with what is considered historic accuracy and detail, the Battle of Megiddo between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Kadesh, BC1457

Christopher Columbus leaves Spain for his 4th and final voyage, 1502

Thomas Blood, disguised as a clergyman, attempts to steal England's Crown Jewels from the Tower of London, 1671

British inventor Joseph Bramah patents beer-pump handle, 1785

The city of Reno, Nevada, is founded, 1868

The Vienna stock market crash (Der Krach) heralds the Long Depression, 1873

The first horse-drawn bus makes its début in the city of Mumbai, 1874

Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show opens in London, 1887

The first horseless carriage show in London opens, featuring 10 models, 1896

The lawn mower is patented, 1899

Australia opens its first parliament in Melbourne, 1901

The steam locomotive City of Truro becomes the first steam engine in Europe to exceed 100mph, 1904

The Australian Parliament  first convenes in Canberra, 1927

Edgar Bergen and Charley McCarthy take to the airwaves, becoming an overnight radio sensation, 1937

Rainier III of Monaco becomes Prince of Monaco, 1949

Sam and Friends, with Jim Hensen and his muppets, debuts, 1955

The FDA announces it will approve birth control as an additional indication for Searle's Enovid, making Enovid the world's first approved oral contraceptive pill, 1960

Iranian Jewish businessman Habib Elghanian is executed by firing squad in Tehran, prompting the mass exodus of the once 100,000 member strong Jewish community of Iran, 1979

The South African parliament chooses Nelson Mandela as president, 1994

Estonia ratifies the European Constitution, 2006

A report reveals that hackers using fraudulent ATM cards in February, 2013, stole $45 million, 2013

The fossil of a Chinese feathered baby dinosaur is formally given the identification of Beibeilong sinensis (baby dragon in Chinese), 2017

The discovery of the oldest viral DNA, a form of hepatitis B in 7,000 year old skeleton found in Germany, is reported, 2018

French adventurer Jean-Jacques Savin (72) successfully crosses the Atlantic Ocean in a barrel arriving in Martinique; the journey took four months, 2019

A full published report of the contents of an Anglo-Saxon tomb found in 2003 in Prittlewell, England, is hailed by archaeologists as being Britain's equivalent of Egypt's tomb of Tutankhamen, 2019

Navajo-American composer Raven Chacon receives the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his work "Voiceless Mass", 2022

George Harrison’s “Here Comes The Sun" becomes the first Beatles song to register a billion streams on Spotify, 2023

Large Hadron Collider scientists manage to turn lead into gold for a fraction of a second, 2025