Saturday, April 11, 2026

Joyful Week, a Ten Things of Thankful Post for the A to Z Challenge

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To enjoy more blogs participating in the A to Z Challenge, click here.   



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It’s been a joyful week, celebrating Easter and having the family back from Alaska.


While they were gone, i was very thankful for Daughter-in-Law’s car, which has air conditioning.  Of course, i only needed it the first couple of days as it turned cool again, but even one day is a thankful.


My Sweetie and i got to NOLA Saturday and were waiting for Grandpa to leave for mass when it hit me, as it does every year about ten minutes after time for him to leave, Holy Saturday is the only day of the year the Catholics don’t have mass.  We were thankful he left his room for the office long enough for us to clean it, then left the office and went back in his room so we could do the office. 


I’m thankful Grandpa is funny this way, not wanting anyone messing in his stuff and fussing about it, but letting us do it anyway.


It was warm and overcast that day, too, and while we were in NOLA it stormed up where we live.  We were thankful not to drive in it as it was over before we got back, and #2 Son had #1 Son go in the RV to make sure it hadn’t leaked.  We’re very thankful it had not.


Easter Sunday morning we got up to another cool spell.  Mr. Cal was thankful for his walk, but we kept it a bit short as i have no idea where they keep his sweaters.


All of us were thankful for a beautiful Easter Sunday service.


That afternoon, i was very thankful to catch up on a few things around the house, no stress to be somewhere and do something.


Carl’s place went as always on Monday, with him chattering away.  He kept talking about a fire and Ms. S filled me in later at her house, her nextdoor neighbor had a house fire over the weekend.  Everyone is thankful no one was hurt.  Mr. D is a former insurance adjuster, he’s thankful to be going over there to give advice as one of his friends from the business is the adjuster and he knows the restoration company people and is a good friend of the owner.


I’m thankful our fire department did a great job, as awful as it is to have such an occurrence, it’s good to know we have well trained and efficient first responders if it’s ever us in such a situation.


Tuesday was the ladies’ circle meeting and i facilitated the discussion on Lydia and women’s roles in church.  I was thankful it went well and riding there and back with Ms. V is always a delight, we have wonderful discussions.


It was also the day #2 Son and crew got home.  He and Daughter-in-Law were on the brink of falling over, so i was thankful to be able to take our little Annie and keep her the whole afternoon.  She was a bundle of energy until all at once, at 5pm, tick of the dot, she fell asleep standing up with her head leaned on my lap!  I was thankful to pull her into my lap and let her nap as i rocked, and thankful she did wake up when i got her up 30 minutes later.  (We’d agreed if she did nap, it needed to be no more than that, as they wanted her back on her schedule ASAP.)





After doing a morning shift at the cat shelter, i got to Ms. G’s Wednesday to find she really wanted to get to her retirement place in Mississippi to get a few things done.  I’m thankful we had a safe trip and while we didn’t get everything done, we’re thankful we got most things.


It was Kevin and Lenny Thursday after Ms. V’s place, always one of those days where i need a contingency plan if everything doesn’t go as well as it should.  I’m thankful it all went like clockwork and as tired as i am when it’s done, it was done well and rather on the early side.  I was thankful to lie down when i got home, too.


While #2 Son and Daughter-in-Law are housesitting for Aunt May for the next week plus, i’m thankful they are coming home at various times through the week so i can still tend Annie, it went well yesterday and she got a great nap (unlike some days when she won’t sleep).


The cat shelter had lots of extra hands for the work Friday evening, and we’re thankful we can work and talk and laugh and cut up and have a good time together while working for a good cause.



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:


Baby Massage Day


Barbershop Quartet Day -- founding day of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America


Buchenwald Liberation Day -- at 3:15pm local time, by the Third Army


Eight Track Tape Day -- do you remember those; someone who fondly does has a day to honor them


Festival of Unmediated Play -- just go out there and have fun, like kids do


Holy Saturday -- Orthodox Christian


International "Louie Louie" Day -- a song that caused such a stir it deserves a day; on the birth anniversary of its composer, Richard Berry


Juan Santamaria Day -- Costa Rica (commemoration of the hero of the Battle of Rivas)


Liberation Day -- Uganda (fall of Idi Amin)


M&M Crisis in Space Day -- on this day in 1996, American astronaut Shannon Lucid reported from Space Station Mir that she was out of M&Ms; it was the only thing she regularly requested for resupply in her 188 days there!


National Cheese Fondue Day


Slow Art Day -- a global all-volunteer event with the simple mission of helping more people discover for themselves the joy of looking at and loving art  


St. Antipas' Day (spiritual student of St. John, mentioned in the Book of the Revelation of St. John)


St. Stanislaus' Day (Patron of soldiers in battle; Cracow, Poland; Plock, Poland; Poland, where he is celebrated on May 8)


World Parkinson's Disease Day


Yasurai Matsuri -- Imamiya Jinja, Kyoto, Japan (festival to prevent ill health)



Anniversary Today:


Spelman College is founded, 1881



Birthdays Today:


Joss Stone, 1987

Tricia Helfer, 1974

Vincent Gallo, 1961

Bill Irwin, 1950

Ellen Goodman, 1948

Meshach Taylor, 1947

Peter Riegert, 1947

Louise Lasser, 1939

Richard Berry, 1935

Tony Brown, 1933

Joel Grey, 1932

Ethel Kennedy, 1928

Oleg Cassini, 1913

Jane Matilda Bolin, 1908

Dalia "Dale" Messick, 1906

Percy Julian, 1899

Lizzie “Lillie” Bliss, 1864

Charles Evans Hughes, 1862



Debuting/Premiering Today:


"On Your Toes"(Musical), 1936

"Matthäus-Passion/St. Matthew's Passion"(Bach BWV 244), 1727



Today in History:


William III and Mary II are crowned as joint sovereigns of Britain, 1689

The last execution for witchcraft in Germany takes place, 1775

President Abraham Lincoln makes his last public speech, urging a spirit of conciliation during reconstruction, 1865

The Shogunate is abolished in Japan, 1868

The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is organized, 1876

Ellis Island is designated as an immigration station, 1890

Spain cedes Puerto Rico to the United States in the treaty ending the Spanish American War, 1899

The US Navy acquires its first submarine, designed by John P. Holland, 1900

Albert Einstein announces his Special Theory of Relativity, 1905

The International Labour Organization is founded, 1919

The Stone of Scone, the stone upon which Scottish monarchs were traditionally crowned, is found in Arbroath Abbey where Scottish nationalist students had taken it from Westminster Abbey, 1951

Britain agrees to Singaporean self-rule, 1957

Apollo 13 is launched, 1970

The Apple I is created, 1976

Ugandan dictator Idi Amin is deposed, 1979

The London Agreement is secretly signed between Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Shimon Peres and King Hussein of Jordan, 1987

Australia beats American Samoa in a 31-0 win, the biggest ever in an international match of football, 2001

The French ban of Islamic women's face coverings goes into effect, 2011

Fossilized dinosaur eggs complete with embryos are found in China, 2013

European Union leaders agree to allow a six-month extension for Brexit after UK leaders fail to reach a consensus, 2019

What is thought to be large gas cloud entering a supermassive black hole eight million lights years away causes the largest cosmic explosion every recorded from Earth, 2023

Bogotá, Colombia begins water rationing as water reservoirs run very low due to drought and El Niño, 2024

Friday, April 10, 2026

Inigo Montoya (Feline Friday), Friendly Fill-Ins, and Nature Friday, an A to Z Challenge Post

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To enjoy more blogs participating in the A to Z Challenge, click here.     



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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 has entrusted 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!


Inigo is a black kitten with white speckles in places, very unique.  A few shots are blurry because he didn't want to stop and pose, but what kitten does?













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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. I never want to forget _______________________.


2. I have a recurring dream about __________________________.


3. _________ is the strangest thing in my computer’s search history.


4. I wish I could turn my _________ into a paying job.



1. I never want to forget   how much i owe my Savior.


2. I have a recurring dream about __________________________.   I don't have recurring dreams and seldom remember dreams at all.


3. Some of my searches for the holidays i list  (is)are the strangest thing in my computer’s search history.


4. I wish I could turn my   silly meanderings on my blog  into a paying job.



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


We had a beautiful sunrise the other morning.







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Today is:


ASPCA Day/Humane Day -- anniversary of founding in 1866


Birthday of Cybele -- Ancient Roman Calendar (great mother goddess)


Commodore Perry Day


Dust the Ceiling Fan Day -- before it gets hot outside and you have to turn it on and find out you forgot how dusty it gets up there the hard way


Encourage a Young Writer Day -- can't find out who started this, but it sounds like a great idea


Fast and Prayer Day -- Liberia


Feast of Bau -- Ancient Babylonian Calendar (date approximate, around the same time of year the Romans honored Cybele)


Feast of Ezekiel the Prophet -- Roman Catholic


Feast of the Rivers and Seas -- Ancient Sumerian Calendar (mother of Ea[Earth]; date approximate, around the same time of year the Romans honored Cybele)


Founder's Day -- Salvation Army (birth anniversary of the founder, William Booth)


Frances Perkins Day -- US (birth anniversary of the first woman appointed to a Presidential Cabinet position)


Golfer's Day -- anniversary of founding of the Professional Golfers' Association of America in 1916


Holy Friday/Good Friday -- Orthodox Christian


Iroquois Thunder Ceremony -- Iroquois Native Americans (week-long ceremonial thanksgiving for the rain, which brings new growth in spring; date approximate, but most tribes celebrate in mid-April)


National Cinnamon Crescent Day


National Farm Animals Day -- US   


National Siblings Day -- US   


Safety Pin Day -- patented this day in 1849 by Walter Hunt


St. Macarius of Antioch's Day (Patron of plague victims; Ghent, Belgium)




Birthdays Today:


Haley Joel Osment, 1988

Mandy Moore, 1984

Ryan Merriman, 1983

Liz McClarnon, 1981

Shemekia Copeland, 1979

Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, 1957

Peter MacNicol, 1954

Steven Seagal, 1952

Paul Edward Theroux, 1941

Joe Don Meredith, 1938

John Madden, 1936

Omar Sharif, 1932

Dolores Huerta, 1930

Max Von Sydow, 1929

Chuck Connors, 1921

Robert Burns Woodward, 1917

Harry Morgan, 1915

Frances Perkins, 1880

Joseph Pulitzer, 1847

William Booth, 1829

James Bowie, 1796

Commodore Matthew Perry, 1794

Hugo Grotius, 1583(O.S. date)

Cybele, Roman goddess (traditional, year unknown)



Debuting/Premiering Today:


"The Entertainer"(Play), 1957

House of Wax(Film), 1951 Note:  first full color 3D film from a major studio

The Great Gatsby(Publication), 1925

Ein deutsches Requiem, nach Worten der heiligen Schrift/A German Requiem, To Words of the Holy Scriptures, Op. 45(Brahms' Requiem), 1868



Today in History:


Halley's Comet and Earth experienced their closest approach to one another when their separating distance equaled 0.0342 AU (3.2 million miles), 837

the lama Deshin Shekpa visits the Ming Dynasty capital at Nanjing. He is awarded with the title Great Treasure Prince of Dharma, 1407

The Charter of the Virginia Company of London is established by royal charter by James I of England with the purpose of establishing colonial settlements in North America, 1606

The first law regulating copyright is issued in Great Britain, 1710

The Mount Tambora volcano in Indonesia begins its peak eruption period that lasts until July 15, 1815

The 10,500 inhabitants of the Greek town Messolonghi start leaving the town after a year's siege by Turkish forces. Very few of them survive, 1826

The NY "Tribune" begins publishing under editor Horace Greeley, 1841

The safety pin is patented by Walter Hunt of NYC, who sells the rights for only $100, 1849

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is founded in New York City by Henry Bergh, 1866

The first Arbor Day is celebrated in Nebraska, 1874

The Titanic leaves Southampton, England, 1912

Mexican Revolution leader Emiliano Zapata is ambushed and shot dead by government forces in Morelos, 1919

Warner Brothers debuts the first 3-D movie, "House of Wax," 1953

Adolf Eichmann is put on trial as a war criminal in Israel, 1961

In an attempt to thaw relations with the United States, the People's Republic of China hosts the U.S. table tennis team for a weeklong visit, 1971

A 7.0 earthquake kills 1/5 of population of Iranian province of Fars, 1972

H J Heinz, Van Camp Seafood & Bumble Bee Seafood say they would not buy tuna caught in nets that also trap dolphins, 1989

A rare tropical storm develops in the Southern Hemisphere near Angola; the first to be documented by satellites, 1991

President of Fiji Ratu Josefa Iloilo announces he will suspend the constitution and assume all governance in the country, creating a constitutional crisis, 2009

Apple, Inc., claims a value of $600 billion making it the largest company by market capitalization in the world, 2012

The Council of Europe suspends Russia's right to vote, 2014

The Hong Kong pro-democracy political party Demosistō is established by activists Nathan Law, Joshua Wong, and Agnes Chow, 2016

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg begins testifying before US Congress about data use and security, 2018

Scientists announce they have the first photo of a black hole ever taken; it is in galaxy M87, 55 million light-years away, and is 6.5 billion times the mass of Earth, 2019

The first drone home delivery service in Canberra, Australia is begun by Wing, part of Google's Alphabet company, 2019

The area around Lake Elsinore in Southern California experiences a superbloom of poppies after an unusually wet winter, 2023