Oliver in Hiding (Feline Friday), Friendly Fill-ins, Nature Friday, and Flashback Friday, Abigail

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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!

Ms. GA and Mr. BA's Oliver spent a good bit of time being petted by my Sweetie yesterday and then decided to go into hiding.

View from the front porch.

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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 have been seeing a lot of ___________________________.

2. _________________ is a good way to make some extra money.

3. I think _________ was the decade with the best _________.

4. Lately, I’ve been avoiding _________.

1, I have been seeing a lot of   arguments on the Nextdoor website about whether the Amazon drones around here are a good idea or not.

2. Going to work   is a good way to make some extra money.   Dave Ramsey always says his grandmother used to say, "There's a sure fire money making scheme, go to work!"

3. I think   every decade which has ever been   is(was) the decade with the best   and the worst of everything, because it seems the good things keep getting better and the bad things keep getting worse.

4. Lately, I’ve been avoiding   overdosing on bad news, just give me the headlines and a few details and i'll dig deeper if i need to.

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

Mr. BA has these beauties in his front yard planter.

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Flashback Friday is hosted by FiveSibes.  Come hop along memory lane with us!  

Since we starred Ms. GA's cat Oliver for Feline Friday, how about a flashback photo of Abigail, another of Ms. GA's clowder.  Abigail was the three-legged cat who stole hearts and never met a stranger.

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Today is:

Autumn Equinox Festival at Chichen Itza -- beginning today, thousands will gather for the amazing play of light and shadow each evening at sunset through the 27th)

Chästeilet im Justistal -- Merlingen, Switzerland (dividing of the summer's cheese between the dairy farmers of the area, a weekend celebration that must be tasted to be believed!)

Chiropractic Founder's Day -- celebrating the first chiropractic adjustment ever performed, by D.D. Palmer on Harvey Lillard, on this date in 1895

Clean Up the World Weekend -- it's a big challenge, but we can try   

Eleven Days of Global Unity -- Day 8, Human Rights (sponsored by We, the World) 

Hug a Greeting Card Writer Day -- they are generally anonymous, often underappreciated, so today, give one a hug! (if you know any, that is)

Independence Day -- Chile

National Cheeseburger Day

National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day -- US  

National POW/MIA Recognition Day -- US 

National Respect! Day(sm) -- US (encouraging abused women to respect themselves enough to get out)

National Tradesmen Day -- US

Plataia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate)

St. Joseph of Cupertino's Day (Levitating saint, and so Patron of air crews, air travelers, astronauts, paratroopers, pilots/aviators, students, test takers; Cupertino, Italy)

World Water Monitoring Day -- International    

Anniversaries Today:

Constantine II of Greece marries Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark, 1964

The United States Air Force becomes a separate military service, 1947

Hull House opens, 1889

Birthdays Today:

Jada Pinkett Smith, 1971

Lance Armstrong, 1971

Alsha Tyler, 1970

James Gandolfini, 1961

Ryne Sandberg, 1959

Frankie Avalon, 1939

Robert Blake, 1933

Scotty Bowman, 1933

June Foray, 1920

Jack Warden, 1920

Rossano Brazzi, 1916

Agnes DeMille, 1905

Greta Garbo, 1905

Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, 1905

John Diefenbaker, 1895

Joseph Story, 1779

George Read, 1733

Samuel Johnson, 1709

Marcus Ulpius Nerva Trajanus, Emperor Trajan, 53

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Baseball"(Documentary), 1994

"Love is a Many Splendored Thing"(TV), 1967

"Get Smart"(TV), 1965

"The Addams Family"(TV), 1964

"Wagon Train"(TV), 1957

"The Paul Winchell Show"(TV), 1950

"Johnny Belinda"(Play), 1940

"Strictly Dishonorable"(Play), 1929

"Disraeli"(Play), 1911

Today in History:

Christopher Columbus lands at Costa Rica on his 4th and final voyage, 1502

Ft. Ticonderoga, NY opens, 1755

The British capture Quebec City, 1759

John Harris builds the first spinet piano in the US, 1769

President Washington lays the cornerstone of the Capitol Building, 1793

Royal Opera House in London opens, 1809

A horse beats the first US made locomotive, near Baltimore, 1830

Tiffany and Co. (first named Tiffany & Young) is founded by Charles Lewis Tiffany and Teddy Young in New York City; the store is called a "stationery and fancy goods emporium", 1837

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is first published, 1842

First publication of The New-York Daily Times, which later becomes The New York Times, 1851

Old Faithful Geyser is observed and named by Henry D. Washburn during the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition to Yellowstone, 1870

The banking firm of Jay Cooke & Co. in Philadelphia declares bankruptcy, which starts the Panic of 1873 and a severe economic depression, 1873

The Blackpool Illuminations are switched on for the first time, 1879

Riots break out in Montreal to protest against compulsory smallpox vaccination, 1885

In appreciation for all she had done for the tribe, Harriet Maxwell Converse, adopted as a member of the Seneca tribe, is made a chief of the Six Nations Tribe at the Tonawanda Reservation, 1891

Daniel David Palmer gives the first chiropractic adjustment, 1895

A typhoon with tsunami kills an estimated 10,000 people in Hong Kong, 1906

The Irish Home Rule Act becomes law, but is delayed until after World War I, 1914

The Netherlands gives women the right to vote, 1919

The Columbia Broadcasting System goes on the air, 1927

Juan de la Cierva makes the first autogyro crossing of the English Channel, 1928

Margaret Chase Smith of Maine becomes the first woman elected to the US Senate without completing another senator's term, 1948

Fidel Castro arrives in New York City as the head of the Cuban delegation to the United Nations, 1960

U.N. Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld dies in a plane crash, 1961

Burundi, Jamaica, Rwanda and Trinidad and Tobago are admitted to the United Nations, 1962

The Bahamas, East Germany and West Germany are admitted to the United Nations, 1973

Hurricane Fifi strikes Honduras with 110 mph winds, killing 5,000 people, 1974

Voyager I takes its first photograph of the Earth and the Moon together, 1977

Soyuz 38 carries 2 cosmonauts (including 1 Cuban) to Salyut 6 space station, 1980

Joe Kittinger completes the first solo balloon crossing of the Atlantic, 1984

Liechtenstein becomes a member of the United Nations, 1990

ICANN is formed, 1998

The 72 year run of the soap opera The Guiding Light ends as its final episode is broadcast, 2009

Chileans celebrate the 200th anniversary oof their independence, 2010

After a large storm that took the roof off of Stadium Southland in Invercargill, 100,000 people in New Zealand are left without water, 2010

Scotland votes to remain a member of the United Kingdom in an independence referendum, 2014

The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Journal publishes finding about the earliest known fishhooks, at 23,000 years old, discovered on Okinawa Island, Japan, 2016

Cyclone Ianos, a rare 'medicane' (Mediterranean hurricane/tropical cyclone) begins sweeping across Greece, 2020

Fashion journalist Chioma Nnadi becomes the first black woman to head a major fashion magazine when she is named new head of British Vogue, 2023

The highest peak of Great Smoky Mountains National Park reverts to its Cherokee name of Kuwohi (previously Clingmans Dome), 2024

British radio presenter Pete Murray returns to the air to commemorate his 100th birthday, 2025

Foil and Foiled (Six Sentence Story), Good Fences, and Brian's Thankful Thursday

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(Two Sixes for the price of one today.)

Ms. G is out of town this week, trying to convince her niece to take her expert advice on a real estate deal before the niece makes a huge mistake, and Ms. G is the kind of real estate agent who generally knows exactly what she is talking about.

It was most convenient as i'd told her a few weeks ago i would not be able to work on that day anyway, as Bigger Girl, our eldest daughter, was coming in from Seattle for a few days and we'd be spending it at Grandma and Grandpa's house with her and as many other family members as could make it.

Getting to see and hug her in person was a delight, and almost as soon as i arrived she and i left to go by the bank where she's had an account since she was knee high to a grasshopper to get her debit card replaced and change her mailing address to Seattle so i no longer have to get her mail here and then resend it to her.

Then we went to an independently owned grocery we both like and she picked up ingredients to cook a meal for all of us, accommodating my vegetarian tastes and making sure she did not even look at the pepper shaker when cooking Grandma's portion.

She cooked, i tended Grandma and cleaned up the kitchen after, #2 Son, Daughter-in-Law, Annie and Little Ben came to enjoy the feast and make sure Bigger Girl could finally meet her niece and nephew, we all feasted and talked and had a great time, and a portion was set aside for #1 Son, who will go visit today as he couldn't get off work yesterday.

For a finish, she pulled out flavored chocolate bars in very fancy foil wrappers, espresso, chocolate truffle, and maple bourbon, a fitting sweet end to a lovely visit.

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Yesterday's post was of a car sporting a funny bumper sticker which read, "Got Blinker Fluid?"

For those who don't understand, the people around here very often do not and will not bother to use their "blinkers," or turn indicators, on their cars in order to signal to others their intent to turn or to change lanes.

In yesterday's comments, Java Bean pointed out, "It's like they think it's leaking secrets to the enemy or something," and sometimes it can feel like it actually is if you put on your blinker to move over and the person already in the lane surges forward to foil you and not allow you in.

I understand the spirit behind the question, though, it is simply asking people what in the world is wrong with using the doggone things and since it's so simple, why don't you just do it.

It's a tongue-in-cheek reminder you don't need to maintain them or keep them up, just use them, the bulbs last a long time and are easy to replace if one burns out, which seldom happens (especially as seldom as they are used here).

If you drive, and don't use yours, i leave it to you to answer the question, "Got Blinker Fluid?"

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

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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!

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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 for a wonderful day spent with Bigger Girl.

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Today is:

Birthday of Crown Prince Tupouto'a 'Ulukalala -- Tonga

Citizenship Day -- US

Eleven Days of Global Unity -- Day 7, Women (sponsored by We, the World) 

Feast of Hathor -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Fundacion de Melilla -- ML, Spain

Hummer/Bird Celebration -- Rockport and Fulton, TX, US (ruby-throated hummingbirds and other avian species are the stars of this show; through Sunday)

International Country Music Day

National Apple Dumpling Day

National Heroes Day -- Angola

National Teach Ag Day -- US (streamed live from CHS Inc. headquarters)  

Niketeria -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate)

Operation Market Garden Remembrance -- Netherlands

Pledge Across America Day -- US (beginning of Constitution Week, every school is invited to join a synchronized Pledge of Allegiance across the whole nation, from 8am Hawaiian time to 2pm Eastern; schools are also encouraged to have an exercise of some kind about the US Constitution)

     on the anniversary of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787, or on the school day nearest if it's a weekend

Responsible Dog Ownership Day -- sponsored by the AKC    

Stigmata of St. Francis' Day

St. Hildegard von Bingen's Day (author of treatises on natural healing and the first musical composer whose biography is known)

St. Lambert's Day (Patron of Middelaar, Netherlands)

Thimphu Tsechu / Thimphu Drubchen -- Thimphu, Bhutan (three-day Drukpa Buddhism tshechu festival, sacred masked dances dedicated to Bhutan's protective spirit which tourists may watch but are strictly prohibited from taking pictures; this is Bhutan's largest tshechu and has been held every year since 1867)

Time's Up Day -- created by Wellcat Holidays; time's up on holding that grudge, you need to make amends with people today, since you aren't guaranteed a tomorrow

VFW Ladies Auxiliary Day -- anniversary of founding in 1914

Anniversaries Today:

The Constitution of the United States is signed, 1787

American Professional Football League (later the NFL) founded (a/k/a the Swallowing Up of Weekends), 1920

Birthdays Today:

Patrick Mahomes, 1995

Chuck Liddell, 1969

Kyle Chandler, 1965

Rita Rudner, 1956

Cassandra "Elvira" Peterson, 1951

John Ritter, 1948

David H. Souter, 1974

Ken Kesey, 1935

Maureen Conolly, 1934

Anne Bancroft, 1931

Roddy McDowall, 1928

George Blanda, 1927

Hank Williams Sr., 1923

Chaim Herzog, 1918

Warren E. Burger, 1907

Jerry Colonna, 1904

John Willard Marriot, 1900

Andrew "Rube" Foster, 1879

Baron Friedrich Von Steuben, 1730

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Home Improvement"(TV), 1991

"Head of the Class"(TV), 1986

"M*A*S*H"(TV), 1972

"McMillan and Wife"(TV), 1971

"Mission: Impossible"(TV), 1966

"Bewitched"(TV), 1964

"The Fugitive"(TV), 1963

"Car 54 Where are You?"(TV), 1961

"Outward Bound"(Play), 1923

Today in History:

The Battle of Thermopylae, fought between 300 Spartans, led by their king, Leonidas, and the Achaemenid Empire begins, BC480

Arabs conquer Alexandria, and destroy its library for the last time, 642

Netherland sailors discover Mauritus, 1598

Massachusetts Bay Colony gets a new charter, 1691

Presidio of San Francisco is founded in New Spain, 1776

US Constitution is adopted by the Philadelphia convention, 1787

Sprinkler system for extinguishing fires is patented by Phillip W. Pratt, 1872

The Wright Flyer flown by Orville Wright, with Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge as passenger, crashes killing Selfridge, who becomes the first airplane fatality, 1908

The first transcontinental airplane flight, from New York to Pasadena, is completed after 82 hours 4 minutes, 1911

The Okeechobee Hurricane strikes southeastern Florida, killing upwards 

of 2,500 people, the third deadliest natural disaster in United States history, behind the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, 1928

The Canadian steamship SS Noronic burns in Toronto Harbour with the loss of over 118 lives, 1949

Television is first broadcast in Australia, 1956

Malaysia joins the United Nations, 1957

Bangladesh, Grenada and Guinea-Bissau join the United Nations, 1974

The first Space Shuttle, Enterprise, is unveiled by NASA, 1976

The Camp David Accords are signed by Israel and Egypt, 1978

Vanessa Williams becomes the first black Miss America, 1983

Estonia, North Korea, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, the Marshall Islands and Micronesia join the United Nations, 1991

The first version of the Linux kernel (0.01) is released to the Internet, 1991

Fourpeaked Mountain in Alaska erupts, marking the first eruption for the long-dormant volcano in at least 10,000 years, 2006

A drill finally reaches the 33 Chilean miners trapped after the Aug. 5 Copiapó mining accident, 2010 

In an attempt to curb child marriages, Indonesia raises the legal marriage age of females to 19, the same as males, 2019

Seventy years after they were declared extinct in India, cheetahs are re-introduced to India from Namibia at the Kuno National Park in Madya Pradesh state, 2022

Aided by tax rebates, Norway becomes the first country to have electric vehicles outnumber petrol vehicles, 2024