Sign of the Times (Wordless Wednesday) and Words for Wednesday

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Linking up with Wordless Wednesday, Catsynth, Keith, and Sandee at Comedy Plus.     

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Words for Wednesday was begun by Delores and has become a moveable feast of word or picture or music prompts to encourage us to write stories, poems, or whatever strikes our fancy.    

This month, the prompts are being provided by River at Drifting Through Life.    

This week's words/prompts are:

1.chips  

2.herd  

3.clamped  

4.walk  

5.over  

6.cheese

Charlotte's colour of the month is Ocean Twilight.

Our little Annie is getting bigger by the minute.

She’s becoming very good at letting her wants be known in no uncertain terms.  “Boots!” is often the first word she says in the morning upon waking, as her mama says, and they have to find those Ocean Twilight boots and get them on her.

Then it’s time to stomp around in them until it sounds like a HERD of hoofed quadrupeds is in the house while her parents try to wake up and get breakfast and do All The Things.

When she’s with me, she’ll ask for food in an almost stentorian voice.  If she wants CHIPS or crackers, it’s “Chipees!”  Annie also loves “nana” (banana), “rabi” (berries of all sorts), “banba” (bread and butter), “peas” which can mean peas, corn, cut carrots, or other cut vegetables, and CHEESE, which she emphasizes as “cheeeese!”

She has CLAMPED on to the words cat and dog for all animals, using one or the other at every turn when taken to the zoo.

The day is rapidly approaching when she will have a little brother, and not many months after, her parents are planning to move to another state.  It’s going to be difficult when we can no longer simply WALK OVER to their house, or they to ours.

Meanwhile, there’s spicy green curry tofu and veggies over jasmine rice to be eaten with papadums, “chipees and peas!” for our supper and she will get the lion’s share, which is fine by me.

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Today is:

Asklepieia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (festival of Asklepios; date approximate)

Bindus Diena -- Ancient Latvain Calendar (believed to be the day bears woke from hibernation)

Celtic Tree Month Fearn (Alder) begins

Cheikh Al Maarouf Day -- Comoros

Dieticians Day -- Canada   

Electric Razor Day -- Schick, Inc., marketed the first one today in 1931

Forgive Mom and Dad Day -- because we all make mistakes; sponsored by Wellcat Holidays

Goddess of Fertility Day -- a modern celebration of all goddesses of fertility

Grandparents' and Grandchildren's Day -- Michigan, US

Jacques de Molay's Day -- death anniversary of the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar

Men's and Soldiers Day -- Mongolia

National Anthem and Flag Day -- Aruba

National Awkward Moments Day -- time to embrace those embarrassing or awkward moments from your past and laugh about them, harnessing the power of humor in life's more uncomfortable situations

National Biodiesel Day -- birth anniversary of Rudolph Diesel, who unveiled his engine at the World Fair in 1900

National Lacy Oatmeal Cookie Day

Oide Matsuri -- Hakui, Japan (horse-back archery; through the 23rd)

Sheelah's Day -- Ireland (probably Sheela Na Gig, goddess of fertility; celebrated the day after St. Patrick's Day by those who say she was either his wife or his mother)

St. Anselm of Lucca's Day (Patron of Mantua, Italy)

St. Edward the Martyr's Day

Supreme Sacrifice Day -- an internet generated holiday now used to honor those who have made a supreme sacrifice, all who have given their lives for others

Usajingu Reitaisai -- Japan (offerings to the Kami from the Imperial Household are shared in this very important festival)

Anniversary Today:

Eddie Murphy marries Nicole Mitchell, 1993

Birthdays Today:

Alexei Yagudin, 1980

Dane Cook, 1972

Queen Latifah, 1970

Bonnie Blair, 1964

Vanessa Williams, 1963

Irene Cara, 1959

Brad Dourif, 1950

Kevin Dobson, 1944

Wilson Pickett, 1941

Charlie Pride, 1938

Sashi Kapoor, 1938

F.W. deKlerk, 1936

John Updike, 1932

George Plimpton, 1927

John Kander, 1927

Peter Graves, 1926

William H. Johnson, 1901

Edward Everett Horton, 1886

Rudolph Diesel, 1858

Grover Cleveland, 1837

John Caldwell Calhoun, 1782

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Do I Hear a Waltz?"(Musical), 1965

"Tovarich"(Musical), 1963

"Tales of Wells Fargo"(TV), 1957

"The new Babylon"(Silent Film), 1929

"Verklarte Nacht"(Schonberg, Op. 4), 1902

Today in History:

Crusaders kill 57 Jews in Bury St Edmonds England, 1190

German emperor Frederick II crowns himself king of Jerusalem, 1229

Kraków is ravaged by Mongols, 1241

According to legend, Tenochtitlan is founded on this date, 1325

John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton sells his part of New Jersey to the Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as Quakers, 1673

Henry Wells and William Fargo form American Express in Buffalo, NY, 1850

Former Governor General Lord Stanley pledges to donate a silver challenge cup, later named after him, as an award for the best hockey team in Canada, 1893

Mohandas Gandhi is sentenced to six years in prison for civil disobedience (he served only 2 years), 1922

The first public celebration of Bat mitzvah, for the daughter of Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, is held in New York City, 1922

The Tri-State Tornado hits the Midwestern US states of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana, killing 695 people, 1925

The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in Italy kills 26 and causes thousands to flee their homes, 1944

Cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov, leaving his spacecraft Voskhod 2 for 12 minutes, becomes the first person to walk in space, 1965

The U.S. Congress repeals the requirement for a gold reserve to back US currency, 1968

In Egypt, a 4,400-year-old mummy is found nearby the Pyramid of Cheops, 1989

White South Africans vote overwhelmingly in favour, in a national referendum, to end the racist policy of Apartheid, 1992

Bosnia's Bosniaks and Croats sign the Washington Agreement, ending warring between the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and establishing the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1994

British Sign Language is recognised as an official British language, 2003

For the first time, a woman served as imam, leading a public, mixed-gender, Muslim congregation in Jum'ah prayer and delivering the sermon, 2005

The Messenger spacecraft enters Mercury's orbit, 2011

Russia formally annexes Crimea, previously part of Ukraine. by signing the Treaty on Accession, 2014

A bushfire in Tathra, New South Wales, Australia, destroys over 70 buildings, 2018

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and US President Trump agree to close the US-Canada border to non-essential travelers in an attempt to limit the spread of Covid19, 2020

An earthquake shakes the border of Ecuador and Peru, causing widespread damage, 2023

NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore finally return to Earth from the International Space Station after nine months, instead of one week, aboard a SpaceX capsule, 2025

Duct Tape Doesn't Fix Everything, a Random and Happy Tuesday Post

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It's time once again for a random and happy Tuesday, linking up with Stacy's Random Thoughts at Stacy Uncorked and Sandee at Comedy Plus.  

This is the laundry room, and it tells me Carl and Ms. V have had quite a week.  She managed to save some of the cleaning rags, the ones which can't go in a dryer, and get them hung up.  The rest were, well, with everything else and it all got removed for rewashing.

Then i got to the bathroom.  It seems even duct tape isn't strong enough to hold the bath towel bar up under the assault of Carl putting not just towels, but anything else cloth related on there and simply shoving until it all stays, balancing precariously.

No longer.  Until and unless a new bar is procured, he now simply has two ersatz towel hooks.

He's been liberal with the powder.

I found his cookie stash.  His mother has given me permission to throw away any sweets i find as he eats way too many and has some blood tests showing he's on the way to type 2 diabetes.  Carl used to put them on top of the fridge, or in the fridge, but those were too obvious, thus he's now hiding them in the cabinet.

These are creatine tablets.  He spilled them on his wet counter.  I don't recommend getting creatine tablets wet.

He finally bought water bottles, and i went to put them in the fridge so they'd be cold when he left for work.

There was plenty of room.

As i went through the main house to get the cleaning supplies, Carl peeped from his sleep chair and asked, "What time?"

Only 8 o'clock, i told him.

"Ahhh," he said, settling back down.  He knew he had at least another hour, and he wasn't going to waste it.

His bathroom was clean and laundry well on the way when he finally came in to shower.  He very much approved the clothes i'd chosen after i told him it was going to be a cold day, but he wanted one addition, an extra t-shirt under the long sleeve shirt.

We opened his white t-shirt drawer and he felt the material on the 3 on top, to find the thickest.  Finally satisfied, he picked one then turned to the closet and said, "I'll need a jacket and sweater..."

Later, i told him.  Just leave them hanging in the closet for now, we'll get them out closer to time for you to leave, you won't need them while you're still here.

He looked a bit confused, but agreed finally and locked himself in the bathroom for the shower.

Once done, he opened the door and asked, "Where's my powder?"

In the cabinet where it's marked, 'powder,' i told him.  He opened the cabinet and found it.  "Oh," he said.

Imagine that, i told him, it was where it was supposed to be. 

He looked at me and i added, use it over your rug so it doesn't make the floor slick.

For once, Carl did it.  Of course, the rug looks awful but that's beside the point.

He kept up a steady stream of chatter.  He's trying to get some information from the fitness place, "they keep sending the confirmation to my old phone number!" he fussed.

Carl has been to another movie.  He does love going to movies.  "I want to see Avatar again with my friends, but that's at their house..."

I got the apron on him as we went to the kitchen and while i snagged sandwich fixings, he handed me a can of guava juice.  "Put that in my lunch, too," he said, licking his lips.  "Guava, yum."

He has good taste, i'll give him that.

His father, Mr. L, was reading the paper and Carl stood, eating and reading over his dad's shoulder and asking questions.  Something about international criminals, and a couple of local happenings, it took Mr. L a few minutes to get all his questions answered and then Carl got back onto his iPad and his dad went back to reading.

Meanwhile, i packed a sandwich with turkey breast and swiss, with ketchup and mayo, just as he likes it.  When i tried to close the turkey zip bag, i realized Carl must have been making sandwiches from it for a couple of days because that ship has sailed.  The zip has been separated from the bag.

Right before time to leave, he came in, leaving the back door open and cold air rushing in, asking for glasses.

I told him i hadn't seen any and he grabbed an unopened box from on top of his dresser.  Voila, his mom has ordered some.  I grabbed a pair and one of the little straps to hold them around his neck and handed them to him.

Then he came back in, leaving the door open again (the weather has gotten cold) and he went digging for gloves, but he was out of luck there.

"Did you pack enough to eat?" he asked.

Frozen chicken dinner, sandwich, fruit cup, cheese stick, bag of nuts, carrot sticks, guava juice and water.

He deemed it enough but grabbed a second water, just in case, then asked for the coat and sweater, of which he donned both before leaving.

After that, it's time for some funnies.

Have a blessed and beautiful Tuesday, everyone.

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Today is Saint Patrick of Ireland's Day!   He is Patron of engineers, excluded people, ophidiophobics; Ireland; Nigeria; over 20 other towns/dioceses around the world; against fear of snakes, snakes and snake bite.

     Today is a public holiday in the Canadian Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Montserrat, and Ireland, and widely celebrated throughout the world, especially with parades.

     Trefuilnid Treochair (Feast of Triple Bearer of the Triple Key)  is Ireland's National Day.

     There are many Saint Patrick's Day Parades, although various cities around the English speaking world hold their celebrations on the Saturday or Sunday nearest the Saint's day (as did our area).

This year's Irish blessing:

May the blessing of light be upon you,

Light on the outside, light on the inside.

With G-d's sunlight shining on you,

May your heart glow with warmth,

Like a turf fire that welcomes

Friends and strangers alike.

May the light of the Lord shine from your eyes,

Like a candle in the window,

Welcoming the weary traveler.

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

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Today is:

Ennensai -- Kyoto, Japan (festival and traditional performances)

Evacuation Day -- Suffolk County, Massachusetts, US (day the British troops left the city in 1776)

Festival of King Amenhotep I -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (rituals dramatizing his death and burial, held in the Valley; date approximate)

Kustonu Diena -- Ancient Latvian Calendar (no planting today, to ward off insects)

Liberalia -- Ancient Roman Empire (fertility festival in rural areas)

National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day 

Rubber Band Day -- patented in England this date in 1845 by Stephen Perry

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's Birth Anniversary -- Bangladesh

St. Gertrude's Day (Patron of cats, for accommodations and lodging while traveling, gardeners, mentally ill people, pilgrims, poor people, sick people, suriphobics, travelers, widows; Nivelles, Belgium; against fear of mice and rats, fever, insanity and mental disorders, mice and rats)

St. Joseph of Arimathea's Day (Patron of funeral directors, morticians/undertakers, pallbearers, tin miners, tin smiths; Glastonbury Cathedral)

Submarine Day -- the sandwich or the submersible, your choice

Tea for Two Tuesday -- celebrating tea and friendship

Anniversaries Today:

Wellesley Female Seminary is established, 1870

Franklin D. Roosevelt marries Eleanor Roosevelt, 1905

Birthdays Today:

Caroline Corr, 1973

Mia Hamm, 1972

Rob Lowe, 1964

Arye Gross, 1960

Vicky Lewis, 1960

Gary Sinise, 1955

Lesley-Anne Down, 1954

Kurt Russell, 1951

Patrick Duffy, 1949

John Sebastian, 1944

Paul Kantner, 1941

Rudolf Nureyev, 1938

Paul Horn, 1930

Nat "King" Cole, 1919

Bayard Rustin, 1910

Bobby Jones, 1902

Shemp Howard, 1895

Jim Bridger, 1804

Roger B. Taney, 1777

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Camino Real"(Play), 1953

"Kiss and Tell"(Play), 1943

"Welded"(Play), 1928

"The Girl Friend"(Musical), 1926

"Wilhelm Tell"(Play), 1804

Today in History:

In his last victory, Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger in the Battle of Munda, BC45

Marcus Aurelius dies leaving Commodus as the sole emperor of the Roman Empire, 180

Led by Muhammad, the Muslims of Medina defeat the Quraysh of Mecca in the Battle of Badr, 624

Edward, the Black Prince is made Duke of Cornwall, the first Duchy made in England, 1337

Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated in New York City for the first time (at the Crown and Thistle Tavern), 1756

George Washington grants the Continental Army a holiday "as an act of solidarity with the Irish in their fight for independence," 1780

The Italian Republic, with Napoleon as president, becomes the Kingdom of Italy, with Napoleon as King, 1805

Henry Jones of Bristol patents "self-raising" flour, 1845

Stephen Perry of London patents the rubber band, 1845

John Joseph Montgomery makes the first glider flight, in Otay, California, 1884

The first practical submarine leaves the dock at NYC and submerges for one hour forty minutes, 1898

A showing of seventy-one Vincent van Gogh paintings in Paris, 11 years after his death, creates a sensation, 1901

Luther Gulick and his wife Charlotte found Camp Fire Girls (now Camp Fire USA), 1910

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley announce the creation of element 98, which they name "Californium", 1950

Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, flees Tibet for India, 1959

Golda Meir becomes the first female Prime Minister of Israel, 1969

A referendum to end apartheid in South Africa is passed 68.7% to 31.2%, 1992

President Bush delivers an ultimatum to Saddam Hussein: leave Iraq within 48 hours or face an attack, 2003

Scientists discover that a large number of bacterial life forms live in the deepest part of the world's oceans, the Mariana Trench, which is about 6.831 miles, 2013

Archaeologists announce the discovery of an iron age warrior king burial ground that is about 2,500 years old and has 75 graves in Pocklington, Northern England, 2017

Africa's only female head of state, Mauritian President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, confirms she is resigning amid an expenses scandal, 2018

Chad begins repaying a $100 million debt to Angola with cattle, sending more than 1,000 cows to Luanda, 2020

Rio de Janeiro posts an actual temperature of 42°C but with a record heat index of 62.3 C (144.1 F), the highest in Brazil in a decade, 2024