A Very Cheerful Neighbor (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 on her blog.

This week's words/prompts are:

1.trembling  

2.bobbing  

3.rescue  

4.green  

5.redhead  

6.potato

Charlotte's colour of the month is Ocean Twilight for March.

After a very long week, it was finally going to be my time to sit around like a couch POTATO for a while.

Best laid plans, right?

Little Sis came running in wearing her Ocean Twilight rain boots and a worried expression.  I call her Little Sis even though she doesn't like it as she's not so little any longer, call it an older brother's privilege to do at least a little bit of ribbing of a younger sibling.

"What's going on, Little Sis?  Are you late for a phone call?"

Her expression got more worried and she said, "No, I think there's a REDHEAD in trouble out on the near end of the lake."

"A duck?  What kind of trouble can a duck get in?"

"I think it's got one of its webbed feet caught in a GREEN fishing net one of the fishermen lost.  It's BOBBING and pulling, trying to get out of the water and TREMBLING, and I think it needs someone to RESCUE it."

I let out a big sigh.  Little Sis is a bright kid and is going to be an animal rescuer/wildlife veterinarian/something-to-do-with-animals when she grows up, and I knew if she said the duck needed help, it probably did.

There went my couch time.

We went down to the lake, although the part nearest our house is more like a little pond offshoot of the bigger body of water, and sure enough there was a redhead duck, and it did seem to be in trouble.

I'd gone ahead and put on my hip boots I use when I fish, and while she stood as close as she dared in her regular boots and spoke to it, I gently approached.  Little Sis has good eyes, there was a piece of net on its webbed foot and the other end caught by the outcrop of a stump.

Lifting the duck out of the water, I slid the netting off of its foot and held it closer to where Little Sis was standing.  "Does it look like it was cut or bleeding?" I asked.

"No," she said, "I think it was just caught."

I nodded and set the duck back down on the water and grabbed the net, loosening it and wading out of the water with it in my hand.  No sense leaving it for something else to get wrapped up in.

Meanwhile, the duck knew he was free and beat a hasty retreat, which made both of us smile, although to get Little Sis to laugh, I said, "What, not even a thank you quack?"

Little Sis did thank me, though, and we went back to the house and I still got some couch time, for which I was thankful.

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Today is:

Charter Day -- Pennsylvania, US

Debunking Day -- internet holiday possibly started by someone tired of internet myths

Feast Day of Hercules/Herakles -- Ancient Roman and Greek Calendars

Frankenstein's Birthday -- Mary Shelley's famous tale was published today in 1818

Johnny Appleseed Day / Apple Appreciation Day -- death anniversary of John "Johnny Appleseed" Chapman; some say March 18

King Moshoeshoe I's Anniversary -- Lesotho

Mi-Careme -- Guadeloupe; Saint Barthelemy; Saint Martin (Mid-Lent) 

National Decoration Day -- Liberia

National No Smoking Day -- UK (for help quitting, go here) 

National Oatmeal-Nut Waffles Day

Reestablishment of Independence -- Lithuania (independence from the USSR)

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day -- US   

St. Eulogius of Cordova's Day (Patron of carpenters, coppersmiths)

World Day of Muslim Culture, Peace, Dialogue and Film -- International

Worship of Tools Day -- begun by someone who knew we would be nowhere without tools

Anniversaries Today:

Romeo & Juliet's wedding day, according to Shakespeare, 1302

Emperor Napoleon married by proxy to Archduchess Marie Louise, 1810

Birthdays Today:

Terrance Howard, 1969

Alex Kingston, 1963

Curtis Brown, Jr., 1956

Douglas Adams, 1952

Bobby McFerrin, 1950

Jerry Zucker, 1950

Dominique Sanda, 1948

Charles W. Swan, 1942

Antonin Scalia, 1936

Sam Donaldson, 1934

Rupert Murdoch, 1931

Ralph Abernathy, 1926

Mercer Ellington, 1919

Ezra Jack Keats, 1916

Harold Wilson, 1916

Lawrence Welk, 1903

Robert Treat Paine, 1731

Torquato Tasso, 1544

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Cops"(TV), 1989

"A Raisin in the Sun"(Play), 1959

"Don Carlos"(Opera), 1867

"Rigoletto"(Opera), 1851

"I Capuleti e i Montecchi"(Opera), 1830

"The Daily Courant"(Newspaper; first British daily paper), 1702

Today in History:

Thutmose III, Pharaoh of Egypt, dies (according to the Low Chronology of the 18th Dynasty),BC1425

Volcano Etna in Italy erupts killing 15,000, 1669

The first English daily newspaper "Daily Courant," begins publishing, 1702

Queen Anne withholds Royal Assent from the Scottish Militia Bill, the last time a British monarch vetoes legislation, 1708

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is published, 1818

Unhappy with translational differences regarding the Treaty of Waitangi, chiefs Hone Heke, Kawiti and Māori tribe members chop down the British flagpole for a fourth time and drive settlers out of Kororareka, New Zealand, 1845

Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine and Robert Baldwin become the first Prime Ministers of the Province of Canada to be democratically elected under a system of responsible government, 1848

The Great Sheffield Flood: The largest man-made disaster ever to befall England kills over 250 people in Sheffield, 1864

The Meiji Japanese government officially annexes the Ryukyu Kingdom into what would become the Okinawa prefecture,1872

The Great Blizzard of 1888 begins, lasting 4 days, 1888

The first confirmed cases of the Spanish Flu are observed at Fort Riley, Kansas, 1918

The Bank of Canada opens, 1935

Reginald Weit became the first African American to play in the US Tennis Open, 1948

Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun," the first Broadway play by a black woman, opens, 1959

Mt. Etna in Sicily erupts, 1974

Pakistan successfully conducts a cold test of a nuclear weapon, 1983

Mikhail S Gorbachev replaces Konstantin Chernenko as Soviet leader, 1985

Infosys becomes the first Indian company listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange, 1999

Michelle Bachelet is inaugurated as first female president of Chile, 2006

An earthquake measuring 9.0 in magnitude strikes 130 km (81 mi) east of Sendai, Japan, triggering a tsunami killing thousands of people and triggering the second largest nuclear accident in history, 2011

England retains the Six Nations Rugby Championship with a 61-21 win over Scotland at Twickenham; this is England's 11th consecutive Six Nations win and equals NZ's record of 18 consecutive international wins, 2017

China's National People's Congress approves removal of term limits for a leader, which will allow Xi Jinping to retain the presidency for life, 2018

Covid19 is declared a pandemic by the WHO, 2020

The journal Nature reports on the smallest dinosaur ever discovered; its skull was preserved in a piece of amber smaller than an average human fingertip, 2020

After news agencies issue a "kill" notice over digital manipulation, Catherine, Princess of Wales, apologizes for "confusion" caused by releasing an edited family photo, 2024

The shipwreck of "The Great Western," a steel steamer which sank in 1892 with the loss of 27 lives, is rediscovered in Lake Superior after 132 years, 2025

Astronomers announce the discovery of 128 more moons orbiting the planet Saturn, bring the planet's total to 274 moons, 2026

And There Were Even Sun Chips in the Sun Chips Box, 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.  

Carl's work eight hours Monday and Tuesday schedule seems to be holding, with him occasionally picking up an extra shift someone else drops.  He's only part time, after all, and if he works too many more hours, it's very hard on him.

Thus he was in the sleep chair when i arrived.

As was this in the chair in his room, and no, there's no way to be sure if they are clean or dirty without waking him.  The fact he'd put the lotion covered lotion bottle in the same chair, and at least one item there didn't smell quite right, made it a "wash everything" decision.

While gathering laundry and tidying, i noted his keys were not on the counter with his wallet and all the other items which tend to collect there, so i made a mental note to ask him about it when he woke.

His mom, Ms. V, had obviously been after him to pick things up again as he'd tried to hang up more items, including this.

Yes, stained and needing a rewash.  He aims to please, but his aim isn't always straight.

There are still 5 dryer balls, they keep disappearing and then showing back up, sometimes under the bed, sometimes stuffed inside a piece of clothing where it got trapped.  Maybe that's the magic number in this house.

What in the world could be in the Sun Chips box?

Masks and grocery bags.

Crayons, index cards, and pens.

And what do you know, glory be, there's even a Sun Chips bag.  One more item for his lunch.

When Carl got up to brush his teeth, i asked about the keys.

"They're not here?" he asked.

I don't see them, i noted.

"Where are they?" he asked.

That's what i was asking you, i told him.

"Maybe they're in the car..."

He turned to go brush his teeth and i hunted up the spare keys.  Sure enough, his regular keys were tangled up in the seat belt (they're on a chain).  I brought them in and put the spare back on the hook just as he was going back to snooze more.

Remember, i told him, i'm about to start the final load of clothes, if you go back to sleep, you have to wash whatever you are wearing or sleeping on now.

Carl blinked at me and said, "I'll wash them," then went to lie down.

I'm not taking bets on whether i will be snagging them on Thursday just to give him a boost, even though i'm only supposed to do the big house that day.

When he finally got up to shower, he asked me, "Where can I get a shave?"

Carl uses an electric razor, but sometimes he needs a boost and he's not been very happy with the place he's been going.  I told him about where my Sweetie goes for haircuts, a very old-fashioned barber shop where they can give you a proper shave with a straight razor if you need it.  He asked where it was and I showed him on the map on his phone.  We'll see if he gets there.

Meanwhile, i packed his lunch and he had breakfast and talked.

Mostly he talked about his weekend, the games he'd played and trouble with one of the levels.  He also spoke of his concern about government corruption.  He may not be able to organize anything due to his disability, but he can and does think very deeply about things.

As he tried to get out of the house, i handed him this.

Ms. V has bought him new hats for work.  Unfortunately, she hasn't gotten new gloves or glasses, and he was also looking for both of those.  Maybe soon.

Meanwhile, how about some funnies.

Have a blessed and beautiful Tuesday, everyone!

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Today is:

Doctor's Day -- Venezuela

Dream Day -- supposedly begun by an instructor at Columbia University as a day to concentrate on how to make your dreams come true

Farvardigan -- Ancient Persia, Zoroastrians (10 day festival for the dead before Nowruz, the New Year)

Festival of Life in the Cracks Day -- internet holiday declared because this is where most of us are, and we deserve to be celebrated!

Harriet Tubman Day -- anniversary of her death in 1913

International Day of Awesomeness -- Celebrate what is awesome about you - always on Chuck Norris' birth anniversary, because no one is more awesome than Chuck

Mario Day -- for gamers, based on the date Mar 10

National Blueberry Popover Day

National Pack Your Lunch Day -- because it's cheaper and healthier

National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day -- US

Organize Your Home Office Day -- Lisa Kanarek wants everyone to organize their home office on the second Tuesday in March; my response is:  in one day!  is she out of her mind!

Shiogama Jinja Hote Festival -- Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan (mikoshi parades and Shinto music)

St. Kessog's Day (Patron of Lennox, Scotland; Scotland)

Telephone Day -- Bell sent the first message by phone, to Watson in the next room, this day in 1876

Tibetan Uprising Day -- Tibetan Independence Supporters commemoration of the 1959 uprising

Turkey Vultures Return to the Living Sign -- Canisteo, NY (San Juan Capistrano has swallows, and Canisteo has living trees planted to spell out the name of the valley where the turkey vultures/buzzards return each year, traditionally on St. Patrick's Day; through the 17th)

Birthdays Today:

Emily Osment, 1992

Carrie Underwood, 1983

Shannon Miller, 1977

John Hamm, 1971

Edie Brickell, 1966

Prince Edward, 1964

Jasmine Guy, 1964

Rick Rubin, 1963

Pam Oliver, 1961

Sharon Stone, 1958

Shannon Tweed, 1957

Kim Campbell, 1947

Bob Greene, 1947

Tom Scholz, 1947

Chuck Norris, 1940

Dave Rabe, 1940

James Earl Ray, 1928

Pamela Mason, 1918

Bix Beiderbecke, 1903

Clare Boothe Luce, 1903

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer"(TV), 1997

"The Incredible Hulk"(TV), 1978

"Sweet Bird of Youth"(Play), 1959

Today in History:

The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet bringing the First Punic War to an end, BC241

Jews are excluded from public office in the Roman Empire, 418

King Charles I dissolves Parliament; he calls it back 11 years later, 1629

English Quaker William Penn receives charter from Charles II, making him sole proprietor of colonial American territory Pennsylvania, 1681

French Huguenot Jean Calas, who was wrongly convicted of killing his son, dies after being tortured by authorities; the event inspired Voltaire to begin a campaign for religious tolerance and legal reform, 1762

John Stone, of Concord, Massachusetts, patents a pile driver, 1791

England begins its first modern census, 1801

In St. Louis, Missouri, a formal ceremony is conducted to transfer ownership of the Louisiana Territory from France to the United States, 1804

The French Foreign Legion is established by King Louis-Philippe to support his war in Algeria, 1831

Abraham Lincoln patents a device to help free ships in rivers from shallow water; he built a small scale model, but no full-size device was ever built, and makes him the only US president to hold a patent, 1849

Alexander Graham Bell makes the first successful telephone call by saying "Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you," 1876

Commissioner George Scott Railton and seven women officers landed at New York to officially begin the work of the Salvation Army in the US, 1880

Almon Strowger, an undertaker in Topeka, Kansas, patents the Strowger switch, a device which led to the automation of telephone circuit switching, 1891

The Courrières mine disaster, Europe's worst ever, kills 1099 miners in Northern France, 1906

After Bob Fitzsimmons KOs much larger Jim Corbett to win world HW championship he says, "The bigger they are, the harder they fall," 1896

China ends slavery, 1910

Mahatma Gandhi is arrested in India, tried for sedition, and sentenced to six years in prison, only to be released after nearly two years for an appendicitis operation, 1922

In Memphis, Tennessee, James Earl Ray pleads guilty to assassinating Martin Luther King Jr.; he later retracts his guilty plea, 1969

Astronomers discover rings around Uranus, 1977

In Haiti, Prosper Avril is ousted 18 months after seizing power in a coup, 1990

The NASDAQ Composite stock market index peaks at 5132.52, signaling the beginning of the end of the dot-com boom, 2000

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter arrives at Mars, 2006

Carlos Slim becomes the first Mexican and person from an emerging economy to top Forbes Richest Person list, with net worth of US$53.5 billion, 2010

South Korean judges uphold their parliaments' decision to impeach President Park Geun-hye, 2017

Washington University researchers put the global death toll of Covid-19 at 18.2 million, 2022

In a milestone test for animal organ transplants into people at Xijing Hospital, Xi’an, China, the first pig liver is transplanted into a person who is "clinically dead," with the organ functioning for 10 days, 2024