Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Really, He is Just a Big Kid, a Random and Happy Tuesday 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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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.  


The countdown is on.  Carl only had work yesterday and today, and he has work next Monday and Tuesday, and the week after, he will be moving away.


We're all thrilled and sad at the same time.  He'll be missed, he'll be living his best life in a place geared to people with his needs.


Meanwhile, though, there was a room to clean, work to do, a lunch to pack, and etc.


Carl's room was as usual, mess upon mess, and i went to the laundry area.  It finally happened, they are down to 3 dryer balls.  As i worked i searched for the other two, to no avail.  I'll be back on Thursday to clean the rest of the house, so who knows, i have found them in Ms. V's clean laundry, too.


For the first time in a long while, the clothes in the dryer, all 3 items, didn't really smell that great, so they went back for another round.  


Also, as often happens when i'm sorting and gathering dirty items, i found a shirt on a hanger inside out.  We know it means he took it off after wearing it, thought it was clean because all the mess was on the inside, and hung it back up later when straightening the room.  Sure enough, it joined the rest of the dirty pile.




Carl's good suit jacket was hung up in the closet all askew.




And it had a bit of food on it, mostly inside by the lining.  Then I found this.




His good suit pants, taken off with the sock in such a way the pant leg was still stuffed into the sock.  Carl is talented that way.




All of his ties were out, including the Christmas tie.  I'm guessing he thought it was in the running to be worn to whatever it was he was going to, and his mother said no.


The suit pants and the nice dress shirt i found later showed he'd worn them somewhere food was served and while i just spot cleaned the jacket, the pants and shirt had to be washed with the rest of the laundry.


As usual, the bathroom was cleaned and ready for him to get his shower and two loads of laundry were going when Carl looked up from his sleep chair and said, "Just five more minutes, please?" as i went through to get cleaning supplies.  I told him his timer still had fifteen minutes on it and he looked quite pleased.


When he was done with both the sleeping and the shower, it was time to make lunch.




His fridge actually had some things in it, mostly breakfast things, which he grabbed to consume right away.  We went to the kitchen where Ms. V was up at an uncharacteristically early hour.


I told her i'd noticed his suit and been careful to spot clean the jacket and get the pants and shirt out of the dryer promptly and hang them up, and she said, "Yes, he went to the Gala!"


Some might remember last Friday there was a big event, Ms. A and Mr. J went and i stayed with Becca.  It was a big bash for our pastor, who is retiring.


Oh, how was it? i asked Carl, and he mumbled a few answers, but he was grinning and Ms. V said, "He told us a little about it, he had a good time.  It was totally spontaneous, he bought his own ticket because he wanted to go and we put together his suit as fast as we could."


She also told me he'd left the house looking very dapper, and came home with his shirt half untucked, his tie sideways and his jacket askew, as well as his fly partially unzipped.  Oh, well, as we both noted, he grew up in this church and everyone knows and loves him and would write it off to, "That's Carl!"


I told her the suit was now clean again and ready for the next adventure and she was pleased.  She told me she was up to get finished with the work on something she was to submit to the place where Carl is moving.  Once she gets it in, she will start working with him on packing, buying clothes and linens, and other general prep work.


We had a good talk about things.  Ms. V loves Carl to the moon and back, but as a mama, we're meant to be mama for 18 years or so, and then they take on most of their own care.  With a special needs adult child, it doesn't happen.  She's been responsible for him for almost 45 years.  She will miss him like crazy but be so happy for him to be in a safe place where she doesn't have to worry about him all the time as she does now.


Once again, i suggested she get him very nice silk washable sheets so he won't feel the need to use his pajamas wrapped around his pillows to make them feel nicer on his skin.  She likes the idea, but we'll see how it plays out.


Meanwhile, it was time to pack his lunch and i did, and he talked a bit about the Gala and the fun he had, and how he got to see Sam (the girl he is sweet on) Sunday.  He asked me what other events are planned at church, and i told him i would give his mother the announcement list and he could read all about them.


His leaving for work was the usual run around and gather and make sure of everything, and he left in plenty of time.  


And i found one last thing.





Yes, he bought sidewalk chalk.  No matter what, he's really just a big kid at heart, and it's not going to be the same without him.


How about some funnies.














Have a blessed and beautiful Tuesday, everyone!






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Today is:


Administrative Professionals Day (original date)


Aggie Muster -- Texas A&M University


Birthday of Rome -- Rome, Italy (753 BCE)


Feast of Wadjet (a/k/a Udjet or Buto) -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)


First Day of Ridvan -- Baha'i (began sunset yesterday; through May 2)


Grounation Day -- Rastafari (one of the Rastafarian's most important festivals, in honor of Haile Selassie's 1966 visit to Jamaica)


Heroica Defensa de Veracruz -- Mexico (Heroic Defense of Veracruz)


Iroquois Corn Planting Ceremony -- Iroquois Native Americans (three-day celebration, always around this time of year)


John Muir Day -- US (American conservationist)


Kartini Day -- Indonesia (honoring a leader who helped emancipate women)


Kindergarten Day -- Germany; US (birth anniversary of Friedrich Froebel, in 1782, who began the first Kindergarten in Germany in 1837)


Mibu Dainembutsu Kyogen -- Mibu Temple, Kyoto, Japan (nine-day festival of kyogen performances which dates back to 1299)


National Chocolate-Covered Cashew Truffle Day


National Library Workers Day -- US (always the Tuesday of National Library Week)


National Tea Day -- Great Britain (on Queen Elizabeth II's birth anniversary)


National Tree Planting Day -- Kenya


Paralia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (shepherd's festival of Pares, goddess of herders)


San Jacinto Day -- Texas, US


St. Anselm of Canturbury's Day


St. Bueno Gasulsych's Day (Patron of diseased cattle, sick animals, and sick children)


Tiradentes Day/Brasilia Day -- Brazil (honors Joaquim José da Silva Xavier, called "tooth puller", who fought for Brazilian independence)

     Inauguration of Brasilia, Distrito Federal -- Brazil (anniversary of the 1960 inauguration of the new federal capital)


World Creativity and Innovation Day -- final day of World Creativity and Innovation Week, which always begins on DaVinci's birth anniversary


Yom HaZiKaron -- Israel (Memorial Day; ends at nightfall)


Yom Ha'Atzmaut -- Israel (Independence Day; begins at sunset, through nightfall tomorrow)



Birthdays Today:


Robert Smith, 1959

Andie MacDowell, 1958

James Morrison, 1954

Tony Danza, 1951

Patti LuPone, 1949

Iggy Pop, 1947

Charles Grodin, 1935

Elaine May, 1932

Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom, 1926

Anthony Quinn, 1915

John Muir, 1838

Charlotte Bronte, 1816

Friedrich Wilhelm August Fröbel, 1782

Catherine the Great, 1729

Jan van Riebeeck, 1619



Debuting/Premiering Today:


"Annie"(Musical), 1977

"Inherit the Wind"(Play), 1955

"Arms and the Man"(Play), 1894



Today in History:


Traditional date for the founding of Rome by Romulus and Remus, BC753

Marc Antony continues to battle the senators who assasinated Julius Caesar in the Battle of Mutina, which he loses, BC43

Henry VIII ascends the throne of England, 1509

Hernan Cortez lands in Veracruz, 1519

The Maryland Toleration Act is passed, granting religious freedom to all in that colony, 1649

Catherine the Great ends noble privileges in Russia, 1785

Tiradentes, leader of the independence movement in Brazil, is executed, 1792

Republic of Texas forces under Sam Houston defeat Mexican troops under Santa Ana, winning the Battle of San Jacinto and the independence of Texas, 1836

The first train crosses the first bridge over the Mississippi River, crossing from Rock Island, Illinois to Davenport, Iowa, 1855

Alexander Douglas patents the bustle, 1857

Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Baha'i' faith, declares his mission, 1863

The first firehouse pole is installed in a firehouse in NYC, 1878

The Red Baron (Manfred von Richthofen)is shot down, 1918

The first Aggie Muster is held, a remembrance of fellow Texas A&M graduates who had died in the previous year, 1922

Brasilia is officially inaugurated as the capital of Brazil, 1960

In Beijing, around 100,000 students gather in Tiananmen Square to commemorate Chinese reform leader Hu Yaobang, 1989

Alexander Wolszczan announces his the discovery of extrasolar planets, 1994

The ashes of Timothy Leary and Gene Roddenberry are launched into orbit, 1997

By order of an Egyptian court, the name of Egypt's former President, Hosni Mubarak, is stripped from public spaces, schools and streets, 2011

Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg speaks at the Extinction Rebellion protest in London, 2019

The ex-president of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernández extradited to the US to face drug trafficking and weapons charges, 2023

The Vatican announces the death of Pope Francis, 2025

Monday, April 20, 2026

Quite the Pair (Awww Monday), Inspiring Quote of the Week, and Poetry Monday, Superhero, 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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Awww Monday is hosted by Sandee at Comedy Plus.


Join us every Monday for Awww...Mondays.  Post a picture that makes you say Awww... and that's it.


Make sure you get the code from Sandee's site, linked above, and leave a link to your post so we can visit you.  What better way to start the week than with a smile!


A nice, wiggly puppy came for a visit, and our little Annie got to play with him.  They were quite a pair the time they were together, with the dog getting his first lessons in chasing a car (her toy car) and eventually she even got him on the snout with a green paint marker!




Annie and the pup with heads together -- in the grass!






It's tiring work keeping up with a toddler.

This pic and the next two you can just see the paint splotch.










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Sparks is the brainchild of Annie of McGuffy's Reader, who wanted us to post something positive and uplifting at the start of the week.  While she no longer blogs, i like to post an Inspiring Quote of the Week in her honor.     








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Our dear friend Diane is taking a break

accommodations we must make

we miss her poetry and wit

so carry on as Poetry Monday's a hit!


Poetry Monday was started by Diane at On The Alberta/Montana Border.  Charlotte/Mother Owl and i are keeping it going while she takes a blog break, we hope temporarily.  Anyone else is welcome to join in the fun, just let us know!


This week the theme is Superhero.               


Please fathers, try to be superheroes

to your children as much as you can,

try hard to choose a good one,

and not The Invisible Man.


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He had a superhero tchotchke collection,

she threatened divorce unless,

he got rid of all that junk from the house,

which she wanted to be Marvel-less. 


*******


bit my tongue often

it's a superhero now

yes my tongue is Thor


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Future themes are:


April 20 Superhero (Today!)

April 27 Plaid


(All themes are from the 365 Days of Drawing Prompts and Other Arts Facebook group.)


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Today is:


Ancestors' Day -- Russian Christians; Belarus (Radunitsa, a Slavic tradition after Thomas Sunday)

     Day after the Octave of Easter by the Orthodox Calendar


Basava Jayanti -- KA, India (birth anniversary of 12th century philosopher Basavanna)


Chinese Language Day -- UN   


Emancipation Day -- Washington, D.C., US


Harvest Offering to Renenutet -- Ancient Egypitian Calendar (offering to the Lady of the Fertile Fields; date approximate)


Jose de Diego's Birthday -- Puerto Rico (Father of the Puerto Rican Independence Movement, a/k/a Dia de Reafirmacion del Idioma Espanol)


Lima Bean Respect Day


National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Day 


National Look-Alike Day


National Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Day


National Take a Break to Reset Your Mind Day -- because everyone needs a day like this


Paştele Blăjinilor -- Moldova (Memory/Parent's Day)


Patriot's Day -- US (in observance of the first battles of the Revolutionary War; not to be confused with Patriot Day on Sept. 11)


Ridvan begins -- Baha'i (begins at sunset)


St. Caedwalla of Wales' Day (Patron of converts, repentant murderers)


St. George's Day -- NL, Canada (obs.)


Yom HaZiKaron -- Israel (Memorial Day; begins at sunset, through nightfall tomorrow)




Birthdays Today:


Danny Granger, 1983

Joey Lawrence, 1976

Carmen Electra, 1972

Shemar Moore, 1970

Crispin Glover, 1964

Don Mattingly, 1961

Clint Howard, 1959

Luther Vandross, 1951

Jessica Lange, 1949

David Leland, 1947

Steve Spurrier, 1945

Ryan O'Neal, 1941

George Takei, 1937

Nina Foch, 1924

Ernesto Antonio "Tito" Puente, 1923

John Paul Stevens, 1920

Lionel Hampton, 1908

Harold Lloyd, 1893

Joan Miró i Ferrà, 1893

Holland McTyeire "Howlin' Mad" Smith, 1882

Daniel Chester French, 1850



Debuting/Premiering Today:


Annie Hall(Film), 1977

"Your Hit Parade"(Radio), 1935



Today in History:


The last naval battle in Byzantine history, 1453

Jews are expelled from Orange Burgundy, 1505

Jacques Cartier begins the voyage in which he will claim Canada and Labrador for France, 1534

Freedom of religion is granted to the Jews of New Amsterdam, 1657

Admiral Robert Blake destroys a Spanish silver fleet under heavy fire at Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 1657

Captain Cook arrives in New South Wales, 1770

René Caillié becomes the first non-Muslim to enter Timbouctou, 1828

Edgar Allan Poe's Murder in the Rue Morgue becomes the first detective story ever published, 1841

Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard complete their first pasteurization tests, 1862

Pierre and Marie Curie refine radium chloride, 1902

Manfred von Richthofen, aka The Red Baron, shoots down his 79th and 80th victims marking his final victories before his death the next day, 1918

Western Electric and Warner Bros. announce Vitaphone, a process to add sound to film, 1926

Apollo 16, commanded by John Young, lands on the moon, 1972

Pianist Vladimir Horowitz performs in his native Russia for the first time in 61 years, 1986

Danica Patrick wins the Indy Japan 300 becoming the first female driver in history to win an Indy car race, 2008

The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion kills 11 and causes rig to sink, initiating a massive oil discharge in the Gulf of Mexico, 2010

Tens of thousands of people demonstrate in Tahrir Square against continuing military rule in Egypt, 2012

The Pulitzer Prize is awarded to Anthony Doerr for his novel "All the Light We Cannot See" and to Elizabeth Kolbert for "The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History", 2015

The Commonwealth countries decide that Prince Charles will succeed Queen Elizabeth as the next head of the Commonwealth, 2018

Online streaming service Netflix suffers its first subscriber loss in a decade, 2022

Parts of Western Australia experience a total solar eclipse, 2023

NASA engineers successfully repair and recode Voyager 1 from 15 billion miles away after five-month gap in not receiving data, 2024