Silverstream is trying to run. and can't, and trips over her cast. She also bops the other kittens on the head with it when they play, which surprises them all, even her.

The fridge is not holding. I have thrown out nonessentials from the freezer, redistributed everything, and with holding the hair dryer up to the back of the freezer each day for 10 minutes the thing is staying reasonably cool, but not more.

It is an ill wind that blows no good, and this whole situation has forced a good cleaning out of old food from the freezer.

My poor kids -- I am attempting to show them how to do some things they will have to take care of around the house. Not only will they have to put their own toilet tissue roll on the spindle, refill the water pitcher in the fridge, and put items in the dishwasher, but they will have to scoop cat boxes, remember to take out the trash, and just generally look after themselves.

Yes, they can do these things. They have before, and they do now, but unless I am on them every minute, they just don't. They have to become self motivated while I am gone, because if I come home to a worse mess than this place usually is, I think I will explode.


Today is:

Alban Elfed (a/k/a Mabon) -- Celtic Winter Finding

American Business Women's Day

Chelsea Antique Fair -- London, England (Through the 26th)

Dear Diary Day

Elephant Appreciation Day

Equinox -- Autumn begins

Feast of Mikeli -- Ancient Latvian Calendar (harvest celebration)

Festival of the Sea Goddess -- Eskimo

Hobbit Day

Ice Cream Cone Day

Independence Day -- Bulgaria; Mali

National Centenarians Day

National Hunting and Fishing Day

National Laundry Worker's Day

National White Chocolate Day

OneWebDay

St. Maurice's Day


Birthdays Today:

Bonnie Hunt, 1964
Scott Baio, 1961
Joan Jett, 1960
Andrea Bocelli, 1958
Debby Boone, 1956
Shari Belafonte, 1954
Tommy Lasorda, 1927
Michael Farriday, 1791
Lord Chesterfield, 1694


Today in History:

Legion I Italica is created by Emperor Nero, 66
Switzerland becomes an independent state, 1499
An all female jury hears the case of a woman who was charged with killing her child, vote to acquit, 1656
A final 8 people are hanged for witchcraft in Salem, Mass., 1692
Nathan Hale is hanged for spying during American Revolution, 1776
Russia establishes a colony at Kodiak, Alaska, 1784
City of Des Moines, Iowa, is incorporated as Fort Des Moines, 1851
Richard Wagner's opera Das Rheingold premieres in Munich, 1869
The first issue of National Geographic Magazine is published, 1888
Queen Victoria surpasses her grandfather, King George III, as the longest reigning monarch in British history, 1895
Italo Marchiony granted a patent for the ice cream cone, 1903
The Duke of York's Picture House opens in Brighton, now the oldest continually operating cinema in Britain, 1910
Ralph J. Bunche becomes the first black winner of the Nobel Peace Price, 1950
The Dead Sea Scrolls are made available to the public for the first time by the Huntington Library, 1991