27th

Not just the date, because today is the 27th.

Today is also our 27th wedding anniversary.

Because i was 22 when i married, that means i've been married 5 years longer than my entire life prior to marriage.  More years in it than out of it.

Boggles the mind, it doesn't seem that long, until i stop to think about it.  Then i wonder if that's really all!

Some things are totally different.  We have kids, we have shared history, we no longer share one car.


Some things are about the same.  He still wants bacon grease cooked into almost everything because his mama did it that way, and we will still celebrate by going out for coffee.

His brother, my Brother-in-Law, The Mouth, is still hanging around, still single, still behaving like the old maid he was born to be.

Good times, bad times, we've stuck it out.  Just like we promised.  Twenty-seven years ago today.

Have a great weekend, everyone!


Today is

Afrma Fancy Rat & Mouse Display -- Riverside, CA, US

Annie Oakley Days Festival -- Greenville, OH, US (through Sunday; keeping alive the legacy of "Little Miss Sure Shot")

Antique Power and Steam Exhibition -- Burton, OH, US (through Sunday; over 100 antique engines show they can still cut the mustard -- or saw the logs, thresh the grain, etc.)

Barbie-in-a-blender Day -- while i get why we do it to Barbie, what did your blender do to deserve this?  originally thought of by Freeculture.org, to defend our rights to comment on cultural icons, whether they are trademarked/copyrighted or not

Bele Chere -- Ashville, NC, US (through Sunday; the largest outdoor free festival in the Southeast US)

Berne Swiss Festival -- Berne, NE, US (Swiss food, dancing, yodeling, a stein-toss, and lots more family fun; through tomorrow)

Day of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus -- legendary saints who, upon persecution by the Emperor Decius and being walled up in a cave to die as martyrs, instead slept for over 200 (in the Koran, yes, they are mentioned there, it is 300) years; based on an even more ancient legend and the prototypes of Rip Van Winkle; related observances
     National Sleepy Head Day -- Finland (the last person in the house to wake on this day is awakened with water, either thrown on him/her or the person is thrown into water; in honor of the story of the Saints of Ephesus)
     Seven Sleepers Day -- Ancient Latvian Calendar
     Siebenschlafer -- Germany (a weather prognostication day, if it rains today, there will be rain for seven weeks more)

Dodge City Days -- Dodge City, KS, US (through Aug. 5; a celebration of Western heritage)

Gilroy Garlic Festival -- Gilroy, California (through Sunday; the part of the world that grows more of our garlic than anywhere else, where you can marinate a steak just by hanging it on the clothesline in the breeze!)

Gold Discovery Days -- Custer, SD, US (through Sunday; bed races and pancake breakfast, children's fair and more)

Iglesia Ni Cristo Day -- Philippines

Ipip Festival -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (festival for working on the king's tomb; date approximate)

Jose Celso Barbosa Day -- Puerto Rico

Langholm Common Riding -- Langholm, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland (a traditional riding of the bounds, with lots of celebrating, begins 5am and ends 9:30pm)

Lumberjack World Championships -- Hayward, WI, US (through Sunday; the world's greatest lumberjacks face off in the "Olympics of the Forest")

Mutomboko Ceremony -- Luapula Province, Zambia (through tomorrow; among the Lunda of the Kazembe kingdom, a rich celebration of African cultural heritage, traditional dances and music, and sponsored by the Royal Family)

National Blunt Object Day -- this one is just weird, and no one wants to take the blame for starting it, either

National Creme Brulee Day

National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day

National Scotch Day

Nova Scotia Bluegrass and Oldtime Music Festival -- Bible Hill, NS, Canada (through Sunday)

Over-The-Moon Night (Cows and Spoons) -- Fairy Calendar

Schools Tree Day -- Australia (because National Tree Day is always a Sunday, the schools participate in planting trees the Friday before)

St. Pantaleon's Day (Patron of bachelors, physicians, torture victims; against tuberculosis)

System Administrator Appreciation Day

Take Your Houseplants For a Walk Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays, which claims doing this will orient them to their position on the earth and make them healthier (some websites mistakenly call it take your pants for a walk day!)

Talk in an Elevator Day

Taylor Horsefest -- Taylor, ND, US (through Sunday; big enough to be fun, small enough to get you lots of time with the stars of the show, the horses!)

UFO Days -- Elmwood, Wisconsin, US (through Sunday; Wisconsin's UFO capital, visit the petting zoo, shop at the community wide thrift sale, take part in the fun run, softball games, medallion hunts, bed races, and dances; watch the crowning of Miss Elmwood, the tractorcade, the car and truck show, the nightly fireworks, and stage bands; let the kids have a ball in the greased pig race and kiddie water fight; enjoy the Knights of Columbus pancake breakfast and the bake sale; and no need to miss church Sunday morning, bring a lawn chair for the ecumenical service so you don't miss a moment of the fun and excitement!)

Victory Day -- North Korea

Walk on Stilts Day -- at your own risk always; sponsored by Bill "Stretch" Coleman, the Nine Foot Clown, who encourages everyone to walk on stilts to foster a chance to develop self-confidence, master balance and coordination, enjoy the challenge, and celebrate daring accomplishments at all ages

War Martyrs' and Invalids' Day -- Vietnam

World Congress of Esperanto -- Hanoi, Vietnam; through Aug. 4



Birthdays Today

Ashlyn Sanchez, 1996
Cheyenne Kimball, 1990
Alex Rodriguez, 1975
Triple H, 1969
Maureen McGovern, 1949
Peggy Fleming, 1948
Betty Thomas, 1947
Bobbie Gentry, 1944
Gary Gygax, 1938
Jerry Van Dyke, 1931
Norman Lear, 1922
Alexandre Dumas, fils, 1824
Queen Hatshepsut, BC1508


Today in History

Siward, Earl of Northumbria invades Scotland to support Malcolm Canmore against Macbeth of Scotland, who usurped the Scottish throne from Malcolm's father, King Duncan; Macbeth is defeated at Dunsinane, 1054
Jesuit priest Francis Xavier's ship reaches Japan, 1549
The English Parliament passes the second Navigation Act requiring that all goods bound for the American colonies have to be sent in English ships from English ports, 1663
A Royal Charter is granted to the Bank of England, 1694
The Russian Navy defeats the Swedes at the Battle of Grengam, 1720
The first U.S. federal government agency, the Department of Foreign Affairs, is established (later renamed Department of State), 1789
Robespierre is finally arrested, 1794
The Atlantic Cable is successfully completed, allowing transatlantic telegraph communication for the first time, 1866
Researchers at the University of Toronto led by biochemist Frederick Banting announce the discovery of the hormone insulin, 1921
The animated short A Wild Hare is released, introducing the character of Bugs Bunny, 1940
RMS Titanic, Inc. begins the first expedited salvaging of wreckage of the RMS Titanic, 1987
A pipe bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, GA, US, during the Summer Olympics, 1996
Photograph negatives purchased at a garage sale prove to be early works by photographer Ansel Adams, 2010