A to Z Challenge: F is for Favorite

Last night was my favorite night of the month, rEcess, where we take care of kids with extreme special needs so that their parents can get an evening to themselves.

Once again i got the joy of taking care of my favorite little chunk of a "boyfriend," Aaron.  He's not even a year old, weighs at least 25lbs., is blind and has almost no motor control.  He loves rocking and toys that make noises, especially music.

We had quite a crowd last night, including several new volunteers.  That's a good thing, because we really would like to expand and offer this service to more families.

It's my favorite of all of our church ministries because i can see the difference it makes in the lives of these children and their parents.  Some of the parents have never been able to leave their children with any sitters before, for any reason.  Thinking back to when mine were young, i can only imagine how exhausting that can be.

Some of the children, those that are verbal, anyway, say that rEcess is one of their favorite things, too.  They look forward to it, and their smiles say it all.


Today is

Act of Self Determination Day -- Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Animated Cartoon Day -- date of release, in 1908, of Humorous Phases of Funny Faces, often considered the first actual animated cartoon

California Poppy Day -- California, US (state flower)

Chakri Dynasty Day and  King Rama I Memorial Day -- Thailand

Drowsy Driver Awareness Day -- please pull over and take a nap when you need to

Elmira Maple Syrup Festival -- Elmira, ON, Canada (fun for the whole family, and delicious, too!)

Grand National -- Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool, England (the world's greatest steeplechase, according to many, dating back to 1839)

International Pillow Fight Day

Jump Over Things Day -- probably started by the same people who brought us Walk Around Things Day on the 4th; as if friends and family aren't looking at you strangely enough after that one

"Just Pray No" Worldwide Weekend of Prayer and Fasting -- people around the world pray for healing for those who are addicted to drugs, through tomorrow

Katori Jingu Otaue-sai -- Sawara, Chiba Prefecture, Japan (rice planting festival; through tomorrow)

National Caramel Popcorn Day

New Beer's Eve -- US (unofficial celebration of the end of Prohibition; beer became legal to sell again on tomorrow's date in 1933)

North Pole Day -- Peary and Co. arrived there this day in 1909

Plan Your Epitaph Day -- figure out how you want to be remembered, and then live that way! (some sites celebrate this on Nov. 1)

President Ntaryamira Day -- Burundi (anniversary of assassination)

Scottsdale Culinary Festival -- Scottsdale, AZ, US (six days, ten events, 20 wineries, 30 chefs, and 100 restaurants, all to raise money for arts education in the community)

Sorting-Out of the Doggets Day -- Fairy Calendar

St. Sixtus' Day (Patron of Alatri, Italy)

Tangible Karma™ Day -- set aside an hour today to become purposefully aware of the needs of someone around you, and to fulfill that need; because giving feels as good as receiving

Tartan Day -- Scottish diaspora of Canada and the US (anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320)

Think About Spring Cleaning Day -- don't do it, just think about it

World Catfish Festival -- Belzoni, MS, US (a family friendly festival celebrating this ever-popular fish)



Birthdays Today:

Candace Cameron, 1976
Zach Braff, 1975
Ari Meyers, 1969
Paul Rudd, 1969
Marilu Henner, 1952
John Razenberger, 1947
Philip Austin, 1941
Merle Haggard, 1937
Billy Dee Williams, 1937
Andre Previn, 1929
Lowell Thomas, 1892
Butch Cassidy, 1866
Raphael, 1483


Today in History:

Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato (Cato the Younger) in the battle of Thapsus, BC46
The Roman army under the command of Stilicho stymies the Visigoths under Alaric in the Battle of Pollentia, 402
Charlemagne confirms his father Pepin the Short's "Donation of Pepin," which had established the Papal States, 774
King Richard I, The Lionheart, of England dies from an infection following the removal of an arrow from his shoulder, 1199
The Scots reaffirm their independence by signing the Declaration of Arbroath, 1320
The Italian poet Petrarch first sees his beloved Laura, 1327
At the Cape of Good Hope, Dutch sailor Jan van Riebeeck establishes a resupply camp that eventually becomes Cape Town , 1652
An earthquake devastates Dubrovnik, then an independent city-state, 1667
Peter the Great of Russia ends the tax on men with beards in that country, 1722
Rama I succeeds King Taksin of Siam (modern day Thailand), who is overthrown in a coup d'état, 1782
The Committee of Public Safety becomes the executive organ of the republic in France, and the period known as the Reign of Terror begins, 1793
John Jacob Astor incorporates the American Fur Company, 1808
Celluloid, the first plastic, is patented, 1869
The city of Vancouver, BC, is incorporated, 1886
The Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City is dedicated, 1893
In Athens, the first modern Olympic Games are opened, 1,500 years after being banned by Emperor Theodosius I; James Connoly of the US becomes the first gold medalist of the modern games, 1896
The Kishinev pogrom forces thousands of Jews to seek refuge in Israel and the West, 1903
Robert Peary and Matthew Henson allegedly reach the North Pole, 1909
Governor Huey P. Long is impeached by the Louisiana House of Representatives, 1929
Mohandas Gandhi raises a lump of mud and salt and declares, "With this, I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire." Thus he starts the Salt Satyagraha, 1930
Launch of Early Bird, the first communications satellite to be placed in geosynchronous orbit, 1965
The American League of Major League Baseball begins using the designated hitter, 1973
Pakistan tests medium-range missiles capable of reaching India, 1998
Rolandas Paksas becomes the first president of Lithuania to be peacefully removed from office by impeachment, 2004