And speaking of shoes...

...for about 5 days, i kept tripping over a pair, and moving them out of the way, and then ending up tripping over them again.

They seemed to appear suddenly, and i wasn't sure to whom they belonged.  They looked big enough for Festus, and he is here a lot, and i frequently find stuff of his here (i've even ended up washing his clothes when they get in the dirty clothes pile, as well as the clothing of other friends who hang around a lot).

Then the mystery was solved one day when #2 Son asked, "Hey, mom, have you seen #1 Son's tennis shoes?  He's got his work shoes, but he hasn't seen his tennis shoes in a few days."

Do you mean the huge, black ones that i've been tripping over for almost a week?  And that he walked right past at least 3 times when he was here earlier this afternoon? i asked.

"Yeah, those!" he grinned.  "He was here?  And he walked past them?"

Yes, he was, and yes, he did, i noted.

"Wow.  Boy. am I going to have fun teasing him about that!  Well, can you run me over to spend the evening with him?  He's off work, and I'll take him his shoes, he'll be so glad to see them.  He hates wearing his work shoes when he's not at work."

They move out, but they never quite leave, do they?




Today is

Andorra La Vella Festival -- Andorra (through Monday)

Armed Forces Day -- Equatorial Guinea

Battle of Bushy Run Reenactment -- Harrison City, PA, US (commemorates the decisive battle of Pontiac's War in 1763; through tomorrow)

Canmore Folk Music Festival -- Canmore, AB, Canada (bringing beautiful folk music and more to the area ;through Monday)

Cowes Week begins -- Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK (the largest, longest-running and most prestigious international sailing regatta in the world; through the 11th)

Dia de la Bandera -- Venezuela (Flag Day)

Fairy Washing Festival -- Fairy Calendar (do the fairies wash themselves, or is everyone supposed to wash his/her fairy?)

Fancy Farm Picnic -- Fancy Farm, KY, US (what a name for a town, and what a good time they have, Southern hospitality at its best!)

Feast of Caligo, the mother of Chaos -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate, and this is as good a day to celebrate chaos as any other)

Fete National de l'Arbre -- Niger (Independence Day, 1960)

Fiesta de San Salvador -- San Salvador, El Salvador

Giope de la Libertad -- Equatorial Guinea (Freedom Day)

Grab Some Nuts Day -- almonds and walnuts are especially good for you

International Tree Climbing Championships and Arbor Fair -- Toronto, Ontario, Canada (sponsored by the International Society of Arboriculture, and designed to simulate working conditions of professional arborists, with five different qualifying events; through the 7th)

Ishitori Festival -- Kasuga Shrine, Kuwana City, Japan (through tomorrow, called the loudest festival in Japan)

Kanto Matsuri -- Akita, Japan  (a four day festival, praying for good harvest, purification ceremonies, and feats of skill)

Lailat al Kadr (Lailat al Qadr) -- Islam (Night of Destiny; began at sundown yesterday, through sundown tonight, although local observances may vary and governmental days off vary from country to country)

League of N.H. Craftsmen Annual Craftsmen's Fair -- Newbury, NH, US ("America's oldest crafts fair," through next Sunday)

National Mustard Day -- sponsored by the National Mustard Museum

National Watermelon Day

Olathe Sweet Corn Festival -- Olathe, CO, US (lots of fun and all the "Olathe Sweet" corn you can eat)

Pidjiguiti Day -- Guinea-Bissau (Colonization Martyr's Day; Anniversary of the Killing of Pidjiguiti)

Sagbraw: Schramm's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Wisconsin -- Wisconsin's oldest cross-state bicycle tour; through the 9th

Sinjksa Alka -- Sinj, Croatia (knight tournament in which the whole district takes pride in keeping the tradition by making and restoring all the equipment used, with accompanying festivals and fun at home, in church, and in public; through Sunday)

St. Lydia Purpuraria's Day (Lydia the "seller of purple" who was Paul's first convert in Philippi; Patron of dyers)

St. Nicodemus' Day (member of the Sanhedrin and secret disciple who helped bury Jesus)



Birthdays Today:

Jay North, 1951
John Landis, 1950
Martha Stewart, 1941
Martin Sheen, 1940
Tony Bennett, 1926
Leon Uris, 1924
John T. Scopes, 1900
Ernie Pyle, 1900
Elisha Graves Otis, 1811


Today in History:

Tiberius, Roman Empire general, defeats the Dalmatians at the river Bathinus, 8
Columbus sets Sail for the "Indes",departing from Palos, Spain, 1492
John Rut, at St. John's, Newfoundland, sends the first known letter from North America, 1527
Robert LaSalle builds the Le Griffon, the first known ship built on the Great Lakes, 1678
First ascent of Jungfrau, third highest summit in the Bernese Alps, 1811
Harvard defeats Yale in the first intercollegiate rowing race, 1852*
Second Maori War begins in New Zealand, 1860
The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company is founded, 1900
The nuclear submarine USS Nautilus travels beneath the Arctic ice cap, 1958
President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya of Mauritania is overthrown in a military coup while attending the funeral of King Fahd in Saudi Arabia, 2005


*In fact, it was the first American intercollegiate athletic event ever.