Awww Monday: Brother From Another Mother

Awww Monday is hosted by Sandee,  of Comedy Plus.  All of us could use a little Awww to start the work week, so find a cute picture and link up!

Applebloom loves her big brother, The Lorax.

Snuggle kitten love.

 

The Lorax has his surgery scheduled for July 9.  They've decided he's old enough, even if it turns out he doesn't weigh quite the four pounds yet.  He probably does, but if he's an ounce shy, so what.






 
Today is

Aizen Matsuri -- Shoman-in Temple, Osaka, Japan (celebration of Aizen Myo-oh, greatest of the 8 Buddhist guardian gods, and is also called the Yakuta Festival; through July 2)

Armed Forces Day -- Guatemala

Crab Races -- Fairy Calendar (Pixies, Elves, and some Fairies)

Day of Aestas -- Ancient Roman Calendar (culmination of the festival that begins the summer)

Feast of the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome -- remembrance of the first Christians killed in Rome by order of Nero as scapegoats for the fire in Rome

General Prayer Day -- Central African Republic

Independence Day -- Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire)(1960)

Leap Second Time Adjustment Day -- if one is needed

Meteor Day -- because of the Tuskunga Event

National Corvette Day -- US (vehicle introduced this day in 1953)

National Ice Cream Soda Day

Pridie Kalendas July (Day Before the Kalends of July) -- Ancient Roman Calendar (a day when dies comitiales -- citizen committees -- voted on political and criminal matters)

Revolution Day -- Sudan(1989)

St. Theobald of Provins' day (Patron of bachelors)

Tech Support Appreciation Day -- if you can get a hold of them, they can be great to have around


Anniversary Today:

Greg Allman marries Cher, 1975


Birthdays Today:

Michael Phelps, 1985
Fantasia Barrino, 1984
Ralf Schumacher, 1975
Michael Gerard (Mike) Tyson, 1966
Rupert Graves, 1963
Vincent D’Onofrio, 1959
David Alan Grier, 56, 1955
Leonard Whiting, 1950
Patricia Schroeder, 1940
Nancy Dussault, 1936
Harry Blackstone, Jr., 1934
Susan Hayward, 1919
Lena Horne, 1917
Czeslaw Milosz, 1911
William Almon Wheeler, 1819


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Johnny Carson Show"(TV), 1955
"Guiding Light"(TV), 1947
"Brenda Starr, Reporter"(Comic strip), 1940



Today in History:

Jews are expelled from Berne Switzerland, 1294
The Spaniards are expelled from Tenochtitlan, 1520
Native American forces under Blue Jacket attack Fort Recovery, Ohio, 1794
French  acrobat  Charles Blondin crosses Niagara Falls on a tightrope, 1859
The 1860 Oxford evolution debate at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History takes place, 1860
The first transcontinental train trip across Canada departs from Montreal; it arrives in Port Moody, British Columbia on July 4, 1886
Albert Einstein publishes the article "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies", in which he introduces special relativity, 1905
The Tunguska event, probably caused by a meteor or comet fragment, occurs in remote Siberia, 1908
The Regina Cyclone hits Regina, Saskatchewan, killing 28; it remains Canada's deadliest tornado event, 1912
Congo gains independence from Belgium, 1960
The first leap second is added to the UTC  time system, 1972
The Royal Canadian Mint introduces the $1 coin, known as the Loonie, 1987
East Germany and West Germany merge their economies, 1990
The United Kingdom transfers sovereignty over Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China, 1997
After nearly 7 years in space, the Cassini spacecraft becomes the first to orbit the planet Saturn, 2004
The Molecule of the Year 2011 is announced, BMP7 (Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7), a potential therapeutic utility for recurrent metastatic disease, 2012

Silly Sunday: Kids in Church

Silly Sunday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus.  It's easy to participate, just laugh and link up!

Yesterday, i was listening to my favorite Saturday afternoon radio show.  It features oldies that date from the roots of the rock 'n' roll era, among other classics, and often the DJ will introduce a piece i've never heard before.

That happened yesterday, when he began playing "Kissing in the Back Row of the Movies," by The Drifters.  About halfway through the song, i noted to #2 Son, who was getting himself a snack while i cooked dinner, that i had never done that.

"There's only one advantage to it," he noted.  "No one can put their feet on the back of your chair!"

Giving him my best "mommy stare," complete with arched eyebrows, he added, "What?  That really is the only reason to sit in the back row of the theater.  It has the advantage that no one can put their feet on the back of your chair."

Although i'm still wondering if he meant more than that, talking of the back row reminded me of a joke.

Boudreaux an' his wife Clothile, when dey have dere li'l boy, Tee Boudreaux, dey decide dey goin' to raise him right, an' dey get him proper baptized an' take him to church each an' ever' Sunday.  Ever' Sunday, dere dey are, right up in de front of de church, sittin' in de firs' pew.

When Tee Boudreaux get to be aroun' t'ree years ol', one Sunday dere was a accident on de freeway, and de family was late for Mass.  Not wantin' to disturb anyone too much, dey end up sittin' in de back row for de firs' time.  An' Tee, he don' seem to like dat, no.  He keep wigglin', and tryin' to stan' up on de pew, an' gettin' more an' more restless ever' minute.

Fin'lly Boudreaux he done had enough.  "Mais, wha's a matta wit' you, boy?" he ax.  An' Tee say, "Papa, I don' like sittin' here in de back!  I wanna sit up in de front where I can see de priest!"

An Boudreaux be real proud of dat, and t'ink, We done raised dat boy right!  But he want to know why Tee want to be in front, so he ax, "Fils*, what for you want to sit in de front?"

"Papa, I like to see de priest because when he be washin' de dishes, I know it's 'most time for Mass to be over!"

*Cajun French for "son"

 
Today is

Autonomy Day -- French Polynesia

Camera Day -- internet generated, but a fun one to celebrate

Descendent's Day -- on the final Sunday of June each year, an encouragement for all the world's citizens to take an accounting of their activities during the prior year and how those will affect those who come after us

Feast Day of Saints Peter and Paul -- Christian
     St. Paul, Patron of Greece, Malta, rope makers, tentmakers, upholsterers
     St. Peter, Patron of clockmakers, fishermen, Russia; against fever, foot trouble, wolves
     a recognized holiday in Chile; Holy See; Italy; Malta[l-Imnarja]; Peru; GR and TI, Switzerland; Wallis and Fortuna
     Haro Wine Festival -- Haro, LaRioja, Spain (a festival that includes a Battle of Wines, where wine is thrown from buckets at opposing teams; on the feast day of the city's patron, San Pedro)
     Rat-Catcher's Day -- often cited because some of the earliest legends of the Pied Piper claim he took the children on the Feast Day of Sts. Peter and Paul

Gioco Del Ponte -- Pisa, Italy (the Battle of the Bridge or Game of the Bridge, a medieval parade and contest for possession of the bridge)

Hug Holiday -- while the National Hug Holiday Week has been moved to the beginning of May, this is the original day, and was for quite a while, so go give someone a big hug!

Independence Day -- Seychelles

Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Festival -- Kirkpinar, Edirne, Turkey (since 1362, the oldest wrestling festival in the world as well as the oldest continually running, sanctioned sporting event in the world, in which men clad in leather britches and covered in olive oil wrestle; through July 5)

Log Cabin Day -- The Log Cabin Society, dedicated to preserving log cabins and the old fashioned ways of life; many places that have historic log cabins plan big events the last Sunday in June to celebrate

Mother's Day -- Kenya

National Almond Butter Crunch Day

Oharai/Grand Purification Festival -- Shinto

Punxsutawney Ground Hog Festival -- Punxsutawney, PA, US (through Saturday; because the groundhog is worth more than just one cold day in February!)

Rath Yatra -- Puri, India (Chariot Festival, pilgrims pull huge chariots across the city)

Runic Half-month Feoh (wealth) commences

Waffle Iron Day -- don't know why today, but it's a great gadget, and if you have one, pull it out and use it today

Wicked Fairies Summer Debate -- Fairy Calendar (i'd love to hear this!)


Birthdays Today:

Prince Aristide Stavros of Greece and Denmark, 2008
Amanda Donohoe, 1962
Sharon Lawrence, 1962
Fred Grandy, 1948
Richard Lewis, 1947
Gary Busey, 1944
Robert Evans, 1930
Ray Harryhausen, 1920
Slim Pickens, 1919
Bernard Herrmann, 1911
Nelson Eddy, 1901
Antoine de Saint-Exupery, 1900
James Van Der Zee, 1886
William James Mayo, 1863
George Washington Goethals, 1858
Julia Clifford Lathrop, 1858


Debuting/Premiering Today:

Moonraker(Film), 1979


Today in History:

An Irish monastic chronicler records a solar eclipse, 512
Jacques Cartier makes the European discovery of Prince Edward Island, 1534
The Globe Theatre in London, England burns to the ground, 1613
Alexander Macdonell and over five hundred Roman Catholic highlanders leave Scotland to settle in Glengarry County, Ontario, 1786
Coal is discovered on Vancouver Island, 1850
Ninety-nine people are killed in Canada's worst railway disaster near St-Hilaire, Quebec, 1864
France annexes Tahiti, 1880
The first known recording of classical music, Handel's "Israel in Egypt", is made on a wax cylinder, 1888
Street railway in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, commences operation, 1891
Doukhobors burn their weapons as a protest against conscription by the Tsarist Russian government, 1895
France grants 1 km² at Vimy Ridge "freely, and for all time, to the Government of Canada, the free use of the land exempt from all taxes," 1922
Joseph-Armand Bombardier of Canada receives a patent for sprocket and track traction system used in snow vehicles, 1937
Isabel Perón is sworn in as the first female President of Argentina, 1974
The Seychelles  become independent from the United Kingdom, 1976
The space shuttle Atlantis docks with the Russian Mir Space Station for the first time, 1995
Two car bombs are found at Piccadilly Circus, in the heart of London, 2007
News that European Union members agree on a deal to help some struggling Eurozone members causes world stock markets to soar, 2012

Patience, Grasshopper.

This coming Monday is Sweetie's final day at work.  As of Tuesday, he is retired.

Knowing this was coming, he has been keeping on the look out for another job.  Two other possibilities fell through, but in my prayers about the situation, i kept feeling nothing but peace, and the idea that i just needed to be patient.

There's been no stress associated with it, just the knowledge that there would be something, and it would show up just in time.

Sweetie has felt the same way.

The Big Boss, however, has been getting more and more panicked over the thought of him leaving.  A couple of months ago, he talked about rehiring him.  Then he tried to make an offer.  He asked Sweetie to come back to his exact same job, just with a different title and for the private portion of the company instead of the state, and for half the salary.

Let's see.  Same work.  Same office, that he desperately wants to get out of.  Same group of people, the "band of eight balls," all trying to dump extra work on him.   Same extra work on weekends and same extra events for the person there that no one wants to deal with because of his nasty tempter.

All for half the salary.  Um, no.  Just, no.

Patience, i kept telling myself.  This is all going to work out.

Indeed.  Desperation makes people give in to terms, and The Big Boss finally got to where he would hear terms.  There are things Sweetie does there that no one else knows how to do, knowledge of people and places and sources and resources that go away when he does, and The Big Boss doesn't want to lose all of that.

The retirement goes as planned.  Sweetie works on Monday, and the rest of the week, he gets to kick back and relax.  He's retired.

Then, the following Monday, he goes back in, on his terms.

He won't have to be tied to an office.  He will be a consultant, part time.  He will answer to no one but The Big Boss himself.  His work will be limited to certain specific responsibilities that help The Big Boss.  He will not have to work any weekends or events.  The pay will be adequate, when added to his retirement benefit and my work.

That's what he was hoping for, and holding out for, and it worked.  Let the other person get to where he really wants it badly enough, and he'll give you what you want on your terms.

This will leave Sweetie with plenty of time to start forming a band and getting to "gig" in local restaurants, which is what he really wants to do with his life.

Patience, Grasshopper.  Play the cards right, and you can get it the way you want it.


Today is

Armed Forces Day -- Great Britain

ARRL Field Day -- American Radio Relay League'swww.aarl.org/fieldday most popular on-air operating event, in which amateur/ham radio operators practice and drill for communications during emergencies; through tomorrow

Constitution day -- Ukraine

Festival of Terrible Poetry -- according to The Daily Bleed, and since there is some hilarious, if terrible, poetry out there, go find some, and bust a gut

Galesburg Railroad Days -- Galesburg, IL, US (celebrating the city's railroad heritage with carnival, exhibits, and more; through tomorrow)

Gettysburg Civil War Relic and Collectors Show -- Gettysburg, PA, US (featuring leading collectors and dealers; through tomorrow)

Great American Backyard Campout -- sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation

Great American Picnic Day -- various dates given, with the most common being the final Saturday of June

Insurance Awareness Day -- now who do you think invented that!?!

International Body Piercing Day -- on the birthday of James Mark "Jim" Ward, "the granddaddy of the modern body piercing movement"

International CAPS LOCK DAY -- a parody holiday created by Derek Arnold, a user on Metafilter, in 2000

Ladies of Country and Bluegrass Music Show -- Waretown, NJ, US (at the historic Albert Music Hall)

Mnarja / L-Imnarja Festival begins -- Buskett Gardens, Malta (folk festival for Sts. Peter and Paul, begins this evening and continues through the 29th)

National Ceviche Day

National Tapioca Day

Paul Bunyan Day -- the tall tale hero of the lumberjacks; celebrated at different times in some parts of the country, but most sites cite this date

Purple Hull Pea Festival and World Champion Rotary Tiller Contest -- Emerson, AR, US (the tiny town of Emerson, population 368, puts on a big show that also includes a World Cup Purplehull Pea-Shelling competiton)

Ra goes forth to propitiate the Nun -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Ramadan -- Islam (began sunset yesterday, through July 29)

Stonewall Rebellion Day -- now seen as the start of the gay liberation movement in 1969

St. Irenaeus' Day (Patron of Mobile, Alabama)

St. Paul's Feast -- Kato Paphos, Cyprus (religious festivities with the archbishop officiating and a procession of the icon of St. Paul through the streets, through tomorrow)

St. Peter's Eve -- English Christian tradition, night of bonfires and continuation of midsummer celebrations

Thanksgiving for Useful Fairies -- Fairy Calendar

(FinalSat)Veteranendag -- Netherlands (Veterans Day)

Vidovdan (Festival for St. Vitus) -- Eastern Orthodox Christian, based on the traditional Julian Calendar date
     a recognized holiday in Bosnia and Herzegovina


Anniversaries Today:

Harry S. Truman marries Bess Wallace, 1919


Birthdays Today:

Kellie Pickler, 1986
Steve Burton, 1970
Danielle Brisebois, 1969
John Cusack, 1966
Mary Stuart Masterson, 1966
Mark Grace, 1964
John Elway, 1960
Thomas Hampson, 1955
Alice Krige, 1954
Kathy Bates, 1948
Gilda Radner, 1946
Bruce Davison, 1946
Turkan Soray, 1945
Pat Morita, 1932
Mel Brooks, 1926
Maria Goeppert Mayer, 1906
Richard Rodgers, 1902
Clara Louise Maass, 1876
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 1712
John Wesley, 1703
Peter Paul Rubens, 1577
Henry VIII, King of England, 1491


Debuting/Premiering Today:

The Nutty Professor(Film), 1996
"Amos 'n' Andy"(TV), 1951
"Quiz Kids"(Radio), 1940


Today in History:

Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul, 1098
Ottomans defeat Serbian army in the bloody Battle of Kosovo, opening the way for the Ottoman conquest of Southeastern Europe, 1389
Guadeloupe becomes a French colony, 1635
The coronation of Victoria of the United Kingdom, 1838
The Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique in Paris premieres the ballet Giselle, 1841
The first conformation dog show is held in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, 1859
Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria and his wife Sophie are assassinated in Sarajevo by young Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip, the casus belli of World War I, 1914
The Treaty of Versailles is signed in Paris, formally ending World War I, 1919
The Irish Civil War begins with the shelling of the Four Courts in Dublin by Free State forces, 1922
Israel annexes East Jerusalem, 1967
COMECON, as part of the last vestige of the Soviet Bloc, is formally disbanded, followed by the Warsaw pact 3 days later, 1991
Slobodan Milosevic is deported to ICTY to stand trial, 2001
The Republic of Montenegro is admitted as the 192nd Member of the United Nations, 2006
The U.N. reports 10 million people are effected by the worst drought in 60 years, 2011

Feline Friday: Playing With Your Food

Feline Friday was started by Steve, The Burnt Food Dude, and i'm going to believe it's because he likes cats.  It's easy to participate in Feline Friday, just post a cat picture and link up!

The first rule of bottle feed kittens is, they are hungry.  (The second rule is, they are still hungry, but i digress.)

Once they are weaned, however, sometimes they are hungry, and sometimes they are more in the mood to play.

Feeding time!

The three standing more or less in the bowl of food and attacking with gusto are obviously poor, starving things who haven't seen a bite in days.  (At least, that's how they act.)

The one on the side of the bowl has hooked a piece of kibble out of the bowl with his paw, and is batting it around, playing pounce with it.  They all take turns being the kitten who plays with the food, and it's fun to watch.  (It's not fun to sweep up the bits of kibble they leave lying around, but that's another story.)





Today is:

Blues on the Fox -- Aurora, IL, US (celebration of the historical blues recordings made in Aurora, with blues musicians from around the country performing; through tomorrow)

Canadian Multiculturalism Day -- Canada

Colorado Brewers' Festival -- Fort Collings, CO, US (celebrate Colorado's rich brewing history with over 30 breweries; through Sunday)

Day of National Unity -- Tajikistan

Day of Turkmen Workers of Culture and Art -- Turkmenistan

Day Sacred to the Lares -- Ancient Roman Calendar (personal household gods); also
     Festival of Jupiter Stator -- Jupiter, Stayer of the Rout, god who helped soldiers especially to stand their ground
     Initium Aestatis -- three day festival for the goddess of summer, which season they saw as beginning on this day

Decide to Be Married Day -- sponsored by Barbara Gaughen-Muller; to focus n the joy of couples deciding to be married

Findle-Fritter's Stoat Wheedling Event -- Fairy Calendar

Grantsville Days -- Grantsville, MD, US (annual homecoming weekend, with fun for all; through Sunday)

"Happy Birthday to You" Day -- tune composed this day in 1859

Heidi Festival -- New Glarus, Wisconsin (celebrations of the town's Swiss heritage; through Sunday)

Hjemkomst and Annual Viking Festival -- Moor-head, MN, US (celebrating all things Nordic, with exhibitions from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Saami Land; through tomorrow)

Independence Day / National Day -- Djibouti

Industrial Workers of The World Day -- founded this day in 1905

Kaposia Days -- South St. Paul, MN, US (Kaposia, or "Little Crows Village," was a seasonal American Indian settlement within the city limits of what is now St. Paul, MN, and a family oriented city festival is now held paying tribute to the original name; through Sunday)

Martyrdom of Joseph & Hyrum Smith -- Mormon

Mixed Races Day -- Brazil

National HIV Testing Day -- US

National Indian Pudding Day

National Orange Blosssom Day

National Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day -- US (by Senate resolution)

Newport Flower Show -- Newport, RI, US (New England's premier summer flower show; through Sunday)

Louisiana Peach Festival -- Ruston, LA, US (Ruston grows some peaches worth celebrating! through tomorrow)

Ramadan begins -- Islam (at sunset, through July 29)

Sacred Heart of Jesus -- Catholic Christian

Seven Sleepers Day (Siebenschläfertag) -- Germany (according to legend, today's weather determines the pattern for the next seven weeks)

Sternwheeler Days -- Port Marine Park, Cascade Locks, OR, US (reliving the days of the mountain men; through Sunday)

St. Ladislaus' Day (Patron of Szekszard, Hungary)

Sunglasses Day -- a reminder to wear those shades, protect your eyes from UV damage!


Birthdays Today:

Gabi Wilson, 1997
Madylin Sweeten, 1991
Ed Westwick, 1987
Drake Bell, 1986
Tobey Maguire, 1975
J.J. Abrams, 1976
Jason Patric, 1966
Isabelle Adjani, 1955
Julia Duffy, 1951
James Daughton, 1950
Norma Kamali, 1945
Shirley-Anne Field, 1938
H. Ross Perot, 1930
Bob "Captain Kangaroo" Keeshan, 1927
Helen Keller, 1880
Patrick Lafcadio "Koizumi Yakumo" Hearn, 1850
Charles Stewart Parnell, 1846


Debuting/Premiering Today:

Live and Let Die(Film), 1973
"Dark Shadows"(TV), 1966
"Captain Video and His Video Rangers"(TV), 1949


Today in History:

General James Wolfe begins the siege of Quebec, 1759
Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and his brother Hyrum Smith, are murdered by a mob at the Carthage, Illinois jail, 1844
George Dixon becomes the first black world boxing champion in any weight class, while also being the first ever Canadian-born boxing champion, 1890
The first solo circumnavigation of the globe is completed by Joshua Slocum from Briar Island, Nova Scotia, 1898
Sailors start a mutiny aboard the Russian Battleship Potemkin, denouncing the crimes of autocracy, demanding liberty and an end to war, 1905
Capt. Lowell H. Smith and Lt. John P. Richter perform the first ever aerial refueling in a DH-4B biplane, 1923
The United States decides to send troops to fight in the Korean War, 1950
The world's first nuclear power station opens in Obninsk, near Moscow, 1954
The world's first ATM is installed in Enfield, London, 1967
The President of Uruguay dissolves Parliament and heads a coup d'état, 1973
U.S president Richard Nixon visits the U.S.S.R., 1974
France grants independence to Djibouti, 1977
The current international treaty defending indigenous peoples, ILO 169 convention, is adopted, 1989
Slovenia, after declaring independence two days before, is invaded by Yugoslav troops, tanks, and aircraft, starting the Ten-Day War, 1991
Bill Gates resigns from Microsoft to focus on his charity work, 2008
The first democratic election in the history of Guinea is held, 2010
Tests show radioactive cesium is present in small quantities in residents of Iitate and Kawamata, Fukushima, towns located 25 miles from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, 2011
NASA launches IRIS, the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, a space probe to observe the Sun, 2013

Calling Art Linkletter

For the past two days i've been cleaning a house besides my own, for pay.  That's what i do, i'm a janitor/housekeeper/babysitter/diaper changer/nose wiper/kitten feeder.

The wonderful family is in a bind.  They are losing the house, and i am trying to help get it cleaned up and work with the mother to pack things away, give things away, and sell stuff so it can be put on the market before it gets taken by the bank.   (Note:  a friend of the family introduced me to them, and is the one offering to pay me for the work.  There's no way i'd take a penny from this family, and if i'd known them before and knew they were in this bind, i'd be doing it without pay.)

Anyway, at the end of the second long day, i got two reminders that kids still say the craziest things.  Both came at a perfect time, when a good laugh helped.

The first was from the youngest son of the family i'm working for, Marty.  Their mother had run in to grab them and take them to swim with a friend so i could finish sorting clothes and making the last bed with fresh linens.  They went rushing around grabbing towels and bags and water bottles and swim suits and i kept closing the door behind them as they ran in and out, telling them what my father used to say.  "Don't forget to close the door, we aren't trying to air condition the whole neighborhood!" he would call out, all summer long.

As they finally headed out the door, Marty ran up to me and said, "Um, cleaning lady, you need to go shut the window in my room because my brother left it open and I don't have time to go close it and I know you don't like open doors and windows 'cause the conditioned air gets out and my mom wants me in the car right now!"  With that he dashed out, leaving me to laugh and head up to close the wide open window, out of which "conditioned air" was indeed escaping at a rapid velocity.

The second occurrence was in a text message from Little Girl that evening.  As i was pulling into the driveway after prayer meeting, i heard the familiar chirp of the phone, put the car in park and checked to see what was up.  Little Girl's message read, "How do you cook fried okra?"

Laughing so hard i could barely stagger into the house, i threw my arms around her and said, You fry it in oil!


Today is

Alexandra Rose Day -- anniversary of the tradition started by Queen Alexandra on this day in 1912, in which roses and rose emblems were sold in London and the UK, with the money going to smaller charities that are not usually in the national spotlight; also by tradition, the Lord Mayor of London bought the first rose
     Alexandra Rose Charities still exists, but uses other forms of fundraising and now supports healthy eating initiatives among lower income mothers and children

Armed Forces Day -- Azerbaijan

Barcode/UPC Day -- the first scanner, at Marsh's Supermarket in Troy, Ohio, scanned its first item, a pack of Wrigley's gum at 8:01am this day in 1974

Beautician's Day -- on a couple of websites, while other list other days; if yours puts the "beauty" in beautician, remember her next time you go have your do tended to

Festival of the Tarasque -- Tarascon, France (celebration of the legend of the dragon tamed by St. Martha; through June 30)

Handing Back of Tiger-Get-By's Presents -- Fairy Calendar

Holiday for the Shemsu of Heru -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Independence Day -- Madagascar[Fetin'ny Fahaleovantena]; Somalia

International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking -- UN

International Day in Support of Victims of Torture -- UN

National Bomb Pop Day -- on the Thursday in June right before US Independence Day, to kick off the celebration with the original red, white, and blue bomb pops

National Canoe Day -- Canada

National Chocolate Pudding Day

National Handshake Day -- sponsored by professional development companies on the last Thursday in June

Oregon Bach Festival -- University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, US (international gathering of musicians, master classes and performances, and family events so even the youngest music fans can fall in love with the works of J.S. Bach; through July 13)

Saint Ignace Auto Show -- St. Ignace, MI, US (parade, cruise night, and swap meet; through Saturday)

St. Pelayo's Day (Patron of abandoned people, torture victims; Castro Urdiales, Spain; Torreira, Portugal)

Sunthorn Phu Day -- Thailand (celebration of the country's best-known Royal Poet)

Telluride Wine Festival -- Telluride, CO, US (meet winemakers, celebrity chefs, experts and authors for an unparalleled educational and epicurean experience; through Sunday)

Watermelon Thump with World Champion Seed Spitting Contest -- Luling, TX, US (fun for all, and lots of juicy watermelon, bring lots of wet wipes, enjoy the music and food and crafts, too; through Sunday)

Ziua Tricolorului -- Romania (Flag Day)


Birthdays Today:

Jennette McCurdy, 1992
Jason Schwartzman, 1980
Derek Jeter, 1974
Gretchen Wilson, 1973
Chris O'Donnell, 1970
Paul Thomas Anderson, 1970
Sean P. Hayes, 1970
Harriet Wheeler, 1963
Greg LeMond, 1961
Chris Isaak, 1956
Claudio Abbado, 1933
Eleanor Parker, 1922
Charlotte Zolotow, 1915
"Babe" Didrikson Zaharias, 1914
Colonel Tom Parker, 1909
Peter Lorre, 1904
Pearl S. Buck, 1892
Sir Robert Laird Borden, 1854
Lord Kelvin, 1824
Abner Doubleday, 1819
Arthur Middleton, 1742


Debuting/Premiering Today:

For Your Eyes Only(Film), 1981
"A Hard Day's Night"(Album, US version, release), 1964
"The Valkyrie"(Opera, WWV 86B), 1870


Today in History:

Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire; General Jovian is proclaimed Emperor by the troops on the battlefield, 363
The legendary Pied Piper leads 130 children out of Hamelin, German, 1284
Richard III is crowned king of England, 1483
Francisco Pizarro is assassinated in Lima, 1541
W. K. Clarkson patents the first bicycle, 1819
The Christian  holiday of Christmas is declared a federal holiday in the United States, 1870
The Science Museum in London comes into existence as an independent entity, 1909
The United Nations Charter is signed in San Francisco, 1945
William Shockley files the original patent for the grown junction transistor, the first bipolar junction transistor, 1948
The Berlin Airlift begins, 1948
The Saint Lawrence Seaway opens, opening North America's Great Lakes to ocean-going ships, 1959
The Universal Product Code is scanned for the first time to sell a package of Wrigley's chewing gum at the Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio, 1974
Indira Gandhi establishes emergency rule in India, 1975
The CN Tower, the world's tallest free-standing structure on land, is opened to general public, 1976*
Biologists J. Craig Venter and Francis S. Collins announced that their research groups had mapped the human genome, 2000
Wangdue Phodrang Dzong, the four thousand year-old ridge-top monastery in Bhutan catches fire and is destroyed; no relics were lost in the fire because the monastery was under renovation, 2012


*It is still the tallest in the Western Hemisphere

Where You Left Them, Of Course.

"Where in the world are all of my socks!  I don't have any socks!"  Sweetie turned in frustration from his sock drawer to look at me.  "Do you know where any of my socks are?  Are there any in the laundry?"

On;y these two pair, i said, taking them out of the basket of clean clothes i had brought up a bit earlier in the day.

"Then where are they all if they aren't in my drawer and they aren't in the laundry?" 

No clue, i said.  You should certainly have more than the two here, the one you wore today, and the one pair i washed this morning that's still hanging to dry.

At that moment, we both noticed his suitcase from vacation, pushed partially under his dresser.

Did you ever finish emptying that? i asked as he said at the same time, "You know, some of them might be in there!"

We went on vacation over two weeks ago.  We were gone for seven days.  He pulled eight pairs of socks out of the suitcase.

He loses things.  A lot.  He sets things down without being mindful of what he's doing, then can't find whatever it is.  And in the end, i'm always left shaking my head and thinking the same thing. They are right where you left them.  Always, whatever item or items he's lost, it's right where he left it.


Today is

Arbor Day -- Philippines

Color TV Day -- CBS broadcast the first program in color on this day in 1951

Day of the Seafarer -- The International Maritime Organization (this year’s campaign is to have you complete the sentence “Seafarers brought me………..”)

Election Day -- Libya

Elf Thumping Day -- Fairy Calendar (no details on what the Elves thump, and no, no one is allowed to thump an Elf!)

Feast of the Optional Holiday -- pick one, and celebrate it or don't, your option!

Festival of Ranting and Vaporing -- sponsored by The Daily Bleed

Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts -- Pilton, Glastonbury, England (the world's largest green field music and performing arts festival, including theatre, circus, cabaret, children's activities and more; through Sunday)

Global Beatles Day -- read about the meaning of this day, and why this date was picked, here

Gotanshin Sai -- Kitano Tenmangu, Kyoto, Japan (festival to commemorate the birth of Lord Sugawara, with ceremonies to ward off summer infections)

Helen Keller Festival -- Tuscumbia, AL, US (performances of The Miracle Worker, historic tours, other entertainment, a fair, and more; through Sunday)

Independence Day -- Mozambique(1975)

Leon Day -- Noel spelled backward, the turning point on the calendar when Christmas starts getting closer; those who make Christmas/Noel gifts need to start thinking about their projects

Little Bighorn Days -- Hardin, MT, US (celebrating the life and legends of the American West; through Sunday)

Ludi Taurii -- Ancient Roman Calendar (Games of the Bull, a two day festival held once every five years)

National Catfish Day

National Fried Okra Day

National Strawberry Parfait Day

Sense of Humor in Bed Appreciation Day -- i'm not touching this one

Slovenian Sovereignty Day / National Day -- Slovenia

Smithsonian Folklife Festival -- Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C., US (through Sunday, then again July 2-6; a model of research-based presentations of contemporary living cultural traditions of people around the world)

Statehood Day -- Croatia

St. Eurosia's Day (a/k/a Orosia; Patron of Jaca, Spain; against bad weather)
     Fiesta de Santa Orosia -- Jaca, Spain

St. Molaug's Day (Patron of Argyll, Scotland; against mental illness)



Anniversaries Today:

Virginia becomes the 10th US State, 1788


Birthdays Today:

Scott Terra, 1987
Linda Cardellini, 1975
Dikembe Mutombo, 1966
George Michael, 1963
Ricky Gervais, 1961
Sonia Sotomayor, 1954
Jimmie Walker, 1949
Phyllis George, 1949
Carly Simon, 1945
Willis Reed, Jr., 1942
June Lockhart, 1925
Sidney Lumet, 1924
Anne Revere, 1903
George Orwell, 1903
Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold, 1886
Rose Cecil O'Neill, 1874


Debuting/Premiering Today:

Het Achterhuis. Dagbrieven van 14 juni 1942 tot 1 augustus 1944(First publication of excerpts from Anne Frank's diaries), 1947
"It Pays To Be Ignorant"(Radio), 1942


Today in History:

The Book of Concord or Concordia, the historic doctrinal standard of the Lutheran Church, is published, 1580
Elena Cornaro Piscopia is the first woman awarded a doctorate of philosophy, from the University of Padua, 1678
Maria Theresa of Austria is crowned Queen of Hungary, 1741
Lucien B. Smith of Ohio patents the first version of barbed wire, 1867
Battle of the Little Bighorn and the death of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer, 1876
Dr. Douglas Hyde is inaugurated the first President of Ireland, 1938
The Diary of Anne Frank is published, 1947
The Berlin airlift begins, 1948
The Korean War begins with the invasion of South Korea by North Korea, 1950
CBS broadcasts the first color television signal, 1951
First live global satellite television programme – Our World, 1967
Mozambique achieves independence, 1975
Microsoft  is restructured to become an incorporated business in its home state of Washington, 1981
Croatia and Slovenia declare their independence from Yugoslavia, 1991
Kim Campbell is chosen as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada and becomes the first female Prime Minister of Canada, 1993
An unmanned Progress spacecraft collides with the Russian space station Mir, 1997
The Soufrière Hills volcano in Montserrat erupts resulting in the death of 19 people, 1997
The Harvard School of Health Study concludes that since 1980 the number of adults with diabetes has doubled, 2011
A portion of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which protects minority voting rights, is struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court, ruling that Congress has not taken into account the nation's racial progress when singling out certain states for federal oversight, 2013

And it never did rain.

Because i am a tightwad, i don't use the clothes dryer unless i am desperate.  Instead, i use the back fence, and let the stuff air dry.  If i can't hang things outdoors, i either skip doing a load that day, or i do a smaller load of things i can hang indoors to dry.

So when i woke up yesterday morning to a radar picture of rain moving our way and a prediction of intermittent showers, i skipped laundry.  After all, i thought, i can do it tomorrow before work, and today i have plenty of ironing and a freezer cleaning to keep me busy, as well as the kittens and cooking meals and everything else.

Also, i had to take Kida to the vet to get more advice about her chronic sinusitis.  We are just going to keep her on prednisone and antihistamines for it, as she needs prednisone for her asthma and arthritis anyway.  Unless she has side effects, it should keep her comfortable.

After i got back with her, i did chores and fed kittens, and then decided to tackle the freezer.  As i was getting into the rhythm of it, Little Girl came to me and asked if we could go return her goggles.  We had just bought her new swim goggles the day before her last meet.  Sure enough, even though we got the nice, expensive ones, they leaked, badly.  Knowing she had swim practice later that evening, i dropped what i was doing.

At that moment, i had a feeling of foreboding.  When it came down to it, i didn't want to stop what i was doing, because when i get into a project, and get interrupted and leave the house, it usually doesn't turn out well.

Sure enough, we got to the place where we'd bought the goggles and as i got out and grabbed my sweater (yes, really, even in summer, i get cold everywhere), i felt it snag, snatched it and pushed the door to close.  As i did both of those at the same time, i heard the sickening sound of the doors of Sweetie's vehicle lock, and the click as the door closed.  Drat!

We only have one set of keys to his car.  The door lock is broken and cannot be opened with the keys, they don't turn the lock any more.  The remote lock button doesn't work.  So we just never lock his car.  This means a call to a service that unlocks cars.

Going into the store, which is locally owned and which i had never entered before we bought the goggles the week before, i asked for the number of the door unlocking service.  Then i explained why we had come in, showing them the defect in the goggles and the receipt.

The clerk informed me that they do not do returns or exchanges on defective merchandise.  If you buy it, and it doesn't work or is defective, tough.  Nice policy, right?  Oh, and the owner can't be reached right now, sorry.  The clerk did then call the car unlocking service for me and give them the address, as well as my phone number.  Little Girl and i went outside to wait.

About ten minutes later the phone rang, and i answered.  A voice on the other end said something i couldn't understand, and then the person hung up.  Figuring it was the lock person, i called back right away.  No answer.  A few minutes later, i tried again.  No answer.  A third and fourth attempt also yielded no results.

So i went into another business in the same small shopping center to ask for the number of the lock company.  The nice clerk there gave it to me, and i called.  Explaining what happened, the lady at dispatch said the driver notes were that i didn't answer when he tried to call to say he would be delayed.  At that, i almost lost it, telling her i did answer, he hung up on me, and he now wouldn't answer.  She said she would make a note of it.

Eventually as we waited i got desperate enough to use the restroom that i wandered back into the second shop and asked if they had one i could use.  "Through the double doors in the back and to the right," the nice clerk said, and i went back there to discover the back of the shop was being reconstructed.  The restroom consisted of a door that didn't lock a toilet, places from which a sink and another toilet had been ripped out, and no toilet paper or paper towels or anything.  Being desperate, i used it anyway.

Back outside, we waited and waited, much longer than the time they had originally said it would be.  As i told Little Girl, that's pretty common.  They have to take emergency calls first, such as children locked in cars.  That has happened to me twice, having kids locked in cars with the keys inside, and both times i was blessed, but those are stories for another day.  Eventually the lock guy pulled into the lot and i waved him over.

They are very thorough.  They take down everything except your blood type, so that if the car later proves to have been stolen it's on you, not them.  Ten minutes and $45 later, we were able to get into the car and finally head home.

Home again!  It's all going to get better now, right?  Well, i walk in to screaming kittens and the recycle bin chose that moment to let me know, in no uncertain terms, that the final piece of recyclable straw had been added and it needed to be emptied into the bigger outdoor bin.  As i was emptying it, Sweetie got home, didn't see that i was outside, and locked me out of the house.

So here it is late, i've not gotten the freezer done, not gotten to the ironing, had to have the car unlocked for me, found out a local business doesn't stand behind its merchandise, the kittens are crying, dinner isn't even started, and it never even rained, so i could have done laundry that day.  When Sweetie finally realized it was me out there beating on the door, he let me in and handed me the mail -- bills.

Upon realizing this, i finally had to burst out laughing.  We had leftovers and i made a salad, fed the kittens, and laughed my way through the rest of the evening.

Sometimes so much stuff goes wrong that it's a comedy routine.


Today is

Araw ng Maynila -- Philippines (Manila Day)

Bannockburn Day -- Scotland (decisive battle of the first Scottish War of Independence, led by Robert Bruce)

Burning of the Lamps in Egypt at Sais -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar, a celebration of Isis and Neith (date approximate)

Calcio Fiorentino -- Florence, Italy (reviving 16th century style football in period costumes, through the 28th)

Carabobo Day -- Venezuela (battle commemoration)

Celebration of the Senses -- Wellcat Holidays urges you to enjoy all five (six?) of your senses today

Countryman's Day -- Peru (one of Peru's three Fiestas Patrias Peruanas)

Day of the Caboclo -- Amazonas State, Brazil

Feast of Rahmat (Mercy) -- Baha'i

Flying Saucer Day -- anniversary of Kenneth Arnold's 1947 sighting, while flying near Mt. Rainier, of 9 metallic, circular objects he could not identify

Fors Fortuna -- Ancient Roman Calendar (rites and festival for the goddess of good luck and fortune)

International Fairy Day/Faerie Day -- day for collectors, believers, and artists to share their love for the little folk

Lost Handkerchief Day -- Fairy Calendar

Museum Comes to Life Day -- another fun and funny day someone came up with

National Columnists' Day -- on the fourth Tuesday of June each year, set aside some time to thank your favorite newspaper columnists, whether local or syndicated

National Creamy Pralines Day

St. John the Baptist's Nativity Day and related Midsummer celebrations (Patron of baptism, bird dealers, converts, children with convulsions, epileptics, farriers, French Canadians, lambs, monastic life, motorways, printers, tailors; against convulsions, epilepsy, hail and hailstorms, and spasms; Patron of over 60 cities and countries around the globe)
    Inti Raymi -- Peru (Incan Sun Festival)
    Jaanipaev -- Estonia
    Jani -- Latvia
    Jónsmessa -- Iceland (feast of St. John the Baptist, considered a magical night when cows can speak, seals take on human form, finding magical stones and herbs is propitious, and rolling naked in the dew is healing.)
    Macau Day -- China (celebrating the defeat of Dutch invasion forces in 1622 and paying homage to St. John as the port's Patron Saint)
    Midsummer Day -- England
    National Holiday -- Quebec, Canada (Sant Jean-Baptiste)
    Saint John the Baptist Day -- Andorra
    Saint Jonas Festival or Jonines -- Lithuania
    San Juan -- CT and GA, Spain
    Surinal -- North Korea
    Zuni Buffalo, Corn, and Comanche Dances -- Zuni Native Americans (for fertility of land and people; Vespers is also observed, as San Juan is their Patron Saint)

Swim a Lap Day -- just for fun!

Swing a Kid Day -- if swimming isn't right for you

Western Days -- Elgin, TX, US (music, carnival, parade, live music and more; through Saturday)

Windjammer Days -- Boothbay Harbor, ME, US (the premier maritime event on the coast of Maine, with something for everyone; through tomorrow)


Anniversary Today:

Eton College is founded by Henry VI, 1441


Birthdays Today:

Sherry Stringfield, 1967
Joe Penny, 1956
Nancy Allen, 1950
Phyllis George, , 1949
Peter Weller, 1947
Mick Fleetwood, 1947
Ellison Shoji Onizuka, 1946
Jeff Beck, 1944
Michele Lee, 1942
Claude Chabrol, 1930
John Anthony Ciardi. 1916
Phil Harris, 1904
Jack Dempsey, 1895
Roy O. Disney, 1893
Ambrose Bierce, 1842
Henry Ward Beecher, 1813


Debuting/Premiering Today:

Catch-22(Film), 1970
"Hopalong Cassidy"(TV), 1949


Today in History:

Battle of Cedynia, the first documented victory of Polish forces, takes place, 972
A sudden outbreak of St. John's Dance causes people in the streets of Aachen, Germany, to experience hallucinations and begin to jump and twitch uncontrollably until they collapse from exhaustion, 1374
John Cabot lands in North America at Newfoundland; the first European
exploration of the region since the Vikings, 1497
Miguel Lopez de Legazpi founds Manila, the capital of the Republic of the Philippines, 1571
Samuel de Champlain discovers the mouth of the Saint John River, site of Reversing Falls and the present day city of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, 1604
The colony of New Jersey is founded, 1664
Kingston, Jamaica is founded, 1692
The Premier Grand Lodge of England, the first Masonic Grand Lodge in the world (now the United Grand Lodge of England), is founded in London, England, 1717
The first republican constitution in France is adopted, 1793
The decisive battle in the war of independence of Venezuela from Spain, the Battle of Carabobo takes place, 1821
First performance of O Canada, the song that would become the national anthem of Canada, at the Congrès national des Canadiens-Français, 1880
The first exhibition of Pablo Picasso's work opens, 1901
Mary Pickford becomes the first female film star to get a million dollar contract, 1916
The first airmail service in Canada from Montreal to Toronto begins, 1918
Siam is renamed Thailand by Plaek Pibulsonggram, the third prime minister, 1939
The Soviet Union makes overland travel between the West with West Berlin impossible, 1948
The United Kingdom grants Zanzibar internal self-government, 1963
Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud completes his first mission, becoming the first Arab and first Muslim in space, as a Payload Specialist, 1985
John Isner of the United States defeats Nicolas Mahut of France at Wimbledon, in the longest match in professional tennis history, 2010
The last known Pinta Island Tortoise, Lonesome George, is found dead in the Galapagos Islands, 2012

Awww Monday: Caught!

Awww Monday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus.  It's easy to play along, just post a picture that makes people say, "Awww!"  We can all use that at the beginning of the week.

Our adult cats like to pretend they have no interest in the foster kittens.  They, after all, are too cool to bother with the babies.  Until they get caught.

Mikey, caught guarding the kittens in the big cage.

Yes, sometimes we catch them grooming the kittens or, like Mikey here, sitting nearby watching over them.


Today is

Anubis Ceremony -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Dandruff Dance -- Fairy Calendar (Goblins and Gnomes)

Discovery Day -- NL, Canada

Father's Day -- Nicaragua; Poland

Festival of the Purple Void -- only one internet reference, and not explained there, either, but since purple is my favorite color, and a Purple Void sound like something fun to celebrate, i'm including it!

Festivals of Het-Hert and Bast, and Great Feast of the Southern Heavens -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Grand Duke's Birthday & National Day -- Luxembourg

Kupala -- Asatru/Slavic Pagan Calendar (Summer Solstice celebration, always on St. John's Eve, as the pagans hid their celebration by naming it "Ivan Kupala", their name for John the Baptist)

Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon -- Wimbledon, England (through July 6)

Let It Go Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays; whatever you are holding on to, just let it go and the day will get better

National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism -- Canada

National Pecan Sandy Day

National Pink Day -- the color or the flower, your choice, because the creator didn't leave a trail explaining it

Pink Flamingo Day -- honoring Don Featherstone, creator of the original pink plastic flamingo lawn ornament; decorate your lawn with at least four pink flamingos, the minimum number needed for a flock

Please Take My Children To Work Day -- sponsored by mamasaid.net; a tongue-in-cheek way to request that you give a full- or part-time stay-at-home mom a break today!

Poop Out Early Day -- act pooped out, see if you can cut out early; your success at pooping out early may vary

Public Service Day -- UN

SAT Math Day -- birth anniversary of Alan Turing

Solmanudor -- Icelandic calendar, Sun Month, with the midnight sun dominating the time of year

St. Agrippina (Patron against bacterial diseases and infections, evil spirits, leprosy, storms and thunder; of Mineo, Italy)

St. Ethelreda's Day (Patron of those with neck and throat ailments, widows; University of Cambridge)

St. John's Eve -- start or culmination of many midsummer festivals, including:
     Dragaica Fair -- Buzau, Romania
     Golowan Festival -- Cornwall
     Jaaniohtu -- Estonia 
     Kupala Days begin -- Belarus; Poland; Russia; Ukraine
     Ligo / Lani -- Latvia (pagan midsummer celebration originally dedicated to the god Janis
     Midsummer Eve -- Denmark; Sweden
     Midsummer Festival -- Portugal

St. Joseph Cafasso's Day (Patron of captives, prisoners, prisons, and prison chaplains)

Typewriter Day -- patented this day in 1868 by Christopher Latham Sholes

Victory Day -- Estonia


Birthdays Today:

Bridget Sloan, 1992
Chellsie Memmel, 1988
Jason Mraz, 1977
Selma Blair, 1972
Louis Van Amstel,1972
Frances McDormand, 1957
Clarence Thomas, 1948
Bryan Brown, 1947
Ted Shackelford, 1946
James Levine, , 1943
Wilma Glodean Rudolph, 1940
June Carter Cash, 1929
Bob Fosse, 1927
Alan Turing, 1912
Edward VIII, King of England, 1894
Alfred Kinsey, 1894
Johannes Gutenberg, 1400 (estimated)
Ptolemy XV Philopator Philometor Caesar, BC47 (Son of Cleopatra VII and Julius Caesar)


Debuting/Premiering Today:

Batman(Film), 1989
"The Breakfast Club"(Radio), 1933


Today in History:

The world's oldest parliament, the Icelandic Althing, is established, 930
First Battle of Uji, starting the Genpei War in Japan, 1180
First War of Scottish Independence: The Battle of Bannockburn, south of Stirling, begins, 1314
The mutinous crew of Henry Hudson's fourth voyage sets Henry, his son and seven loyal crew members adrift in an open boat in what is now Hudson Bay; they are never heard from again, 1611
The French residents of Acadia are given one year to declare allegiance to Britain or leave Nova Scotia, Canada, 1713
Empress Catherine II of Russia grants Jews permission to settle in Kiev, 1794
Christopher Latham Sholes receives a patent for Type-Writer, 1868
The Rocky Mountains Park Act becomes law in Canada, creating the nation's first national park, Banff National Park, 1887
The International Olympic Committee  is founded at the Sorbonne, Paris, at the initiative of Baron Pierre de Coubertin, 1894
The College Board administers the first SAT exam, 1926
Wiley Post and Harold Gatty take off from Roosevelt Field, Long Island in an attempt to circumnavigate the world in a single-engine plane, 1931
The 1946 Vancouver Island earthquake strikes Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, 1946
The Antarctic Treaty, which sets aside Antarctica as a scientific preserve and bans military activity on the continent, comes into force, 1961
Title IX of the United States Civil Rights Act of 1964 is amended to prohibit sexual discrimination to any educational program receiving federal funds, 1972
Himmy, of Australia, weighs in at domestic cat record 20.7 kg (45 lb) , 1982
Nintendo 64 goes on sale in Japan, 1996
Japan's Iwate prefecture experiences a 6.7 magnitude earthquake, 2011
Nik Wallenda completes a high wire walk across a Little Colorado River Gorge near the Grand Canyon, 2013

Silly Sunday: Shut Eye / Shut Mouth?

Silly Sunday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus.  It's easy to do, Laugh and Link Up!

#2 Son was tired after work and decided to take a nap in the big chair in the library.  He asked me not to let him sleep too long, so as not to disturb his sleep schedule.  At the time he had indicated, i tried to wake him.

Son, it's 4pm, you need to wake up, i told him.

"But, mom, I can only work on one map at a time!" he responded, eyes still closed.

What? i asked.  Son, it's time for you to get up.

"Mom, I already told you, I can only work on one map at a time!"

Son, i think you are still asleep!  You need to wake up.

"Mom, I'm not asleep!" he exclaimed, his eyes still firmly shut.  "It's just that I have the computer set up and I can only work on one map at a time!"

At that point, Little Girl walked in, and i asked her if she knew what was going on.

"Wake up!" she yelled at him.

He responded to her the same way.  "Leave me alone!  I've told you I can only work on one map at a time!"

"He's talking about their computer game!" she laughed.  "He thinks he's still playing!"

Eventually, we did wake him, but for several minutes he insisted one map at a time was all he could do!

This reminds me of a joke.

Boudreaux's wife Clothile was talking to Thibodeaux's wife Marie.  

Clothile was saying, "Oh, dat Boudreaux!  He like to make me crazy someday!  He don't never listen to nuttin' I say!  Mais, he gone be de death of me!  Marie, do you got dat same problem wit' Thibodeaux?"

Marie say, "Mais, no, cher.  When we got married, my MawMaw tole me de secret to always get de man to listen to ever' word I say!"

"Oh, tell me!  Tell me, what's de secret!" Clothile begged.

Marie answer, "It be real simple.  You want a man to listen to ever' work you say, jes' pretend you be talkin' in you sleep!"


Today is

America's Kids Day -- founded to encourage parents to teach their children the value of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

Anti-Fascist Resistance Day -- Croatia

Bouphoria -- Ancient Greek Calendar (sacrifice of an ox to symbolize social order dissolving and being restored; date approximate)

Dairy Queen Day -- the first Dairy Queen® opened this day in 1940 in Joliet, Illinois

Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Great Patriotic War -- Belarus

Elfin Music Festival -- Fairy Calendar

Festival of 1 Lithe -- Hobbit Calendar

La Festa Dei Gigli -- Nola, Campagna, Italy (Festival of the Lilies, in honor of St. Paulinus)

Levitt Pavilion Performing Arts/Music Festival -- Levitt Pavilion, Westport, CT (50 nights of free or low-cost high quality music and performing arts)

National Chocolate Eclair Day

National Onion Rings Day

Singing on the Mountain -- Grandfather Mountain, Linville, NC, US (traditional and modern gospel music, with local and nationally known artists and speakers)

Soap Microphone Day -- grab your soap in the shower and pretend you are on stage! (promise i won't tell)

St. Nicetas' Day (Patron of Romania)

St. Thomas More's Day (Patron of adopted children, civil servants, difficult marriages, large families, lawyers, politicians/politicos/statesmen, step-parents, widowers; Arlington, VA; Ateneo de Manila Law School; Pensacola-Tallahassee, FL; University of Malta; University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Arts and Letters)

Stupid Guy Thing Day -- included under protest; "guy things" aren't necessarily stupid, it should just be Guy Thing Day; sponsored by Wellcat Holidays, who want all women to just not count anything against guys today, but chalk it up to being a Stupid Guy Thing

Teacher's Day -- El Salvador


Anniversary Today:

Harry Houdini marries Wilhelmina Beatrice "Bess" Rahner, 1894


Birthdays Today:

Eric Stretch, 1980
Donald Faison, 1974
Carson Daly, 1973
Mary Lynn Rajskub, 1971
Kurt Warner, 1971
Amy Brennenman, 1964
Dan Brown, 1964
Randy Couture, 1963
Tracy Pollan, 1960
Freddie Prinze, 1954
Cyndi Lauper, 1953
Todd Rundgren, 1948
Meryl Streep, 1949
Lindsay Wagner, 1949
Pete Maravich, 1947
Klaus Maria Brandauer, 1944
Ed Bradley, 1941
Michael Lerner, 1941
Kris Kristofferson, 1936
William Ralph "Bill" Blass, 1922
Joseph Papp, 1921
Billy Wilder, 1906
Anne Morrow Lindbergh, 1906
John Dillinger, 1903
Captain George Vancouver, 1757


Debuting/Premiering Today:

The Rescuers(Animated film), 1977
Lady and the Tramp(Animated film), 1955


Today in History:

Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom, BC217
Bilbo Baggins returns to his home at Bag End, (Shire Reckoning), 1342
The  Jewish quarter of Prague is burned and looted, 1559
Galileo Galilei is forced by Inquisition to "abjure, curse, & detest" his Copernican heliocentric views, 1633
A poisonous cloud from Laki volcanic eruption in Iceland reaches Le Havre in France, 1783
The British Parliament abolishes feudalism  and the seigneurial system in British North America, 1825
Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee procession in London, 1897
The Flag of Sweden is adopted, 1906
The Flag of the Faroe Islands is raised for the first time, 1919
Erwin Rommel is promoted to Field Marshal after the capture of Tobruk, 1942
The Cuyahoga River catches fire, which triggers a crack-down on pollution in the river, 1969
The Canadian  House of Commons  abolishes capital punishment, 1976
Charon, a satellite of the dwarf planet Pluto, is discovered, 1978
The largest hailstone ever recorded falls in Aurora, Nebraska (7inch diameter, 18.75 inch circumference), 2003
Eastman Kodak Company announces that it will discontinue sales of the Kodachrome Color Film, concluding its 74-year run as a photography icon, 2009
UNESCO officially names Mount Fuji a World Heritage Site, 2013

McYummy

"Mom, is it okay if I bake something?" Little Girl asked.

All day and half the night, i answered.  You know you are welcome to bake whenever you want.

"Yeah, but I just wanted to make sure you weren't about to use the toaster oven."

Nope, it's all yours.

"And do you still have those pans that fit in it?"

Sure, they're right here.

"Cool."  She spent a few minutes gathering ingredients and then said, "This recipe is really originally an experiment someone did, and I just want to try it."

As she puttered and mixed, she noted that we are almost out of vanilla.

Time to buy some vodka, then, i said.

"What!" #1 Son almost yelled as he came in.   "Did I hear you talk about buying vodka?"

To put in with the vanilla beans, i explained.  You leave it for about six months, and you have vanilla extract.  That's what extract is, mostly, alcohol.

"Oh, I didn't know that," he said.

"Yeah, so mom buys vodka once in a while to make more vanilla," Little Girl said.

"And since you just use it to make vanilla, i guess it doesn't matter what kind you get, you just buy cheap stuff?" he asked.

Actually, i noted, the better the brand of vodka, the better quality the extract, so i don't just buy rot gut brands.

"Rot gut is right!" he said.  "I can't stand the taste of vodka, that stuff is nasty.  I don't know how anyone can drink it!"

A little while later, Little Girl pulled her finished creation out of the toaster oven, topped it with one mixture, and made the icing that went on top of that.  She had plenty of icing left, so when she cut a pice, she put it on her plate and drizzled more icing on.

"Oooh, this is good!" she said.

"What's good?" #2 Son asked.

"This cinnamon cakey-type dessert I just made.  Have some!"

He helped himself, took a bite, and exclaimed, "Cinnamon Melts!  This tastes exactly like the Cinnamon Melts we serve at McDonalds!"

"Really?" she asked.  "I've never had those!"

"This tastes exactly like them!  The cake part is a bit different texture, but the taste is exactly like it!  Festus!  Come taste this!"

Festus came and tasted.  "Yummm!" was his pronouncement.  "It tastes just like Cinnamon Melts!"

"See, I told you!" #2 Son said.  "You came up with a recipe for Cinnamon Melts, but better!  Kid, you did good!"

#1 Son, Bigger Girl, and Sweetie also had their share, and all agreed.  It was good.

They attacked so fast, i only got a picture of half of it.  This part didn't last long, either.

Today is

Baby Boomer Recognition Day

Baymen's Seafood and Music Festival -- Tuckerton, NJ, US (this year including a micro-brewers tent with the seafood and music; through tomorrow)

Eastern Music Festival --  Guilford College, Greensboro, NC, US (an acclaimed festival and school, with world-class guest artists; through July 26)

Father's Day -- Egypt; Jordan; Lebanon; Palestine; Syria; Uganda

Go Skateboarding Day -- and break something?  leaving this to the young; sponsored by the International Association of Skateboard Companies (IASC)http://www.goskateboardingday.org/

GRABAAWR / GReat Annual Bicycle Adventure Along the Wisconsin River -- WI, US (fun bicycle adventures for all ages, levels, and abilities; through next Saturday)

KCQ Country Music Fest -- Saginaw, MI, US (country music's hottest stars, classic car show, art fair, and great food)

Long Beach Bayou and Blues Festival -- Rainbow Lagoon, Long Beach, CA, US (celebrating Cajun/Creole culture, food, music, arts and crafts, and even a Mardi Gras parade; through tomorrow)

Longest Dam Race -- Fort Peck, MT, US (a run that crosses 1.8 miles of the Fort Peck Dam, as well as a fun run, a bike race, and more)

Madame Lou Bunch Day -- Central City, CO, US (Old Flop House Celebration of the Madam who ran the city's most famous house of ill repute during the gold rush, complete with period costumes and a brass bed race!)

Martyr's Day -- Togo

Mermaid Parade -- Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY, US (wacky and wonderful and worth every wild moment)

Midsummer's Day -- Aland; Finland; Sweden

Napoleon Bivouacs -- Waterloo, Belgium (reenactment of Napoleon's military camp at the sight of his battle battle against Allied forces led by the Duke of Wellington; through tomorrow)

National Aboriginal Day / First Nations Day -- NT, Canada

National ASK Day -- prevent gun violence and accidental deaths, ASK if there is an unlocked gun anywhere that your child plays

National Peaches & Cream Day

Norskedalen's Midsummer Fest -- Coon Valley, WI, US (celebrate summer solstice and Sankt Hans Dag[St. John's Day] the way pioneer Scandinavians did; through tomorrow)

Pixie Day -- Ottery St. Mary, Devon, England (reenacting of the "Revenge" of the Pixies who bothered the town until midsummer in 1454; now fun, games, music, pageant, and more)

Reaping Machine Day -- Cyrus McCormick was granted a patent for his mechanical reaper this day in 1834

Solennität -- Morat, Switzerland (on Morat Commemoration Day, a Youth festival remembering the pivotal role this tiny town played in winning a battle in 1476)

Solstice -- 10:51GMT/6:51 am EDT; related observances:
     Aimless Wandering Day -- use the extra daylight to wander someplace with nothing particular to do
     Anne and Samantha Day -- remembrance for Anne Frank and Samantha Smith, and their contributions to our worldhttp://www.anneandsamantha.com/
     Daylight Appreciation Day -- celebrating the benefits of sunshinehttp://nationaldaylightday.com/2013/05/05/national-daylight-appreciation-day-celebrates-benefits-of-sunlight-on-longest-day-of-the-year-june-21/
     Finally Summer Day/Finally Winter Day
     Hump Day -- Tasmania (because it is the shortest in the year, Taswegians today feel they are over the "hump" of winter.)
     Inti Raymi -- Inca (festival of the sun god Inti, ongoing);Sacsayhuamán Andes Mountain Natives (winter solstice and New Year festival)
     Litha / Yule -- Wicca/Pagan (northern hemisphere / southern hemisphere)
     Midnight Sun Baseball Game -- Fairbanks, AK, US (begins promptly at 10:35pm local time, and played without any artificial lights allowed)
     Midsomarsblog -- Norse Viking celebrations (time of fishing, trading, and raiding)
     Midsummer -- Midsummer Festivals begin -- Juhannus Day in Finland and Midsommar in Denmark and Norway, celebrated over the next several days in many Scandinavian traditions; often this time is also associated with betrayal, as the sunlight begins to decrease, this is when Baldur was betrayed, as well as Sigurd.
     Midsummer -- Asatru/Slavic Pagan
     Midsummer Baal -- Ancient Celtic Calendar
     Polar Bear Swim -- Nome, AK, US (if they can break through the ice!)
     Solsticio de Invierno / Ano Nuevo Aymara -- Bolivia (Winter Solstice / Aymara Indiginous People's New Year)
     We Tripantu -- Chile (Mapuche natives winter solstice festival)
     Wadjet Summer Solstice Ceremony -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate, it may have been a multi-day ceremony that began on Midsummer's Eve)

Spirit of the Woods Folk Festival -- Brethren, MI, US (a family friendly good time in the park)

St. Alban's Day (Patron of epileptics, people with hernias; against epilepsy, hernias, kidney stones)

St. Aloysius Gonzanga's Day (Protector of young students, young men; Patron of AIDS care-givers and patients; for relief from pestilence; Castiglione delle Stiviere, Italy; Valmonte, Italy; against sore eyes)

Tiger-Get-By's Third Birthday -- Fairy Calendar

Ulloortuneq -- Greenland (National Day)

Virginia State Championship Chili Cook-Off -- Roanoke, VA, US (the best chili from around the country, and much more)

World Handshake Day -- no one likes them fishy, and it's not a contest; practice a firm grip and a smile! not to be confused with National Handshake Day, today's sponsor is here

World Music Day -- begun in the UK, now celebrated everywhere


Anniversaries Today:

New Hampshire becomes the 9th US State, 1788


Birthdays Today:

Kris Allen, 1985
Prince William (William Arthur Philip Louis), 1982
Juliette Lewis, 1973
Larry Wachowski, 1965
Sammi Davis-Voss, 1964
Doug Savant, 1964
Berkeley Breathed, 1957
Rick Sutcliffe, 1956
Benazir Bhutto, 1953
Nils Lofgren, 1951
Meredith Baxter, 1947
Michael Gross, 1947
Ray Davies, 1944
Mariette Hartley, 1940
Joe Flaherty, 1940
Bernie Kopell, 1933
Maureen Stapleton, 1925
Jane Russell, 1921
Jean-Paul Sartre, 1905
Al Hirschfeld, 1903
Reinhold Niebuhr, 1892
Henry Ossawa Tanner, 1859
Daniel Carter Beard, 1850
Daniel D. Tompkins, 1774
Martha Dandridge Custis Washington, 1731
Increase Mather, 1639


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Evita"(Musical), 1978
"Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg"(Wagner opera), 1868


Today in History:

Jews are expelled from Nurenberg Bavaria by Emperor Maximillian, 1498
The Incident at Honno-ji takes place in Kyoto, Japan, 1582
In Montreal in New France, a slave known by the French name of Marie-Joseph Angélique is put to death, having been convicted of the arson that destroyed much of the city, 1734
Halifax, Nova Scotia, is founded, 1749
The first Victoria Cross is awarded during the bombardment of Bomarsund in the Åland Islands, 1854
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police fire a volley into a crowd of unemployed war veterans, killing two, during the Winnipeg General Strike, 1919
The first successful west-to-east navigation of Northwest Passage begins at Vancouver, British Columbia, 1940
Columbia Records introduces the long-playing record album in a public demonstration at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, 1948
Ellen Louks Fairclough is sworn in as Canada's first woman Cabinet Minister, 1957
In handing down the decision in Miller v. California 413 US 15, the Supreme Court of the United States establishes the Miller Test for obscenity in U.S. law, 1973
SpaceShipOne becomes the first privately funded spaceplane  to achieve spaceflight, 2004
Pluto's newly discovered moons are officially named Nix & Hydra, 2006
Greenland assumes self-rule, 2009
The U.S. officially charges Edward Snowden with espionage, 2013

Feline Friday: Puzzle

Feline Friday was started by Steve, The Burnt Food Dude, and i'm going to believe it's because he likes cats. 

It's easy to participate in Feline Friday, just post a cat picture and link up!

This picture is a blast from the past.  It's of some kittens we bottle raised a couple of years ago.  There are three separate litters represented here.

It's also a puzzle:  how many kittens, or parts of kittens, can you see?

Yet another Pile o' Kittens, but how many?

?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?


There are nine of them!




Today is:

American Eagle Day -- http://www.eagles.org/programs/american-eagle-day.php

Antiques on the Bay -- St. Ignace, MI, US (annual show for antique and classic cars at least 25 years old or older; through tomorrow)

Cuckoo Warning Day -- if you hear the cuckoo today, it will be a wet summer, according to old European traditions

Day of the National Flag -- Argentina (Anniversary of General D. Manuel Belgrano's Death)

Day of the Purification of All Things -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Feast of the Great Spirit / Great Mystery -- various Native Americans (celebrations are around the time of the solstice)
     Cherokee call the spirit Asgaya Galun Lati
     Iroquois call the spirit Orenda
     Lakota call the spirit Wakan Tanka
     Zuni call the spirit Awonawilona

Festival for Summanus -- Ancient Roman Calendar (the god who threw thunderbolts at night)

Festival of the New Knee -- Fairy Calendar

Fulton County Historical Power Show -- Rochester, IN (featuring tractors, engines, antique power equipment, and food, music, and fun; through Sunday)

Hogueras de San Juan -- Alicante, Spain ("Bonfires of St. John," through the 29th, with the night of the 24th being the most magical as the festival is for St. John, whose day that is)

Ice Cream Soda Day -- i guess because it's hot enough now for one

International Surfing Day -- The Surfrider Foundation and Surfing Magazine suggest contests, barbecues, film screenings, and organizing beach clean ups to celebratehttp://isd.surfrider.org/

Iron Skegge's Day -- Vikings (martyrdom of Iron Skegge, who died defending the temples of Maeri against Christians)

Martyr's Day -- Eritrea

Midnight Sun Festival -- Nome, AK, US (celebration of the solstice, when there is almost continual daylight, with a parade, raft race, folk fest, and more; through tomorrow)
     Polar Bear Swim -- Nome, AK, US (since 1975, as soon as they can break through the ice! the intrepid swimmers gather on the shore of the frigid Bering Sea to swim; if they can't break through the ice yet, it may be rescheduled; part of the midnight sun festival)

Midsummer's Eve -- many and varying traditions, with some celebrating the day before the solstice, and some always tying it to June 23, St. John's Eve
     Night of the Fairy Goddesses Aine and Finnen -- Ireland (watch out for the antics of the little people on Midsummer's Eve, whichever day you celebrate it!)

Midsummer's Eve Holiday -- Aland; Finland; Sweden

National Flip Flop Day -- sponsored by Tropical Cafe Smoothie to raise funds for its national charity partner, Camp Sunshine

National Vanilla Milkshake Day

New Identity Day -- an internet generated holiday, just have fun thinking about who you might want to be for a day

Old Time Music Ozark Heritage Festival -- West Plains, MO, US (celebrating the unique culture and old time music of the Ozark Highlands; through tomorrow)

Rainforest World Music Festival -- Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia (music in the jungle, featuring local and international artists performing wild music and dance in the mud and tropical rain; through Sunday)

Rochesterfest -- Rochester, MN, US (street dances, parade, exotic foods, children's and senior events, and more; through the 29th)

Scira/Skirophoria -- Ancient Greek Calendar (festival for Demeter, organized by the women of Athens; date approximate)

St. Michelina of Pesaro's Day (Patron of mentally ill people, people with in-law problems, widows; against death of children, insanity and mental illness)

Takekiri Eshiki Matsuri -- Kuramadera, Kyoto, Japan (bamboo cutting festival; the bamboo represents snakes, so cutting it symbolizes victory over evil)

Take Your Dog to Work Day -- www.takeyourdog.com (depending on where you work, what did your dog do to deserve this?)

Ugliest Dog Day -- actual day, during the Sonoma-Marin Fair that began two days ago, of the 2014 World's Ugliest Dog® Contest

Vikingespil Frederikssund (Viking Festival) -- Frederikssund, Denmark (the most famous Viking cultural event in Denmark, with two weeks of plays based on Danish Viking legends and a three day festival this weekend, as well as two markets and a Viking camp recreation)
     runs from the second-to-last Friday of June to the first Sunday in July)

World Productivity Day -- no central focus, just a day for suppliers of productivity tools and training to celebrate what they contribute to society

World Refugee Day -- UN


Anniversaries Today:

West Virginia becomes the 35th US state, 1863
The University of Oxford receives its charter, 1214

Birthdays Today:

Robert Rodriguez, 1968
Nicole Kidman, 1967
Michael Landon, Jr, 1964
Cyndi Lauper, 1953
John Goodman, 1952
Lionel Richie, 1949
Andre Watts, 1946
Bob Vila, 1946
Anne Murray, 1945
Brian Wilson, 1942
John Mahoney, 1940
Danny Aiello, 1933
James Tolkan, 1931
Martin Landau, 1931
Olympia Dukakis, 1931
Chet Atkins, 1924
Audie Murphy, 1924
Jean-Jacques Bertrand, 1916
Errol Flynn, 1909
Lillian Hellman, 1905
Charles W. Chesnutt, 1858
Scipio Africanus, BC236


Debuting/Premiering Today:

Jaws(Film), 1975
"The Ray Stevens Show"(TV), 1970
"The Ed Sullivan Show"(TV), 1948


Today in History:

Flavius Aetius' battles Attila the Hun; the battle was inconclusive, and Attila retreats, causing the Romans to interpret it as a victory, 451
Jews are expelled from Brazil by order of regent Don Henrique, 1567
The Irish  village of Baltimore is attacked by Algerian  pirates, 1631
A British garrison is imprisoned in the Black Hole of Calcutta, 1756
King Louis XVI of France and his immediate family begin the Flight to Varennes during The French Revolution, 1791
The U.S. vessel SS Savannah, the first steam-propelled vessel to cross the Atlantic, arrives at Liverpool, 1819
Queen Victoria succeeds to the British throne, 1837
Samuel Morse receives the patent for the telegraph, 1840
Alexander Graham Bell installs the world's first commercial telephone service in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, 1877
Caroline Willard Baldwin becomes the first woman to earn a doctor of science degree, at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 1895
A rare June hurricane struck Canada's Gulf of St. Lawrence killing 35, 1959
The so-called "red telephone" is established between the Soviet Union and the United States following the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1963
The German parliament decides to move the capital from Bonn back to Berlin, 1991
The Wikimedia Foundation is founded in St. Petersburg, Florida, 2003
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers grants private companies the right to create new website domain suffixes, 2011
Instagram offers users the ability to upload videos to their service, 2013
Dunedin and Christchurch, New Zealand, have roads cut off and flights cancelled due to adverse weather conditions, 2013