VBS: Messages. Lots of messages.

Vacation Bible School.  A friend of mine used to attend every single one when she was a child.  Her mom would take them to the Baptists, the Methodists, the Presbyterians, the Lutherans, all of them.  Her family was Mormon, but their mom wanted them to have something to do in the summer, so they would go, week after week.

My job at VBS is simple -- feed the volunteers.  Fruit tray, veggie tray, chips and dips, trail mix, a sweet like mini cheesecake squares or cookies, something savory like mini quiches or small sandwiches.  Each day i try to vary what i put out there.  The volunteers work hard and the children participating get snacks, so i know the adult and teen volunteers get hungry, too.

As usual, on the first day, you end up forgetting something.  In my case, it was a decent knife for cutting veggies, as the church knives are typical church kitchen knives, meaning they are as dull as my head.  Also, this year i was put in the basement kitchen, which has no stove or oven, just a microwave, ice machine, and fridge.  No supplies, either, i have to go get everything from the upstairs kitchen  or the one by the gym.  That means i'm going to bring my own cutting board, too.

Little Girl is assisting me, and i knew i needed to go get a few things from the store when we left.  So i took her home, stopped to feed the Lorax, and while my hands were full with him, and listened to the messages on the answering machine from some of the ladies at the church, who had called me between the time i left there and the time i got home.

Ms. Libby:  I know you were going to the store, could you get some 7 ounce cups, the small, square napkins and 6 inch paper plates?  And forks, we will need more forks for the volunteer break room.

Ms. Maggie:  Since you are going to the store, could you get some Bagel Bites?  We had more kids register than we thought, and we won't have enough for tomorrow.

Ms. Liz: I know Ms. Libby said for you to get 7 ounce cups, but we'd rather have 5 ounce cups for the children, if you could pick some of those up for us.

While i was out, Little Girl texted me a message:  You said you were going to get chicken nuggets, right?  Please get the dinosaur shaped ones!  Everyone loves those, even the grown ups.

After two stores and much searching and waiting in lines, i got home to one more message.

Ms. Libby, I wanted to let you know, since you were going to be putting chicken nuggets in the break room, that you don't have to buy any.  We have several packages left over from Sunday that you can use.

Thank goodness i had only bought one big pack of the dinosaur shaped ones.

The Lorax is having his surgery today -- cleft palate and his neutering at the same time, poor guy.  Anyway, please think good thoughts for him, and if you feel it's okay to pray for an animal, that would be nice, too.

The Lorax, daring me to take his picture!

Today is

Call of the Horizon Day -- can't find any history on this one, but if the idea of following your dreams over the Horizon has ever called you, take the time to follow today!

Constitution Day -- Australia; Palau

Constitutionalist Revolution Day -- São Paulo, Brazil

Don't Put All Your Eggs In One Omelet Day

Feast of Our Lady of Chiquinquira (Patron of Colombia; the Venezuelan National Guard)

Independence Day -- Argentina(1816); South Sudan(2011)

Martyrdom of the Bab -- Baha'i

Muffler Appreciation Day -- if you've ever had a loud vehicle, you will understand why someone started this one

National Culture Day -- Kiribati

National Sugar Cookie Day -- what could be simpler or more versatile?  make them plain or make them fancy, but be sure you make enough!

Nunavut Day -- NU, Canada

Offerings to Heru and Amun -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (day Heru hears prayers in the presence of the Netjers; date approximate)

Shiman Rokusen-nichi -- Sensou-ji Temple, Asakusa, Tokyo (Day of 46,000; a visit to the temple on this day through tomorrow credits you the same as visiting 46,000 times on ordinary days)

St. Mary Hermina Grivot's Day (Patron of martyrs)

Wyandotte Street Art Fair -- Downtown Wyandotte, MI, US (over 250 seasoned and emerging artists display and sell their wares, with music and entertainment; through Saturday)


Anniversary Today:

Steven Cauble marries Lisa Whelchel, 1988


Birthdays Today

Mitchel Musso, 1991
Kiely Williams, 1986
Fred Savage, 1976
Jack White, 1975
Courtney Love, 1964
Kelly McGillis, 1957
Tom Hanks, 1956
Fred Norris, 1955
Jimmy Smits, 1955
Margaret Gillis, 1953
John Tesh, 1952
Chris Cooper, 1951
Mitch Mitchell, 1947
O.J. Simpson, 1947
Richard Roundtree, 1942
Brian Dennehy, 1938
David Hockney, 1937
Vince Edwards, 1928
Ed Ames, 1927
Mathilde Krim, 1926
Ottorino Respighi, 1879
Elias Howe, 1819
Anne Ward Radcliffe, 1764


Today in History

Roman  military commander Avitus is proclaimed emperor of the Western Roman Empire, 455
Henry VIII annuls his marriage to Anne of Cleves (his 4th wife), 1540
In Versailles, the National Assembly reconstitutes itself as the National Constituent Assembly and begins preparations for a French constitution, 1789
The Act Against Slavery is passed in Upper Canada and the importation of slaves into Lower Canada is prohibited, 1793
The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified guaranteeing African Americans full citizenship and all persons in the United States due process of law, 1868
In Provident Hospital on Chicago’s South Side, black surgeon Dr. Daniel Hale Williams performed the first successful open-heart surgery, 1893
Queen Victoria gives royal assent to an Act creating the Commonwealth of Australia thus uniting separate colonies on the continent under one federal government, 1900
Johnny Weissmuller swims the 100 meters freestyle in 58.6 seconds breaking the world swimming record and the 'minute barrier', 1922
The Russell-Einstein Manifesto is released by Bertrand Russell in London, 1955
In a seminal moment for pop art, Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans exhibition opens at the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles, 1962
Margaret Thatcher begins her second term as British prime minster, 1982
South Africa is readmitted into the Olympic movement after 30 years of exclusion, 1991
The African Union is established in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2002
South Sudan gains independence and secedes from Sudan, 2011