A to Z: G is for Going!

Every year, i go on what i call my "yearly sanity retreat."

It all began when an online friend i had never met invited anyone who wished to come to visit her in Albuquerque on a particular autumn weekend several years ago.  She planned things we could do together, including a public place to meet up for the first time, and i made further plans to stop in San Antonio where another member of our message board lived, and for the two of us ride the rest of the way together.

Since then, we have met up every year in a different place.  Any member of our board is welcome, and some of us have made it every year.  Each year, also, we've gotten to meet some people who couldn't come before.

It's been wonderful getting to know these people as friends in real life.  It makes me so glad i took the chance, stepped out, and went that first year.

We are now in the planning stages of this year's S-fest, as i call it.  S for sanity, because this get away each year, getting me away from the usual routines and getting a break, has been a life and sanity saver for me.

While there was talk of the Pacific Northwest this year, we have chosen Galveston instead, and we are shooting for the Portland area in 2016.  It gives me more time to plan and save up for the longer trip.

No, i've never been there; i've been all up and down most of the Gulf Coast, but never to Galveston.  We can hardly wait to go.

And while i'm on the letter G, i will share that i was a big gobsmacked by something Bigger Girl told me yesterday.  Yes, this happens often.

"Mom, do we have any plans for the weekend?" she asked.

Not that i know, i answered.

"Good!" she exclaimed.  "It seems I'm going to be going clothes shopping, helping a couple of friends of a friend who are cross dressers pick out new wardrobes.  They want to learn how to dress fashionably without giving people the wrong impression.  Don't ask how I got caught up in this one, it's complicated."

Yes, i can believe it's complicated, and no, i won't ask.

Today is

Aerosol Day -- John D. Lynde receives a patent for an early aerosol dispenser on this day in 1862

All is Ours Day -- an internet holiday to remind us of what we do have

Buddah's Birthday -- Mahayana Buddhism in Japan (based on Gregorian Calendar, other Buddhists use a different dating system)
     Hana Matsuri Flower Festival

Counter Stool Memorial Day -- when was the last time you got to sit on the stool at a diner counter and spin?  if you can find such a place, go take a spin today

DAB(Draw a Bird) Day -- a movement begun in Britain in the 1940's, encourages everyone to draw a picture of a bird, and share it with friends

Feast of the Hummingbird -- Ancient Aztec Calendar (date approximate)

Hammerin' Hank Day -- anniversary of his 715th homer in 1974, breaking Ruth's record

International Day of the Roma -- a celebration of Romani culture

Invocation of Lumps and Cysts -- Fairy Calendar (Goblin Celebration)

Milk in Glass Bottles Day -- prior to this day in 1879, milk was sold in the container you brought with you to the seller

National Empanada Day

Sealing the Frost -- Guatemala (Cuchumatan Indians ritual to protect their corn from frost; date approximate, always early in April)

St. Julie Billiart's Day (Patron against bodily ills, disease, and poverty)

Trading Cards for Grown-Ups Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays, and i got this out of my system dealing with Pokemon cards when my kids were young

Tutor Appreciation Day -- because some people need that extra boost

Zoo Lovers' Day -- go support your local zoo


Anniversary Today:

Voyageurs National Park established, Minnesta, US, 1975



Birthdays Today:

Kirsten Storms, 1984
Katee Sackhoff, 1980
Patricia Arquette, 1968
Robin Wright, 1966
Julian Lennon, 1963
John Schneider, 1960
Gary Carter, 1954
James Augustus “Catfish” Hunter, 1946
Stuart Pankin, 1946
Kofi Annan, 1938
Seymour Hersh, 1937
Shecky Greene, 1926
William D. Chase, 1922
Carmen Mcrae, 1920
Betty Ford, 1918
Sonja Henie, 1912
Mary Pickford, 1893
O. Raymond Knight, 1872
William Williams, 1731
Lewis Morris, 1726


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Falsettos"(Musical), 1992
"Twin Peaks"(TV), 1990
"White Horse Inn"(Musical), 1931
"The Bolt"(Shostakovich ballet), 1931 *Note: sometimes translated as "The Arrow"
"La Gioconda"(Ponchielli opera), 1876


Today in History:

Sultan Baybars conquers the Krak des Chevaliers in Syria, 1271
The first Jewish congregation in the US forms the Shearith Israel synagogue in NYC, 1730
The first fire escape, a wicker basket on a rope and pulley system, is patented, 1766
The statue Aphrodite of Milos (Venus de Milo) is discovered on the Aegean island of Melos, 1820
John D. Lynde patents the aerosol dispenser, 1862
William Ewart Gladstone introduces the first Irish Home Rule Bill into the British House of Commons, 1886
The first recorded college basketball game occurs in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, 1893
Longacre Square in Midtown Manhattan is renamed Times Square after The New York Times, 1904
Auguste Deter, the first person officially diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease, dies, 1906
The last meeting of the League of Nations is held, 1946
Hammerin' Hank Aaron hits his 715th home run, beating Babe Ruth's record, 1974
Retired tennis great Arthur Ashe announces that he has AIDS, acquired from blood transfusions during one of his two heart surgeries, 1992
The Republic of Macedonia joins the United Nations, 1993
The construction of the world's first building to integrate wind turbines is completed in Bahrain, 2008
The U.S. Department of Justice admits that it has probed WikiLeaks-related Twitter accounts, defending the practice and dismissing privacy and freedom of speech concerns, 2011
Wikileaks released 1.7 million U.S diplomatic and intelligence documents from 1973-1976 when Henry Kissinger was U.S. Secretary of State, 2013