Tuesday Coffee Chat: What's New?

Rory Bore at Ink Interrupted hosts the Tuesday Coffee Chat, and this week she is discussing New Year, New You, and wants to know what new things you want to try this year. 

For me, a new challenge at work will be learning to decorate the larger cakes.  The smaller sizes i can do.  The larger ones will require time and practice, which will start once our buy one get one free special is over, in two weeks.  Until then, Nelly bar the door, we can barely keep up and there's no time for training anyone on anything.

It may not be completely new, because i've worked on it before, but i'm going to recommit to learning more Spanish.  There are several Spanish speakers at the bakery, and they've been coaching me a bit, and laughing with me when i make mistakes.  If i can get to where i understand even half of what they are saying when they talk to each other, i will have made some progress.

There are a few personal things i want to work on this year, most especially remembering how to behave myself when i'm driving.  Even though i'm a teetotaler (half a serving of anything alcoholic puts me right to sleep, so i don't bother), i am convinced the traffic around here could make me a drinking woman.  Nothing brings me closer to the verge of losing my religion than some of the driving done around here.

Another new thing i will try is a challenge i heard the other day.  When you are not certain what The Lord wants you to do, look for an instruction in Scripture and follow it.  For example, in Psalm 100 is the instruction to "serve The Lord with gladness.". If i'm not sure what i'm supposed to be doing in a certain situation, i can always start by serving The Lord with gladness in that area, and see where that leads.

How about you?  Anything specific you want to try out this year?

Today is:

Compitalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (slave festival to the Lares and Manes, household gods)

Curried Chicken Day

Eat Crackers and Try to Whistle Day -- just to see if it's as much fun as it was when you were young

Feast of Fabulous Wild Men Day -- an internet generated holiday with whatever purpose you decide to give it

Goblin Gala -- Fairy Calendar (Fairies not invited)

Hen Galan -- Gwaun Valley, Dyfed, Wales (New Year Celebration begins -- yes, they still use the old calendar)

Kiss a Ginger Day -- some call it a national or international day, although it's not official; a history of this day is here 

Little League Girls Baseball Day -- girls were finally allowed to play this date in 1974

Memorial Day -- Turkmenistan

National Marzipan Day

National Pharmacist Day -- US

Rubber Band Veteran Day -- to commemorate the warriors and heroes of rubber band fights around the globe and in your very own school or office

Stick to Your New Year's Resolution Day -- because it's too soon to give up

St. Benedict Biscop's Day (Founder and Patron of English Benedictines, and Patron of musicians, painters; Sunderland, England)

Zanzibar Revolution Day -- Tanzania


Birthdays Today:

HAL, 1997 (according to A. C. Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey)
Jeff Bezos, 1964
Oliver Platt, 1960
Kirstie Alley, 1955
Howard Stern, 1954
Rush Limbaugh, 1951
Joe Frazier, 1944
Glenn Yarborough, 1930
Ray Price, 1926
Ira Hamilton Hayes, 1922
James Farmer, 1920
Luise Rainer, 1910
Tex Ritter, 1905
Joe E. Lewis, 1902
Jack London, 1876
John Singer-Sargent, 1856
Edmund Burke, 1729
Charles Perrault, 1628
John Winthrop, 1588 (O.S. date)


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Dynasty"(TV) 1981
"All in the Family"(TV), 1971
"Batman"(TV), 1966
"Arthur Godfrey and His Friends"(TV) 1949
"Ottone, re di Germania"(Handel's Opera, HWV 15). 1723


Today in History:

Tsarina Elizabeth establishes the first university in Russia, 1755
The first US public museum is established, in Charlestown, South Carolina, 1773
Mission Santa Clara de Asis is founded in California, 1777
The first cargo arrives in New Orleans by steamship, from Natchez, 1812
Anthracite coal is first used to smelt iron, in Mauch Chunk,Pennsylvania, 1839
The Royal Aeronautical Society is founded in England, 1866
The Dow-Jones closes above 100 for the first time, 1906
A long-distance radio message is sent from the Eiffel Tower for the first time, 1908
The University of the Philippines College of Law is formally established; three future Philippine presidents are among the first enrollees, 1911
The United States House of Representatives rejects a proposal to give women the right to vote, 1915
Finland's "Mosaic Confessors" law went into effect, making Finnish Jews full citizens, 1918
Hattie W. Caraway becomes the first woman elected to the United States Senate, 1932
Dr. James Bedford becomes the first person to be cryonically preserved with intent of future resuscitation, 1967
An act of the U.S. Congress authorizes the use of military force to drive Iraq out of Kuwait, 1991
A new constitution, providing for freedom to form political parties, is approved by a referendum in Mali, 1992
Nineteen European nations agree to forbid human cloning, 1998
The world's largest ocean liner, RMS Queen Mary 2, makes its maiden voyage, 2004
Deep Impact launches from Cape Canaveral on a Delta 2 rocket, 2006
The French warship Clemenceau reaches Egypt and is barred access to the Suez Canal, 2006
Comet C/2006 P1 (McNaught) reaches perihelion becoming the brightest comet in more than 40 years, 2007
An earthquake in Haiti kills an estimated 230,000 and destroys most of Port-au-Prince, 2010