In years past, the whole family would go to Florida at once. Now that Grandma is too frail to travel, she and Grandpa won't be there and the family has the condo for two weeks and we are taking turns instead of going down as one big group.
It's Sweetie's and my turn from today until Wednesday, with Uncle P and his friend supposed to meet us there but Uncle P is sick and it may just be me and Sweetie and my friend DiDreaming rattling around the place for a few days.
Very different from when we used to cram a dozen people into one (or sometimes two) condos, but this is how it goes when the kids grow up and can't all make it, things change.
We will still have a great time. How can you not have a great time when there's The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo (The Little Zoo That Could) and petting the lemurs, trips to Al's Five and Dime and Sam's Grocery and Tackle (because Al's has everything, and Sam's has everything else!), and time sitting under the waterfall at the pool, examining the insides of my eyelids for cracks.
There's also a little used book store we want to try to find again, and i'm sure DiDreaming will have some ideas as she's from the area.
Change is a good thing, and i'm going to get the good out of these few days away, i need it!
Today is:
Arrephoria -- Ancient Greek Calendar (ceremony for the two girls chosen to weave the new robe for Athena's Statue and care for her sacred olive tree during the next year; date approximate)
Bali Arts Festival -- Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia (a full month of daily performances, handicraft exhibitions, and cultural activities showcasing all Bali has to offer in dance, music, art, food, and more; through July 9)
Belmont Stakes -- Belmont, NY, US (148th Annual, the third jewel of the Triple Crown)
Betty Picnic -- the Betty Club, founded by Betty Wilder and Betty Patterson of Grant's Pass, Oregon, began hosting a picnic for all with their name in 1987, and want Bettys all over the world to have a Betty Picnic on the second Saturday of June each year
Big Mac Shoreline Spring Scenic Bike Tour -- Mackinaw City, MI, US (weekend bike tours of varying lengths along the beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline, with a concluding ride over the Mighty Mackinac Bridge; through tomorrow)
Billy the Kid Tombstone Race -- Fort Sumner, New Mexico (racers carry an 80 pound tombstone through an obstacle course! a tribute to the number of times the tombstone has been stolen over the years; there is also a triathlon)
Birthday of Prince Henrik -- Denmark
Corn on the Cob Day
Fandens Fodselsdag(The Devil's Birthday) -- Denmark (traditional date when contracts between masters and servants expired, making them free to renew or renegotiate or sever ties; it was also considered The Devil's Birthday because taxes and rents came due!)
Holiday of the Happy Gnomes -- Fairy Calendar (grumpy Gnomes are not allowed to attend this holiday!)
Hug Holiday -- some internet sites have this one, and since hugs are good for mental health, indulge!
International Young Eagles Day -- Experimental Aircraft Association members and chapters focus on providing introductory flights to children 8-17 eaa.org
Kidspree -- Aurora, CO, US (free outdoor festival for kids; through tomorrow)
King Kamehameha Day -- Hawaii, US
National German Chocolate Cake Day
Rites of Matralia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (honoring of Mater Matua, goddess of dawn and childbirth, by women who had been married once) related observance:
Day Sacred to Fortuna Virgo (Fortune the Virgin, the day marriage robes of girls were dedicated to this goddess)
Shavuot -- Judaism (Feast of Weeks; begins at sundown, through sundown on the 13th)
Sovereign's Day/Queen's Birthday -- British Virgin Islands; Pitcairn Island (leave it to the descendants of mutineers to celebrate on a different day from the rest of the Commonwealth, and convince others to do so, also!)
St. Barnabas the Apostle's Day (Patron of Antioch; Cyprus; Marbelia, Costa del Sol, Spain; Marino, Italy; invoked as a peacemaker; against hailstorms) a/k/a Barnaby Bright Day or Long Barnaby*
Trooping the Colour -- UK (military celebration of the monarch's birthday, one of London's biggest and most colorful celebrations))
Torigoe Matsuri -- Torigoe Jinja Shrine, Tokyo, Japan (festival and highlighting of Tokyo's largest Mikoshi[portable Shinto shrine]; through tomorrow)
World Juggling Day (sat closest to 15th
*Under the Julian calendar, June 11, St. Barnabas' Day, was the longest day of the year --
Barnaby Bright, Barnaby Bright,
The longest day
And the shortest night
Anniversaries Today:
Henry VIII marries Catherine of Aragon, 1509
Birthdays Today:
Shia LeBeouf, 1986
Joshua Jackson, 1978
Caroline Quentin, 1961
Dr. Mehmet Oz, 1960
Hugh Laurie, 1959
Joe Montana, 1956
Peter Bergman, 1953
Adrienne Barbeau, 1945
Jackie Stewart, 1939
Chad Everett, 1936
Gene Wilder, 1933
William Clark Styron, Jr., 1925
Vince Lombardi, 1913
Jacques Cousteau, 1910
Jeannette Pickering Rankin, 1880
Richard Georg Strauss, 1864
John Constable, 1776
Ben Jonson, 1572
Debuting/Premiering Today:
"American Idol"(TV), 2002
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial(Film), 1982
"Main Street Electrical Parade"(Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida), 1977
"Rock 'n' Roll Music"(Beatles' UK album release), 1976
A Day at the Races(Marx Brothers film), 1937
Today in History:
Troy is sacked and burned, according to calculations by Eratosthenes, BC1184
Philip II recognizes the rights and privileges of the local nobles and chieftains in the Philippines, which paves way to the creation of the Principalía, 1594
The Continental Congress appoints Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston to the Committee of Five to draft a declaration of independence, 1776
Russian explorer Gerasim Izmailov reaches Alaska, 1788
The first American stove patent is granted to Robert Haeterick, 1793
The Limelight Department, one of the world's first film studios, is officially established in Melbourne, Australia, 1892
New Zealand annexes the Cook Islands, 1901
Sir Barton wins the Belmont Stakes, becoming the first horse to win the Triple Crown, 1919
Frank Morris, John Anglin and Clarence Anglin become the only prisoners to escape from the prison on Alcatraz Island, 1962
Anna Mae Hays and Elizabeth P. Hoisington become the first women to receive the rank of general in the U.S. Army, 1970
Cassini-Huygens makes its closest flyby of the Saturn moon Phoebe, 200
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper makes an official apology to Canada's First Nations for residential school abuse that isolated native children from their homes, families, and cultures for a century, 2008
Ancient Korean royal books looted by French troops in 1866 are returned to South Korea; 1,000 officials and locals celebrate the return of the 297-volume 'Oegyujanggak' books, 2011
Winds in southwestern Western Australia of up to 140km/h batter the area and leave more than 170,000 homes without power, 2012
Today is:
Arrephoria -- Ancient Greek Calendar (ceremony for the two girls chosen to weave the new robe for Athena's Statue and care for her sacred olive tree during the next year; date approximate)
Bali Arts Festival -- Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia (a full month of daily performances, handicraft exhibitions, and cultural activities showcasing all Bali has to offer in dance, music, art, food, and more; through July 9)
Belmont Stakes -- Belmont, NY, US (148th Annual, the third jewel of the Triple Crown)
Betty Picnic -- the Betty Club, founded by Betty Wilder and Betty Patterson of Grant's Pass, Oregon, began hosting a picnic for all with their name in 1987, and want Bettys all over the world to have a Betty Picnic on the second Saturday of June each year
Big Mac Shoreline Spring Scenic Bike Tour -- Mackinaw City, MI, US (weekend bike tours of varying lengths along the beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline, with a concluding ride over the Mighty Mackinac Bridge; through tomorrow)
Billy the Kid Tombstone Race -- Fort Sumner, New Mexico (racers carry an 80 pound tombstone through an obstacle course! a tribute to the number of times the tombstone has been stolen over the years; there is also a triathlon)
Birthday of Prince Henrik -- Denmark
Corn on the Cob Day
Fandens Fodselsdag(The Devil's Birthday) -- Denmark (traditional date when contracts between masters and servants expired, making them free to renew or renegotiate or sever ties; it was also considered The Devil's Birthday because taxes and rents came due!)
Holiday of the Happy Gnomes -- Fairy Calendar (grumpy Gnomes are not allowed to attend this holiday!)
Hug Holiday -- some internet sites have this one, and since hugs are good for mental health, indulge!
International Young Eagles Day -- Experimental Aircraft Association members and chapters focus on providing introductory flights to children 8-17 eaa.org
Kidspree -- Aurora, CO, US (free outdoor festival for kids; through tomorrow)
King Kamehameha Day -- Hawaii, US
National German Chocolate Cake Day
Rites of Matralia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (honoring of Mater Matua, goddess of dawn and childbirth, by women who had been married once) related observance:
Day Sacred to Fortuna Virgo (Fortune the Virgin, the day marriage robes of girls were dedicated to this goddess)
Shavuot -- Judaism (Feast of Weeks; begins at sundown, through sundown on the 13th)
Sovereign's Day/Queen's Birthday -- British Virgin Islands; Pitcairn Island (leave it to the descendants of mutineers to celebrate on a different day from the rest of the Commonwealth, and convince others to do so, also!)
St. Barnabas the Apostle's Day (Patron of Antioch; Cyprus; Marbelia, Costa del Sol, Spain; Marino, Italy; invoked as a peacemaker; against hailstorms) a/k/a Barnaby Bright Day or Long Barnaby*
Trooping the Colour -- UK (military celebration of the monarch's birthday, one of London's biggest and most colorful celebrations))
Torigoe Matsuri -- Torigoe Jinja Shrine, Tokyo, Japan (festival and highlighting of Tokyo's largest Mikoshi[portable Shinto shrine]; through tomorrow)
World Juggling Day (sat closest to 15th
*Under the Julian calendar, June 11, St. Barnabas' Day, was the longest day of the year --
Barnaby Bright, Barnaby Bright,
The longest day
And the shortest night
Anniversaries Today:
Henry VIII marries Catherine of Aragon, 1509
Birthdays Today:
Shia LeBeouf, 1986
Joshua Jackson, 1978
Caroline Quentin, 1961
Dr. Mehmet Oz, 1960
Hugh Laurie, 1959
Joe Montana, 1956
Peter Bergman, 1953
Adrienne Barbeau, 1945
Jackie Stewart, 1939
Chad Everett, 1936
Gene Wilder, 1933
William Clark Styron, Jr., 1925
Vince Lombardi, 1913
Jacques Cousteau, 1910
Jeannette Pickering Rankin, 1880
Richard Georg Strauss, 1864
John Constable, 1776
Ben Jonson, 1572
Debuting/Premiering Today:
"American Idol"(TV), 2002
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial(Film), 1982
"Main Street Electrical Parade"(Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida), 1977
"Rock 'n' Roll Music"(Beatles' UK album release), 1976
A Day at the Races(Marx Brothers film), 1937
Today in History:
Troy is sacked and burned, according to calculations by Eratosthenes, BC1184
Philip II recognizes the rights and privileges of the local nobles and chieftains in the Philippines, which paves way to the creation of the Principalía, 1594
The Continental Congress appoints Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston to the Committee of Five to draft a declaration of independence, 1776
Russian explorer Gerasim Izmailov reaches Alaska, 1788
The first American stove patent is granted to Robert Haeterick, 1793
The Limelight Department, one of the world's first film studios, is officially established in Melbourne, Australia, 1892
New Zealand annexes the Cook Islands, 1901
Sir Barton wins the Belmont Stakes, becoming the first horse to win the Triple Crown, 1919
Frank Morris, John Anglin and Clarence Anglin become the only prisoners to escape from the prison on Alcatraz Island, 1962
Anna Mae Hays and Elizabeth P. Hoisington become the first women to receive the rank of general in the U.S. Army, 1970
Cassini-Huygens makes its closest flyby of the Saturn moon Phoebe, 200
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper makes an official apology to Canada's First Nations for residential school abuse that isolated native children from their homes, families, and cultures for a century, 2008
Ancient Korean royal books looted by French troops in 1866 are returned to South Korea; 1,000 officials and locals celebrate the return of the 297-volume 'Oegyujanggak' books, 2011
Winds in southwestern Western Australia of up to 140km/h batter the area and leave more than 170,000 homes without power, 2012
Change is inevitable. All those family get-togethers eventually morph into other things.
ReplyDeletebless you. relax and relax some more.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a wonderful vacation. Take care.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your time off.. you deserve it. We've all gotten used to being without loved ones for these gatherings, but then we've been blessed by the loved ones who bring new ones into the family. I'm reminded of the old saying, "God may close a door, but He opens a window". I hope you enjoy it all.
ReplyDeleteenjoy your weekend
ReplyDelete