Wordless Wednesday: It's That Time Of Year

'Tis the season...

to put holiday sweaters on the pets!

Linking up with Wordless Wednesday.


Today is:

Bonifacio Day -- Philippines

Christmas on the River -- Demopolis, AL, US (celebrations Southern style, including a Barbecue Cook-off; through Sunday)

Cities for Life Day -- commemorates the abolition of the death penalty in many countries

Clear Up The Clutter Day -- internet generated, and what!?! in one day!

Computer Security Day -- International (sponsored by The Association for Computer Security Day; often held by some organizations/companies on another day of the week if it falls on a weekend)

Feast of Hecate, Goddess of the Crossroads -- Ancient Roman Calendar (also revered by the Greeks, Egyptians, and came from the Carians of the Bronze Age)

Ham and Roast Beef Night -- internet generated, but a good idea for a make your own sandwich dinner

Holiday Ale Festival -- Portland, OR, US (beer, outdoors, in the cold, in December, but it is seriously good beer and worth it; through Sunday)

Independence Day -- Barbados(1966); Yemen(1967)

National Day -- Benin

National Day -- Maldives

National Meth Awareness Day

National Mousse Day 

Perpetual Youth Day -- Dick Clark's birth anniversary

Regina Mundi Day -- South Africa

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting -- NY, NY, US

Saint Andrew the Apostle's Day (Patron of anglers/fishermen, fish dealers/fish mongers, maidens, old maids/spinsters, single lay women, singers, women who wish to become mothers; Spanish armed forces; Achaia; Greece; Russia; Scotland; Amalfi, Italy; Antey-Saint-Andre, Italy; Berchtesgaden, Germany; Burgundy, France; Cartosio, Italy; Confienti, Italy; Constantinople, Turkey; Encinasola, Huelva, Spain; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Grongnardo, Italy; Lampertheim, Germany; Luqa, Malta; Patras, Greece; Plymouth, England; Samolaco, Italy; San Andreas, California; Victoria, British Columbia; against gout, sore throats) related observances:
     Argyle Day
     National Day -- Scotland
     Sfantul Andrei -- Romania

Special Kids Day -- a day to make sure special needs kids get to visit Santa with whatever accomodations they require 

Stay Home Because You're Well Day -- sponsored by the Wellness Permission League -- if you get in trouble with the boss, make sure they will take the fall!

Thanksgiving Day -- Norfolk Island

Whisp and Thread Fair -- Fairy Calendar


Anniversaries Today:

Lucille Ball marries Desi Arnaz, 1940


Birthdays Today:

Elisha Cuthbert, 1982
Clay Aiken, 1978
Jessalyn Gilsig, 1971
Sandra Oh, 1970
Amy Ryan, 1969
Ben Stiller, 1965
Bo Jackson, 1962
Colin Mochrie, 1957
Billy Idol, 1955
Shuggie Otis, 1953
Mandy Patinkin, 1952
David Mamet, 1947
Noel Paul Stookey, 1937
Ridley Scott, 1937
Abbie Hoffman, 1936
G. Gordon Liddy, 1930
Dick Clark, 1929
Joan Ganz Cooney, 1929
Robert Guillaume, 1927
Richard Crenna, 1926
Shirley Chisholm, 1924
Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., 1923
Gordon Parks, 1912
Winston Churchill, 1874
L(ucy) M(aude) Montgomery, 1874 (Anne of Green Gables)
Mark Twain, 1835
Oliver Winchester, 1810
Jonathan Swift, 1667
Philip Sydney, 1554


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Thriller"(Michael Jackson Album), 1982
"The Wall"(Pink Floyd album), 1979
Brian's Song(TV movie), 1971
Bwana Devil(Film, first 3-D movie), 1952
The Joy of Cooking(Publication date), 1931
"Le Cid"(Opera), 1885


Today in History:

Amsterdam bans assembly of heretics, 1523
Death count by plague in Venice is officially set at 16,000, 1630
Beijing earthquake causes 100,000+ deaths, 1731
Britain signs agreement recognizing US independence, 1782
Peter Leopold Joseph of Habsburg-Lorraine, Grand Duke of Tuscany, promulgates a penal reform making his country the first state to abolish the death penalty. November 30 is therefore commemorated by 300 cities around the world as Cities for Life Day, 1786
Spain cedes her claims to Louisiana Territory to France, 1803
First ground is broken at Allenburg for the building of the original Welland Canal, 1824
First Welland Canal opens for a trial run, 5 years to the day from the ground breaking, 1829
Work begins on the first US underwater highway tunnel, in Chicago, 1866
The first international soccer football game is held, in Glasgow; Scotland-England 0-0, 1872
The first commercially successful AC electric power plant opens, Buffalo, NY, 1886
A German engineer patents front-wheel drive for automobiles, 1900
American Old West: Second-in-command of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch gang, Kid Curry Logan, is sentenced to 20 years imprisonment with hard labor, 1902
Pike Place Market is dedicated in Seattle, Washington, 1907
The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park London destroyed by fire, 1936
Baseball's Negro National League disbands, two years after major league baseball integrated, 1948
In Sylacauga, Alabama, United States, the Hodges Meteorite crashes through a roof and hits a woman taking an afternoon nap in the only documented case of a human being hit by a rock from space, 1954
Exxon and Mobil sign a $73.7 billion USD agreement to merge, thus creating Exxon-Mobil, the world's largest company, 1998
Longtime Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings of Salt Lake City, Utah finally loses, leaving him with US$2,520,700, television's biggest game show winnings, 2004
John Sentamu becomes the first black archbishop in the Church of England with his enthronement as the 97th Archbishop of York, 2005
The first human face transplant takes place in France, 2005
Enzo di Fabrizio, physics professor at Magna Graecia University in Catanzaro, Italy, successfully takes the first photograph of DNA, 2012

Tuesday Coffee Chat: Challenging Lessons

Rory Bore at Ink Interrupted hosts the Tuesday Coffee Chat, and this week's discussion is,   So how did you do on your monthly personal challenge.  You don't have to provide personal details of the nature of your particular challenge -- just let us know how you did, and your overall thoughts. 







My challenge was to work on a Spanish lesson each day, and i have done that.  Using Duolingo, i've relearned some vocabulary and i hope it all sticks this time.  

No, i still can't speak much, or read as much as i'd like, and i especially have trouble if it is spoken too fast.  That's okay.  If i continue all my life to get a bit better at it, then at least i've tried.

The plan is to continue with Duolingo and the cassette tape lessons i have (yes, i even have an old tape player that still works) as long as the tapes last.  There's a flash card program online where you can make your own, and when i have time, i want to make cards, they always help me. 

Right now i do want to thank Rory for the November challenge that kept me at it.  Without that, i might have decided to quit again.  Because i've put it out there that i am committed to continuing, i will feel terrible if i stop, so i won't.

In other news, Little Girl is getting bored.  She is job hunting, and while there are several possibilities, every one takes time to put a hire through and she wants to be working yesterday.  Her plan is to move out as soon as she can, and i know it's because she feels she wants to be self supporting as quickly as possible.

Grandpa wants to get her a vehicle, and she is insistent that she will pay for as much of it as she can herself.  No one has to light a fire under her.

The Happy Couple (#2 Son and Daughter-in-Law Becky) are also talking about moving out.  My understanding was they wanted to stay here long enough to save up a downpayment on a small piece of land with a mobile home, but i think they are antsy to be on their own.

Bigger Girl, considering all the educational challenges she's had to overcome, knows she's welcome to live at home as long as she needs to in order to get through school.

#1 Son likes his separate "apartment" at the back end of the house, and i like that he stays there.  No trouble with having room mates who don't pay their share of the rent!

It's better that they not all move out at once, i think it would be too big a shock to my system.



Today is:

Dita e Clirimit -- Albania (Liberation Day)

Electronic Greetings Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays

Fairy Flute Fantasy -- Fairy Calendar

Festival of Saturnia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (for the Sons of Saturn; Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto)

Giving Tuesday -- after celebrating Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, be part of the international giving movement 

International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People -- UN

National Chocolates Day -- yes, another one

National Lemon Creme Pie Day

National Unity Day -- Vanuatu

Strange Names Day -- in honor of all the celebrity -- and other -- kids with "unique" names; sponsored the last Tuesday in November by Marlar in the Morning at 101QFL in Rockford, IL, US

St. Andrew's Eve -- in many traditions, a night to fortell the future, especially whom you will marry

St. Saturnius of Toulouse's Day (Patron of Toulouse, France)

Square Dance Day -- internet generated, and fun to do, but here's some information about square dancing 

William Tubman's Birthday -- Liberia (it's longest serving President)



Anniversaries Today:

Erwin Rommel marries Lucie "Lu" Mollin, 1916


Birthdays Today:

Jon Knight, 1968
Don Cheadle, 1964
Andrew McCarthy, 1962
Kim Delaney, 1961
Cathy Moriarty, 1960
Jeff Fahey, 1956
Howie Mandel, 1955
Joel Coen, 1954
Garry Shandling, 1949
Petra Kelly, 1947
Chuck Mangione, 1940
Peter Bergman, 1939
John Mayall, 1933
Jacques Rene Chirac, 1932
Diane Ladd, 1932
Vin Scully, 1927
Madeline L'Engle, 1918
Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., 1908
C.S. Lewis, 1898
Busby Berkeley, 1895
Nellie Tayloe Ross, 1876
Louisa May Alcott, 1832
Wendell Phillips, 1811
Christian Doppler, 1803
Charles Thomson, 1729


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Tatort"(TV), 1970
"I Want to Hold Your Hand"(Beatles single release), 1963
"Bells Are Ringing"(Musical), 1956
"Kukla, Fran, and Ollie"(TV), 1948
"Gay Divorce"(Musical), 1932


Today in History:

Jews of Augsburg, Germany, are massacred, 1349 (Sometimes, it seems, the more things change...)
King Philip II devalues Spanish currency, 1596 (See above...)
Sir James Jay invents invisible ink, 1775
San Jose, California, is founded as el Pueblo de San JosÈ de Guadalupe, 1777
Dessalines & Christophe declare St Domingue (Haiti) independent, 1803
First Italian opera in US, "Barber of Seville" premieres (NYC), 1825
Thomas Edison demonstrates hand-cranked phonograph, 1877
The first motorcycle race ever is held in Surrey, England; the distance was one mile and the winner was Charles Jarrot in a time of 2 minutes, 8 seconds, 1897
The first US patent for inventing the traffic lights system is issued to Ernest Sirrine. 1910
Fire destroys most of the buildings on Santa Catalina Island, California, 1915
Howard Carter opens the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun to the public, 1922
Richard Byrd becomes the first person to fly over the South Pole, 1929
The first surgery (on a human) to correct blue baby syndrome is performed by Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas, 1944
The United Nations General Assembly votes to partition Palestine, 1947
Mercury-Atlas 5 Mission ñ Enos, a chimpanzee, is launched into space, orbits earth twice, and is successfully recovered after splashdown, 1961
Canadian Space Agency launches the satellite Alouette 2, 1965
Nolan Bushnell (co-founder of Atari) releases Pong (the first commercially successful video game) in Andy Cappís Tavern in Sunnyvale, California, 1972
The United Nations General Assembly passes a resolution stating that Soviet Union forces should withdraw from Afghanistan, 1983
The Czechoslovakian Parliament votes to end Communist rule, 1989
The United Nations Security Council passes two resolutions to restore international peace and security if Iraq did not withdraw its forces from Kuwait and free all foreign hostages by the following January 15, 1990
A 7.4 magnitude earthquake occurs off the northern coast of Martinique, 2007
Pablo Picasso's electrician reveals 271 previously unknown works he claims were gifts from the artist, 2010
NASA announces its space probe MESSENGER has almost certainly found water ice buried beneath the surface of the north pole of Mercury, 2012

Awww Monday: Last of the Babies

Awww Monday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus.

Join us every Monday for Awww...Mondays.  Post a picture that makes you say Awww... and that it.

Make sure you get the code from Sandee's site, linked above, and leave a link to your post so we can visit you.  What better way to start the week than with a smile!

Last time i went to the shelter, only one of our four was left, the boy with no markings at all.  He was in a cage with a new friend, playing nicely, and when he saw me he wouldn't hold still for a photo, he kept trying to climb up and get me to take him out of the cage.  Yes, i did love on him while i was there, but even so he would not hold still.

He was climbing around like a little monkey!

Today is:

Ascension of 'Abdu'l-Baha -- Baha'i

Cider Monday -- celebrating the drink of the season, hot, spiced apple cider

Cyber Monday -- another excuse to buy stuff, the traditional beginning of the online shopping season

Decorate Your Dog Day -- supposedly to get him/her into the holiday spirit; but please, don't

Dia de la Soberania Nacional -- Argentina (Sovereignty Day)

Feast of the Holy Sovereigns -- Episcopal Diocese of Hawaii (in honor of King Kamehama IV and Queen Emma, the founders of the Anglican Church of Hawaii

Flag Day -- Kosovo

Independence Day -- Albania(1912); East Timor(1975); Mauritania(1960)

Independencia de Panama de Espana -- Panama(Independence from Spain Day, 1821)

Make Your Own Head Day -- meaning an art project model or drawing, in any medium; have fun with this one!

National French Toast Day

Provincial Anniversary Day -- Chatham Islands, New Zealand and Westland, New Zealand

Red Planet Day -- on the anniversary of the 1964 liftoff of Mariner 4, the first successful mission to Mars

Republic Day -- Chad; Republic of the Congo

Royal Society Day -- one of the world's oldest scientific academies, established this day in 1660

Runic Half Month of Is begins (stasis)

St. Catherine Laboure's Day -- promulgator of the Miraculous Medal

St. Stephen the Younger's Day` (Patron of coin collectors, numismatists, smelters)

Throw Out Your Leftovers Day -- if you've had it since Thanksgiving, and haven't frozen it or eaten it yet, get rid of it

Zibelemarit -- Bern, Switzerland (Onion Market Festival, in front of the Federal Palace, one of the country's best known and most popular autumn markets, always on the fourth Monday in November to commemorate the granting of market right to people after great fire of Berne in 1405.)


Birthdays Today:

Ryan Kwanten, 1976
Anna Nicole Smith, 1967
Jon Stewart, 1962
Judd Nelson, 1959
S. Epatha Merkerson, 1952
Ed Harris, 1950
Alexander Godunov, 1949
Paul Shaffer, 1949
Joe Dante, 1946
Randy Newman, 1943
Berry Gordy, Jr., 1929
Claude LÈvi-Strauss, 1908
Charles H. Alston, 1907
Brooks Atkinson, 1894
William Blake, 1757
Jean Baptiste Lully, 1632
John Bunyan, 1628


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Look Homeward, Angel"(Play), 1957
"The Grand Ole Opry"(Radio), 1925
Skywriting(as an advertising medium), 1922*



Today in History:

Skanderbeg and his forces liberate Kruja in Middle Albania and raise the Albanian flag, 1443
Ferdinand Magellan and his men become the first Europeans to sail from the Atlantic into the Pacific Ocean, 1520
The Times in London is for the first time printed by automatic, steam powered presses built by the German inventors Friedrich Koenig and Andreas Friedrich Bauer, signaling the beginning of the availability of newspapers to a mass audience, 1814
Ka Lahui: Hawaiian Independence Day - The Kingdom of Hawaii is officially recognized by the United Kingdom and France as an independent nation, 1843
Women vote in a national election for the first time in the New Zealand general election, 1893
US-born Lady Astor becomes the first female member of British Parliament, 1919
Capt Cyril Turner of the RAF gives 1st skywriting exhibition in NYC; Turner spelled out "Hello USA. Call Vanderbilt 7200." 47,000 called, 1922
"Hopalong Cassidy" premieres on TV, 1948
The first Polaroid Camera is sold, 1948
Chad, the Republic of the Congo, and Gabon become autonomous republics within the French Community, 1958
The first pulsar star is discovered by Jocelyn Bell Burnell and Antony Hewish, 1968
Norway votes against joining the European Union, 1994
Wikileaks releases 250,000 classified documents and sensitive national security information sent by U.S. embassies, 2010


*The ad men said it wouldn't work, but John Savage demonstrated it by skywriting "Hello USA call Vanderbilt 7200" over New York City and generating over 47,000 calls to that number!

Silly Sunday: Hurts So Good

Silly Sunday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus.

Silly Sunday is the place to come for weekly laughs.  The rules are simple, just have fun.

This is a great opportunity to get to know other bloggers and have a laugh or two in the process.

Here is how it works: Laugh and Link Up!
1. Post a joke.
2. Link Up with the URL to your joke in the Linky Tools Widget.
3. Read my joke.
4. Leave a comment to tell me how much you enjoyed my joke.
5. Try and visit a few others participating in Silly Sunday.
6. Go to Sandee's site, linked above, and get the Silly Sunday code for your blog, too!

Yesterday's work for Ms. G included moving almost 400 pounds of cat litter.  She had found it on sale, so she stocked up.  We changed out all of the boxes and still had 8 of the 37 pound buckets to store for later.  Then i vacuumed and we started clearing out a closet.  To say i was sore and tired when i came home is an understatement.

Boudreaux, he know him 'bout dat hard work, too.  De day befo', he been out cleanin' an' rebuildin' de stuff dat done flooded a bit ago.  It done been a long job, an' Clothile been tellin' him he need get him some he'p.

Well, he come in from de work, an' he set him down in de chair, an' den Clothile hear him yell, "Owww!"  She come runnin' in an' ax, "Boudreaux!  What be wrong wit' you?"

An' Boudreaux he say, "Mais, you be right!  I need get me some he'p wit' de work.  You know you be serious hurtin' youse'f when it hurt to push de button on de remote!"





Today is:

Anniversary of Cerro de Pasco -- Peru (founding of the city and its silver mine)

Bargle Day -- Fairy Calendar (a fairy day with no human equivalent)

Electric Guitar Day -- birth anniversary of Jimi Hendrix

Feast of Ullr and Skadi -- Asatru/Norse Pagan (celebrating craftsmen)

First Sunday of Advent -- Christian (start of the Liturgical Year in the Western Church) related observances
     Lighting the Candle of Hope
     Midwinter Horn Blowing -- rural Netherlands (folkloric custom announcing the birth of Jesus, celebrated through Epiphany)

Freckle Pride Day -- show your spots, you are beautiful!

Get the Giggles and Give One Away Day -- internet generated, and great if your a preteen girl

Handel's Messiah Sing-Along -- East Room of the Nixon Library, Yorba Linda, CA, US (two seatings available for this beautiful and enjoyable event, singing along with a master choir and orchestra)

Khoiak Ceremonies -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (ceremonies surrounding the stories of the death of Osiris, date approximate)

Lancashire Day -- Lancashire, England (celebrating their first elected representative in Parliament in 1295)

Maaverar Naal -- Tamil Eelam, Sri Lanka (Tamil Heroes' Day)

National Bavarian Cream Pie Day

Pie in the Face Day -- internet generated, and supposed to be a virtual one, so no mess to clean

Pins and Needles Day -- celebrating the 1937 opening of the Pins and Needles Music Revue

St. Virgilius of Salzburg's Day (Patron of Salzburg, Austria; Slovenes)

St. James Intercisus' Day (Patron of lost vocations, torture victims)



Anniversaries Today:

William Shakespeare marries Anne Hathaway, 1582


Birthdays Today:

Jaleel White, 1976
Samantha Harris, 1973
Brooke Langton, 1970
Robin Givens, 1964
Fisher Stevens, 1963
Caroline Kennedy, 1957
Rick Rockwell, 1956
Kathryn Bigelow, 1951
Jimi Hendrix, 1942
Eddie Rabbit, 1941
Bruce Lee, 1940
Gail Henion Sheehy, 1937
Alexander Dubcek, 1921
"Buffalo" Bob Smith, 1917
Chick Hearn, 1916
James Agee, 1909
L. Sprague de Camp, 1907
Forrest Shaklee, 1894
Chaim Weizmann, 1874
Charles A. Beard, 1874
Bat Masterson, 1853
Robert R. Livingston, 1746 (O.S. date)
Anders Celcius, 1701
Emperor Xiaozong of China, 1127


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Magical Mystery Tour"(Beatles album release), 1967
"Never Too Late"(Play), 1962
"The Dinah Shore Show"(TV), 1951


Today in History:

The first elected representatives from Lancashire were called to Westminster by King Edward I to attend what later became known as "The Model Parliament", 1295
The first Eddystone Lighthouse is destroyed in the Great Storm of 1703
The Portuguese Royal Family leaves Lisbon to escape from Napoleonic troops, 1807
Adoption of Constitution of the Kingdom of Poland, 1815
NY Times dubs baseball "The National Game", 1870
Alfred Nobel establishes the Nobel Prize, 1895
In New York City, the first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is held, 1924
The Soviet space program's Mars 2 orbiter releases a descent module; it crashes, but still becomes the first man-made object to be on Mars, 1971
The left-wing Labour Party takes control of the New Zealand government with leader Helen Clark becoming the first elected female Prime Minister in New Zealand's history, 1999
A hydrogen atmosphere is discovered on the extrasolar planet Osiris by the Hubble Space Telescope, the first atmosphere detected on an extrasolar planet, 2001
The Canadian House of Commons endorses Prime Minister Stephen Harper's motion to declare Quebec a nation within a unified Canada, 2006
Icelanders vote for their own constitution after using a modified Danish constitution for 66 years, 2010
The Nissan Leaf self-driving car completes its first test in Japan, on the Sagami Expressway, 2013

Saturday Ramble

After Bible study yesterday morning, i cleaned Ms. J's house, and Bigger Girl and i did her windows.  Then it was time to go to the shelter.

Even though it was closed, the cats and kittens need food and water, so everyone got fed and watered.  Only one of the male kittens of our four is left, and he's in a cage with a new friend that he is enjoying playing with.  He wouldn't hold still for a picture, although i tried.  One of the blurry photos of him might make it here for Monday.

Anyway, i was on schedule for having everything done and having a day off today and Ms. G, my Wednesday lady, came by the shelter to feed a couple of feral cats that have decided we have a nice place there.  (They don't know it yet, but they are going to be trapped and "fixed" soon, and i don't know if they will like us as much after that.)  Ms. G was out of town for 3 Wednesdays in a row, then i was out for two in a row, and she wants me today, and i need the money more than i need the sleep.

Thus, hidey-ho, it's off to work i go.  Ms. G is a very nice lady, and it takes two hours to vacuum her house.  As she notes, we are not just vacuuming the top of the carpet, we are trying to properly clean the carpet, pulling the dirt out as much as possible to keep it in good shape.  When i clean an area that is looking worn, she pulls out the paint and takes care of that right away.  If something is broken, it gets repaired within the day if possible, even if it's something very small.  After all, that's the only way to protect the value of your home.  Deferred maintenance is another word for laziness in her book.

It's a great book, i'm glad i only have to read it once a week most of the time.


Today is:

Banquet for Monkeys / Monkey Buffet Festival -- Khmer Ruins of Lop Buri, Thailand (about 3,000 monkeys are served lunch while humans get to watch; some describe it as a riot but without the police) 

ClauWau: Santa Claus World Championship -- Samnaun, Switzerland (Santa Claus aspirants compete in in such things as the chimney climb with toys, a geography bee, and the sledge race with timed gift giving to be crowned the world champion Santa)

Constitution Day of the Republic of Abkhazia -- Abkhazia

Day of the Covenant -- Baha'i

Day of the Tan-Wallopers -- Fairy Calendar

Good Grief Day -- birth anniversary of Charles Schultz

Guadalajara International Book Fair -- Guadalajara, Mexico (through Dec. 4)

Holodomor Remembrance Day -- international commemoration of the Death By Hunger Genocide in Ukraine

Independence Day -- Mongolia(1924)

International Aura Awareness Day -- to increase the awareness of the human energy body, or aura 

Lantern Light Tours begin -- Mystic Seaport, CT, US (walking tour of performances showing Christmas past, on various dates through the month)

Light of the World Christmas Pageant -- Minden, DE, US (pageant and lighting up the downtown square; also tomorrow and next Sunday)

Mungabareena Ngan-Girra Festival -- Albury area, NSW, Australia (formerly called the Bogong Moth Festival, now an indigenous cultural showcase)

National Cake Day

Small Business Saturday -- encouraging everyone to patronize local businesses for your holiday shopping

Sojourner Truth Day -- died this day in 1883

St. John Berchmans' Day (Patron of alter servers, Oblate novices, young people)

Swine Time Festival --  Climax, Georgia, US (Come on out and join the fun, the first Saturday after Thanksgiving.  Contests & Events include best dressed pig, corn shucking, hog calling, eating chitterlings, pig racing, syrup making, baby crawling and the greased pig chase!)

Territorial Christmas Celebrations -- Guthrie, OK, US (old time fun this weekend and through Dec. 19)



Anniversaries Today:

Founding of Sigma Alpha Mu in the City College of New York, by 8 Jewish young men, 1909
The first official Thanksgiving in the US, by presidential proclamation, 1789
Founding of the University of Notre Dame, 1842
Founding of Kappa Alpha Society, the oldest surviving US college fraternity, 1825


Birthdays Today:

Natasha Bedingfield, 1981
Shannon Dunn, 1972
Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon, 1966
Dale Jarrett, 1956
Tina Turner, 1939
Rich Little, 1938
Robert Goulet, 1933
Charles Schultz, 1922
Eugene Ionesco, 1912
Eric Sevareid, 1912
Lefty Gomez, 1908
Mary Edwards Walker, 1832
Sarah Moore Grimke, 1792
John Harvard, 1607
Emperor Go-Daigo of Japan, 1288


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Anarchy in the UK"(Sex Pistols single release), 1977
"The Price is Right"(TV), 1956
"Twenty Questions"(TV), 1949
Casablanca(Film), 1942
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland(Publication date), 1865


Today in History:

The Second Triumvirate alliance of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus ("Octavian", later "Caesar Augustus"), Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, and Mark Antony is formed, BC43
Vlad III Dracula (Vlad the Impaler)defeats Basarab Laiota with the help of Stephen the Great and Stephen V Bathory and becomes the ruler of Wallachia for the third time, 1476
The first lion exhibited in the US makes his debut in Boston, 1716
Captain James Cook becomes the first European to visit Maui, 1778
The Catholic Apostolic Prefecture of the United States established, 1784
The first national US Thanksgiving is celebrated, 1789
The first streetcar railway in the US begins operation in NYC, fare 12 cents, 1832
The refrigerated railway car is patented by J.B. Sutherland of Detroit, Michigan, 1867
The first photograph of a meteor is taken, 1885
The National Hockey League is formed, with the Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers, Ottawa Senators, Quebec Bulldogs, and Toronto Arenas as its first teams, 1917
King Tut's tomb is opened by English archaeologist Howard Carter, 1922
Four young lads from Liverpool have their first recording session under the interesting name "The Beatles", 1962
Tony Blair becomes the first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to address the Republic of Ireland's parliament, 1998
Concorde makes its final flight, over Bristol, England, 2003
A male Po'ouli (Black-faced honeycreeper) dies of Avian malaria in the Maui Bird Conservation Center in Olinda, Hawaii before it could breed, making the species in all probability extinct, 2004
NASA launches the Mars Science Laboratory, its largest rover ever, 2011

Felines and Fill-Ins for a Holiday Friday

Feline Friday is usually hosted by Steve, The Burnt Food Dude, and i'm going to believe it's because he likes cats.  This week, he's out of town, so Sandee of Comedy Plus is hosting.
Feline Friday is simple to join. All you have to do is..
1) post a picture, drawing, cartoon or video of a cat (They may be silly or cute)

2) go to Sandee's page, linked above, then on the menu bar click on the Feline Friday tab to get the code

3) paste the code under your cat picture

4) add your name and link
That’s all there is to it! Be sure to check back every so often and visit all the Feline Friday bloggers. Also, please leave a nice comment on their blogs. Nasty comments will be deleted!

What's the best part of the holiday?

For Dansig, it's snoozing in his hidey-hole.

Speaking of felines, two of the kittens have already gotten new homes, one is pre-adopted, and the other has a family interested.  It won't be long until they all have their new forever families!







************************************************************

Friendly Fill-Ins are easy to do. There are four statements: the first two statements are provided by Ellen of 15AndMeowing, and the final two are offered by McGuffy Ann Morris of McGuffy's Reader. They try to make sure the statements will be fun to both answer and share. The linky will be posted at or about 12:00 AM on Friday. Please head over to one of their sites, link up, and share your thoughts! 

My fill-ins for the statements are underlined:

Week 29: November 25, 2016

1. Yesterday, __________.

2. _______ regift_________.

3. My favourite holiday leftover is __________________.

4. The best part of a long, holiday weekend is ___________________. 


1. Yesterday, we had a great time at Grandma and Grandpa's house.  Plenty of food and fun and sautéed Brussel's sprouts.  The gravy turned out well, too. 

2. Sometimes i regift brand new items i know i cannot use but someone else can.  In every case, i make sure the person i am giving it to does not know the person it came from.

3. My favorite holiday leftover is anything and everything that i can serve to my Brother-in-Law, The Mouth.  He has a huge appetite, so the more we have left over, the better.

4. The best part of a long holiday weekend is if i don't have to work and get to sleep in.  Right now, i don't know if that will happen, it depends on how much of my work i get done today, that will let me know if i get to sleep in tomorrow.




Today is:

Anniversary of Moquegua City -- Peru (founded this date in 1541)

Belsnickel Craft Show -- Boyertown, PA, US (through tomorrow)

Black Friday or Buy Nothing Day -- US, and i will observe the latter

Buy Nothing Day -- UK (Shop Less, Live More) www.buynothingday.co.uk

Caregiver Rights Day -- UK (with information to help carers available here) 

Cat-Napping Convention -- Fairy Calendar

Christmas Candlelight Tour -- My Old Kentucky Home State Park, Bardstown, KY, US (Christmas as it was in the 1800s; Fridays and Saturdays the first three weekends after Thanksgiving)

Christmas Traditions Celebration -- St. Charles, MO, US (the fun includes authentically costumed Santas from around the world; through Christmas Eve)

Day Sacred to Proserpina -- Ancient Roman Calendar (also Persephone, of the Greeks, the Wheel goddess of the Underworld, often associated with St. Catherine; see below)

Evacuation Day -- 19th Century New York City (withdrawal of British troops in 1783)

Family Day -- Nevada, US

Fur-Free Friday -- sponsored by The National Humane Education Society, with lots of other animal organizations joining in and trying to make it a world-wide movement

Gettysburg Holiday Festival -- Gettysburg, PA, US (fun holiday events weekends through the New Year's Eve Bash)

Hari Guru -- Indonesia (Teacher's Day)

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women -- UN
     White Ribbon Day -- International (if you know a victim of violence, help break their silence! because domestic violence affects all of society)

International Hat Day 

JuleFest -- Elk Horn, IA, US (a true Danish Christmas festival; through Sunday)

MangÈ Yam -- Haiti (fete de la moisson; a yam harvest festival)

National Day -- Bosnia and Herzegovina (commemorates the 1943 declaration of statehood within Yugoslavia)

National Day of Listening -- US (sponsored by StoryCorps, encouraging sharing family stories during the holidays; learn how to interview and record those special stories here) 

National Day of Thanksgiving -- Turks and Caicos Islands

National Don't Utter A Word Day -- internet generated, and variously listed as the 25th of November, February, or May; pick one if you want

National Flossing Day -- US, but a great idea everywhere; help spread peace of mouth! 

National Parfait Day

Native American Heritage Day -- US; related observance
     Maize Day -- US; celebrating the First Nations of the Americas and the role maize/corn played in their cultures

Persephone Day (a/k/a Kore) -- Ancient Greek Calendar (celebration of her as wheel goddess of the underworld; date approximate, but she is often associated with St. Catherine; see below)

Plan Your Dagwood Sandwich Day -- admit you've always wanted to, so build one with your Thanksgiving leftovers!

Rally of the Tall Pines -- Bancroft, ON, Canada (an event on the Canadian Rally Car Race Circuit; through tomorrow)

Saint Catherine of Alexandria's Day -- of the Catherine Wheel, sometimes associated with the Wheel of Karma and the Hindu Kali; one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers (Patron of apologists, archivists, attorneys, barristers, craftsmen who work with wheels of any sort, dying people, educators, girls, jurists, knife grinders and sharpeners, lawyers, librarians, libraries, maidens, mechanics, millers, nurses, old maids, philosophers, potters, preachers, scholars, schoolchildren, scribes, secretaries, spinners, spinsters, stenographers, students, tanners, teachers, theologians, turners, University of Paris, unmarried girls, and wheelwrights; Aalsum, Netherlands; Bertinoro, Italy; Camerata Picena, Italy; Dumaguete, Philippines; Heidesheim am Rhein, Germany; Kuldiga, Latvia; Mehring, Germany; Saint Catharines, Ontario; Zejtun, Malta; Zurrieq, Malta) related observance
     Women's Merrymaking Day -- Women go 'Cath'rining' and have a good time (in some places, especially France, women may propose marriage on this day)

Shopping Reminder Day -- exactly a month until Christmas

Sinkie Day -- sponsored by SINKIE, The International Association Of People Who Dine Over The Kitchen Sink, which urges you to combine your Christmas shopping with enjoying a quick meal of Thanksgiving leftovers and become a SINKIE convert!

Srefidensi -- Suriname (Republic Day/Independence Day)

Statehood Day -- FBiH, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Tree Lighting at Anchorage -- Anchorage, AK, US (Santa and 9 real reindeer help celebrate the annual lighting of the holiday tree, with free cocoa and cookies for all)

Vajiravudh Day -- Thailand

World Famous Fish House Parade -- Aitkin, MN, US (plus chili cook-off, craft show, and more!)

You're Welcomegiving Day -- US, the day after Thanksgiving, started by Richard Ankli to give everyone a reason for a 4-day weekend


Birthdays Today:

Barbara and Jenna Bush, 1981
Jerry Ferrara, 1979
Donovan McNabb, 1976
Eddie Steeples, 1973
Christina Applegate, 1971
Jill Hennessy, 1968
Cris Carter, 1965
Amy Grant, 1960
John F. Kennedy, Jr., 1960
Bucky Dent, 1951
John Larroquette, 1947
Ben Stein, 1944
Joe Jackson Gibbs, 1940
Lenny Moore, 1933
Paul Desmond, 1924
Ricardo Montalban, 1920
Joe DiMaggio, 1914
Solanus Casey, 1870
Carry Nation, 1846
Karl F. Benz, 1844
Andrew Carnegie, 1835


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Iolanthe: or, The Peer and the Peri"(Comic opera), 1882


Today in History:

A tsunami, caused by the earthquake in the Tyrrhenian Sea, devastates Naples (Italy) and the Maritime Republic of Amalfi, among other places, 1343
The siege of Granada, the last Moorish stronghold in Spain, begins, 1491
A deadly earthquake rocks Shemakha, in the Caucasus, killing 80,000 people, 1667
The Great Storm of 1703, the greatest windstorm ever recorded in the southern part of Great Britain, reaches its peak intensity which it maintains through November 27. Winds gust up to 120 mph, and 9,000 people died, 1703
First English patent granted to an American, for processing corn, 1715
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is founded, 1758
Farmer's Almanac first published, 1792
The Greek frigate Hellas arrives in Nafplion to become the first flagship of the Hellenic Navy, 1826
A cyclone slams India with high winds and a 40 foot storm surge, destroying the port city of Coringa (never to be entirely rebuilt again); the storm wave sweeps inland, taking with it 20,000 ships and thousands of people. An estimated 300,000 deaths result from the disaster, 1839
Alfred Nobel patents dynamite, 1867
John B Meyenberg of St Louis patents evaporated milk, 1884
American College of Surgeons incorporates in Springield, Illinois, 1912
First Thanksgiving Day Parade is held in Philadelphia, 1920
690 earthquake shocks recorded in 1 day in Ito, Japan, 1930
The first Soviet liquid fuel rocket attains altitude of 261' (80m), 1933
Woody Woodpecker debuts with release of Walter Lantz's "Knock Knock", 1940
New Zealand ratifies the Statute of Westminster and thus becomes independent of legislative control by the United Kingdom, 1947
Agatha Christie's murder-mystery play The Mousetrap opens at the Ambassadors Theatre in London later becoming the longest continuously-running play in history, 1952
The Minneapolis Thanksgiving Day Fire destroys an entire city block, 1982
The United Nations establishes the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women to commemorate the murder of three Mirabal Sisters for resistance against the Rafael Trujillo dictatorship in Dominican Republic, 1999
A powerful storm brings 3 years worth of rain in 4 hours to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, sparking terrible floods, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving! Story and Fence and Too Much Food

"You were right not to trust him up here alone," the Djinn said when he came back to the attic after spending a couple of fruitless hours following the cable repairman throughout the house. 

"Yeah, I was glad I stayed home from work to be here when I noticed he was looking around a lot more than was necessary just to do his job, especially when he was up here, it was very suspicious."

The Djinn's next words made his blood run cold, "Suspicious is one way to put it, he's one of the few remaining direct descendants of the family that used to own this house, and he's hunting for answers to how you ended up here instead of him."

"Does he know about you?" he asked, and the Djinn responded, "No, but he suspects that there's some mystery, and he's the kind of man who will stop at nothing until he finds the answer he wants, and will go to any lengths to get even if he thinks he's been wronged."

Before he could ask another question, there was yelling from the back yard; he and the Djinn both looked out of the window and the Djinn laughed and said, "Your natives are getting restless!"

The children were having a tug-of-war with something, and with his usual promise to be back soon, he headed out, wondering how much longer he could balance the roles of work, husband, dad, and owner of a Djinn bottle.

Linking up with Uncharted Blog and Six Sentence Stories, where the cue is Native.

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Teresa, of The Run*A*Round Ranch Report, has hosted Good Fences every Thursday for a while.  She is doing it one more time, then will be passing it on to another blogger  Post a picture of a fence or gate, and then link back to her blog, and tell her how much she will be missed!

Entry gate at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas

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Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate today!  We are all at Grandma and Grandpa's house, enjoying a feast, and i hope you are having a day full of love and fun and good food and family and more love. 




Today is:

Brumalia -- Byzantine Empire celebration of Dyonisus and New Wine Festival; until the solstice

Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day -- there used to be a website associated with this day, but it closed; that's no reason for you not to celebrate your uniqueness!

Celtic Tree Month Ruish (Elder) begins

Daytona Turkey Run -- Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL, US (collector car show, swap meet, and craft sale; through Sunday)

D.B. Cooper Day -- anniversary of the 1971 hijacking

Discovery Day -- Tasmania (by Abel Tasman in 1642)

Feast of the Martyrs of Vietnam -- Roman Catholic Church

Foods & Feasts of Colonial Virginia -- Jamestown Settlement, Williamsburg, VA, US (exploring the 17th- and 18th-century culinary practices of Virginia; through Saturday)

Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom - Sikh

Lachit Divas -- Assam, India

National Family History Day -- US (a call from the Department of Health and Human Services to get info about your family, especially health history, while everyone is together for the holidays)

National Sardines Day -- wonder how this would go over next to the turkey today?

Persephone Day (a/k/a Kore -- Ancient Greek Calendar (celebration of her as wheel goddess of the underworld; date approximate, but she is often associated with St. Catherine)

Ragtime Day -- birth anniversary of Scott Joplin

St. Colman of Cloyne's Day (Patron of Cloyne, Ireland)

St. Joachim Ho's Day -- a Martyr of China

St. Mary of Cordoba's Day (Patron of martyrs)

Teacher's Day -- Turkey

Thanksgiving Day -- Interfaith, US and Territories
     National Day of Mourning -- Native Americans 

Third Bash of the Tree-Toppers -- Fairy Calendar (fairy creatures who don't believe in "one" or "two", so start counting at three)

Turkey-Free Thanksgiving -- sponsored by the Vegetarian Awareness Network

Use Even If Seal is Broken Day -- internet generated; observe at your own risk, always!


Birthdays Today:

Katherine Heigl, 1978
Brad Sherwood, 1964
Stanley Livingston, 1950
Rudy Tomjanovich, 1948
Dwight Schultz, 1947
Oscar Palmer Robertson, 1938
William F. Buckley, Jr., 1925
Howard Duff, 1913
Charles "Lucky" Luciano, 1897
Dale Carnegie, 1888
Erich von Manstein, 1887
Alben William Barkley, 1877
Scott Joplin, 1868
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, 1864
Bat Masterson, 1853
Frances Hodgson Burnett, 1849
Bram Stoker, 1847
Zachary Taylor, 1784
Laurence Sterne, 1713
Charles Theodore Pachelbel, 1690
Baruch Spinoza, 1632(O.S. date)


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Guys and Dolls"(Musical), 1950
Softball, as a sport, invented this day as a spur of the moment game at the Farragut Boat Club in Chicago, IL, US, 1887


Today in History:

Theodosius I makes his formal entry into Constantinople, 380
Rabbi Nathan ben Yehiel of Rome completes his Talmudic dictionary, 1105
The Thames River freezes, 1434
First observation of transit of Venus occurred (only 2, record event), 1639
Abel Janzoon Tasman becomes the first European to see Van Damien's Land, later renamed Tasmania, 1642
First Lutheran pastor ordained in America, Justus Falckner at Philadelphia, 1703
Mt. Vesuvius erupts, 1759
Charles Darwin publishes "On the Origin of Species", 1859
Luik-Visé-Maastricht railway opens, 1861
Joseph F Glidden patents his improved barbed wire, 1874
The first US absentee voting law enacted by Vermont, 1896
Clyde Coleman of NYC patents automobile electric starter, 1903
Radio Belgium makes its first transmission, 1923
The first woman pilot on a transcontinental air flight, Miss Ruth Nichols (Mineola, NY to Calif), in a Lockheed-Vega, took 7 days, 1930
In Washington, D.C., the FBI Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory (better known as the FBI Crime Lab) officially opens, 1932
Lee Harvey Oswald is murdered by Jack Ruby, 1963
During a severe thunderstorm over Washington state, a hijacker calling himself Dan Cooper (AKA D. B. Cooper) parachutes from a Northwest Orient Airlines plane with $200,000 in ransom money, and is never seen again, 1971
A national speed limit is imposed on the Autobahn in Germany due to the 1973 oil crisis; it lasts only four months, 1973
The communist party resigns in Czechoslovakia, 1989
By a margin of only 50.28% t 49.72%, Ireland votes to end the 70 year old ban on divorce, 1995
Ireland presents its austerity package to the European Union and IMF, 2010
Palestinian officials announce their plan to exhume the body of Yasser Arafat too determine if he was poisoned, 2012