Z for Zillions, a Serious and Silly Sunday

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.

Go to Sandee's site, linked above, and get the Silly Sunday code for your blog, too!

My Z on April 30 always is and always will be Zillions.  Yes, i know it's a made up number.

Today is Little Girl's birthday, and i love her zillions, made up word or not.  There's just no measure to how much you care about your children.

She's an army medic with the National Guard, and she will be starting nursing school in the fall.  That makes her the only one to follow Grandma and Grandpa's footsteps and go into the medical field.  Even with all of that, she will always be my baby, and i'll always love her zillions.

No, i'm not just saying this so she will care for me when i'm old!

Boudreaux know how it be when you kid go into medicine.  Tee Boudreaux done growed up to be a traiteur (medical doctor).

One time, Boudreaux be so sick he need him de operation.  He demand dat Tee have to do it, he not gonna trust no one else.

When dey be goin' in to the operatin' room, Boudreaux call him over an' say, "Tee, you's gonna take good care o' me in dis operation, right?"

An' Tee say, "Oui, Père, you be in good hands!"

An' Boudreaux say, "Mais, dat be good, because you know if ennyt'ing done happen to me, you Mère gonna be movin' in wit' you an' you wife!"

Today is:

Armed Forces Day -- Georgia

Birthday of the King / Konungens födelsedag -- Sweden (HM King Carl XVI Gustav; an official flag day)

Bugs Bunny Day -- while some consider his debut to have been in "A Wild Hare," released in July two years later, other say that Bugs was the rabbit in "Porky's Hare Hunt," relased this date in 1938

Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day -- this one has its own Facebook page 

Camarón Day -- French Foreign Legion

Clun Green Man Festival -- Clun, Shropshire, England (spring festival ending with the Clun Green Man battling and defeating the Frost Queen to end winter and bring in spring, along with a May Fair; through the Monday Spring Bank Holiday) 

Consumer Protection Day -- Thailand

Día De Los Niños/Día De Los Libros -- American Library Association (Children Day/Book Day; a celebration that emphasizes the importance of literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds) 

Dia de Rincon -- Rincon, Bonaire

El Dia del Nino -- Mexico (Children's Day)

Fairy Queen's Birthday -- Fairy Calendar

Faeriae Latinae -- Ancient Roman Calendar (Feast of the Latin League, a festival to honor Jupiter)

Helena Railroad Fair -- Helena, MT, US (largest railroad hobby event in the area)

International Jazz Day -- UNESCO (originated with the New Jersey Jazz Society and sanctioned by the United Nations Jazz Society, the American Federation of Jazz Societies, and the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society; this year's International Jazz Day Global Concert 2014 will be held in Osaka, Japan and streamed live, with info here)

Landsgemeinde -- Appenzell, Inner Rhoden Canton, Switzerland (one of the last examples of direct democracy left; the final Sunday of each April all voters in the canton age 18 and older, wearing traditional swords, gather for a church service and then vote directly on all affairs of the canton for the year; no secret ballots, all raise their hands to vote yea or nay; festival follows.  This tradition dates back to the 14th century.)

Liberation/Reunification Day -- Vietnam

May Eve -- eve of the first day of summer in many traditions, including

     Beltane/Samhain Eve -- Pagan traditions

     Carodejnice -- Czech Republic; Slovakia

     Maitag Vorabend -- Switzerland 

     Mange les Morts -- Haiti (festival of the dead)

     Salus -- Portugal; Spain (festival of the dead)

     Valborgsmässoafton -- Sweden

     Walpurgis Night -- Ancient Celtic/Nordic Calendars

Mother, Father Deaf Day -- to honor deaf parents and recognize the gifts of culture and language they give to their hearing children; sponsored by CODA (Children of Deaf Adults International) 

Mr. Potato Head Day -- the classic toy went on sale this day in 1952, and you used your own potato

National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day -- US (can't find a sponsoring organization, but it's not a bad idea)

National Honesty Day -- including Honest Abe Awards (Abies) and dishonorable mentions for those who have been particularly publicly egregious; celebrated today because we began the month with April Fooling and lies, so today is to celebrate the opposite*

National Raisin Day

Pet Parent's Day -- honoring those who consider pets a part of the family

Southern Appalachian Dulcimer Festival -- Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park, McCalla, AL, US (through next Sunday)

St. Adjutor of Vernon's Day (Patron of drowning victims, sailors, swimmers, yatchsmen; Vernon, France; against drowning)

St. James the Great's Day -- Orthodox Christian

Teacher's Day -- Paraguay

Turkmen Racing Horse Festival -- Turkmenistan

Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day -- anyone, anywhere in the world who makes a pinhole photograph today may upload it to the world wide online gallery 

Yom HaZiKaron -- Israel (Memorial Day; begins at sunset)

*to nominate someone for an Abie or a dishonorable mention, contact M. Hirsh Goldberg, founder and author of The Book of Lies, mhgoldberg@comcast.net

Anniversaries Today:

Pele marries Assiria Seixas Lemos, 1994

The Organization of American States is founded, 1948

Louisiana becomes the 18th US state, 1812

Birthdays Today:

Dianna Agron, 1986

Kirsten Dunst, 1982

Johnny Galecki, 1975

Jeff Timmons, 1973

Carolyn Dawn Johnson, 1971

Adrian Pasdar, 1965

Michael Waltrip, 1963

Isiah Thomas, 1961

Stuart Mathis, 1960

Stephen Harper, 1959

Jane Campion, 1954

Perry King, 1948

Carl XVI Gustav, King of Sweden, 1946

Michael J. Smith, 1945

Jill Clayburgh, 1944

Burt Young, 1940

Gary Collins, 1938

Willie Nelson, 1933

Cloris Leachman, 1926

Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, 1909

Eve Arden, 1908

Ellis Wilson, 1899

Louise Dilworth Beatty Homer, 1871

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Barnum"(Musical), 1980

"The Dresser"(Play), 1980

"Inside U.S.A."(Musical revue), 1948

"Arthur Godfrey Time"(Radio), 1945

"Pelleas et Melisande"(Opera), 1902

"Dmitri Donskoi"(Opera), 1852

"Love for Love"(Play), 1695

Today in History:

Supernova  SN 1006, the brightest supernova in recorded history, appears in the constellation  Lupus, 1006

Orbital calculations suggest that on this day, Pluto moved inside Neptune's orbit until July 23, 1503, 1483

Columbus is given a royal commission to equip his fleet, 1492

On the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York City, George Washington takes the oath of office to become the first elected President of the United States, 1789

The United States purchases the Louisiana Territory from France, 1803

Nicaragua  declares independence from the Central American Federation, 1838

Casey Jones dies in a train wreck in Vaughn, Mississippi, while trying to 

make up time on the Cannonball Express, 1900

Honolulu, Hawaii becomes an independent city, 1907

Peru becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty, 1920

Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford become the first celebrities to leave their footprints in concrete at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, 1927

The animated cartoon short Porky's Hare Hunt debuts in movie theaters, introducing Happy Rabbit (a prototype of Bugs Bunny, 1938

In Bogotá, Colombia, the Organization of American States is established, 1948

The Bristol Bus Boycott is held in Bristol to protest the Bristol Omnibus Company's refusal to employ Black or Asian bus crews, drawing national attention to racial discrimination in the United Kingdom, 1963

Communist forces gain control of Saigon and the Vietnam War formally ends, 1975

Accession of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, 1980

CERN announces World Wide Web protocols will be free, 1993

Cambodia joins the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, 1999

Two skeletal remains found near Ekaterinburg, Russia are confirmed by Russian scientists to be the remains of Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia and one of his sisters, 2008

Chrysler automobile company files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, 2009

Hailed as the largest World's Fair in history, Expo 2010 opens in Shanghai, China, 2010

Born without a trachea, a 2-year-old Korean-Canadian child is the youngest patient in history to receive a bioengineered organ made from stem cells; she received the transplanted organ at the Children's Hospital of Illinois, 2013

Y for Yes, i am thankful.

It is yet another Saturday, yet another reason (or ten!) to be thankful.  This week i get to do it with the beautiful and challenging letter Y. 

Youth.  My children's youth, that is, as my own is long gone.  They aren't babies any more, and i am very much enjoying their young adult years, which brings the next word.

Years.  Every one a bit different, i love thinking about and enjoying looking back on the years.  Sweetie and i have been married for almost 32 of them, and i'm grateful for all that the years have brought.

Yellow cat.  Our big yellow cat. 

Dansig, our big yellow cat.  He's a goof and we love him.

Yoga.  When i can make myself do it, i am always grateful i did.

Yukon.  No, i've never been there, but to me it bespeaks adventure and it gives me a goal of yet another place i want to see someday.

Yo-yos.  While i've never been able to get the hang of them, i'm thankful for the times i've been entertained by others who can do some rather cool tricks with them.

Yards.  Our back and front yards, and the area across the street from us, to be specific.  It's nice not to be right on top of the neighbors and have trees nearby.

Our yard and what i see across the street from my own front door.

Yams.  More specifically, sweet potatoes, which are sometimes called yams.  They are so delicious!

Yuletide.  It's a most wonderful time of the year!  Also i'm thankful it's only once a year.

Yoda.  He is simply one cool character.

Yes, somehow i did it!  Next week i will be back to just random thankfulness, and i'm thankful for that, too.

List your thankful things (it doesn't have to be 10, no one kicks you out if it's more or less), and link up with Ten Things of Thankful.

Today is:

Arita Ceramic Fair -- Arita, Japan (finest porcelain in Japan; during Golden Week until May 5)

Astronomy Day 2017 / Spring Astronomy Day -- Saturday at or before the first quarter moon between mid-April and mid-May 

     sponsored by The Astronomical League; find out what your local astronomy society is doing today, and go enjoy

Basava Jayanti -- KA, India (birth anniversary of 12th century philosopher Basavanna)

Bob Wills Day -- Turkey, TX, US (celebrating Western Swing music and its king; through tomorrow)

Cheng Cheng Kung Landing Day -- Taiwan (352nd anniversary of the landing in Taiwan of Ming Dynasty loyalist Cheng Cheng Kung to oust the Dutch colonists)

Eeyore's Birthday -- Austin, TX, US (Eeyore never need feel forgotten again; Austin celebrates his birthday as a fundraiser for local charities, with fun for all)

Feast of the Secret Masters -- can't find any real info on this one, and why should i if it's such a secret, but it is fun to think about

Fish Cleaning Night -- sponsored by David Letterman (it's okay if you don't have an audience, or Mariel Hemingway)

Foxfield Races -- Charlottesville, VA, US (annual steeplechase)

Healthy Kids Day® -- YMCA 

International Dance Day -- International Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute (ITI), a UNESCO partner 

International Tabletop Day -- encouraging people to play games on a table, not online, face to face 

Milk-Curdling Sunday -- Fairy Calendar (Gremlins)

National Adult Public Skipping Day -- because somebody out there either wants you to feel like a kid again, or make a fool of you

National Go Birding Day -- US (but feel free to participate wherever you are, birding is fun!)

National Herb Day -- different from the HerbDay in May, and unsponsored

National Rebuilding Day -- US (270,000 volunteers help rebuild and repair homes for the elderly and disabled) 

National Sense of Smell Day -- US (sponsored by the Sense of Smell Institute, encouraging museums and science centers to focus on how the sense of smell plays an important role in daily life and how it interacts with other senses)

National Shrimp Scampi Day

"Peace" Rose Day -- an explanation of this name for the Rosa Madame A. Meilland variety 

  

Penguin Day -- different sponsor from World Penguin Day, but you can't have enough days dedicated to these fun guys, can you? 

Redbud Trail Rendezvous -- Rochester, IN, US (living history along the Tippecanoe River; through tomorrow)

Remembrance of Victims of Chemical Weapons -- on the day chemical weapons were outlawed in 1997

Ridvan, Ninth Day -- Baha'i (one of the festival days on which work and school should be suspended)

Runic Half Month of Lagu (water) begins

Save the Frogs Day -- Save The Frogs Day is the world's largest day of amphibian education and conservation action 

Showa No Hi -- Japan (Showa Day, the birth anniversary of Emperor Showa, begins the Golden Week holiday period of four major national days, through May 5)

Solar Alignment at Teotihuacan, City of the Gods -- Teotihuacan, Mexico (the ritual cave opening aligns to the sunset on Aug. 12 and Apr. 29, the same horizon position of the setting of the Pleiades)

Southern Maryland Celtic Festival & Highland Games -- St. Leonard, MD, US (competitions in fiddling, bagpipe, Celtic harp, and dancing, heptathlon, Celtic marketplace and foods, parade of clans, and more)

St. Catherine of Siena's Day (Patron of fire prevention, firefighter, nurses, nursing services, people ridiculed for piety, sick people; Europe; Italy; Theta Phi Alpha Sorority; Allentown, PA, US; Siena, Italy; Verazze, Italy; against bodily ills/sickness, fire, miscarriages, sexual temptation)

Taro Festival -- East Maui, Hawaii, US (celebration of Hawai'an culture; through tomorrow)

World Healing Day / World Tai Chi and Qigong Day 

World Veterinary Day -- World Veterinary Association 

World Wish Day -- from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, marking the date in 1980 that local police let seven-year-old leukemia patient Chris Grecicius be an officer for a day, sparking the idea of the Make-a-Wish Foundation

Zipper Day -- while i can't confirm it, the modern zipper was supposedly patented on this day in 1913

Anniversaries Today:

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, marries Catherine "Kate" Middleton, 2011

Mike Nichols marries Diane Sawyer, 1988

Princess Irene marries Prince Carel Hugo de Bourbon Parma, 1964

Birthdays Today:

Andre Agassi, 1970

Uma Thurman, 1970

Carnie Wilson, 1968

Eve Plumb, 1958

Michelle Pfeiffer, 1958

Daniel Day-Lewis, 1957

Kate Mulgrew, 1955

Jerry Seinfeld, 1954

Nora Dunn, 1952

Dale Earnhardt, 1951

Johnny Miller, 1947

Zubin Mehta, 1936

Lane Smith, 1936

Rod McKuen, 1933

Robert Gottlieb, 1931

Celeste Holm, 1919

Tom Ewell, 1909

Hirohito, 1901

Duke Ellington, 1899

William Randolph Hearst, 1863

Oliver Ellsworth, 1745

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Hair"(Musical), 1968

"ABC's Wide World of Sports"(TV), 1961

"Young Dr. Malone"(Radio), 1940

"There Shall be No Night"(Play), 1940

Roget's Thesaurus(Publication date), 1852

Violin Sonata No. 32 in B-flat major(Mozart K. 454), 1784

Today in History:

The Moors arrive at Gibraltar to begin their invasion of the Iberian Peninsula, 711

Joan of Arc arrives at Orleans to relieve the siege, 1492

Francis Drake leads a raid in the Bay of Cádiz, sinking at least 23 ships of the Spanish fleet, 1587

Eleven Dutch ships depart for the conquest of Peru, 1623

The Ming Dynasty occupies Taiwan, 1661

James Cook arrives at and names Botany Bay, Australia, 1770

The French Fleet prevents Britain from seizing the Cape of Good Hope, 1781

Peter Roget publishes the first edition of his Thesaurus, 1852

The "Elektromote" – forerunner of the trolleybus  – is tested by Ernst Werner von Siemens in Berlin, 1882

Gideon Sundbach of Hoboken, NJ, receives a patent for the zipper, 1913

The North Sea floodgate at Ijmuiden, the biggest in world, officially opens, 1930

The telephone connection of England-Australia goes into service, 1930

The first U.S. experimental 3D-TV broadcast airs, and episode of "Space Patrol" shown over ABC affiliate KECA in Los Angeles, 1953

The first military nuclear power plant opens, in Ft. Belvoir 1957

A cyclone strikes the Chittagong  district of southeastern Bangladesh with winds of around 155 mph, killing at least 138,000 people and leaving as many as 10 million homeless, 1991

Oldsmobile  builds its final car ending 107 years of production, 2004

Syria completes withdrawal from Lebanon, ending 29 years of occupation, 2005

Economic losses mount and class action lawsuits are filed as the U.S. Coast Guard plans a controlled burn to remove spilled oil from the Deepwater Horizon disaster, 2010

X for Xena, Feline Friday and Friendly Fill-ins

Feline Friday is hosted by Steve, The Burnt Food Dude, and i'm going to believe it's because he likes cats. 

This week, he's asked Sandee of Comedy Plus to take over for him while he and his wife celebrate his birthday.  Wishing you many happy returns of the day, Steve!

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 Steve'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!

One of our shelter cats is Xena:

As befits a Warrior Cat, I perch high to keep an eye on everything!

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

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

Here are this week's statements with my responses underlined:

Week 51: April 28, 2017

1. A book I would like to see made into a movie is ____________________.

2. If I could afford a billboard, it would say __________________.

3. I have a hard time ______________________.

4. I really enjoy _____________________. 

1. A book i would like to see made into a movie is Understood Betsy.  It's an old favorite of mine and i think the transformation of the main character would be interesting to explore in film.

2. If i could afford a billboard, it would say: Play Nice, Y'all! ~ Mama

3. I have a hard time understanding why people hold on to anger, when it is not a nice feeling at all.

4. I really enjoy my coffee.  Most of the time, no cream, no anything, just the pure taste of the brew.  Every once in so often a bit of coconut milk in it, but that's rare.  Coffee itself just tastes good to me.

Today is:

America's Family Pet Expo -- Costa Mesa, CA, US (includes displays on any type of domesticated pet you can imagine, as put on by the World Pet Association; through Sunday) 

Arbor Day -- US

Austin Food and Wine Festival -- Austin, TX, US (superstar chefs and sommeliers, over 40 cooking demos and wine seminars, private grand tastings and more; through Sunday)

Biological Clock Day -- the "biological clock gene" that governs the`circadian rhythm in mice was isolated on this day in 1994

Cape May Spring Festival -- Cape May, NJ, US (ten days of spring activities highlighting the Victorian lifestyle)

Chicken-Tickling Day -- Fairy Calendar (Leprechauns)

Cubicle Day -- no, i don't know what's to celebrate about this one, either

Dandelion Day/Springfest Weekend -- University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, US (annual celebration used as a respite to diffuse tension around exam time; through Sunday)

Feast of Jamal(Beauty) -- Baha'i

Festival of Floralia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (three day festival to Flora, goddess of flowers and vegetation)

Great Poetry Reading Day -- make sure you read some great poetry today

Hairball Awareness Day -- sponsored by Furminator (which product actually does work, by the way) and Hills Pet Nutrition

Hidaka Hibuse Matsuri -- Mizusawa, Iwate Prefecture, Japan (through the 29th; floats, child musicians, traditional costumes, and fun)

Interstate Mullet Toss / The Gulf Coast's Greatest Beach Party -- FloraBama Bar, Gulf Shores, Alabama, US (fish flingers stand on the Alabama side of the property and toss them onto the Florida side, with proceeds going to charity; through Sunday)

James Monroe Birthday Celebration -- Charlottesville, VA, US (at his home, Ash Lawn-Highland)

Kiss Your Mate Day -- guys, do not forget this one, in case she reads it somewhere on the internet; kiss her, then read her a great poem

National Blueberry Pie Day

National Day of Mourning -- Canada (In conjunction with Workers' Memorial Day and World Day for Safety and Health at Work, honoring those injured or killed on the job)

National Heroes Day -- Barbados

National Teach Children to Save Day -- sponsored by the American Banking Association 

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival -- NOLA, US (the best music and food festival around! through May 7)

Panoply® -- Huntsville, AL, US (comprehensive arts festival, including music, theater, dance, and a juried art show; through Sunday)

Pay It Forward Day -- International (begun in the US as National Pay It Forward Day, it is now observed in over 80 countries; this year the global initiative wants to inspire over 10 million acts of kindness around the world!) 

Rip Cord Day -- the first successful jump with a parachute that used a rip cord was this day in 1919 by Leslie Erwin of the U.S. Army Air Corps

Sa die de sa Sardinia -- Sardinia, Italy (Sardinia Day, celebrating the uprising of 1794)

Sense of Smell Day -- listed on different days on many websites; While celebrating, remember those with anosmia (diminished ability or totaly inability to smell)

St. Peter Chanel's Day (Patron of Oceania)

     Saint Pierre-Chanel Day -- Wallis and Fortuna

Sts. Vitalis and Valeria's Day (Patrons of Thibodeaux, Louisiana)

Undiagnosed Children's Day -- sponsored by SWAN UK (Syndromes Without A Name), supporting families of children with undiagnosed genetic conditions 

Victory Day -- Afghanistan

Workers Memorial Day / World Day for Safety and Health at Work -- International (remembering all who have lost their lives or been injured on the job)

World Championship Wildfowl Carving Competition and Art Festival -- Ocean City, MD, US (carvings and sculpture of all sizes, for competition and for sale; through Sunday)

Anniversaries Today:

Maryland becomes the 7th US State, 1788

Birthdays Today:

Jenna Ushkowitz, 1986

Jessica Alba, 1981

Penelope Cruz, 1974

Jorge Garcia, 1973

Nicklas Lidstrom, 1970

John Daly, 1966

Elena Kagan, 1960

Ian Rankin, 1960

Nancy Lee Grahn, 1958

Mary McDonnell, 1952

Jay Leno, 1950

Marcia Strassman, 1948

Ann-Margaret, 1941

Harper Lee, 1926

Oscar Schindler, 1908

Erich Salomon, 1886

Lionel Barrymore, 1878

Mifflin Wister Gibbs, 1828

James Monroe, 1758

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"One Man's Family"(Radio), 1932

Today in History:

Nichiren Buddhism is founded, 1253

Captain William Bligh and 18 crewmen from the HMS Bounty are set adrift, 1789

Chinese and Irish laborers for the Central Pacific Railroad working on the First Transcontinental Railroad lay 10 miles of track in one day, a feat which has never been matched, 1869

Azerbaijan  is added to the Soviet Union., 1920

The first night game in organized baseball  history takes place in Independence, Kansas, 1930

A vaccine  for yellow fever is announced for use on humans, 1932

Thor Heyerdahl and five crew mates set out from Peru on the Kon-Tiki, 1947

The Sino-Japanese Peace Treaty (Treaty of Taipei) is signed in Taipei, Taiwan between Japan and the Republic of China to officially end the Second Sino-Japanese War, 1952

Charles de Gaulle resigns as President of France, 1969

The Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure is signed, 1977

Millionaire Dennis Tito becomes the world's first space tourist, 2001

According to the WHO, leading causes of death in the world include chronic illnesses such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes, 2011

In recognition of democratic reforms, the European Union opens an office in Burma, 2012