Bottle Kittens 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.

Feline Friday is simple to join.  Follow the link above to Steve's page to see how to be a part of this fun meme.

New bottle baby #1; she finally held still for a moment.

New bottle baby #2; she liked the rip in my work pants.

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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 60: June 30, 2017

1. My next _______________ will be ___________________.

2. Fireworks ___________________.

3. This week, I am thankful                                         . 

4. Freedom                               .

My next doctor's appointment will be in just under two weeks.  No one likes to go to the doctor, but your doctor can't find trouble in the early stages and get you on the road back to good health if you avoid going.

Fireworks are fun and thrilling, but not fun and thrilling enough any more for me to fight the crowds to go see them in person.

This week, i am thankful that i received some back pay from a client who was out of town when i cleaned the house last.  That money was much needed.

Freedom must be used responsibly, or it can easily be lost.

Today is:

10,000 Crestonians 4th of July Celebration -- Creston, IA, US (lots of history and fun, through the 4th)

Action Mesothelioma Day -- UK (bringing "meso" cancer into the spotlight)

Aizen Matsuri -- Shoman-in Temple, Osaka, Japan (celebration of Aizen Myo-oh, greatest of the 8 Buddhist guardian gods, and is also called the Yakuta Festival; through July 2)

Armed Forces Day -- Guatemala

Crab Races -- Fairy Calendar (Pixies, Elves, and some Fairies)

Day of Aestas -- Ancient Roman Calendar (culmination of the festival that begins the summer)

Dixon Petunia Festival: The Pink. The Proud. The Petunias. -- Dixon, IL, US (food, entertainment, fun, and petunias! through July 4)

Feast of the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome -- remembrance of the first Christians killed in Rome by order of Nero as scapegoats for the fire in Rome

General Prayer Day -- Central African Republic

Independence Day -- Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire)(1960)

Leap Second Time Adjustment Day -- if one is needed

Meteor Day -- because of the Tuskunga Event

Montreux Jazz Festival -- Montreaux, Switzerland (a premier jazz event for music lovers from around the world and one of the world's greatest music festivals; through July 15)

National Corvette Day -- US (vehicle introduced this day in 1953)

National Ice Cream Soda Day

Old-Time Fiddlers' Jamboree and Crafts Festival -- Smithville, TN, US (through tomorrow; with 32 categories of old-time bluegrass music!)

Pridie Kalendas July (Day Before the Kalends of July) -- Ancient Roman Calendar (a day when dies comitiales -- citizen committees -- voted on political and criminal matters)

Revolution Day -- Sudan(1989)

St. Theobald of Provins' day (Patron of bachelors)

Tech Support Appreciation Day -- if you can get a hold of them, they can be great to have around

Tom Sawyer Days -- Hannibal, MO, US (frog jumping, mud volleyball, Tom and Becky Contest; parade, Tomboy Sawyer Contest, fireworks, and more, with the highlight being the National Fence Painting Contest; through July 4)

Anniversary Today:

Greg Allman marries Cher, 1975

Birthdays Today:

Michael Phelps, 1985

Fantasia Barrino, 1984

Ralf Schumacher, 1975

Michael Gerard (Mike) Tyson, 1966

Rupert Graves, 1963

Vincent D’Onofrio, 1959

David Alan Grier, 56, 1955

Leonard Whiting, 1950

Patricia Schroeder, 1940

Nancy Dussault, 1936

Harry Blackstone, Jr., 1934

Susan Hayward, 1919

Lena Horne, 1917

Czeslaw Milosz, 1911

William Almon Wheeler, 1819

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Johnny Carson Show"(TV), 1955

"Guiding Light"(TV), 1947

"Brenda Starr, Reporter"(Comic strip), 1940

Today in History:

Jews are expelled from Berne Switzerland, 1294

The Spaniards are expelled from Tenochtitlan, 1520

Native American forces under Blue Jacket attack Fort Recovery, Ohio, 1794

French  acrobat  Charles Blondin crosses Niagara Falls on a tightrope, 1859

The 1860 Oxford evolution debate at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History takes place, 1860

The first transcontinental train trip across Canada departs from Montreal; it arrives in Port Moody, British Columbia on July 4, 1886

Albert Einstein publishes the article "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies", in which he introduces special relativity, 1905

The Tunguska event, probably caused by a meteor or comet fragment, occurs in remote Siberia, 1908

The Regina Cyclone hits Regina, Saskatchewan, killing 28; it remains Canada's deadliest tornado event, 1912

Congo gains independence from Belgium, 1960

The first leap second is added to the UTC  time system, 1972

The Royal Canadian Mint introduces the $1 coin, known as the Loonie, 1987

East Germany and West Germany merge their economies, 1990

The United Kingdom transfers sovereignty over Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China, 1997

After nearly 7 years in space, the Cassini spacecraft becomes the first to orbit the planet Saturn, 2004

The Molecule of the Year 2011 is announced, BMP7 (Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7), a potential therapeutic utility for recurrent metastatic disease, 2012

Peach of a Story and a Brick Fence

"And what about that girl, that Annie?" his mother went on, giving him the knowing look that only a mother can give.

"She's my friend..." he started to say, but his mother interrupted.

"I think she is more than just a friend, mothers know these things!" she said.  Her voice softened, "I raised you well, so I know you wouldn't have any friend who wasn't a good person.  Maybe she can come to dinner some night soon so I can get to know her, after all, if I ever want grandchildren, I'd better be willing to meet the girls you date."

He smiled and hugged his mother hard and yelled, "Mom, you're a peach!"

Linking up with Zoe's Uncharted Blog, hostess of Six Sentence Stories, where the cue is Peach.

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Good Fences

Gosia, of Looking for Identity, has taken over Good Fences, and it's now Good Fences Around The World.  Post a picture of a fence or gate, link back to her blog, and go visit others to see what interesting fences there are out in this big world.

A fine brick fence on the High Land Road.

Today is:

Autonomy Day -- French Polynesia

Camera Day -- internet generated, but a fun one to celebrate

Feast Day of Saints Peter and Paul -- Christian

     St. Paul, Patron of Greece, Malta, rope makers, tentmakers, upholsterers

     St. Peter, Patron of clockmakers, fishermen, Russia; against fever, foot trouble, wolves

     a recognized holiday in Chile; Holy See; Italy; Malta[l-Imnarja]; Peru; GR and TI, Switzerland; Wallis and Fortuna

     Haro Wine Festival -- Haro, LaRioja, Spain (a festival that includes a Battle of Wines, where wine is thrown from buckets at opposing teams; on the feast day of the city's patron, San Pedro)

     Rat-Catcher's Day -- often cited because some of the earliest legends of the Pied Piper claim he took the children on the Feast Day of Sts. Peter and Paul

Freedom Days -- Farmington, NM, US (the Four Corners region celebrates freedom and The 4th in a big way; through July 4)

Hug Holiday -- while the National Hug Holiday Week has been moved to the beginning of May, this is the original day, and was for quite a while, so go give someone a big hug!

Independence Day -- Seychelles

National Almond Butter Crunch Day

National Bomb Pop Day -- on the Thursday in June right before US Independence Day, to kick off the celebration with the original red, white, and blue bomb pops

National Handshake Day -- US; sponsored by professional development companies on the last Thursday in June, encouraging everyone to develop a good, professional handshake

Oharai/Grand Purification Festival -- Shinto

Oregon Bach Festival -- University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, US (international gathering of musicians, master classes and performances, and family events so even the youngest music fans can fall in love with the works of J.S. Bach and other masters; through July 15)

Roswell UFO Days -- Roswell, NM, US (tons of stuff for the serious and those who just want to have fun with the whole concept; through Sunday)

Runic Half-month Feoh (wealth) commences

Smithsonian Folklife Festival -- Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C., US (through July 4, then again July 6-9; a model of research-based presentations of contemporary living cultural traditions of people around the world)

Waffle Iron Day -- don't know why today, but it's a great gadget, and if you have one, pull it out and use it today

Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival -- Greensburg, PA, US (multicultural celebration of food, fine arts, handicrafts, and music from many nations; through Sunday)

Wicked Fairies Summer Debate -- Fairy Calendar (i'd love to hear this!)

Birthdays Today:

Prince Aristide Stavros of Greece and Denmark, 2008

Amanda Donohoe, 1962

Sharon Lawrence, 1962

Fred Grandy, 1948

Richard Lewis, 1947

Gary Busey, 1944

Robert Evans, 1930

Ray Harryhausen, 1920

Slim Pickens, 1919

Bernard Herrmann, 1911

Nelson Eddy, 1901

Antoine de Saint-Exupery, 1900

James Van Der Zee, 1886

William James Mayo, 1863

George Washington Goethals, 1858

Julia Clifford Lathrop, 1858

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Moonraker(Film), 1979

Today in History:

An Irish monastic chronicler records a solar eclipse, 512

Jacques Cartier makes the European discovery of Prince Edward Island, 1534

The Globe Theatre in London, England burns to the ground, 1613

Alexander Macdonell and over five hundred Roman Catholic highlanders leave Scotland to settle in Glengarry County, Ontario, 1786

Coal is discovered on Vancouver Island, 1850

Ninety-nine people are killed in Canada's worst railway disaster near St-Hilaire, Quebec, 1864

France annexes Tahiti, 1880

The first known recording of classical music, Handel's "Israel in Egypt", is made on a wax cylinder, 1888

Street railway in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, commences operation, 1891

Doukhobors burn their weapons as a protest against conscription by the Tsarist Russian government, 1895

France grants 1 km² at Vimy Ridge "freely, and for all time, to the Government of Canada, the free use of the land exempt from all taxes," 1922

Joseph-Armand Bombardier of Canada receives a patent for sprocket and track traction system used in snow vehicles, 1937

Isabel Perón is sworn in as the first female President of Argentina, 1974

The Seychelles  become independent from the United Kingdom, 1976

The space shuttle Atlantis docks with the Russian Mir Space Station for the first time, 1995

Two car bombs are found at Piccadilly Circus, in the heart of London, 2007

News that European Union members agree on a deal to help some struggling Eurozone members causes world stock markets to soar, 2012

Mr. B asked, Do you need me to get a new can?

Ya think?!

Much better.

Linking up with Wordless Wednesday.

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Words for Wednesday

This month Elephant's Child hosts Words for Wednesday, in which two groups of 6 words are provided, and you are challenged to write a story for each set, or one story incorporating them all.  The list of prompt words and my story follows:

1. Fluid
2. Optimum
3. Excitement
4. Bus
5. Forensic
6. Forest 

And/or

1. Theatre
2. Shoe
3. Passion
4. Dogmatic
5. Prison
6. Visitor
   

"What do you think you want to major in?"

"Ah, I don't know.  Probably I'll just become a mechanic.  Grandpa taught me to fix cars, and I'm better at changing brake SHOES and transmission FLUID than I am at listening to DOGMATIC professors lecturing me on the OPTIMUM way to live my life."

"You could always go into criminal justice or FORENSIC science."

"I've thought about it, but I'm not so sure I want to spend my life in PRISON or around prisoners, even if I'm more like a VISITOR and can leave when I want.  Also, I doubt I need the EXCITEMENT of living through a prison riot or fight from the inside.

"What about you?  Do you have any ideas?  Anything that arouses your PASSION?"

"It's a toss up between THEATRE and becoming a park ranger, working with FOREST conservation."

"You would be great at either one.  Well, our BUS is here.  Back to the daily grind of high school.  I'm glad it's just two more weeks."

Today is:

Constitution day -- Ukraine

Festival of Terrible Poetry -- according to The Daily Bleed, and since there is some hilarious, if terrible, poetry out there, go find some, and bust a gut

Insurance Awareness Day -- now who do you think invented that!?!

International Body Piercing Day -- on the birthday of James Mark "Jim" Ward, "the granddaddy of the modern body piercing movement" 

International CAPS LOCK DAY -- a parody holiday created by Derek Arnold, a user on Metafilter, in 2000

Mnarja / L-Imnarja Festival begins -- Buskett Gardens, Malta (folk festival for Sts. Peter and Paul, begins this evening and continues through the 29th)

National Ceviche Day

National Tapioca Day

Paul Bunyan Day -- the tall tale hero of the lumberjacks; celebrated at different times in some parts of the country, but most sites cite this date

Ra goes forth to propitiate the Nun -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Stonewall Rebellion Day -- now seen as the start of the gay liberation movement in 1969

St. Irenaeus' Day (Patron of Mobile, Alabama)

St. Paul's Feast -- Kato Paphos, Cyprus (religious festivities with the archbishop officiating and a procession of the icon of St. Paul through the streets, through tomorrow)

St. Peter's Eve -- English Christian tradition, night of bonfires and continuation of midsummer celebrations

Thanksgiving for Useful Fairies -- Fairy Calendar

Vidovdan (Festival for St. Vitus) -- Eastern Orthodox Christian, based on the traditional Julian Calendar date

     a recognized holiday in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Anniversaries Today:

Harry S. Truman marries Bess Wallace, 1919

Birthdays Today:

Kellie Pickler, 1986

Steve Burton, 1970

Danielle Brisebois, 1969

John Cusack, 1966

Mary Stuart Masterson, 1966

Mark Grace, 1964

John Elway, 1960

Thomas Hampson, 1955

Alice Krige, 1954

Kathy Bates, 1948

Gilda Radner, 1946

Bruce Davison, 1946

Turkan Soray, 1945

Pat Morita, 1932

Mel Brooks, 1926

Maria Goeppert Mayer, 1906

Richard Rodgers, 1902

Clara Louise Maass, 1876

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 1712

John Wesley, 1703

Peter Paul Rubens, 1577

Henry VIII, King of England, 1491

Debuting/Premiering Today:

The Nutty Professor(Film), 1996

"Amos 'n' Andy"(TV), 1951

"Quiz Kids"(Radio), 1940

Today in History:

Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul, 1098

Ottomans defeat Serbian army in the bloody Battle of Kosovo, opening the way for the Ottoman conquest of Southeastern Europe, 1389

Guadeloupe becomes a French colony, 1635

The coronation of Victoria of the United Kingdom, 1838

The Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique in Paris premieres the ballet Giselle, 1841

The first conformation dog show is held in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, 1859

Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria and his wife Sophie are assassinated in Sarajevo by young Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip, the casus belli of World War I, 1914

The Treaty of Versailles is signed in Paris, formally ending World War I, 1919

The Irish Civil War begins with the shelling of the Four Courts in Dublin by Free State forces, 1922

Israel annexes East Jerusalem, 1967

COMECON, as part of the last vestige of the Soviet Bloc, is formally disbanded, followed by the Warsaw pact 3 days later, 1991

Slobodan Milosevic is deported to ICTY to stand trial, 2001

The Republic of Montenegro is admitted as the 192nd Member of the United Nations, 2006

The U.N. reports 10 million people are effected by the worst drought in 60 years, 2011