Thankful Day

This week saw a lot of work (as in, several 14 hour days), and this weekend is mostly the same, and next week will be more so.  The week after that is vacation, so everything has to be done NOW.  If i'm behind in my reading of blogs, i beg your pardon, i am trying to catch up. 

That is something for which i am very grateful, that i have so many blogging friends.

This past week, Ms. GA and Mr. B left their cats and their plants in my tender care.  The cats were fine, i was very, very concerned about the plants, as i can kill even silk houseplants.  We had rain.  Lots of rain.  Every single day they were gone, i only had to water a couple of plants on the porch that didn't get rained on.  While i won't get paid much for watering the plants (that part of the job paid by the hour), i am grateful for the rain for the sake of their lovely garden so that i didn't have the chance to accidentally cause harm.

Speaking of rain, i am very thankful that we finally had a dry day yesterday, and i hope for another today.  The one big storm was so bad this past Tuesday that streets were flooding and traffic was being diverted, and then we got more rain Wednesday and Thursday, and a couple of days to let the water levels go down is a very good thing.

Work has me running like a madwoman, and i am very thankful.  It's bringing in some much needed funds right before we leave, and i can go on vacation knowing that i tended to every client before i left.

Pepe  is here!  Yes, the 6 pound Chihuahua with the deformed back legs is once again running away from the cats that are bigger than he is.  We are watching him for the week, and i'm thankful because i have hardly seen him at all since #2 Son and Daughter-in-Law Becky moved out.

#2 Son set up the second fish tank pump before they left, and i am relieved and thankful.  When we have two pumps to plug in, we don't have to worry so much about the downstairs getting water.

We had our rEcess volunteer appreciation night, and i am so grateful the ministry leaders thought to do that.  They even brought veggie burgers for me, and everyone had a great time playing board games and laughing and talking.

It's funny how things work out sometimes.  Gracie's mom needed a babysitter, and the date and time coincided with the volunteer night, so i got to babysit Gracie and she got to be with some of her rEcess friends.  While i often see her on Sundays, i hadn't had this much time playing with Gracie in a while, and i'm very thankful it all worked out.

Lunceford the Land Yacht, Sweetie's car, was giving us a minor fit with all of the rain.  One of the wipers was malfunctioning, which is dangerous when you are getting a serious downpour.  Kevin and Lenny fixed it easily, and it wasn't expensive at all.  It's nice not to have to worry that the rain will start before you can get to your destination, and i'm especially grateful for the "wasn't expensive" part.

Last but certainly not least, i am very thankful for my Jalopy.  This past week i have averaged 40-60 miles a day in her for work, and she is taking it like a champ. 

Listing the things i am thankful for reminds me of my many, many blessings and how much good stuff there is in my life.  Try it for yourself and see if it doesn't make you really smile, then link up with Ten Things of Thankful, so we can all be thankful along with you!

Today is:

Birthday of SPB Yang di-Pertuan Agong -- Malaysia (in this elective monarchy, the current king's birthday is celebrated on the first Saturday in June, regardless of his actual birth date)

Broken Dolls Day -- Japan (all broken dolls are taken by their children to monks for burial)

California Artichoke Festival -- Castroville, CA, US (lots of fun in the Artichoke Capital of the World; through tomorrow)

Callynteria -- Ancient Greek Calendar (a service of atonement and cleaning Athena's temple; date approximate)

Capitol Hill People's Fair -- Denver, CO, US (arts, entertainment, and fun; through tomorrow)

Chimborazo Day -- to publicize that while Mt. Everest may be the highest, the top of Mt. Chimborazo in Ecuador is the furthest from the center of the earth

Dare Day -- Manteo, NC, US (a fun festival and unofficial kick-off for summer)

Derby Day -- Epsom Downs Racecourse, Surrey, England

Do-Dah Parade -- Kalamazoo, MI, US (a "Salute to Silliness" that is worth seeing)

Drawing Day/Pencil Day -- used to be sponsored on the first Saturday with the motto "Drop Everything and Draw", but even though no longer promoted by any specific group, you can still enjoy some time drawing today

Dr. Charles Drew Day -- honoring the man who made blood transfusions possible

Eel Festival -- Jyllinge, Denmark (through tomorrow; every restaurant and pub in town serves fried eel, and there's lots more fun around town)

Elfreth's Alley Day (Fete Day) -- Philadelphia, PA, US (one of the oldest continuously inhabited streets in the country)

Enshu Hamakita Hiryu Matsuri -- Hamamatsu City, Japan (honors the river god Ryujin; through tomorrow)

Festival to Bellona -- Ancient Roman Calendar (goddess of war)

Impersonate Authority Day -- at your own risk, i will not bail you out just because i noted an internet holiday and you decided to celebrate it ;)

Jack Jouett Day -- Virginia (the "Paul Revere" of his day and place, rode to warn Governor Thomas Jefferson that the British were coming, 1781)

Kuramae Jinja Matsuri -- Kuramae Jinja Shrine, Tokyo, Japan (a big two-day celebration held every other year at one of the shrines where Sumo originated)

Mabo Day -- Australia

Maritime Gig Festival -- Gig Harbor, WA, US (parades, entertainment, and fun with the view of Mount Rainier to grace it all; through tomorrow)

Martyr's Day -- Uganda

National Chocolate Macaroon Day

National Egg Day

National Family Recreation Day -- US (seems to have been started by the community of Arvada, CO, US, wanting families to enjoy the great outdoors together)

National Health and Fitness Day -- Canada 

National Lemonade Days -- Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation wants everyone to either run or patronize a lemonade stand some time between now and June 11 to help fight childhood cancers, one cup at a time 

National Trails Day -- US (be safe out there, if you want help becoming a hiker there's info here)

Opium Suppression Movement Day -- Taiwan

Pull Your Pants Up Day -- internet generated, various dates given, and some are trying to make it a national movement; to encourage young men to pull up their pants for 24 hours and see if they enjoy having both hands free

Repeat Day -- i said, "repeat day" (no, i don't know who comes up with this stuff, sometimes; if i do, i try to place the blame appropriately)

Sjómannadagurinn -- Iceland (traditional Seaman's Day was alternately celebrated June 6 or the first Sunday of June, depending on which authority you ask, but is now a weekend long Festival of the Sea)

St. Clotilde's Day (Patron of adopted children, brides, disappointing children, exiles, parenthood, parents of large families, queens, widows; against the death of children)

St. Kevin of Glendaulough's Day (Patron of blackbirds; Dublin, Ireland; Glendaulough, Ireland; Ireland)

Strawberry Festival -- Independence, MO, US (one of many such festivals all over as strawberries come into season -- look for one near where you live some time this month, and go have a good time)

Toppenish Mural Society's "Mural-In-A-Day" -- Toppenish, WA, US (professional artists work to paint a complete and historically accurate mural in one day, accompanied by an arts and crafts show and food fair)

Wicket World of Croquet® Day 2017 -- The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, Indianapolis, IN, US (croquet tournament fundraiser, includes an Alice and Friends game for the little ones) 

Worst Day in the Fairy Year -- Fairy Calendar (must be nice to know when your worst day will be)

Anniversaries Today:

U.S. Air Force Academy first graduating class, 1959

The Duke of Windsor marries Wallis Simpson, 1937

Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo founded, 17

Birthdays Today:

Lalaine, 1987

Rafael Nadal, 1986

Anderson Cooper, 1967

Charles Hart, 1961

Scott Valentine, 1958

Deniece Williams, 1951

Suzi Quatro, 1950

Curtis Mayfield, 1942

Larry McMurtry, 1936

Norman Brinker, 1931

Raul Castro, 1931

Chuck Barris, 1929

Colleen Dewhurst, 1926

Allen Ginsberg, 1926

Tony Curtis, 1925

Leo Gorcey, 1917

Josephine Baker, 1906

Dr. Charles Drew, 1904

Ransom E. Olds, 1864

Jefferson Davis, 1808

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Dragnet"(Radio), 1951

“Casey at the Bat”(Publication date), 1888

Today in History:

French scholar Peter Abelard is found guilty of heresy, 1140

Hernando De Soto claims Florida for Spain, 1539 

Construction of the oldest stone church in French North America, Notre-Dame-des-Anges, begins at Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, 1620

Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo is founded in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, 1770

President John Adams moves to Washington, D.C., to live in a tavern (the White House wasn't ready), 1800

In Humen, China, Lin Tse-hsü destroys 1.2 million kg of opium confiscated from British merchants, which prompts the First Opium War, 1839

In the last military engagement fought on Canadian soil, Cree leader Big Bear escapes the North West Mounted Police, 1885

The poem "Casey at the Bat", by Ernest Lawrence Thayer, is published in the San Francisco Examiner, 1888

The coast to coast Canadian Pacific Railway is completed, 1889

One thousand unemployed Canadian workers board freight cars in Vancouver, British Columbia, beginning a protest trek to Ottawa, Ontario, 1935

Launch of Gemini 4, the first multi-day space mission by a NASA crew, which included the first space walk by an American, 1965

A blowout at the Ixtoc I oil well in the southern Gulf of Mexico causes at least 3,000,000 barrels of oil to be spilled into the waters, the worst oil spill ever recorded, 1979

SkyDome is officially opened in Toronto, Ontario, 1989

Aboriginal Land Rights are granted in Australia in Mabo v Queensland (1988), a case brought by Eddie Mabo, 1992

USS Carter Hall engages pirates after they board the Danish ship Danica White off the coast of Somalia, 2007

A pageant on London's River Thames marks the highpoint of a series of events celebrating The Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II, 2012

Three of the most extremely well-preserved and most complete triceratops specimens ever found are unearthed in Wyoming, 2013