Just because today is a travel day doesn't mean there's no time to get my thankful on.
In fact, i'll make the time.
Thursday night, 9:30pm, i get a text from Ms. J, my every-other-Friday lady, saying, "Please come next week instead."
Texted back that i'd be out of town, and asked what the problem was. Turned out they'd had the house treated for fleas and weren't sure about having it cleaned so soon. Told her it would be fine, and i'm so thankful she agreed, although it meant i had to turn over the couches and vacuum the bottoms, vacuum the bottoms of draperies, rip the cushions off of everything and vacuum them, and then some.
It also meant a 12+ hour work day yesterday, but it was worth it, as i can leave knowing i did everyone's house/office to the best of my ability this week, and i can play with a clear conscience.
The rental car we picked up yesterday was ready the moment we got there, and i am thankful for that. It's a Rav4, which will be fun to drive i think, and i told Mr. M our exact plans and the date we'd have the rental back, which Sweetie had misunderstood when making the reservation. We took care of it and will not have the rental people coming after us for returning it late.
The cat shelter is now up to over 11,000 adoptions, and we couldn't be more pleased!
Bigger Girl is going to watch the house while we are gone, and i'm so grateful that i have someone i can trust to be there. In the days when the children were young and we all went on vacation together, we had to rely on the tender mercies of Brother-in-Law, The Mouth, who is allergic to any form of animal care and had to be bribed and cajoled. (Bigger Girl is both cheaper and more reliable.)
In spite of being so busy, i got all but one load of our own laundry done this week, and that little load is coming with me. It makes me so thankful the condo has a washer/dryer.
In spite of being so busy, i got to take care of Pepe this week, and i thoroughly enjoyed having the grand-dog around.
My friend DiDreaming lives in the area where we are going to be, and i will get to see her and maybe bring her to stay with us for a day, and i am glad because she needs a break after taking care of her friend for the last month of the friend's life.
We have had two very unseasonably cool mornings this past week, and i'm so thankful because the longer the stifling heat of summer is put off, the better. Also the rain stopped and Mike-Next-Door got the lawn mowed before we left, a bonus.
The rest of the cats and Pepe went to the vet this week for yearly check-ups, and everyone is still basically healthy, which is so delightful to hear.
Finally, did i mention that, thanks to Grandma and Grandpa's generosity, for the 24th year in a row, we get a week of vacation in Florida? What's not to love and be thankful for!
That, i believe, is at least ten, and i challenge you no matter how busy you are, write out a thankful list and head over to Ten Things of Thankful to share.
Today is:
Abolition Day -- French Guiana
Alcoholics Anonymous Founders Day
Army Day -- Jordan
Bali Arts Festival -- Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia (a full month of daily performances, handicraft exhibitions, and cultural activities showcasing all Bali has to offer in dance, music, art, food, and more; through July 8)
Ball Point Pen Day -- date, in 1943, Biro patented one of the early models of a ball point pen (it was as awful as the other early ones, though!)
Belmont Stakes -- Belmont, NY, US (149th Annual, the third jewel of the Triple Crown)
Betty Picnic -- the Betty Club, founded by Betty Wilder and Betty Patterson of Grant's Pass, Oregon, began hosting a picnic for all with their name in 1987, and want Bettys all over the world to have a Betty Picnic on the second Saturday of June each year
Big Mac Shoreline Spring Scenic Bike Tour -- Mackinaw City, MI, US (weekend bike tours of varying lengths along the beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline, with a concluding ride over the Mighty Mackinac Bridge; through tomorrow)
Billy the Kid Tombstone Race -- Fort Sumner, New Mexico (racers carry an 80 pound tombstone through an obstacle course! a tribute to the number of times the tombstone has been stolen over the years; there is also a triathlon)
Celtic Tree Month Duir (Oak) commences
Dia de Portugal e de Camoes -- Portugal (National Day)
GRABAAWR / GReat Annual Bicycle Adventure Along the Wisconsin River -- WI, US (fun bicycle adventures for all ages, levels, and abilities; through next Saturday)
Herbs & Spices Day
Holiday of the Wan Thing -- Fairy Calendar (the Wan Thing arrived in Fairyland this day and has sat there looking wan ever after, so the Fairies decided to give it its own holiday)
International Young Eagles Day -- Experimental Aircraft Association members and chapters focus on providing introductory flights to children 8-17
Kidspree -- Aurora, CO, US (free outdoor festival for kids; through tomorrow)
National Black Cow Day
National Iced Tea Day
Rape of Lidice/Lidice Memorial Day -- Czech Republic and Slovakia/New Jersey, US (in one of the most-remembered atrocities of WWII, the small town of Lidice, Czechoslovakia, was invaded by Nazi troops who murdered every man, burned every house, and sent all the women and children for "reeducation.")
Reconciliation Day -- Republic of the Congo
St. Brigid of Ireland's Day (Patron babies/infants/newborns, blacksmiths, boatmen/mariners/sailors/watermen, cattle, children whose parents are not married, dairymaids/dairy workers, fugitives, midwives, nuns, poets, poultry farmers, printing presses, scholars, travellers; Douglas, Lanarkshire, Scotland; Ireland; Ivrea, Turin, Italy; Kildare, Ireland; Leinster, Ireland)
Torigoe Matsuri -- Torigoe Jinja Shrine, Tokyo, Japan (festival and highlighting of Tokyo's largest Mikoshi[portable Shinto shrine]; through tomorrow)
Where the Wild Things Are Day -- birth anniversary of Maurice Sendak
World Wide Knit in Public Day -- better living through stitching together!
Anniversary Tday:
Alcoholics Anonymous is founded, 1925
Birthdays Today:
Joey Zimmerman, 1986
Tara Lipinski, 1982
Leelee Sobieski, 1982
Hoku Ho, 1981
Shane West, 1978
Doug McKeon, 1966
Elizabeth Hurley, 1965
Linda Evangelista, 1965
Jeanne Tripplehorn, 1963
Michael Burger, 1957
John Edwards, 1953
Jeff Greenfield, 1943
F. Lee Bailey, 1933
Maurice Sendak, 1928
Nat Hentoff, 1925
Judy Garland, 1922
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, 1921
Saul Bellow, 1915
Frederick Loewe, 1904
Hattie McDaniel, 1889
Debuting/Premiering Today:
"Tales from the Crypt"(TV), 1989
"Paperback Writer"(UK song release), 1966
"Tristan und Isolde"(Opera), 1865
Today in History:
Frederick Barbarossa drowns leading his troops across the Saleph River to attack Jerusalem in the Crusades, 1190
The first American log cabin is built, at Fort Christina in Wilmington, Delaware, 1639
Bridget Bishop becomes the first person hanged for witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts, 1692
Captain James Cook runs aground on the Great Barrier Reef, 1770
A landslide dam on the Dadu River created by an earthquake ten days earlier collapses, killing 100,000 in the Sichuan province of China, 1786
The Jardin des Plantes museum opens in Paris; a year later, it becomes the first public zoo, 1793
The first Boat Race between the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge takes place, 1829
Myall Creek Massacre in Australia: 28 Aboriginal Australians are murdered, 1838
The first class of the United States Naval Academy students graduate, 1854
Mount Tarawera in New Zealand erupts, killing 153 people and destroying the famous Pink and White Terraces, 1886
Americus Callahan of Chicago patents the window envelope, 1902
The inaugural service for the United Church of Canada, a union of Presbyterian, Methodist, and Congregationalist churches, is held in Toronto Arena, 1925
Dr. Robert Smith takes his last drink, and Alcoholics Anonymous is founded in Akron, Ohio, United States, by him and Bill Wilson, 1925
Six-Day War ends: Israel and Syria agree to a cease-fire, 1967
Apple ships its first Apple II personal computer, 1977
The Spirit Rover is launched, beginning NASA's Mars Exploration Rover mission, 2003
Twenty inches of rainfall in Escambia County, Florida damages roadways and bridges, and leaving parts of the Florida Panhandle and coastal Alabama under water, 2012
German authorities are forced to evacuate 10 villages as heavy rains swell the Elbe River, breaching its banks, 2013
Heavy monsoon rains cause the collapse of a partially-finished building on a residential block in Mumbai, India, 2013
Good stuff, and do have a nice travel. Greetings and best wishes!
ReplyDeleteI may be on our yacht club weekend, but I'm still coming with you. Virtually of course. ♥♥♥
ReplyDeleteIt must feel good to have all your work finished so you can enjoy a vacation with a clear mind.
ReplyDeleteI hope Ms. J showed her appreciation. It was probably better for her to not wait a week, get the eggs before they can hatch.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your well deserved vacation.
First on my list is that I am thankful to have you on my Bloglist!!
ReplyDeleteHave a great time on your vacation Mimi. Becareful of the sun's rays. This week we will be having many temperatures in the 90's. Ouch!
ReplyDeleteSee ya my friend.
Cruisin Paul
I hope you have a great trip. That is great that your daughter will be kitty sitting too.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy every moment. It is such a relief to leave without loose ends to worry about while you are gone. It seems your planning and hard work enabled you to really have well-deserved fun. Yay!
ReplyDeleteVery cool. (The hardest part of going on vacation sometimes is just getting in the car and getting on the road. Sounds like you're happily on your way).
ReplyDeleteHave a great vacay take plenty of photos for post!
I hope you have a wonderful and relaxing vacation! With all that physical labor, you have certainly earned some time to take it easy. Being able to play with a clean conscience makes it even more fun!
ReplyDeleteAmazing that there have been 11,000 adoptions! I hope you have a wonderful time away. There's nothing like a break from the day-to-day. I loved your nickname for your BIL 'The Mouth', that made me laugh!
ReplyDeleteI am not at all surprised that you fit this into your already packed schedule, "where there's a will there's a way" is surely your motto! :-) I am so glad you get to go on this wonderful vacation each year, we need those getaway times to look forward to, and such a lovely place to go! It sounds like your friend is going to be blessed by a visit with you while you're there too, I know that will do her heart good!
ReplyDeleteI am also glad you have your daughter to watch the house and furkids in your absence, that's a huge relief I know.
I am cheering for all those kitty adoptions, lives saved, both human and furry ones! <3
Cool weather, even for a couple days is a true blessing. We are running on a week of 100 degree days, and I so don't love them. I am thankful that I can for the most part stay in when it is the hottest.
I am sending thoughts and prayers for a fabulous vacation for you, we'll be eager to hear all the things you enjoyed about it when you return! Have a safe journey <3
How nice to have someone you trust to keep an eye on things while you are gone. I just had my sister and her family dog sit for me while I was away last week. Family helps each other out.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your travels and maybe, to cool off, a nice cold glass of ice tea.
:-)
My nephew is named after the boy in Where The Wild Things Are. Another great list of important dates and historical highlights and so thanks.
Kids are the sweetest. Can you imagine a grown-up giving a stranger the biggest anything they'd just gotten? We can learn some lessons.
ReplyDeleteAhh, a Florida vacation! We've gone there a few times and it's always so pretty, but the drive is looooong. We go to Galveston every few years; the beaches aren't as pretty as Florida's but it's only 12 hours away.
ReplyDeleteLove your description of your BIL and Bigger Girl!
Glad you got your work caught up and can enjoy your vacation! Have a safe trip and a wonderful time!