Wordless and then Wordy Wednesday

Linking up with Wordless Wednesday.

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This month, River is hosting 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: 

This week's words are:

1. puffing

2. candles

3. confused

4. fishing

5. supreme

6. almost

and/or:

1. eight

2. despicable

3. banner

4. shave

5. flowers

6. frowning

He walked in from his FISHING trip tired, hungry, and needing a SHAVE.  The sudden noise of everyone yelling "Surprise!" CONFUSED him and made him ALMOST jump out of his skin.

There was a "Happy Birthday" BANNER over the dining table that was decorated with FLOWERS and a cake with CANDLES all ready to be lit.  EIGHT of his friends were gathered, smiling with the knowledge that they had pulled it off.

He had the DESPICABLE thought of turning around, getting in his truck, and heading back down to his fishing camp.  He knew, though, that these people cared about him and were trying to do something nice for him.  With SUPREME effort, he resisted FROWNING and asked leave of them to take a quick shower.  He didn't let them see as he was PUFFING out his cheeks and shaking his head on his way down the hall.  He would come back and enjoy the party, and sleep in tomorrow.

Today is:

American Quilter's Society Quilt Exposition -- Grand Rapids, MI, US (their largest show; through Saturday)

Baba Au Rhum Day -- of course, on rum day, bake some cake with the stuff!

Bratwurst Day

Children's Day -- Paraguay

Daimonji Bonfire -- Mt. Nyoigadake, Kyoto, Japan (spectacular bonfires in the shapes of word pictures on the mountains surrounding the city)

Elvis Presley Day -- can you believe he's been gone 40 years?

Festival of the Minstrels -- Tutbury Castle, UK (middle ages; celebrated with great pomp, as the Duke of Lancaster had decreed that they each year elect a new king of the minstrels)

Fete de l'Independance -- Gabon (National Day)

Harmonic Convergence Day -- modern followers of Maya and Aztec calendars

Joe Miller's Joke Day -- anniversary of the death of English comic actor Joseph Miller in 1738

Madonna del Voto Day -- Siena, Italy (a/k/a Palio dell'Assunta, 2nd of the traditional yearly horse races)

National Airborne Day -- US (honors all Airborne Military)

National Medical Dosimetrist's Day -- American Association of Medical Dosimetrists (medical radiation safety experts) 

National Tell a Joke Day -- seems internet generated, but probably related to Joe Miller Joke Day

National Rum Day

Remember What Your Spouse Wore the First Time You Met Day -- internet generated and dangerous!

Restoration of the Republic -- Dominican Republic

Roller Coaster Day -- the first one was patented this day in 1898

St. Roch's Day (Patron of bachelors, dogs, falsely accused people, invalids, surgeons, tile makers; of over 20 cities in Italy as well as Istanbul, Turkey; for relief from pestilence; against cholera, diseased cattle, epidemics, knee problems, plague [Black Death], skin diseases and rashes) 

St. Stephen of Hungary's Day (Patron of bricklayers, kings, masons, stonecutters; Hungary; against the death of children)

Xicolatada -- Palau-de-Cerdagne, France (hot chocolate festival)*

Anniversary Today:

Sean Penn marries Madonna, 1985

Paul Simon marries Carrie Fisher, 1983

Gioachino Antonio Rossini marries Olympe Pélissier, 1846

Birthdays Today:

Seth Peterson, 1970

Steve Carell, 1963

Laura Innes, 1960

Timothy Hutton, 1960

Angela Bassett, 1958

Madonna, 1958

Jeff Perry, 1955

James Cameron, 1954

Kathie Lee Gifford, 1953

Reginald VelJohnson, 1952

Leslie Ann Warren, 1946

Julie Newmar, 1935

Eydie Gorme, 1932

Frank Gifford, 1930

Ann Blyth, 1928

Fess Parker, 1925

Menachem Begin, 1913

George Meany, 1894

T. E. Lawrence (of Arabia), 1888

Bernarr Macfadden, 1868

Amos Alonzo Stagg, 1862

Hongxi Emperor of China, 1378

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Siegfried"(Opera, WWV 86C), 1876

Today in History:

Henry VIII defeats the French at the Battle of Guinegate/Battle of the Spurs, forcing the French to retreat, 1513

Jack Broughton formulates the earliest code of rules for boxing, 1743

Chang and Eng Bunker, the original "Siamese" twins, arrive in Boston to be exhibited, 1829

U.S. President James Buchanan inaugurates the new transatlantic telegraph cable by exchanging greetings with Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, 1858

Arica, Peru (now Chile) is devastated by a tsunami which followed a magnitude 8.5 earthquake, 1868

Gold is discovered in the Klondike, at Bonanza Creek, 1896

Edwin Prescott patents the roller coaster, 1898

In Valparaiso, Chile, an 8.6 earthquake followed by fire destroys the city and kills 20,000, 1906

The first color sound cartoon, called Fiddlesticks, is made by Ub Iwerks, 1930

Democrats nominate Adlai E. Stevenson as presidential candidate, 1956

Joseph Kittinger parachutes from a balloon over New Mexico at 102,800 feet (31,300 m), setting three records that still stand today: High-altitude jump, free-fall, and highest speed by a human without an aircraft, 1960

A solar flare from the Sun creates a geomagnetic storm that affects micro chips, leading to a halt of all trading on Toronto's stock market, 1989

For only 2nd time Stanley Cup leaves North America (heads to Russia), 1997

In England, two men who created a Facebook site to incite violence during the riots are sentenced to four years imprisonment, 2011

*Yes, they celebrate a hot chocolate festival in the summer.  It all started when the 15th of August was a feast day on which the locals always drank a bit much, and the chocolatier of the town claimed his brew was a good remedy the day after.  The original festival on the 15th has ceased, but the hot chocolate is brewed to this day, served at 11am promptly.