Odd Place to Take a Break (Wordless Wednesday) and House (Words for Wednesday)

Linking up with Wordless Wednesday.

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This month, Cindi 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: 

1. Forgotten

2. Sorrow

3. Rustling

4. Darkness

5. Unbroken

6. Window

and/or

1. Perched

2. Grim

3. Beast

4. Soul

5. Disaster

6. Ominous

She pulled her coat tighter around her, the wind feeling like a GRIM BEAST that was tearing at the fabric to try to get inside.

As DARKNESS descended, the RUSTLING of the leaves sounded more OMINOUS than she ever remembered.  Long FORGOTTEN SORROW was creeping nearer, PERCHED to swoop down and take over her SOUL again.

Once she reached the old house, she peeked through the only still UNBROKEN WINDOW she could reach.  She had expected it to be bad, but nothing could have prepared her for the DISASTER she saw inside.

Today is:

Balloons Around the World -- balloon artists around the world are encouraged to donate an hour or more to a charity of their choice in their community, entertaining children everywhere with balloon sculpture

Buttering-Up Final -- Fairy Calendar

Change a Light Day -- US (was originally sponsored by EnergyStar, promoting energy saving light bulbs; although they don't seem to be running this particular campaign any more, it's a great idea to switch to the highest efficiency bulbs you can) 

    while the original dates were on Wednesdays, some websites list this on the first Sunday

Festival of Hathor -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Golf Lovers' Day -- internet generated, enjoy if you love golf

Ieiunium Cereris -- Ancient Roman Calendar (fast for the goddess Ceres)

Improve Your Office Day -- and water that plant while you are at it!

Independence Day -- Lesotho(1966)

International Toot Your Flute Day -- an internet generated day for shameless self promotion

International Walk to School/Bike to School Day -- to promote both healthy exercise and less pollution 

Kanelbullens Dag -- Sweden (cinnamon roll day)

National Ship in a Bottle Day -- another one i can't find a source for, but it's listed everywhere

National Taco Day

Nihonmatsu Lantern Festival -- Nihonmatsu, Japan (one of Japan's 3 largest lantern festivals; through the 6th)

Nottingham Goose Fair -- Nottingham, England (dating back to at least 1284, what began as a fair market so people could stock up on food supplies for winter is now a fun festival with rides and games; through Sunday)

Peace and National Reconciliation Day -- Mozambique

Semana Morazanica, una Fiestas Patrias -- Honduras (through Friday)

St. Francis of Assisi's Day (Patron of animal welfare societies, animals, birds, ecologists, ecology, environment and environmentalists, families, lace makers/lace workers, merchants, needle workers, peace, tapestry workers, zoos; Italy, especially Assisi, as well as several other cities around the world; against dying alone, fire)

    Blessing of the Animals Day -- at many Catholic Churches, in honor of the Saint (some churches, even non-Catholic ones, will hold their blessing events this coming Sunday)

St. Petronius' Day (Patron of Bologna, Italy)

10-4 Day (C.B. 'ers) -- fourth day of the tenth month, ten-four, good buddy, etc.

Tewa Deer Dance -- Tewa Native Americans (celebrating the cosmic duality of the feminine and masculine, and honoring male and female ancestors; through the 7th)

Vodka Day -- internet generated

World Animal Day -- International 

World Space Week begins -- International

Anniversaries Today

The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 1, 1957

The Soviet Union launches Luna 3, 1959 (first satellite to photograph the moon's distant side)

Birthdays Today:

Rachael Leigh Cook, 1979

Alicia Silverstone, 1976

Abraham Benrubi, 1969

Christoph Waltz, 1956

Anita DeFrantz, 1952

Armand Assante, 1949

Susan Sarandon, 1946

Clifton Davis, 1945

Anne Rice, 1941

Jackie Collins, 1937

Alvin Toffler, 1928

Charlton Heston, 1924

Buster Keaton, 1895

Damon Runyon, 1884

Edward Stratemeyer, 1862

Frederic S. Remington, 1861

Rutherford B. Hayes, 1822

Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine, 1807

Debuting/Premiering Today

"The Alvin Show"(TV), 1961

Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major(Shostakovich Op. 107), 1959

"Leave It To Beaver"(TV), 1957

Snoopy, in the Peanuts Comic strip, 1950

Dick Tracy(Comic strip), 1931

Today in History:

One of the largest naval battles in history, the Battle of Lake Poyang, ends when the Chinese rebel forces of Zhu Yuanzhang defeat Chen Youliang, 1363

The first full English translation of the Bible, sometimes called the Matthew Bible, which contained the work of translators William Tyndale and Miles Coverdale, is printed in Switzerland, 1537

Pope Gregory XIII's calendar adjustment that bears his name takes effect, with tomorrow being not Oct. 5, but Oct. 15, 1582

Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts drafts its first code of law, 1636

Peter Stuyvesant establishes America's first volunteer fire department, 1648

Christian Huygens patents the pocket watch, 1675

The state of Belgium is created after separation from the Netherlands, 1830

The New Orleans Tribune becomes the first black daily newspaper, 1864

The Orient Express, linking Turkey to Europe by rail, makes its first run, 1883

Norman Rockwell's Willie Gillis character debuts on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post, 1941

The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty is opened for signature, 1991

The Rome General Peace Accords ends a 16 year civil war in Mozambique, 1992

NATO confirms invocation of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, 2001

SpaceShipOne wins Ansari X Prize for private spaceflight, by being the first private craft to fly into space, 2004

What is believed to be the oldest high-altitude human settlement is found in Kokoda, Papua New Guinea, 2010

At the Ceatec 2012 show in Tokyo, Nissan unveils the NSC-2015, an electric car that can drive and park itself and recognize some road signs, 2012