It wasn't exactly star quality material, she thought, but it ought to do.
Several sports items were in the bag, things boys were very likely to enjoy. None of them expensive, all of them picked to bring maximum fun for the budget she had.
They boys weren't going to see their dad at Christmas, he was far away, but that didn't mean he couldn't send his love through a message and a gift.
She had picked up the gifts, packaged them, and delivered them a few days before the big day.
Delivering gifts for far-away parents always reminded her to be grateful her family was together for the holidays.
Linking up with Zoe's Uncharted Blog, where she hosts Six Sentence Stories, and the cue is Star.
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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.
'Tis the season for even the fences and gates to be decorated.
Today is:
Divalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (part of Saturnalia; feast of Angerona, goddess of secret sorrows)
Flashlight Day -- what better day, at least in the Northern Hemisphere, when dark is with us longest, to make sure you have one in good working order
Forefathers' Day -- Plymouth, MA, US (celebrates the landing of the Pilgrims)
Homeless Persons' Memorial Day -- US
Humbug Day -- those frustrated with their holiday preparations are allowed up to 12 humbugs today, just to help vent their frustrations; sponsored by Wellcat Holidays
Icelandic Yuletide Lad of the Day, Gluggagaegir -- Peeper, who peeps through the windows and will come steal toys he likes the look of
Kiwi Fruit Day -- California, US (celebrate with them, these are good!)
Look At the Bright Side Day -- Northern Hemisphere, and why not; after all, each day after this will have more sun!
National Hamburger Day
Pancha Ganapati -- India (through the 25th, a modern Hindu festival honoring of Lord Ganesha, Patron of Arts and Culture)
Phileas Fogg Wins A Wager Day (1872)
Poseidea -- Ancient Greek Calendar (festival to honor Poseidon; date approximate)
Solstice -- Northern Hemisphere Winter begins/Southern Hemisphere Summer begins at 16:28UTC
Anne and Samantha Day -- celebrating the lives of Anne Frank and Samantha Smith, a day to work and pray for world peace
Alban Arthuan -- Druid Festival, 4th Station; through the solstice
Bruma -- Ancient Roman Calendar
Dongzhi Festival -- East Asia (literal meaning, "Extreme of Winter")
Festival of Isis -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (celebration of the seeking of Osiris by Isis and her resurrection of him)
National Haiku Poetry Day -- US (because haiku is traditionally about the seasons, it's celebrated on the first day of winter)
Wild Hunt reaches its peak -- various Norse traditions
Soyala New Year Festival -- Hopi and Zuni Native Americans (a festival of purification as well as celebration, with homes cleaned, fires doused, and personal restraint observed)
Yalda -- Iran (Persian/Zoroastrian winter solstice festival; to celebrate the longest night of the year, many stay up for the fight against dark and evil.)
Yule/Jul/Jol Festivals begin -- various calendars, religions, countries and observances, both ancient and modern
Yule -- Wicca/Pagan, northern hemisphere
Litha -- Wicca/Pagan, southern hemisphere
from the Old Norse Hjol, meaning "wheel" to signify the year is at its lowest point and ready to rise again
Ziemassvetki -- Ancient Latvian Calendar (birth of Dievs, highest of the gods; modern Latvians celebrate this on Christmas Eve/Christmas, but it was originally a three day solstice festival)
St. Peter Canisius' Day (Patron of Catholic press, Germany, writers of catechisms)
St. Thomas' Day, the Doubting Thomas (old date, now celebrated on July 3, but many of the superstitions related to it are still observed at this time)
Mumping Day a/k/a Gooding Day -- UK (traditional day on which beggars beg for, or "mump", good things for Christmas, always on old St. Thomas' Day)
Sao Tome Day -- Sao Tome e Principe (Dia de Sao Tome e Principe)
Birthdays Today:
Jackson Rathbone, 1984
Jack Noseworthy, 1969
Kiefer Sutherland, 1966
Andy Dick, 1965
Florence Griffith Joyner, 1959
Ray Romano, 1957
Jane Kaczmarek, 1955
Chris Evert, 1954
Tina Brown, 1953
Samuel L. Jackson, 1948
Michael Tilson Thomas, 1944
Frank Zappa, 1940
Jane Fonda, 1937
Phil Donahue, 1935
Joe Paterno, 1926
Paul Winchell, 1922
Heinrich Böll, 1917
Josh Gibson, 1911
Joseph Stalin, 1879
Henrietta Szold, 1860
Benjamin Disraeli, 1804
Debuting/Premiering Today:
"Billion Dollar Baby"(Musical), 1945
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs(Disney animated film), 1937
Tillie's Punctured Romance(Silent Film, first full length comedy), 1914
The Crossword Puzzle(First one ever published, 1913
Basketball, 1891 (first game under the direction of James Naismith, by the rules he had published)
Today in History:
A hurricane hits Holland/Friesland, destroying villages with widespread flooding, 1163
The Battle of Curalaba: The revolting Mapuche Native Americans, led by cacique Pelentaru, inflict a major defeat on Spanish troops in southern Chile; all Spanish cities south of the Biobio river are eventually taken by the Mapuches, and all conquest of Mapuche territories by Europeans practically ceases, until the 1870s "Pacification of Araucania", 1598
William Bradford and the Mayflower Pilgrims land on what is now known as Plymouth Rock in Plymouth, Massachusetts, 1620
Hue Tay Son becomes emperor Quang Trung of Vietnam, 1788
The Rochdale Pioneers commence business at their cooperative in Rochdale, England, starting the Cooperative movement, 1844
The first Permanent Force cavalry and infantry regiments of the Canadian Army are formed: The Royal Canadian Dragoons and The Royal Canadian Regiment, 1883
The first Word-Cross puzzle, which the printer mislabeled as a Cross-Word (the name that stuck), is published in the New York World, 1913
The first feature length color and sound cartoon, Disney's Snow White, premiers, 1937
Rondane National Park is established as Norway's first national park, 1962
Apollo 8, the first manned mission to the moon, is launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew performs the first ever manned Trans Lunar Injection and become the first humans to leave Earth's gravity, 1968
The United Nations adopts the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, 1969
Mexican volcano Popocatepetl, dormant for 47 years, erupts gases and ash, 1994
The city of Bethlehem passes from Israeli to Palestinian control, 1995
Scientists studying the Sutter's Mill Meteorite announce it contains the oldest material in the Solar System, 2012
Lovely six sentences. Christmas can be a hard time for many, especially if they are absent.
ReplyDeleteVery nice. In 40 years of marriage I spent 2 Christmases with my parents. Now they are gone and I regret it
ReplyDeleteWonderful sentences and I loved the Christmas fences. Well done Mimi. See ya.
ReplyDeleteCruisin Paul
Well done :) The fences are all pretty too.
ReplyDeleteMimi,
ReplyDeleteI think Christmas presents shopping should always been on budget. I think people spend way too much and forgetting the real reason for the season while they loss their heads. Nicely done on the story! Great fence photos - so festive! Let's see which celebrity birthdays strike a personal chord with me. Ah, Kiefer was born the same year as my baby brother. Jane Fonda is a year older than my daddy. Samuel L. Jackson is three years younger than my mother. It's National Hamburger Day! Yum, I love hamburgers! My in-laws always did crossword puzzles for many years. I guess the last time I saw my FIL do one was the year before my MIL passed. What a nice day to associate with two very special people!
Very timely and, as always, nicely engaging and a good read.
ReplyDeleteI love to read your stories. They are very well done and very engaging.
ReplyDeleteLove the holiday fences. Some people go all out at Christmas.
Have a fabulous day. ♥
I think far too little focus is placed on what really matters at Christmas, and far too much on the material gifting. Family, faith, friends, and time spent together. That matters.
ReplyDeleteYou do those six sentences so well. I hope you're enjoying the holidays. Merry Christmas.
ReplyDeleteLove this! And I can't help suspecting it's somewhat autobiographical? You seem just the generous sort to do something like this. Always on the lookout for others.
ReplyDeleteHappy holidays and yes, for those of us who have loved ones nearby, there is much to be thankful for!
Those six sentences are just great. And we especially like the fences all lit up. You all have some Happy Holidays.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of the goddess of secret sorrows before, but I think I have just found my own personal deity!
ReplyDeleteInteresting post. I have some lighted fences too. Happy Christmas!
ReplyDeleteLovely fences
ReplyDeleteSweet. Doing and giving for others; you have given a great response.
ReplyDelete