The Good Doctor's Advice

Just because Silly Sunday is no longer being hosted by Sandee doesn’t mean i’m going to quit with the Boudreaux jokes.

This past Friday, i had a run-in with a ladder at the cat shelter.  This particular household style stepladder is notoriously reluctant to fold down, and i was determined.  While i declare i won the war, as it did get folded and put away, it certainly won a battle as i ended up having to go to the after hours mini-ER and get the nice PA there to sew up the gash above my left eyebrow.  (Tomorrow i am upping my tetanus shot, just in case, too.) 

Right now i look like i went three rounds with the world champ, and i am considering making a sign that says, “No, my husband doesn’t hit me, but you should see the guy who did!”

Going to a medical office reminded me of Clothile, Boudreaux’s wife.

Boudreaux, he have him a temper, an’ Clothile she go her to Dr. Gaston to see if he gots any advice.

“Dr. Gaston,” say Clothile, “Boudreaux, dat man have him such a bad, bad temper!  He gets him so mad, I is afraid he goin’ bust somet’in’.  I jes’ don’ know me what to do.  Do you gots anyt’in’ I can do help Boudreaux?”

Well, Dr. Gaston he t’ink ‘bout dat for a moment, den he say, “Here be what I want you to do, Clothile.  When you see Boudreaux be gettin’ mad, I want you to go gets you a glass o’ water.  Put a big sip o’ dat water in you mouth, an’ start to swish it ‘round.  You jes’ swish an’ swish.  No matter what Boudreaux do or say, you jes’ swish, an’ don’ you swallow dat water until he be calm or he leave de room.”

‘Bout two week later, Clothile she done see Dr. Gaston in de store, an’ she stop him an’ say, “Dr. Gaston!  You’s not goin’ believe de different in Boudreaux!  He not be gettin’ him so mad any more!  He be jes’ as calm!  What in de world, how do de water do dat?”

An’ Dr. Gaston say, “Mais, it don’ be de water, it be dat you’s keepin’ you mouth close!”

Today is:

Christmas Festival in Salvador -- Salvador, Brazil (one fun party, with many different activities, that begins around now, lasts until New Year's Day)

Clean Air Act Day -- US (passed this day 1963; a day to give thanks for the air we breathe)

Cookie Cutter Day

Daniel the Prophet's Day -- Orthodox Catholic Feast Day

Feast of Babalu Aye -- Yoruba/Santeria (celebration of the healer of deadly diseases)

Feast of the Fairy Godmothers -- Fairy Calendar

Hagoita Ichi -- Sensoji Temple, Japan (sale of specially decorated paddles, called hagoita; through the 19th)

Icelandic Yuletide Lad of the Day, Askasleikir -- Bowl-licker, who hides under the bed and snatches bowls set on the floor to lick them clean

Kasuga Wakamiya Festival -- Nara, Japan (rarely performed traditional dances at a festival held every year since 1136)

National Day -- Bhutan

National Maple Syrup Day

Procession of Agnios Dionysios -- Zakynthos, Greece (one of the biggest festivals of the year, when the relics of this island's patron saint is honored)

Saturnalia begins (through Dec. 23) -- Ancient Roman Calendar (festival for Saturn, the planter god)

Sow Day -- Orkney Islands, Scotland (ritual slaughter of a sow for the Yule feast)

St. Lazarus of Bethany's Day

Take a New Year's Resolution to Stop Smoking -- Tanyrtss, the 25th annual campaign goes through February; make the decision now to improve your life and health next year   

Third Sunday of Advent -- Christian

     Lighting the Candle of Joy

Wright Brother's Day -- US

Anniversary Today:

Tiny Tim weds Miss Vicky, 1969

Birthdays Today:

Milla Jovovich, 1975

Duff Goldman, 1974

Sean Patrick Thomas, 1970

Mike Mills, 1958

Bill Pullman, 1954

Wes Studi, 1947

Eugene Levy, 1946

Chris Matthews, 1945

Ernie Hudson, 1945

Bernard Hill, 1944

Tommy Steele, 1936

Bob Guccione, 1930

William Safire, 1929

Willard Frank Libby, 1908

Arthur Fiedler, 1894

John Greenleaf Whittier, 1807

W. L. Mackenzie King, 1874

Joseph Henry, 1797

Deborah Sampson, 1760

William Floyd, 1734

Debuting/Premiering Today:

The Return of the King(Film), 2003

"The Simpsons"(TV), 1989

Turner Broadcasting System(Cable TV Network), 1976

"El Pessebre"(Casals' Oratorio), 1960

On The Beach(Film), 1959

Today in History:

The Ostrogoths of King Totila conquer Rome by bribing the Byzantine garrison, 546

Sultan Nasir-u Din Mehmud's armies in Delhi are defeated by Timur, 1398

Pope Paul III excommunicates England's King Henry VIII, 1538

Go-Yozei becomes Emperor of Japan, 1586

Shimabara Rebellion: Japanese peasants led by Amakusa Shiro rise against daimyo Matsukura Shigeharu, 1637

Congregation Shearith Israel of NY purchases a lot on Mill Street in lower Manhattan, to build NY's first synagogue, 1728

France recognizes independence of English colonies in America, 1777

Aztec calendar stone discovered in Mexico City, 1790

NYC traffic regulation creates first 1-way street, 1791

Opening of the first legislative assembly of Lower Canada in Quebec city, 1792

The US state of Kentucky abolishes debtors prisons, 1821

General Ulysses S. Grant issues General Order No. 11, expelling Jews from Tennessee, Mississippi, and Kentucky, 1862

First performance of the Unfinished Symphony by Franz Schubert, 1865

Violent riots in Montreal, as workers demand work or bread,1875

France declares Madagascar a protectorate, 1885

George Brownell patents a machine to make paper twine, 1895

A first prize of 100,00 francs is offered for communications with extraterrestrials but Martians are excluded - considered too easy, 1900

The Wright Brothers make their first successful flights, 1903

First flight of the Douglas DC-3 airplane, 1935

Ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and dummy Charlie McCarthy first appear on TV, 1936

The SALT I talks begin, 1969

Fernando Collor de Mello defeats Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the second round of the Brazilian presidential election, becoming the first democratically elected President in almost 30 years, 1989

SpaceShipOne flight 11P, piloted by Brian Binnie, makes its first supersonic flight, 2003

Jiroemon Kimura of Japan becomes the world's oldest verified man at 116 years old, 2012

NASA completes a successful mission to map the Moon’s gravity field, 2012

Angela Merkel is elected Chancellor of Germany for a third term, 2012

Martin Shkreli, CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals is arrested on fraud charges in New York by the FBI, 2015

Libyan warring political factions sign a UN-brokered deal to form a unified government, 2015