A to Z: Zillions (Awww Monday) and Zeal (Sparks!)

(Because some people like Blogger and some like WordPress, i am putting the same content at both.  If you would prefer to read this on the other site, it is linked here.)

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Awww Monday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus.

Join us every Monday for Awww...Mondays.  Post a picture that makes you say Awww... and that's it.

Make sure you get the code from Sandee's site, linked above, and leave a link to your post so we can visit you.  What better way to start the week than with a smile!

Z is for Zillions, because that's how much we love our Little Girl.  She is 20 today, our little baby, our soldier.

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The wonderful Annie of McGuffy's Reader has started the blog hop called Sparks as a way to put more positive energy into the world.  Join her in combating the often negative influence of social media by adding your own Spark!

I believe we are meant to be lights in this world. If we allow our light to shine, we can see where we are going. It is then that we can begin to truly see each other clearly. Together, we can light up the entire world! ~ McGuffy Ann Morris

My "Spark" for the day

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To enjoy more blogs participating in the A to Z Challenge, click here.

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Today is:

Armed Forces Day -- Georgia

Birthday of the King / Konungens födelsedag -- Sweden (HM King Carl XVI Gustav; an official flag day)

Bugs Bunny Day -- while some consider his debut to have been in "A Wild Hare," released in July two years later, other say that Bugs was the rabbit in "Porky's Hare Hunt," relased this date in 1938

Camarón Day -- French Foreign Legion

Carnival Day -- Sint Maarten

Consumer Protection Day -- Thailand

Díá De Los Niños/Díá De Los Libros -- American Library Association (Children Day/Book Day; a celebration that emphasizes the importance of literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds)

Dia de Rincon -- Rincon, Bonaire

El Dia del Nino -- Mexico (Children's Day)

Fairy Queen's Birthday -- Fairy Calendar

Faeriae Latinae -- Ancient Roman Calendar (Feast of the Latin League, a festival to honor Jupiter)

International Jazz Day -- UNESCO (originated with the New Jersey Jazz Society and sanctioned by the United Nations Jazz Society, the American Federation of Jazz Societies, and the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society) 

Lailat al-Bara'ah (Shab Barat) -- Islam (Night of Forgiveness, a preparation for Ramadan; begins at sunset, local custom dates may vary)

Liberation/Reunification Day -- Vietnam

May Eve -- eve of the first day of summer in many traditions, including

    Beltane/Samhain Eve -- Pagan traditions

    Carodejnice -- Czech Republic; Slovakia

    Maitag Vorabend -- Switzerland 

    Mange les Morts -- Haiti (festival of the dead)

    Salus -- Portugal; Spain (festival of the dead)

    Valborgsmässoafton -- Sweden

    Walpurgis Night -- Ancient Celtic/Nordic Calendars

Mr. Potato Head Day -- the classic toy went on sale this day in 1952, and you used your own potato

National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day -- US (can't find a sponsoring organization, but it's not a bad idea)

National Honesty Day -- including Honest Abe Awards (Abies) and dishonorable mentions for those who have been particularly publicly egregious; celebrated today because we began the month with April Fooling and lies, so today is to celebrate the opposite*

National Raisin Day

St. Adjutor of Vernon's Day (Patron of drowning victims, sailors, swimmers, yatchsmen; Vernon, France; against drowning)

St. James the Great's Day -- Orthodox Christian

Teacher's Day -- Paraguay

Theravadin New Year -- Buddhist (through tomorrow; dates and length of celebration can vary locally)

*to nominate someone for an Abie or a dishonorable mention, contact M. Hirsh Goldberg, founder and author of The Book of Lies, mhgoldberg@comcast.net)

Anniversaries Today:

Pele marries Assiria Seixas Lemos, 1994

The Organization of American States is founded, 1948

Louisiana becomes the 18th US state, 1812

Birthdays Today:

Dianna Agron, 1986

Kirsten Dunst, 1982

Johnny Galecki, 1975

Jeff Timmons, 1973

Carolyn Dawn Johnson, 1971

Adrian Pasdar, 1965

Michael Waltrip, 1963

Isiah Thomas, 1961

Stuart Mathis, 1960

Stephen Harper, 1959

Jane Campion, 1954

Perry King, 1948

Carl XVI Gustav, King of Sweden, 1946

Michael J. Smith, 1945

Jill Clayburgh, 1944

Burt Young, 1940

Gary Collins, 1938

Willie Nelson, 1933

Cloris Leachman, 1926

Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, 1909

Eve Arden, 1908

Ellis Wilson, 1899

Louise Dilworth Beatty Homer, 1871

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Barnum"(Musical), 1980

"The Dresser"(Play), 1980

"Inside U.S.A."(Musical revue), 1948

"Arthur Godfrey Time"(Radio), 1945

"Pelleas et Melisande"(Opera), 1902

"Dmitri Donskoi"(Opera), 1852

"Love for Love"(Play), 1695

Today in History:

Supernova  SN 1006, the brightest supernova in recorded history, appears in the constellation  Lupus, 1006

Orbital calculations suggest that on this day, Pluto moved inside Neptune's orbit until July 23, 1503, 1483

Columbus is given a royal commission to equip his fleet, 1492

On the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York City, George Washington takes the oath of office to become the first elected President of the United States, 1789

The United States purchases the Louisiana Territory from France, 1803

Nicaragua  declares independence from the Central American Federation, 1838

Casey Jones dies in a train wreck in Vaughn, Mississippi, while trying to 

make up time on the Cannonball Express, 1900

Honolulu, Hawaii becomes an independent city, 1907

Peru becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty, 1920

Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford become the first celebrities to leave their footprints in concrete at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, 1927

The animated cartoon short Porky's Hare Hunt debuts in movie theaters, introducing Happy Rabbit (a prototype of Bugs Bunny, 1938

In Bogotá, Colombia, the Organization of American States is established, 1948

The Bristol Bus Boycott is held in Bristol to protest the Bristol Omnibus Company's refusal to employ Black or Asian bus crews, drawing national attention to racial discrimination in the United Kingdom, 1963

Communist forces gain control of Saigon and the Vietnam War formally ends, 1975

Accession of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, 1980

CERN announces World Wide Web protocols will be free, 1993

Cambodia joins the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, 1999

Two skeletal remains found near Ekaterinburg, Russia are confirmed by Russian scientists to be the remains of Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia and one of his sisters, 2008

Chrysler automobile company files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, 2009

Hailed as the largest World's Fair in history, Expo 2010 opens in Shanghai, China, 2010

Born without a trachea, a 2-year-old Korean-Canadian child is the youngest patient in history to receive a bioengineered organ made from stem cells; she received the transplanted organ at the Children's Hospital of Illinois, 2013

Medical Mayhem (Cajun Joke) and Sunday Selections

(Because some people like Blogger and some like WordPress, i am putting the same content at both.  If you would prefer to read this on the other site, it is linked here.)

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Just because Sandee, of Comedy Plus, has stopped hosting the Silly Sunday hop, don't expect me to quit telling Cajun jokes.

A few days ago, i got an email from Addie at the shelter letting me know it was time for my kittens to get their second dose of wormer and their first shots.  When i went in on Friday to clean, i picked up three doses of 4-in-1 and a big syringe full of Strongid.

Little Brother took his medicine with hardly a squirm and his vaccine without a peep.  Big Sister made a tiny "mew" when i gave her the shot, but that was it.

Then there was Little Sister.  She screamed.  She squirmed.  She moved around so much that she ended up bleeding just a little after, and she would not keep still for me to put pressure on it, so she made it that much harder on herself.

You would think, from the way she behaved, that i haven't got a clue what i am doing, and i used to be the only one they called when they had to give subcutaneous fluids to cats at the shelter because i've done it so much.  It reminds me of Boudreaux and Thibodeaux.

Boudreaux done know dat Thibodeaux needed him a operation, so he ax, "Thibodeaux, how did de operation go?"

An' Thibodeaux say, "It don't go, I done run away from the operatin' room, an' I ain't goin' back!"

So Boudreaux say, "Mais, what happen dat you run away?"

An' Thibodeaux say, "I done hear de nurse say, 'It be okay, don' be nervous,' an' den she say, 'You don' have be afraid, dis be a small operation,' an' den I gets outta dere quick!"

Den Boudreaux say, "But Thibodeaux, de nurse jes' be tryin' to make you feel better!"

An' Thibodeaux say, "Mais, no!  She don' be sayin' dat to me, she be sayin' it to de surgeon!"

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Sunday Selections was started as a way for bloggers to use photos that might otherwise just languish in their files.  It is now hosted by River at Drifting Through Life.  

We have a lovely view from our front porch swing.  We can see the pet geranium, the Sago palm that is regrowing after it froze this winter, and watch sunsets.

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Today is:

Arita Ceramic Fair -- Arita, Japan (finest porcelain in Japan; during Golden Week until May 5)

Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day -- this one has its own Facebook page   

Cheng Cheng Kung Landing Day -- Taiwan (352nd anniversary of the landing in Taiwan of Ming Dynasty loyalist Cheng Cheng Kung to oust the Dutch colonists)

Feast of the Secret Masters -- can't find any real info on this one, and why should i if it's such a secret, but it is fun to think about

Fish Cleaning Night -- sponsored by David Letterman (it's okay if you don't have an audience, or Mariel Hemingway)

Full Pink Moon -- a/k/a Full Sprouting Moon, Grass Moon, Egg Moon, White Moon, Virgin Moon, and Fish Moon; in other traditions

    Bak Full Moon Poya Day -- Sri Lanka

    Tagu Full Moon -- Myanmar

Helena Railroad Fair -- Helena, MT, US (largest railroad hobby event in the area)

International Dance Day -- International Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute (ITI), a UNESCO partner   

Landsgemeinde -- Appenzell, Inner Rhoden Canton, Switzerland (one of the last examples of direct democracy left; the final Sunday of each April all voters in the canton age 18 and older, wearing traditional swords, gather for a church service and then vote directly on all affairs of the canton for the year; no secret ballots, all raise their hands to vote yea or nay; festival follows.  This tradition dates back to the 14th century.)

Milk-Curdling Sunday -- Fairy Calendar (Gremlins)

Mother, Father Deaf Day -- to honor deaf parents and recognize the gifts of culture and language they give to their hearing children; sponsored by CODA (Children of Deaf Adults International) 

National Adult Public Skipping Day -- because somebody out there either wants you to feel like a kid again, or make a fool of you

National Shrimp Scampi Day

"Peace" Rose Day -- an explanation of this name for the Rosa 'Madame A.' Meilland variety    

Pet Parent's Day -- honoring those who consider pets a part of the family

Remembrance of Victims of Chemical Weapons -- on the day chemical weapons were outlawed in 1997

Ridvan, Ninth Day -- Baha'i (one of the festival days on which work and school should be suspended)

Runic Half Month of Lagu (water) begins

Showa No Hi -- Japan (Showa Day, the birth anniversary of Emperor Showa, begins the Golden Week holiday period of four major national days, through May 5)

Solar Alignment at Teotihuacan, City of the Gods -- Teotihuacan, Mexico (the ritual cave opening aligns to the sunset on Aug. 12 and Apr. 29, the same horizon position of the setting of the Pleiades)

Southern Appalachian Dulcimer Festival -- Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park, McCalla, AL, US (through next Sunday)

St. Catherine of Siena's Day (Patron of fire prevention, firefighter, nurses, nursing services, people ridiculed for piety, sick people; Europe; Italy; Theta Phi Alpha Sorority; Allentown, PA, US; Siena, Italy; Verazze, Italy; against bodily ills/sickness, fire, miscarriages, sexual temptation)

Turkmen Racing Horse Festival -- Turkmenistan

Vaisakhi/Baisakhi -- Sikh (celebration of the spring grain harvest and of the rebirth of the Sikh religion in the 15th Century)

Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day -- anyone, anywhere in the world who makes a pinhole photograph today may upload it to the world wide online gallery    

World Wish Day -- from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, marking the date in 1980 that local police let seven-year-old leukemia patient Chris Grecicius be an officer for a day, sparking the idea of the Make-a-Wish Foundation

Zipper Day -- while i can't confirm it, the modern zipper was supposedly patented on this day in 1913

Anniversaries Today:

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, marries Catherine "Kate" Middleton, 2011

Mike Nichols marries Diane Sawyer, 1988

Princess Irene marries Prince Carel Hugo de Bourbon Parma, 1964

Birthdays Today:

Andre Agassi, 1970

Uma Thurman, 1970

Carnie Wilson, 1968

Eve Plumb, 1958

Michelle Pfeiffer, 1958

Daniel Day-Lewis, 1957

Kate Mulgrew, 1955

Jerry Seinfeld, 1954

Nora Dunn, 1952

Dale Earnhardt, 1951

Johnny Miller, 1947

Zubin Mehta, 1936

Lane Smith, 1936

Rod McKuen, 1933

Robert Gottlieb, 1931

Celeste Holm, 1919

Tom Ewell, 1909

Hirohito, 1901

Duke Ellington, 1899

William Randolph Hearst, 1863

Oliver Ellsworth, 1745

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Hair"(Musical), 1968

"ABC's Wide World of Sports"(TV), 1961

"Young Dr. Malone"(Radio), 1940

"There Shall be No Night"(Play), 1940

Roget's Thesaurus(Publication date), 1852

Violin Sonata No. 32 in B-flat major(Mozart K. 454), 1784

Today in History:

The Moors arrive at Gibraltar to begin their invasion of the Iberian Peninsula, 711

Joan of Arc arrives at Orleans to relieve the siege, 1492

Francis Drake leads a raid in the Bay of Cádiz, sinking at least 23 ships of the Spanish fleet, 1587

Eleven Dutch ships depart for the conquest of Peru, 1623

The Ming Dynasty occupies Taiwan, 1661

James Cook arrives at and names Botany Bay, Australia, 1770

The French Fleet prevents Britain from seizing the Cape of Good Hope, 1781

Peter Roget publishes the first edition of his Thesaurus, 1852

The "Elektromote" – forerunner of the trolleybus  – is tested by Ernst Werner von Siemens in Berlin, 1882

Gideon Sundbach of Hoboken, NJ, receives a patent for the zipper, 1913

The North Sea floodgate at Ijmuiden, the biggest in world, officially opens, 1930

The telephone connection of England-Australia goes into service, 1930

The first U.S. experimental 3D-TV broadcast airs, and episode of "Space Patrol" shown over ABC affiliate KECA in Los Angeles, 1953

The first military nuclear power plant opens, in Ft. Belvoir 1957

A cyclone strikes the Chittagong  district of southeastern Bangladesh with winds of around 155 mph, killing at least 138,000 people and leaving as many as 10 million homeless, 1991

Oldsmobile  builds its final car ending 107 years of production, 2004

Syria completes withdrawal from Lebanon, ending 29 years of occupation, 2005

Economic losses mount and class action lawsuits are filed as the U.S. Coast Guard plans a controlled burn to remove spilled oil from the Deepwater Horizon disaster, 2010

The discovery in China of a new birdlike dinosaur with membranous wings similar to those of a bat is announced, 2015

A to Z: Yes, i am thankful. (Ten Things of Thankful)

(Because some people like Blogger and some like WordPress, i am putting the same content at both.  If you would prefer to read this on the other site, it is linked here.) 

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Why, i wondered, did the letter Y have to fall on Saturday, when i list my thankfuls?  Then i realized, i shouldn't grouse, but instead be grateful.

For what shall i be grateful today?  And it has to start with Y.  Let's see.

Well, how about you. And you.  And you, too.  To the collective You who read my silly meanderings, i am thankful for you.  Many of you comment, and i am most grateful.  You make this a fun endeavor.

Yesterday -- i am grateful for yesterday.  Thankful that i got through cleaning two houses, the cat shelter, and helping serve the dinner at the Presbytery meeting at the church.  Then getting this post ready, which i almost ran out of time to do!

Believe it or not, i am thankful for the ability to yawn.  Also i am grateful for how cute a kitten yawn is.

The cheerful color yellow is a day brightener.

It makes me thankful to know that i don't have to yell unless the house is on fire.

Youth is a beautiful thing.  Age is lovely, too, don't get me wrong.  It's nice, though, to have young people around.

Being short, my yardstick comes in handy for dislodging things that are up high and getting them to fall to where i can reach them.

While i never got the hang of a yo-yo when i was a kid (mine would always just yo), i am thankful to be able to watch other people do neat tricks with them.

The aging yearbooks on my shelf are fun to pull down once in so often for reminiscing.

Yoga.  When i can make myself take the time to do it, i do feel better after.

Josie Two Shoes is the wonderful hostess of Ten Things of Thankful.  Why not join the party and link up your list of thankfuls today?

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To enjoy more blogs participating in the A to Z Challenge, click here.

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Today is:

Biological Clock Day -- the "biological clock gene" that governs the`circadian rhythm in mice was isolated on this day in 1994

Chicken-Tickling Day -- Fairy Calendar (Leprechauns)

Cubicle Day -- ??? 

Eeyore's Birthday -- Austin, TX, US (Eeyore never need feel forgotten again; Austin celebrates his birthday as a fundraiser for local charities, with fun for all)

Feast of Jamal(Beauty) -- Baha'i

Festival of Floralia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (three day festival to Flora, goddess of flowers and vegetation)

Foxfield Races -- Charlottesville, VA, US (annual steeplechase)

Great Poetry Reading Day -- make sure you read some great poetry today

Hidaka Hibuse Matsuri -- Mizusawa, Iwate Prefecture, Japan (through the 29th; floats, child musicians, traditional costumes, and fun)

International Tabletop Day -- encouraging people to play games on a table, not online, face to face   

James Monroe Birthday Celebration -- Charlottesville, VA, US (at his home, Ash Lawn-Highland)

Kiss Your Mate Day -- guys, do not forget this one, in case she reads it somewhere on the internet; kiss her, then read her a great poem

Mississippi River Valley Scenic Drive -- Mississippi River valley of southeast Missouri, US (several scenic small towns along the valley have homemade goodies, quilt shows, history tours, entertainment, and more; through Sunday)

National Blueberry Pie Day

National Day of Mourning -- Canada (In conjunction with Workers' Memorial Day and World Day for Safety and Health at Work, honoring those injured or killed on the job)

National Go Birding Day -- US (but feel free to participate wherever you are, birding is fun!)

National Herb Day -- different from the HerbDay in May, and unsponsored

National Heroes Day -- Barbados

National Rebuilding Day -- US (270,000 volunteers help rebuild and repair homes for the elderly and disabled)    

National Sense of Smell Day -- US (sponsored by the Sense of Smell Institute, encouraging museums and science centers to focus on how the sense of smell plays an important role in daily life and how it interacts with other senses; While celebrating, remember those with anosmia [diminished ability or totaly inability to smell])

Pay It Forward Day -- International (begun in the US as National Pay It Forward Day, it is now observed in over 80 countries; this year the global initiative wants to inspire over 10 million acts of kindness around the world!)    

Penguin Day -- different sponsor from World Penguin Day, but you can't have enough days dedicated to these cute guys, can you?    

Redbud Trail Rendezvous -- Rochester, IN, US (living history along the Tippecanoe River; through tomorrow)

Rip Cord Day -- the first successful jump with a parachute that used a rip cord was this day in 1919 by Leslie Erwin of the U.S. Army Air Corps

Sa die de sa Sardinia -- Sardinia, Italy (Sardinia Day, celebrating the uprising of 1794)

Save the Frogs Day -- Save The Frogs Day is the world's largest day of amphibian education and conservation action    

Southern Maryland Celtic Festival & Highland Games -- St. Leonard, MD, US (competitions in fiddling, bagpipe, Celtic harp, and dancing, heptathlon, Celtic marketplace and foods, parade of clans, and more)

St. Peter Chanel's Day (Patron of Oceania)

    Saint Pierre-Chanel Day -- Wallis and Fortuna

Sts. Vitalis and Valeria's Day (Patrons of Thibodeaux, Louisiana)

Victory Day -- Afghanistan

Workers Memorial Day / World Day for Safety and Health at Work -- International (remembering all who have lost their lives or been injured on the job)

World Healing Day / World Tai Chi and Qigong Day     

World's Biggest Fish Fry -- Paris, TN, US (parades, auto shows, arts and crafts, and of course, all-you-can-eat catfish dinner; through the 29th)

World Veterinary Day -- World Veterinary Association     

Anniversaries Today:

Maryland becomes the 7th US State, 1788

Birthdays Today:

Jenna Ushkowitz, 1986

Jessica Alba, 1981

Penelope Cruz, 1974

Jorge Garcia, 1973

Nicklas Lidstrom, 1970

John Daly, 1966

Elena Kagan, 1960

Ian Rankin, 1960

Nancy Lee Grahn, 1958

Mary McDonnell, 1952

Jay Leno, 1950

Marcia Strassman, 1948

Ann-Margaret, 1941

Harper Lee, 1926

Oscar Schindler, 1908

Erich Salomon, 1886

Lionel Barrymore, 1878

Mifflin Wister Gibbs, 1828

James Monroe, 1758

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"One Man's Family"(Radio), 1932

Today in History:

Nichiren Buddhism is founded, 1253

Captain William Bligh and 18 crewmen from the HMS Bounty are set adrift, 1789

Chinese and Irish laborers for the Central Pacific Railroad working on the First Transcontinental Railroad lay 10 miles of track in one day, a feat which has never been matched, 1869

Azerbaijan  is added to the Soviet Union., 1920

The first night game in organized baseball  history takes place in Independence, Kansas, 1930

A vaccine  for yellow fever is announced for use on humans, 1932

Thor Heyerdahl and five crew mates set out from Peru on the Kon-Tiki, 1947

The Sino-Japanese Peace Treaty (Treaty of Taipei) is signed in Taipei, Taiwan between Japan and the Republic of China to officially end the Second Sino-Japanese War, 1952

Charles de Gaulle resigns as President of France, 1969

The Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure is signed, 1977

Millionaire Dennis Tito becomes the world's first space tourist, 2001

According to the WHO, leading causes of death in the world include chronic illnesses such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes, 2011

In recognition of democratic reforms, the European Union opens an office in Burma, 2012