Saturday, February 29, 2020

Read All About It (Ten Things of Thankful)

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One thing i am always thankful for is books. Where would i be without them?  In a rubber room, probably.

Right now i am thankful for the following books that i’m reading or studying.

On the funny side, i have P.G. Wodehouse in the house, borrowed from the library.  Jeeves and company are a wonderful diversion.

Also funny is Lewis Grizzard.  The Down Home Grizzard collection has three of his best, Don’t Forget to Call Your Mama, Does a Wild Bear Chip in the Woods?, and Southern by the Grace of God.  If you want to laugh, or learn more about the Southern part of the US than you ever could know any other way, read Grizzard.

For my two ladies circle groups, there’s C.S. Lewis’ Reflections on the Psalms, and Liturgy of the Ordinary, Sacred Practices in Everyday Life by Tish Harrison Warren.

It is believed that Lewis’ wife, a Jewish convert, gave him a lot of insight while he was writing this book, and i can believe it.  Remembering how sacred even the ordinary things in life can be is calling me to be more mindful than ever before.

The local library has also provided me with two other books, both i guess of the “self help” type.  One is Scott Hagwood’s Memory Power, which i am wondering how well it’s working as i had to go look at it to remind myself of the author’s name!  A book of Brainteasers i found is supplementing it, one teaser a day.

The second of that type from the library is The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, and i am enjoying it as much as i enjoyed The Gratitude Diaries by Janice Kaplan a couple of years ago.

Also as part of a study, the one on Friday morning, Practicing the Presence of God, by Ken Boa.  Another deep book that calls for mindfulness.

Very slow going is Dante’s Divine Comedy.  As much as i enjoy it, this time through i can only get at it in small doses.

Finally, i keep a copy of one of Uncle John’s Bathroom Readers in the necessity room, for those times when i am unavoidably delayed.  It beats counting how many times the picture repeats on the wallpaper.

All of these, of course, are besides my usual Bible, devotional, blog, and newspaper reading.  Yep, i do read a lot, and i am very, very thankful for the written word.


Please write up your own list and link up to Ten Things of Thankful, where Kristi and her co-hosts always have a warm welcome waiting.    



You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter


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Today is:

Bachelors' Day -- according to legend, and you may pick which you prefer:
    a) women are allowed to propose to men on this day, because of a deal St. Bridget made with St. Patrick, and a man who refuses such a proposal must pay her a penalty, or
    b) this is the one day of the year bachelors are immune from marriage proposals


International Underlings' Day -- created by Peter D. Morris for all of us who are neither a boss nor a professional assistant, as both of those have their own day; unofficially celebrated on Feb. 28 or Mar. 1 in non leap years, but this year it's official!

Leap Year Day

North Dakota Winter Show -- Valley City, ND, US (world's largest crop show, eight-breed cattle show, rodeos, tractor pulls, entertainment, and more for tons of family fun; through Sunday)

Open That Bottle Night -- time to finally drink that bottle of wine you've been saving for a special occasion; after all, the final Saturday in February only comes once a year (sponsored by Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher of The Wall Street Journal)   

Parke County Maple Fair -- Rockville, IN, US (pancake meals, a Covered Bridge Art Assn. show, and more; this weekend and next)

Philadelphia Flower Show -- Philadelphia, PA, US (largest flower show in the US; through Mar. 8)


St. Oswald of Worcester's Day

Surf and Turf Day


Birthdays Today


Antonio Sabato, Jr., 1972
Tony Robbins, 1960
Gretchen Christopher, 1940
Jack Lousma, 1936
Dinah Shore, 1916
Jimmy Dorsey, 1904
William Wellman, 1896
Herman Hollerith, 1860
Gioacchino Rossini, 1792
Ann Lee, 1736


Today in History

The Romans create the first Leap Year by adding a day to their calendar, BC46
The Scottish Parliament makes it illegal for a man to refuse to marry a woman who proposes on Leap Day, the only day women could propose; his penalty for refusing would be to give her a kiss, some gold, and a pair of gloves (to hide the fact that she didn't have a wedding ring), 1288
Christopher Columbus uses his knowledge of a lunar eclipse that night to convince Native Americans to provide him with supplies, 1504
February 29 is followed by February 30 in Sweden, in a move to abolish the Swedish calendar for a return to the Old style, 1712
The Jay Treaty between the United States and Great Britain comes into force, facilitating ten years of peaceful trade between the two nations, 1796
St. Petersburg, Florida, is incorporated, 1892
In South Carolina, the minimum working age for factory, mill, and mine workers is raised from twelve to fourteen years old, 1916
Baby Snooks, played by Fanny Brice, debuts on the radio program The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air, 1936
For her role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind, Hattie McDaniel becomes the first African American to win an Academy Award, 1940
In a ceremony held in Berkeley, California, because of the war, physicist Ernest Lawrence receives the 1939 Nobel Prize in Physics from Sweden's Consul General in San Francisco, 1940
An earthquake in Morocco kills over 3,000 people and nearly destroys Agadir in the southern part of the country, 1960
The Family Circus comic strip debuts, 1960
In Sydney, Australian swimmer Dawn Fraser sets a new world record in the 100-meter freestyle swimming competition (58.9 seconds), 1964
Hank Aaron becomes the first player in the history of Major League Baseball to sign a $200,000 contract, 1972
Gordie Howe of the then Hartford Whalers makes NHL history as he scores his 800th goal, 1980
Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau announces he will retire as soon as the Liberals can elect another leader, 1984
South African archbishop Desmond Tutu is arrested along with 100 clergymen during a five-day anti-apartheid demonstration in Cape Town, 1988
Jean-Bertrand Aristide is removed as President of Haiti following a coup, 2004
Construction of the Tokyo Skytree is completed, the tallest tower in the world and the second tallest artificial structure in the world, 2012

Friday, February 28, 2020

What's This Selfie Thing All About? (Feline Friday) and Friendly Fill-Ins

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Feline Friday was started by Steve, The Burnt Food Dude, and i'm going to believe it's because he likes cats.
He has handed hosting duties off to Sandee, of Comedy Plus, and it's simple to join, just follow the link to Sandee's page for the rules and the code.

Horizon is partly feral still, and doesn't trust me because i am the dispenser of medication when it is needed.  Thus when i offered to show him how to take a selfie, he was quite suspicious and this was the result:





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Friendly Fill-Ins are easy to do. There are four statements: the first two statements are provided by Ellen of 15AndMeowing, and the final two are offered by Lorianne The Menagerie Mom of Four-Legged Furballs. They try to make sure the statements will be fun to both answer and share. The linky will be posted at or about 12:00 AM on Friday. Please head over to one of their sites, link up, and share your thoughts!      

Here are this week's statements with my responses underlined:


1. I know spring is almost here when ___________________.

2. I find ____________________confusing.

3. I have a strong opinion on _________.

4. _________ is the strangest thing I have ever eaten.


1. I know spring is almost here when   the Japanese maple (tulip trees) and the azaleas bloom.  You know spring is here when the pecan trees bloom.  You can fool all of the other trees, but when the pecans bloom, there will be no more frost and it is safe to plant your tomatoes.

2. I find  people being unkind  confusing.

3. I have a strong opinion on   what true faith/religion is and what it is not.

4. Crawfish    is the strangest thing I have ever eaten.  The rest of the world considers these little fresh-water crustaceans to be fish bait, only the Cajuns were hungry enough to eat them and turn them into a staple.  Yes, i tried them once years ago (before i gave up all forms of meat) and i didn't like it.  You might, though, so if someone actually cooks a real crawfish étouffée for you someday, at least give it a try.


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Today is:

Car Keys and Small Change Day -- ???

Dia de Andalucia -- Andalucia, Spain

DNA Day -- day in 1953 when Watson and Crick determined the double helix structure of DNA

Februalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (purification of Rome performed by citizens making sacrifices to the dead)

Floral Design Day -- a day to acknowledge this art form, sponsored by Rittners Floral School     

Kalevala Day -- Finland (Finnish Culture Day)

Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival -- University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, US (students from elementary to college from all over the US participate in student performances and attend concerts and clinics in vocal and instrumental jazz performance; through tomorrow)

Lost Dutchman Days -- Apache Junction, AZ, US (through Sunday; celebration of the legend of the Superstition Mountains and the Lost Dutchman Mine)

National Chocolate Souffle' Day

National Science Day -- India

National Tooth Fairy Day - and/or August 22, depending on whom you ask

Nylon Day -- the first aliphatic polyamides were produced on this day in 1935

Peace Memorial Day -- Taiwan

Public Sleeping Day -- this one even has a wikiHow page 

Shabbat Across America/Canada -- sponsored by the National Jewish Out-reach Program, encouraging Conservative, Orthodox, Reform, and Reconstructionist Jews to observe the Sabbath from sundown tonight until sundown tomorrow 

St. Hedwig of Poland's Day (Patron of queens)

St. Romanus' Day (Patron of the mentally ill; against drowning, insanity)

Teacher's Day -- Algeria; Bahrain; Egypt; Jordan; Libya; Morocco; Oman; Saudi Arabia; Tunisia; United Arab Emirates; Yemen


Anniversaries Today:

University of Pittsburgh is chartered, 1787


Birthdays Today 

Ali Larter, 1976
Robert Sean Leonard, 1969
John Tuturro, 1957
Gilbert Gottfried, 1955
Bernadette, Peters, 1948
Charles Aaron "Bubba" Smith, 1945
Brian Jones, 1942
Mario Andretti, 1940
Tommy Tune, 1939
Gavin MacLeod, 1930
Frank Gehry, 1929
Svetiana Allilueva, 1926
Charles Durning, 1923
Zero Mostel, 1915
Earl Scheib, 1907
Milton Caniff, 1907
Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, 1906
Vincente Minnelli, 1903
Linus Pauling, 1901
Ben Heckt, 1894
Charles Blondin, 1824
John Tenniel, 1820
Mary Lyon, 1797
Michel Eyquem de Montaigne, 1533


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"On Golden Pond"(Play), 1979
"La Reine de Saba"(Opera), 1862
The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling(Publication date), 1749


Today in History:

Coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place, initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty's rule over China, BC202
The first edition of Henry Fieldings' "Tom Jones" is published, 1749
John Wesley charters the Methodist Church, 1784
The first commercial railroad in US, Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) is chartered, 1827
Robert Nelson, leader of the Patriotes, proclaims the independence of Lower Canada (today Québec), 1838
Regular steamboat service from the west to the east coast of the United States begins with the arrival of the SS California in San Francisco Bay, 4 months 22 days after leaving New York Harbor, 1849
The Bulgarian Exarchate is established by decree of Sultan Abd-ul-Aziz of the Ottoman Empire, 1870
The American Telephone and Telegraph Company is incorporated in New York State as the subsidiary of American Bell Telephone, 1885
The USS Indiana, the lead ship of her class and the first battleship in the United States Navy comparable to foreign battleships of the time, is launched, 1893
Queen Ranavalona III, the last monarch of Madagascar, is deposed by a French military force, 1897
Egypt regains independence from Britain, but British troops remain, 1922
DuPont scientist Wallace Carothers invents Nylon, 1935
Basketball is televised for the first time, 1940
In Taiwan, civil disorder is put down with the loss of 30,000 civilian lives, 1947
James D. Watson and Francis Crick announce to friends that they have determined the chemical structure of DNA; the formal announcement takes place on April 25 following publication in April Nature (pub. April 2), 1953
The first-ever color television sets using the NTSC standard are offered for sale to the general public, 1954
The United States and People's Republic of China sign the Shanghai Communiqué, 1972
Andalusia approves its statute of autonomy through a referendum, 1980
GRB 970228, a highly luminous flash of gamma rays, strikes the Earth for 80 seconds, providing early evidence that gamma-ray bursts occur well beyond the Milky Way, 1997
First flight of RQ-4 Global Hawk, the first unmanned aerial vehicle certified to file its own flight plans and fly regularly in U.S. civilian airspace, 1998
Over 1 million Taiwanese participating in the 228 Hand-in-Hand Rally form a 500-kilometre (300-mile) long human chain to commemorate the 228 Incident in 1947, 2004
Jupiter flyby of the New Horizons Pluto-observer spacecraft, 2007
Egypt annunces the discovery of a granite head from a statue of King Tut's grandfather, Amenhotep III, 2010
Scientists announce they've been able to connect the brains of two rats so that they share information, 2013
The Caravaggio painting "Judith and Holofernes" (1607), lost for many years and rediscovered in an attic in Toulouse in 2014, is finally brought to auction, selling for to $171 million, 2019

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Spring, and Maybe Pups (Six Sentence Story), Good Fences, Sammy’s Poetry Day, and Brian’s Thankful Thursday

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Ms. RW, upon my arrival to clean her house yesterday, noted that their dog, Jake, now has a girlfriend, and she’d been brought to the house a couple of days prior because her owner wanted purebred pups.

“They tore up the porch and made a mess!” she said.

And did Jake do his duty? i asked.

“No,” Ms. RW said, “she wouldn’t let him and you should have seen them after chasing each other over the yard and tearing up my porch, they were lying in the grass looking for all the world like they were exhausted and both needed a cigarette!

“They’re going to try again tomorrow, though, at her house where they have acres to play on, maybe she’ll be a bit more ready this time, and I know Jake is certainly more than ready!”

Any way you slice it, spring is in the air, and this not-so-young dog’s fancy has turned to thoughts of love.


Linking up with Denise at Girlie On The Edge Blog, where she hosts Six Sentence Stories, and the cue is Slice.       


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Gosia at 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 other blogs to see what interesting fences there are out in this big world.      

Yesterday was so beautifully sunny that i stepped out to enjoy it for a moment, and noticed the fence, and there we are:





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It's Angel Sammy's Poetry Day This week's image and my poem:    



We love to watch them dance,
He turns and spins and reels,
And she does all the same steps
Backward and in high heels!


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Brian of Brian's Home hosts the Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.   It's time to share something for which i am thankful.  

Wednesdays have been very, very long days for a couple of years now.  One client is now thinking of making my visits every other Wednesday instead of every week.  While this will cut my pay by a small amount, the easing up of my schedule from 12 hours on that day to only 8-9 would be most welcome.  While i'd never ask, and not quit, and it still may not happen, the possibility that i may get that break is something for which i am very thankful.


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Today is:

Aspirin Day -- Bayer received its US patent for the medicine on this day in 1900

Camellia Festival 2020 -- Chiswick House and Gardens Trust, London, England (through Mar. 22)

Day of Selene -- Ancient Greek Calendar (goddess of the moon, date approximate)

Equirria -- Ancient Roman Calendar (Cavalry Horse Festival)

Feast of St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows/Gabriel Possenti (Patron of clerics, students, young people; Abruzzi, Italy; Catholic Action)

Florida Strawberry Festival -- Plant City, FL, US (celebrating the winter strawberry harvest, this year's theme is "Our Perfect Vision"; through Mar. 8)

Independence Day -- Dominican Republic(1844)

Majuba Day -- South Africa (celebration of the Boers victory at Majuba Hill)


National Kahlua Day

National Strawberry Day -- no, i don't know why this isn't in June, when the berries are best; maybe the person who put it here had too much Kahlua

No Brainer Day - this day is for me! created by Adrienne Sioux Koopersmith, "America's Premier Eventologist

Polar Bear Day -- as declared by Polar Bears International

Read Five Pages in the Dictionary Day -- internet generated, and am i the only one who likes the idea?

Runic Half Month Tyr commences (cosmic pillar)

St. Galmier of Lyon's Day (Patron of locksmiths)

The Hop -- Fairy Calendar

Threepenny Day -- Eton College, England (By the last will of two Provosts in the 16th century, each boy receives a threepenny piece on this day -- enough to buy half a sheep back then.)


Anniversary Today:

African Burial Ground National Monument is established, 2006



Birthdays Today:

Josh Groban, 1981
Chelsea Clinton, 1980
Rozanda "Chilli" Thomas, 1971
Grant Show, 1963
Adam Baldwin, 1962
Michael Bolton, 1953
Alan Guth, 1947
Mary Fran, 1943
Charlayne Hunter-Gault, 1942
Howard Hesseman, 1940
Ralph Nadar, 1934
Elizabeth Taylor, 1932
Joanne Woodward, 1930
Ariel Sharon, 1928
John Connally, 1917
James Thomas Farrell, 1904
John Steinbeck, 1902
Gene Sarazen, 1902
Marian Anderson, 1897
David Sarnoff, 1891
Hugo La Fayette Black, 1886
Alice Hamilton, 1869
Ellen Terry, 1847
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1807
Constantine I, 272


Debuting/Premiering Today:

Captain Marvel(Film), 2019
"What Makes Sammy Run?"(Musical), 1964
Road to Utopia(Film), 1946


Today in History:

The first Russian Embassy arrives in London, 1557
The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation of Scotland, 1560
Yuan Chonghuan is appointed Governor of Liaodong, after he led the Chinese into a great victory against the Manchurians under Nurhaci, 1626
Jews are expelled from Austria by order of Leopold I, 1670
The Pacific island of New Britain is discovered, 1700
Poet Lord Byron gives his first address as a member of the House of Lords, in defense of Luddite violence against Industrialism in his home county of Nottinghamshire, 1812
The Dominican Republic gains independence from Haiti, 1844
Composer Robert Schumann is saved from a suicide attempt in Rhine, 1854
Russians shoot at Poles protesting Russian rule of Poland, 1861
The current flag of Japan is first adopted as the national flag for Japanese merchant ships, 1870
Charlotte E. Ray becomes the first African American woman to earn a law degree, from Howard University, 1872
Lord Kitchener opens Khartoum-El Obeid (Nyala) railway, 1912
Martin Kamen and Sam Ruben discover carbon-14, 1940
The government of Italy asks for help to keep the Leaning Tower of Pisa from toppling over, 1964
The American Indian Movement occupies Wounded Knee, South Dakota, 1973
People magazine is published for the first time, 1974
U.S. President George H. W. Bush announces that "Kuwait is liberated", 1991
A Muslim mob kills 59 Hindu pilgrims returning from Ayodhya, 2002
The Shanghai Stock Exchange falls 9%, the largest drop in 10 years, 2007
Central Chile is hit with an 8.8 magnitude earthquake, 2010
Wikileaks begins releasing 5 million emails from Stratfor, a private intelligence company, 2012
At Vatican City, Pope Benedict XVI delivers his farewell address, 2013
The smallest baby boy ever born who grew enough to be released from the hospital goes home from a Tokyo hospital, after an original birth weight of 268g (9.45oz), 2019
Doctors announce the world's second known case of semi-identical twins, a boy and girl from Brisbane, Australia, 2019