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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.
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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
