Sheets, Lotions, Jelly, and Laughs, a Random and Happy Tuesday Word Counter's Post

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It's time once again for a random and happy Tuesday, linking up with Stacy's Random Thoughts at Stacy Uncorked and Sandee at Comedy Plus.  

Part of today’s post is also a writing challenge. This is how it works: one of the contributing bloggers picked a number between 12 and 50. The submitted number is a challenge to participating bloggers to write at least one piece using that exact number of words. 

This month, the word count number is: 43

It was submitted by:  yours truly

Links to the other Word Counters posts:

Baking In A Tornado                    

On the Border                                  

The first thing i noticed when i got to Carl's yesterday was him wandering around in his pajamas with a garbage bag in his hand, which is unusual because i generally have to wake him up and make him move to the couch.

"There's no bag in the garbage can..." he muttered, and sure enough, there wasn't.  What was there were several bottles of tea and juice, mostly on their sides, in a nice, liquidy goop, commingling with not quite empty yogurt containers and dental floss.

Picking up the can, i told him i had to empty the liquid, wash the can, then put in the bag.  He was quite remorseful when i explained the recipe for a mess is liquid in the garbage can instead of the sink.

He then went back to snooze on his recliner a bit longer and i turned to his room, which was in a right awful state.  It seems Christmas has his mother more distracted than usual and he's left to his own devices more.

When he needs an extra sheet for sleeping on his recliner, he does not distinguish between a flat and a fitted sheet.  He simply grabs what comes to hand first.  Fitted sheets are now at the bottom of the pile in the closet.

After i chivvied him up from his slumber and got him to go take a shower, i packed his snack box.  He came out of the shower just in time to see me put a muffin in.  He snatched it and said, "Jelly!"

Some might remember he eats in unique ways.  His muffin was no exception.  He would break off a piece, put jelly of one flavor on it and eat it, then flavor the next piece with a different jelly.  No two bites are alike.

Savory meals are the same, he eats with a whole spice rack in front of him.  He has started trying to smuggle pepper and spices into this snack box, but since they'd never make it home with him, this has to be discouraged.

Later he went back into the bathroom and came out with the calamine lotion, asking, "Does this help with itching?"  He proceeded to rub the lotion in areas where he was getting more on his clothes than on himself.  Placebo effect, i said.

 Now it's time for some fun and sweet and even crazy pictures.

Have a blessed and beautiful Tuesday, everyone!

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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 3:59UCT

     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

The Mesoamerican Long Count calendar reaches the date 13.0.0.0.0, 2012