Thursday, January 6, 2022

Missing Ms. S (Six Sentence Story), Good Fences, Sammy's Poetry Day, and Brian's Thankful Thursday

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This is one of those occasions where it's difficult to express the sadness and the relief, both felt at the same time.


Ms. S has been a prayer partner, friend, client, and more for several years now.


Her health the last two years has declined, recently very, very rapidly indeed, and she can no longer live alone.


Family and friends finally convinced her she had to be in a place where she can have 24hour care, and though she didn't like it, she knew she had no strength to resist, especially when she got to where she couldn't get out of bed at all by herself.


This past Monday, her son came and moved her to a city about an hour drive from here, just up the road from where he and his wife live.


She's getting the care she needs, her family is nearby to keep an eye on her, it's a better situation all around, and at the same time, it breaks my heart to know she's not just a short drive across town where i can go visit whenever i have a moment.



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





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While Good Fences Around the World seems to have gone the way of the dodo bird, i still enjoy looking for and posting interesting fences, so i will!







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




All dressed up and ready to go,

I love being in the world of snow.

It is a joy out here to be,

Oh, how much I love to ski!



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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.  



As noted above, i am both thankful and sad about Ms. S, i hope the better care she is receiving makes a difference and that i can go visit her as often as possible for a long time to come.






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Today is:


American Historical Association Annual Meeting -- New Orleans, LA, US (136th annual, with over 300 sessions covering a wide range of scholarly topics; through the 10th)


Armed Forces Day -- Iraq


Befana -- Italy (Befana is the fairy who resides in chimneys, flies on a broom, and leaves toys and candy in stockings on Epiphany, their traditional day to exchange gifts.)


Bean Day (Bake a bean or penny into a cake, whoever gets the slice with the bean is king for a day.  A tradition continued in New Orleans and vicinity, especially, all the way through Mardi Gras Day, only now a plastic baby toy, representative of Jesus, is put in the traditional cakes.)


Blessing of the Waters -- Piraeus, Greece; Turkey; among Greek Orthodox worshippers worldwide (on the traditional date of the Baptism of Jesus)


Carnival Season begins -- Christian, through Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday


Children's Day -- Uruguay


Cuddle Up Day -- internet generated, an excuse to get close to your special someone


Daruma Ichi -- Takasaki City, Japan (the largest and most famous daruma market in the city where the good luck dolls originated; through tomorrow)


Deer Dance Ceremonies -- Taos Pueblo, NM, US (Native American celebration of the deer spirit)


Dezome-shiki -- Tokyo, Japan (fire fighters pray for a safe year, have a parade, help raise awareness of fire prevention, and men dressed as firefighters from the Edo period perform acrobatic feats from the tops of ladders to show agility)


Dia de los Reys -- Hispanic Christians(Three Kings Day)


Epiphany / Three Kings Day -- Western Christian


Epiphany of Kore (Persephone/Proserpina) -- Ancient Greek Calendar and Ancient Roman Calendar (a goddess of fertility and germination of seeds)


Feast of Ptah and Horus -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)


Feast of the Theophany -- Orthodox Christian


Four Freedoms Day -- US (commemorates the FDR speech about the four freedoms:  freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, freedom from fear.)


Greek Cross Day -- Tarpon Springs, Florida (as part of the Greek Orthodox Church celebration of Epiphany/Little Christmas)


Little Christmas -- Ireland


Maroon Festival -- Jamaica (celebration of descendants of former fugitive slaves)


National Shortbread Day


Orthodox Christmas Eve -- Orthodox Christians following the Julian calendar


Prettandinn -- Iceland (the last Day of Christmas, Epiphany, with bonfires and Elven Dances)


Shorinzan Daruma-Ichi -- Shorinzan, Japan (Good luck daruma dolls are purchased, with no eyes.  One eye is painted on when you make a wish, the other when the wish comes true.  Largest and oldest Daruma doll festival in Japan; through tomorrow.)


Smith Day -- the Smiths and Smythes and Smithes of the world want a day to be recognized; if your name is Smith or one of the variants of it, have a celebration of your very common name today!


Sts. Balthazar, Caspar, and Melchoir's Day (Patrons of travelers)


Surb Tsnund -- Armenia (Armenian Christmas Day)


Take a Poet to Lunch Day -- listed on a few sites, and who doesn't want an excuse to go out to eat?


Turisi -- Slavic Pagan Calendar (holiday of the bull, Jar-tur; a fertility rite)


Wassailing the Apple Trees -- various parts of the UK (from the Old English "waes hael," meaning "be well," a ritual to bless apple trees to ensure a good harvest)




Anniversaries Today:


George H. W. Bush marries Barbara Pierce, 1945

New Mexico becomes the 47th US State, 1912

Henry VIII marries Anne of Cleves, 1540 (his 4th wife)



Birthdays Today:


Joey Lauren Adams, 1971

Susan Perabo, 1969

Nancy Lopez, 1957

Rowan Atkinson, 1955

Bonnie Franklin, 1944

Lou Holtz, 1937

E.L. Doctorow, 1931

Vic Tayback, 1929

Earl Scruggs, 1924

Sun Myung Moon, 1920

Eugene T. Maleska, 1916

Loretta Young, 1913

Danny Thomas, 1912

Kahlil Gibran, 1883

Tom Mix, 1880

Carl Sandburg, 1878

Sherlock Holmes, 1854 (As celebrated by the Baker Street Irregulars.)

Charles Sumner, 1811

Jedediah Strong Smith, 1799

Haym Salomon, 1785

Joan of Arc, 1412



Debuting/Premiering Today:


"Wheel of Fortune"(TV), 1975

"Schoolhouse Rock"(TV), 1973

"Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom"(TV), 1963

"Hallmark Hall of Fame"(TV), 1952



Today in History:


The first Roman Catholic Mass is celebrated in the "New World," at La Isabela, Hispaniola, 1494

All Jews are expelled from Syria, 1497

The city of Lima, Peru, is founded by Francisco Pizarro, 1535

The first recorded boxing match of the style now called English Boxing is held -- the Duke of Albemarle's butler versus his butcher, 1681

Massachusetts slaves petition the legislature for freedom, 1773

Samuel Morse makes his first public demonstration of the telegraph, 1838

The most damaging storm in 300 years sweeps across Ireland, damaging or destroying more than 20% of the houses in Dublin, 1839

A patent for reducing zinc ore granted to Samuel Wetherill of Pennsylvania, 1857

The Washington National Cathedral is chartered bu the US Congress and signed by President Benjamin Harrison, 1893

The first telephone call is made from a submerged submarine, by Simon Lake, 1898

Maria Montessori opens her first school and day care for working class families in Rome, 1907

The Great White Fleet passes through the Suez Canal, the largest group of ships to pass through up to that time, 1909

Mother Teresa arrives in Calcutta to begin her work among the poor of India, 1929

The first diesel-engined automobile trip is completed, from Indianapolis, Indiana, to New York City, 1930

Thomas Edison submits his last patent application, for a  "Holder for Article to be Electroplated," 1931

Barbara Hanley becomes Canada's first woman mayor, of the city of Webbwood, Ontario, 1936

The Pacific Clipper lands at Pan American's LaGuardia Field, completing the first around the world flight, 1942

The Crown of St. Stephen (also known as the Holy Crown of Hungary) is returned to Hungary from the United States, where it was held after World War II, 1978

The Ady Gil, a ship owned by Sea Shepherd, is sunk during a skirmish with the Japanese Whaling Fleet's Shonan Maru, 2010

Californian Governor Jerry Brown declares a state of emergency over the methane gas leak on outskirts of Los Angeles, 2016

In an historic first, Malaysia's king, Sultan Muhammad V, abdicates after two years of rule, 2019

24 comments:

  1. While I am glad that Ms S is getting the care she needs and support from her family I am sure that she will miss you as much as you will her.

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  2. Do fences keep people out or in? I always shut the gate in my garden to stop mosquitoes coming in.

    God bless.

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  3. A bittersweet event. A huge life step and adjustment for Ms. S but it's also an adjustment for her friends as well. How fortunate she is closer to her son.
    Pic and poem = adorable with a capital A :)
    To recognize and take advantage of the positive - I hope Ms. S's friends feel as you and will visit her often.

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  4. We are so sad for you and for her. At this point, people is about all she has left in life, but it is good she is close to family, hopefully they will visit often. This makes us sad as we feel so sorry for people who get to this point. It is so hard for everyone.

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  5. love the baby skier.

    and poor anne of cleves!

    at least she got out alive!

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  6. That's very sad about Ms. S. and we send prayers her way, it's tough. That was a fun poem and of course a good thankful. Thanks for joining our Thankful Thursday Blog Hop!

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  7. So sorry for that emptiness in your week where your visit with your friend used to be. I hope you can find time to see her in the future.

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  8. Thank goodness she has a family to support her.

    Lovely poem and picture - a future Winter Olympian?

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  9. I am so sorry to hear about Mrs. S. I'm sure she'll adjust and enjoy being closer to family. Now that poem is priceless! He is so tiny on those skis, amazing!

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  10. Lots of hugs for you and Mrs S ~ so hard when our friends become ill ~ lovely fence photos and sweet skier ~ Xo

    Wishing you a happy and healthy day,

    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  11. I'm sorry about your friend, Mrs. S. I know she needs the care she's not getting, but you'll miss her. I hope you can visit her often.

    Love the fences and the poem. So cute.

    Have a fabulous Thankful Thursday, my friend. Big hug. ♥

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  12. Mimi,

    I'm sorry your friend now lives another city but I know you're happy that she's getting the care needed. Sending hugs & love to you. I hope the new year is being kind to you and yours so far.

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  13. Mrs. S saddens me, but still it's better than the alternative. I hope we can remember to bow down graceously when it's our turn.

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  14. I hope your visits are many to Mrs. S. It's all a part of walking each other home... <3 I liked your little skier and your poem. Mimi, I'll keep you in my prayers.

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  15. understand about your friend Mrs S....it's hard. hoping you can get some time to drive up and visit with her on an afternoon sometime soon ♥♥

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  16. Time! It passes and waits for no one.
    Heartfelt Six.

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  17. That is sad about Ms. S. I am glad she is closer to her family though. Nice poem.XO

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  18. Bittersweet tale, Mimi. It's all for the best, but it still hurts.

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  19. Some of my acquaintances are getting old and they are in similar circumstances as Ms. S. Your story makes me think about them and pray for them.

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  20. That tiny skier looks way to young to me.
    It is sad when people have to go into care, but it is a much better option than staying home and deteriorating. She will be happier and you can still visit, just not everyday.

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  21. Ahh, Mrs S, a happy and a sad story. So many face these decisions everyday. I hope you get to see her sometimes and I trust that she'll be well cared for and loved where she is.
    I'm getting more and more aware that one day this might/will be me

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  22. Sorry to hear about your friend, Mimi. Hard to accept, but one of the almost-inevitabilities of aging.

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  23. I am sorry you won't be able to see her like you used to. I pray she is doing well.

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  24. Life is change, but also loss. I'll bet she misses you, too!

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