Thankful Day, a Ten Things of Thankful A to Z Post

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

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How about that -- Thankful Day has fallen on "T" day for the A to Z.

There's a first thankful, if i needed some extras.  As i've been saving up for a couple of weeks, i might or might not.

On the saga of #2 Son and his car, we are thankful

     the person who bought is wrecked car cut off the bumper and trunk lid so he could keep his bumper stickers, some of which he cannot get any longer

     he bought a good used car

     he no longer has to try to ride his motorcycle to and from the four stores he manages, as it was becoming uncomfortable (and dangerous in the rain)

     he got the A/C fixed by Kevin and Lenny for a reasonable amount and managed to get off work early enough that i didn't have to go rescue the car for him.

On the saga of #1 Son and his car, we are thankful

     the first time he took it in to be repaired and one of the mechanics couldn't get to work, they called and told us in time to get the car back to him so he wouldn't be without transportation for several days

     when he finally did take it in and it was going to be over the weekend to get the repairs done, they gave him the loaner vehicle

     the day it was finished, Sweetie had time to go bring the car to him and bring the loaner back to Kevin and Lenny.

Our Palm Sunday celebration, we are thankful

     our church was able to finally have the procession on the boulevard again (although Becca and i didn't process, she said one walk that morning, with Mr. Cal, was enough!)

     it was a wonderfully fun time with the petting zoo, crawfish boil, and general enjoyment.

Easter Sunday was, thankfully,

     a joyful celebration

     the easiest holiday meal i've ever fixed, with me just having to warm up all the side dishes and throw together some baked beans

     time with family.

My schedule has included the following thankful things,

     a Tuesday on which i did not have to go to work until 11am, an unheard-of luxury

     a beautiful Thursday visit with Red-headed Alec

     an afternoon nap, twice!

     only having to take naproxen once for my back, and that was the day Ms. SE's mother was visiting while we cleaned her house and the mother folded the clothes for me to save my back getting worse (she's an angel!).

That's my thankful world for the past couple of weeks.

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

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Today is:

Alfred G. "Alferd" Packer Day -- Colorado

Book Day and Lover's Day -- Spain, especially Catalan (women give books to men, while men give flowers to the women. Celebrated in the Spanish city of Barcelona since 1714 to honor Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes [author of "Don Quixote"] and in observance of St. George's Day)

Canada Book Day

Chance Day -- Fairy Calendar

Children's Day -- Nepal; North Cyprus; Turkey

Community Day -- CL, Spain

Community Day/St. George's Day -- AR, Spain

English Language Day -- UN    

Festival of Matsu/Mazu -- Southern China and Taiwan (Taoist goddess of the sea who protects fishermen and sailors; often worshiped in sea-faring areas surrounding China as well, although some local dates will vary)

     Ma Zu, Goddess of the Sea’s Birthday -- Buddhism; Taoism

Gathering of Nations -- Albuquerque, NM, US (the biggest PowWow in North America, with natives from every tribe welcome to participate, it includes singing, feasting, art exhibits, a horse parade, and much more, with non-Natives who want to learn more about Native culture welcome to attend; through tomorrow)

Impossible Astronaut Day -- if you are a Dr. Who fan, you know, and if not, go here and find out    

Independence Day -- Conch Republic, Key West, FL. US (a tongue-in-cheek micronation which seceeded from the Union in 1982; celebrated yearly with a week long festival)

International Marconi Day -- a 24-hour amateur radio event annually near the birth anniversary of Marconi (Apr. 25, 1874)

International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day -- on St. George's Day, encouraging members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America to continue to be what Howard V. Hendrix derogatorily termed "webscabs", posting their stories free on the internet

International Sing Out Day -- no one will claim responsibility for this one, but i promise not to observe it!

Jurgi Festival -- Ancient Latvian Calendar (day sacred to Usins; first day outdoor work began for the summer)

"Just Pray No" Worldwide Weekend of Prayer and Fasting -- people around the world pray for healing for those who are addicted to drugs, through tomorrow   

National Cherry Cheesecake Day

National Picnic Day -- US

National Sovereignty Day -- Turkey

Pesach/Passover -- Judaism (ends at sundown tonight)

Record Store Day -- celebrated by independent record stores everywhere, find one near you    

Sigurd the Dragon Slayer's Day -- because he was probably the inspiration for the legends about St. George

St. Adalbert's Day (Patron of Bohemia; Czech Republic; Poland; Prague, Czech Republic; Prussia)

St. George's Day (Patron of archers, armourers, Boy Scouts, butchers, cavalry, chivalry, Crusaders, equestrians, farmers, field hands, field workers, horsemen, horses, husbandmen, knights, lepers, Order of the Garter, Palestinian Christians, riders, Romanian Army, saddle makers, saddlers, sheep, shepherds, soldiers, Teutonic Knights; Canada; England; Ethiopia; Georgia; Germany; Greece; Lithuania; Malta; Portugal; Cappadocia; Catalonia; Palestine; over 20 cities and diocese around the world; against herpes, leprosy, plague, skin diseases, skin rashes, syphilis; by the middle ages, St. George was revered in much of Europe as the personification of chivalry)*

  

Take a Chance Day -- internet generated encouragement to try something different

Talk Like Shakespeare Day -- on The Bard's birth anniversary 

Vinalia Priora -- Ancient Roman Calendar (tasting the first wines of the year)

World Book & Copyright Day -- UN (this date chosen because of how parts of Spain celebrate St. George's Day, with books)     

     World Book Night -- Germany; Ireland; UK; US (anniversary of the birth and death of Shakespeare, and the death of Miguel de Cervantes; over 20 book titles have been specially chosen for this year and special editions of those books printed so you can share books and your love of reading with those who don't read much

*To save a Maid, St. George the Dragon slew

A pretty tale, if all is told be true

Most say, there are no Dragons, and 'tis said

There was no George: pray God there was a Maid.

-- John Aubrey, Remains of Gentilism (1688)

Birthdays Today:

Dev Patel, 1990

John Cena, 1977

Kal Penn, 1977

Scott Bairstow, 1970

Melina Kanakaredes, 1967

George Lopez, 1961

Valerie Bertinelli, 1960

Craig Sheffer, 1960

Jan Hooks, 1957

Judy Davis, 1955

Michael Moore, 1954

Joyce DeWitt, 1949

Bernadette Devlin McAliskey, 1947

Sandra Dee, 1942

David Birney, 1940

Lee Majors, 1940

Roy Orbison, 1936

Shirley Temple Black, 1928

Vladimire Nabokov, 1899

Lester Bowles "Mike" Pearson, 1897

Sergei Prokofiev, 1891

Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck, 1858

Granville T. Woods, 1856

James Buchanan, 1791

William Penn, 1621

William Shakespeare, 1564(attributed -- only the day of his baptism, April 26, is known for certain)

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Baywatch"(TV), 1989

"No Man's Land"(Play), 1975

"She Loves Me"(Musical), 1963

"Patience; or, Bunthorne's Bride"(Opera), 1881

"Il re pastore/The Shepherd King"(Mozart opera, K 208)1775

"The Tender Husband"(Comedy), 1705

Today in History:

The founding of the Order of the Garter by King Edward III is announced on St George's Day, 1348

William Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor is first performed, with Queen Elizabeth I in attendance, 1597

The first public school in the United States, Boston Latin School, is founded in Boston, Massachusetts, 1635

Connecticut is chartered as an English colony, 1662

Canada issues its first postage stamps, 1851

The Vitascope system of movie projection debuts the first motion picture at Koster & Bial's Music Hall in NYC, 1896

Namibia becomes the 160th member of the UN and the 50th member of the Commonwealth of Nations, 1990

Eritrians vote overwhelmingly for independence from Ethiopia, 1993

Beijing closes all schools for two weeks because of the SARS virus, 2003

The gamma ray burst GRB 090423 is observed for 10 seconds. The event signals the most distant object of any kind and also the oldest known object in the universe, 2009

Despite an initial ban on the film 'Borat,' Kazakhstan issues and official 'thank you' to actor Sacha Baron Cohen for his character, Borat Sagdiyev, 2012

Loretta Lynch is confirmed as the first African-American woman as US Attorney-General, 2015

The WHO begins distributing the world’s first malaria vaccine to children in Malawi, 2019