Holding Pattern, a Ten Things of Thankful Post

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We're in a holding pattern here, so what better time to tot up thankful things for Thankful Day!

My car is still in the shop (since the day before Thanksgiving).  We're thankful Kevin and Lenny haven't given up on finding the right parts and getting it going again.  (If you want details, the first computer didn't work, the second couldn't be reprogramed, and the third one is is but now the body module is locked in a safety mode and won't talk to the computer, so one of those is on order.)

We're thankful for the use of their loaner when they can let us use it, and i'm especially thankful when i can have it on weekends.

The special church event last Sunday evening went beautifully.

Brother-in-Law got Sweetie to his doctor appointment and to choir this week.

A friend got me and some of our clothes to a laundromat, so we at least have clean undies and i won't have to resort to wearing my wedding dress.

I'm thankful Ms. G picked me up for work and brought me home when i worked for her on Wednesday and then she picked both of us up and dropped us at a different work site on Thursday!

Our Thursday people, Mr. DE and Ms. SE, have allowed us to use their spare car for a couple of days (that's how we got home from their house after work on Thursday).  It's got over 300,000 miles on it, the check engine light stays on and it has to be watched closely so it doesn't overheat, but we are very thankful for it.

The storms on Wednesday didn't cause too much havoc over here where we live.

Christmas dinner has been ordered.

Bigger Girl is back for Christmas.

An important errand is partially done, and the rest is planned (dependent on transportation being available, of course).

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:

AKC/Royal Canin National Championships -- Orlando, FL, US (top dogs from around the world compete to see -- who really is top dog? through tomorrow)

Christmas Festival in Salvador -- Salvador, Brazil (one fun party, with many different activities, that begins around now, lasts until New Year's Day)

Clean Air Act Day -- US (passed this day 1963; a day to give thanks for the air we breathe)

Cookie Cutter Day

Daniel the Prophet's Day -- Orthodox Catholic Feast Day

December 17 Anniversary -- Tunisia

Feast of Babalu Aye -- Yoruba/Santeria (celebration of the healer of deadly diseases)

Feast of the Fairy Godmothers -- Fairy Calendar

Hagoita Ichi -- Sensoji Temple, Japan (sale of specially decorated paddles, called hagoita; through the 19th)

Icelandic Yuletide Lad of the Day, Askasleikir -- Bowl-licker, who hides under the bed and snatches bowls set on the floor to lick them clean

Kasuga Wakamiya Festival -- Nara, Japan (rarely performed traditional dances at a festival held every year since 1136)

National Day -- Bhutan

National Maple Syrup Day

Procession of Agnios Dionysios -- Zakynthos, Greece (one of the biggest festivals of the year, when the relics of this island's patron saint is honored)

Saturnalia begins (through Dec. 23) -- Ancient Roman Calendar (festival for Saturn, the planter god)

Sow Day -- Orkney Islands, Scotland (ritual slaughter of a sow for the Yule feast)

St. Lazarus of Bethany's Day

Take a New Year's Resolution to Stop Smoking -- Tanyrtss, the annual campaign goes through February; make the decision now to improve your life and health next year

Wright Brother's Day -- US

Anniversary Today:

Tiny Tim weds Miss Vicky, 1969

Birthdays Today:

Milla Jovovich, 1975

Duff Goldman, 1974

Sean Patrick Thomas, 1970

Mike Mills, 1958

Bill Pullman, 1954

Wes Studi, 1947

Eugene Levy, 1946

Chris Matthews, 1945

Ernie Hudson, 1945

Bernard Hill, 1944

Tommy Steele, 1936

Bob Guccione, 1930

William Safire, 1929

Willard Frank Libby, 1908

Arthur Fiedler, 1894

John Greenleaf Whittier, 1807

W. L. Mackenzie King, 1874

Joseph Henry, 1797

Deborah Sampson, 1760

William Floyd, 1734

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The Simpsons"(TV), 1989

Turner Broadcasting System(Cable TV Network), 1976

"El Pessebre"(Casals' Oratorio), 1960

"On The Beach"(Film), 1959

Today in History:

The Ostrogoths of King Totila conquer Rome by bribing the Byzantine garrison, 546

Sultan Nasir-u Din Mehmud's armies in Delhi are defeated by Timur, 1398

Pope Paul III excommunicates England's King Henry VIII, 1538

Go-Yozei becomes Emperor of Japan, 1586

Shimabara Rebellion: Japanese peasants led by Amakusa Shiro rise against daimyo Matsukura Shigeharu, 1637

Congregation Shearith Israel of NY purchases a lot on Mill Street in lower Manhattan, to build NY's first synagogue, 1728

France recognizes independence of English colonies in America, 1777

Aztec calendar stone discovered in Mexico City, 1790

NYC traffic regulation creates first 1-way street, 1791

Opening of the first legislative assembly of Lower Canada in Quebec city, 1792

The US state of Kentucky abolishes debtors prisons, 1821

General Ulysses S. Grant issues General Order No. 11, expelling Jews from Tennessee, Mississippi, and Kentucky, 1862

First performance of the Unfinished Symphony by Franz Schubert, 1865

Violent riots in Montreal, as workers demand work or bread,1875

France declares Madagascar a protectorate, 1885

George Brownell patents a machine to make paper twine, 1895

A first prize of 100,00 francs offered for communications with extraterrestrialsbut Martians are excluded - considered too easy, 1900

The Wright Brothers make their first successful flights, 1903

First flight of the Douglas DC-3 airplane, 1935

Ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and dummy Charlie McCarthy first appear on TV, 1936

The SALT I talks begin, 1969

Fernando Collor de Mello defeats Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the second round of the Brazilian presidential election, becoming the first democratically elected President in almost 30 years, 1989

SpaceShipOne flight 11P, piloted by Brian Binnie, makes its first supersonic flight, 2003

NASA completes a successful mission to map the Moon’s gravity field, 2012

French sailor François Gabart sets the round-the-world record for the fastest solo navigation of the globe in 42 days 16 hours, 2017

Astronomers announce they have identified the furtherest object in the solar system, 2018 VG18 (nicknamed Farout); it is 120 times further from the sun than Earth, 2018

Scientists announce they've been able to extract human DNA that is 5,700 years old from a piece of birch sap that was used as a type of chewing gum, 2019

China's Chang'e-5 mission successfully returns from collecting rock samples from the Moon, 2020

The news of the discovery of the first true millipede (Eumillipes persephone) with 1,000 legs found down a drill hole in Western Australia is published in "Scientific Reports", 2021