Feline Independence (Feline Friday) and Friendly Fill-Ins

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Feline Friday was started by Steve, The Burnt Food Dude, and i'm going to believe it's because he likes cats.

He handed hosting off to Sandee at Comedy Plus, and she did a fabulous job, but she's stepping back and now i'm going to be trying my hand at it.

Wish me luck!

Feline Friday is simple to join.  All you have to do is:  Post a picture, drawing, cartoon or video of a cat (they may be silly or cute).  Then link up on my Feline Friday page or right here on my Friday post.

One thing for sure this is a fun and easy meme to do, so come and join us in Feline Friday.

What better way to start the weekend than with a feline!

For my first time hosting, i decided to feature two very independent cats at the shelter and post the story of how that was discovered.

Sydney is our resident escape artist.

Khaleesi was adopted from us and returned through no fault of her own.  She's a spicy cat, meaning she only wants affection on her terms and she's not good with children.

Often cats are introduced to each other at the shelter to see if they can get along in one colony room, so we can have another room for other cats.

They tried to introduce Sydney and Khaleesi.

These are the new notations on the board.

Like i said, they are independent!

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Friendly Fill-Ins are easy to do. There are four statements: the first two statements are provided by Ellen of 15AndMeowing, and the final two are offered by Lorianne The Menagerie Mom of Four-Legged Furballs. They try to make sure the statements will be fun to both answer and share. The linky will be posted at or about 12:00 AM on Friday. Please head over to one of their sites, link up, and share your thoughts!      

Here are this week's statements with my responses underlined:

1. January is a good month to _________.

2. My favorite kind of pizza is _________.

3. The new year just began and I'm already _________.

4. My typical weekend involves _________.

1. January is a good month to   enjoy the not baking temperatures.

2. My favorite kind of pizza is   vegan pizza, thus veggies.

3. The new year just began and I'm already   car juggling again.

4. My typical weekend involves   work at Grandma and Grandpa's and church (my respite and solace).

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Today is:

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.)

Full Wolf Moon -- the wolves howl hungrily during this cold month, sometimes called the Old Moon or the Yule Moon; some of the following celebrations began yesterday evening

     Duruthu Full Moon Poya Day -- Sri Lanka

     Mahayana New Year -- Buddhist

     Pyatho Full Moon -- Myanmar (traditionally the time of equestrian festivals)

     Thorrablot/Thurseblot -- Ancient Norse Calendar (feast honoring Thor, guardian of Midgard, at the first full moon of the new year)

     Thaipusam/Thaipoosam Cavadee -- Tamil People; Malaysia; Mauritius (Tamil Hindu multi-day celebration of the birth of the god Murugan)

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