The Calendar Says Christmas, the Weather...(Wordless Wednesday) and Words for Wednesday

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Linking up with Wordless Wednesday, Catsynth, and Sandee at Comedy Plus.     

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Words for Wednesday was begun by Delores and has become a moveable feast of word or picture or music prompts to encourage us to write stories, poems, or whatever strikes our fancy.    

This month, Wisewebwoman  is providing the prompts and they will appear on River's blog.

This week's words/prompts are:

1.daffodils  

2.bluebirds  

3.trench  

4.dentist

and/or: 

1.creek  

2.window  

3.ballroom  

4.mask

Charlotte's colour of the month is Thrash Pink, if you choose to use it.

use either list or both, or mix and match, just have fun.

How, she thought to herself, did I get here?

Here, at that moment physically, meant walking past a DENTIST office and the Arthur Murray Dance Studio where they taught what she thought of as BALLROOM dancing, while across the street was the store that had seen better days, featuring a rather garish Thrash Pink Christmas tree in the WINDOW.

She'd always wanted to live in the country.  She wanted to be somewhere with a CREEK down below the house, DAFFODILS and BLUEBIRDS in the meadows, room for a garden, not passing the same older man in the same TRENCH coat he'd worn since forever, on her way to the same uninspiring job which paid just enough to get by.

But, for heaven's sake, don't let the boss know you feel this way, or he'll be glad to get another worker.  Put on your "nice girl" MASK and do the job and save your pennies, and maybe someday, maybe somehow, something better will come along.

Hope's a slender thread, but you need something to hold to.

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Today is:

Adam the Patriarch & Eve the Matriarch's Day -- Catholic Christian (Adam, Patron of gardeners and tailors; Eve, Patron of tailors)

Aofangadagskvold -- Iceland (arrival of the 13th and final Yule Lad)

     Icelandic Yuletide Lad of the Day, Kertasnikir -- Candle-beggar, who, as children did before light bulbs, wants the treat of a precious candle, and will steal one if he can

Bonfires on the Levee -- Louisiana, US (began among the Cajuns, now a big celebration for everyone, lighting the way for Papa Noel)

Calendas -- Oaxaca, Mexico

Celtic Tree Month Beth (Birch) commences

Christmas Eve

Constitution Day -- Transdniestra

Declaration of Christmas Peace -- Old Great Square of Turku, Finland's official Christmas City

Feast of the Seven Fishes (La Vigilia) -- Italy (traditional serving of seven kinds of seafood at dinner)

Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols -- King's College Chapel, Cambridge University, Cambridge, England (special Christmas Eve performance by the Choir of King's College held since 1918)

Icelandic Traditional Calendar Month Morsugr "Fat Sucker" begins -- Iceland (referring to the daily fare becoming scant in deep winter and body fat is used up)

Independence Day -- Libya(1951)

Kolada -- Asatru/Slavic Pagan Calendar (various celebrations of the gods until Dec. 31)

Last Minute Shoppers Day

Mistletoe Time -- traditional day on which to hang the mistletoe

Modresnach -- Germanic/Scandinavian/Anglo-Saxon Odinist festival celebrating midwinter and motherhood (date approximate)

National Egg Nog Day

Noche Buena -- Spain and Spanish speaking countries

Remember to Read the Instructions First Night -- when assembling the kids' toys, of course

Silent Night, Holy Night Celebrations -- Austria (in honor of the hymn's composition in 1818)

St. Trasilla's Day (Patron of single laywomen)

Tolling the Devil's Knell -- All Saints Parish Church, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, England (the church bell tolls once for each year since the birth of Christ, signaling when the Devil's demise was heralded)

T'owd 'oss -- Richmond, North Yorkshire, England (A tradition of dressing in hunting clothes and blowing the hunting horns on Christmas Eve.)

Yap Constitution Day -- Micronesia (regional)

Zerowork Season begins -- seriously, unless you work in retail, how much work really gets done between now and New Year's Eve at your office?

Birthdays Today:

Ryan Seacrest, 1974

Stephanie Meyer, 1973

Ricky Martin, 1971

Diedrich Bader, 45, 1966

Anil Kapoor, 1959

Mary Higgins Clark, 1929

Ava Gardner, 1922

Howard Hughes, 1905

Johnny Gruelle, 1880

Matthew Arnold, 1822

James Prescott Joule, 1818

Kit Carson, 1809

Debuting/Premiering Today:

The Aristocats(Disney animated film), 1970

"Amahl and the Night Visitors"(Opera, first performance and the first opera ever televised), 1951

"The Perry Como Show"(TV), 1948

"Aida"(Opera), 1871

Today in History:

The Byzantine church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is dedicated for the second time after being destroyed by earthquakes, 563

Thomas Wolsey is appointed English Lord Chancellor, 1515

Kiritimati, also called Christmas Island, is "discovered" by James Cook, 1777

"Silent Night" is composed by Franz Joseph Gruber; it is first sung the next day, 1818

The Eggnog Riot at the United States Military Academy begins that night, wrapping up the following morning, 1826

Fire devastates the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., destroys 35,000 volumes, 1851

Henry Ford completes his first useful gas motor, 1893

Irving Fisher patents an archiving system with index cards, 1912

The first radio transmission of NCRV in Netherlands, 1924

NORAD Tracks Santa for the first time in what will become an annual Christmas Eve tradition, 1955

Shooting begins on "The Cage" the pilot for the Star Trek series, 1964

The crew of Apollo 8 enters into orbit around the Moon, becoming the first humans to do so, 1968

Cyclone Tracy devastates Darwin, Australia, 1974

The first European Ariane rocket is launched, 1979

For the first time since the death f Lenin, the bells of St. Basil's Cathedral, on Red Square in Moscow, ring to celebrate Christmas, 1990

The Spanish police thwart an attempt by ETA to detonate 50 kg of explosives at 3:55 p.m. inside Madrid's busy Chamartín Station, 2003

A video of SpaceX's latest test (on December 17) of the company's Grasshopper rocket with vertical takeoff and vertical landing, is released; the rocket rose 131 feet, hovered and landed safely on the landing pad, 2012

Northern and Northeastern China have a record cold spell, breaking Beijing's 1951 record for consecutive hours of sub-zero temperatures, reaching more than 300 hours, 2023

NASA's Parker Solar probe makes a record-breaking approach to the Sun, coming within 3.8 million miles (6 million kilometers) of the star, 2024

All He Wants for Christmas is Sleep, a Random and Happy Tuesday 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.  

And food.  At least, it seems that way for Carl.  Sleep and food are the two driving forces in his life, at least much of the time.

He was on his way to the sleep chair and setting his alarm, i noted he wanted to be up at 9:20.  That is cutting it a bit close for being at work by 11, considering how long it can take him to get ready and especially to have breakfast, but he usually makes it, so i just go along for the ride.

There were messes.  It's obvious he's been stressed with longer hours at work this month than he's used to.

Then there's the fact we've had weather jumping from shorts weather to scraping ice off the car weather, all in the same week, and it's a recipe for disaster.

The disaster came.

This is what happens when one of those hand warming packets comes open in the washing machine because someone doesn't check his pockets.  All the clothes were wet and technically "clean," but not so much.

It's not easy shaking most of this stuff off of his clothes outdoors and then rewashing everything, 

but it's hard to get angry at a 40-plus-year-old big kid who not only leaves keys, antacids, and hot hands pads in his pockets, but also bubbles.

He's found his blue vest.

Carl has also lost another lid for yet another Styrofoam cooler.  He's got two left, and i'll snag another soon at the shelter, they throw them away if i don't take them for him.

Hello, dryer ball, where have you been the past few months?

They were down to 3, and now we're back up to six.  Where some of them go in between times is anyone's guess, as i do check Carl's room pretty thoroughly.

And there's no way i'm saving this underwear.

Eventually the laundry was going, the bathroom was clean so he could use it, and Carl roused from his slumber about five minutes before his alarm went off.  He came in, showered, and came out of the bathroom muttering about how he wanted granola.

There was no granola, but there was plenty of food for breakfast and he took full advantage.

As far as lunch goes, however,

pickings in his fridge were slim.  Most of this was small amounts of this and that, something he'll snack on when at home but not fit for sending to work.

As i packed his meal for work he said, "Plenty of snacks!"

Do you want a sandwich or a frozen dinner? i asked.

"Dinner," he said, handing me the one he chose from the freezer.  Then he again said, "Plenty of snacks!  I'm there late."

He had the dinner, plus six separate and distinct snacks.  It should hold him out.

While having breakfast, he waxed eloquent about his best friend's wedding over the weekend.

"The food was so good!" he kept saying.

Leaving for work was his usual rush, but i did make him stop and take his rain poncho, since there was a chance of at least a shower or two.

Meanwhile, he wants sleep, and plenty to eat, for Christmas.   For the rest of us, how about some funnies.

Have a blessed and beautiful Tuesday, everyone!

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Today is:

Birthday of the Queen Silvia -- Sweden (an official flag day)

Children's Day -- South Sudan; Sudan

Day of Acca Larentia -- Ancient Rome, Republic and Empire (earth goddess and protectress who raised Romulus and Remus)

Festivus -- For the Rest of Us!  (The holiday introduced on the episode of Seinfeld that aired 12/18/97; have some meatloaf, decorate with an unadorned aluminum pole, have a "Feats of Strength" contest and an "Airing of Grievances"!)

Icelandic Yuletide Lad of the Day, Ketkrokur -- Meat-hook, who will lower a hook down the chimney and snatch a bit of meat if he can, especially if you are cooking lamb for St. Porlakur(Thorlac)

Igler Bergweihnacht -- Igls, Austria (charming nativity parade starring the children of this small town near Innsbruck)

Learn Metric Day -- US (passage of the Metric Conversion Act of 1875)

National Pfefferneusse Day -- don't forget the Puderzucker!

Noche de Rabanos (Night of the Radishes) -- Oaxaca, Mexico (part of the lead up to Christmas, bring out your best carved radish!)

Popcorn Popping Day -- so you can string it on the tree, of course

Porlaksmessa, Feast of St. Thorlaker/Thorlac -- Iceland (Patron saint, though never officially recognized by the Holy See)

Roots Day -- as you gather with family during the season, don't forget to sit with elder relatives and learn about your family's past

Secret of the Unhewn Stone -- Celtic Calendar (Only day on their calendar not governed by a tree month)

St. John of Kanti's Day (Patron of Lithuania, Poland)

St. Servulus' Day (Patron of the disabled/physically challenged; against paralysis)

St. Victoria's Day (Patron of Anticoli Corrado, Italy)

Two Days To Go Day

Victory Day -- Egypt (a/k/a Suez Victory Day)

Anniversary Today:

Establishment of the US Federal Reserve System, 1913

Birthdays Today:

Corey Haim, 1971

Carla Bruni, 1967

Eddie Vedder, 1964

Carol Ann Duffy, 1955

Susan Lucci, 1946

Harry Shearer, 1943

Akihito, 1933

Robert Bly, 1926

Gerald O'Loughlin, 1921

Jose Greco, 1918

Madame C.J. Walker, 1867

Connie Mack, 1862

Harriet Monroe, 1860

Joseph Smith, Jr., 1805

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Hoffmeyer's Legacy(Film; 1st with Keystone Kops), 1912

Today in History:

Byzantine-Arab Wars: Under the future Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, Byzantine troops stormed the city of Aleppo, recovering the tattered tunic of John the Baptist, 962

St Philip of Moscow martyred by Ivan the Terrible, 1569

Giovanni Cassini discovers Rhea, a satellite of Saturn, 1672

John Flamsteed observes Uranus without realizing it's undiscovered, 1690

The Continental Congress negotiates a war loan of $181,500 from France, 1776

Benedict Arnold court-martialed for improper conduct, 1779

"A Visit from St Nicholas" by C. Clement Moore is published in the Troy (NY) Sentinel (Now usually titled " 'Twas the Night Before Christmas"), 1823

The opera Hänsel und Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck is first performed, 1893

The first all-steel passenger railroad coach completed, in Altoona, Pa, 1907

The first hospital ship built to move wounded naval personnel is launched, 1919

Alice H Parker patents gas heating furnace, 1919

Discovery of the first modern coelacanth in South Africa, 1938

The transistor is first demonstrated at Bell Laboratories, 1947

Dedication of Tokyo Tower, the world's highest self-supporting iron tower, 1958

The North Tower of the World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York City is topped out at 1,368 feet (417 m), making it the tallest building in the world, 1970

A 6.5 magnitude earthquake strikes the Nicaraguan capital of Managua killing more than 10,000, 1972

The 16 survivors of the Andes flight disaster are rescued after 73 days, having survived by cannibalism, 1972

Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, lands at Edwards Air Force Base in California becoming the first aircraft to fly non-stop around the world without aerial or ground refueling, 1986

In a referendum, 88% of Slovenia's population vote for independence from Yugoslavia, 1990

An 8.1 magnitude earthquake hits Macquarie Island in the Southern Ocean, 2004

Volcanic activity alerts are issued in Chile and Argentina, in areas near the Copahue volcano, after it started to spew ash, 2012

The United Nations Security Council adopts a landmark resolution demanding a halt to all Israeli settlement in Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, 2016

The top leadership of the Miss America Organization resigned amid a scandal over emails in which pageant officials had ridiculed past winners, 2018

Zambia abolishes the death penalty, effective immediately, 2022

In an 8,230-mile journey which took 518 days, Ugandan-English runner and human rights activist Deo Kato (37) completes his trek from Cape Town, South Africa to London, England to highlight the story of human migration, 2024