Civic Association Sign (Wordless Wednesday) and Words for Wednesday

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Linking up with Wordless Wednesday 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, the prompts are being provided by C. Lee McKenzie.     

This week's words are:

Gift

Surprise

Stubborn

Laughter

Generous

Flowers

and/or  

Yesterday

Lovely

Sprinkled

February

Husband

Marriage

"It's great to be back with you, kiddos, and especially in FEBRUARY, the month of love!"

Aunt Marigold had breezed in for a SURPRISE visit, "Just two days, kiddos, I have reservations in New Orleans, I've been invited to a Carnival Ball!  I haven't been to one of those in years!"

"It sounds like fun, Aunt Marigold," June said as Alan came in with cups of hot cocoa.

"They are, my dear, they're LOVELY.  Julius and I used to get an invitation to one once in so often, and if we could get there, we'd attend.  One year, it coincided with our wedding anniversary!  My, but that was an adventure."

"I don't believe I've heard that story," Alan said, handing the cocoa around.

"You know our MARRIAGE was a match made in Heaven, right?" Aunt Marigold had a faraway look in her eyes as she accepted her cup and both Alan and June thought they could detect the glint of a tear.

"I remember Uncle Julius as a very GENEROUS man.  Every time the two of you came back into the country to visit, there'd be a special GIFT for each one of us," Alan reminisced quietly.

"The year we were invited and it was on our anniversary, he made a huge deal of it, even more than usual.  Not just the regular carnival ball outfits, he commissioned a special matching set.  Not just a limousine to take us to the ball, but one strewn with my favorite FLOWERS all over the inside. He SPRINKLED jewelry all over me, I told him he wouldn't be able to see me for all the glint from the gems!   I remember like it was YESTERDAY, we danced and when the toast was made to the King and Queen of the ball, he quietly leaned over and said, 'You're my queen, you know.'

June and Alan sat quietly as Aunt Marigold stared past them, past everything, into the days when she danced with her first and only love.

With a sigh, Aunt Marigold continued.  "Of course, Julius  wasn't perfect any more than I am.  My HUSBAND could be STUBBORN on occasion.  But the LAUGHTER!  Oh, he was a great one to laugh.  That's what I miss the most.  When he was on duty as an ambassador he had to be very serious about his work, so when it was just the two of us, we made up for it in the laughing and enjoyment department."

All three of them sat and sipped their cocoa, each wrapped in their own thoughts.

"Alan, you do have a good Valentine's Day gift all picked out for June, don't you?"

"Yes, Aunt Marigold, and if you want, I'll show it to you tomorrow just to make sure you approve," Alan winked at June.

June piped up, "I have something special picked for him, too.  We even chose a menu to cook here at home, we both think it's much more cozy than trying to eat out on one of the busiest restaurant nights of the year."

"That's a grand idea!" Aunt Marigold smiled.

"I have an even better idea!" June said.  "How about if the three of us go out for a Valentine's Day dinner tomorrow, gifts and flowers and everything.  Beat the rush and celebrate together!"

"Kiddos, I don't want to butt into your Valentine's Day celebration!" Aunt Marigold started, but Alan jumped in.  "You aren't butting in!  I think it's a fabulous idea.  We'll still have our special menu dinner we'll cook together on the fourteenth, but I love the idea of all three of us celebrating together tomorrow."

"Please, Aunt Marigold?  Please?" June asked, making a funny pouty face, which Alan tried to imitate without much success, making them all laugh.

"You know what I think?" Aunt Marigold said, and before they could answer, she continued, "I think I have the best family in the world."

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Today is:

Feast of Apollo -- Ancient Roman Calendar

Narvik Sun Pageant (Vinterfestuka) -- Norway (annual festival held since ancient times to honor the sun goddess)

National Bagels and Lox Day

National DAV (Develop Alternative Vices) Day -- internet generated, in hopes that bad habits will be altered to positive coping mechanisms

National Read in the Bathtub Day -- yes, the day has its own Facebook page 

Pizza Pie Day

Remembrance for Eyvind Kinnrifi -- Asatru/Slavic Pagan (martyr)

St. Apollonia's Day (Patron of dentists; Achterbos, Belgium; Ariccia, Italy; Cuccaro Monferrato, Italy; against toothaches, tooth disease)

St. Maroun's Day -- Lebanon (Syriac Maronite Church of Antioch, an Eastern Catholic Church)

Tales of Kelp-Koli begin -- Fairy Calendar (through the 16th)

Toothache Day -- and someone thought this needed a day because...?  Okay, I guess because there is a patron saint for it.  Or against it.  However that works.

Weather Day -- US (founding of the US Weather Service)

Birthdays Today:

David Gallagher, 1985

Ziyi Zhang, 1979

Mena Suvari, 1979

Shakira, 1977

Travis Tritt, 1963

Charles Shaughnessy, 1955

Judith Light, 1949

Mia Farrow, 1945

Alice Walker, 1944

Joe Pesci, 1943

Carole King, 1942

Janet Suzman, 1939

Roger Mudd, 1928

Brendan Behan, 1923

Kathryn Grayson, 1922

Bill Veeck, 1914

Gypsy Rose Lee, 1914

Ernest Tubb, 1914

Carmen Miranda, 1909

David Dean Rusk, 1909

Ronald Colman, 1891

Amy Lowell, 1874

William Henry Harrison, 1773

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Falstaff"(Verdi Opera), 1893

"Venice Preserv'd"(Otway Play), 1682

Today in History:

The Synod of Breslau orders Jews of Silesia to wear special caps, 1267

The first recorded race meet in England in Roodee Fields, Chester, 1540

The British ex-premier Walpole becomes the Earl of Oxford, 1742

After no presidential candidate receives a majority of electoral votes in the election of 1824, the United States House of Representatives elects John Quincy Adams President of the United States, 1825

– The U.S. Weather Bureau is established, 1870

The first Japanese immigrants arrive in Hawaii, 1885

The Davis Cup competition is established, 1900

The first forestry school is incorporated at Kent, Ohio, 1909

Snow falls on Mauna Loa, Hawaii, 1922

Brazil becomes a member of the Berne Convention copyright treaty, 1922

Year-round Daylight saving time is re-instated in the United States as a wartime measure to help conserve energy resources, 1942

Joanne Woodward receives the first star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 1960

Jamaica becomes an independent nation within the Commonwealth of Nations, 1962

The Beatles make their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, performing before a "record-busting" audience of 73 million viewers, 1964

First test flight of the Boeing 747, 1969

Satchel Paige becomes the first Negro League player to be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, 1971

Space Shuttle astronauts Bernard A. Harris, Jr. and Michael Foale become the first African American and first Briton, respectively, to perform spacewalks, 1995

A storehouse of thirty Egyptian mummies is unearthed inside a 2,600-year-old tomb, 2009

Australian National University scientists discover the oldest known star at 13.6 billion years old, 2014

Storm Ciara has the unintended consequence of causing the fastest supersonic journey from New York to London by a British Airways Boeing 747-436; the plane reached speeds of 1,327 km/h / 825 mph and the trip took only 4 hours, 56 minutes, 2020

United Arab Emirates is the fifth entity to successfully orbit a probe around Mars, 2021

Because Little Girl Has a Sense of Humor (Wordless Wednesday) and Words for Wednesday

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Linking up with Wordless Wednesday 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, the prompts are being provided by Alex J. Cavanaugh and are posted by Elephant's Child.          

This week, the words are

guacamole

ninja

lollygag

malarkey

skedaddle

piffle

and/or

berserk

earwig

fiasco

gazebo

huzzah

nitwit

thingamajig

pandemonium

"Alan, June, it's wonderful to have you here, kiddos!"

Aunt Marigold had opened the door before they'd even knocked.  She was dressed in a muumuu and had an avocado in one hand.

"Well, don't just LOLLYGAG on the porch, come on in!" she opened the door wide.  "Your room is the second on the right down the hallway."

"Um, how did you know we were here?" June asked.  As much as she'd grown fond of Alan's eccentric aunt, she was still a bit nervous around her at times.

"I have NINJA skills!" Aunt Marigold grinned.  Then, "Actually, I saw you heading up to the porch through the kitchen window where I was making GUACAMOLE to go with supper.  You two run along and put your suitcases in your bedroom, and come talk to me in the kitchen.  We're going to have supper in the GAZEBO.  I was so glad to see this house had a wraparound porch and the gazebo, I thought, 'HUZZAH, suppers outdoors!' and I love dining al fresco."

Alan and June dutifully headed down the hall Aunt Marigold had pointed out, opening the door to the second bedroom on the right.  It was a spacious room and ensuite, tastefully decorated.  They took a few moments to look around, even stepping out onto the porch through the sliding glass door, and setting the suitcases in the large closet.

Back in the kitchen, Aunt Marigold was in fine fettle.  "I'm so glad you two are the first to arrive," she said.  "Hand me that THINGAMAJIG, would you Alan?"

"This potato masher?" he asked, and she responded, "Yes, that's the ticket."

"Aunt Marigold, we really want to thank you so much for hosting the family reunion," Alan said.

June added, "You've chosen a lovely place to rent for all of us, we appreciate it so much!"

"Oh, PIFFLE, it's nothing, kiddos!  I love having a reunion like this every few years, the family needs it.  This time, I didn't want any FIASCO like the time we tried a cruise together.  Don't get me wrong, cruises are great, but not with as many people as we have.  Alan, remember how we kept losing the cousins?"

"Yes, I remember."

"Those children can SKEDADDLE faster than anything you've ever seen, especially when they want to go sneak more ice cream.  Always up to some monkey-shines or MALARKY.  Speaking of, here they come!"

Another set of relatives arrived, followed closely by more -- a PANDEMONIUM occurred as cousins and aunts and uncles and parents and Aunt Marigold's brother, Alan's grandfather, all arrived in waves, lots of hugging and hellos and running around looking for bedrooms.

"How's my NITWIT big brother?" Aunt Marigold teased her brother as if they were still children. 

He grinned back at her, and said, "Careful, I might go find an EARWIG and chase you with it!"

"So I can go BERSERK?" she grinned back.  "Did I ever tell you younger ones about the time my brother chased me with one of those things, and what I did to get him back?"

Alan looked at his grandfather and great aunt, and responded, "No, but I am guessing we're going to hear a great story after supper!"

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Today is:

Amun in the Festival of Raising Heaven -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Dragobete -- Romania (lover's day, and the day birds choose a mate, also considered by locals as the first day of spring)

Flag Day -- Mexico

Giving of Shoes -- Fairy Calendar

Gregorian Calendar Day -- Gregory XIII issued the Papal Bull requiring Roman Catholics to adopt his calendar reform on this day; the effective date of adoption was to be Oct. 4, 1582

Inconvenience Yourself™ Day -- enrich your life by looking for ways to make a positive impact on the world, even if it inconveniences you 

Iseseisvuspaev/Independence Day -- Estonia(1918)

National Artist Day -- Thailand

National Tortilla Chip Day

N'cwala -- Zambia (Thanksgiving festival, celebrated with traditional dance, music, and specially brewed beer)

Nylon Toothbrush Day -- the first ones went on sale this date in 1938

Obnoxious Day -- probably started as a joke, the only ones who benefit from this day are the ecard companies

Regifugium -- Ancient Roman Calendar (flight of the king)

St. Æthelberht of Kent's Day (first Christian King of the Anglo-Saxons; some have his day listed tomorrow instead)

Teal Ribbon Day -- Australia (wear a teal ribbon, raise awareness of ovarian cancer) 

Anniversaries Today:

Hadassah is founded, 1912

Western Washington University is established, 1899

The American University is chartered by an act of the Congress of the United States of America, 1893

Birthdays Today:

Billy Zane, 1966

Kristin Davis, 1965

Eddie Murray, 1956

Paula Zahn, 1956

Steven Jobs, 1955

Alain Prost, 1955

Helen Shaver, 1951

George Thorogood, 1950

Edward James Olmos, 1947

Rupert Holmes, 1947

Barry Bostwick, 1945

Joe Lieberman, 1942

James Farentino, 1938

Renata Scotto, 1937

Michel Legrand, 1932

Mark Lane, 1927

Stephen Hill, 1922

Abe Vigoda, 1921

Chester W. Nimitz, 1885

Honus Wagner, 1874

Winslow Homer, 1836

Wilhelm Karl Grimm, 1786

Ibn Battutah, 1304

Emperor Toba of Japan, 1103

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Peer Gynt"(Play), 1876

"Rinaldo"(HWV 7), 1711

"L'Orfeo"(SV318), 1607

Today in History:

St. Francis of Assisi, age 26, receives his vocation in Portiuncula, Italy, 1208

In the first imperial coronation by a pope,Charles V is crowned by Clement V, 1530

Pope Gregory XIII, by decree, institutes what is now known as the Gregorian Calendar, correcting the older Julian Calendar, 1582

L'Orfeo by Claudio Monteverdi, one of the first works recognized as an opera, receives its première performance, 1607

The London première of Rinaldo by George Frideric Handel, the first Italian opera written for the London stage, 1711

The US Supreme Court first declares a law unconstitutional (Marbury v Madison), 1803

London's Drury Lane Theatre burns to the ground, leaving owner Richard Brinsley Sheridan destitute, 1804

The Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek, the first removal treaty in accordance with the Indian Removal Act, is proclaimed. The Choctaws in Mississippi cede land east of the river in exchange for payment and land in the West, 1831

William Otis of Pennsylvania patents the steam shovel, 1839

The first parade to have floats is staged at Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana, 1868

Andrew Johnson becomes the first President of the United States to be impeached, 1868

The SS Gothenburg hits the Great Barrier Reef and sinks off the Australian east coast, killing approximately 100, including a number of high profile civil servants and dignitaries, 1875

China and Russia sign the Sino-Russian Ili Treaty, 1881

Chicago is selected to host the Columbian Exposition, 1890

Rudolf Diesel receives a patent for the diesel engine, 1893

Hudson Motor Car Company is founded, 1909

National Public Radio is founded in the United States, 1970

The United States Olympic Hockey team completes their Miracle on Ice by defeating Finland 4-2 to win the gold medal, 1980

Buckingham Palace announces the engagement of The Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer, 1981

A special commission of the U.S. Congress releases a report that condemns the practice of Japanese internment during World War II, 1983

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini offers a USD $3 million bounty for the death of The Satanic Verses author Salman Rushdie, 1989

The last occurrence of February 24 as a leap day in the European Union and for the Roman Catholic Church, 1996*

Japan launches its fourth spy satellite, stepping up its ability to monitor potential threats such as North Korea, 2007

Fidel Castro retires as the President of Cuba after nearly fifty years, 2008

Final launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery, 2011

Pope Francis creates a second Secretariat within the Vatican and gives it the power to audit any Vatican agency at any time, 2014

The Journal of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences publishes a study of the first animal that doesn't need oxygen to breathe, a tiny parasite living in salmon tissue, 2020

*The Romans counted Feb. 24 twice in leap years, instead of adding Feb. 29; that continued in many places until 1996