Gallivanting in Galveston: Lovely Sunday

Sunday morning, i finally got to see the sunrise.  As soon as it was up, i ran back up to the condo to dress for church.

Yes, even on vacation.

Grace and i took Humphrey the Honda and went to Trinity Episcopal Church.  It is one of the older churches on the island, and survived The Great Storm.  The service was lovely, very traditional and liturgical in a way i don't get to celebrate very often, and i enjoyed it immensely.

After the service, we went to the parish hall for coffee and found out the current rector is only the 11th that the church has ever had in its history, and it was founded in the 1850s (if i'm remembering correctly, it was at least that long ago).

During the service, at the time for announcements, the rector called up a young lady from the local high school to talk about the food drive.  As it took her a couple of minutes to get up there, the rector said, "Yes, we have a very long aisle, you might keep that in mind when it's time to get married!"  It's always nice to have an officiant with a sense of humor.

The Hotel Galvez has a brunch on Sunday, so after church Grace and i went back for Sunny and Little Ninja, and we all enjoyed a leisurely, and quite lavish, meal.  Then we returned to the condo and changed out of our Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes and went to the other end of the island to the beach there.

Beaches here are different from the beaches at Perdido Key in Florida in a couple of ways.  The sand is darker, the water is a bit darker, and people actually are allowed to drive their vehicles out onto the beach itself.  They are also allowed to bring pets onto the beach, and it was such fun to watch the dogs having a great time with their families in the water.

It does remind me of NOLA in one thing.  Just as there "ain't no place to pee on Mardi Gras day," as the Benny Grunch song says, there are no places at the beaches here, either.  No nice little huts up by the ranger station.  If you aren't staying in a condo or other resort type area nearby, well, as Sweetie would say, tie a knot in it.

Sunday afternoons and evenings are supposed to be a bit lazy, and ours was.  When we got tired of the beach we returned to do laundry, then wandered over to a small restaurant walking distance from the resort for a light appetizer, and spent the rest of the evening playing a board game.

Today is:

Battle of San Jacinto Day -- Nicaragua

Cochabamba Day -- Cochabamba, Bolivia (festival of the founding of the city)

Eat a Hoagie Day

Eleven Days of Global Unity -- Day 4, Economic Justice (sponsored by We, the World)

Feast of the Triumph of the Cross/Elevation of the Life Giving Cross/Holy Cross Day -- Christian

Festivals and Matsuri of Japan -- several throughout Japan, today and for the next several, most as harvest festivals or traditional horseback archery rituals)
       including the O Sannomiya Autumn Festival, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Festival, Tono Matsuri, Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri, Tsurugaoka-hachimangu Reitasai, Yachi Donga Festival, and Furusato Hyappei Festival

Hug a Crabby Stranger Day -- okay, as long as i don't end up on the evening news

National Cream-Filled Doughnut Day

Nutting Day -- British Isles tradition, the hazelnuts are supposed to be perfectly ripe on this day

Peddler's Village Scarecrow Competition -- Lahaska, PA (through Nov. 1, with the big Scarecrow Festival this month on the 19th and 20th)

Pennsylvania RV & Camping Show -- Hershey, PA, US (the largest RV and Camper show in the world, with the first to days for industry only; through Sunday)

Pilgrimage to the Black Madonna of Einsiedeln -- Switzerland

Rosh Hashanah -- Judaism (began last night at sundown, through tomorrow at sundown)

St. Notburga's Day (Patron of agricultural workers, husbandmen, peasants, restaurant servers)

Unclear Ideas Display -- Fairy Calendar (Imps celebration)


Birthdays Today:

Amy Winehouse, 1983
Dan Cortese, 1967
Faith Ford, 1964
Wendy Thomas, 1961 (Namesake of Wendy's Hamburgers)
Mary Crosby, 1959
Sam Neill, 1947
Joey Heatherton, 1944
Nicol Williamson, 1938
Walter Koenig, 1936
Kate Millett, 1934
Harve Presnell, 1933
Zoe Caldwell, 1933
Constance Baker Motley, 1921
Clayton Moore, 1914
Stanley Ketchel, 1886
Margaret Higgins Sanger, 1879
Ivan Pavlov, 1849
James Wilson, 1742


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The Golden Girls"(TV), 1985
"The Waltons"(TV Series), 1972
"Ironside"(TV), 1967
"Have Gun Will Travel"(TV), 1957
"The Turn of the Screw"(Opera), 1954



Today in History:

Domitian becomes emperor of Rome upon the death of his brother Titus, 81
Harun al-Rashid beomes Abbasid Caliph upon the death of his brother, al-Hadi, 786
The first lighthouse in the US, in Boston, is lit, 1716
George Frederick Handel finishes "Messiah" oratorio, after working on it non-stop for 23 days, 1741
Napoleon occupies Moscow; fires begin that will not be fully extinguished for 5 days, 1812
Francis Scott Key witnesses the battle which inspires him to write "The Defense of Fort McHenry", later retitled "The Star Spangled Banner", 1814
George K Anderson of Memphis, Tennessee patents typewriter ribbon, 1886
President of the United States William McKinley dies after an assassination attempt on September 6, and is succeeded by Theodore Roosevelt, 1901
Groundbreaking for the United Nations headquarters in New York City, 1948
The Soviet probe Luna 2 crashes onto the Moon, becoming the first man-made object to reach it, 1959
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is founded, 1960
The first American saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton, is canonized by Pope Paul VI, 1975
President-elect of Lebanon, Bachir Gemayel, is assassinated, 1982
Joe Kittinger becomes the first person to fly a hot air balloon alone across the Atlantic Ocean, 1984
The Toronto Blue Jays set a record for the most home runs in a single game, belting 10 of them, 1987
Kiribati, Nauru and Tonga join the United Nations, 1999
Historic National Prayer Service held at Washington National Cathedral for victims of the September 11 attacks; a similar service is held in Canada on Parliament Hill, the largest vigil ever held in the nation's capital, 2001
In a referendum, Estonia approves joining the European Union, 2003
NASA reveals the Space Launch Program to replace the Space Shuttle program, 2011

Gallivanting in Galveston: Rain and Shine

What are the rules at the beach in Galveston?  Well, there is this set of rules posted in the lobby of the building where we are staying:

Good vacation rules, especially if you like puns.  Which i do.

Has the weather cooperated with the plans we made?  Not completely.

While the sun was rising in the east:

Sunrise -- while the rain was falling!

A storm was blowing up in the west:

Wind and storm clouds coming up from the west.

And it was quite a corker of a wind, it set the deck chairs sliding:

The deck chairs did a lovely sliding dance right into the water!

This did not stop us from driving in to Houston and touring the home of Ima Hogg, and having some lovely meals together, and meeting Fivecat and Mr. Fiver's two dogs, and doing what we love best, talking and chatting and catching up with each other.

Rain or shine, and we had both at varying times during the day, it was a lovely Thursday.

Today is: 

Arcola Broom Corn Festival -- Arcola, IL, US (includes a parade; through Sunday)

Boonesborough Days -- Boonesboro, MD, US (living history, food, antiques, and a celebration of the original spelling of the town's name; through tomorrow)

Chadds Ford Days -- Chadds Ford, PA, US (Brandywine Valley traditional art celebration; through tomorrow)

Day of Remembrance/Patriot Day -- US (all flags at half staff)

Discontinued Thoughts Exhibition -- Fairy Calendar

Eleven Days of Global Unity -- Day 1, Unity (sponsored by We, the World) 

Emergency Number Day/National 911 Emergency Day -- US

Festival of the Vine -- Geneva, IL, US (celebrating the flavors of fall, especially good food and wine from around the world; through Sunday)

Fiesta de Santa Fe -- Santa Fe, NM, US (festivities include the burning of the Zozobra -- Old Man Gloom effigy -- on the first night, so bring your personal gloom written down before the burning, and watch it be destroyed, then enjoy one of the oldest fiestas in the US; through Sunday)

Fiesta Nacional de Cataluna -- Catalonia, Spain (National Day of Catalonia)

Goroka Show -- Goroka, Papua New Guinea (a cultural festival and showcase of over 100 clans and tribes and their customs; through Sunday)

Great Canadian Beer Festival -- Victoria, BC, Canada (through tomorrow)

Jinnah Day -- Pakistan (Founder's Day)

Libraries Remember Day -- encouraging libraries, which preserve knowledge and heritage, promote tolerance, and represent all that is the antithesis to terrorism, to remain open the entire 24 hours of this day as symbol of freedom, tolerance, and hope

Make Your Bed Day -- make your mom happy!

National Day of Service and Remembrance/Patriot Day -- US 
National Hot Cross Buns Day

Nayrouz -- Coptic Orthodox Church (Coptic new year and day of confessors) related observances
     Enkutatash -- Ethiopia
     Keddus Johannes -- Eritrea (a/k/a Geez New Year)

No News is Good News Day

Norwalk Seaport Oyster Festival -- Norwalk, CT, US (vintage ships, crafters, entertainment, oysters, and a Kids' Cove; through Sunday)

Ohio River Sternwheel Festival -- Marietta, OH, US (a three day riverfront extravaganza)

One Arm Dove Hunt -- Olney, TX, US (a one-of-a-kind event, begun by two Texas politicians from Olney who were both amputees, they and the town of Olney invite every amputee or person who has lost use of a hand or arm to come to "The Friendliest Town West of the Mississippi River" for Texas food, fun, a glove swap, musical entertainment, one arm jokes and tales, one arm golf tournament, the famous 10 cents a finger breakfast, a Cow Chip Chunk'n, Amputee Vs. Politician, and the big dove hunt; through tomorrow)

Pohnpei Liberation Day -- Micronesia

Popeye Picnic -- Chester, IL, US (celebrate everyone's favorite cartoon sailor in the town where his creator, E.C. Segar, was born; through Sunday)

Puyallup Fair -- Puyallup, WA, US (one of the top ten fairs in attendance in the world; through the 27th)

Queen Paola's Birthday -- Belgium (an official flag day)

Sacrifice to Zeus Epoptes -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate)

South Carolina Apple Festival -- Westminster, SC, US (through Saturday)

St. Sperandea's`Day (Patron of Cingoli, Italy)

St. Vincent of Leon' Day (Patron of Cercemaggiore, Italy)

Teacher's Day -- Argentina


Anniversaries Today:

Diocletian New Year
Remembrance of 9/11/2001


Birthdays Today:

Harry Connick, Jr. 1967
Moby, 1965
Virginia Madsen, 1963
Kristy McNichol, 1962
Amy Madigan, 1951
Donna Lopiano, 1946
Lola Falana, 1943
Tom Dreesen, 1942
Brian DePalma, 1940
Paul "Bear" Bryant, 1913
D.H. Lawrence, 1885
O. Henry, 1862


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Little House on the Prairie"(TV), 1974
"The Rookies"(TV), 1972
"The Carol Burnett Show"(TV), 1967
"The Queen's Messenger"(TV, first drama ever broadcast), 1928
Jenny Lind, the "Swedish Nightingale"(first US performance), 1850


Today in History:

Battle of Teutoburg Forest ends, 9
Michimalonko leads indigenous warriors to attack and destroy Santiago, Chile, 1541
Alexander Hamilton is appointed first US Secretary of the Treasury, 1789
The Hope Diamond is stolen along with other French crown jewels when six men break into the house used to store them, 1792
Stephen Foster's well-known song, Oh! Susanna, is first performed at a saloon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1847
Jenny Lind, the "Swedish Nightingale", gives her first US concert, 1850
The Olympia Columbian becomes the first newspaper published north of the Columbia River, 1852
The postal mail chute is patenteted by James Cutler, 1883
Mahatma Gandhi coins the term "Satyagraha" to characterize the Non-Violence movement in South Africa, 1906
The Quebec Bridge's central span collapses, killing 11, 1916
Hurricane Carla strikes the Texas coast as a Category 4 hurricane, the second strongest storm ever to hit the state, 1961
U.S. President Jimmy Carter, President Anwar Sadat of Egypt, and Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel meet at Camp David and agree on the Camp David Accords, 1978
Hungary announces that East German refugees there are free to leave for West Germany, 1989
Hurricane Iniki, one of the most damaging hurricanes in United States history, devastates Hawaii, especially the islands of Kauai and Oahu, 1992
September 11 terrorist attacks on the US, 2001
The State of Israel claims completion for its unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip, 2005
Russia tests the largest conventional weapon ever, the Father of all bombs, 2007
The U.S. Consulate in Benghazi is attacked by terrorists, 2012

Gallivanting to Galveston in Six Sentences

Sighing, i knew i wouldn't get any more sleep when i woke at 3am, so i went through my usual morning routine and got to the shelter early, a good thing with two rooms and two kitten cages on isolation and the medication page longer than i'd ever seen it.

By the time i got finished feeding, watering, medicating, and changing or scooping the litter boxes in the whole place, i went home to put my bags into Humphrey; i had decided against packing before going to the shelter because i like to leave food in an ice chest for the shortest time possible, even if it is in an air conditioned car.

The clock in the car read exactly noon when i pulled out, and i knew it would be about five hours of driving, plus a ferry ride, if the traffic cooperated, which it did.

Sweetie only called me seven times, and since he has scheduled the A/C repair for today that the warranty company will cover, and since he also got the garbage and recycling out, i'm not going to keep counting.

Except for the car that almost ran into me just as i was getting on the interstate less than a mile from home, the drive down was uneventful, the ferry ride was fun -- i'd never driven onto a ferry before -- and i pulled into the parking lot at the place we are staying just in time to see Little_Ninja and Sunny finishing up with emptying their car.

Later that evening, after Fivecat and Mr. Fiver joined us for the dinner Grace prepared, walking on the dark, beautiful Galveston beach, i knew the circumstances of the last few days haven't been the best, but that moment, right then, everything was perfect.

Linking up with Uncharted Blog and Six Sentence Stories, where the cue is "Perfect."

Today is

Dia del Nino -- Honduras (Children's Day)

Feast of San Gennaro -- New York, NY, US (an 11 day street fair centered around Little Italy and its Patron Saint, Gennaro, whose feast day is the 19th; includes a Mass and parading of the Saint's statue on the final Saturday of the celebrations)

Harvest Home Nibbling Contest  -- Fairy Calendar (Gremlins)

Heritage Open Days -- UK  (What's on your doorstep?  Go find out, explore for free places that often charge admission or are not usually open to the public, castles to cottages to battlefields, all over the country; through the 13th) 

Jeune Genevois -- Geneva, Switzerland (Geneva festival, dating back to the 16th century)

Longs Peak Scottish/Irish Highland Festival -- Estes Park, CO, US (wonderful celebration of the heritage of the Highlands and Ireland; through Sunday)

Marion Popcorn Festival -- Marion, OH, US (performances by nationally renowned entertainers, races, parade, arts and crafts, and more popcorn than you could ever shuck; through Saturday)

National Day -- Gibraltar

National Day of the Working Parent -- US (can't find a sponsor, but it's listed on several sites as the 2nd Thursday of September)

Rettir -- Iceland (around this time of year; a traditional sheep round up celebrated in Iceland during September and int October, actual round up dates may vary from region to region)

Saint George's Caye Day -- Belize (National Day)

Sewing Machine Day -- date of issuance of an early sewing machine patent, to Elias Howe; some sites call this "Sew Be It! Day"

Swap Ideas Day -- Robert L. Birch of Puns Corp wants people to explore ways in which their ideas can be put to work to benefit all humanity and develop incentives to encourage using our creative imaginations

St. Finian's Day (Patron of Ulster, Ireland)

St. Nicholas of Tolentino's Day (Patron of animals, baby, dying people, mariners/sailors, sick animals; Albi, Italy; Cabanatuan, Philippines; Guimbai, Philippines; Lambuna, Philippines; Mati, Philippines; Tandag, Philippines; Toentino, Italy)

Teacher's Day -- China

Toronto International Film Festival -- Toronto, ON, CA (through the 20th)

TV Dinner Day

United Tribes International Pow-Wow -- Bismark, ND, US (over 70 Native American Tribes represented at the major cultural event; through Sunday)

World Suicide Prevention Day

Yellow Daisy Festival -- Stone Mountain, GA, US (annual arts and crafts festival and fun; through Sunday)


Birthdays Today:

Guy Ritchie, 1968
Clark Johnson, 1964
Randy Johnson, 1963
Colin Firth, 1960
Amy Irving, 1953
Joe Perry, 1950
Judy Geeson, 1948
Jose Feliciano, 1945
Stephen Jay Gould, 1941
Karl Lagerfeld, 1938
Charles Kuralt, 1934
Roger Maris, 1934
Arnold Palmer, 1929
Rin Tin Tin, 1918
Fay Wray, 1907
Adele Astaire, 1896
Elsa Schiaparelli, 1890
Franz Werfel, 1890
Ian Fleming, 1888
Isaac Kauffman Funk, 1839
Marie Laveau, 1801
Carter Braxton, 1736

Louis IV of France, 920


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The X Files"(TV), 1993
"Gentle Ben"(TV), 1967
"The Road Runner Show"(TV), 1966
"Gunsmoke"(TV), 1955
"Benvenuto Cellini"(Berlioz opera), 1838


Today in History:

The Battle of Marathon takes places between the forces of the Persian Empire and those of Athens, BC490*
An earthquake known as "The Lesser Judgment Day" hits Istanbul, 1509
John Smith is elected president of Jamestown, Va., Colony Council, 1608
Nathan Hale answers the call of George Washington for a volunteer spy, 1776
Simón Bolívar is named President of Peru, 1823
Elias Howe is granted a patent for the sewing machine, 1846
George Mary Searle discovers the asteroid 55 Pandora, 1858
Lincoln Highway, the first paved coast-to-coast road in the US, opens, 1913
Austria and the Allies sign the Treaty of Saint-Germain recognizing the independence of Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, 1919
20 African-American students enter public schools in Alabama, 1963
Hamida Djandoubi, convicted of torture and murder, is the last person to be executed by guillotine in France, 1977
Switzerland, traditionally a neutral country, joins the United Nations, 2002
The Large Hadron Collider at CERN, described as the biggest scientific experiment in history is powered up in Geneva, Switzerland, 2008

*actual date disputed, but it was the 9th day of the 9th moon on their calendar

Gallivanting to Galveston: Do i or don't i?

Well.

Today i was supposed to be able to post a Wordless Wednesday picture of my packing skills.  Thanks to Grandpa, i have stealth ninja packing skills, and can stuff things in places where you didn't know there were places.

Life happened, as it often does.

Sweetie got laid off from work yesterday.  Then the A/C people came and figured out what the problem has been all this time.  Two months now, and we finally know.

Most of the time, this particular problem is not covered by the warranty company.  After waiting several hours, and calling more than once and holding for about 45 minutes each time, and then getting cut off when someone finally answered so i had to call back and hold again, the verdict was in.

Because it took the repair company three visits to figure out what was wrong, it will be covered, except the freon (or whatever they are using these days).

Yesterday was spent sweating buckshot over whether i was even going to be able to go on my trip, after all the planning and buying gumbo ingredients and everything.  If we'd had to pay for the repair, i would have had to stay home.

So, no pictures of my packing skills, in which i could show you how i can get everything, (almost) including a kitchen sink, into a Honda.

Which Honda, by the way, Sweetie also locked the keys into yesterday, necessitating a call to Pop-a-Lock.

When life happens around here, it's in spades.

Anyway, the repair to the A/C, instead of hundreds, will be manageable because of the warranty company, in spite of how long it took them to determine this and how long it took me to actually get a human on the phone at their company to confirm this fact.

Thus today, i am packed and everything is in Humphrey the Honda, and i'm cleaning the shelter, and leaving when it's all done.

Galveston, by G-d's grace, here i come!

Today is:

Blessed Father Jacques Leval Day -- Mauritius (physician turned priest who lived among and ministered to the poorest of the poor in Mauritius; people of all faiths make a pilgrimage to his tomb today)

Bonza Bottler Day

Chrysanthemum Day or Kiku no Sekku -- Japan

Day of the Victims of Holocaust and of Racial Violence -- Slovakia

Defeat of Jesse James Days -- Northfield, MN, US (a bank raid reenactment, plus parade, races, rodeo, and more; through Sunday)

Farmers and Threshermens Jubilee -- New Centerville, PA, US (steam engines, threshing the old fashioned ways, and fun; through Sunday)

Festivity of Our Lady of Aranzazu -- Oñati, Basque

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day -- spreading the word about the very preventable problem of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders 

Independence Day -- Tajikistan

Karasu-zumo -- Kamigamo-jinja Shrine, Kyoto, Japan (a distinctive local festival where the Shinto priests imitate crows)

Liberation Ceremony -- Petange, Luxembourg

Milk-Bathing Festival -- Fairy Calendar

National Day -- North Korea(1948)

National Sports Day -- Indonesia

National Steak Au Poivre Day

Peach Days Celebration -- Brigham City, UT, US (delicious peaches and family fun; through Saturday)

St. Peter Claver's Day (Patron of African missions, inter-racial justice, race relations; Colombia; Lake Charles, LA; Shreveport, LA; Witbank, South Africa; against slavery)

Synaxis of Ss. Joachim and Anna -- Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches

Teddy Bear Day -- internet generated, but since it's so much fun to have one, celebrate your old friend

Wienerschnitzel Day

Wonderful Weirdos Day -- we all have a few in our lives, they remind us to be true to ourselves, so thank them today; sponsored by Wellcat Holidays


Anniversaries Today:

California becomes the 31th US State, 1850


Birthdays Today:

Michelle Williams, 1980
Michael Buble, 1975
Goran Visnjic, 1972
Rachel Hunter, 1969
Adam Sandler, 1966
Hugh Grant, 1960
Mario Batall, 1960
Angela Cartwright, 1952
Michael Keaton, 1951
Tom Wopat, 1951
Joe Theisman, 1949
Billy Preston, 1946
Otis Redding, 1941
Sylvia Miles, 1934
Cliff Robertson, 1925
James Hilton, 1900
Colonel Harland Sanders, 1890
Alf Landon, 1887
Leo Tolstoy, 1828
William Bligh, 1754


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Welcome Back, Kotter"(TV), 1975
"Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids"(TV), 1972
Imagine(Lennon album release), 1971


Today in History:

William I, The Conqueror, dies in a horseriding accident, 1087
The New England colonies declare war on the Wampanoag Tribe, 1675
The first steam engine arrives in the US colonies, 1753
The first recorded black to graduate from a US college, Alexander Lucius Twilight, receives a BA from Middlebury College, 1817
Charles Durant, the first US aeronaut, flies a balloon from Castle Garden, NYC to Perth Amboy, NJ, 1830
The first plate glass photograph is taken by John Herschel, 1839
California becomes the 31st state and the territories of New Mexico and Utah are created, 1850
The Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works is finalized, 1886
Orville Wright makes the first one hour plane flight, 1908
J. Verdrines becomes the first person to fly at over 100mph, 1912
First actual case of a computer bug being found: a moth lodges in a relay of a Harvard Mark II computer at Harvard University, 1947
Hurricane Betsy makes its second landfall near New Orleans, Louisiana, becoming the first hurricane to do over $1billion in actual unadjusted damages, 1965
The four-day Attica Prison riot begins, 1971
The Palestine Liberation Organization officially recognizes Israel as a legitimate state, 1993
At exactly 01:46:40 UTC, the Unix billenium is reached, marking the beginning of the use of 10-digit Unix timestamps, 2001
The "Ophel Treasure", about 1,400 years old, is discovered near the foot of Temple Mount in Jerusalem, 2013

A to Z: G is for Going!

Every year, i go on what i call my "yearly sanity retreat."

It all began when an online friend i had never met invited anyone who wished to come to visit her in Albuquerque on a particular autumn weekend several years ago.  She planned things we could do together, including a public place to meet up for the first time, and i made further plans to stop in San Antonio where another member of our message board lived, and for the two of us ride the rest of the way together.

Since then, we have met up every year in a different place.  Any member of our board is welcome, and some of us have made it every year.  Each year, also, we've gotten to meet some people who couldn't come before.

It's been wonderful getting to know these people as friends in real life.  It makes me so glad i took the chance, stepped out, and went that first year.

We are now in the planning stages of this year's S-fest, as i call it.  S for sanity, because this get away each year, getting me away from the usual routines and getting a break, has been a life and sanity saver for me.

While there was talk of the Pacific Northwest this year, we have chosen Galveston instead, and we are shooting for the Portland area in 2016.  It gives me more time to plan and save up for the longer trip.

No, i've never been there; i've been all up and down most of the Gulf Coast, but never to Galveston.  We can hardly wait to go.

And while i'm on the letter G, i will share that i was a big gobsmacked by something Bigger Girl told me yesterday.  Yes, this happens often.

"Mom, do we have any plans for the weekend?" she asked.

Not that i know, i answered.

"Good!" she exclaimed.  "It seems I'm going to be going clothes shopping, helping a couple of friends of a friend who are cross dressers pick out new wardrobes.  They want to learn how to dress fashionably without giving people the wrong impression.  Don't ask how I got caught up in this one, it's complicated."

Yes, i can believe it's complicated, and no, i won't ask.

Today is

Aerosol Day -- John D. Lynde receives a patent for an early aerosol dispenser on this day in 1862

All is Ours Day -- an internet holiday to remind us of what we do have

Buddah's Birthday -- Mahayana Buddhism in Japan (based on Gregorian Calendar, other Buddhists use a different dating system)
     Hana Matsuri Flower Festival

Counter Stool Memorial Day -- when was the last time you got to sit on the stool at a diner counter and spin?  if you can find such a place, go take a spin today

DAB(Draw a Bird) Day -- a movement begun in Britain in the 1940's, encourages everyone to draw a picture of a bird, and share it with friends

Feast of the Hummingbird -- Ancient Aztec Calendar (date approximate)

Hammerin' Hank Day -- anniversary of his 715th homer in 1974, breaking Ruth's record

International Day of the Roma -- a celebration of Romani culture

Invocation of Lumps and Cysts -- Fairy Calendar (Goblin Celebration)

Milk in Glass Bottles Day -- prior to this day in 1879, milk was sold in the container you brought with you to the seller

National Empanada Day

Sealing the Frost -- Guatemala (Cuchumatan Indians ritual to protect their corn from frost; date approximate, always early in April)

St. Julie Billiart's Day (Patron against bodily ills, disease, and poverty)

Trading Cards for Grown-Ups Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays, and i got this out of my system dealing with Pokemon cards when my kids were young

Tutor Appreciation Day -- because some people need that extra boost

Zoo Lovers' Day -- go support your local zoo


Anniversary Today:

Voyageurs National Park established, Minnesta, US, 1975



Birthdays Today:

Kirsten Storms, 1984
Katee Sackhoff, 1980
Patricia Arquette, 1968
Robin Wright, 1966
Julian Lennon, 1963
John Schneider, 1960
Gary Carter, 1954
James Augustus “Catfish” Hunter, 1946
Stuart Pankin, 1946
Kofi Annan, 1938
Seymour Hersh, 1937
Shecky Greene, 1926
William D. Chase, 1922
Carmen Mcrae, 1920
Betty Ford, 1918
Sonja Henie, 1912
Mary Pickford, 1893
O. Raymond Knight, 1872
William Williams, 1731
Lewis Morris, 1726


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Falsettos"(Musical), 1992
"Twin Peaks"(TV), 1990
"White Horse Inn"(Musical), 1931
"The Bolt"(Shostakovich ballet), 1931 *Note: sometimes translated as "The Arrow"
"La Gioconda"(Ponchielli opera), 1876


Today in History:

Sultan Baybars conquers the Krak des Chevaliers in Syria, 1271
The first Jewish congregation in the US forms the Shearith Israel synagogue in NYC, 1730
The first fire escape, a wicker basket on a rope and pulley system, is patented, 1766
The statue Aphrodite of Milos (Venus de Milo) is discovered on the Aegean island of Melos, 1820
John D. Lynde patents the aerosol dispenser, 1862
William Ewart Gladstone introduces the first Irish Home Rule Bill into the British House of Commons, 1886
The first recorded college basketball game occurs in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, 1893
Longacre Square in Midtown Manhattan is renamed Times Square after The New York Times, 1904
Auguste Deter, the first person officially diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease, dies, 1906
The last meeting of the League of Nations is held, 1946
Hammerin' Hank Aaron hits his 715th home run, beating Babe Ruth's record, 1974
Retired tennis great Arthur Ashe announces that he has AIDS, acquired from blood transfusions during one of his two heart surgeries, 1992
The Republic of Macedonia joins the United Nations, 1993
The construction of the world's first building to integrate wind turbines is completed in Bahrain, 2008
The U.S. Department of Justice admits that it has probed WikiLeaks-related Twitter accounts, defending the practice and dismissing privacy and freedom of speech concerns, 2011
Wikileaks released 1.7 million U.S diplomatic and intelligence documents from 1973-1976 when Henry Kissinger was U.S. Secretary of State, 2013