Cars, Trucks, and Vans (Ten Things of Thankful)

Saturday means it's time to count blessings again, and this week we got the remainder of what we were owed from the car accident back in March.  We still miss Humphrey the Honda, it was such a reliable car, just the right size, and good on gas mileage. 

Thinking of Humphrey got me to thinking about other cars, and i thought i would list the cars from my past and the good memories i have of them, and the cars we have now, as i am thankful for all of them.

The first car i remember was my parents' old station wagon.  Those were so much fun!  Riding in the back, no thought of buckling in, playing and have a great time bouncing around the seats.  Not at all safe, but we had no idea of that, we just enjoyed the ride.

The first car i spent a lot of time driving was the big, yellowish Lincoln Town Car.  (Grandpa insisted all of us learn to drive a big car, so we would be able to handle any size of vehicle.)  It was quite a learning experience, and i used to be terrified of big bridges over rivers.  That's not a good thing when you live near the Mississippi River and end up having to cross it at least once in a while.  One day, i decided i was going to get over my fear, so i took that huge Lincoln on the Huey P. Long Bridge in New Orleans.  That's the old bridge, built for Model T cars, not today's vehicles.  It also has a railroad trestle down the middle of it.

Not only did i make it across the river and back in that behemoth of a vehicle, i passed a lorry on the way.  Never again have i been afraid of crossing a river.

Once i was good enough at driving, i was given a modest sized Mercury Cougar to use to go back and forth to high school and to work, and just to do teen stuff.  Good times in that vehicle, i got to drive my friends around, playing red-light fire drill, going to the mall, just hanging out.  Several of my friends didn't have a vehicle available, and when it was time for us to get our graduation dresses (it was a Catholic school, all girls, and we had to have white formals for graduation), we stuck together and shopped and shopped and shopped until we all had what we needed.

My college years it was the yellow Volvo.  They are supposed to be so safe and reliable, but as grateful as i am for the transportation it provided, i guarantee that thing was in the shop at least once every three to six months.  It was safe, though -- when someone hit me from the back, his car was totaled, and my only damage was the muffler fell off.

The green van was a family vehicle that we used for vacations and going to university football games and events and i drove it a good bit when i was learning along with the Lincoln.  We all liked it, and were very sad the day my brother was driving it and the engine began to smoke.  He pulled over, got everyone out, and opened the hood.  The fire department came and put out the fire.

While we were sorry to see the green van go, we were very excited about the larger, high top van that replaced it.  We called it the Fan Van, as it was in school colors, and we got to continue to go to university events and family vacations in it.  Eventually Sweetie ended up driving it to work for several years before it just wore out

Sweetie and i had a red Toyota Tercel that i really liked and a small Toyota truck when we first started having children.  (The truck we eventually gave to his brother, who drove it until it gave up on him.)   The Toyotas were among the best cars we've had, and we even managed to eventually cram three car seats into the back of that Tercel.  All good things must come to an end, though, and when the fourth child came along, it was time for our first minivan.

That minivan was a used Ford Aerostar, and i eventually called it the Angel Van.  Not the best minivan in the world, but it ran and ran and got me and the kids where we needed to go for a long time.  When we decided to buy a larger van very cheap from a relative, i knew a friend up the street needed a van.  Because i had no clue if the Ford would keep running or not, i just gave it to them, no charge.  That's when i started calling it Angel Van, it ran for them for over a year, then they gave it away to another neighbor and it went for almost two more years.  It astounded me that it went that long.

The larger van that replaced Angel Van was a huge, gas-guzzling gray Ford.  It was the one i drove through a hurricane.  #1 Son had gotten his license by then, and was driving an old vehicle of Grandma's.  He was staying at a friend's house, and in the middle of a hurricane decided he wanted to drive home.  He flooded the car out, and was stranded under the overhang of a closed gas station.  Sweetie had been called in to work because the hotel was leaking.  That left me in the high-top gray van to drive through hurricane force winds, dodging hanging street lights and downed power poles and trees to get to him.  We made it, and i am grateful i've never had to drive during a hurricane again.

The Jalopy is my current ride.  We've had her for about 9 years now, and she has been used and abused, taught the three younger kids to drive, and hauled all of my cleaning supplies until she has more miles than i care to keep up with.  She has had to have the engine and the transmission replaced, but the rest of her seems indestructible.  She's the one that Little Girl ran into the front of the house and collapsed one wall and pushed another wall out.  The only thing Jalopy got from the incident was a few more scratches.

Sweetie loved his Humphrey the Honda.  It was, as noted, a great car until someone on a phone ran a stop sign.

We now have Lunceford the Land Yacht in Humphrey's place, and as much as i like Lunceford, it's just not the same.  Sweetie does enjoy the smooth ride, and i will admit it's like driving a twin of the Lincoln i learned driving in.

Lots of years, lots of cars, and i'm grateful we have had and continue to have vehicles in which to travel.  Also i have not mentioned the children's vehicles, this list would get too long.

If you have a list of thankful things, why not write them up and link up with the wonderful Ms. Josie's Ten Things of Thankful.  It's always a good day to be thankful.

Today is:

A Community Affair -- Menomonee Falls, WI, US (country lunch, arts, crafts, and collectibles, quilt raffle, juried art show, and more)

Apple Day -- U.K. (to inspire local orchard revival and celebrate local varieties) 

Antillean Day -- Bonaire; Curacao; Saba; St. Eustatius 

Armed Forces Day -- Honduras (Dia de las Fuerzas Armadas)

Autumn Historic Folklife Festival -- Hannibal, MO, US (Tom Sawyer's hometown celebrates the heritage and traditions of the 1800s; through tomorrow)

Babbling Day -- an internet generated day for Blatherskites

Bridge Day -- New River Gorge Bridge, Fayetteville, WV, US (world's biggest extreme sports event)

Caramel Apple Day -- US (leave it to the US to add sugar to a delicious, nutritious snack!)

Count Your Buttons Day -- whoever came up with this one needs to count his marbles maybe?

Deutsch Country Days -- Marthasville, MO, US (authentic recreation of early German life in Missouri; through tomorrow)

Egyptian Naval Day -- Egypt

Garbanzo Bean Day

Global Iodine Deficiency Disorder Prevention Day

Humble Yourself By Having Your Picture Made Wearing A Bicycle Helmet Day -- no comment

Hurricane Bebe Day -- Funafuti, Tuvalu (commemoration of the destruction by this hurricane in 1972)

Independence Day -- Marshall Islands(1986)

International Day of the Nacho -- Mexico; U.S.

Jailhouse Rock Day -- Elvis' song hit #1 today in 1957

Monster Mash Day -- Bogue Falaya Park, Covington, LA, US (annual fundraiser for the St. Tammany Parish Hospital Parenting Center, with a day of fun for everyone)

Nagoya Festival -- Nagoya, Japan (biggest festival in the city; through tomorrow)

National Nurses Day -- Thailand

National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day

Old Farmers Day -- Loranger, LA, US (through tomorrow; learn how farmers used to live)

Overseas Chinese Day -- Taiwan (Republic of China)

President Ndadaye Day -- Burundi

Quincy Preserves Fall Architectural Tour -- Quincy, IL, US

Reptile Awareness Day -- hooray for snakes and turtles!  and lizards, don't forget lizards, and gators, and...

Romp in the Swamp Fun Walk -- Appleton, WI, US (plus hayrides, face painting, an outdoor movie, animal shows, a campfire with s'mores, and more)

Seeking of King Look Under Your Mattress -- Fairy Calendar

Saint Mary's County Oyster Festival -- Leonardtown, MD, US (oysters served every style; through tomorrow)

St. John of Bridlington's Day (Patron against complications in childbirth)

St. Ursula's Day (Patron of educators/teachers, holy death, schoolchildren, students; British Virgin Islands; Catholic education, especially of girls; Cologne, Germany; University of Paris)

Sweetest Day -- begun by Herbert Birch Kingston, a candy company employee who decided it would be wonderful to distribute candy to the sick, shut-ins and orphans in Cleveland, OH; today is the day to do something for someone that makes him/her say, "Oh, that is so sweet!"

The NILE (Northern International Livestock Exposition) -- MetraPark, Billings, MT, US (rodeo, trade show, horse clinics, and livestock sales; through next Saturday)

Trafalgar Day -- British Empire (noted, but no longer an officially holiday)

World Toy Camera Day -- now with a Flickr page 

Anniversaries Today:

Juan Peron marries actress Evita (María Eva Duarte), 1945

Birthdays Today:

Jeremy Miller, 1976

Ken Watanabe, 1959

Carrie Fisher, 1956

Benjamin Netanyahu, 1949

Elvin Bishop, 1942

Judge Judy Sheindlin, 1942

Frances Fitzgerald, 1940

Ursula K. LeGuin, 1929

Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford, 1928 

Celia Cruz, 1925

Joyce Randolph, 1925

Dizzy Gillespie, 1917

Georg Solti, 1912

Edwin Myers "Ted" Shawn, 1891

Will Carleton, 1845

Alfred Nobel, 1833

Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 1772

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Butterflies are Free"(Play), 1969

"Orphee aux enfer/Orpheus in the Underworld"(Offenbach operetta), 1858

Today in History:

Sultan Kilidj Arslan of Nicea defeats 1st Crusaders, 1096

Martin Luther joins the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg., 1512

Ferdinand Magellen arrives at Tierra Del Fuego (Pacific Ocean), 1520

Sea battle at Dunes, Lt Admiral Maarten Tromp defeats Spanish Armada under De Oquendo, 1639

First display of the word "Liberty" on a flag, raised by colonists in Taunton, Massachusetts and which was in defiance of British rule in Colonial America, 1774

US Navy frigate Constitution, Old Ironsides, launched in Boston, 1797

Battle of Trafalgar, Adm Nelson defeats French & Spanish fleet & dies, 1805

The Penang Free School is founded in George Town, Penang, Malaysia, by the Rev Hutchings. It is the oldest English-language school in Southeast Asia, 1816

Joseph Aspdin patents Portland cement (Yorkshire England), 1824

Thomas Edison perfects carbonized cotton filament light bulb, 1879

First transatlantic radiotelephone message, Arlington, Va to Paris, 1915

Women are allowed to vote in France for the first time, 1945

Comet Ikeya-Seki approaches perihelion, passing 450,000 kilometers from the sun, 1965

The European Patent Institute is founded, 1977

The metre is defined at the seventeenth General Conference on Weights and Measures as the distance light travels in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second, 1983

Images of the dwarf planet Eris are taken and subsequently used in its discovery by the team of Michael E. Brown, Chad Trujillo, and David L. Rabinowitz, 2003

The European Parliament awards Cuban Dissident Guillermo Farinas the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, 2010

A crammed full Thursday post.

"What are we going to do?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, running her hands through the gray strands of her hair, something she always did when she was worried.

"I don't know," he answered dully.  "Even if we do manage to get either my bad knees or your bad hip up into the attic again and get the Djinn bottle, what could we do with it?  There's no way either of us could take the trip to get it to that temple he says we'd need to go to, we've waited too long."

He added, "Alternately, even if we could just get up there to the attic, not even bother to try such a trip, would we wish for things to return to the way they were before we found him, just to keep our grandson from finding him?"

"Even if we could," she replied, "no matter what, the good we've gotten from having that bottle has much outweighed the bad, so no, I could never wish to go back!"


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

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Gosia, of Looking for Identity, has taken over Good Fences, and it's now Good Fences Around The World.  Post a picture of a fence or gate, link back to her blog, and go visit others to see what interesting fences there are out in this big world.

The fence that separates where my friend Di lives from the neighbors.

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Mini Sanity-fest, day one, was yesterday.  Sweetie called me five times before i even reached the state border, including to tell me that someone ran a stop sign in front of him and he couldn't stop in time.  She received the ticket, and he is stuck with no Humphrey the Honda (two days after we got the tires replaced so it would pass inspection!) until we get a police report and we can fight with her insurance company.

There were other occurrences (the lady at the bank gave him too much change, we had to go back and give her the extra so her drawer wouldn't come up short), so by the time i got done with work and got the rental and got to the Mobile area to meet up with DiDreaming, i was toast.

No, i can't put the day in order, but i did make it to church for Ash Wednesday.  The service was so crowded i will bet next year they have it in the sanctuary instead of the chapel.

Today DiDreaming and i drive the rest of the way to meet up with our friends!


Today is:

Adwa Victory Day -- Ethiopia

Feast of 'Ala (Loftiness) -- Baha'i (first full day of the 19 day fast)

Feast of Tou Tei -- Macau (earth god; celebrated on the second day of the second lunar month, so if i've mixed up the date in Gregorian, i'm sorry, i tried)

Florida Strawberry Festival -- Plant City, FL, US (celebrating the winter strawberry harvest, this year's theme is "We're Playing Your Song"; through Mar. 12)

Going Forth of Set, Son of Nut -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Highway Numbers Day -- US (a joint board of state and federal highway officials created the first uniform system for numbering interstate highways, as well as standardizing design of road signs, in 1925)

James Ronald Webster's Birthday -- Anguilla

March Nymph's Parade -- Fairy Calendar

Midnight at the Oasis -- Yuma, AZ, US (nostalgic festival featuring cars and music of the 50s and 60s; throughy Sunday)

National Banana Cream Pie Day

National Conference on Education -- New Orleans, LA, US (three day conference sponsored by the American Assn. of School Administrators) 

NEA's Read Across America Day -- on or near Dr. Seuss' birth anniversary; "Grab Your Hat and Read with the Cat"

Old Stuff Day -- if you are doing the same old stuff, think about how you can change that

Peasants' Day -- Myanmar

St. Chad of Mead's Day (Patron of St. Chad's College of the University of Durham in England; Birmingham, England; Lichfield, England)

Texas Independence Day -- Texas, US (anniversary of declaration of independence from Mexico in 1836)

University Mental Health and Wellbeing Day -- UK (to focus on ensuring the positive wellbeing of people with mental health difficulties)

World Book Day -- UK and Ireland (most other countries celebrate this on April 23; www.worldbookday.org for more information)


Anniversary Today:

Mt. Rainier National Park is established, 1899


Birthdays Today:

Henrik Lundquist, 1982
Bryce Dallas Howard, 1981
Chris Martin, 1977
Daniel Craig, 1968
Jon Bon Jovi, 1962
Ken Salazar, 1955
Laraine Newman, 1952
Karen Carpenter, 1950
Eddie Money, 1949
Lou Reed, 1944
John Irving, 1942
Mikhail Gorbachev, 1931
Tom Wolfe, 1931
John Cullum, 1930
Doc Watson, 1923
Jennifer Jones, 1919
Desi Arnaz, 1917
Martin Ritt, 1914
Mel Ott, 1909
Theodore Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss), 1904
Bedrich Smetana, 1864
Carl Schurz, 1829
Melissa Burton Coray, 1828
Sam Houston, 1793
Juvenal, 54


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Bubbling Brown Sugar"(Musical), 1976
The Sound of Music(Film), 1965
"Bus Stop"(Play), 1955
King Kong(Film), 1933
Morning Chronicle(London daily newspaper), 1769


Today in History:

The Loves of Mars and Venus becomes the first ballet performed in England, 1717
A semaphore machine that will speed communication is introduced in Paris, 1791
The US Congress outlaws the import of slaves, 1897
The Republic of Texas declares its independence from Mexico, 1836
Aleksandr Romanov becomes the tsar of Russia, 1855
Tsar Aleksandr outlaws serfdom in Russia, 1861
The Convention of Constantinople is signed, guaranteeing free maritime passage through the Suez Canal during war and peace, 1888
In New York City the Martha Washington Hotel opens, becoming the first hotel exclusively for women, 1903
The original film version of King Kong premiers, 1933
Captain James Gallagher lands his B-50 Superfortress Lucky Lady II in Fort Worth, Texas after completing the first non-stop around-the-world airplane flight in 94 hours and one minute, 1949
The first automatic street light is installed in New Milford, Connecticut, 1949
In Toulouse, France the first test flight of the Anglo-French Concorde is conducted, 1969
Rhodesia declares itself a republic, breaking its last links with the British crown, 1970
The Pioneer 10 space probe is launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida with a mission to explore the outer planets, 1972
Czech Vladimír Remek becomes the first non-Russian or non-American to go into space, when he is launched aboard Soyuz 28, 1978
CD players and discs are released for sale for the first time outside of Japan, 1983
Twelve European Community nations agree to ban the production of all chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) by the end of the century, 1989
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, San Marino, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan join the United Nations, 1992
Data sent from the Galileo spacecraft indicates that Jupiter's moon Europa has a liquid ocean under a thick crust of ice, 1998
In his book 'Jesus of Nazareth Part II', Pope Benedict XVI exonerates the Jewish people for the responsibility of the death of Jesus, 2011
New findings from the University of Leicester indicate decreasing sitting time by 90 minutes each day can result in major heath advantages, including reducing the risk of Type II Diabetes, 2013

Silly Sunday: Driver's Seat

Silly Sunday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus.

Silly Sunday is the place to come for weekly laughs.  The rules are simple, just have fun.

This is a great opportunity to get to know other bloggers and have a laugh or two in the process.

Here is how it works: Laugh and Link Up!
1. Post a joke.
2. Link Up with the URL to your joke in the Linky Tools Widget.
3. Read my joke.
4. Leave a comment to tell me how much you enjoyed my joke.
5. Try and visit a few others participating in Silly Sunday.
6. Go to Sandee's site, linked above, and get the Silly Sunday code for your blog, too!

For a couple of months, i've been getting mail about Sweetie's Honda, Humphrey.  It seems there is a recall on poor Humphrey, something to do with the airbags exploding.

When the latest missive came, i handed it to Sweetie and told him to call his favorite Honda dealer and ask about making an appointment.  After all, a recall repair costs nothing but can take forever, so you have to make an appointment and plan to be there a while.

After the call he said, "I'll take it in on January 2, and by the way, it's only the passenger airbag that's affected, if it blows up, it can kill you."

Then i guess i will be driving when we are both in the car until it's repaired, right? i asked, barely holding a straight face.

He looked at me, and we both laughed as he said, "Oh, so I see how it is now!  You want to be rid of me!"

Boudreaux be braggin' 'bout how he can teach anyone to drive in jes' ten minute time.

"How you goin' be doin' dat?" Clothile ax.

"Mais," say Boudreaux, "it be a crash course!"






Today is:

Apple Gifting Day

Bad Hangover Day -- but only for some (she says, trying not to look too virtuous)

Birth of Moonhopper -- Fairy Calendar

Black Nazarene Fiesta -- Philippines (through the 9th)

Bonza Bottler Day

Buckle-Up Day -- the first US mandatory seat belt law went into effect in New York on this day in 1985

Carnival Day/Grand Parade of Trouples -- Saint Kitts and Nevis

Constitution Day  -- Italy

Daydreamers' Day -- take time out today to dream, on paper, what you want this year to hold

Day of the Establishment of the Slovak Republic -- Slovakia

Days of Volos -- Slavic Pagan Calendar (a time to be thankful to the god Volos for pets and farm animals; through the 6th)

Eighth Day of Christmas

Feast of the Circumcision of Christ -- Eastern Orthodox Church

Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus - Orthodox Christian; Lutheran

First-Foot Day -- make sure an auspicious or good person is the first to set foot in your home for the New Year

Foundation Days -- Taiwan (a/k/a Republic Day, celebrated through tomorrow)

Gantan-sai (New Years) -- Shinto

Get A Life Day -- now even the internet is urging you to use the New Year wisely

Grandfather Frost Day -- Russia; Ukraine (Ded Moroz; an equivalent of Santa Claus who visits on New Year's Day and delivers the gifts in person with his granddaughter, the Snow Maiden, and fighting off Baba Yaga the witch who tries to steal them; in some areas, he comes on "Old Christmas Day", in about a week)

Hangover Handicap Run -- Couer d'Alene, ID, US (an early morning run, saluting the night before by giving out beer can trophies)

Horan Enya -- Bungo Takada City, Japan (ceremony for safety at sea and large catches)

Independence Day -- Haiti(1804); Sudan

International Get Over It Month -- urging you to let the past go and move forward

Kaapse Klopse -- Cape Town, South Africa (Minstrel Carnival, with parties and parades through February; main parade tomorrow at midday)

Kalends of January -- Ancient Roman Calendar; also
     Agonalia (giving dates, figs, and honey to Janus, and gifts to family members)
     Day Sacred to Janus, Juno, and Jupiter
     Festival for Aesculapius (god of healing)
     Festival for Vedovus (god of the spirits of ancestors)
     Sacrifice to Fortuna Day (Sacrifice something to the goddess of Fortune so she will give you a good year.)

Kwanzaa, Day 7, Imani (faith)

Liberation Day -- Cuba (a/k/a Triumph of the Revolution)

London New Year's Day Parade -- London, England (one of the best New Year parties in the world)

Mary, Mother of God -- Catholic Christian (Feast of the Solemnity of Mary, Octave Day of Christmas)

Mummer's Parade -- Philadelphia, PA, US

National Bloody Mary Day -- um, didn't you get enough of that last night?!

National Tree Planting Day -- Tanzania

New Year's Day

New Year's Dishonor List Day -- Lake Superior State University announces the misused and overused words from the previous year which should be banished from the Queen's English

Polar Swim Day / Polar Bear Swim / Polar Bear Plunge -- various locations throughout Canada, Netherlands, and US

Restoration Day of the Independent Czech State -- Czech Republic

Sacrifices to the Wind Gods -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate)

Scout's Day -- Burma (celebration of Boy Scouts and Girl Guides in Burma)

Shogatsu -- Japan (New Year, most important holiday of the year)

Shusho-e Matsuri -- Buddists in Japan go to temple on the first day of the year for a special ceremony

Snake Eyes Day -- no, i won't, it's too obvious

Sovereignty Day -- Iraq

St. Basil's Day / Basil the Great -- Eastern Orthodox (Patron of education, exorcisms, hospital administrators, Liturgists, monks, reformers, and of Russia and Cappadocia; bringer of gifts and inspector of livestock in Greece)

St. Clarus' Day  (Patron of tailors)

St. Zedislava Berka's Day  (Patron of difficult marriages, people ridiculed for piety)

Tewa Turtle Dance -- Tewa Native Americans (celebration of life and the first Creation; through the 4th)

Vienna New Year's Concert -- Vienna, Austria

Year of History, Heritage, and Archaeology -- Scotland (a year of celebrating the World Heritage Sites, ancient monuments, historic battlefields, listed buildings, cultural traditions, myths, and legends that proudly tell the history of Scotland!)

Z Day -- for all the people whose names begin with Z and always have to wait to be last; sponsored by Tom Zager


Anniversary Today:

Establishment of Bryce Canyon National Monument, UT, US, 1923
Ellis Island opens, 1892


Birthdays Today:

James McAvoy, 1979
Verne "Mini-Me" Troyer, 1969
Michael Imperioli, 1966
Kathleen Casey, 1946
Don Novello, 1943
Helmut Jahn, 1940
Frank Langella, 1940
B. Kliban, 1935
J. D. Salinger, 1919
Hank Greenberg, 1911
Barry Goldwater, 1909
Xavier Cugat, 1900
J. Edgar Hoover, 1895
E.M. Forster, 1879
Betsy Ross, 1752(O.S.)
"Mad Anthony" Wayne, 1745(O.S.)
Paul Revere, 1735


Debuting/Premiering Today:

Profiles in Courage(publication date), 1956
Modern Times(Film), 1936
Traveler's Checks(first issued by the London Exchange Banking Company), 1772


Today in History:

The Julian Calendar takes effect for the first time, BC45
Origin of the Christian Era, 1
The last gladiator competition in Rome, 404
Muhammad sets out toward Mecca with his army, 630
Jews of Sicily are no longer required to attend conversionist services, 1430
Portuguese navigators become the first Europeans to see the Guanabara Bay, which they thought was the mouth of a river and first called Rio de Janeiro (River of January), 1502
Scotland begins its numbered year on January 1 instead of March 25, 1600
German astronomer Simon Marius first sees Jupiter's moons (he did not report them, though, Galileo did, on July 10 of the same year), 1610
Samuel Pepys makes his first diary entry, 1660
The first traveler's cheques go on sale in London, for use in 90 European cities, 1772
The Irish Parliament votes to join the Kingdom of Great Britain, forming the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 1801
The dwarf planet Ceres is discovered by Giuseppe Piazzi, 1801
Emperor Gia Long orders all bronze wares of the Tay San Dynasty to be collected and melted into nine cannons for the Royal Citadel in Hue, Vietnam, 1803
Haiti gains independence from France (National Day), 1804
Import of slaves into the US is banned, 1808
The first homestead under the Homestead Act claimed, near Beatrice, Nebraska, 1863
Japan begins using the Gregorian Calendar, 1873
England's Queen Victoria proclaimed empress of India, 1877
Twenty-five nations adopt Sanford Fleming's proposal for Standard Time and Time Zones, 1885
The first Tournament of Roses is held in Pasadena, California, 1900
The British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia federate as the Commonwealth of Australia, 1901
Vancouver, BC starts driving on the right side of road, 1922
Turkey adopts the Gregorian calendar: December 18, 1926 (Julian), is immediately followed by January 1, 1927 (Gregorian), 1927
Emperor Hirohito of Japan announces he is not a god, 1946
The European Community is established, 1958
United States Navy SEALs established, 1962
The Internet's Domain Name System is created, 1985
The first British mobile phone call is made by Ernie Wise to Vodafone, 1985
A single market within the European Community is introduced, 1993
The North American Free Trade Agreement comes into effect 1994
The World Trade Organization goes into effect, 1995
The European Central Bank is established, 1998
The Euro currency is introduced in 11 countries, 1999
Euro banknotes and coins become legal tender in twelve of the European Union's member states, 2002
Taiwan officially joins the World Trade Organization, as Chinese Taipei, 2002
The Open Skies mutual surveillance treaty officially comes into force, 2002
Sydney, Australia swelters through its hottest New Years Day on record. The thermometer peaked at 45 °C (113 °F), sparking bushfires and power outages, 2006
Bulgaria and Romania officially join the European Union. Also, Bulgarian, Romanian, and Irish become official languages of the European Union, 2007
Malta and Cyprus officially adopt the Euro currency and become the fourteenth and fifteenth Eurozone countries, 2008
Estonia officially adopts the Euro currency and becomes the seventeenth eurozone country, 2011

Tuesday Coffee Chat: Updates

Rory Bore at Ink Interrupted hosts the Tuesday Coffee Chat, and this week her topic is,  You can take these November chats to update about your personal task for the month, or;   share a Currently post:  what you're reading, listening, watching, eating, wearing, etc. 






An update on my task:  Yes, i am doing my language lesson every day.  Am i getting better at it?  That's a great question.  Eventually i will need to start trying talking to people or listening to radio or something, see how much i am actually picking up.  At least i am studying.

Currently, i am also on track to have all of my Christmas cards addressed in plenty of time.  My Hanukkah cards are also ready, and a Thanksgiving card for a special friend who moved away this year.

Sweetie took Humphrey the Honda to Kevin and Lenny yesterday to have him checked out for road-worthiness.  The only problem was a weak battery, so Humphrey now sports a brand new one.  Knowing we've done what we could to keep trouble at bay eases my mind.

Mom, mom!  We found some wrapping paper!  Can we wrap something?

Today is when i talk to the shelter about getting the kittens up there tomorrow.  As much as i know the kids can handle it, i would prefer not to have foster cats in the house when i'm not here.  After all, i'm the one who signs the paperwork so i am responsible for them.  Having them already up for adoption when we leave tomorrow will be a load off my mind.

It's the home stretch, getting the last work done this week before travel, and it's a bruiser.  Wish me luck.



Today is:

American Enterprise Day -- US (a project of Future Business Leaders of America, Phi Beta Lambda Chapter)

America Recycles Day -- US 

Changeling Restitution Day -- Fairy Calendar (Goblins)

Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day -- this reminder comes from the folks at CooksInfo.com, where they think you need to get rid of USO's (unidentified shrivelled objects)  

Day of the German-speaking Community of Belgium -- German-speaking Community of Belgium

Don't Try To Do Everything At Once Day -- internet generated, and a blow to us multitaskers

Ennead Feast in the House of Ra, Horus, and Osiris -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

George Spelvin Day/More Than One Role Day -- date of first use, in 1886, of this name for an actor playing two roles in one play; George and Georgette Spelvin have since acted in over 10,000 roles on Broadway

I Love to Write Day -- encouraging everyone to write something, begun by John Riddle; this is the perfect time for it, really, in the middle of NaNoWriMo

King's Feast / Dynasty Day -- Belgium

National Bundt Pan Day -- yes, really, celebrating the pan itself

National Entrepreneurs Day -- US (by Congressional designation)

National Peace Day -- Cote d'Ivoire

National Philanthropy Day® -- Association of Fundraising Professionals 

National Raisin Bran Cereal Day

National Spicy Hermit Christmas Cookie Day

Nativity Fast begins a/k/a Winter Lent (through Dec 24) -- Orthodox Christian

Pack Your Mom's Lunch Day -- in honor of all the times she packed yours; combine it with I Love to Write Day and include a note telling her how special she is

Republic Day -- Turkish Republic of North Cyprus

Republic Proclamation Day -- Brazil

Rock Your Mocs Day -- Indigenous Americans (begun by Jessica Jaylyn Atsye, a Laguna Pueblo, to encourage all Native Americans to wear the one item they all have in common, hand-made moccasins, with pride) 

Safety Razor Day -- King Gillette was granted the patent for his style of safety razor on this day in 1904, changing how men shaved each day

School Pride Day -- US (always on the Tuesday of American Education Week)

Shichi-Go-San (Shrine Visiting Day)/Seven-Five-Three Festival -- Japan (picturesque festival in which 3-year-old children of either sex, five-year-old boys, and seven-year-old girls go to shrines dressed in their best; guardian spirits are thanked for the health of the children and prayers said for their future to be equally bright)

Sing in Your Car Day -- they need a day for this?

St. Albertus Magnus' Day (Patron of medical technicians, natural sciences, philosophers, schoolchildren, scientists, students, theology students; Cincinnati, Ohio)

St. Leopold's Day (King Leopold III, Patron of dying children, large families, step-parents; Austria)
     Leopoldstag/Goose Day -- Austria (the start of the heurigen, the new wine season)


Anniversary Today:

William Shatner marries Nerine Kidd, 1997


Birthdays Today:

Jonny Lee Miller,1972
Kevin Eubanks, 1957
Beverly D'Angelo, 1954
Daniel Barenboim, 1942
Sam Waterston, 1940
Yaphet Kotto, 1937
Joanna BArnes, 1934
Petula Clark, 1932
Ed Asner, 1929
Bill "C.W. McCall" Fries, 1928
Joseph Wapner, 1919
Erwin Rommel, 1891
Georgia O'Keeffe, 1887
Forrest Clare "Fogg" Allen, 1885
F. William Herschel, 1738
William Pitt the Elder, 1708


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"A Few Good Men"(Play), 1989
Love Me Tender(Film), 1956
"Li'l Abner"(Musical), 1956
"The Planets"(Holst Op. 32), 1920
"Masse Mensch/Mass Man"(Toller play), 1920


Today in History:

Christopher Columbus notes the first recorded reference to tobacco, 1492
The NY General Assembly permits Jews to omit the phrase "Upon the faith of a Christian" from adjuration oaths, 1727
Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon begin surveying the Mason-Dixon Line between Pennsylvania and Maryland, 1763
The Articles of Confederation are adopted by the Continental Congress, 1777
Georgetown University, the first Catholic college in the US, opens, 1791
Zebulon Pike gets his first sight of Pike's Peak, Colorado, 1806
Isaac Pitman introduces his steno/shorthand system of writing, 1832
Union Major General Sherman burns Atlanta, Georgia, 1864
King C. Gillette patents the Gillette razor blade, 1904
The first telecast of an unscheduled event, a fire, takes place on W2XBT, in NY, 1938
In Columbus, Ohio, Dave Thomas opens the first Wendy's restaurant, 1969
Intel releases world's first commercial single-chip microprocessor, 1971
René Lévesque and the Parti Québécois take power to become the first Quebec government of the 20th century clearly in favour of independence, 1976
The Anglo-Irish Agreement is signed at Hillsborough Castle by British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Irish Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald, 1985
An independent State of Palestine is proclaimed by the Palestinian National Council, 1988
The first Fairtrade label, Max Havelaar, is launched in the Netherlands, 1988
Cyclone Sidr hit Bangladesh, killing an estimated 5000 people and destroyed the world's largest mangrove forest, Sundarbans, 2007
Sony launches the Playstation 4, selling a million units the first day, 2013