Nice to Go at My Own Pace (Six Sentence Story), Good Fences, Sammy's Poetry Day, and Brian's Thankful Thursday, an A to Z Challenge Post

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Ms. G has been promising a friend in another state she would come visit, and had finally settled on this week to keep said promise, so i am on critter duty Monday, Wednesday and again tomorrow, Friday, as well as expected to do the usual cleaning things on Wednesday.

The difference is, when she's out of town, i can go at my own pace, which i enjoy, and i can often shuffle around what i do both on Wednesday and with the days of the week when i am on duty.

My usual plan is to go do my main grocery shopping on Friday mornings, but because of the freedom with my schedule i instead went on Wednesday, when i was near the store i like, and my plan Friday is to instead go to another place i enjoy but don't get to often as it's out of my way (i'm generally in such a rush to get to the next job, i stop at places i'm closest to when i'm on the way and let that be that).

I'd made the mistake of letting her know Ms. Sassy, one of the cats, tried to get out on Monday, thus Ms. G insisted i had to call her when i arrived at her house Wednesday to do the critter tending and the usual chores, and i knew she was going to try to micromanage, from an 8 hour drive away and by phone, my every move between the indoor and the outdoor critters due to her worry about the cat possibly escaping.

Yes, i do get it, she's worried as Ms. Sassy is 16 and only moved here over a year ago, has never been outdoors here and doesn't know the territory, and there's a nasty cat next door that picks fights, but if Ms. G thinks making me stay on the phone, with it in my hand, while juggling supplies in and out of the door is going to help me be free to block Ms. Sassy's egress, it's not, it would just make things worse.

So i called her when i arrived all right, and immediately told her i was going straight to the back yard through the fence to use the hose directly for watering the critters, not bothering to get the pitcher from indoors she generally has me use and i would use whatever supplies were already in the sealed metal cans out there; thus i preempted her attempt and she simply sighed, said she agreed that was the best way to do it while she is gone, and after trying to cast around in her mind for something else to manage from an 8 hour drive away and not finding anything, went back to her visiting and leaving me to work in peace and at my own pace.

Linking up with Denise at Girlie On The Edge Blog, where she hosts Six Sentence Stories, and the cue is Shuffle.     

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While Good Fences Around the World seems to have gone the way of the dodo bird, i still enjoy looking for and posting interesting fences, so i will!

This one is wobbly, i wouldn't bet on it holding through any major storms.

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It's Angel Sammy's Poetry Day!  This week's image and my poem:    

When we got the job as film extras

we thought it would be a good hitch,

instead we look like idiots

and the costume's making me itch!

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Angel Brian's Family of Brian's Home - Forever hosts the Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.   It's time to share something for which i am thankful.  

Today i am thankful Ms. Sassy didn't get out, it could have been a disaster.

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Today is:

Dronningens Fodselsdag -- Denmark (Birthday of Queen Margrethe II)

Emancipation Day -- Washington, D.C., US

Get to Know Your Customers Day (celebrated the 3rd Thursday quarterly)

Holiday of Ra -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Jim Thorpe Day -- US (by Presidential Proclamation in 1973)

National CPA's Goof Off Day -- US, the day after tax day because they deserve it!

National D.A.R.E Day -- US (by Presidential Proclamation)

National Eggs Benedict Day

National Healthcare Decision Week begins -- US (to inspire, educate & empower the public & providers about the importance of advance care planning; "It always seems too early, until it's too late.")   

National Stress Awareness Day -- sponsored by the Health Resource Network (always on the first workday after paying taxes)

Offering to Demeter Khloe -- Ancient Greek Calendar (honoring Demeter as goddess of green shoots; date approximate)

St. Bernadette of Lourdes' Day (Patron of people ridiculed for their piety, poor people, shepherdesses, shepherds, sick people; Lourdes, France; against bodily ills, poverty, sickness)

St. Padarn's Day (Celtic peoples traditionally begin weeding crops on this saint's day)

Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day -- US (the day after you pay your taxes, bring the comforts of home to the office; sponsored by PajamaGram) 

World Elephant Day/Save the Elephant Day -- created by the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation of Thailand

World Entrepreneurship Day

World Voice Day -- if you've ever had laryngitis, you know how important it is to protect your voice   

Anniversaries Today:

Harry Connick, Jr. marries Jill Goodare, 1994

Founding of the University of Queensland, 1910

Birthdays Today:

Lilliana Mumy, 1994

Lucas Haas, 1976

Selena Quintanilla, 1971

Martin Lawrence, 1965

Jon Cryer, 1965

Ellen Barkin, 1955

Jay O. Sanders, 1953

Kareem Adbud-Jabbar, 1947

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, 1940

Dusty Springfield, 1939

Bobby Vinton, 1935

Herbie Mann, 1930

Edie Adams, 1929

Pope Benedict XVI, 1927

Henry Mancini, 1924

Kingsley Amis, 1922

Peter Ustinov, 1921

Barry Nelson, 1920

Merce Cunningham, 1919

Charlie Chaplin, 1889

John Millington Synge, 1871

Wilbur Wright, 1867

Jose De Diego, 1866

Anatole France, 1844

John Franklin, 1786

Hans Sloane, 1660

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Brown Sugar"(Rolling Stones single release), 1971

"Fibber McGee and Molly"(Radio), 1935

"Mazeppa"(Symphonic poem, Liszt' S 100), 1854

"The Contrast"(Comedy), 1787 (First play by an American author, Royall Tyler, to be professionally produced on stage)

Today in History:

Calculated date of the return of Odysseus from the Trojan War, BC1178

The Jewish fortress of Masada falls to the Roman Army, ending the Jewish revolt, 73

Martin Luther is called before the Diet of Worms, 1521

Spanish conquistador Hernando de Lerma founds the settlement of Salta, Argentina, 1582

The United States Senate ratified the Rush-Bagot Treaty, establishing the border with Canada, 1880

The first passenger rail opens in India, 1853

Ebenezer Bassett, the first African-American diplomat, begins his service in Haiti, 1869

US Marshal Bat Masterson fights his last gun battle, in Dodge City, 1881

Harriet Quimby becomes the first female pilot to cross the English Channel, 1912

Gandhi organizes a day of "prayer and fasting" in response to the killing of Indian protesters in the Amritsar Massacre by the British, 1919

Annie Oakley shoots a record 100 clay targets in a row, 1922

Dr. Albert Hofmann first ingests LSD, thus discovering its effects, 1943

Bernard Baruch coins the term "Cold War" to describe the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union, 1947

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. pens his Letter from Birmingham Jail while incarcerated in Birmingham, Alabama for protesting against segregation, 1963

The Katina P. runs aground off of Maputo, Mozambique and 60,000 tons of crude oil spill into the ocean, 1992

The Queen Mary II embarks on her first transatlantic voyage, 2004

President of Côte d'Ivoire Laurent Gbagbo declares the First Ivorian Civil War to be over, 2007

Elizabeth Holmes, American entrepreneur, inventor, and founder and CEO of Theranos, is named one of TIME's "100 Most Influential People" of 2015, 2015

Kendrick Lamar is the first rapper and non-classical or jazz musician to win the Pulitzer Prize for music with his album "Damn", 2018

The journal Science publishes a new study which claims a multi-year megadrought is already underway in the Western US, 2020

Raul Castro confirms he is resigning, ending his family's six decade rule of Cuba, 2021

As part of a social isolation experiment, Spanish extreme athlete Beatriz Flamini exits a deep cave in Granada, Spain, after spending 500 days isolated underground, 2023

For the first time since 2002, Mount Ruang Volcano in North Sulawesi Province, Indonesia, erupts. 2024

A juvenile colossal squid (11.8 inches long) is filmed in its natural environment in the South Atlantic Ocean at 1,968 feet deep for the first time since its discovery in 1925, 2025

Chinese chess grandmaster Ju Wenjun wins her 5th consecutive Women's World Chess Championship, 2025

Good Kittens, Bad Cat (Feline Friday with International Cat Day!), Friendly Fill-Ins and Nature Friday

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It's World Cat Day / International Cat Day!  This was begun in 2002 by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and other animal rights groups. 

Thanks to Barb Kowalik and The Cat Blogosphere for the event badge.        

And by happy coincidence, it's also Feline Friday!

Feline Friday was originally started by Steve, The Burnt Food Dude (may he rest in peace), and i'm going to believe it's because he liked cats.

He handed hosting duties off to Sandee at Comedy Plus, and now she's entrusting it to me.

Feline Friday is simple to join.  All you have to do is: Post a picture, drawing, cartoon or video of a cat (they may be silly or cute).  Then add your link!

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

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

First, the story of a bad, okay, well, a naughty cat.

The lights were not on at Ms. G's house (she usually only has one small lamp on, unless we are cleaning) and April, the bigger cat lump at the left, was about to go all kamikaze on her poor mama Sassy, the small black lump next to the chair.

Ms. G yelled, "April!" and suddenly April stopped to take out her aggression on the helpless toy in front of her.

She's not fooling anyone, April will surprise attack Sissy some other time.  She just can't seem to help herself.

Now for some good kitties from the shelter.

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

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

1. Anyone who can _________ is a genius in my book.

2. I find _________ boring.

3. I wish I had _________'s ability to _________.

4. _________ often distracts me from _________.

1. Anyone who can   write books/articles/etc. and get them professionally published  is a genius in my book.

2. I find   just sitting and watching something on TV  boring.   Even when we used to have TV, seldom was i just watching, i was watching while doing a bunch of other stuff at the same time, so it was more listening than actual viewing.

3. I wish I had   the Star Trek universe's   ability to   use a transporter.  Can you imagine, no more traffic!  No more broken-down cars!

4. Reading or writing   often distracts me from   everything else!

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Nature Friday is hosted by LLB in Our Backyard.  Simply post a picture of the natural world, and link up!  

These people have a very nice border to their walkway, with plenty of summer color.   

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Today is:

Anjin Matsuri -- Ito City, Japan (commemorations William Adams (1564-1620), a naturalized British shipwright, called "Anjin Miura" in Japan, a great contributor to the early development of Japanese ship-building industry; through the 10th)

BaBa Day -- Taiwan (ba ba is Mandarin for both "father" and "8-8")

Bonza Bottler Day™

Constitution Day -- Anguilla

Dalek Day -- on the birth anniversary of the creator of these Scifi baddies, Terry Nation

Drottningens Namnsdag -- Sweden (Name Day of Queen Sylvia; an official flag day)

Festival for Venus -- Ancient Roman Calendar (sunset to sunset)

Fourteen Holy Helpers' Day (Patrons against diseases)

Gals Night Out 2025 -- single or married, you need a night out!

Happiness Happens Day -- sponsored by the Secret Society of Happy People, to encourage sharing happiness and discourage parade raining; on the anniversary of their founding in 1997

Kranti Diwas -- Mumbai (former Bombay), India (a/k/a Freedom Day or Quit India Day; anniversary of Gandhi's Quit India speech to the British authorities in 1942)

National Frozen Custard Day

Odie Day -- for Garfield's pal Odie, who first appeared in the strip on this day in 1978

Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Night -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays, and i love the stuff but can't grow plants to save my life, i'll leave the porch light on for you if you will bring me some!

St. Cyriacus' Day (Patron of the eyes; Altidona, Italy; against diabolical possession, eye disease, and temptations, especially temptations at the time of death)

St. Dominic's Day (Founder of the Dominican Order[Friars]; Patron of astronomers and astronomy, falsely accused people, scientists; Batanes-Babuyanes, Philippines; Bayombong, Philippines; Dominican Republic; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Santo Domingo Indian Pueblo; Valletta, Malta)

St. Mary MacKillop's Day (First native-born Australian saint; Patron of Australia; Wagga Wagga, Australia)

The Date To Create -- can't find anything on this one, just listed at a couple of sites, but go have fun creating something!

Wakulima ya Nane Nane -- Tanzania (Peasants' Day/Farmers' Day)

Birthdays Today:

Roger Federer, 1981

Michael Urie, 1980

Drew Lachey, 1976

The Edge, 1961

Deborah Norville, 1958

Randy Shilts, 1951

Roberta Cooper Ramo, 1942

Keith Carradine, 1949

Connie Stevens, 1938

Dustin Hoffman, 1937

Mel Tillis, 1932

Esther Williams, 1923

Rory Calhoun, 1922

Dino De Laurentis, 1919

Russell Markert, 1899

Fredric March, 1897

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, 1896

Emiliano Zapata Salazar, 1879

Matthew Henson, 1866

Emperor Horikawa of Japan, 1079

Today in History:

The Romans destroy the Tower of Antonia, 70

Otto I (The Great) crowned German king, 936

Vijayanagara Empire is rebegun with the crowning of emperor Krishnadeva Raya, 1509

The cornerstone for Tycho Brahe's Uraniborg observatory is laid on, 1576

John Davis enters Cumberland Sound in search of the Northwest Passage, 1585

The first known ascent (indoors) of a hot-air balloon by Bartolomeu de Gusamao, 1709

Jacques Balmat and Dr Michel-Gabriel Paccard become the first to ascend Mont Blanc, 1786

Metal bullet cartridges are patented by Smith and Wesson, 1854

Mimeograph is patented by Thomas Edison, 1876

Wilbur Wright makes the brother's first public flight, at a racecourse in Le Mans, France, 1908

The millionth patent is filed in the United States Patent Office by Francis Holton for a tubeless vehicle tire, 1911

The German airship Graf Zeppelin begins a round-the-world flight, 1929

The United Nations Charter is signed by the United States, the 3rd nation to join, 1945

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is founded by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, 1967

Richard Nixon announces his resignation as President of the United States, effective the next day, 1974

The lights go on at Wrigley Field for the first time, making it the last stadium in the majors to host a night game (which was subsequently rained out!), 1988

Iraq occupies and annexes Kuwait, leading to the Gulf War to liberate Kuwait within a couple of weeks, 1990

Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley is raised to the surface after 136 years on the ocean floor, 2000

Archeologist excavating the Templo Mayor, one of the Aztec's main temples in their capital city of Tenochtitlan (now Mexico city), make an unprecedented find - the skeleton of a young woman surrounded by piles of 1,789 human bones, 2012

The Walt Disney Company announces plans to create a new streaming service and cut ties with Netflix, 2017

Australia's most populous state, New South Wales, is declared to be 100% in drought, 2018

In a "Wright Brothers Moment" (key achievement), the National Ignition Facility of the Livermore Lab produces 1.3 megajoules of energy through nuclear fusion, 2021

Arguably the most dangerous drug trafficker in the world, Colombian drug dealer Dairo Antonio Úsuga (Otoniel) is sentenced to 45 years in prison in the US, 2023