Sometimes you need to go on an adventure.

This past Wednesday, i had a rare opportunity to meet up with a friend who lives far away so i don't see her often.

Every autumn, a group of us who met on a website try to meet up together on what i call my yearly sanity retreat.  Script is one of the members of the group, but she hasn't always been able to get together with us.

When i found out she and her husband were going to be in Natchez, which is less than two hours from here, i had to try to get to see her.  Natchez is a lot closer than Toronto.

Wednesday morning i went to the cat shelter for my usual cat duty, then plugged in Carmen the Garmin for the drive up.  It's a four lane highway, but not an interstate, so the drive took me through small towns and past cow pastures and farms.

Those occasions when i travel and it's not on an interstate, i'm a stickler for staying at the speed limit.  This proved to be a very good thing, as it seems there are many small towns where the officers spend most of their time simply running speed traps.  It helps to slow down as you approach a town even before you see what speed limit they set.

Arriving in Natchez at 11am, i found Script and Mr. Script, whom i'd never met, in the lobby of the hotel waiting for me.  There were lots of hugs, and Mr. Script left to give us time to talk and catch up.

We did catch up a lot.  She showed me tons of pictures and told me about family doings.  Cruises, trips, events at her mother's senior residence, the best wedding anyone in the family had ever thrown (as she put it, when two gay men who both have taste and a bit of money put on a wedding, it's going to be a doozy!).  We talked about all the crazy things my kids are up to.

Script had made a reservation at a locally owned restaurant for our lunch, and as she and Mr. Script had eaten there before, the staff greeted her by name and said how glad they were she had come back.  The whole time we ate and talked locals were coming in and being greeted by name.  Yes, such places still exist.

The plan after lunch was to walk and perhaps see one of the beautiful homes for which Natchez is famous.  There was a specific one that is famous for its garden, and though the house was closed with no tours offered that day, the owner, as he was leaving, said we could take a peek in the garden.

We peeked for about 10-15 minutes, with Script snapping her beautiful pictures with her proper camera (she's an artist), and i took a few with my phone, because no matter what i use they mostly all turn out alike anyway.

Camelias were everywhere, with the prettiest always just out of reach.

Wisteria makes even the mundane lovely.

Fallen petals make a beautiful carpet!

This azalea hedge was so long, i couldn't get it all in.  At least 10 different colors of azaleas!

Another place we stopped was the cathedral.  Inside was grand and lovely, but the best thing i saw in there was a card that looked similar to this:

Every church needs these!

There was a prayer garden outside.  It looked like a beautiful place to sit and meditate, except at that moment when there was tree trimming going on at one side.  As Script did point out, that maintenance is part of working for the Lord, too.

Part of the prayer garden.  Tree trimming was too the right, next to the parking area.

After walking back to the car and then driving back to her hotel, we went up to find Mr. Script in the room.  It was nice to visit there a while as i drank some tea, then they walked me out to the car and i got back in town just in time to meet Sweetie at church for his choir practice.

Such a lovely day as i will remember for a long time.

Today is:

Daylight Saving Time begins -- Palestinian Territories

Day to Mourn Victims of Biological Weapons -- commemorates the day they were outlawed in 1975

Edinburgh International Science Festival -- Edinburgh, Scotland (massiver celebration of science and technology; through Apr. 10)

End of Zimbor-Quattor's Revenge Week and Day of Reconcilliation with All Those Whose Hats Have Been Damaged -- Fairy Calendar

Fiesta del Arbol -- Spain (Tree Festival or Arbor Day)

Holy Saturday -- Christian (a/k/a Black Saturday, Holy Saturday, Easter Saturday, or Easter Eve)

Independence Day and National Day -- Bangladesh(1971)

Khordad Sal -- Zoroastrian (Birth of the Prophet Zaranhushtra)

Legal Assistants' Day

Make Up Your Own Holiday Day -- Wellcat Holidays, which has made up a bunch, wants you to do the same today!

Martyr's Day / Democracy Day -- Mali

National Nougat Day

Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianole Day -- Hawaii, US (Hawaiian Royal who worked to preserve the Hawaiian culture)

Purple Day -- International (supporting epileptics around the world)

Spinach Day -- on this day in 1937, spinach growers in Crystal City, Texas, erected a statue of Popeye in honor of their favorite veggie

St. Braulio's Day (Patron of Aragon, Spain)

St. William of Norwich's Day (Patron of kidnap and torture victims)

Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel -- Eastern Orthodox Christianity (celebration of his role is the Annunciation)


Anniversaries Today:

Ricki Lake weds Rob Sussman, 1994
Founding of the University of Utrecht, 1636


Birthdays Today:

Keira Knightley, 1985
Amy Smart, 1976
T.R. Knight, 1973
Josh Lucas, 1972
Leslie Mann, 1972
Kenny Chesney, 1968
John Stockton, 1962
Marcus Allen, 1960
Jennifer Grey, 1960
Catherine Keener, 1960
Leeza Gibbons, 1957
Curtis Sliwa, 1954
Teddy Pendergrass, 1950
Martin Short, 1950
Vicki Lawrence, 1949
Steven Tyler, 1948
Diana Ross, 1944
Bob Woodward, 1943
Erica Jong, 1942
James Caan, 1939
Alan Arkin, 1934
Leonard Nimoy, 1931
Sandra Day O'Connor, 1930
Pierre Boulez, 1925
Tennessee Williams, 1911
Viktor Frankl, 1905
Robert Frost, 1874
Jane Arminda Delano, 1862
Nathaniel Bowditch, 1773


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Fences"(Play), 1988
"The Young and the Restless"(TV), 1973
"Cannon"(TV), 1971
"Funny Girl"(Musical), 1964
"Die Ehe des Herrn Mississippi/The Marriage of Mr. Mississippi"(Play), 1952


Today in History:

William Caxton prints his translation of Aesop's Fables, 1484
The first British Sunday newspaper is published (British Gazette & Sunday Monitor), 1780
The US Congress orders removal of Indians east of Mississippi to Louisiana, 1804
An earthquake destroys 90% of Caracas, Venezuela, leaves 20,000 dead, 1812
The Book of Mormon is published in Palmyra, NY, 1830
Eastman Film Co manufactures the first commercial motion picture film, 1885
New Delhi replaces Calcutta as capital of British-Indies, 1931
William H. Hastie becomes the first black Federal Judge in the US, in the US Virgin Islands, 1937
Jonas Salk announces the first successful test of his polio vaccine on a small group of adults and children, 1953
East Pakistan declares its independence from Pakistan to form People's Republic of Bangladesh, 1971
Anwar al-Sadat, Menachem Begin and Jimmy Carter sign the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty in Washington, D.C., 1979
The "Melissa worm" infects Microsoft word processing and e-mail systems around the world, 1999
A jury in Michigan finds Dr. Jack Kevorkian guilty of second-degree murder for administering a lethal injection to a terminally ill man, 1999
The Taiwanese government calls on 1 million Taiwanese to demonstrate in Taipei, in opposition to the Anti-Secession Law of the People's Republic of China, 2005

When the Stars Line Up

There are times when you try to move heaven and earth, and somehow it seems to work out. 

My friend Script and her husband are coming to Natchez, which is just a hop up the road for us.  They are leaving the cold of Canada to be someplace where they can see flowers at Easter.

Azalea blooms make a nice change after cold and snow.

This presented me with the opportunity to get away for a quick visit, if i could line up the stars correctly and get the time off.

One problem has to do with the fact that Easter week is very busy at the bakery, and we will be doing night frosting.  It's not just the holiday, there are a lot of wedding scheduled during Spring Break, so we have a lot of special orders, too.

Another is that most people want their houses cleaned very regularly.

Ms. G, my sometimes Wednesday person, is often amenable to skipping a week.  In fact, she sometimes already has too much to do and skipping is her idea.  She was amenable.

By agreeing to work extra on Monday and giving my hours on Wednesday to one of the other bakery workers, a student who is almost always up for the chance to earn a few extra dollars, i got the Wednesday of a holiday week off.

It's a minor miracle.  If it all holds together, the weather should be beautiful so Script and i will meet and talk and laugh and catch up and probably have a meal together somewhere.  She has always wanted to see Rosemont Plantation, and it's not far from Natchez, so we will probably do that, too.

Keeping my hopes up that it all works out, as i've needed a mental break, and this will do nicely.

Today is:

Birkebeinerrennet -- Rena to Lillehammer, Norway (54km ski marathon commemorating the 1205 rescue of infant prince Hakon Hakonsson by ski over this route) 

Commemoration of the Victory over Kadhafi -- Libya

Corn Dog Day -- some sites say the 20th; #2 Son will celebrate both days, if i can afford that many corn dogs

Earth Hour -- 8:30pm-9:30pm, your local time; turn off your lights to take a stand against climate change

Greater Dionysia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (largest festival to Dionysos, lasting five days; date approximate

Kashubians' Unity Day -- among Kashubians in northern Poland

Let's Laugh Day -- a holiday spread by ecard companies, because any day is a good day for a laugh

Maple Syrup Saturday -- Appleton, WI, US (please note that, starting now, almost every Saturday has a maple syrup festival or demonstration somewhere in Canada or the US where maple syrup is produced)

Mojoday -- Discordianism

National Chocolate Caramel Day

National Quilting Day -- US, sponsored by the National Quilting Association 

Oil Nationalization Day -- Iran

Pet Passport Day -- today in 2000, the UK passed the pet passport law, allowing pets into Great Britian without quarrantine if they met certain criteria

Poultry Day -- a day to honor the role poultry plays in our lives

Quinquatria -- Roman Empirical Calendar (celebration of Minerva and Mars, especially the birthday of Minerva today; through the 23rd)

See If You Can Find Someone Who Remembers Honey West Day -- internet generated trivia question

Swallows Return to San Juan Capistrano Day -- despite what you think, the bird you saw there yesterday was not a swallow, the natives will tell you

St. Joseph's Day (Patron of bursars, cabinetmakers, carpenters, civil engineers, confectioners, craftsmen, dying people, emigrants, expectant mothers, families, fathers, happy death, holy death, house hunters, immigrants, interior souls, laborers, married people, Oblates of St. Joseph, people in doubt, people who fight communism, pioneers, protection of the church, social justice, travellers, unborn children, wheelwrights, workers; Universal Church; over 50 cities, diocese, and countries; against doubt and hesitation)
     As Patron of fathers, his day is also Father's Day in Belgium, Bolivia, Honduras, Italy, Portugal, and Spain.
     Valencia, Spain has it's biggest day of the Las Fallas Festival today, with the fireworks.

Time Zone Day -- US Congress passed the Standard Time Act to sort out the fact that different states and cities used different times, with no rhyme or reason

Tsechu Festival -- Paro, Bhutan (religious celebration in honor of Padmasambhava, with colorfully dressed monks performing masked rituals; through the 23rd)

Wild Azalea Festival -- White Springs, FL, US 

Zimbor-Quattor's Revenge Week begins -- Fairy Calendar


Birthdays Today:

Michael Bergin, 1969
Bruce Willis, 1955
Glenn Close, 1947
Clarence "Frogman" Henry, 1937
Ursula Andress, 1936
Phyllis Newman, 1935
Renee Taylor, 1935
Phillip Roth, 1933
Ornette Coleman, 1930
Patrick McGoohan, 1928
Brent Scowcroft, 1925
John Joseph Sirica, 1904
Earl Warren, 1891
Edith Nourse Rogers, 1881
Charles M. Russell, 1864
William Jennings Bryan, 1860
Albert Pinkham Ryder, 1847
Wyatt Earp, 1848
Sir Richard Burton, 1821
David Livingstone, 1813
Thomas Mckean, 1734
William Bradford, 1590


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Kate and Allie"(TV), 1984
"A Child of Our Time"(Oratorio), 1944
"Amos and Andy"(Radio), 1928
"Faust"(Opera), 1859
"Die Braut von Messina"(Schiller Play), 1803


Today in History:

A Mongolian victory in the Battle of Yamen ends the Song Dynasty in China, 1279
Explorer Robert Cavelier de La Salle, searching for the mouth of the Mississippi River, is murdered by his own men, 1687
The SS Georgiana, said to have been the most powerful Confederate cruiser, is destroyed on her maiden voyage with a cargo of munitions, medicines and merchandise then valued at over $1,000,000, 1863
Pluto is photographed for the first time but is not recognized as a planet, 1915
Eight American planes take off in pursuit of Pancho Villa, the first United States air-combat mission in history, 1916
The U.S. Congress establishes time zones and approves daylight saving time, 1918
Willie Mosconi sets a world record by running 526 consecutive balls without a miss during a straight pool exhibition at East High Billiard Club in Springfield, Ohio. The record still stands today, 1954
Gumby makes his debut, 1957
The wreck of the SS Georgiana, valued at over $50,000,000 and said to have been the most powerful Confederate cruiser, is discovered by then teenage diver and pioneer underwater archaeologist E. Lee Spence exactly 102 years after its destruction, 1965
Texas Western becomes the first college basketball team to win the Final Four with an all-black starting lineup, 1966
India and Bangladesh sign a friendship treaty, 1972
The United States House of Representatives begins broadcasting its day-to-day business via the cable television network C-SPAN, 1979
Argentinian forces land on South Georgia Island, precipitating the Falklands War with the United Kingdom, 1982
Zimbabwe is suspended from the Commonwealth on charges of human rights abuses and of electoral fraud, following a turbulent presidential election, 2002
A cosmic burst, GRB 080319B, that is the farthest object visible to the naked eye is briefly observed, 2008
After two decades of being closed due to civil war, the Somali National Theater reopens in Mogadishu, 2012
The papal inauguration ceremony for Pope Francis is held in St. Peter's Square, 2013

Day Trip

My friend Script lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  They have had the worst winter anyone can remember -- our little ice storms are flyweights compared to the real winters they have normally, much less what's going on up there this year.

Script and a couple of other ladies from Toronto booked a cruise almost a year ago, and it leaves out of NOLA.  So she came to town, and i got to take a day off and go to spend some time with her.

Bigger Girl doesn't have classes on Fridays, so she took care of the laundry and the kitten, and she and Little Girl fed the cats at the shelter, so i was able to have a whole day to drive down and spend time without concern about how things around here would get done.

The drive in wasn't too bad.  Traffic did back up into the CBD -- Central Business District -- but it's not like we are talking hours and hours on the freeway.  We met up at her hotel near the Convention Center.

When she was down here in September of 2012, along with the other friends who got to come, we spent a whole day exploring the French Quarter and some of the surrounding area.  Script loved the Garden District, and since we didn't get to actually walk through any of the cemeteries, she wanted to do that.

She also wanted to eat at a place that would be out of the ordinary for her.  Looking places up online, i found a nice Ethiopian restaurant for us to try.  Toronto is a very metropolitan city, with lots of people from around the world, and there are African restaurants there, but she said she's never had the chance to try one.

So we got the nice concierge to show me how to get there on the map, which was pretty easy, and we were blessed to find a parking space right next to the St. Louis Cemetery #1.  It was a balmy day, lots of sun, so she and i walked through the cemetery and around the Garden District.  She was impressed with the camellias, and all of the green growing everywhere.  The cemetery was like a treasury to her, such interesting designs, and bits of plants growing in every place where they could get a crack or crevice to grow from.

She loved the Mardi Gras decorations, both on private homes and in stores, and was surprised to find that we celebrate the whole season, from Epiphany through Fat Tuesday, with balls and parades and goings on the whole time.

When we got hungry, we went to the restaurant, Cafe Abyssinia, and if you are ever in NOLA, i can highly recommend the place.  Script had a fish dish, and we had a mixed vegetable plate, and there was more than both of us could eat.  When i brought the leftovers home, my girls liked it all, too.

After lunch, we walked a bit more, and Script did a bit of shopping on Magazine Street.  Nothing big, just some sweets to take back to family members, including some pralines and locally made truffles.  The whole time, of course, we talked a blue streak, all about anything and everything and nothing, the  way you do when you are just enjoying spending time with a good friend.

Since she was supposed to have dinner with her friends who accompanied her, we finally had to get back to the hotel, which proved a bit tricky.  Some streets were blocked off -- and i remembered, it's Carnival season, i'm sure they were getting ready for a parade that night.  We did get her back there, though, in plenty of time so she could rest and change for dinner. 

It was one of the loveliest days, and i'm so glad i was able to go.  It's going to be hard to wait until October to see her again.  This year, we will all meet up in Kentucky, but until then, we'll always have NOLA.



Today is:

Air Force Day -- Nicaragua

Anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery -- Mauritius

Be An Encourager Day/Inspire Your Employees to Excellence Day -- begun by ecard companies; send someone an encouraging word today

Candlemas Eve

Cross-Quarter Day of Imbolc/Sughnassad -- various celebrations through the 2nd

Dignity Action Day -- UK (aiming to ensure people who use care services are treated as individuals and are given choice, control, and a sense of purpose in their daily lives/)

Federal Territory Day -- Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, and Putrajaya, Malaysia

Festival of the North -- Ketchikan, AK (month long celebration of the arts in Alaska, including a wearable art show, ballet performances, and more)

Freedom Day -- US (anniversary of the approval of the 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery)

G.I. Joe Day -- the action hero first went on sale this day in 1964

Heroes' Day -- Rwanda

Homstrom -- Scuol, Switzerland (burning of the straw man effigy of Old Man Winter, signaling the coming spring and winter's demise)

Hula in The Coola Day -- sponsored by iparty.com; a day to laugh at winter doldrums and escape the cold for a bit -- warm up the house, put on your shorts and have a luau!

Independence Day -- Nauru

Kalends of February -- Ancient Roman Calendar; also
     Festival of Helernus (god of vegetables and the underworld)

National Baked Alaska Day

National Storytelling Week -- UK (the Society for Storytelling encourages you to celebrate one of the most ancient art forms)

Orchid Festival -- Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO, US (through Mar. 23)

Robinson Crusoe Day -- anniversary of the 1709 rescue of Alexander Selkirk, whose story inspired the novel Robinson Crusoe; a day to be adventurous and self-reliant

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Day -- the Dominion Police and the North-West Mounted Police officially merged on this day in 1920 to form the "Mounties"

Six Nations Championship (Rbs 6 Nations) -- annual rugby tournament between England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales (into March)

Solo Diners' Eat Out Week -- sooner or later, everyone faces the challenge of eating out alone, so go enjoy doing so, celebrating this lifestyle skill; sponsored by SoloDining.comhttp://www.solodining.com/

Spunky Old Broads' Day (also the start of Spunky Old Broads' Month) -- a day for women over 50 to resolve to live a regret free life

St. Brigid's Day (aka St. Bridget or Saint Brighid of Kildare; Patron of babies, blacksmiths, boatmen/mariners/sailors, cattle, chicken farmers, children of unwed parents, dairy workers, fugitives, midwives, nuns, poets, printing presses, scholars, travellers; Douglas, Lanarkshire, Scotland; Ivrea, Turin, Italy; Kildare, Ireland; Leinster, Ireland)
     formerly celebrated on Feb. 2 as the Imbolc quarter day of the Irish pagan calendar

Tapati Festival -- Rapa Nui (Easter Island; a unique and exotic Polynesian festival, showcasing the island's culture and traditions; through the 15th)

Tuppence's Birthday -- Fairy Calendar

Tupperware Sculpting Day -- internet generated; take an old, worn piece of Tupperware, melt it, and sculpt something

Winterfest Flagstaff -- Flagstaff, AZ, US (a month of wintertime family fun)

Working Naked Day -- dedicated to those who work from home without the support system an outside work environment provides

Ya-Ya Matsuri -- Owase, Mie Prefecture, Japan (parades, street festivals, and boys diving into the sea for purification; through the 5th)

Yukon Quest International 1,000 Mile Sled Dog Race -- Whitehorse, YT, Canada to Fairbanks, AK, US (two week international competition for the best mushers and dogs from around the world)


Birthdays Today:

Lauren Conrad, 1986
Michael C. Hall, 1971
Pauly Shore, 1970
Lisa Marie Presley, 1968
Pauly Shore, 1968
Sherilyn Fenn, 1965
Brandon Lee, 1965
Princess Stephanie of Monaco, 1965
Bill Mumy, 1954
Rick James, 1948
Bob Jamieson, 1943
Terry Jones, 1942
Sherman Helmsley, 1938
Don Everly, 1937
Garrett Morris, 1937
Boris Yeltsin, 1931
Stuart Whitman, 1929
S.J. Perelman, 1904
Langston Hughes, 1902
Clark Gable, 1901
John Ford, 1894
Louis Stephen St. Laurent, 1882
Hatty Wyatt Caraway, 1878
Victor Herbert, 1859


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Late Night with David Letterman"(TV), 1982
"Rich Man, Poor Man"(TV Miniseries), 1976
"The Secret Storm" (TV), 1954 (first TV soap opera)
"General Electric Theater"(TV), 1953
"You Are There"(TV), 1953
"La Boheme"(Puccini Opera), 1896
"The Corsair"(publication date), 1814


Today in History:

Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Isabella of France and her lover Roger Mortimer, 1327
The Colony of Roanoke Island is established by the landing of Sir Walter Raleigh, 1587
Alexander Selkirk, the inspiration for Robinson Crusoe, is rescued from the uninhabited archipelago of Juan Fernandez, 1709
The Ottoman sultan orders the capture of his unwelcome guest, King Charles XII, resulting in the Kalabalik i Bender (Tumult in Bender), 1713
The first US steamboat patent is issued, by Georgia, to Briggs & Longstreet, 1788
The capital of Upper Canada is moved from Newark to York, 1796
The American Insurance Company of Philadelphia opens, the first such company managed by blacks, 1810
Volcano Mayon on Luzon, Philippines erupts killing 1,200, 1814
Slavery is abolished in Mauritius, 1835
The first US dental school, the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, is incorporated, 1840
Auburn University is chartered as the East Alabama Male College, 1856
Morris Raphall of NYC becomes the first rabbi to open the House of Representatives, 1860
Julia Howe publishes the "Battle Hymn of the Republic," 1862
Jefferson Long of Georgia is the first black to make an official speech in the House of Representatives (opposing leniency to former Confederates), 1871
The first volume of A New English Dictionary, A to Ant,later called the Oxford English Dictionary, A-Ant, is published, 1888
Thomas Edison completes the world's first movie studio, in West Orange, N.J., 1893
The first auto insurance policy is issued, by The Travelers Insurace Co., 1898
China's empress Tzu-hsi forbids binding woman's feet, 1902
The first US federal penitentiary is completed, at Leavenworth, Kansas, 1906
Russia adopts the Gregorian Calendar, 1918
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police forms as Royal Northwest Mounted Police merge with Dominion Police, 1920
The United States Army launches Explorer 1, 1958
Four black students stage the first of the Greensboro sit-ins at a lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, 1960
The Hamilton River in Labrador, Canada is renamed the Churchill River in honour of Winston Churchill, 1965
Canada's three military services, the Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force, are unified into the Canadian Forces, 1968
Director Roman Polanski skips bail and flees the United States to France after pleading guilty to charges of engaging in sex with a 13-year-old girl, 1978
The Ayatollah Khomeini is welcomed back to Tehran, Iran after nearly 15 years of exile, 1979
Lillian E. Fishburne becomes the first female African American to be promoted to rear admiral, 1998
Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates during reentry into the Earth's atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts aboard, 2003
Johanna Siguroardottir is elected as the first female Prime Minister of Iceland, 2009