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Linking up with Wordless Wednesday, Sandee at Comedy Plus, and Be There 2Day.
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Words for Wednesday was begun by Delores and has become a moveable feast of word or picture or music prompts to encourage us to write stories, poems, or whatever strikes our fancy.
This month, the prompts are being provided by Lee at Kitchen Connection.
The words for this week are:
faultless
anticipation
quota
development
sculpture
transform
literally
privilege
perpetual
refresh
platform
ply
"Come, sit," said the wise man. "REFRESH yourself after your journey."
"Thank you," she said, taking a seat on the eating PLATFORM. She looked weary but smiled as he did PLY her with hot tea and a bowl of fresh fruit.
"It is a PRIVILEGE to finally arrive here," she said.
He smiled a gentle smile. "What do you seek, coming here? DEVELOPMENT of the self? To TRANSFORM some part of your life?"
"Neither," she said. "I did not come to seek, I came to give you this."
She handed him a small SCULPTURE. It was an infinity symbol, carved from a FAULTLESS piece of marble.
"Beautiful," he said, "the symbol of that which is PERPETUAL and never ending! To what do I owe the honor of being the recipient of such a gift?"
"Do you remember this man?" she asked, holding out a locket with an old black and white picture.
Taking the proffered piece of jewelry, he brought it nearer to his old eyes, and then broke into a delighted smile. "Yes! And now that I look at you, I see him in you. You are too young to be his daughter. His grandchild?"
"Indeed," she said, smiling back at him. "He told me how you quite LITERALLY saved him from going over a cliff, and how you figuratively saved him with your teachings. He went back to his wife a different man.
"His son, my father, was a very practical person as he grew and had little use for what he termed 'pie in the sky' philosophy, preferring to 'get in his QUOTA of real work'. That's what he would tell me whenever my grandfather and I had long discussions. It came to me that if my grandfather had not been saved and my father not born, I would not be here, either.
"That's why I wanted to come. To thank you for the difference you made. You have helped many who have come to you, and I have long lived in ANTICIPATION of being able to make this journey. I don't think many have come back to let you know how much you mean to them. My grandfather wanted to, but physically could not. I could, so I am here."
"You are right, few have done so. It is not necessary, but it is much appreciated when it happens," he said, eyes glinting with moisture. "Now, tell me you will stay a full measure of days so we can have the joy of helping each other!"
"Indeed, I plan to stay, if you will allow me, until your own journey ends."
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Today is:
Arlington National Cemetary Day -- US (the first serviceman to be interred here was Private William Henry Christman, on this date in 1964
Bun Bung Fai (Rocket Festival) -- Yasothon, Thailand (through the 14th, teams compete to build the highest flier, with no regard for safety!)
Celtic Tree Month Huath (hawthorn) commences
Fairy King and Queen Jumping Competition -- Fairy Calendar
Frog Jumping Day -- original date for celebrating Twain's short story
Garland Day -- Abbotsbury, Dorset, England
King Norodom Sihamoni's Birthday -- Cambodia
Lemuralia -- Ancient Roman Empire (third day)
Leprechaun Day -- spread around the internet, presumably by the little people themselves, as since St. Patrick gets a day, so should they!
National Apple Pie Day
National Employee Health & Fitness Day -- US (originally the 3rd Wednesday in May, but now spreading around the world as Global Employee Health & Fitness Month)
National Fruit Cocktail Day
National Nightshift Workers Day/Third Shift Workers Day -- US (remembering those intrepid souls who keep things running smoothly through the night)
National Receptionist Day -- US (because that first impression is important; National Receptionists Association)
Royal Windsor Horse Show -- Windsor, England (the whole show, including competitions, is virtual this year, so get online and join the fun; through the 17th)
St Julian of Norwich's Day (Author of what is believed to be the first book written by a woman in the English language, Sixteen Revelations of Divine Love, around 1393)
St. Servatus' Day (3rd Ice Saint, Patron for success; against foot problems, lameness, leg problems, mice, rats, rheumatism, vermin)
Turn Beauty Inside Out Day -- the day to remember what really counts is who you are, not just what you look like
Birthday Today:
Debby Ryan, 1993
Robert Pattinson, 1986
Samantha Morton, 1977
Darius Rucker, 1968
Darius Rucker, 1966
Stephen Colbert, 1964
Julianne Phillips, 1962
Dennis Rodman, 1961
Frances Barber, 1957
Stevie Wonder, 1950
Bobby Valentine, 1950
Franklyn Ajaye, 1949
Tim Pigott-Smith, 1946
Mary Wells, 1943
Ritchie Valens, 1941
Harvey Keitel, 1939
Beatrice Arthur, 1923
Joe Louis, 1914
Arthur Sullivan, 1842
Maria Theresa, 1717
Debuting/Premiering Today;
Let It Be(Film), 1970
"Paint It Black"(Single release), 1966
"The Pajama Game"(Musical), 1954
Schelomo: Rhapsodie Hébraïque for Violoncello and Orchestra (Bloch concerto), 1917
"Apollo et Hyacinthus"(opera, Mozart K 38), 1767
Today in History:
The forces of Mary, Queen of Scots, are defeated by a confederacy of Scottish Protestants under James Stewart, Earl of Moray, her half-brother, 1568
A major earthquake in Santiago, Chile, kills 1/3 of the population, 1643
Captain Arthur Phillip leaves Portsmouth, England with eleven ships full of convicts (First Fleet) to establish a penal colony in Australia, 1787
Ecuador gains its independence from Gran Colombia, 1830
The first performance of Finland's national anthem, 1848
Queen Victoria declares Britain neutral in the US Civil War, 1861
The Great Comet of 1861 is discovered by John Tebbutt of Windsor, New South Wales, Australia, 1861
Thomas Edison performs the first test of his electric railway, 1880
The Royal Flying Corps (now the Royal Air Force) is established in the United Kingdom, 1912
Igor Sikorsky becomes the first man to pilot a four-engine aircraft, 1913
The first commercial FM radio station in the United States (WDRC-FM) is launched in Bloomfield, Connecticut, 1939
Winston Churchill makes his "blood, toil, tears, and sweat" speech to the House of Commons, 1940
The trade mark Velcro is registered, 1958
The Free Speech Movement is born at UC Berkeley, 1960
Dr. Zakir Hussain becomes the third President of India and the first Muslim President of Indian Union, 1967
Large groups of students occupy Tiananmen Square and begin a hunger strike, 1989
Johnny Carson makes his last television appearance on Late Show with David Letterman, 1994
A 33 years old British mother Alison Hargreaves, became the first woman to conquer Everest without oxygen or the help of sherpas, 1995
Star Trek: Enterprise broadcasts its final show in the U.S., 2005
Construction of the Calafat-Vidin Bridge between Romania and Bulgaria begins, 2007
In Belize, a construction company requiring road fill gravel destroys a 2,300 year-old Mayan pyramid, 2013
A 22 year old UK blogger halts the spread of a global ransomware cyber-attack by accidentally identifying its "kill switch", 2017
Undersea explorer Victor Vescovo makes the deepest dive ever to the bottom of the Mariana Trench at 10,927m (35,849ft), and finds a plastic bag, 2019
