Our Favorite Vacation Spot!

Today i am linking up with the Favorite Summer Vacation Spot blog hop, because, well, we are leaving for vacation today!

The blog hop co-hosts are:

Lexa Cain: http://lexacain.blogspot.com/

Melanie Karsak: http://www.melaniekarsak.com/

T.F. Walsh: http://www.tfwalsh.com/blog/

Vanessa Morgan: http://vanessa-morgan.blogspot.com/

Jolie Du Pre: http://www.preciousmonsters.com/

Stuart R. West: http://stuartrwest.blogspot.com/

While i'm not certain it is our favorite vacation spot (i love Disney World, too!), it is certainly our second favorite and the most common one we go to.

Of what am i speaking?

Of the 22nd Annual Cram Everyone in a Two-Bedroom Condo at the Beach for a Week, Family Should Be Close But Not This Close Vacation, of course!

Yes, grab the sun screen and hang on, it's going to be a wild ride!

It's time again for sand in our shorts, salt breezes in the air, and hearing the children yell, "Hey!  Who swiped my beach towel!"

We stay at a condo complex on Perdido Key, a hop up from Pensacola, a jump down from Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, and a couple of miles from the Flora-Bama Bar, where us half-heathen Protestants will attend the Sunday church service.  (Yes, in a bar, 10am every Sunday.  You may never darken the door of a church, but coming to a bar to hear the Word preached just might be downright comfortable for you.  The Catholics among us will attend daily Mass at St. Thomas-by-the-Sea.) 

As per our usual, we will be swimming at both the beach and in the pools, playing in the sand, shopping, going to the zoo (The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo, dubbed "The Little Zoo That Could" by The Discovery Channel) and the Naval Air Museum, fishing from the dock for the Friday night dinner fish fry and, my favorite vacation activity -- checking the insides of the eyelids for cracks!

We leave today, come back next Saturday, and in the meanwhile this year's cast of characters is:

Grandpa -- patriarch and vacation organizer, a/k/a Doc, or Dr. Born Organized Clean.  Not just a Mr. Clean, a Dr. Clean who is so hyper-organized that when Hurricane Katrina threatened New Orleans he packed his entire life into 6 small file boxes, a bag, and a valise.  He could easily have restarted his whole life with just what he brought with him.  The big loves of his life are The Good Lord, medicine, murder mysteries, and his family, most especially the grandchildren.

Grandma -- matriarch, a/k/a Miss Prissy.  An artist, singer, shopper, and clothes horse. You don't want to know how much she packed for the evacuation.

Uncle P -- the elder of my two younger brothers.  Has spent several years doing mission work within the US, and is currently doing home care for senior citizens.  It's what he loves, taking care of people!  He will be coming only from Sunday through Tuesday, as he has to get back to work.

Evelyn -- Uncle P's friend.  They met while doing mission work.  It might become more than friendship someday, or it might not, but they are good friends either way.  She will be riding in and leaving with Uncle P.

Uncle J -- the younger of my two younger brothers.  A single dad with primary custody of the two kids, he could have been a con artist as he could sell eggs to a chicken farmer.  It's a good thing he uses his talent for making an honest living, but don't challenge him at video games, he will figure a way to "game" the system!

Bryn -- Uncle J's daughter.  Now 14 and a far cry from the "pest" my children used to think she was.  Although i will admit one of her favorite pastimes is picking on her younger brother.

Bryn's Friend -- as yet an unknown quantity, Bryn is at the age where she wants to start bringing someone to help her stay entertained.  Since i've never met the friend, i can't say anything about her.

Dre -- Bryn's younger brother, Uncle J's son.  At 10, girls are still icky and baths should still be optional.

Bigger Girl -- my and Sweetie's oldest daughter, who will be coming down on Tuesday and heading back on Thursday (that's all she could get off of work).  Musical and artistic like Grandma, she's a philosopher who is brave enough to prod cattle into a chute at the biological research station and gentle enough to nurture baby kittens.  Just don't expose her to small children, she does not do well with them.  In fact, she sometimes dresses somewhat Goth because she says it's "soccer mom repellent."

Little Girl -- our youngest child, who will be coming with Bigger Girl for the three days only.  Straight A student who loves swim team and gets along with everyone.  She also inherited Grandma's artistic bent, and is seriously considering going into medicine like Grandpa.

Junior -- not a relative, but another friend, this time of Bigger Girl.  He loves to cook as long as no one is in the kitchen with him, and you come running in to taste when he says so.  A very hard worker and someone who, as Bigger Girl says, desperately needs a couple of days away from his two jobs!

#2 Son -- the budding chef and anchor of his area in the kitchen at the restaurant where he works.  He also still loves the outdoors, hunting, fishing, and the catching and releasing of snakes.

Friend Becky -- coming along because of the budding of romance between her and #2 Son.  She loves animals, and i guess in some ways he still qualifies (as do most teen boys).

Sweetie -- my husband the musician.  He's not a huge fan of beaches, but he likes this area and all the fun things we do.  Make sure he has his guitar and amp with him, and he's set.

And finally there's me, the one called upon to stay calm in every situation and keep up with the laundry, just like at home!

So remember, folks, if we weren't having fun yet, this wouldn't be the 22nd Annual!

Today is

Anguilla Day -- Anguilla

Arrival Day -- Trinidad and Tobago

California Artichoke Festival -- Castroville, CA, US (lots of fun in the Artichoke Capital of the World; through tomorrow)

Dia de Canarias -- CN, Spain (Canary Island Day)

Dia de las Madres -- Nicaragua(Mother's Day)

Einherjar -- Asatru (Modern Norse Pagan) Calendar (a memorial for the war dead in Valhalla)

Feast Day of St. Joan of Arc (Patron of captives, martyrs, opposition of Church authorities, people ridiculed for their piety, prisoners, rape victims, soldiers, WACs, WAVES; France)

Heirloom Seed Day -- While i can't find the history of this one, it's a good one to celebrate, we need to raise awareness of and preserve heirloom seeds

Indian Arrival Day -- Trinidad and Tobago (anniversary of the 1845 arrival of the first Indian laborers to Trinidad)

Isle of Man Tourist Trophy -- Isle of Man (through June 12; two weeks of the finest road racing on earth)

Lod Massacre Remembrance Day -- Puerto Rico

Loomis Day -- because if we are going to honor Marconi, we should also honor the Washington, D.C., dentist Mahlon Loomis, who patented a wireless telegraphy system before Marconi was even born

Missouri State Championship Racking Horse Show -- Stoddard County Fairgrounds, Dexter, MO, US (an afternoon and evening of excellent and elegant showmanship)

My Bucket's Got a Hole In It Day -- this one may be listed on another day as well, since no two sites agree; mercy, just go get a new one already! or go get out your Hank Williams records

National Mint Julep Day

St. Walstan of Bawburgh's Day (Patron of agricultural workers, farmers and farm workers, field hands, husbandmen)

This Day -- Fairy Calendar

Tohoku Rokkon Matsuri -- Yamagata City, Japan (a special matsuri, bringing together six major festivals from the district that was hard hit by the 2011 earthquake; through tomorrow)

Water a Flower Day -- no sponsor or reason given for this day, except that the spring rains are slowing and you don't want your garden to wilt

Wicket World of Croquet® Day 2015 -- The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, Indianapolis, IN, US (croquet tournament fundraiser, includes an Alice and Friends game for the little ones) 


Anniversaries Today:

Henry VIII marries Jane Seymore, 1536


Birthdays Today:

Blake Bashoff, 1981
Trey Parker, 1972
Wynonna Judd, 1964
Tom Morello, 1964
Ted McGinley, 1958
Colm Meaney, 1953
Stephen Tobolowsky, 1951
Meredith MacRae, 1945
Gale Eugene Sayers, 1943
Michael J. Pollard, 1939
Keir Dullea, 1936
Clint Walker, 1927
Benny Goodman, 1909
Mel Blanc, 1908
Countee Cullen, 1903
Peter Carl Fabergé, 1846
Czar Peter the Great, 1672


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Paperback Writer"(Single release), 1966
"War Requiem"(Britten Op. 66), 1962
"Odisséia de uma raça / Odyssey of a Race"(Villa-Lobos Symphonic poem), 1954
"Prodana nevesta / The Bartered Bride"(Opera), 1866


Today in History:

Titus and his Roman legions breach the Second Wall of Jerusalem; the Jewish defenders retreat to the First Wall, 70
19-year-old Joan of Arc is burned at the stake by an English-dominated tribunal, 1431
In Florida, Hernando de Soto  lands at Tampa Bay with 600 soldiers with the goal of finding gold, 1539
Publication of La Gazette, the first French newspaper, 1631
The Pennsylvania Evening Post become the first daily paper in the US, 1783
John Francis attempts to murder Queen Victoria, 1842
Westminster's Big Ben rang for the first time in London, 1859
Decoration Day (the predecessor of the modern "Memorial Day") is observed in the United States for the first time, 1868
New York City's Gilmores Garden is renamed Madison Square Garden by William Henry Vanderbilt and is opened to the public, 1879
The Treaty of London, 1913, ends the First Balkan War and Albania becomes an independent nation, 1913
In China protests erupt against the Great Powers infringing on Chinese sovereignty, 1925
A dike along the flooding Columbia River breaks, obliterating Vanport, Oregon within minutes, 1948
The Auckland Harbour Bridge, crossing the Waitemata Harbour in Auckland, New Zealand, is officially opened, 1959
launch of Surveyor 1 the first US spacecraft to achieve landing on an extraterrestrial body, 1966
At the Ascot Park in Gardena, California, daredevil Evel Knievel jumps his motorcycle over 16 cars lined up in a row, 1967
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989: the 33-foot high "Goddess of Democracy" statue is unveiled in Tiananmen Square by student demonstrators, 1989
272 days after the September 11 attacks, closing ceremonies are held for the clean up/recovery efforts at the World Trade Center site in New York City. The last remaining steel beam is removed and transported to the Fresh Kills Landfill in Staten Island, 2002
In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel pledges to end all nuclear power within 12 years, 2011

Time once again for...

 ...The 20th Annual Cram the Whole Family in a Two-Bedroom Condo at the Beach for a Week Family Should Be Close But Not This Close Vacation!

Yes, we are on the road again, and Willie Nelson singing that song is my earworm.  Time once again for a week of sand in our shorts, salt water in our faces, hunting ghost crabs by flashlight, fishing from the dock, hunting for fun stuff at the flea market/antique store, visiting the Naval Air Museum and the Little Zoo That Could, chlorine and sunscreen and junk food and wondering what the kids are up to but being too relaxed to really care enough to go find out.  After all, if they are up to anything, Brick the security guard will deal with them, and they don't want that, so they generally behave.

Today is travel and buy food when we get there day, and we will meet up with everyone at the condo and settle in.  This year's cast of characters are:

Dr. Born Organized Clean -- known as Doc, the patriarch and a man who, in his 70's and retired from private practice, is still busier than i am as a mom and janitor and kitten raiser and volunteer and everything else.  He's very precise, very skilled, and is finding out, now that he has time, that he's a great cook (apparently it runs in the family).

Miss Prissy -- matriarch, married 51 years to Doc as of about two weeks from now, and his opposite in terms of organization and precision.  She's born to shop, and much of our time will be making sure she gets to do so.

Uncle P -- the elder of my two younger brothers (if that makes sense, and if it doesn't, sorry, i'm working on caffeine and one brain cell right now), single and always has been and is happy that way.  Works with mentally disabled adults and loves it.

Uncle J -- younger of my two younger brothers (and to show you how tired i am, i almost typed "bothers" there instead of "brothers", which would have made sense when i was 13), divorced custodial father of two and could have become a con man but went into sales instead.  He's a natural; like Doc, who could have made a living selling eggs to chicken farmers.

Bryn -- "tweenage" daughter of Uncle J.  Is growing into a very nice young lady, although she still picks way too many fights with her younger brother.

Dre -- 6-year-old who gets on his sister's last nerve just by being 6 and existing, and one of my favorite kids ever (besides my own, of course).  He and i always have lots of fun.

Sweetie -- my husband, almost 60 and still dreaming of being a rock star on the local restaurant and bar circuit (which he will start doing when he retires in just over a year, he's already got the guys who want to do it with him).  Isn't too much for beaches, but enjoys the vacation time and all the other stuff we do over the course of the week.

Bigger Girl -- my elder daughter who just finished her second semester of Junior College.  A philosopher, she loves animals and isn't afraid to give a horse an injection, bravely prod an angry cow into a chute for a procedure, and yet gently hold a dying animal to comfort it.  Artistic and with a flair for the dramatic, she's also one of those people who talk non-stop if she isn't reading or singing or playing piano.

#2 Son -- the younger of my boys, a born con artist like Doc could have been if he hadn't had medicine as his life long dream, and like Uncle J kind of is.  Wants to be a professional chef, and meanwhile is still into going to the creek and catching snakes.

Little Girl -- my caboose.  Perfect pitch, can draw, paint, write stories, and is an anchor for the swim team.  Plays equally well with the guys and the gals, just generally gets along with everyone.  She's a big help with children and pets.

mimi -- just me, chief cook, bottle-washer, laundress, and the one whose job is to keep her head in every emergency, no matter what.

Hold on for fun, it's going to be a ride.


Today is

Arrival of the Swiss at the Port-Noir -- Switzerland

Birthday of SPB Yang di-Pertuan Agong -- Malaysia (in this elective monarchy, the current king's birthday is celebrated on the first Saturday in June, regardless of his actual birth date)

Beypazari Havuç Güveç --  Turkey (weekend festival celebrating a traditional carrot dish)

Capital Hill People's Fair -- Denver, CO, US (arts, entertainment, and fun; through tomorrow)

Dare Day -- Manteo, NC, US (a fun festival and unofficial kick-off for summer)

Derby Day -- Epsom Downs Racecourse, Surrey, England

Dia da Crianca -- Cape Verde (Youth Day)

Dia de la Marina -- Mexico (Day of the Navy)

Drawing Day/Pencil Day -- used to be sponsored on the first Saturday with the motto "Drop Everything and Draw", but even though no longer promoted by any specific group, you can still enjoy some time drawing today

Early Bird Day -- an internet derived day that reminds us the early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese

Eel Festival -- Jyllinge, Denmark (through tomorrow; every restaurant and pub in town serves fried eel, and there's lots more fun around town)

Enshu Hamakita Hiryu Matsuri -- Hamamatsu City, Japan (honors the river god Ryujin)

Famadihana -- Madagascar (from now until November, various areas celebrate "turning the bones," a fascinating reburial of the dead ceremony)

Feast of St. Justin Martyr (a/k/a Justin the Philosopher; Patron of apologists, lecturers, orators, philosophers, speakers)

Festival of Non-Linearity -- another one you find on the internet, no meaning or rhyme to it, but if you like to think in non-linear ways, enjoy today!

Festival of the Oak Nymph -- Celtic/Pagan (around this time of year, the Celts took a day to honor all hamadryads (female natures spirits who inhabit oak trees)

Flip a Coin Day -- as noted by The Ultimate Holiday Site, which claims Julius Caesar invented it (doubtful, but the Romans did toss coins)

Gawai Dayak -- Sarawak, Malaysia (harvest festival begins today)

Go Barefoot Day -- originally sponsored by Soles4Souls, which recycles shoes to those who have none; while i cannot find if they are sponsoring a day or week this year, it's a good reminder not to let your old shoes end up in a landfill

Hari Lahir Pancasila -- Indonesia (Pancasila Day)

Heimlich Maneuver Day -- Dr. Heimlich first published his suggestion for aiding choking victims with "subdiaphragmatic pressure" on this day in 1974

Hen-Peeler's Holiday -- Fairy Calendar

Independence Day -- Samoa

International Children's Day

Kalends of June -- Ancient Roman Calendar; related observances:
     Day Sacred to Tempestas (goddess of storms)
     Festival for Juno Moneta (Juno as goddess of money)
     Festival of Carna (goddess of health and vitality, and also of doors and locks, which were to be repaired today)

Madaraka Day -- Kenya (National Day or self-rule/responsibility day)

Maritime Gig Festival -- Gig Harbor, WA, US (parades, entertainment, and fun with the view of Mount Rainier to grace it all; through tomorrow)

Mint Julip Day -- Oxford University, England (the drink was introduced there this day in 1845, and they liked it so well, they dedicated a day to it!)

Missouri State Championship Racking Horse Show -- Stoddard County Fairgrounds, Dexter, MO, US (an afternoon and evening of excellent and elegant showmanship)

Mothers' and Children's Day -- Mongolia

National Family Recreation Day -- US (seems to have been started by the community of Arvada, CO, US, wanting families to enjoy the great outdoors together)

National Hazelnut Cake Day

National Trails Day -- US (be safe out there, if you want help becoming a hiker there's info here)

National Tree Planting Day -- Cambodia

Peddler's Village Fine Art and Contemporary Craft Show and Festival -- Lahaska, PA, US (juried competitions, crafts, art activities for children, and more; through tomorrow)

Pilgrimages to St Patrick's Purgatory begin -- Station Island, Lough Derg, County Donegal, Ireland (three day pilgrimages to the island where St. Patrick supposedly showed the Irish heathens Purgatory so they would be converted continue through Aug. 15; such pilgrimages date back at least to the 10th century)

President's Day -- Palau

Say Something Nice Day -- as declared by the mayor of a town in South Carolina who is tired of all the negative talk all the time

Seed to Stalk --  Jamestown Settlement, Williamsburg, VA, and Yorktown Victory Center, Yorktown, VA, US (spend time this month exploring American agriculture of the 17th and 18th centuries, learning the practical used of herbs and plants)

Sjómannadagurinn -- Iceland (traditional Seamen's Day; now a two day Festival of the Sea)

South Carolina Festival of Flowers -- Greenwood, SC, US (thirty-six events, something for everyone; through the 26th)

Stand for Children Day -- stand.org founded by a rally this day in 1996, seeking to ensure all children graduate from high school

Strawberry Festival -- Independence, MO, US (one of many such festivals all over as strawberries come into season -- look for one near where you live some time this month, and go have a good time)

St. Theobald Roggeri's Day (Patron of church cleaners, cobblers, porters, shoemakers; against fever and sterility)

Summer Library Book club Season begins -- anywhere that school is out, check your local library for a summer book club for children or adults; you never know what world you will discover when you read

Superman Day -- publication of the first Superman comic was this day in 1938

Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure Day 2013 -- Washington, D.C., US

Tohoku Rokkon Matsuri -- Morioka, Japan (a special matsuri, bringing together six major festivals from the district that was hard hit by the 2011 earthquake; through tomorrow)

Toppenish Mural Society's "Mural-In-A-Day" -- Toppenish, WA, US (professional artists work to paint a complete and historically accurate mural in one day, accompanied by an arts and crafts show and food fair)

Victory Day -- Tunisia (anniversary of the Adoption of the Constitution of Tunisia in 1959)

Wicket World of Croquet® Day 2013 -- The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, Indianapolis, IN, US (croquet tournament fundraiser, includes an Alice and Friends game for the little ones)www.pbhh.org

Xterra Off-Road Triathalon, Four Corners Event -- NM, US (some of the most extreme racing anywhere)

Yobuko Otsunahiki -- Higashi Matsuura, Saga prefecture, Japan (Big Tug-of-War, with one team representing the land and the other the sea; victory for the land means good crops, for the sea means good catches)



Anniversaries Today:

Kentucky becomes the 15th US state, 1792
Tennessee becomes the 16th US state, 1796
Ohio University, in Athens, Ohio, is founded as the first US land-grant university, 1808


Birthdays Today:

Alanis Morissette, 1974
Heidi Klum, 1973
Ron Wood, 1947
Robert Powell, 1944
Rene Auberjonois, 1940
Morgan Freeman, 1937
Colleen McCullough, 1937
Pat Boone, 1934
Edward Woodward, 1930
Bob Monkhouse, 1928
Andy Griffith, 1926
Marilyn Monroe, 1926
Nelson Riddle, 1921
Brigham Young, 1801


Today in History:

Hugh Capet is elected King of France, 987
Beijing, then under the control of the Jurchen ruler Emperor Xuanzong of Jin, is captured by the Mongols  under Genghis Khan, ending the Battle of Beijing, 1215
Friar John Cor records the first known batch of scotch whiskey, 1495
Anne Boleyn is crowned Queen of England, 1533
Mary Dyer is hanged for defying a law banning Quakers from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1660
The battle of the Glorious First of June is fought, the first naval engagement between Britain and France during the French Revolutionary Wars, 1794
U.S. President James Madison asks the Congress to declare war on the United Kingdom, 1812
James Lawrence, the mortally-wounded commander of the USS Chesapeake, gives his final order: "Don't give up the ship!" 1813
James Clark Ross discovers the North Magnetic Pole, 1831
American adventurer William Walker conquers Nicaragua, 1855
Treaty of Bosque Redondo is signed allowing the Navajos to return to their lands in Arizona and New Mexico, 1868
Thomas Edison receives a patent for his electric voting machine, 1869
Napoleon Eugene, the last dynastic Bonaparte, is killed in the Anglo-Zulu War, 1879
The United States Census Bureau begins using Herman Hollerith's tabulating machine to count census returns, 1890
Louis D. Brandeis becomes the first Jew appointed to the United States Supreme Court, 1916
The First Conference of the Communist Parties of Latin America is held in Buenos Aires, 1929
Charles de Gaulle comes out of retirement to lead France by decree for six months, 1958
New Zealand's first official television broadcast commences at 7.30pm from Auckland, 1960
Kenya gains internal self-rule (Madaraka Day), 1963
The Heimlich maneuver for rescuing choking victims is published in the journal Emergency Medicine, 1974
The first black-led government of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in 90 years takes power, 1979
CNN begins broadcasting, 1980
Air France Flight 447 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil, Killing all 228 passengers and crew, 2009
General Motors files for chapter 11 bankruptcy, 2009