Plenty to Do, a Ten Things of Thankful Post

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If i ever get to Thankful Day and i'm not sliding in on a wing and a prayer (except during vacation week), it will be one for the record books.

This isn't the one for the record books.

For the second week in a row, i arrived at Becca's house to find her already awake and a bit agitated.  A quick application of breakfast solved it, and i'm thankful.  Also, i put a bug in her parents' ears about the fact that maybe she's just "hangry" when she gets that way first thing in the morning.

This past Sunday service included a recognition of those who have been members of our church for 50 years or more.  Ms. PA was one of them and since she is now bedridden, i took copies of the program and the small gift for her and ran it up to her on Monday for a surprise visit.  It was a joyful time, she was so happy and she loved the chocolates that were part of the gift.

(Side note, every woman i've ever known who is over 80 has a sweet tooth to beat the band and seems to subsist on nothing but sugar.  Is that universal or just my experience?)

Little Girl brought Coda and Bart on Tuesday morning and i'm so thankful to have a week with the pups.

Bart is learning to wait, like Coda does, for his food, sitting still and letting me put it down and step back, then waiting until i say, eat! to come and get it.

Ms. G left town and i am catsitting, and thankful it's going well.  CatCat is coming in the house at night most of the time, Buddy and Angel are well, when i get there in the morning there's no blood or fur and everyone is content.

One of the bird feeders over there was leaking seeds everywhere, and i was able to find the piece that had been pried off by a persistent raccoon, get it reattached and secured better, and refill the feeder.  So far, so good, although i'm sure the raccoon is not very thankful.  (He, the squirrels, and the possum family that lives under the deck get plenty from what falls out of the feeders, they're just greedy.)

#1 Son came by to get his packages and i was glad and thankful to see him.

Sweetie helped me at Ms. GA's house and i was able to get a good nap in on Friday, both a help on a week where i'm tending dogs and catsitting before the regular work even starts and again after work, too

He's also giving the dogs too many treats, and they are thankful for that.  Little Girl will be thankful it's only for a week.

The cat shelter was busy, busy, busy which is a joy to see.  There are still more new volunteers and that frees me up to clean the places that don't get enough attention.

Today i'm thankful i can take the dogs to visit Grandma, she always loves to see them.

Please write up your own list and link up to Ten Things of Thankful, where Dyanne and her co-hosts always have a warm welcome waiting.   

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Today is:

Accession Day -- United Arab Emirates (accession of H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan)

Andorra La Vella Festival -- Andorra (through Monday)

Best Elf Awards -- Fairy Calendar

Feast of Everything Green Except Money -- Hooray for veggies! You'll need them before you have that root beer float.

Festival of Nut and Ra; Chief Festival of Thoth -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Hiroshima Day

Independence Day / National Day -- Bolivia; Jamaica

International Hangover Day -- always the day after International Beer Day, which should tell you something, and sponsored by the same group that does International Beer Day, which should tell you something more!

National Fresh Breath (Halitosis) Day -- shouldn't that read, anti-halitosis?

National Mustard Day -- US, sponsored by the National Mustard Museum 

National Root Beer Float Day -- A&W Root Beer really gets into this day 

Peace Festival -- Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima, Japan

Royal Queensland Show -- QLD, Australia

Sts. Justus and Pastor's Day (Patrons of Alcala, Spain; Madrid, Spain)

Tanabata Festival -- Sendai, Japan (Japan's largest Tanabata 'Star Festival', through the 8th)

Teinne Festival -- Ancient Celtic Calendar (Teinne, the Celtic Holy Fire, sometimes called Tan; date approximate)

Tisha B'Av -- Judaism (begins at sundown, through tomorrow; fast in remembrance of the destruction of the First Temple in 586BCE and the Second Temple in 79AD)

Transfiguration of the Lord -- Orthodox Christian

Wiggle Your Toes Day -- internet generated, and my suggestion is to celebrate it with a cool drink out by the pool!

Birthdays Today:

Romola Garai, 1982

Melissa George, 1976

Soleil Moon Frye, 1976

M. Night Shyamalan, 1970

Michelle Yeoh, 1962

Catherine Hicks, 1951

Dorian Harewood, 1950

Shirley Ann Jackson, 1946

Peter Bonerz, 1938

Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob, 1934

Andy Warhol, 1928

Robert Mitchum, 1817

Lucille Ball, 1911

Clara Bow, 1905

Hoot Gibson, 1892

Alexander Fleming, 1881

Louella Parsons, 1881

Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt, 1861

Alfred Lord Tennyson, 1809 

Daniel O'Connell, 1775

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Help"(Album debut), 1965

Today in History:

Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada founds the city of Bogota, Colombia, 1538

Holland (The Dutch Republic) sells Brazil to Portugal and the two 

countries sign the Treaty of The Hague, 1661

The first private military school in the US, Norwich University, is 

founded in Vermont, 1819

The Russian Geographical Society is founded in Saint Petersburg, 1845

William Kemmler becomes the first person to be executed by the electric chair, 1890

Alice Ramsey takes three friends (none of whom could drive) to become the first women to complete a transcontinental auto trip, 1909

Gertrude Ederle becomes the first woman to swim the English Channel, 1926

Prometheus, a bristlecone pine and the world's oldest tree, is cut down by the US National Forest Service, for reasons even they cannot explain, 1964

The Federal Voting Rights Act is signed, 1965

A low-pressure system that redeveloped off the New South Wales coast dumps a record 328 millimeters (13 inches) of rain in a day on Sydney, 1986

The United Nations Security Council orders a global trade embargo against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, 1990

NASA makes the still disputed announcement that the ALH 84001 meteorite, thought to originate from Mars, contains evidence of primitive life-forms, 1996

The incoming coalition government of the United Kingdom discontinues the use of the controversial ContactPoint database of all children in that country, 2010

After a century of silence, Mount Tongariro in New Zealand erupts, spreading volcanic ash across the country's central North Island and affecting airports, 2012

The Curiosity Rover, controlled by NASA's Mars Science Laboratory, lands safely on the surface of Mars, 2012

The world's largest ever Pinball tournament, "Pinburgh," is held in Pittsburgh, PA, US, with 700 machines, 2015

In an attempt to end 5 years of civil war, South Sudanese President Salva Kilr and rebel leader Riek Machar sign the South Sudan Peace Accord, 2018

According to the World Resources Institute, a quarter of humanity is running out of water, 2019

Of a Tuesday

The helicopters are still flying overhead with disturbing regularity, in part disturbing because even i almost don't notice them any more.  They are surveying where the water is rising and falling, i think.

This morning i will not be going to my usual Tuesday client.  Ms. A and her daughter are in NOLA with her brother.  They watched the car float away and had to be rescued by boat, and spent two days in a shelter until her brother could make it up here to get them.  They are worried about the cats, as they had to leave all 7 of them on the second floor of the house and hope for the best.  As soon as the water recedes enough for me to get to their house, i will "break" in (with their permission) and try to see to the cats.

Speaking of cats, there is one very fat, sassy, and happy cat because of all of this, and that is the bakery owner's cat, EmmyLou.

The bakery owner and her husband are out of town, and i was caring for EmmyLou and cleaning the house while they are gone.  The house is clean, well, except that EmmyLou sheds so much i need to sweep again, but Ms. E got concerned that i wouldn't be able to check up on EmmyLou each day because of the water and weather and asked her neighbor to come in also.

The neighbor came in, and i came in, and we've both been feeding EmmyLou, and i think we've both been giving her the spoonful of tuna she is supposed to get only once a day, and i think she's now trained to believe that she should get tuna every time someone opens the door!  Sweet, spoiled cat.

Ms. V lives in the neighborhood just around the corner from Ms. E (and we all go to church together, so everybody knows everybody!), and her house did not get water, but all the houses across the street did.  Because she and her husband are also out of town, they are letting some of the flooded out neighbors stay in the house.   It will get a good cleaning this coming Saturday by me and Sweetie, right before they get back.

One of Ms. V's neighbors who is staying there is such a sweet lady, and i felt so awful for her when i went to check on the house.  She was so wanting a hot shower, and when we reminded her that even with the electricity out because the area was flooded, the gas lines work and the gas hot water heater would supply just what she needed, she was so speechlessly happy.  The fact that i had done laundry when i cleaned last week and there were fresh, clean towels available was the icing on the cake.

When you are standing in your neighbor's yard, looking across the street at your house with 3 feet of water in it, every little thing can be a big thing.


Today is:

American Quilter's Society Quilt Exposition -- Grand Rapids, MI, US (their largest show; through Saturday)

Baba Au Rhum Day -- of course, on rum day, bake some cake with the stuff!

Bratwurst Day

Children's Day -- Paraguay

Daimonji Bonfire -- Mt. Nyoigadake, Kyoto, Japan (spectacular bonfires in the shapes of word pictures on the mountains surrounding the city)

Elvis Presley Day -- can you believe he's been gone 39 years?

Festival of the Minstrels -- Tutbury Castle, UK (middle ages; celebrated with great pomp, as the Duke of Lancaster had decreed that they each year elect a new king of the minstrels)

Fete de l'Independance -- Gabon (National Day)

Harmonic Convergence Day -- modern followers of Maya and Aztec calendars

Joe Miller's Joke Day -- anniversary of the death of English comic actor Joseph Miller in 1738

Madonna del Voto Day -- Siena, Italy (a/k/a Palio dell'Assunta, 2nd of the traditional yearly horse races)

National Airborne Day -- US (honors all Airborne Military)

National Tell a Joke Day -- seems internet generated, but probably related to Joe Miller Joke Day

National Rum Day

Remember What Your Spouse Wore the First Time You Met Day -- internet generated and dangerous!

Restoration of the Republic -- Dominican Republic

Roller Coaster Day -- the first one was patented this day in 1898

St. Roch's Day (Patron of bachelors, dogs, falsely accused people, invalids, surgeons, tile makers; of over 20 cities in Italy as well as Istanbul, Turkey; for relief from pestilence; against cholera, diseased cattle, epidemics, knee problems, plague [Black Death], skin diseases and rashes) 

St. Stephen of Hungary's Day (Patron of bricklayers, kings, masons, stonecutters; Hungary; against the death of children)

Xicolatada -- Palau-de-Cerdagne, France (hot chocolate festival)*


Anniversary Today:

Sean Penn marries Madonna, 1985
Paul Simon marries Carrie Fisher, 1983
Gioachino Antonio Rossini marries Olympe Pélissier, 1846


Birthdays Today:

Seth Peterson, 1970
Steve Carell, 1963
Laura Innes, 1960
Timothy Hutton, 1960
Angela Bassett, 1958
Madonna, 1958
Jeff Perry, 1955
James Cameron, 1954
Kathie Lee Gifford, 1953
Reginald VelJohnson, 1952
Leslie Ann Warren, 1946
Julie Newmar, 1935
Eydie Gorme, 1932
Frank Gifford, 1930
Ann Blyth, 1928
Fess Parker, 1925
Menachem Begin, 1913
George Meany, 1894
T. E. Lawrence (of Arabia), 1888
Bernarr Macfadden, 1868
Amos Alonzo Stagg, 1862
Hongxi Emperor of China, 1378


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Siegfried"(Opera, WWV 86C), 1876


Today in History:

Henry VIII defeats the French at the Battle of Guinegate/Battle of the Spurs, forcing the French to retreat, 1513
Jack Broughton formulates the earliest code of rules for boxing, 1743
Chang and Eng Bunker, the original "Siamese" twins, arrive in Boston to be exhibited, 1829
U.S. President James Buchanan inaugurates the new transatlantic telegraph cable by exchanging greetings with Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, 1858
Arica, Peru (now Chile) is devastated by a tsunami which followed a magnitude 8.5 earthquake, 1868
Gold is discovered in the Klondike, at Bonanza Creek, 1896
Edwin Prescott patents the roller coaster, 1898
In Valparaiso, Chile, an 8.6 earthquake followed by fire destroys the city and kills 20,000, 1906
The first color sound cartoon, called Fiddlesticks, is made by Ub Iwerks, 1930
Democrats nominate Adlai E. Stevenson as presidential candidate, 1956
Joseph Kittinger parachutes from a balloon over New Mexico at 102,800 feet (31,300 m), setting three records that still stand today: High-altitude jump, free-fall, and highest speed by a human without an aircraft, 1960
A solar flare from the Sun creates a geomagnetic storm that affects micro chips, leading to a halt of all trading on Toronto's stock market, 1989
For only 2nd time Stanley Cup leaves North America (heads to Russia), 1997
In England, two men who created a Facebook site to incite violence during the riots are sentenced to four years imprisonment, 2011


*Yes, they celebrate a hot chocolate festival in the summer.  It all started when the 15th of August was a feast day on which the locals always drank a bit much, and the chocolatier of the town claimed his brew was a good remedy the day after.  The original festival on the 15th has ceased, but the hot chocolate is brewed to this day, served at 11am promptly.

Who's a Sissy?

"Hi, mom!"  #2 Son came in and greeted me with the tone of voice that always leads me to ask the same thing.

Okay, Son, what is it, and how much is it going to cost me?  Of course, i grin when i ask this.

"Oh, it's nothing like that.  It's just that, well, you know SissyCat?"

Our SissyCat, that belongs to #1 Son, or the original SissyCat for whom she was named?

"The original.  The one who started a fight with a German shepherd and so now only has 3 legs and isn't as mean as she used to be.  Well, anyway, Sammi had to move out of her apartment, and until she can find a new one that takes cats she's living with her Grandmother, and her Grandmother won't let her have SissyCat over there, and could I keep her in my room for a few weeks?"

That depends upon the state of your room, and whether your Father approves.

Please note that i had no worries at all that Sweetie wouldn't approve.  He has no trouble with us cat sitting, and even enjoyed the times we cared for this SissyCat back when she had 4 legs and could be a mean pest.  This was mostly said because i still haven't found the magic combination of words and motivations that can get a 17-year-old boy to keep a room anything but barely fit for human habitation.

"Yeah, I'll get it cleaned up, and until I do, can she stay upstairs in Little Girl's room?  It will only take me a day to move her down to my room."

Only a day to clean your room?  It must not be as bad as i thought this time.

"Very funny.  So, can we please help Sammi and keep SissyCat for a while?"

Sure, i'll speak to your Father about it.  Just make sure you don't drop the cat in Little Girl's room and leave her there, she has a cat of her own and i don't believe Link will like it if her room is off limits to him for very long.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll get it done.  Thanks, mom, you're the best!"

No, i just happen to like that cat, even if she does need an attitude adjustment.  Or did, before the dog adjusted it for her.


Today is:

Allama Iqbal Day -- Pakistan

Chaos Never Dies Day -- internet generated, and just look in my closets if you want proof that we need this one

Couch Beachcombing Day -- internet generated; also called sofa diving, you will be amazed what you will find!

Dia de los Natitas -- La Paz, Bolivia (Day of the Skulls, when skulls are decorated and then offered cigarettes, coca leaves, and other items)

Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

Fiesta de Nuestra Senora de la Almudena -- Madrid, Spain (Feast of the Virgin of the Almudena, Patroness of the City)

Flag Day -- Azerbaijan

Go to an Art Museum Today Day -- it's a good idea, whoever started this one

Herring King Festival -- Etaples, France (Hareng Roi, a festival worth seeing at least once in your life; through tomorrow)

Independence Day -- Cambodia (1953)

Lord Mayor's Day / Lord Mayor's Show -- London, England (traditional date and observed date in 2013; a traditional Show since 1215, when King John granted the people of London the right to elect their own mayor)

National Nibble Day -- as promoted by Adrienne Sioux Koopersmith

National Scrapple Day

Neon Sign Day -- Georges Claude received a patent for the neon sign on this day in 1911

Night of Nicnevin (Gyre-Carling), Daughter of Frenzy, Banshee -- Scots Pagan (date approximate)

Paul is Dead Day -- Beatle's Conspiracy Theorists, who claim Paul died this day in 1966 and was replaced by Billy Campbell

Pushkar Camel Fair -- Pushkar, India (for the camels, racing, fancy dress, changing owners, taking tourists on rides, and the chance to liven up this usually quiet town, and for the people, singing, dancing, exotic food, and watching the camels, as well as religious rituals at the time of the full moon; through the 17th)

Sadie Hawkins Day -- US (on the Saturday nearest Nov. 9, and based on the Li'l Abner comic, a day for women to ask out the man of their choice; also widely observed on Feb. 29 because of a law passed by Parliament of Scotland in 1288)

Schicksalstag -- Germany (Destiny Day or Fateful Day) anniversary of
     the execution of Robert Blum in 1848
     dethroning of Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1918
     The Beer Hall Putsch in 1923
     Kristallnacht (Crystal Night, marks the beginning of the Holocaust), 1938
     the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989

St.Theodore the General's Day (Patron of soldiers; Brindisi, Italy; invoked for the recovery of lost objects)

Tag der Erfinder -- Austria; Germany; Switzerland (Inventor's Day; birth anniversary of Hedy Lamarr, who was an inventor as well as an actress)

Wish-Granting Championships -- Fairy Calendar (Sprites)

World Freedom Day -- US



Birthdays Today:

Chris Hericho, 1970
Lou Ferrigno, 1951
Tom Fogerty, 1941
Mary Travers, 1936
Carl Sagan, 1934
Dorothy Dandridge, 1923
Spiro Agnew, 1918
Hedy Lamarr, 1913
James William Fullbright, 1905
Ed Wynn, 1886
Benjamin Banneker, 1731 (first freeborn child of free African American parents)


Debuting/Premiering Today:

Wizard of Id, 1964
Omnibus, 1952


Today in History:

Egica, a king of the Visigoths of Hispania, accuses Jews of aiding Muslims, sentencing all Jews to slavery, 694
The Family de' Medici were expelled from Florence, 1494
Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower sight land at Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 1620
Hungarian parliament promises Protestants freedom of religion, 1681
The Rabbi Yehuda Hasid synagogue in Jerusalem is set afire by Arabs, 1720
Napoleon becomes dictator of France, 1799
The first US pharmacy college begins classes in Philadelphia, 1821
The NY Symphony Orchestra holds its first public performance, 1858
The first documented Canadian football game is held, at the University of Toronto, 1861
Ulyses Grant issues orders to bar Jews from serving under him, 1862
The Great Boston Fire destroys nearly 1,000 buildings, 1872
Theodore Roosevelt becomes the first US president to visit other countries during his tenure, visiting Puerto Rico and Panama, 1906
The Great Lakes Storm of 1913, the most destructive natural disaster ever to hit the lakes, destroys 19 ships and kills more than 250 people, 1913
Albert Einstein is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work with the photoelectric effect, 1921
Several U.S. states and parts of Canada are hit by a series of blackouts lasting up to 13 hours in the Northeast Blackout of 1965
First issue of Rolling Stone Magazine is published, 1967
Garry Kasparov 22, of the Soviet Union becomes the youngest World Chess Champion, 1985
The chemical element Darmstadtium is discovered, 1994
The Venus Express mission of the European Space Agency is launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, 2005
The German Bundestag passes the controversial data retention bill mandating storage of citizens' telecommunications traffic data for six months without probable cause, 2007