Relatives, a Random and Happy Tuesday Post

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It's time once again for a random and happy Tuesday, linking up with Stacy's Random Thoughts at Stacy Uncorked and Sandee at Comedy Plus.  

Carl's family has had a whirlwind weekend, as evinced by his room when i arrived (although it has been worse).

He was already in his sleep chair in the living room when i got there, so he got up to run in his room and apologize for the mess!  When i told him it was fine, that's what i was there to take care of, he started trying to pick things up off the floor.  His mother, Ms. V, is always after him to get the floor cleared so it won't be a trip hazard.

Being at loose ends with no work to go to and relatives in town has Carl rather, shall we say, all over the place.

"The relatives don't want to sightsee, they say it's too hot!  I want go to do something!" he told me.

Right now, i told him, go back to sleep and i'll get your room tidied.  

He happily complied, after grabbing the dental floss, using some without even separating that strand from the container, and then putting it right back where it had been.

Yes, i separated that strand from the container and threw it away.  Yes, i remembered to put on gloves before i went in there.

Then it was time to sort laundry.  Being at loose ends also leads him to change clothes several times a day, or even worse, grab clothes to put on, get distracted, then pull out a whole new outfit, leaving the original to fall to the floor and get stepped on.

His pants pockets were especially heavily laden, i felt like each one, after i'd removed several items, was saying, "But wait!  There's more!"

Speaking of more, his mother bought him new clothes.  This would not be a problem if we were allowed to get rid of old clothes, but that's not frugal.  We're out of hangers.  Maybe that's why new clothes are ending up in laundry piles.

Got down to this layer of dirty clothes and found treasure.

There was one item, a work shirt with an emblem, that i've been looking for for quite some time.  Climbing into the top of his closet to put some of his winter clothes up there (thus freeing up hangers), i found it tucked way away at the back of a shelf.  Another reminder that you haven't found all of his laundry until you have looked everywhere.

No matter what, when the relatives came by yesterday afternoon, his room was at least presentable for a few minutes.  They know Carl, so they understand.

In other relative news, Carl's brother, the NASA rocket scientist, was in Florida for the launch that wasn't.  He'd already made plans to stay until this Saturday, so if the reschedule on Friday works out, he'll still get to see it.  For his sake, i hope so, he was so excited.

In our own relative news, Sweetie's sister, Sally, called with the much-expected news that her mother-in-law, Ms. McG, had passed away.  Ms. McG was 102.  (This would be my sister-in-law's mother-in-law, whom i did not ever meet.)

Sweetie and Brother-in-Law have known Ms. McG since their sister married back in 1969.  For Sally's sake, they want to go to the funeral.

It's going to be an uphill battle.  Ms. McG's son (Sally's husband) and daughter are at odds over the arrangements, half the family has Covid, and everyone involved up there in north Louisiana is up in arms about what to do and when and how.

If and when arrangements get made, Brother-in-Law will take time off work and they will drive to the nearest large town to the tiny burg where this service will take place (the family plot is in the tiny burg), check into the hotel, and proceed from there.

Meanwhile, to lighten the mood for the rest of us, let's have fun with relatives:

Have a blessed and beautiful Tuesday, everyone!

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Today is:

Be Kind to Humankind Week:  Touch a Heart Tuesday 

Chatter Champion Announced -- Fairy Calendar

Constitution Day -- Kazakhstan

Day of Satisfying the Hearts of the Ennead (Nine Major Gods) -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Festival of Charisteria -- Ancient Roman Calendar (a day to give thanks)

Frankenstein Day -- in honor of Mary Shelley 

Huey P. Long Day -- Louisiana, US

International Day of the Disappeared -- Latin American Federation of Associations for Relatives of Detained-Disappeared

International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances -- UN

International Whale Shark Day -- WiseOceans has more information 

National Holistic Pet Day -- celebrating the growing interest in natural/holistic medicine for animals

National Toasted Marshmallow Day

Onam -- Hindu (start of a 14-day Hindu harvest festival observed by Malayali Hindus celebrating the legendary King Maveli/Mahabali)

Popular Consultation Day -- East Timor

Santa Rosa de Lima -- Peru

St. Fiacre's Day (Patron of box makers, cab drivers, costermongers, florists, gardeners, hosiers, pewterers, taxi drivers, tile makers; against barrenness, fistula, haemorrhoids, piles, sterility, syphilis, venereal disease)

Talk Intelligently Day -- holiday thought up by someone tired of non-intelligent conversations (maybe with co-workers?)

Victory Day -- North Cyprus; Turkey

     Turkey's Hellespont Swim -- one of the world's busiest shipping lanes is closed so that over 300 participants can swim the Hellespont from Europe to Asia, a Victory Day commemoration of winning the Turkish War of Independence in 1922 against the Greeks

Anniversary Today:

Roman Polanski marries Emmanuelle Seigner, 1989

Birthdays Today:

Cameron Diaz, 1972

Michael Michele, 1966

Michael Chiklis, 1963

David Paymer, 1954

Timothy Bottoms, 1951

Lewis Black, 1948

Peggy Lipton, 1947

Frank "Tug" McGraw, 1944

Jean-Claude Killy, 1943

Elizabeth Ashley, 1939

Warren Buffett, 1930

Kitty Wells, 1919

Ted Williams, 1918

Fred MacMurray, 1908

Roy Wilkins, 1901

Shirley Booth, 1898

Huey P. Long, 1893

Claire Straith, M.D., 1891

Ernest Rutherford, 1871

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, 1797

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Anna Lucasta"(Play), 1944

Today in History:

European leaders, in an attempt to end war "for all time", outlaw the crossbow, 1146

One of the largest naval battles in history, during the last decade of the ailing, Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty, begins between the forces of two Chinese rebel leaders, 1363

Capture of the entire Dutch fleet by British forces under the command of Sir Ralph Abercromby and Admiral Sir Charles Mitchell, 1799

Founding of Melbourne, Australian, 1835

Founding of Houston, Texas, 1836

Hubert Cecil Booth patents the vacuum cleaner, 1901

The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in south Louisiana, the longest bridge over water (continuous, not aggregate) that is not also a viaduct, opens, 1956

The Hotline between the leaders of the U.S.A. and the Soviet Union goes into operation, 1963

Thurgood Marshall is confirmed as the first African American Justice of the United States Supreme Court, 1967

Guion Bluford becomes the first African American astronaut in space, 1983

NATO launches Operation Deliberate Force against Bosnian Serb forces, 1995

A commercial expedition to raise part of the sunken British luxury liner Titanic ended in failure, 1996

Harley-Davidson celebrates its 100th anniversary in Milwaukee with a parade of 10,000 motorcycles, 2003

India and Pakistan agree to release hundreds of fishermen and other civilians in each other's jails as part of their ongoing attempts to negotiate peace between their nations, 2005

Sumatra's Sinaburg volcano continues to erupt, two people are killed and 21,000 are evacuated from the vicinity, 2010

In Chile, 33 miners trapped half a mile beneath the surface make contact with their families for the first time in three weeks since the incident, 2010

Late author Terry Pratchett’s unfinished works are destroyed as per his request, 2017

For the second time, Ukrainian amateur astronomer Gennady Borisov discovers an interstellar comet, 2019

Algeria becomes the last country to stop selling leaded petrol/gasoline, 2021

Not sure what the title should be.

Last Sunday, Mr. M was in church with his wife who sings on the worship team with Sweetie, and the grandson they were raising.

Monday, he got sick with the flu.

Tuesday, he became septic and ended up in the ICU.

Wednesday morning, at 2am, he died.

Yesterday was his funeral.  Because i had work, i could not go, but Sweetie went and sang in the choir.

Yesterday, Little Girl passed her physical and was sworn in to the National Guard.

Life can take some crazy turns.  Last year at this time, i went to three funerals in four days.  This year, there have been two so far that i couldn't get to because i was working.

Hold your loved ones close.  Yes, we hear that a lot this time of year.  Do it anyway.

Today is:

Build a Snowman Day -- occupy your mind, as Christmas seems too far away still; if you have no snow, make snowball cookies

Chocolate Pizza Day -- yes, really

E-Mail Santa Claus Just in Case He Didn't Get Your Letter Day -- northpole.com/Mailroom/

Festival for Juventas -- Ancient Roman Calendar (goddess of youth, protector of young soldiers)

Icelandic Yuletide Lad of the Day, Skyrgamur -- Curd-glutton, who loves skyr (milk curd) so that he sneaks in the pantry to try to get it all

I've Got My Big Fat Guy Pants On Day -- someone tired of tight clothes started this, a day to wear whatever you like, so long as it is comfortable -- and roomy

Look for an Evergreen Day -- although if you haven't bought your tree by now, you may have waited too long

National Hard Candy Day -- this time of year, it probably means candy canes

National Heroes and Heroines Day -- Anguilla

National Oatmeal Muffin Day

Opalia -- Roman Empire (feast of Ops, goddess of abundance; 3rd day of the Saturnalia)

Riddle-Making Trials -- Fairy Calendar

Robinson Crusoe Rescue Day (1686)

St. Bernard Valeara's Day (Patron of Teramo, Italy)

St. Samthann (Samantha) of Meath's Day (Patron of the spiritual life)

United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation -- UN


Anniversary Today:

First radio broadcast from space, a Christmas greeting from President Eisenhower, 1958


Birthdays Today:

Jake Gyllenhall, 1980
Alyssa Milano, 1972
Tyson Beckford, 1971
Amy Locane, 1971
Kristy Swanson, 1969
Criss Angel, 1967
Jessica Steen, 1965
Jennifer Beals, 1963
Kevin Edward McHale, 1957
Janie Fricke, 1952
Robert Urich, 1946
Richard Leakey, 1944
Alvin Lee, 1944
Tim Reid, 1944
Cicely Tyson, 1939
Al Kaline, 1934
David Susskind, 1920
Leonid Brezhnev, 1906
Ralph Richardson, 1902
Carter Godwin Woodson, 1875
Minnie Maddern Fiske, 1865
Mary Ashton Livermore, 1821
William Edward Parry, 1790


Debuting/Premiering Today:

Titanic(Film), 1997
The Man with the Golden Gun(Film), 1974
"Homecoming A Christmas Story"(TV introduction of "The Waltons"), 1971
"The Music Man"(Musical), 1957
"A Christmas Carol"(publication date), 1843
"American Crisis"(publication date of the Thomas Paine essay in which he wrote, "These are the times that try men's souls."), 1776
"Poor Richard's Almanack" (publication of first issue by Benjamin Franklin), 1732


Today in History:

Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor, 324
The Seldjuken under Toghril Beg occupy Baghdad, 1055
The Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery depart England carrying settlers who found, at Jamestown, Virginia, the first of the thirteen colonies that became the United States, 1606
Benjamin Franklin, under the name Richard Saunders begins publication of "Poor Richard's Almanack", 1732
Thomas Paine publishes his first "American Crisis" essay, in which he wrote that "These are the times that try men's souls," 1776
Chinese troops occupy the capital Thang Long Vietnam, 1788
The US state of Kentucky becomes the first to appropriate money for road building, 1795
The US state of Georgia becomes the first to pass a birth registration law, 1823
Allen Wilson of Connecticut patents a sewing machine that can sew a curved seam, 1854
Albert L. Jones patents corrugated cardboard, 1871
The first black US Catholic priest, Charles Uncles, is ordained in Baltimore, 1891
The first city ordinance requiring separate neighborhoods for blacks and whites is passed, in Baltimore, 1910
Robert Ripley begins his "Believe It Or Not" column in the NY Globe, 1918
The British Broadcasting Corp begins transmitting overseas, 1932
The US Earth satellite Atlas transmitted the first radio voice broadcast from space, 1958
The last manned lunar flight, Apollo 17, returns to earth, 1972
The Sino-British Joint Declaration, stating that the People's Republic of China, in 1997, would resume the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong, is signed, 1984
Mikhail Gorbachev, leader of the Soviet Union, releases Andrei Sakharov and his wife from internal exile in Gorky, 1986
A record high barometric pressure of 1085.6 hPa (32.06 inHg) is recorded at Tosontsengel, Khövsgöl Province, Mongolia, 2001

Reflections

Over the past few days, since Friday, in fact, i've been to three funerals.  (Yes, that in addition to getting ready for Christmas, Angel Tree, OneHarvest, and everything else.)

Yesterday, it was a lady i had never met, but i know her husband.  He is a maintenance worker at the local MallMart.  He and i stop to talk any time i see him, and sometimes we share Bible verses, or jokes.  He is quite a character.

Saturday when i was buying out the toy section, i saw him and walked over, telling him "Merry Christmas!"  He responded with, "My wife died."  As i hugged him and told him i was so sorry for his loss, he smiled and told me "She had a stroke 6 years ago, and was totally housebound since then.  It's a blessing, she got to see and hold our first granddaughter, and she was ready."

The service was small, as they don't have a big family.  Her husband, sister, and son and daughter were the only family present.  Daughter's husband and in-laws sat separately for some reason, and a few church members and friends showed up.  It was held at the Baptist church across the highway, where i used to work at the pre-kindergarden.  Brother Frank, who was the founding pastor back in the 1950's and is now pastor emeritus, preached a very good Baptist funeral, telling us all about our hope in Christ.  The only problem with it was that i had a coughing fit in the middle and had to hurry out so as not to disturb anyone.

Afterward everyone gathered in the gym for a typical feeding, like the Baptist ladies always put on at a funeral.  About the time they left to go to the cemetery, i said my good-byes and went on to the next errand.

On Saturday, after the shopping and before running other errands, i attended the funeral of an elderly member of our church.  She had been part of about 17 zillion different committees and societies around town and in our church.  She was the head of the committee that saw to it our pastor had a desk worthy the title of "desk of the head pastor."  When the finance officer argued with her over the desk, trust me, she got the best of it, the desk is still there!

She had had a few health setbacks in previous months, but seemed to be recovering.  Every time anyone went to visit her, no matter her condition, she was dressed to make-up and shoes with her hair done.  To the end, she would DVR as many ball games of every kind as she could, and when she would answer the phone she'd say, "Hello, and if you are watching the other game, don't tell me the score!"

She loved family, friends, her family farm, and was probably the only 80-something year old woman with a premium subscription to the New York Yankees Channel.

She will be sorely missed, as she was also a very gracious lady who knew how to make everyone around her feel comfortable.  She knew how to compose life well.

The day before that, it was Ms. D.  Hers is a story i know her husband would have preferred not to ever have to tell, but there you are.

Seven years ago, Ms. D was a 43-year-old wife and mother of two young teen boys when, out of the blue and with no symptoms, she had a heart attack.  EMS was called, they started CPR and got her to the hospital.  Once there, the doctors "brought her back." 

Only, they didn't.  Her heart was restarted (and they never figured out a reason for the heart attack to begin with), so her body was there.  She was in a persistent vegetative state in a rehab hospital/nursing facility ever after.

Her sons put a prayer card in for her every single week for seven years.  Her husband, ever hopeful for a miraculous awakening, remained faithful, seeing her as often as he could while he raised two boys alone.  Her mother went to see her often, sometimes bringing her horse to visit!  The horse never wanted to leave when he came, not understanding why she wouldn't get up.  Pastors and church members and friends visited every single week.  She was always on our prayer list, all of us wanting her to be back at the church she loved and that loved her.  She was especially missed by her Sunday School children.

A few months ago, her mother stated that she had changed her prayer.  Seeing her daughter that way had become too hard, and she had asked The Lord would either cure her or take her home.  Her husband said he couldn't yet pray that.  While he would be content to let her go if that was G-d's will, he couldn't pray that it would happen.  He was still holding out hope for her to come home someday.

Then Ms. D got ill with a lung infection, which is what usually happens in these cases.  They had already put in the order, from the beginning, not to treat beyond comfort care.  Oxygen with extra moisture to help her breathe better, yes.   Suctioning her lungs so she could breathe easily, yes.  Antibiotics, x-rays, and aggressive treatment, no.

Saturday the 13th, Ms. D's mother left to visit family out of state for a few days.  That evening, her breathing became worse, and by Monday, her husband called the pastors to come pray with her.  One pastor who visited her every week used to say that sometimes, when he would pray with her, she would cry.  No one else had seen that, until this time.  The senior pastor prayed with her and told her it was okay, she was loved, she could go if she needed to.  She cried, and her husband wiped away her tears.

He still couldn't get himself to pray that she would go home to heaven, though.  Monday night as he made his weekly visit to the prison to pray with some of the prisoners, they gathered around him and prayed for him, that he would be able to handle whatever came.

Tuesday, he finally did get to where he could pray for the end.  He read an email from a friend that convinced him, and he prayed that if she was not to be healed that her death would be at such a time as to bring G-d glory.  He also prayed that it would be peaceful, as her labored breathing from the infection was so difficult to watch.

Six hours later, a nurse went in and found Ms. D breathing normally.  The nurse held her hand and prayed, and Ms. D took her last, very peaceful, breath.  One minute later, one of the pastors of the church came in.  They called her husband, and he came over, then her mother arrived home from out of town and came over.

It was just the right time.  Her mother never had to see the difficulty of those last couple of days, her husband had finally come to be at peace with losing her for good, and in the end, it was not a labored, horrible gasping for air and choking.  It was peaceful.

On Friday, the church was packed with the people who had been praying and walking with the family through this ordeal for 7 years.  Ms. D's husband is a member of the choir, and every person i've ever seen sing in the choir was there.  How they all got off of work on a busy Friday before Christmas i have no clue, but there was no room in the choir loft for even one more person.

Ms. D and her husband had always loved the song Highland Cathedral, so after the benediction, a bagpiper and our organist played it.  Several choir members separately came up to her husband later and told him that, during the song, each had a vision of Ms. D riding her horse in a beautiful meadow!  None of them realized any other had seen the vision until they started talking about it to him.  He's convinced, he said on Sunday when he thanked the church for the years of love and care for their family. that she is, indeed, in that Highland Cathedral with her Savior and her horse, Rooster.

It's been an eventful several days, and it's got me in a contemplative, reflective mood this holiday season.  Yes, i count that a good thing.



Today is:

Birthday of the Queen Silvia -- Sweden (an official flag day)

Children's Day -- South Sudan; Sudan

Day of Acca Larentia -- Ancient Rome, Republic and Empire (earth goddess and protectress who raised Romulus and Remus)

Festivus -- For the Rest of Us!  (The holiday introduced on the episode of Seinfeld that aired 12/18/97; have some meatloaf, decorate with an unadorned aluminum pole, have a "Feats of Strength" contest and an "Airing of Grievances"!)

Humanlight Celebration -- celebration of tolerance, compassion, empathy, honesty, free inquiry, reason, and rationality, information at secularseasons.org

Icelandic Yuletide Lad of the Day, Ketkrokur -- Meat-hook, who will lower a hook down the chimney and snatch a bit of meat if he can, especially if you are cooking lamb for St. Porlakur(Thorlac)

Igler Bergweihnacht -- Igls, Austria (charming nativity parade starring the children of this small town near Innsbruck)

Learn Metric Day -- US (passage of the Metric Conversion Act of 1875)

Mouse-Marketing Day -- Fairy Calendar

National Day -- Maldives

National Pfefferneusse Day -- don't forget the Puderzucker!

Noche de Rabanos (Night of the Radishes) -- Oaxaca, Mexico (part of the lead up to Christmas, bring out your best carved radish!)

Popcorn Popping Day -- so you can string it on the tree, of course

Porlaksmessa, Feast of St. Thorlaker/Thorlac -- Iceland (Patron saint, though never officially recognized by the Holy See)

Roots Day -- as you gather with family during the season, don't forget to sit with elder relatives and learn about your family's past

Secret of the Unhewn Stone -- Celtic Calendar (Only day on their calendar not governed by a tree month)

St. John of Kanti's Day (Patron of Lithuania, Poland)

St. Servulus' Day (Patron of the disabled/physically challenged; against paralysis)

St. Victoria's Day (Patron of Anticoli Corrado, Italy)

Tenno Tanjobi -- Japan (Birthday of Emperor Akihito, national holiday observed as a day of rest.)

Two Days To Go Day

Victory Day -- Egypt (a/k/a Suez Victory Day)


Anniversary Today:

Establishment of the US Federal Reserve System, 1913


Birthdays Today:

Corey Haim, 1971
Carla Bruni, 1967
Eddie Vedder, 1964
Carol Ann Duffy, 1955
Susan Lucci, 1946
Harry Shearer, 1943
Akihito, 1933
Robert Bly, 1926
Gerald O'Loughlin, 1921
Jose Greco, 1918
Madame C.J. Walker, 1867
Connie Mack, 1862
Harriet Monroe, 1860
Joseph Smith, Jr., 1805


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Hansel und Gretel"(Opera), 1893
Hoffmeyer's Legacy(Film; 1st with Keystone Kops), 1912


Today in History:

Byzantine-Arab Wars: Under the future Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, Byzantine troops stormed the city of Aleppo, recovering the tattered tunic of John the Baptist, 962
St Philip of Moscow martyred by Ivan the Terrible, 1569
Giovanni Cassini discovers Rhea, a satellite of Saturn, 1672
John Flamsteed observes Uranus without realizing it's undiscovered, 1690
The Continental Congress negotiates a war loan of $181,500 from France, 1776
Benedict Arnold court-martialed for improper conduct, 1779
"A Visit from St Nicholas" by C. Clement Moore is published in the Troy (NY) Sentinel (Now usually titled " 'Twas the Night Before Christmas"), 1823
The opera Hänsel und Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck is first performed, 1893
The first all-steel passenger railroad coach completed, in Altoona, Pa, 1907
The first hospital ship built to move wounded naval personnel is launched, 1919
Alice H Parker patents gas heating furnace, 1919
Discovery of the first modern coelacanth in South Africa, 1938
The transistor is first demonstrated at Bell Laboratories, 1947
Dedication of Tokyo Tower, the world's highest self-supporting iron tower, 1958
The North Tower of the World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York City is topped out at 1,368 feet (417 m), making it the tallest building in the world, 1970
A 6.5 magnitude earthquake strikes the Nicaraguan capital of Managua killing more than 10,000, 1972
The 16 survivors of the Andes flight disaster are rescued after 73 days, having survived by cannibalism, 1972
Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, lands at Edwards Air Force Base in California becoming the first aircraft to fly non-stop around the world without aerial or ground refueling, 1986
In a referendum, 88% of Slovenia's population vote for independence from Yugoslavia, 1990
An 8.1 magnitude earthquake hits Macquarie Island in the Southern Ocean, 2004
Volcanic activity alerts are issued in Chile and Argentina, in areas near the Copahue volcano, after it started to spew ash, 2012