rEcess and More, a Ten Things of Thankful Post

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It’s rEcess night, so this is brief.

Brother-in-Law’s car is in the shop, we’re thankful for Mr. J loaning him the truck for a while, until they can figure out what’s up.

Last Saturday, #2 Son dropped Daughter-in-Law and Annie to visit while i was cleaning and he went to work, then came a stayed a while.  We were thankful for a fun visit with Grandma.

#1 Son’s car is repaired, and so is #2 Son’s, we are thankful for a reprieve in the car swapping game.

I was able to help Ms. G find her pashminas, thankfully.  She’d forgotten which closet and i was able to dig in the back of my brain and come up with where i’d seen them.

I showed Ms. D her toaster pictures and dug another huge, burning piece of bread out of her toaster, i’m thankful she now knows to be more careful.

Thursday was another double shift day, Ms. SE and Ms. GA, and we’re thankful it went rather smoothly.

Our little Annie is down to one good, long afternoon nap, and we’re thankful it’s mostly working to keep her on a schedule.

Mrs. C who runs rEcess showed up and casually mentioned the older boy wouldn't be there, he was home with a very high fever.

I'm thankful when i looked at her and said, "He has flu, doesn't he?" she answered, "Well, it's all over his school," and then she heeded my response, which was, "You have all been exposed to flu and you are going to come down with it.  Go home now.  You cannot be here giving it to the kids here."

She listened and left.  We're thankful we had plenty of volunteers, food, games, i took care of meds, babies! time was spent out of wheelchairs having fun, we created fun art, and we just had a jolly good time.

(For any who don't know, rEcess is a program where we take care of special children and their siblings, free of charge, so parents can have a date night.)

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

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Click here to enter

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Today is:

Acadian Remembrance Day -- Acadians of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island

AKC/Royal Canin National Championships -- Orlando, FL, US (top dogs from around the world compete to see -- who really is top dog? through tomorrow)

Count the La's in "Deck the Halls" Day -- just so you can say you know

Feast of Hathor -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (goddess of joy, feminine love, and motherhood; date approximate)

Fiesta de Santo Tomas -- Chichicastenango, Guatemala (week long festival celebrating the town's Patron Saint that includes the Palo Volador dance, where men hang by ropes from 30 meter poles, spinning and swinging)

Ice Cream and Violins Day -- another of those silly made up holidays that no one can trace, but would be fun to celebrate.  Get yourself a bowl of buttered pecan or rum raisin -- if you are going to celebrate, do it in style -- and put in a Mozart or Bach CD, and enjoy!

Icelandic Yuletide Lad of the Day, Giljagaur -- Gully Oaf, who tries to sneak in the cowshed and skim the cream from the pails of milk

Ides of December -- Ancient Roman Calendar; other observance

     Festival for Tellus -- a/k/a Tellura or Tellus Mater, the personification of the earth's productive powers

International Shareware Day

Jum ir-Repubblika -- Malta (Republic Day)

National Day -- Santa Lucia (on St. Lucy's Day)

National Day of the Horse -- US (by Congressional resolution, information here)  

New Calendar Day -- time to get the 2020 model, unless you contribute to so many charities you are already flooded with them

Peace Day -- Korea (the fighting stopped in 1953, but the Koreas didn't sign a formal nonaggression pact until this day in 1991)

Pick a Pathologist Pal Day -- Wellcat Holidays reminds us that pathologists and coroners are an especially jovial lt, and befriending them is a good way to remind yourself that tomorrow is never guaranteed

Runic Half-month Jara commences (fruition)

St. Herman of Alaska (Orthodox Church Patron of the Americas)

St. Jodocus' Day (Patron of boatmen, harvests, mariners, sailors, watermen; against fever, fire, storms, and shipwrecks)

Saint Lucy's Day (Patron of authors, blind people, cutlers, glaziers, laborers, martyrs, peasants, saddlers, salesmen, sore eyes/eye problems, sore throats, stained glass workers; Begijnendijk, Flemish Brabant, Belgium; Conzano, Italy; Mtarfa, Malta; Perugia, Italy; Santa Lucia di Piave, Italy; Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; Villa Santa Lucia, Latium, Italy; against blindness, dysentery, epidemics, eye diseases, hemorraghes)

     Feast of the Light-bringer -- honoring Juno Lucina (Roman goddess of light) and Lucia (Old Swedish goddess of light), all now merged with St. Lucy

     Little Yule a/k/a Luciadagen or Santa Lucia (Festival of Lights in many parts of Scandinavia, honoring St. Lucia.)

Birthdays Today:

Taylor Swift, 1989

Amy Lee, 1981

Tom DeLonge, 1975

Christie Clark, 1973

Jamie Foxx, 1967

Steve Buscemi, 1958

Wendie Malick, 1950

Ted Nugent, 1949

John Davidson, 1941

Aga Khan IV, 1936

Christopher Plummer, 1929

Dick Van Dyke, 1925

Archie Moore, 1913

Kenneth Patchen, 1911

Mary Todd Lincoln, 1818

Heinrich Heine, 1797

Debuting/Premiering Today:

The Susan B. Anthony Dollar(USD coin), 1978

"Alice's Restaurant"(Song and Album), 1969

"An American In Paris"(Gershwin Symphony), 1928

Today in History:

The Council of Trent opens, 1545

Sir Francis Drake sets sail from England to circumnavigate the globe, 1577

Emperor Ferdinand II delegates the first Anti-Reformation decree, 1621

The Massachusetts Bay Colony organizes 3 militias which are today seen as the founding of the United States National Guard, 1636

Dutch navigator Abel Tasman becomes the first European to land in New Zealand, 1642

Dartmouth College in New Hampshire is chartered, 1769

Italo Marcioni patents an ice cream cone, 1903

The Relay 1 communication satellite is launched, 1962

Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt begin the third and final Extra-vehicular activity (EVA) or "Moonwalk" of Apollo 17, 1972

The European Union announces that Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia will become members from May 1, 2004, 2002

Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is captured, 2003

The Baiji, or Chinese River Dolphin, is announced as extinct, 2006

Scientists in northeast Madagascar confirm a new species of lemur has been found, 2010

An unpublished early work by Hans Christian Anderson is found at the bottom of a filing box at the National Archives of Funen, 2012

The bones of a prehistoric penguin that was as tall as a human (1.77m) have been found on Otago beach, New Zealand, as reported in "Nature Communications", 2017

Scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California announce they have been able to replicate nuclear fusion, the same reaction which fuels the sun, for the first time in a laboratory setting, 2022

Researchers pinpoint very low levels of the hormone GDF15 as a possible cause of extreme morning sickness in pregnancy, 2023

The US Center for Disease Control confirms the first severe case of a person with bird flu, in Louisiana, 2024

Wordless Wednesday: Sneezles

It's that time of year again.  Sweetie is on antibiotics for a sinus infection, and Bigger Girl is saying she refuses to get sick, it's against her religion.

Some of Bigger Girl's weapons of choice.

Linking up with Wordless Wednesday.

Today is:

Carnival de Ponce -- Ponce, Puerto Rico (through Mardi Gras)

Day of Remembrance for Oleg the Prophet -- Asatru/Slavic Pagan

Four Chaplains Day -- US (by act of Congress, honoring the four chaplains of the Dorchester who gave their life jackets to others and went down with the ship on Feb. 3, 1943)

Fukuju no mai (Jimai) -- Sensouji Temple, Japan (dance of the seven gods of fortune)

Halfway Point of Winter/Summer -- which it is depends, of course, on your hemisphere; enjoy the fact that cold weather will warm soon, or that cooler temps will relieve your hot spells

Heroes' Day -- Mozambique

Magnolia and Fish Jubilee -- Fairy Calendar

Martyr's Day -- Sao Tome and Principe

National Carrot Cake Day

National Girls and Women in Sports Day -- US

Nuestra Señora de Suyapa -- Honduras (Festival of the Virgin of Suyapa, Patroness of Honduras)

Setsubun-sai (Bean-Throwing Festival) -- Japan/Shinto (many fests throughout Japan)

St. Anskar's Day (patron of Denmark, Scandinavia, Sweden; Bremen, Germany; Hamburg, Germany)

St. Blaise's Day/Blessing of Throats Day (Patron of animals, builders, carvers, healthy throats, stonecutters, veterinarians, wool-combers, wool weavers; Dalmatia; Anguillara Sabazia, Italy; Bovolone, Italy; Camastra, Sicily, Italy; Cassano allo Ionio, Italy; Castellania, Italy; Doues, Italy; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Militello, Sicily, Italy; Montecatini Val di Cecina, Italy; Palombara Sabina, Italy; Pietrasanta, Italy; Revello, Italy; Sacrofano, Italy; against coughs, goiters, throat diseases, whooping cough, wild beasts)

Takisanji Oni Matsuri -- Takisan-ji Temple, Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, Japan

The Day the Music Died -- anniversary of the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and The Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson)

US Nationals Snow Sculpting Competition and Championships -- Lake Geneva, WI, US (through the 13th)

Veterans' Day -- Thailand


Anniversaries Today:

Jean-Claude van Damme weds Darcy Lapier, 1994
Wake Forest University is established, 1834


Birthdays Today:

Isla Fisher, 1976
Maura Tierney, 1965
Keith Gordon, 1961
Thmas Calabro, 1959
Nathan Lane, 1956
Morgan Fairchild, 1950
Dave Davies, 1947
Blythe Danner, 1943
Fran Tarkenton, 1940
Shelley Berman, 1926
Joey Bishop, 1918
Simone Weil, 1909
James Michener, 1907
Norman Rockwell, 1894
Gertrude Stein, 1874
Elizabeth Blackwell, 1821
Horace Greeley, 1811


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Victor Borge Show"(TV), 1951
The Three Caballeros(Cartoon Film; US debut), 1945
"Face the Music"(Musical), 1932
"Le carnaval romain"(Berlioz, Op. 9), 1844
"Semiramide"(Opera, Rossini), 1823


Today in History

Bartolomeu Dias of Portugal lands in Mossel Bay after rounding the Cape of Good Hope, becoming the first known European to travel so far south, 1488
The first paper money in America is issued by the colony of Massachusetts, 1690
Philadelphia establishes a "pesthouse" to quarantine immigrants, 1743
The Dutch States-General forbid the export of windmills, 1752
Spain recognizes US independence, 1783
The world's first commercial cheese factory is established in Switzerland, 1815
The sovereignty of Greece is confirmed in a London Protocol, 1830
The Wisconsin Supreme Court declares the US Fugitive Slave Law unconstitutional, 1855
Emperor Meiji becomes the 122nd emperor of Japan, 1867
The 15th Amendment to the US Constitution, guaranteeing Black suffrage, is passed, 1870
Albert Spalding, with only $800, starts a sporting goods company, which eventually manufactured the first official baseball, tennis ball, basketball, golf ball, and football (American style football), 1876
Circus owner P.T. Barnum buys Jumbo the elephant, 1882
The 16th Amendment to the US Constitution, the income tax, is ratified, 1913
Canada's original Parliament building, in Ottowa, burns down, 1916
Percival Prattis becomes the first African-American news correspondent allowed in the United States House of Representatives and Senate press galleries, 1947
A plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa kills Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper, and pilot Roger Peterson and the incident becomes known as The Day the Music Died, 1959
British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan speaks of the "a wind of change" of increasing national consciousness blowing through colonial Africa, signalling that his Government was likely to support decolonisation, 1960
The unmanned Soviet Luna 9 spacecraft makes the first controlled rocket-assisted landing on the Moon, 1966
In Cairo, Yasser Arafat is appointed Palestine Liberation Organization leader at the Palestinian National Congress, 1969
New York Police Officer Frank Serpico is shot during a drug bust in Brooklyn and survives to later testify against police corruption, 1971
John Buster and the research team at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center announce history's first embryo transfer, from one woman to another resulting in a live birth, 1984
Astronaut Eileen Collins becomes the first woman to pilot the Space Shuttle as mission STS-63 gets underway from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, 1995
The New York Giants defeated the heavily favored and previously undefeated 18-0 New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, 17-14, in what is known to be one of the greatest upsets in sports history, 2008

Silly Sunday: Sick

Silly Sunday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus.  It's the place to come for weekly laughs, and the rules are simple, just have fun!

It's easy to Laugh and Link Up!

He must not be feeling well, i thought to myself.  Seven-year-old boys don't ask for a bath out of the blue unless they just don't feel well.

At least, i don't ever remember mine doing that.

Saturday, and again i found myself at Ms. P's house.  The flaky ex had a good reason not to have the kids on his weekend this time, as his stepson has the flu.

Unfortunately, that seems to be what Youngest Boy has, also.  And here i only got my flu shot a few days ago.

The day was to be packed with doings, from morning until evening, with a very exciting football game capping it all off.  Because of that, they asked if i could come at 8am and stay the day, which i did.

Also, i went to the drug store for soda, blue "ade" of the kind they like, and Tamiflu, a prescription for each of the children.  Yes, the doctor went ahead and prescribed it for all of them, even though it's the Youngest Boy who is feverish, coughing (right in my face!), sneezing, and feeling so miserable he asked for a bath.  They will simply keep it here so that when the rest get sick, since they are all now exposed, they can start on it right away.

When he got hungry, he wanted beans and rice from Popeye's, so we went and got it.  He was so weak, he said, he couldn't get to the car.  "Could you carry me?" he asked in that pathetic, I'm-so-sick voice little ones have.  Yes, just like i used to do with my kids, i carried him.  He even asked me to sit next to him while he was lying on the couch, sniffling and coughing and comatose with junk on TV.

They can be so sweet when they don't feel well.  They don't have the strength to argue!

This reminds me of the time Boudreaux was sick, and he went to see Dr. Comeaux.

Boudreaux he be moanin', and groanin', an' when Dr. Comeaux come in he say, "Doc, I be so sick!"

"Flu?" ax Dr. Comeaux.

An' Boudreaux say, "Mais, no!  I din't fly here, my wife Clothile drove me!"



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

Father's Day -- Estonia; Finland; Iceland; Norway; Sweden

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

Independence Day -- Cambodia (1953)

Lord Mayor's Day / Lord Mayor's Show -- London, England (traditional date, celebrated on the nearest Saturday; 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

Remembrance Sunday -- England

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

Snakes and Ladders Tournament -- Mirano, Italy (a real life size Gioco dell'Oca [snakes and ladders] game dating back to the Medici period, in which competitors dress in medieval garb as the different areas of the city compete against each other)

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:

Nikki Blonsky, 1988
Nick Lachey, 1973
Chris Hericho, 1970
Thomas Quasthoff, 1959
Lou Ferrigno, 1951
Tom Weiskopf, 1942
Tom Fogerty, 1941
Mary Travers, 1936
Bob Gibson, 1935
Carl Sagan, 1934
Dorothy Dandridge, 1923
Spiro Agnew, 1918
Hedy Lamarr, 1913
James William Fullbright, 1905
Ed Wynn, 1886
Stanford White, 1853
Elijah P. Lovejoy, 1802
Benjamin Banneker, 1731 (first freeborn child of free African American parents)


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Wizard of Id"(Comic strip), 1964
"Omnibus"(TV), 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

Just Another Monday?

Just another Monday?

No, i don't think so.

At least, it started as one.  Then #2 Son called as i was trying to get a couple of quick errands done.

"Mom, I'm sick, can you come pick me up from work?"

Sure, be there in a few, i said, and i was.

He didn't look very good, and when he asked to go to the doctor, i knew it wasn't good.

A quick call got him an appointment for 4pm, so we went home and i got a few other things done.  Not enough, but a few.

He had a slight fever when we got there, and the doctor said it had probably been higher earlier in the day.  Bronchitis, some pleurisy, needs an antibiotic and cough medicine with codeine, and something OTC for the excess mucus, please stay away from work until your fever has been gone 24 hours.

Back home, i thought i could relax and finally get a few things done, but i was wrong.

About an hour later i heard a thumping.  Apparently he was feeling a bit better, so #1 Son and #2 Son were messing around.  They were faking punches, being silly, and got in a contest.

The thumping was #2 Son hitting the door with his fists.  The metal door.  Very hard.  The door won.

Back to the doctor, actually the mini emergency room/after hours clinic, where they take care of non-life threatening illness and injury, to take the pressure off of the big ER.  Not one but two broken bones, one in each hand.  What they call "boxer's fractures," where the blow lands on the pinkie knuckle first, and the pinkie bone in the hand, just under the knuckle, breaks.

The left side, his dominant hand, was bad enough that the bone had to be set.  The right one was just broken and barely moved at all, so they expect it to grow back fine, although he will have a lump.

His care was excellent, and at one point the nurse was being silly and flirting with him and the doctor making jokes.  They asked him how many punches he threw, and he said, "I'll have to count the dents in the door to know!"

One tech, looking at his hands, swathed up to the elbows with only a couple of fingers to use on each hand said, "Dude, I don't want to be too crass, but how are you going to wipe yourself?"

Very carefully! i piped up, and we all had to laugh.

So now his hands are mostly immobilized and he's on pain meds, and we get to see the orthopedist, although there's really not much more to do but just let the bones knit. 

And i think he's going to be away from work for a bit longer than until that fever is gone.


Today is

Annie Oakley Days Festival -- Greenville, OH, US (keeping alive the legacy of "Little Miss Sure Shot" with a shooting contest today as well as a pilgrimage to her grave, then tomorrow starts the Melodrama performances, ugly boot contest, Family Fun Games, and more; through Sunday)

Aphrodisia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (bathing festival of Aphrodite and Peitho [Persuasion]; through tomorrow)

Festival of Boredom and Reverie -- Fairy Calendar

Hammock Day -- don't know who came up with this one, but at the height of the dog days, it seems appropriate; on some sites listed as Summer Leisure Day

International Childbirth Education Awareness Day -- can't find confirmation on this, but if you're going to have a kid, it's not a bad idea to get educated about what to expect!

King Father's Birthday -- Swaziland

Lailat al Kadr (Lailat al Qadr) -- Islam (Night of Destiny; begins at sundown, through sundown tomorrow, although local observances may vary)

National Penuche Fudge Day

Pi Approximation Day/Casual Pi Day (22nd day of month 7; 22/7 is the approximation of Pi)

Ratcatcher's Day -- celebrated by the British dating of the Pied Piper story; celebrated June 26 in Hamelin, Germany

Revolution Day -- The Gambia

Soma-Nomaoi Festival -- Haramachi City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan (Wild-Horse Chasing, a four day festival in which a thousand horsemen, clad in ancient armor, compete for possession of three shrine flags, and along the Hibarigahara Plain, men clad in white costumes attempt to catch wild horses)

Spooner's Day (Spoonerism -- Named for William Archibald Spooner, English cleric and scholar who once fussed at a student because "You hissed my mystery lesson," told a groom it was "kisstomery to cuss the bride," and once accidentally referred to Queen Victoria as "the queer old Dean.")

St. Mary Magdalene's Day (Patron of apothecaries, contemplative life and contemplatives, converts, druggists, glove makers, hairdressers and hair stylists, penitent sinners, penitent women, people ridiculed for their piety, perfumeries and perfumers, pharmacists, reformed prostitutes, tanners, women; Anguiano, Spain; Atrani, Salerno, Italy; Casamicciola, Italy; Elantxobe, Spain; Foglizzo, Italy; La Magdaleine, Italy; against sexual temptation) 
   Stilt Dance Day -- Anguiano, Spain (a special stilt dance performed on the Feast of the city's patron, St. Mary Magdalen)


Birthdays Today:

George Alexander Louis Windsor, His Royal Highness Prince of Cambridge, 2013
Madison Pettis, 1998
Selena Gomez, 1992
Scott Dixon, 1980
Daniel Jones, 1973
Rufus Wainwright, 1973
Irene Bedard, 1967
Rhys Ifans, 1967
Shawn Michaels, 1965
David Spade, 1964
John Leguizamo, 1964
Rob Estes, 1963
Keith Sweat, 1961
Willem Dafoe, 1955
Alan Menken, 1949
Albert Brooks, 1947
Don Henley, 1947
Danny Glover, 1946
Estelle Bennett, 1944
Bobby Sherman, 1943
Kay Bailey Hutchison, 1943
Alex Trebek, 1940
Terrence Stamp, 1939
Louise Fletcher, 1934
Oscar De la Renta, 1932
Orson Bean, 1928
Bob Dole, 1923
Amy Vanderbilt, 1908
Alexander Calder, 1898
Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, 1890
William Archibald Spooner, 1844
Gregor Johann Mendel, 1822 (Note:  some sources say July 20)


Debuting/Premiering Today:

Plan 9 From Outer Space(Film), 1959


Today in History

King Edward I of England and his longbowmen defeat William Wallace and his Scottish schiltrons outside the town of Falkirk, 1298
The Swiss decisively defeat the Imperial army of Emperor Maximilian I in the Battle of Dornach, 1499
A second group of English settlers arrive on Roanoke Island off North Carolina to re-establish the deserted colony, 1587
Alexander Mackenzie reaches the Pacific Ocean becoming the first Euro-American to complete a transcontinental crossing of Canada, 1793
In the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Rear Admiral Nelson is wounded in the arm, and part of it is amputated, 1797
Death of Josef Strauss, Austrian composer, 1870
First ever motorized racing event is held in France between the cities of Paris and Rouen. The race is won by comte Jules-Albert de Dion, 1894
Wiley Post becomes the first person to fly solo around the world traveling 15,596 miles in 7 days, 18 hours and 45 minutes, 1933
Dezik and Tzygan become the first of Russia's Space Dogs, making a sub-orbital flight, which they both survived, 1951
Japan completes its last reparation to the Philippines for war crimes committed during WWII, 1976
Martial law in Poland is officially revoked, 1983
The second Blue Water Bridge opens between Port Huron, Michigan and Sarnia, Ontario, 1997
The Stonehenge World Heritage Site announces the discovery of a possible new henge, the biggest discovery at a major monument in over 50 years, 2010
Norway is the victim of twin terror attacks, on government buildings in Oslo and a youth camp at Utoya, 2011
Scientific studies reveal that dolphins have unique names for one another, much like humans do, 2013

A to Z Challenge: I is for Illness

We are blessed, we are a generally healthy bunch.  Mostly we've had the typical bumps, bruises, stitches on occasion, a couple of broken bones, and the normal range of colds, ear infections, and etc.

This last couple of weeks, though, has been a bit of a bump.  As i noted a few days ago, Brother-in-Law, The Mouth, got sick, passed it to Sweetie, who passed it to Little Girl.  She was out of school for 3 days.

Then, as she put it, the "time of the month" took over where the illness left off, and as soon as the cramps subsided, she came down with a sore throat.

Back to the doctor we went.  The good news is that it's not strep or mono, they tested for both.  The bad news is that this means it's just one of those red, raw, sore throats that make you feel awful.  She will be back to scx=hool today, though.

On the note of illnesses and surgeries and such, a kitten update.  We took Lorax to the vet specialists, one of whom fell flat out in love with him.  They said it's a severe cleft that can be repaired.  They want me to continue to bottle feed him for at least 4 weeks, maybe even up to 6.  Then they will do surgery, and they've promised to make it cost as little as they can get away with, because it's for the rescue group.

They also noted that, because he's a Persian and their faces tend to grow wider not longer as they grow older, there is a good likelihood that he will need another corrective surgery in the future.

Carol is going to tell all of this to the family that wants to adopt him, and ask if they are willing to wait or want to chose another cat.  Either way, he's so cute and fuzzy and there won't be a problem adopting him out.


Today is

ASPCA Day/Humane Day -- anniversary of founding in 1866

Birthday of Cybele -- Ancient Roman Calendar (great mother goddess)

Commodore Perry Day

Dust the Ceiling Fan Day -- before it gets hot and you have to turn it on and find out you forgot how dusty it gets up there the hard way

Encourage a Young Writer Day -- can't find out who started this, but it sounds like a great idea; one website says this year's theme is "Write Your Autobiography"

Feast of Bau -- Ancient Babylonian Calendar (date approximate, around the same time of year the Romans honored Cybele)

Feast of Ezekiel the Prophet -- Roman Catholic

Feast of the Rivers and Seas -- Ancient Sumerian Calendar (mother of Ea[Earth]; date approximate, around the same time of year the Romans honored Cybele)

Fiesta San Antonio -- San Antonio, Texas, US (annual celebration that honors the memory of Texas heroes who fought in the Texas war for Independence. More that 150 events, with sporting events, fireworks, dances...all culminating with the traditional "Battle of Flowers" parade! through the 27th)

Founder's Day -- Salvation Army (birth anniversary of the founder, William Booth)

Frances Perkins Day -- US (birth anniversary of the first woman appointed to a Presidential Cabinet position)

French Quarter Festival -- New Orleans, Louisiana, US (celebrate all that makes the Vieux Carre special, antiques, food, and 275 hours of musical entertainment; through Sunday)

Golfer's Day -- anniversary of founding of the Professional Golfers' Association of America in 1916

Iroquois Thunder Ceremony -- Iroquois Native Americans (week long ceremonial thanksgiving for the rain, which brings new growth in spring; date approximate, but most tribes celebrate in mid-April)

National Alcohol Screening Day® 2014 -- US (find a way to get screened here)

National Cinnamon Crescent Day

National Farm Animals Day -- UShttp://www.farmanimalsday.com/

National Siblings Day -- US http://www.siblingsday.org/

Safety Pin Day -- patented this day in 1849 by Walter Hunt

Spring Fair in Puyallup -- Puyallup, WA, US (fun for the family, every year since 1900; through Sunday)

St. Macarius of Antioch's Day (Patron of plague victims; Ghent, Belgium)



Birthdays Today:

Haley Joel Osment, 1988
Mandy Moore, 1984
Ryan Merriman, 1983
Liz McClarnon, 1981
Shemekia Copeland, 1979
Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, 1957
Peter MacNicol, 1954
Steven Seagal, 1952
Paul Edward Theroux, 1941
Joe Don Meredith, 1938
John Madden, 1936
Omar Sharif, 1932
Dolores Huerta, 1930
Max Von Sydow, 1929
Chuck Connors, 1921
Robert Burns Woodward, 1917
Harry Morgan, 1915
Frances Perkins, 1880
Joseph Pulitzer, 1847
William Booth, 1829
James Bowie, 1796
Commodore Matthew Perry, 1794
Hugo Grotius, 1583(O.S. date)
Cybele, Roman goddess (traditional, year unknown)


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The Entertainer"(Play), 1957
House of Wax(Film), 1951 Note:  first full color 3D film from a major studio
The Great Gatsby(Publication), 1925
Ein deutsches Requiem, nach Worten der heiligen Schrift/A German Requiem, To Words of the Holy Scriptures, Op. 45(Brahms' Requiem), 1868


Today in History:

Halley's Comet and Earth experienced their closest approach to one another when their separating distance equaled 0.0342 AU (3.2 million miles), 837
the lama Deshin Shekpa visits the Ming Dynasty capital at Nanjing. He is awarded with the title Great Treasure Prince of Dharma, 1407
The Charter of the Virginia Company of London is established by royal charter by James I of England with the purpose of establishing colonial settlements in North America, 1606
The first law regulating copyright is issued in Great Britain, 1710
The Mount Tambora volcano in Indonesia begins its peak eruption period that lasts until July 15, 1815
The 10,500 inhabitants of the Greek town Messolonghi start leaving the town after a year's siege by Turkish forces. Very few of them survive, 1826
The NY "Tribune" begins publishing under editor Horace Greeley, 1841
The safety pin is patented by Walter Hunt of NYC, who sells the rights for only $100, 1849
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is founded in New York City by Henry Bergh, 1866
The first Arbor Day is celebrated in Nebraska, 1874
The Titanic leaves Southampton, England, 1912
Mexican Revolution leader Emiliano Zapata is ambushed and shot dead by government forces in Morelos, 1919
Warner Brothers debuts the first 3-D movie, "House of Wax," 1953
Adolf Eichmann is put on trial as a war criminal in Israel, 1961
In an attempt to thaw relations with the United States, the People's Republic of China hosts the U.S. table tennis team for a weeklong visit, 1971
A 7.0 earthquake kills 1/5 of population of Iranian province of Fars, 1972
H J Heinz, Van Camp Seafood & Bumble Bee Seafood say they would not buy tuna caught in nets that also trap dolphins, 1989
A rare tropical storm develops in the Southern Hemisphere near Angola; the first to be documented by satellites, 1991
President of Fiji Ratu Josefa Iloilo announces he will suspend the constitution and assume all governance in the country, creating a constitutional crisis, 2009

Silly Sunday: Get Well Soon

Silly Sunday is brought to us by Sandee, at Comedy Plus.  Link up and laugh up!

Just over a week ago, Brother-in-Law, The Mouth, became ill.  Being that he is Sweetie's twin, he had to share, of course.

So, Sweetie went down for the count with this nasty stomach bug.  He never misses church, and he missed church to drive the porcelain bus, to let you know how bad it was.

Then Little Girl fell.  She was too sick to go to school, but i had to drag the poor girl out to the doc, so we could say she went, and get a doctor excuse for school.

She's now feeling better, and yesterday said, "I haven't eaten in four days, and I'm hungry!"

That was music to my ears, but i cautioned her to be careful and eat bland food until her stomach was stronger.

Her response?  "But I love spicy food!  I'll deal with the consequences later!"  She then laughed and made a pot of mac and cheese.  She was fine.

All this illness in the family has reminded me of some doctor jokes.

When Boudreaux was in college, determined to go to medical school, he was taking a physics class, and he really didn't like the professor very much.  His dislike of the man meant that he really wasn't putting forth much effort in the class, and one day he asked the professor, "Mais, we goin' be doctors, how come we got to take physics?  How do dat help us in medical school?"

The Professor stared at hime pointedly and said, "It helps us make sure people who aren't smart enough to learn physics don't get into medical school!"

Of course, Boudreaux straightened up his attitude after that, and graduated well from medical school a few years later.  After he had gone back to Mamou to set up his own practice, his friend Thibodeaux come to him, and say, "Boudreaux, I'm sick!  Can you he'p me?"

So Dr. Boudreaux, he give Thibodeaux a shot, but Thibodeaux don't get no better.  So he come back, and Dr. Boudreaux give him some pills.  Still no help, so Thibodeaux come back and say, "Please, you gotta do som'pin!"

Dr. Boudreaux tell him "Okay, go home, take a cold bath, den go outside and stan' naked in de garden for an hour."

Thibodeaux, he say, "Mais, it's winter!  Dat'll give me de pewmonia!"

"Yes," Dr. Boudreaux said, "but pneumonia I can cure!"

Then Fontenot went to the newly minted Dr. Boudreaux because he had a cough.

"Doctor Boudreaux, you got's to do som'pin about dis cough!" he says.

"Go home an' drink you a quart of prune juice after each meal for de nex' two days," Dr. Boudreaux said.

"An dat will cure de cough?" Fontenot axed wit' surprise.

"Probably not, but you sure gonna t'ink twice before you do cough!" Dr. Boudreaux answer.

Many years later, old Dr. Boudreaux was a wise and respected physician, still with his old Cajun charm, and his accent.  He was one of the speakers at a medical conference, and got to talking with other doctors over dinner.

They began discussing which patients were their favorites to operate on.  The first doctor at the table said, "I like to work on accountants.  You open those guys up, and everything inside is numbered!"

"If you think that's great," the second doctor said, "what about librarians?  You open them up, and everything inside is in alphabetical order!"

"You should try an electrician some time," the third doctor chimed in.  "You open them up, and everything inside is color coded!"

"What about construction workers and contractors?" asked the fourth doctor at the table.  "You know them, they don't worry if the job doesn't come in on time, there's a cost overrun, and you have a few parts left over afterward!"

"No, you's all wrong, I t'ink," Dr. Boudreaux said.  "De easiest person to operate on is de politician!"

"Politician!" the other doctors exclaimed.

"Mais oui, t'ink about dat.  You open dem up, dere's no heart, no guts, no brain, no spine, an' de head an' de backside be interchangeable!"




Today is

Act of Self Determination Day -- Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Animated Cartoon Day -- date of release, in 1908, of Humorous Phases of Funny Faces, often considered the first actual animated cartoon

Army Day -- US (by proclamation of FDR in 1942)

Caballo de Paso Peruano -- Pachacamac, Peru (National Contest of Paso Horses/The National Horse Competition of the native Peruvian horse, the Paso; through the 13th)

California Poppy Day -- California, US (state flower)

Care Sunday / Carling Sunday -- England, 5th Sunday of Lent (possibly from the Old Saxon "carles", or husbandman)

Chakri Dynasty Day and  King Rama I Memorial Day -- Thailand

Drowsy Driver Awareness Day -- please pull over and take a nap when you need to

International Day of Sport for Development and Peace -- UN (on the anniversary of the date of the opening of the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896)

International Whistlers Convention -- Tokyo, Japan (The Franklin County Historical Society, Inc., of  Louisburg, North Carolina, US, "The World's Whistling Capital" are sponsoring it with the Japan Whistling Confederation)

Jump Over Things Day -- probably started by the same people who brought us Walk Around Things Day on the 4th; as if friends and family aren't looking at you strangely enough after that one

Kamakura Matsuri -- Kamakura and the Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine, Japan (parades, festival, and celebrating spring; through next Sunday)

Kanamara Matsuri -- Kanayama Shrine, Kawasaki, Japan ("Festival of the Steel Phallus", a phallic symbol festival, now a big tourist draw and used to raise money for HIV research)

National Caramel Popcorn Day

National Student Athlete Day -- US (Celebrating 27 years of outstanding Student-Athletes)

New Beer's Eve -- US (unofficial celebration of the end of Prohibition; beer became legal to sell again on tomorrow's date in 1933)

North Pole Day -- Peary and Co. arrived there this day in 1909

Plan Your Epitaph Day -- figure out how you want to be remembered, and then live that way! (some sites celebrate this on Nov. 1)

President Ntaryamira Day -- Burundi (anniversary of assassination)

Sorting-Out of the Doggets Day -- Fairy Calendar

St. Sixtus' Day (Patron of Alatri, Italy)

Tartan Day -- Scottish diaspora of Canada and the US (anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320)

Teflon Day --  Polytetraflouroethylene resin was developed by Roy J. Plunkett while working for  E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company in 1938

Think About Spring Cleaning Day -- don't do it, just think about it

Twinkie Day -- the snack cakes that will never go away were invented on this day in 1930

Volunteer Recognition Week begins -- sponsored by Points of Light


Birthdays Today:

Candace Cameron, 1976
Zach Braff, 1975
Ari Meyers, 1969
Paul Rudd, 1969
Marilu Henner, 1952
John Razenberger, 1947
Barry Levinson, 1942
Philip Austin, 1941
Roy Thinnes, 1938
Merle Haggard, 1937
Billy Dee Williams, 1937
Andre Previn, 1929
James Watson, 1928
Gerry Mulligan, 1927
Lowell Thomas, 1892
Rose Schneiderman, 1882
Butch Cassidy, 1866
René Lalique, 1860
Raphael, 1483


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Barney & Friends"(TV), 1992
Post-It Notes(first day of sale), 1980
"Entertaining Mr. Sloane"(Play), 1964
"Little Orphan Annie"(Radio series), 1931


Today in History:

Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato (Cato the Younger) in the battle of Thapsus, BC46
The Roman army under the command of Stilicho stymies the Visigoths under Alaric in the Battle of Pollentia, 402
Charlemagne confirms his father Pepin the Short's "Donation of Pepin," which had established the Papal States, 774
King Richard I, The Lionheart, of England dies from an infection following the removal of an arrow from his shoulder, 1199
The Scots reaffirm their independence by signing the Declaration of Arbroath, 1320
The Italian poet Petrarch first sees his beloved Laura, 1327
At the Cape of Good Hope, Dutch sailor Jan van Riebeeck establishes a resupply camp that eventually becomes Cape Town , 1652
An earthquake devastates Dubrovnik, then an independent city-state, 1667
Peter the Great of Russia ends the tax on men with beards in that country, 1722
Rama I succeeds King Taksin of Siam (modern day Thailand), who is overthrown in a coup d'état, 1782
The Committee of Public Safety becomes the executive organ of the republic in France, and the period known as the Reign of Terror begins, 1793
John Jacob Astor incorporates the American Fur Company, 1808
Celluloid, the first plastic, is patented, 1869
The city of Vancouver, BC, is incorporated, 1886
The Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City is dedicated, 1893
In Athens, the first modern Olympic Games are opened, 1,500 years after being banned by Emperor Theodosius I; James Connoly of the US becomes the first gold medalist of the modern games, 1896
The Kishinev pogrom forces thousands of Jews to seek refuge in Israel and the West, 1903
Robert Peary and Matthew Henson allegedly reach the North Pole, 1909
Governor Huey P. Long is impeached by the Louisiana House of Representatives, 1929
Mohandas Gandhi raises a lump of mud and salt and declares, "With this, I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire." Thus he starts the Salt Satyagraha, 1930
Launch of Early Bird, the first communications satellite to be placed in geosynchronous orbit, 1965
The American League of Major League Baseball begins using the designated hitter, 1973
Pakistan tests medium-range missiles capable of reaching India, 1998
Rolandas Paksas becomes the first president of Lithuania to be peacefully removed from office by impeachment, 2004
Scientists announce the discovery of three new animal species that spent their entire lives without oxygen, 2010
In England, lawmakers ban the display of tobacco products, hoping the move will lead to a reduction in the number of youths who smoke, 2012