A to Z Challenge: R is for Rainbow

 Teaching Sunday school is always an adventure.  Besides the fun on the playground at outdoor time, where i keep having to warn the kids not to take too many chances, as i don't think their parents would appreciate it if i broke their kid, the story time can be very revealing indeed.

It was so when the story circle lesson included me talking about how some things were done differently in biblical days.  Timmy, from his usual position, doing a headstand in the corner so he could listen properly, noted that lots of things are different, not just the way people do things like get water or travel from place to place.

You're right, i told him, and asked what other things in this world are different besides how people do things.

This brought up a lively discussion about different plants, different animals, and different colors.

Noah, who is only 4 but is in the class of 7- and 8-year-olds some Sundays because there is only one other child his age and it's silly to have a separate class for one kid and i don't mind at all having him, he's well behaved, said, "And the rainbow is different colors."  He doesn't always get all of the lesson, but he gets something from it, and it's enough.

"People are different from each other, too!"  Timmy noted.  "Look how G-d made people different colors, like the flowers or the colors in the rainbow.  The world would be boring if all the flowers were the same color, and it would be boring if all the people were, too!"

Keep that rainbow attitude, kid, and pass it around.


Today is

Anniversary of Something That Happened So Long Ago Everyone Has Forgotten Day -- Fairy Calendar

Astronomy Day 2013 -- Saturday at or before the first quarter moon between mid-April and mid-May
     sponsored by The Astronomical League; find out what your local astronomy society is doing today, and go enjoy

Banyan Tree Birthday Party -- Lahaina, Maui, Hawai'i (celebrating the "birthday" of Lahaina's most important landmark, their 139-year-old banyan tree which now covers over 2/3 of an acre; cake, nature displays, kid activities, history exhibits and more, through tomorrow)

California Poppy Festival -- Lancaster, CA, US (two fun days celebrating California's State Flower)

Go Around Humming "You Light Up My Life" Until Everybody Screams Day -- the person who thought this one up should be tied down and forced to listen to Barry Manilow songs for 12 hours straight!

Harvest Offering to Renenutet -- Ancient Egypitian Calendar (offering to the Lady of the Fertile Fields; date approximate)

Historic Garden Week in Virginia -- VA, US (enjoying some of Virginia's finest homes and gardens)

Husband Appreciation Day -- 3rd Saturday

International Marconi Day -- a 24-hour amateur radio event annually near the birth anniversary of Marconi

Lima Bean Respect Day

National Auctioneers Day -- recognizing the contribution of auctioneers to American commerce

National Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Day

National Take a Break to Reset Your Mind Day -- because everyone needs a day like this

Ramanavani -- Hindu (celebration of Lord Rama; local festivities may vary)

Ramnawami / Ramanavami / Chaitay Dashain -- India; Nepal (birth of Rama, avatar of Vishnu)

Record Store Day -- celebrated by independent record stores everywhere (mistakenly noted here last Saturday; lashes with a wet noodle for me!)

Ridvan begins -- Baha'i (begins at sunset)

St. Caedwalla of Wales' Day (Patron of converts, repentant murderers)

Taro Festival -- East Maui, Hawaii, US (celebration of Hawai'ian culture;through tomorrow)

YMCA Healthy Kids Day -- third Saturday

Zhabdrung Kuchhoe -- Bhutan (death anniversary of Zhabdrung)



Birthdays Today:

Joey Lawrence, 1976
Carmen Electra, 1972
Don Mattingly, 1961
Clint Howard, 1959
Luther Vandross, 1951
Jessica Lange, 1949
Ryan O'Neal, 1941
George Takei, 1937
Nina Foch, 1924
Lionel Hampton, 1908
Harold Lloyd, 1839
Joan Miro, 1893


Today in History:

The last naval battle in Byzantine history, 1453
Jews are expelled from Orange Burgundy, 1505
Jacques Cartier begins the voyage in which he will claim Canada and Labrador for France, 1534
Freedom of religion is granted to the Jews of New Amsterdam, 1657
Admiral Robert Blake destroys a Spanish silver fleet under heavy fire at Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 1657
Captain Cook arrives in New South Wales, 1770
René Caillié becomes the first non-Muslim to enter Timbouctou, 1828
Edgar Allan Poe's Murder in the Rue Morgue becomes the first detective story ever published, 1841
Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard complete their first pasteurization tests, 1862
Pierre and Marie Curie refine radium chloride, 1902
Manfred von Richthofen, aka The Red Baron, shoots down his 79th and 80th victims marking his final victories before his death the next day, 1918
Western Electric and Warner Bros. announce Vitaphone, a process to add sound to film, 1926
Apollo 16, commanded by John Young, lands on the moon, 1972
Pianist Vladimir Horowitz performs in his native Russia for the first time in 61 years, 1986
Danica Patrick wins the Indy Japan 300 becoming the first female driver in history to win an Indy car race, 2008
The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion kills 11 and causes rig to sink, initiating a massive oil discharge in the Gulf of Mexico, 2010

A to Z Challenge: Q is for Quiet!

 Quiet!  The rule with kittens, after i finally get them all fed and asleep is: You wake 'em, you take 'em!

snoozing with "Woofie"

brother and sister snuggles

it's exhausting being a kitten!

Today is

American Family Pet Expo -- Costa Mesa, CA, US (includes displays on any type of domesticated pet you can imagine; through Sunday)

Anniversary of the Election of Benedict XVI -- Holy See (Vatican City)

Bendideia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (festival for Bendis; date approximate)
    
DNA Day -- a day for teachers, students, and everyone to learn more about genetics and genomics
sponsored by genome.gov and the Smithsonian

Dogwood Festival -- Atlanta, GA, US (fine art, and beautiful trees; through Sunday)

Dutch-American Friendship Day -- anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Netherlands and the US, America's oldest continuously peaceful diplomatic relations

Feria Nacional de San Marcos -- Palenque, Mexico (through the May 12; feast of San Marcos, with rodeos, bull fights, folk dancing, parades, mariachi and muchos mas)

Gio to Hung Vuong Day -- Vietnam (National Day; celebrating the founding of the nation by Emperor Hung Vuong some three millenia ago)

Independence Declaration Day -- Venezuela

John Parker Day -- many US States (anniversary of the Battle of Lexington and Concord, where parker said “Stand your ground. Don’t fire unless fired upon; but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.”)

King Mswati III's birthday -- Swaziland

Lozenge Competition -- Fairy Calendar (no, i don't know what they do with the lozenges that makes it a competition)

Main Street BBQ & Bluesfest -- Washington, MO, US (professional BBQ competition, plus music and fun; through tomorrow)

National Amaretto Day

National Garlic Day

National Hanging Out Day -- Project Laundry List and other organizations promote bringing back the clothesline to save energy and the planet!

National Health Day -- Kiribati

Oklahoma City Bombing Commemoration Day

Okoshi Daiko Festival -- Furukawa, Japan (today, hundreds of men in loincloths fight to touch a wooden frame supporting a huge taiko drum as it is carried through the streets, and tomorrow is an elegant parade with lion dancers and traditional music)

Primrose Day -- UK (anniversary of the death of Disraeli)

Ram Navami -- regions of India and Nepal (Hindu celebration of the birth of Lord Rama) also
     Swaminarayan Jayanti -- birth of Lord Swaminarayan for followers of the Swaminarayan tradition

Spinach Festival -- Alma, AR, US (celebrating one of my favorite greens with music, food, crafts, carnival and more; through tomorrow)

St. AElfheah's Day (Patron of kidnap victims; Greenwich and Solihull, England)

St. Expeditus of Melintine's Day (Patron of merchants, navigators; for expeditious and prompt solutions; against procrastination)

St. Leo IX's Day



Anniversaries Today:

Marie Antoinette marries Louis XVI by Proxy Marriage, 1770
Cheyney University is founded as The Institute for Colored Youth, 1837
Grace Kelly marries Ranier III of Monaco, 1956


Birthdays Today:

Maria Sharapova, 1987
Hayden Christensen, 1981
Kate Hudson, 1979
Luis Miguel Basteri, 1970
Ashley Judd, 1968
Al Unser, Jr., 1962
Paloma Picasso, 1949
Tim Curry, 1946
Dudley Moore, 1935
Jayne Mansfield, 1933
Dick Sargent, 1930
Hugh O'Brian, 1925
Eliot Ness, 1903


Today in History:

Sir Francis Drake sails to Cadiz and sinks the Spanish Fleet, 1587
Because he has no male heirs, Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI issues the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713, assuring Habsburg lands and the Austrian throne would go to his daughter, Maria Theresa, 1713
Captain James Cook sights Australia, 1770
John Adams secures Dutch recognition of the United States, and his home in The Hague becomes the first American Embassy, 1782
Venezuela achieves home rule, 1810
The Treaty of London establishes Belgium as a kingdom and Luxembourg as a Grand Duchy, 1839
Charles Duryea claims to have taken the first automobile built in the US for a spin, 1892
The first Boston Marathon is won by John McDermott of NY in 2:55:10, 1897
Leslie Irvin of the United States makes the first successful voluntary free-fall parachute  jump, 1919
The 125th and final fascicle of the Oxford English Dictionary is published, 1928
Burma (now Myanmar) joins the United Nations, 1948
The Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba ends in success for the defenders, 1961
Sierra Leone becomes a republic, 1971
India's first satellite, Aryabhata, is launched, 1975
The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA, is bombed, killing 168, 1995
The German Bundestag returns to Berlin, the first German parliamentary body to meet there since the Reichstag was dissolved in 1945, 1999
His Eminence Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is elected the 265th Pope of the Catholic Church, taking the name Benedict XVI, 2005
Fidel Castro resigns from the Communist Party of Cuba's central committee after 45 years, 2011

A to Z Challenge: P is for Piffle!

Piffle and enough!

This time i mean it.

In the past, i have tried three times to work with both a mama cat and kittens, not just bottle feeding orphans, but getting a mama to adopt them and help out.  Let's face it, it hasn't worked out for me, all; in fact, all three times have been an unmitigated disaster.

The first one was several years ago when i was told the mama had successfully raised her own, then a second litter, and some new orphans had been found.  Could we take the mama and these new babies and see if she would nurse them, too?

The resounding answer was no, she wouldn't.  She was absolutely over that and after two litters in a row i don't blame her, cats aren't made to be maternal for more than 6-8 weeks at a time.  So i ended up having to bottle raise them anyway.  We also ended up with Sweetie falling head over heels in love with the mama cat, and Kida the Mosquito, so called as she  is always buzzing around, is still here, and still planning stealthily at least once a week to figure a way to hide in my room so she can use my bed as a litter box.  Piffle! i yell every time i find she has managed to do so.

The second time was last summer, and long-time friends may remember.  As i tried to bring the mama into the house to see if she would adopt the ones i was bottle feeding then, she became frightened and bit the tar out of me.  Despite rapid treatment, my whole arm swelled to the elbow from the bacteria that live in a cat's mouth and i spent a week in the hospital on serious IV antibiotics.  Piffle! and ouch!

This third time, i was told the mama was doing a great job with her own week-old babies, and would i like to have her here, see if she would, after settling in, also take Ame, the single kitten of the same age.  Sure, i naively responded.

The mama cat paid us back by, as soon as she got into our home, rejecting her own kittens.  She hissed at them as soon as we got her and the kittens out of the carrier, and ran off to hide.  They are now being bottle raised, and mama has dried up.  She will be spayed and returned to the people who found her today.  Piffle! i really needed siblings for Ame, because kittens raised alone often turn out weird, but i didn't want it to happen this way!

So, piffle! i say.  If anyone ever asks me again if i want to try introducing a mama to some kittens i'm bottle raising, they will get nothing but a rude snorting noise as i tell them i'll pass.  If you want to take the kittens to that mama, wherever she is, and see if she will bother with them, fine, and i won't hold my breath.


Today is

Adult Autism Awarenes Day -- sponsored by aheadd.org; i know the poster child!

Army Day -- Iran (Rouz-e-Artesh)

Buccaneer Days Festival -- Corpus Christi, TX, US (rodeo, festival, parade, and fun; through Sunday)

Cleaning for a Reason Week begins -- raising awareness of Cleaning For A Reason, which helps provide free residential cleaning to women fighting cancer

Dogwood Festival -- Camdenton, MO, US (a rite of spring festival under the beautiful dogwood trees; through Sunday)

Fiesta San Antonio -- San Antonio, Texas, US (ten days of fun; 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!)

Get to Know Your Customers Day (celebrated the 3rd Thursday quarterly)

Goddess Month of Maia begins

Independence Day -- Zimbabwe

International Amateur Radio Day/World Amateur Radio Day -- celebrating "ham radio" around the world

International Day for Monuments and Sites -- UNESCO

Invention Day -- Japan

Laundromat Day -- the first self-service "washateria" opened on this date in 1934 in Fort Worth, TX, US

Look-Alike Day -- internet generated, a day to try to look like someone you admire; some sites list it on the 20th

Make a Quilt Day -- obviously begun by someone who has no idea how long the process really takes!

National Animal Cracker Day

National High Five Day -- raising money for cancer research, sponsored by the National High Five Project

Newspaper Columnists' Day -- The National Society of Newspaper Columnists in honor of the anniversary of the death of Ernie Pyle

Pet Owners Independence Day -- the day to let your pet do the work and chores while you lie around and enjoy having only the responsibilies of your pet; sponsored by Wellcat Holidays

Poem in Your Pocket Day -- carry your favorite with you to share with friends and family to celebrate National Poetry Month

Ram Navami (Smarta) -- India (regional; Hindu celebration of the birth of Lord Rama)

Sleep Apnea Awareness Day -- it's a dangerous condition, learn more here

Smile Big and Say Hi for No Particular Reason Day -- if some site gave the reason for this, it would defeat the purpose

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

St. Agapitus Day (Patron of Palestrina, Italy; against colic)

St. Agia's Day (Patron against lawsuits)

"Third World" Day -- the phrase was first used on this date in 1955

Ushibuka Haiya Matsuri -- Furukawa, Japan (one of the liveliest dance festivals, with elements of dance styles from around the country; through the 20th)


Anniversaries Today:

The University of Alabama is founded, 1831


Birthdays Today:

America Ferrara, 1984
Melissa Joan Hart, 1976
Maria Bello, 1967
Conan O'Brien, 1963
Eric Roberts, 1956
James Woods, 1947
Hayley Mills, 1946
Leopold Stokowski, 1882
Clarence Darrow, 1857
Lucrezia Borgia, 1480


Today in History:

Boleslaw Chrobry is crowned the first king of Poland, 1025
The cornerstone of the current St. Peter's Basilica is laid, 1506
The Real Academia de la Historia (Royal Academy of History) is founded in Madrid, 1738
The British advancement by sea begins; Paul Revere and William Dawes, upon seeing two lanterns in the church steeple, set out to warn that "The British are coming!" 1775
Fighting ceases in the American Revolutionary War, eight years to the day after it began, 1783
Billy the Kid escapes from the Lincoln County jail in Mesilla, New Mexico, 1881
The St. Andrew's Ambulance Association is granted a Royal Charter by Queen Victoria, 1899
Denmark becomes the first country to formally adopt fingerprinting to identify criminals, 1902
Quetzaltenango, second largest city of Guatemala, is destroyed by an earthquake, 1902
The Great San Francisco Earthquake, 1906
The Los Angeles Times story on the Azusa Street Revival launches Pentecostalism as a worldwide movement, 1906
The RMS Carpathia brings the Titanic survivors to NYC, 1912
"The House that Ruth Built," Yankee Stadium, opens, 1923
Simon and Schuster publishes the first crossword puzzle book, 1924
The first "washateria" (laundromat) opens, in Ft. Worth, Texas, 1934
The League of Nations is formally dissolved, 1949
29 nations meet at Bandung, Indonesia, for the first Asian-African Conference., 1955
A United States federal court rules that poet Ezra Pound is to be released from an insane asylum, 1958
The Republic of Zimbabwe is officially established with the swearing in of Canaan Banana as its first President, 1980
The Pawtucket Red Sox and Rochester Red Wings, from the Triple-A International League, begin the longest game in professional baseball history, 33 innings, 1981
The Supreme Court of the United States upholds the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act in a 5-4 decision, 2007

A to Z Challenge: O is for Ordinary

Several years ago, i read about a person who went to Jerusalem as a tourist.  She reported being somewhat afraid of going, noting that the region has a reputation of being dangerous.  While there, she spoke to a native Israeli woman she saw each day at the hotel desk.

Striking up a conversation, the tourist, as best i can remember, asked the Israeli how she handled living in such a hotbed area, especially as she was married and had children.  Didn't she fear for her children's safety?

The Israeli woman responded that she was a bit concerned, but it wasn't an overwhelming thing.  She didn't let the very small possibility that something could happen ruin her life.  She noted that she would be much more afraid to live in the tourist's home town of NYC because of the terrible crime rate, which she seemed to feel was overwhelming.

The woman from New York noted that the statistics were probably out of proportion to her own individual danger, and that lots of people live there and are never victims of any kind of serious crime.  In fact, besides taking normal precautions, she seldom gave it a second thought.

What's ordinary to one might be terribly scary to another.

After 9/11, we went on high alert.  We were scared.  Security was tight everywhere for everything.  Festivals and events were cancelled.

Now, after Boston, festivals and events around the country the next day were not cancelled.  There was a little more security, but not enough to make people feel frightened or impinged upon, according to one person i heard interviewed at one such festival (and because i was listening to the radio while feeding a kitten and talking to a child at the same time, i didn't catch where it was).

Has violence become ordinary to us?  It seems that the reality of the world we live in now, that there will be violence, on a big scale, and we can't let it stop us from living our lives.

It's sad.  Like crime, like war, i don't want terrorism to seem ordinary.


Today is

American Academy of Arts and Letters Charter Day

Bat Appreciation Day

Blah, Blah, Blah Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays

Ebertfest/Roger Ebert's Film Festival -- Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL (Mr. Ebert selects the 12 films, introduces each, and leads discussions for general audiences as well as those in the film industry; through Sunday) Note:  Because of his passing, the fest will be held, but will be a tribute to him.

Ellis Island Family History Day

Equality Day -- Canada (the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms came into force on April 17, 1985, guaranteeing equality without regard to race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability)

Flag Day -- American Samoa

Ford Mustang Day -- International (on the "birthday" of the vehicle)

Healthy Kids Day

Independence Day / Evacuation Day -- Syria

International Day of Peasants Struggle

International Whistlers Convention -- Louisburg, North Carolina, US ("The World's Whistling Capital"; through Sunday)

National Bookmobile Day -- US, on the Wednesday of National Library Week

National Cheeseball Day

Navpad Oli -- Jain (nine day religious festival)

Nimble Fairies' Scattering -- Fairy Calendar

Nosy Neighbor Appreciation Day -- to be celebrated, if you dare, by greeting and thanking your neighbor for being nosy

Nothing Like A Dame Day -- a day to pay homage to the unique wit, wisdom, style and strength of dames past and present, and to cultivate the dame in you or in your life

Poetry & the Creative Mind Gala -- Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, New York, NY, US (an extraordinary evening celebrating the role of contemporary poetry in American culture)

Sandburg Days -- Galesburg, IL, US (a festival for the mind, celebrating their two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning native son, Carl Sandburg; through Saturday)

St. Kateri Tekakwitha's Day (Patron of ecologists, ecology, environment, environmentalism, environmentalists, exiles, people who have lost their parents, people ridiculed for their piety)

St. Stephen Harding's Day (Co-founder of Cistercian Order)

Thank Your School Librarian Day -- the Wednesday of National Library Week

Thargelia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (two day festival for the birthday of Apollon and Artemis; date approximate)

Toothbrush Appreciation Day -- think of what it would be like without one!

Verrazano Day -- New York, US (Celebrates discovery of New York harbor by Giovanni Verrazano, Florentine navigator)

Women's Day -- Gabon

World Hemophilia Day


Birthdays Today:

Victoria Backham, 1974
Jennifer Garner, 1972
Liz Phair, 1967
Olivia Hussey, 1951
Harry Reasoner, 1923
William Holden, 1918
Nikita Krushchev, 1894
J.P. Morgan, 1837


Today in History:

Geoffrey Chaucer tells his Canterbury Tales for the first time, at the court of Richard II, ten years to the day after the pilgrimage actually began, 1397
Christopher Columbus signs his contract with Spain to find the Indes, 1492
Martin Luther stands firm and refuses to recant before the Diet of Worms, 1521
Sir Ralph Abercromby attacks San Juan, Puerto Rico in what would be one of the largest invasions of the Spanish territories in America, 1797
The first Sino-Japanese War ends with the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki, 1895
A one day record 11,747 immigrants are processed at Ellis Island, 1907
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios is formed by the merger of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures, and the Louis B. Mayer Company, 1924
Cartoon characters Daffy Duck, Elmer J Fudd & Petunia Pig, debut, 1937
At midnight, 26 Irish counties officially break with the British Commonwealth and form the Republic of Ireland, 1949
The Bay of Pigs Invasion fiasco begins, 1961
Ford Motor Company unveils the Mustang, 1964
Jerrie Mock becomes the first woman to circumnavigate the world by air, 1964
The ill-fated Apollo 13 spacecraft returns to Earth safely, 1970
Patriation of the Canadian constitution in Ottawa by Proclamation of Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, 1982
The Three Hundred and Thirty Five Years' War between the Netherlands and the Isles of Scilly ends, 1986
NJ Devil Martin Brodeur becomes the 2nd NHL goalie to score in a playoff game, 1997
The 5th Summit of the Americas takes place in Port of Spain; Trinidad, thirty-four heads of government attend, 2005

A to Z Challenge: N is for No Exceptions

In Judge Raymond Voet's Michigan courtroom, the ubiquitous cell phone is not welcome.  He makes no exceptions.

This is understandable.  Yes, if you have left children with a babysitter or have a loved one in the hospital, you might need to leave your phone on.  You can, though, put it on vibrate and discreetly leave the proceedings or go out to talk on the phone later.

The Judge makes no exceptions, though, for "electronic devices causing a disturbance during court sessions."  That includes his own phone.

The other day, he surmises that he accidentally bumped his smart phone.  Whether that's what happened or not, his phone began prompting him to give it a voice command during a critical part of a proceeding.  He immediately shut it down, and was probably quite embarrassed.

During the next interim, he showed that he does not favor himself over others.  Since he allows no exceptions, he found himself in contempt of his own court, fined himself $25, the standard amount, and paid up right away.  He noted that if he can't obey the rules, he has no business enforcing them.

Kathe W's post yesterday discussed Diogenes' question, "Where can you find an honest man."

The answer, it would seem, is in Judge Voet's courtroom, right there behind the bench.

No exceptions. 


Today is

Bunsui Sakura Matsuri Oiran Dochu --  Tsubame, Niigata, Japan (through the 23rd, when there is a traditional costume Courtesan Parade)

Day of Mushroom Encouragement -- Fairy Calendar

Dronningens fodselsdag -- Denmark (Birthday of Queen Margrethe II)

Eighty-Niner Days Celebration -- Guthrie, OK, US (commemoration of the Oklahoma Territory Land Run of April 22, 1889, celebrating their heritage with chuck wagon feeds, "gunfights", a parade and carnival; through Saturday)

Emancipation Day -- Washington, D.C., US

Holiday of Ra -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Jim Thorpe Day -- US (by Presidential Proclamation in 1973)

National CPA's Goof Off Day -- US, the day after tax day because they deserve it!

National Eggs Benedict Day

National Library Workers Day -- US (always the Tuesday of National Library Week)

National Stress Awareness Day -- sponsored by the Health Resource Network (appropriate for the day after paying taxes)

Offering to Demeter Khloe -- Ancient Greek Calendar (honoring Demeter as goddess of green shoots; date approximate)

St. Bernadette of Lourdes' Day (Patron of people ridiculed for their piety, poor people, shepherdesses, shepherds, sick people; Lourdes, France; against bodily ills, poverty, sickness)

St. Padarn's Day (Celtic peoples traditionally begin weeding crops on this saint's day)

Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day -- US (the day after you pay your taxes, bring the comforts of home to the office; sponsored by PajamaGram)

World Entrepreneurship Day

Yom HaAtzmaut -- Israel (Independence Day; began sunset yesterday, through sunset today)


Anniversaries Today:

Founding of the University of Queensland, 1910


Birthdays Today:

Lilliana Mumy, 1994
Selena Quintanilla, 1971
Martin Lawrence, 1965
Ellen Barkin, 1955
Kareem Adbud-Jabbar, 1947
Dusty Springfield, 1939
Bobby Vinton, 1935
Herbie Mann, 1930
Edie Adams, 1929
Pope Benedict XVI, 1927
Henry Mancini, 1924
Peter Ustinov, 1921
Barry Nelson, 1920
Merce Cunningham, 1919
Charlie Chaplin, 1889
Wilbur Wright, 1867
Anatole France, 1844


Today in History:

Calculated date of the return of Odysseus from the Trojan War, BC1178
The Jewish fortress of Masada falls to the Roman Army, ending the Jewish revolt, 73
Martin Luther is called before the Diet of Worms, 1521
Spanish conquistador Hernando de Lerma founds the settlement of Salta, Argentina, 1582
The United States Senate ratified the Rush-Bagot Treaty, establishing the border with Canada, 1880
The first passenger rail opens in India, 1853
Ebenezer Bassett, the first African-American diplomat, begins his service in Haiti, 1869
US Marshal Bat Masterson fights his last gun battle, in Dodge City, 1881
Harriet Quimby becomes the first female pilot to cross the English Channel, 1912
Gandhi organizes a day of "prayer and fasting" in response to the killing of Indian protesters in the Amritsar Massacre by the British, 1919
Annie Oakley shoots a record 100 clay targets in a row, 1922
Dr. Albert Hofmann first ingests LSD, thus discovering its effects, 1943
Bernard Baruch coins the term "Cold War" to describe the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union, 1947
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. pens his Letter from Birmingham Jail while incarcerated in Birmingham, Alabama for protesting against segregation, 1963
The Katina P. runs aground off of Maputo, Mozambique and 60,000 tons of crude oil spill into the ocean, 1992
The Queen Mary II embarks on her first transatlantic voyage, 2004
President of Côte d'Ivoire Laurent Gbagbo declares the First Ivorian Civil War to be over, 2007

A to Z Challemge: M is for Mango

"Hey, mom, what's for dinner?"  Bigger Girl comes in from her evening college speech class famished.

Your dad and your brother get tomato gravy over rice, and for you and your sister, i made vegan spaghetti sauce, or you can have it over the rice like the tomato gravy, i answered.

"Hm, I think I'll boil the spaghetti," she said, then yelling into the other room, asked her sister if she also wanted spaghetti.

Little Girl came in, saying, "Of course not.  There are mangoes in the house!  When there are mangoes, I don't need to eat anything else."

And it's true, since i bought two cases of mangoes on special from Whole Paycheck, she has eaten mango morning, noon and night.  She walks in, grabs one, washes it (if i'm watching and make her, if not she probably skips it, but then again, it's like letting kids get dirty and put their hands in their mouths when they are tiny, it probably builds the immune system), and eats it, peel and all.

In fact, until they are gone, i'm not sure she will eat anything but mango.  That's okay, i can think of worse things to get fixated on eating.


Today is

Boston Marathon -- Boston, MA, US (117th running)

Celtic Tree Month Saille (willow) begins

Day of the Sun -- North Korea (Kim Il Sung's Birthday)

Fast Food Day -- the first franchised McDonald's opened this day in 1955 in Des Plaines, IL, US

Father Damien Day -- Hawaii, US (Patron of lepers)

Festival of Heru; Festival of Bast -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Fluff Appreciation Day -- internet generated; i guess as a distraction for Tax Day

Fordicalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (cow sacrifice to the earth mother, Tellus Mater)

Global Day of Action on Military Spending -- sponsored by by the International Peace Bureau (IPB) and the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS)

Guangzhou (Canton) Spring Trade Fair -- Guangzhou (Canton), China (a month-long spring trade fair held the same dates each year)

Her Majesty the Queen's Birthday -- St. Helena (always on the Monday closest)

Hillsborough Disaster Memorial -- Anfield at Liverpool, England

Income Tax Pay Day -- Philippines; US
     related observances:
     Freak Out Day
     National Griper's Day (after all, you have to pay your taxes, and the Titanic sank today)
     Tax Resistors' Day -- good luck!
     That Sucks Day (appropriate, isn't it)*

Jackie Robinson Day -- Major League Baseball

Jose de Diego's Birthday -- Puerto Rico (Father of the Puerto Rican Independence Movement, a/k/a Dia de Reafirmacion del Idioma Espanol)

Kentucky Derby Festival -- Louisville, KY, US (the warm-up celebration for the big race, much of which is free; through May 3)

London Book Fair -- Earls Court, London, England (one of the world's most important book fairs; through Wednesday)

National Glazed Ham Day

Patriots' Day -- US (in observance of the first battles of the Revolutionary War; always the 3rd Monday)

Rubber Eraser Day -- today in 1770, Joseph Priestly described a vegetable gum which had the ability to rub out pencil marks

Sechselauten -- Zurich, Switzerland (Six Ringing Festival, traditional driving out of winter through the symbolic destruction of the Boog - Old Man Winter - in the form of a snowman; through tomorrow)

St. Hunna's Day (Patron of laundresses, laundry workers, washerwomen)

Swallow Day -- England (traditional date of the return of chimney swallows)

Take a Wild Guess Day -- sponsored by Jim Barber as a day to honor guesses, hunches, inspirations, speculations and other forms of “intuitive intelligence;” just not on your taxes, please

Tipsa Diena -- Ancient Latvian Calendar (celebration of the start of plowing)

Titanic Remembrance Day

World Creativity and Innovation Week -- always begins on DaVinci's birth anniversary

Yom Ha'Atzmaut -- Israel (Independence Day; beings at sunset, through tomorrow sunset)

*If you want to add others reasons why today should be considered "That Sucks Day", please go share your horror story of the day at www.thatsucks.net


Anniversary Today:

Gallaudet University is founded, 1817 (first US public school for the deaf)



Birthdays Today:

Emma Watson, 1990
Seth Rogen, 1982
Patrick Carney, 1980
Emma Thompson, 1959
Claudia Cardinale, 1939
Roy Clark, 1933
Elizabeth Montgomery, 1933
Leon Schotter, 1922
Hans Conried, 1917
Bessie Smith, 1894
Sam Rodia, 1875
Henry James, 1843
Joseph E. Seagram, 1841
Leonardo da Vinci, 1452


Today in History:

Pope Innocent III refuses to grant permission to the Jews of Cordova, Spain, to build a synagogue, 1250
Samuel Johnson's A Dictionary of the English Language is published in London, 1755
The first school for the deaf in the US opens in Hartford, Connecticut, 1817
The last day US silver coins are allowed to circulate in Canada, 1870
Harley Proctor begins producing Ivory Soap, 1878
General Electric Company is incorporated, 1892
The Titanic sinks, 1912
Insulin becomes available to diabetics, 1923
Rand McNally publishes its first road atlas, 1924
Jackie Robinson debuts with the Brooklyn Dodgers, 1947
White Rock, British Columbia officially separates from Surrey, British Columbia and is incorporated as a new city, 1957
Tokyo Disney Resort (and the Tokyo Disneyland park) opens in Tokyo Bay (Japan), 1983
Upon Hu Yaobang's death, the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 begin in the People's Republic of China, 1989
Representatives of 124 countries and the European Communities sign the Marrakesh Agreements revising the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and initiating the World Trade Organization, 1994
Astronomers at San Francisco State University announce the discovery of the first multiplanet solar system besides our own, three planets around Upsilon Andromedaie, 1999
Volcanic ash from the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland leads to the closure of airspace over most of Europe, 2010

How Far?

"Hey, mom, can you come pick me up?"

#2 Son sounded breathless on his phone, and i knew he had gone to the creek for some snake catching, which he loves to do.  He always comes home smelling like snake poop, because he scares the crap out of them catching them, literally, but he figures that's just part of what happens when you catch a snake.

Sure, i told him, and asked where he was.

"At the part of the creek behind the homicide detective's house, and I'm dehydrated."

Okay, i said, i'll be right over.  Then i filled his water bottle that he had forgotten with cool but not ice water, because i didn't want him to get sicker if he was truly very overheated, and set out.

He climbed in the van looking rather exhausted, and i asked him what happened.

"Wasps!" he said, getting a drink of water.  "I was minding my own business, catching snakes and observing them and letting them go, and I got chased for almost 2/3 of a mile by 3 wasps!  They wouldn't give up."

That's pretty far for wasps to chase you, i guess they wanted you very much gone, i noted, and he responded, "Yeah, and while I was running away, I ran into a spider's web.  I hate that!  I hate getting that stuff on me!"

So my son will not balk at wearing snake poop, but gets squicked out by spider's silk.  Why does this not surprise me?

Yes, he washed his hands well when he got home, and next time, he better have that water bottle.


Today is

Ambedkar Jayanti -- India (birth anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, father of the Indian Constitution)

Americas Day -- Honduras

Black Day -- South Korea (for those who got neither Valentine's gifts nor White Day gifts; singles wear black and get together to eat black noodle soup)

Caballo de Paso Peruano -- Pachacamac, Peru (National Contest of Paso Horses/The National Horse Competition of the native Peruvian horse, the Paso; through the 21st)

Celebrations in the Houses of Ra, Osiris, and Horus -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Children with Alopecia Day

Cimarron Territory Celebration and World Cow Chip–throwing® Championship Contest -- Beaver, OK, US ("a highly specialized organic sporting event", as well as poker fun, food, crafts, and a parade; through Saturday)

Day of Mologa -- Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia (commemorates the destruction of the town of Mologa during the construction of the Rybinsk Reservoir)

Day of the Georgian Language -- Georgia (marking the 1978 protests of Soviet attempts to suppress the Georgian language)

Elfin Choir Congress -- Fairy Calendar

Ex Spouse Day -- why?

International Moment of Laughter Day -- started by Izzy Gesell www.izzyg.com

Look Up At The Sky Day -- internet generated, no history on this one, but if it's a pretty day, take advantage of it (some sites say April 12, but since we don't know who started it, today is fine)

National Library Week begins -- US

National Love Our Children Day -- sponsored by STOMP Out Bullying and Love Our Children USA

National Pecan Day

N'Ko Alphabet Day -- Mande Language Speakers

Pan American Day -- Order of the American States

Rato Machhindranath Jatra -- Nepal (chariot races for the god of rain; cannot confirm this year's date, but always begins mid-April)

Reach as High as You Can Day -- internet generated, and listed on various dates; a good idea, anyway, whenever you decide to celebrate it

Runic Half Month of Man (humanity) begins

Sacrifices to Leto, Pythian Apollon, Zeus, Hermes, and the Dioscuri in the Deme of Erichia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate)

Sidereal Equinox New Year Celebrations -- throughout South and Southeast Asia, including
     Assamese New Year, or Rongali Bihu (India's Assam Valley)
     Bengali New Year, or Pohela Boishakh (Bangladesh and India's West Bengal state)
     Burmese New Year, or Thingyan (Burma)
     Hindu and Sikh New Year, or Vaisakhi (Punjab region)
     Khmer New Year, or Chol Chnam Thmey, most commonly celebrated on April 13 (Cambodia)
     Lao New Year, or Songkan / Pi Mai Lao, generally celebrated from 13 to 15 April (Laos)
     Malayali New Year, or Vishu (India's Kerala state)
     Nepali New Year, or Bikram Samwat / Vaishak Ek (Nepal)
     Oriya New Year, or Maha Visuba Sankranthi (India's Orissa state)
     Sinhalese New Year, or Aluth Avurudhu (Sri Lanka)
     Tamil New Year, or Puthandu (India's Tamil Nadu state)
     Thai New Year, or Songkran, celebrated from 13 to 15 April (Thailand)
     Tuluva New Year, or Bisu (India's Karnataka state)


Sommarsblot -- Ancient Norse Calendar (celebration of the coming summer, with sacrifices to the gods over the next several days; through Walpurgis/May 1)

Spring Hula Hooping Day -- try out the old hula hoop one more time, then toss it

St. Benezet's Day (Patron of bachelors, bridge builders; Avignon, France)

St. Lydwina of Schiedam's Day (Patron of ice skating/roller skating/skaters, prolonged suffering, sick people; Schiedam, Netherland; against bodily ills and sickness)

St. Peter Gonzalez's Day (Patron of boatmen, mariners, sailors, watermen)

St. Tiburtius' Day (Considered the day the cuckoos return to England for the spring)

Takayama Spring Festival -- Takayama City, Japan (often considered one of the 3 most beautiful festivals in Japan; through tomorrow)

Vaisaki/Baisakhi -- Sikh (celebration of the spring grain harvest and of the rebirth of the Sikh religion in the 15th Century)

Yasurai Matsuri -- Imamiya Jinja, Kyoto, Japan (festival to prevent ill health)

Youth Day -- Angola


Birthdays Today:

Abigail Breslin, 1996
Sarah Michelle Gellar, 1977
Robert Carlyle, 1961
Brad Garrett, 1960
Ritchie Blackmore, 1945
Julie Christie, 1941
Pete Rose, 1941
Loretta Lynn, 1935
Rod Steiger, 1925
John Gielgud, 1904
Anne Sullivan, 1866
Emperor Momozono, 1741
Christiaan Huygens, 1629


Today in History:

Mark Antony, besieging Julius Caesar's assassin Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus in Mutina, defeats the forces of the consul Pansa, who is wounded, BC 43
Titus, son of emperor Vespasian, surrounds the Jewish capital with four Roman legions, beginning the Siege of Jerusalem, 70
Temur, grandson of Kublai Khan, is elected Khagan of the Mongols and Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, 1294
The foundation stone of Cathedral St. Peter and St. Paul in Nantes, France is laid, 1434
Benjamin Franklin and Benjamin Rush establish the first abolitionist society in the US, 1775
Napoleon calls for establishing Jerusalem for the Jews, 1799
Noah Webster copyrights the first edition of his dictionary, 1828
The Donner Party departs Springfield, Illinois, 1846
Harriet Tubman begins her first Underground Railroad run, 1853
William Bullock patents the continuous-roll printing press, 1863
Abraham Lincoln is shot at Ford's Theater by John Wilkes Booth, 1865
Canada sets denominations of currency as dollars, cents, & mills, 1871
Canada passes the Dominion Lands Act, 1872
The RMS Titanic hits an iceberg  at 11:40pm and sinks 2 hours later, 1912
The first Volvo car premieres in Gothenburg, Sweden, 1927
The Grapes of Wrath, by American author John Steinbeck is first published by the Viking Press, 1939
The Soviet satellite Sputnik 2 falls from orbit, 1958
The heaviest hailstones ever recorded, at 1 kilogram, hailstones fall on the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh, killing 92, 1986
The most costly natural disaster in Australian history, a hailstorm, strikes Sydney, Australia, 1999
The Human Genome Project is completed with 99% of the human genome sequenced to an accuracy of 99.99%, 2003
The Oregon Supreme Court nullifies marriage licenses issued to gay couples a year earlier by Multnomah County, 2005