Awww Monday: It's In The Bag

Awww Monday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus.  It's nice to start the week with a smile, so post a picture that makes everyone say, "Awww!" and link up!

Our church decided to do Blessing Bags to give to the homeless in our area.

Gather the items:

Zip top bags and snacks and some toiletry items.

Water bottles, and cards that tell about resources for the homeless here.

Get a lot of stuff, and a lot of people:

Lots of people, and tables full of supplies.

Gather everyone around to stuff bags:

Busy bees stuffing bags.

Result, 1,000 Blessing Bags:

1,000 Blessing Bags, enough for everyone to take several.

A great time was had by all, and we ended with a gumbo dinner.  In all my years, i've been part of many churches, but i've never been part of one that has so many outreaches, and i'm loving it.



Today is:

Army Day -- Democratic Republic of the Congo

Cartagena Independence Day -- Cartagena, Columbia

Coping With Uncertainty Day -- of uncertain origin, as it should be

Electronic Greeting Card Day -- internet generated, and of course probably started by the electronic greeting card websites

Homemade Bread Day -- use the bread machine, it's fun and easy, i promise!  sponsored by the Homemade Bread Day Committee of Ann Arbor, MI, US

International Students Day -- International (meant to celebrate all students around the world, not specifically students studying in countries other than their own; anniversary of the Nazi storming and closing of the University of Prague)

John Peter Zenger Day -- marking his arrest in 1734 for libel; he continued to edit his newspaper from jail and was acquitted, an early victory for freedom of the press

National Baklava Day

National Farm Joke Day

National Unfriend Day -- all those people on Facebook you regret accepting as friends?  Jimmy Kimmel suggests you unfriend them today!

Polytechneio -- Greece (anniversary of the 1973 student protests against the junta)

Presidents' Day -- Marshall Islands

Public Restroom Hand Dryer Appreciation Day -- internet generated, and why?  they've been proven less sanitary, blowing germs everywhere; i will not appreciate this one

Revolution Day -- Mexico

Shogi Day -- Japan (celebrating shogi, a chess-like game)

St. Elizabeth of Hungary's Day (Patron of bakers, beggars, brides, charitable societies, charitable workers, countesses, exiles, falsely accused people, hoboes, homeless people, hospitals, lace makers/lace workers, nursing homes, nursing services, people in exile, people ridiculed for their piety, tertiaries, tramps, widows; Sisters of Mercy; Teutonic Knights; Erfurt, Germany; Jaro, Philippines; against in-law problems, the death of children, toothache)

St. Hilda's Day (Patron of learning and culture)

St. Hugh of Lincoln's Day (Patron of sick children, sick people, swans)

Struggle for Freedom and Democracy Day -- Czech Republic; Slovakia

Take A Hike Day -- internet generated, and some websites say it's actually "Tell Your Boss to Take a Hike Day", but i don't recommend that unless you've recently inherited a fortune or won the Lotto

Winter Welcome Quadrilles and Dainty-Sixes -- Fairy Calendar

World Prematurity Day -- International (raising awareness about premature birth, the leading cause of newborn death each year, and what can be done to prevent it)



Birthdays Today:

Isaac Hanson, 1980
Laura Wilkinson, 1977
Matthew Settle, 1969
Daisy Fuentes, 1966
Sophie Marceau, 1966
Dylan Walsh, 1963
RuPaul, 1960
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, 1958
Danny DeVito, 1944
Lauren Hutton, 1944
Lorne Michaels, 1944
Tom Seaver, 1944
Lauren Hutton, 1943
Martin Scorsese, 1942
Gordon Lightfoot, 1938
Rock Hudson, 1925
Sichiro Honda, 1906
Lee Strassberg, 1901
Bernard Law Montgomery, 1887
August Mobius, 1790
John Peter Zenger, 1734
Atahualpa, last Emperor of the Inca, 1502
Flavius Claudius Julianus, Roman Emperor, 331
Vespian, Roman Emperor, 9


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Sunset Boulevard"(Musical), 1994
"Rumors"(Simon play), 1988
"The Elephant Man"(Play), 1977
"The Sorcerer"(Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera), 1877
"Andromaque"(Racine tragedy), 1667


Today in History:

Diocletian is proclaimed emperor by his soldiers, 284
England and Spain sign an anti-French covenant/treaty, 1511
Elizabeth I ascends the English throne, 1558
France and Spain sign the Peace of the Pyrenees treaty, 1659
The Church of England organizes in New England, 1785
Congress holds its first session in the still incomplete Capitol Building of Washington, D.C., 1800
The Delta Phi fraternity, America's oldest continuous social fraternity, is founded at Union College in Schenectady, New York, 1827
Ecuador and Venezuela separate from Greater Colombia, 1831
Street signs are first authorized at San Francisco intersections, 1853
David Livingstone becomes the first European to see Victoria Falls, 1855
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Slavonic March is given its première performance in Moscow, 1876
Japan and Korea sign The Eulsa Treaty, 1905
The first US dental hygienist course is formed, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, 1913
US declares the Panama Canal Zone to be neutral, 1914
Lenin defends the "temporary" removal of freedom of the press, 1917
American scientists John Bardeen and Walter Brattain observe the basic principles of the transistor, a key element for the electronics revolution of the 20th Century, 1947
Douglas Engelbart receives the patent for the first computer mouse, 1970
In Czechoslovakia, the Velvet Revolution that would overthrow the communist government begins when student protests in Prague are quelled by riot police, 1989
Brian May of the rock band Queen was appointed Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University, 2007
In Sweden, divers find the wreckage of the Svardet, a warship sunk in 1676 during the Battle of Oland, 2011

Silly Sunday: Protecting Your Health

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!

Here's how it works:  Laugh and Link Up!

Ms. P's kids have been sick.  This past Thursday, she finally succumbed to it.  We have had flu shots and we've all been talking about taking steps to prevent getting sick.   Hand washing is frequent, and everyone wants to make sure they take their vitamins and eat their greens.

This reminds me of a joke.

Boudreaux used to ride to work ever' day wit' Gaston, an' Gaston was what dey call a health nut.   One day, de boss Thibodeaux ax Boudreaux about it.

"Dat Gaston!" he say.  "He be buggin' me about eatin' better an' all dat!  Do he really eat as healthy as he say, an' work out ever' day?"

"Mais, he do eat good," Boudreaux say, "an he work out ever' day.  But listen, he also do 80 mile per hour on de highway in de rain on bald tires!"





Today is:

Alascattalo Day -- Anchorage, Alaska (A salute to Alaskan humor, a parade in honor of the "alascattalo", a cross between a moose and a walrus; the longest running, shortest parade in the world, held in the alley behind Club Paris from 12:03 to 12:07 pm.  A prize is given to the smallest and ugliest float -- yes, it must be both small and ugly.  An anonymous queen will be crowned, if she has the bad sense to show up.)

Birth of the Blues Day -- birth anniversary of W.C. Handy, "Father of the Blues"

Button Day -- internet generated; a day to collect, or reminisce about collecting, buttons, with information about buttons here

Dagur Islenskrar tungu -- Iceland (Icelandic Language Day)

Day of Declaration of Sovereignty / Day of National Rebirth -- Estonia

Famous San Diego Chicken Day -- a day to celebrate anyone who has ever slugged a purple dinosaur

Flag Day/Statia and America Day -- St. Eustatius

Have a Party with Your Bear Day -- no comment, it's too obvious

Hecate Night -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate; celebrated still by some Wiccans)

International Day for Tolerance - UN

National Day -- Myanmar

National Fast Food Day -- why?

St. Gertrude the Great's Day (Patron of nuns; Naples, Italy; West Indies)

St. Margaret of Scotland's Day (Patron of learning, parents of large families, queens, widows; Scotland; against the death of children)

St. Matthew the Evangelist's Day (Eastern Churches)

Volkstrauertag -- Germany (National Day of Mourning for all victims of National Socialism and the dead of both world wars)

World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims -- UN


Anniversaries Today:

Oklahoma becomes the 46th US State, 1907


Birthdays Today:

Maggie Gyllenhall, 1977
Oksana Baiul, 1977
Martha Plimpton, 1970
Lisa Bonet, 1967
Diana Krall, 1964
Dwight Gooden, 1964
Susanna Clarke, 1959
Marg Heigenberger, 1958
Shigeru Miyamoto, 1952
Elizabeth Drew, 1935
Daws Butler, 1916
Burgess Meredith, 1908
W.C. Handy, 1873
Tiberius, Roman Emperor, BC42


Debuting/Premiering Today:

The Roman Catholic Church issues the first new Universal Catechism since 1563, to address modern issues, 1992
"The Real Thing"(Stoppard play), 1982
"The Sound of Music"(Musical), 1959


Today in History:

The second and final revision of the Codex Justinianus is published, 534
Francisco Pizarro captures the Incan emperor Atahualpa after the victory at Cajamarca, 1532
The first colonial prison is organized, in Nantucket, Massachussetts, 1676
Kentucky becomes the first state to nullify an act of Congress, 1798
The New York Evening Post publishes its first edition, 1801
An earthquake in Missouri causes the Mississippi River to flow backwards, 1811
Missouri trader William Becknell arrives in Santa Fe, New Mexico over a route that became known as the Santa Fe Trail, 1821
Napoleon Guerin of NYC patents a cork life preserver, 1841
Fyodor Dostoevsky is sentenced to death for anti-government activities; sentence is commuted to hard labor, 1849
Amsterdam post office at Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal opens, 1856
William Bonwill patents dental mallet to impact gold into cavities, 1875
6,000 Armenians massacred by Turks in Kurdistan, 1894
Arturo Tuscanini begins conducting NY's Metropolitan Opera, 1908
US Federal Reserve System formally opens, 1914
LSD is first synthesized by Swiss chemist Dr. Albert Hofmann at the Sandoz Laboratories in Basel, Switzerland, 1938
UNESCO is founded, 1945
NASA launches Skylab 4 with a crew of three astronauts from Cape Canaveral, Florida for an 84-day mission, 1973
The Hoxne Hoard is discovered by metal detectorist Eric Lawes in Hoxne, Suffolk, 1992
After nearly 18 years of incarceration, the People's Republic of China releases Wei Jingsheng, a pro-democracy dissident, from jail for medical reasons, 1997
The People's Republic of China begins to implement the "Great Firewall," filters which make it impossible to connect to internet sites the government deems illegal or unhelpful to the communist ideal, 2006
Hostess Brands reveals plans to file bankruptcy because of a baker's union strike, 2012

Found Her Tribe

Or should i say, her own love for tribal art?

Little Girl has loved that style for a long time.  Now Bigger Girl is trying her hand at it.

Her selection.

She has drawn these as gifts for her friends.  For now, she is seeking images to copy, although she draws them freehand.  As she gets more comfortable, she will probably design her own.

My mother is an artist, and Brother-in-Law, The Mouth, was once offered a full scholarship to an art institute, which his parents wouldn't allow him to accept.  There isn't a bit of that in me, so i'm figuring on my family's side, it skipped a generation.

That's fine, i'm just glad it didn't disappear altogether.
 

Today is:

American Enterprise Day -- US (a project of Future Business Leaders of America, Phi Beta Lambda Chapter)

America Recycles Day -- UShttp://americarecyclesday.org/

Changeling Restitution Day -- Fairy Calendar (Goblins)

Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day -- this reminder comes from the folks at CooksInfo.comhttp://www.cooksinfo.com, where they think you need to get rid of USO's (unidentified shriveled objects)/clean-out-your-refrigerator-day

Day of the German-speaking Community of Belgium -- German-speaking Community of Belgium

Don't Try To Do Everything At Once Day -- internet generated, and a blow to us multitaskers

Ennead Feast in the House of Ra, Horus, and Osiris -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

George Spelvin Day/More Than One Role Day -- date of first use, in 1886, of this name for an actor playing two roles in one play; George and Georgette Spelvin have since acted in over 10,000 roles on Broadway

I Love to Write Day -- encouraging everyone to write something, begun by John Riddle; this is the perfect time for it, really, in the middle of NaNoWriMo

International Games Day @ Your Library -- libraries in many countries are sponsoring a local Games Day, check with yours!

Kalamazoo Russian Festival -- Kalamazoo, MI, US

King's Feast / Dynasty Day -- Belgium

National Bundt Pan Day -- yes, really, celebrating the pan itself

National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week -- US (remembering those who have little or nothing during the upcoming holiday celebrations, and making time to share our bounty with them; through the 24th)
      co-sponsors National Coalition for the Homeless and National Student Campaign Against Hunger & Homeless

National Peace Day -- Cote d'Ivoire

National Philanthropy Day® -- Association of Fundraising Professionals

National Raisin Bran Cereal Day

National Spicy Hermit Christmas Cookie Day

Nativity Fast begins a/k/a Winter Lent (through Dec 24) -- Orthodox Christian

Pack Your Mom's Lunch Day -- in honor of all the times she packed yours; combine it with I Love to Write Day and include a note telling her how special she is

PCS Day and Homeplace Festival -- Waretown, NJ, US (a family affair with country, bluegrass, and traditional music)

Republic Day -- Turkish Republic of North Cyprus

Republic Proclamation Day -- Brazil

Rock Your Mocs Day -- Indigenous Americans (begun by Jessica Jaylyn Atsye, a Laguna Pueblo, to encourage all Native Americans to wear the one item they all have in common, hand-made moccasins, with pride)

Safety Razor Day -- King Gillette was granted the patent for his style of safety razor on this day in 1904, changing how men shaved each day

Shichi-Go-San (Shrine Visiting Day)/Seven-Five-Three Festival -- Japan (picturesque festival in which 3-year-old children of either sex, five-year-old boys, and seven-year-old girls go to shrines dressed in their best; guardian spirits are thanked for the health of the children and prayers said for their future to be equally bright)

Sing in Your Car Day -- they need a day for this?

St. Albertus Magnus' Day (Patron of medical technicians, natural sciences, philosophers, schoolchildren, scientists, students, theology students; Cincinnati, Ohio)

St. Leopold's Day (King Leopold III, Patron of dying children, large families, step-parents; Austria)
     Leopoldstag/Goose Day -- Austria (the start of the heurigen, the new wine season)


Anniversary Today:

William Shatner marries Nerine Kidd, 1997


Birthdays Today:

Jonny Lee Miller,1972
Kevin Eubanks, 1957
Beverly D'Angelo, 1954
Daniel Barenboim, 1942
Sam Waterston, 1940
Yaphet Kotto, 1937
Joanna BArnes, 1934
Petula Clark, 1932
Ed Asner, 1929
Bill "C.W. McCall" Fries, 1928
Joseph Wapner, 1919
Erwin Rommel, 1891
Georgia O'Keeffe, 1887
Forrest Clare "Fogg" Allen, 1885
F. William Herschel, 1738
William Pitt the Elder, 1708


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"A Few Good Men"(Play), 1989
Love Me Tender(Film), 1956
"Li'l Abner"(Musical), 1956
"The Planets"(Holst Op. 32), 1920
"Masse Mensch/Mass Man"(Toller play), 1920


Today in History:

Christopher Columbus notes the first recorded reference to tobacco, 1492
The NY General Assembly permits Jews to omit the phrase "Upon the faith of a Christian" from adjuration oaths, 1727
Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon begin surveying the Mason-Dixon Line between Pennsylvania and Maryland, 1763
The Articles of Confederation are adopted by the Continental Congress, 1777
Georgetown University, the first Catholic college in the US, opens, 1791
Zebulon Pike gets his first sight of Pike's Peak, Colorado, 1806
Isaac Pitman introduces his steno/shorthand system of writing, 1832
Union Major General Sherman burns Atlanta, Georgia, 1864
King C. Gillette patents the Gillette razor blade, 1904
The first telecast of an unscheduled event, a fire, takes place on W2XBT, in NY, 1938
In Columbus, Ohio, Dave Thomas opens the first Wendy's restaurant, 1969
Intel releases world's first commercial single-chip microprocessor, 1971
René Lévesque and the Parti Québécois take power to become the first Quebec government of the 20th century clearly in favour of independence, 1976
The Anglo-Irish Agreement is signed at Hillsborough Castle by British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Irish Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald, 1985
An independent State of Palestine is proclaimed by the Palestinian National Council, 1988
The first Fairtrade label, Max Havelaar, is launched in the Netherlands, 1988
Cyclone Sidr hit Bangladesh, killing an estimated 5000 people and destroyed the world's largest mangrove forest, Sundarbans, 2007

Feline Friday: Where else?

Feline Friday was started by Steve, The Burnt Food Dude, and i'm going to believe it's because he likes cats.

It's easy to participate, just post a picture of a cat -- your cat, a cat picture from the internet, even draw a picture, it doesn't matter!  Post it and link up, and that's it.

Link, also known as LinkerStinker says, Where else would I sit?

Where else would I sit?  Here, I can make sure you pay attention to me!

He's right, too -- you can't sit down without having to get around him, and have him play with your feet!



And folks, i have to apologize that i cannot seem to link up with Steve over on his blog.  Mr. Linky will not let me log in, even though i've had them send me my username and password, and i'm putting both in correctly.  Yes, i will keep trying.

 

Today is:

Canterbury Provincial Anniversary Day -- Canterbury, New Zealand

Children in Need Day -- UK and Ireland (telethon begins)

Children's Day -- India

Christchurch Show Day -- Canterbury, NZ

Day of the Colombian Woman -- Colombia

Equorum Probatio -- Ancient Roman Empire (official cavalry parade of the equites)

Four Corner States Bluegrass Festival -- Wickenburg, AZ, US (an annual old-time fiddle, banjo, mandolin, flat-pick guitar championships, and general celebrations of bluegrass music; through Sunday)

Inasa Puppet Festival -- Hamamatsu, Japan (a rarity in Japan, 3 days of performances by professional puppeteers from around Japan)

International Girls Day -- for info, see confidencecoalition.org

Leftover Trading Day -- internet generated; trade your leftovers for the much more interesting ones in your neighbor's fridge

Loosen up, Lighten Up Day -- to remind us of the benefits of joy and laughter, begun by Stephanie West Allen of Denver, CO, US

Momentum World Day of Giving -- The More Projecthttps://www.themoreproject.org

National Donor Sabbath Weekend -- through Sunday, an initiative to encourage people of all faiths to consider organ donation; www.organdonor.gov

National Spicy Guacamole Day -- as opposed to National Guacamole Day back in September

National Pickle Day/Pickle Appreciation Day

National Teddy Bear Day -- US (anniversary of the day in 1902 that Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a cornered and tied bear, because it was unsportsmanlike)

Operating Room Nurse Day -- US, but feel free to celebrate those dedicated nurses around the world

Readjustment Movement's Day -- Guinea-Bissau

Salt Lake's Family Christmas Show -- Sandy, UT, US (through Sunday)

Spirit of NSA Day -- members of the National Speakers Association are encouraged to focus on giving back and mentoringhttp://nsaspeaker.org/

St. Dubricus' Day (the saint who crowned King Arthur)

St. Lawrence O'Toole's Day (Patron of the Archdiocese of Dublin, Ireland)

Surin Elephant Round-Up -- Surin, Thailand (includes elephant football, elephant tugs-of-war, and parades; through Sunday)

Waterfowl Festival -- Easton, MD, US (includes world class artworks, calling contests, retriever demonstrations, a wine-tasting, and more, to benefit wildlife conservation; through Sunday)

Works Getting Into Championships -- Fairy Calendar (Gremlins)

World Diabetes Day -- UN (learn more about diabetes here)


Anniversaries Today:

Princess Anne of the UK marries Captain Mark Phillips, 1973


Birthdays Today:

Joseph "Run" Simmons, 1964
Laura San Giacomo, 1962
D.B. Sweeney, 1961
Condoleezza Rice, 1954
Yanni, 1954
Prince Charles, 1948
King Hussein of Jordan, 1935
McLean Stevenson, 1929
Boutros Boutros-Ghali, 1922
Brian Keith, 1921
Veronica Lake, 1919
Barbara Hutton, 1912
Rosemary DeCamp, 1910
Joseph McCarthy, 1909
Harrison Salisbury, 1908
William Steig, 1907
Louise Brooks, 1906
Dick Powell, 1904
Aaron Copland, 1900
Mamie Dowd Eisenhower, 1896
Jawaharlal Nehru, 1889
Claude Monet, 1840
Robert Fulton, 1765


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Black or White"(Music video), 1991
"Murphy Brown"(TV), 1988
"Good Evening"(Revue), 1973
"Der Tapfere Soldat/The Chocolate Soldier"(Operetta), 1908
"The Girl of the Golden West"(Play), 1905


Today in History:

Conquistadors from Spain under the leadership of Francisco Pizarro arrive in Cajamarca, Inca empire, 1533
Samuel Pepys reports on the first blood transfusion (between dogs), 1666
Loius Timothee is hired in Philadelphia to be the first professional librarian in the US, 1732
Captain George Vancouver is the first Englishman to enter San Francisco Bay, 1792
John Mason debuts the first horse-drawn streetcar in NYC, with a route between Prince and 14th on 4th Ave., 1832
Herman Melville publishes "Moby Dick", 1851
The St. Andrews Golf Club, in Yonkers, NY, opens with 6 holes, 1888
New York World reporter Nellie Bly (Elizabeth Cochrane) began her attempt to surpass fictitious journey of Jules Verne's Phileas Fogg by traveling around world in less than 80 days; She succeeded, finishing the trip in January in 72 days and 6 hours, 1889
Albert Einstein presents his quantum theory of light, 1908
The first airplane flight from the deck of a ship takes place in Norfolk, Virginia, 1910
The BBC begins radio service in the United Kingdom, 1922
The first regular UK singles chart published by the New Musical Express, 1952
NASA launches Apollo 12, the second manned mission to the surface of the Moon, 1969
After German reunification, the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of Poland sign a treaty confirming the Oder-Neisse line as the border between Germany and Poland, 1990
The last direct-current electrical distribution system in the United States is shut down in New York City by Con Edison, 2007
Scientists discovery the closest known rogue planet to Earth, about 100 light years away, 2012

The Light Going Off

"How could you do that?" Craig, a friend of #1 Son, was yelling into his phone.

As he kept up the conversation, from what i could hear, he was not very happy with his brother.

Finally, he hung up and looked at me.  "My brother," he said, "is a lot like a black light.  It glows, is sometimes fun to have around, but it's not too bright and mostly useless!"

Knowing his brother, that's about correct.

Speaking of light, how many baby sitters does it take to change a light bulb?  None, they don't make diapers small enough.

It's supposed to be back to work for me today, and i hope at least some of the children are feeling better.


Today is:

Ides of November -- Ancient Roman Calendar; also
     Epulum Iovis -- Festival of Feronia, Juno, Minerva, and Jupiter
     Fortuna Primigenia -- Fortune of the Firstborn

Lhabab Duechen -- Buddhism (Descending Day of Lord Buddha)
     a public holiday in Bhutan

National Indian Pudding Day

National Reread Old Letters and Magazines Day -- internet generated sentimentality

Runic Half Month Nyd begins (necessity)

St. Brice of Tours' Day (Patron against stomach diseases)

St. Homobonus' Day (Patron of business people, cloth workers/garment workers/tailors, cobblers/shoemakers, merchants)

St. Stanislaus Kostka's Day (Patron of aspirants to the Oblates of Saint Joseph, last sacraments; against broken bones)

Tooth Collection Days begin -- Fairy Calendar

World Kindness Day -- promoting a more compassionate world, on the anniversary of the first  World Kindness Movement® conference  (www.randomactsofkindness.org  http://www.kindness.com.au/)
     Kindness Day UK -- http://www.kindnessuk.com/


Anniversaries Today:

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is dedicated, 1982
The Holland Tunnel opens, 1927


Birthdays Today:

Monique Coleman, 1980
Gerard Butler, 1969
Steve Zahn, 1968
Tracy Scoggins, 1959
Jimmy Kimmel, 1967
Vinny Testaverde, 1963
Chris Nth, 1957
Whoopi Goldberg, 1955
Chris Noth, 1954
Shella E. Frazier, 1948
Joe Mantegna, 1947
Jean Seberg, 1938
Gary Marshall, 1934
Madeleine Sherwood, 1922
Oskar Werner, 1922
Nathaniel Benchley, 1915
Louis Brandeis, 1856
Robert Louis Stevenson, 1850
Edwin Thomas Booth, 1833
James Clerk Maxwell, 1831
Edward John Trelawney, 1792


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The Lion King"(Play), 1997
"As the Girls Go"(Musical), 1948
Fantasia(Disney animated film), 1940
"Grand Hotel"(Drake play), 1930


Today in History:

English king Æthelred II orders the killing of all Danes in England, known today as the St. Brice's Day massacre, 1002
Lady Jane Grey and Bishop Cranmer are accused of high treason, 1553
Patriot revolutionary forces under Col. Ethan Allen attack Montreal, Quebec, defended by British General Guy Carleton, 1775
Benjamin Franklin says, “Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” 1789
The first US anti-slavery party, the Liberty Party, convenes in New York, 1839
James Braid first sees a demonstration of animal magnetism, which leads him to study the subject and come up with what he later calls hypnosis, 1841
The Denny Party arrives at Alki Point, becoming the first settlers of what would become Seattle, Washington, 1851
The first shipment of canned pineapple leaves Hawai'i, 1895
French cyclist Paul Cornu flies the first helicopter, 1907
Russia completes development of the AK-47, one of the first proper assault rifles, 1947
A 150-mph tropical cyclone hits the densely populated Ganges Delta region of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), killing an estimated 500,000 people in one night. This is regarded as the 20th century's worst natural disaster, 1970
The Double Eagle V becomes the first hot air balloon to make it across the Pacific Ocean, 1981
Xavier Suarez is sworn in as Miami, Florida's first Cuban-born mayor, 1985
The High Court of Australia rules in Dietrich v The Queen that although there is no absolute right to have publicly funded counsel, in most circumstances a judge should grant any request for an adjournment or stay when an accused is unrepresented, 1992
In a referendum voters in Sweden decide to join the European Union, 1994
NASA announces that water has been discovered on the moon, 2009

When do i get a normal day?

Anybody home? i called out as i went into Ms. P's house.

It started as a busy enough day, and got busier.  #2 Son called at 5am for me to come get him from work.  He was being sent home because his stomach was hurting so badly he could barely stand up.  Once i got him home and started the laundry, i took Little Girl to school and then i called the doctor.  Could we have him there for 7:45am?

We were there by 7:20, before the office staff even showed up.  It's amazing what you can do when the doc agrees to work you in before the other patients.

It all boiled down to stress and too many energy drinks.  He's started burning that candle at both ends again, trying to work 4am to noon and yet stay up late with friends.  It doesn't work out too well for him.

Once i got him back home, i went to the store for milk and cat food and bananas, then came home and found that the car Grandpa had chosen to get #2 Son, an old Honda Civic, was being delivered.  Grandpa had made a mistake, though -- he put it in #2 Son's name.  He's only 18, and because the car is in his name instead of ours, he has to have his own insurance.

Guess how many companies will cover an 18-year-old on their own policy?  Very few.  Guess how much we finally had to pay?  $300/month.  He and i went to my insurance agent, because she was the only one who could cover him at all.  That, as i tried to remind Grandpa, is why we put Bigger Girl's car in our name instead of hers.  It makes a difference.

When we got back from that, and i finished the ironing, everything was breaking loose with The Big Boss and Ms. P.  They needed Sweetie to go pick up a parking pass, pick up one of the kids from school, and then i had to go meet them where the parking pass was being delivered.  From there, Sweetie would go get Little Girl from school, and i would take Middle Boy home, make sure the other three who were home sick were resting well, go get their dinner, and babysit for the rest of the evening.

So i went in, calling out to see if any of them were still extant.  They were, though all lying in bed, watching TV, and Youngest Boy was very upset at being awakened.  The boys requested beans and rice and biscuits from a local fast food place for dinner, and Daughter wanted an order from the sushi place next door to that, so i went and got what they wanted.

It was an evening.  The house was a wreck, and Littlest Boy is feeling much better -- he and Middle Boy misbehaved the whole night.  It took an act of Congress, and the threat of no hot cocoa, to get Middle Boy to do his homework.

There was lots of screaming, lots of sassing and back-talk, and three times i had to physically separate the boys because they were really hurting each other.  Times like this remind me of why some animals in the wild eat their young.

Eventually baths were taken and bedtime came, and while refereeing and doing everything else i managed to clean the kitchen, run the dishwasher, and do a load of laundry.

By the end of it all, Middle Boy was coughing up a storm and saying he didn't feel well.  He was starting a fever, i could tell.

When i get back on Thursday, i'll probably have a lot of work cut out for me, but at least i'll have one load of laundry out of the way.



Today is:

A&W Rootbeer Mug Day -- see if you can frost your mug like they did

Birth of Baha'u'llah -- Baha'i

Birth of Sun Yat-Sen, Doctors Day, and Cultural Renaissance Day -- Taiwan

Chicken Soup for the Soul Day -- "Changing the world, one story at a time."

Constitution Day -- Azerbaijan

Dia del Cartero -- Mexico (Postman's Day; postal carriers are shown appreciation with small gifts left in mailboxes)

Fancy Rat and Mouse Day -- the American Fancy Rat and Mouse Association wants you to know these little critters can give you a lot of love

Journee Nationale Maore -- Comoros (Admission to the UN Day)

Khalkeia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (festival of smiths, associated with Hephaists and Athena; date approximate)

National Pizza with the Works Except Anchovies Day

National Youth Day -- East Timor

St. Emillian's Day (Patron of Spain, finding lost objects)

St. Josaphat's Day (Patron of Edmonton, Alberta; Toronto, Ontario; Ukraine)

Tewa Buffalo Dance -- Native American Tewa of the Tesuque Pueblo rites on the feast day of their Patron, San Diego, to honor Mother Earth, Father Sky, the four directions, and the elements; through the 15th

Triple Crown of Surfing -- Oahu, HI, US (3 separate events, through Dec. 20)

World Pneumonia Day -- because we lose a million children a year to this preventable illness


Anniversaries Today:

The Arches National Park established, 1971
Ellis Island closes, 1954


Birthdays Today:

Anne Hathaway, 1982
Ryan Gosling, 1980
Sammy Sosa, 1968
Michael Moorer, 1967
David Schwimmer, 1966
Nadia Comaneci, 1961
Megan Mullally, 1958
Neil Young, 1945
Al Michaels, 1944
Wallace Shawn, 1943
Grace Kelly, 1929
Jo Stafford, 1918
Harry A. Blackmun, 1908
Sun Yat-sen, 1866
Auguste Rodin, 1840
Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 1815


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Grand Hotel"(Musical), 1989
"Irma la Douce"(Musical), 1956
"Paint Your Wagon"(Musical), 1951
Song of the South(Disney film), 1946
The first Sunday American-style football game is held in Philadelphia, 1933


Today in History:

Tibetan troops occupy Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, for fifteen days starting today, 764
Plymouth, England, becomes the first town incorporated by the English Parliament, 1439
Sir James Young Simpson, a British physician, is the first to use chloroform as an anaesthetic, 1847
Jules Leotard performs 1st Flying Trapeze circus act (Paris); he also designed garment that bears his name, 1859
World's Fair in Paris opens, 1900
The first movie stunt: man jumps into Hudson river from a burning balloon, 1910
Norway holds a referendum in favor of monarchy over republic, 1905
Robert Scott's diary & body are found in Antarctica, 1912
Austria becomes a republic, 1918
The first underwater tunnel, the Holland Tunnel connecting NY to NJ opens, 1927
The first photo of whatever is in Loch Ness is taken, 1933
Morocco, Sudan and Tunisia join the United Nations, 1956
Equatorial Guinea joins the United Nations, 1968
The Comoros joins the United Nations, 1975
The NASA space probe Voyager I makes its closest approach to Saturn and takes the first images of its rings, 1980
The Space Shuttle Columbia becomes the first time a manned spacecraft launched into space twice, 1981
Crown Prince Akihito is formally installed as Emperor Akihito of Japan, becoming the 125th Japanese monarch, 1990
Tim Berners-Lee publishes a formal proposal for the World Wide Web, 1990
Shanghai Transrapid sets up a new world speed record (501 kilometres per hour (311 mph)) for commercial railway systems, 2003
The Comparative Toxicogenomics Database is launched on the web and revolutionizes chemical-gene-disease information for research scientists, 2004
Philippine volcano Mount Bulusan erupts again, 2010

Now for today's good news.

"Guess what!" Red-Headed Alec called out as he came in from spending a couple of days with friends in another town.  "I passed the driving test!  I can drive now, all legal!"

Good for you! i cheered.

"Yeah, it went great.  While I was taking the driving part of the test, someone took an illegal left turn right in front of me, and I was able to see what they were going to do, and I slowed down and so I didn't hit them.  Then, someone ran a stop sign right in front of me when I didn't have a stop sign at all, and I anticipated that they weren't going to stop, and so I slowed and didn't hit them!

"So then the instructor says, 'Well, I was going to make the test more difficult and take you through a couple of more turns, but you just anticipated two potential accidents and avoided them, so I'd say you've done more than enough.'  And we went back and I got my license!"

That's wonderful, i repeated a couple of times.

A few minutes later, he got a call from his Nana -- the grandmother who adopted him and raised him, and who is now not always in her right mind, but tries when she can remember to.

"Yes, Nana, I passed!" i heard him say.  "Yes, I did great!  How much?  It's only $20 to get the car put in my name if it's a donation?  Wow!  But what about the repairs?  Uh-huh, yeah.  Oh!  Great!  Thank you, Nana!"

"Guess what now!" he grinned.  "The car that my mom is supposed to give me is only going to cost $400 to fix, and only $20 to get it in my name!  So all I need now is more work!"

You will get that, i said.

"Yes, because on the way here I stopped at the McDonald's, and I walked straight in and asked for the manager.  When he came up, I grabbed his hand and said, 'Hello!  My name is Alec White, and I want to work here.  In fact, I'm ready to be put to work this moment if you wanted!  I have filled out the application, and you can call the four-star restaurant where I worked when I lived in that town, and they will tell you that I am a great, hard worker!'  And the manager said, 'Come in Wednesday at 9am for an interview.'  So I'm going to have a job. and then a car, and someday I'm going to get that GED and get into culinary school!  I haven't ever given up on that, and I won't!"

Good news and determination make a good mix.


Today is:

Armistice Day/Poppy Day/Remembrance Day/Veterans Day

Bonza Bottler Day

Constitution Day and King's Birthday -- Bhutan

Day of Remembrance of the Volhvs/Einherjar Feast -- Asatru/Slavic Pagan Calendar (Norse "Feast of the Fallen")

Death/Duty Day

Fasching/Karneval -- Germany; Netherlands (official beginning of next year's pre-lent celebration starts on 11/11 at 11:11, when the Council of Eleven, in colorful fools caps, meet to plan the upcoming festivities)

Four Ones Day -- it is 11/11, after all

Hollantide Day a/k/a Hallow-tide -- Isle of Mann (season of All Saints, first day of Winter, celebrated in conjunction with Martintide, the Feast of St. Martin of Tours)

Independence Day -- Angola(1975); Poland(1918)

Independence of Cartagena City -- Colombia

Lacplesis -- Latvia (Remembrance Day)

Lunantishees Day -- Ireland (Fairies who guard the blackthorn trees, cutting a branch today, the old calendar's November 1, means bad luck.)

National Sundae Day

Old November Eve -- In the old calendar, this was actually All Hallow's Eve

Origami Day -- Japan

Pepero Day -- South Korea (similar to a Valentine's Day, when couples exchange Pepero brand cookie sticks)

Pocky and Pretz Day -- Japan (see Pepero day, but substitute the Japanese brand cookie sticks)

Republic Day -- Maldives

Singles Day -- China (Guang Gun Jie, literally "bare sticks day", celebrating the single life on the calendar date that has the most 1's)

St. Martin's Day a/k/a St. Martin of Tours's Day (Western), Martinmas (Old England) (Patron of beggars, cavalry, equestrians, geese, horses, innkeepers, Pontifical Swiss Guards, quartermasters, reformed alcoholics, riders, soldiers, tailors, vintners/wine growers and makers; against alcoholism, impoverishment; highly celebrated through Sweden, Switzerland, and the island of St. Martin/St. Maarten and Patron of over 25 diocese, cities, and countries around the world)
     Beggar's Day -- Netherlands (children act as beggars on St. Martin's Day, similar to trick-or-treat in English speaking countries)
     Martinigians -- Sursee, Switzerland (a celebration of the day in front of Town Hall)
     St. Maarten Day -- Sint Maarten

St. Menas of Egypt's Day (Patron of falsely accused people, peddlers, traveling merchants)

Veterans of Foreign Wars Day -- Federated States of Micronesia


Anniversaries Today:

Vietnam Women's Memorial is dedicated, 1993
Route 66 is established by the US Highway System, 1926
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetary is dedicated, 1921
Washington becomes the 42nd US State, 1889


Birthdays Today:

Leonardo DiCaprio, 1974
Peta Wilson, 1970
Calista Flockhart, 1964
Demi Moore, 1962
Marc Summers, 1951
Bibi Andersson, 1935
Jonathan Winters, 1925
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., 1922
Alger Hiss, 1904
Pat O'Brien, 1899
George Patton, 1885
Victor Emmanuel III, 1869
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky, 1821
Abigail Smith Adams,1744


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Shadowlands"(Play), 1990An Early Frost(TV movie), 1985
"Prisoner of Second Avenue"(Play), 1971
 "La Plume de Ma Tante"(Revue), 1958
"God Bless America(Song, first public performance)", 1938
"The Tinker's Wedding"(Synge play), 1909
"Society"(Thompson play), 1865


Today in History:

The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare Maxentius and Licinius to be Augusti, while rival contender Constantine I is declared Caesar of Britain and Gaul, 308
41 pilgrims land in Massachusetts, sign Mayflower Compact, 1620
Massachusetts passes 1st US compulsory school attendance law, 1647
Gottfried Leibniz demonstrates integral calculus for the first time to find the area under the graph of y = ƒ(x), 1675
The F.H.C. Society, also known as the Flat Hat Club, is formed at Raleigh Tavern, Williamsburg, Virginia, as the first college society in the US, 1750
Chrysanthemums are introduced into England from China, 1790
British and Canadian forces defeat a larger American force, causing the Americans to abandon their Saint Lawrence campaign, 1813
Mary Edward Walker, the 1st Army female surgeon, is awarded the Medal of Honor, 1865
The Victorian Aboriginal Protection Act is enacted in Australia, giving the government control of indigenous people's wages, their terms of employment, where they could live, and of their children, effectively leading to the Stolen Generations, 1869
The 11/11/11 cold wave: Many cities in the U.S. Midwest broke their record highs and lows on the same day as a strong cold front rolled through, 1911
The Tomb of the Unknowns is dedicated by US President Warren G. Harding at Arlington National Cemetery, 1921
Prime Minister Alexandros Papanastasiou proclaims the first recognized Greek Republic, 1924
U.S. Route 66 is established, 1926
Patent number US1781541 is awarded to Albert Einstein and Leó Szilárd for their invention, the Einstein refrigerator, 1930
The Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia is opened, 1934
Kuwait's National Assembly ratifies the Constitution of Kuwait, 1962
NASA launches Gemini 12, 1966
Antigua and Barbuda joins the United Nations, 1981
The General Synod of the Church of England votes to allow women to become priests, 1992
New Zealand Tomb of the Unknown Warrior is dedicated at the National War Memorial, Wellington, 2004
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II unveils the New Zealand War Memorial in London, United Kingdom, commemorating the loss of soldiers from the New Zealand Army and the British Army, 2006
The RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) sets sail on her final voyage to Dubai, 2008