Wordless Wednesday: Best Campaign Bumper Sticker Ever

Seen on the back of a car at Ft. Sam Houston:

Sums up how a lot of people felt!

Linking up with Wordless Wednesday. 


Today is:

Can You Find Your Old Rubik's Cube and Still Work It Day -- internet generated, and why would you bother?

Color Photos Day -- anniversary of the Kodak introduction of modern color film in 1935

Eat A Cranberry Day -- just to see why you add sugar, i guess

Feast of Qawl(Speech) -- Baha'i

Fibonacci Day -- celebrating the mathematical Fibonacci Series, which begins as 1,1,2,3

Giorgoba -- Georgia (St. George's Day; they celebrate their patron saint twice a year, today and May 6, his feast day on the OS calendar)

Hadakambo Festival -- Hofu, Japan (men dressed only in loincloths brave the cold carrying floats to the shrine)

International Image Consultant Day -- Association of Image Consultants International 

Jukebox Day -- many days compete for this title, but the first known nickel-in-the-slot record machine went into service on this day in 1889 in San Francisco, CA, US

Kinro Kansha no Hi -- Japan (Labour Day Thanksgiving, when people express gratitude to each other for their work through the year)

National Cashew Day -- some sites list it on the 22nd, i'm celebrating both as i love cashews

National Espresso Day

National Family Caregivers' Day -- US (if you are a caregiver who needs support, you can get it here  or here)

Pencil Sharpener Day -- John Love of Massachusetts patented the first one this day in 1897

Repudiation Day -- Maryland, US (anniversary of the Franklin County Court refusal to cooperate with Britain's Stamp Tax Act)

Rudolf Maister Day -- Slovenia

Scottish Open Badminton Grand Prix -- Glasgow, Scotland (through Sunday)

St. Clement's Day (Patron of boatmen/mariners/sailors/watermen, marble workers/stonecutters, sick children; Dundee, Scotland; Velletri, Italy)

St. Columbanus's Day (Patron of motorcyclists; Bobbio, Italy; against floods)

St. Felicity's Day (Patron of martyrs, widows; against the death of children, sterility)

Tie One On Day -- an apron!  on US Thanksgiving eve, write a note of encouragement or prayer, tuck it in the pocket of an apron, and wrap the apron around a good home or bakery made loaf of bread, then deliver it to someone who needs a kind gesture

Tori No Ichi -- Japan (the second "rooster day" of November, so called because it is held on the three days of the rooster this month, in which to wish good luck and prosperity at temple and shrine ceremonies around the country, and celebrate with a fair)

Weihnachtsmarkt auf dem Romerberg -- Frankfurt, Germany (Frankfurt Christmas Market, including glockenspiels, trumpets, and bells rung from 9 churches at regular intervals; through Dec. 22)

Wonderland of Lights -- Marshall, TX, US (through Dec. 31, includes parades, candlelight home tours, and more)


Birthdays Today:

Miley Cyrus, 1992
Lucas Grabeel, 1984
Salli Richardson, 1967
Steve Harvey, 1956
Bruce Hornsby, 1954
Susan Anspach, 1945
Krzysztof Penderecki, 1933
Jerry Bock, 1928
Johnny Mandel, 1925
Emmett Littleton Ashfrd, 1914
Harpo Marx, 1888
Boris Karloff, 1887
Billy the Kidd (William H. Bonney), 1859
Franklin Pierce, 1804
Edward Rutledge, 1749


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"I Feel Fine"(Beatles single release), 1964
"Dr. Who"(TV), 1963
"Fiorello!"(Musical), 1959
"Of Mice and Men"(Play), 1937
Life Magazine(First issue), 1936
First play-by-play American style football game radio broadcast, 1919 (Texas A&M beat University of Texas, 7-0)


Today in History:

Thespis of Icaria becomes the first actor to portray a character onstage, BC534
Charlemagne arrives at Rome to investigate the alleged crimes of Pope Leo III, 800
Conquest of Seville by the Christian troops under King Ferdinand III of Castile. 1248
Areopagitica, a pamphlet decrying censorship, and written by John Milton is published, 1644
People of Frederick County Md refuse to pay England's Stamp tax, 1765
Henry Burden patents Horseshoe manufacturing machine, 1835
Patent granted for a process of making color photographs, 1863
The first jukebox goes into operation at the Palais Royale Saloon in San Francisco, 1889
King William III of the Netherlands dies without a male heir and a special law is passed to allow his daughter Princess Wilhelmina to become his heir, 1890
Andrew J Beard invents "jerry coupler," to connect railroad cars, 1897
Pencil sharpener patented by J L Love, 1897
Enrico Caruso makes his US debut at the Metropolitan Opera House, NY in "Rigoletto", 1903
Wright Brothers forms million dollar corporation to manufacture airplanes, 1909
Life Magazine publishes its first issue, 1936
The Cocos Islands are transferred from the control of the United Kingdom to Australia, 1955
The BBC broadcasts the first ever episode of Doctor Who (starring William Hartnell) which is the world's longest running science fiction drama, 1963
Representatives of the People's Republic of China attend the United Nations, including the United Nations Security Council, for the first time, 1971
A series of earthquakes in southern Italy kills approximately 4,800 people, 1980
The first all woman expedition to the south pole (3 Americans, 1 Japanese and 12 Russians), sets off from Antarctica on the 1st leg of a 70 day, 1287 kilometre ski trek, 1990
Convention on Cybercrime is signed in Budapest, Hungary, 2001
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is elected president of Liberia and becomes the first woman to lead an African country, 2005
A message is found on the leg of a mummified pigeon from WWII in Surrey, England, in a code that is unrecognized, 2012
A special 50th anniversary episode of Dr. Who is aired, simulcast to 94 countries and earning a Guiness World Record for the largest simulcast of a TV drama, 2013

Tuesday Coffee Chat, Thanksgiving Edition

Rory Bore at Ink Interrupted hosts the Tuesday Coffee Chat, and this week the topic is:   Update your challenge.  Or in honour of American Thanksgiving, tell us what you're thankful for right now. 






As per my challenge, i have been completing a Spanish lesson every day.  There's really not much more to say about it than that, i will either be able to communicate somewhat in the language before i die, or not.  If i can't, it won't be for lack of trying.

On to Gratitude!

Yes, i'm thankful and grateful that i can study my lessons.

We are all thankful that Little Girl is back home, a certified army medic.  She was rather antsy the first days, since no one was regimenting her and she didn't have to wear her uniforms.  She wore them some of the time anyway and forced herself to keep to a schedule to try to adapt.  Monday morning she began yelling at Red-headed Alec, "Get up!  It's time for a run!  I told you we would work out together this morning, get your sorry self out of bed!"  He smiled and got up, and they ran.

Happy and thankful only begins to describe how we feel about the kittens, now at the shelter and up for adoption.  As of now, there's no news, but i will be working there tomorrow and can update on whether any have been adopted and gone home or pre-adopted and will be going home soon.  It's such a joy to be able to help animals this way.

This week is a very, very busy one and i am most thankful for the work.  Everyone wants their house cleaned just before the holiday, which keeps me jumping, and keeps me able to pay the bills!

Right now i am so thankful for my family.  Yes, i know they are mostly grown, i still love having the kids living here.  They and their attitudes and always wanting to talk about current events and happenings in their lives keeps me young.  Bigger Girl is tutoring a young lady in calculus, and the young lady in question is deathly allergic to cats, so Bigger Girl bought a hazmat suit to wear when with her.  That would only happen here, and i'm grateful because it makes me smile.

#1 Son is working two jobs right now, and i'm thankful he is showing such initiative to pay a few bills that will come due for him soon.  

#2 Son and Daughter-in-law Becky are still "So Happy Together" and i am very grateful for that.  They are young, and that works both for them and against them.  For now, one day at a time.

We get to go to Grandma and Grandpa's house for Thanksgiving and see everyone just like we always have, and that's a huge gratitude, that we are all still here and able to get together after another year.

Also, i'm thankful i started my Christmas cards early so as not to be rushed later.  It worked!


Today is:

Dispute-Settling Assizes -- Fairy Calendar (no, they won't tell us what kind of disputes)

Dita e Alfabetit -- Albania and Ethnic Albanians (Day of the Albanian Alphabet)

Go for a Ride Day -- internet generated; during the crazy holiday season, go out for a relaxing sleigh ride or something

Independence Day -- Lebanon(1943)

National Cashew Day -- some sites have this on the 23rd, i celebrate both as i love cashews

National Stop the Violence Day -- a call by US radio and TV stations for a cease fire on American streets, on the anniversary of John Kennedy's assassination; observed with white ribbons and driving with headlights on during the day

Phonograph Day -- Edison publicly  demonstrated his new music playing device on this day in 1877

Start Your Own Country Day -- begun at the 1939 World's Fair in New York

St. Cecilia's Day (Patron of composers, luthiers, martyrs, music, musicians, musical instrument makers, poets, singers; Academy of Music, Rome, Italy; Albi, France; Omaha, Nebraska; Valleyfield, Quebec)

Ydalir -- Ancient Norse Calendar (Celebration of the wintertime god of skiing and archery, Ullr; date approximate)


Anniversary Today:

The Humane Society of the United States is founded, 1954


Birthdays Today:

Scarlett Johansson, 1984
Scott Robinson, 1979
Boris Becker, 1967
Mariel Hemingway, 1961
Jamie Lee Curtis, 1958
Richard Kind, 1957
Billie Jean King, 1943
Guion S. Bluford, Jr., 1942
Harry Edwards, 1942
Tom Conti, 1941
Terry Gilliam, 1940
Robert Vaughn, 1932
Rodney Dangerfield, 1921
Benjamin Britten, 1913
Hoagie Carmichael, 1899
Wiley Post, 1898
Charles de Gaulle, 1890
John Nance Garner, 1868
George Eliot (Mary A. Evans), 1819
Abigail Adams, 1744


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Cathy"(Comic strip), 1976
"The Beatles/The White Album"(Beatles album release), 1968
"Man of La Mancha"(Musical), 1965
"The Grand Canyon Suite"(Grofe suite for orchestra), 1931
"Bolero"(Ravel orchestral piece), 1928
"La Forza del Destino/The Power of Fate"(Verdi opera), 1862
On the Origin of Species(Publication date), 1859


Today in History:

The first Duke of all Brittany, Nominoe defeats the Frankish king Charles the Bald at the Battle of Ballon near Redon, 845
Spain delegates "New Laws" against slavery in America, 1542
Dutch colonial forces on Taiwan launch a pacification campaign against native villages, resulting in Dutch control of the middle and south of the island, 1635
Off the coast of North Carolina, British pirate Edward Teach (best known as "Blackbeard") is killed in battle with a boarding party led by Lieutenant Robert Maynard, 1718
Peregrine Williamson of Baltimore patents a steel pen, 1809
Canadian journalist and politician William Lyon Mackenzie called for a rebellion against Great Britain, 1837
In Dumbarton, Scotland, the clipper Cutty Sark is launched – one of the last clippers ever to be built, and the only one still surviving to this day, 1869
Victoria Street Cable Tram route begins in Melbourne, Australia, 1886
The Congress of Manastir establishes the Albanian alphabet, 1908
1st snowmobile patent granted to Carl Eliason of Sayner Wisconsin, 1927
The premier performance of Ravel's Boléro takes place in Paris, 1928
Gasoline pump patented that computes quantity & price delivered, 1932
"Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" first heard on Eddie Cantor's show, 1934
The Humane Society of the United States is founded, 1954
US President John F. Kennedy is killed and Texas Governor John B. Connally is seriously wounded by Lee Harvey Oswald, 1963
The United Nations General Assembly grants the Palestine Liberation Organization observer status, 1974
Juan Carlos is declared King of Spain following the death of Francisco Franco, 1975
In Palmdale, California, the first prototype B-2 Spirit stealth bomber is revealed, 1988
Toy Story is released as the first feature-length film created completely using computer-generated imagery, 1995
Angela Merkel becomes the first female Chancellor of Germany, 2005
Germany holds its first piracy trial in 400 years, placing 10 Somalis accused of piracy on trial for alleged attacks on a German ship, 2010
Scientists in New Britain, Papua New Guinea, discover the first orchid known to flower at night, 2011

Awww Monday: In the Right Class!

Awww Monday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus.

Join us every Monday for Awww...Mondays.  Post a picture that makes you say Awww... and that it.

Make sure you get the code from Sandee's site, linked above, and leave a link to your post so we can visit you.  What better way to start the week than with a smile!

She does nothing half way!

This is Ellen, she is now in the Monkey Sunday school class.  When they move up to that class, they go to children's church where they get a chance to put money in the offering plate.  She is a little monkey, the first time the plate came to her, she tried to take money out!







Today is:

Armed Forces Day -- Bangladesh

Canadian Western Agribition -- IPSCO Place, Regina, SK, Canada (Canada's premier agriculture showcase; through Saturday)

False Confessions Day -- internet generated, and not for the faint of heart

Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin -- Eastern and Roman Catholic Christian (those following the Gregorian Calendar)

Festival of Madonna della Salute -- Venice, Italy

Furniture Memory Day -- an internet generated test of your memory; see if you remember where you got each piece of furniture you own, how much it cost, and how its most precious scratch came to be; you are also encouraged to dust if you want to

General Framework Agreement Day -- RS, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Gerard d'Aboville Day -- marking the day, in 1991, he arrived in Ilwaco, WA, US, after departing Japan 4 months earlier in a rowboat!

Gingerbread Day

Icelandic Calendar Month Ylir (Whiner) begins -- named after the whining winter winds

Learn When To Start Thawing the Turkey Day -- US (USDA "Let's Talk Turkey" hotline 800-535-4555; Butterball "Turkey Talk-Line" 800-323-4848)

National Military Families Recognition Day -- US (by Presidential Proclamation in 1993, the Monday before Thanksgiving Day) 

National Stuffing Day -- various dates given on many sites, so if you enjoy stuffing, celebrate them all

No Music Day -- www.nomusicday.com for the explanation

Revolution Day -- Mexico

St. Gelasius' Day

Ugly Day -- Fairy Calendar

World Hello Day -- recognizing the importance of communication in world peace, say hello to people you don't usually greet today 

World Television Day -- UN


Anniversaries Today:

South Carolina becomes the 12 US State, 1789


Birthdays Today:

Tasha Schwikert, 1984
Ken Griffey, Jr., 1969
Troy Aikman, 1966
Bjork, 1965
Nicollette Sheridan, 1963
Cherry Jones, 1956
Cynthia Rhodes, 1956
Lorna Luft, 1952
Goldie Hawn, 1945
Harold Ramis, 1944
Marcy Carsey, 1944
Tweety Bird, 1942
Juliet Mills, 1941
Marlo Thomas, 1938
James DePreist, 1936
Laurence Luckinbill, 1934
Joseph Campanella, 1927
Stan Musial, 1920
Coleman Hawkins, 1904
Rene Magritte, 1898
Hetty Green, 1834
William Beaumont, 1785
Josiah Bartlett, 1729
Voltaire, 1694


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"I'm Gonna Make You Love Me"(Single release), 1968
"A Tale of Two Kitties"(Warner cartoon, debut of Tweety Bird), 1942
"The Relapse, or, Virtue in Danger"(Vanbrugh play), 1696


Today in History:

Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family, restores the Temple in Jerusalem; this is the event commemorated each year by the festival of Hanukkah, BC164
The Pilgrims, aboard the Mayflower, reach what is now called Provincetown Harbor, Massachusetts, and sign the Mayflower Compact, 1620
Richard Johnson, a free black, is granted 550 acres in Virginia, 1654
In Paris, Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent, Marquis d'Arlandes, make the first untethered hot air balloon flight, 1783
Colonel Napoléon Bonaparte is promoted to full general and appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Armies of the French Republic, 1791
First Jewish Reform congregation in US forms, Charleston, SC, 1824
Moses F Gale patents a cigar lighter, 1871
Tom Edison announces his "talking machine" invention (phonograph), 1877
Rebecca Latimer Felton of Georgia takes the oath of office, becoming the first female United States Senator, 1922
First commercial crossing of Pacific by plane (China Clipper), 1935
The Alcan Highway is completed, 1942*
The British Natural History Museum announces that the "Piltdown Man" skull is a hoax, 1953
The first permanent ARPANET link is established between UCLA and SRI, 1969
Gerard d'Aboville completes his four-month solo journey to row across the Pacific Ocean, 1991
The Dayton Peace Agreement is initialed at the Wright Patterson Air Force Base, near Dayton, Ohio, ending three and a half years of war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1995
NATO invites Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia to become members, 2002
Iran's President Ahmadinejad rejects the country's successful family planning program and tells Iranian girls they should marry at 16, 2010
The three most senior surviving members of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge regime are charged with genocide and crimes against humanity, 2011
For the second time in four months, New Zealand's Mount Tongariro volcano, on the North Island, erupts, 2012


*Not opened to general vehicular traffic until the next year

Silly Sunday: Driving

Silly Sunday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus.

Silly Sunday is the place to come for weekly laughs.  The rules are simple, just have fun.

This is a great opportunity to get to know other bloggers and have a laugh or two in the process.

Here is how it works: Laugh and Link Up!
1. Post a joke.
2. Link Up with the URL to your joke in the Linky Tools Widget.
3. Read my joke.
4. Leave a comment to tell me how much you enjoyed my joke.
5. Try and visit a few others participating in Silly Sunday.
6. Go to Sandee's site, linked above, and get the Silly Sunday code for your blog, too!

Our trip was great and very tiring.  Sweetie got sick Friday night, thus i had to do all of the driving home on Saturday.  By the time we got here, i was not feeling much better than he was.  The traffic in Houston was bad, there were people who drove like they had a death wish, and the interstate close to home had shut down again so we had to cut around the back way.

Boudreaux done have him some trouble wit' de drivin', too.  One day, he be on de highway, an' he be only doin' 10 mile an hour!  De rest o' de cars be honkin' an' swervin' so dey don' hit him.  Officer Thibodeaux done pull him over, an' ax, "Boudreaux, what be de trouble!  What fo' you be goin' so slow out here!"

An' Boudreaux say, "Mais, I be doin' what de sign say!  It say ten so I be doin' ten mile an hour!"

Officer Thibodeaux say, "Boudreaux, you be crazy!  Dis be de Highway 10!  De ten is not de speed limit!  You goin' kill someone if you don' learn what be de highway number an' what be de speed limit!"

Den Officer Thibodeaux look at de passengers in de car, an' dey be lookin' so scare!  Dey be almost white like de sheets, an' he say, "What be wrong wit' you friends in de car?"

An' Boudreaux he say, "Oh, I t'ink dey be like dis 'cause we jes' came off de Highway 190!"






Today is:

Absurdity Day -- an internet generated absurd holiday

Africa Industrialization Day -- UN

Air Your Dirty Laundry Day -- internet generated, and be careful with this one!

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.)

Beautiful Day -- Fairy Calendar

Celebration of Christ The King -- Christian (final Sunday of the Ecclesiastical Year) related observance
     Stir Up Sunday -- the day to get your Christmas plum pudding started

Clean the Cat Hair Out of the Vacuum Cleaner Day -- internet generated, and always tops on my chore list

Day of Sekhmet and the Purifying Flame -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Day of National Sovereignty -- Argentina (commemorates the Battle of Vuelta de Obligado)

Dia da Consciencia Negra -- Brazil (Black Consciousness Day)

Globally Organized Hug A Runner Day aka G.O.H.A.R.D

Mother Goose Parade Day -- El Cajon, CA, US (kicking off the holiday season with good, family fun)

Name Your PC Day -- mine is Ol' Bessy, a/k/a Old Crankypants; sponsored by Wellcat Holidays

National Farm-City Week -- US (on the week of Thanksgiving, remember that it's the farmers, ranchers and growers who supply your celebratory foods)

National Peanut Butter Fudge Day

Praetextatus and Paulina's Day -- Ancient Roman Calendar (Guardians of the Eleusinian Mysteries, pagan activists and devotees who tried to save Roman religions; date approximate)

Revolution Day -- Mexico (traditional)

St. Edmund the Martyr's Day (Patron of kings, torture victims, wolves; East Anglia, England; against plagues)

Teachers' Day -- Vietnam

Totensonntag/Ewigkeitssonntag -- Germany (Sunday of the Dead/Eternity Sunday; a general celebration and memorial of all who have died, decreed to be celebrated in Lutheran Churches by King Frederick William III of Prussia in 1816)

Transgender Day of Remembrance -- memorial for those who have been killed because of transphobia

Universal Children's Day -- UN

World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims -- UN

Zumbi Day -- Brazil (death anniversary of Zumbi dos Palmares, a day of Afro-Brazilian consciousness, as he was a hero and freedom fighter)


Anniversaries Today:

The Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) marries Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten at Westminster Abbey in London, 1947
The first municipal airport in the US opens, in Tuscon, AZ, 1919


Birthdays Today:

Sabrina Lloyd, 1970
Ming-Na Wen, 1967
Sean Young, 1959
Bo Derek, 1956
Steve Dahl, 1954
Richard Masur, 1948
Duane Allman, 1946
Judy Wooodruff, 1946
Veronica Hamel, 1943
Joe Biden, 1942
Dick Smothers, 1939
Don DeLillo, 1936
Richard Dawson, 1932
Estelle Parsons, 1927
Kaye Ballard, 1926
Robert F. Kennedy, 1925
Nadine Gordimer, 1923
Gene Tierney, 1920
Robert Byrd, 1917
Alistair Cooke, 1908
Chester Gould, 1900
Edwin Hubble, 1889
Karl von Frisch, 1886
Kenesaw Mountain Landis, 1866
Selma Lagerlf, 1858
Sir Wilfred Laurier, 1841
Thomas Chattertn, 1752
Oliver Wolcott, 1726
Susanna Wesley, 1669 (mother of John, Charles, and 17 other children)
Peregrine White, 1620 (born on the Mayflower)
Maximinus, Roman Emperor, 270


Debuting/Premiering Today:

Beatles Antology 1(album release), 1995
The Day After(TV movie), 1983
"A Soldier's Play"(Fuller Pulizer winning play), 1981
"Cabaret"(Musical), 1966
"The Seven Year Itch"(Play), 1952
"The Children's Hour"(Play), 1934
"The Goldbergs"(Radio), 1929
The Sheik(Film, with Rudolph Valentino), 1921
"Das Lied von der Erde/The Song of the Earth"(Mahler symphony), 1911
"The Doctor's Dilemma"(Play), 1906
"Fidelio"(Opera, Beethoven Op. 72), 1805


Today in History:

Bögü, Khan of the Uyghurs, conquers Lo-Yang, capital of the Chinese Empire, 762
Zumbi, the last leader of the Quilombo dos Palmares of Brazil, is executed, 1695
New Jersey becomes the first state to ratify the US Bill of Rights, 1789
Curacao's government forbids slave work on Sunday, 1795
Howard University is founded in Washington, D.C., 1866
US State Department starts requiring photographs for passports, 1914
The first municipally owned airport in US opens, in Tucson Az, 1919
In response to the Soviet Union agreeing to remove its missiles from Cuba, U.S. President John F. Kennedy ends the quarantine of the Caribbean nation, 1962
The SETI Institute is founded, 1984
Microsoft Windows 1.0 is released, 1985
The number of protesters assembled in Prague, Czechoslovakia swells from 200,000 the day before to an estimated half-million, 1989
In England, a fire breaks out in Windsor Castle, badly damaging the castle and causing over £50 million worth of damage, 1992
The first module of the International Space Station, Zarya, is launched, 1998
The Dow Jones Industrial Average reaches its lowest level in eleven years, 2008
NATO agrees to begin handing over Afghanistan's security to the Afghan military, 2010
The UN World Meteorological Organization announces the 2011 greenhouse gasses reached record levels, 2012
A vote of the General Synod of the Church of England approves women to be ordained bishops beginning the next year, 2013

Graduation Day!

Wednesday morning went well, Sweetie and i were heading out of town by about 11am.

You do realize that means we hit Houston traffic right at 4:30pm, right?

Yes, we did, and it isn't nearly as bad as it sounds, especially since we don't have to sit through it every single day.

My friend Grace was more than ready for us to be there by the time we arrived in San Antonio at 9:30pm.  We talked a bit, and then went to bed.

Thursday morning she came with us for breakfast tacos at Carmelita's, then she decided to accompany us to the base visitor center to see if we could get passes.

It turned out to be a good thing that she came.  Because Little Girl had only requested passes for us on Friday, we couldn't apply for simple visitor passes for Thursday.  Grace is a military dependent (her husband is a retired career Airman), so she was able to request a pass for us.

We took Grace back home to work (she works from home), and went back to the base in time to wait for Little Girl's company to finish their graduation ceremony practice.  Once done, i was able to sign her out and we took her to a late lunch.

It was wonderful seeing her, and every time we see her after a separation she hugs me and says, "I'd forgotten how small you were!"  It's become a running joke.

A funny thing happened that evening after i'd signed Little Girl back onto base.  Sweetie and i took Grace out to dinner to thank her for letting us stay at her house.  She mentioned one restaurant, and we went to the strip mall where it was located, got turned around, and walked into the wrong restaurant!  It wasn't until after we were seated that i realized it, but we decided to stay because the menu looked good.  Now i wonder how many people end up in the wrong one because the entrances to those two restaurants are so close.

The graduation ceremony on Friday was beautiful, and Little Girl gave us her duffel bags to take home because she didn't want to lug them on the plane (and i don't blame her, you don't want to lug two huge bags like that around an airport, especially when you have a layover).  We took her for lunch again, and walked a bit on the River Walk, and dropped her at the airport.  She got home last night, and we are driving home today.

It's been a fabulous visit with my friend Grace, and we are proud of Little Girl, who can now start college, and i am tired with another very busy week ahead.

The tired is worth it, she is worth it.

Terrible picture of a terrific Army Medic!

Today is:

Alligator Wrestling Day -- internet generated, and i wonder if a cat that doesn't want its meds counts?

Automatic Toll Collection Day -- the first machine went into use on New Jersey’s Garden State Parkway on this day in 1954

Discovery Day -- Puerto Rico

Equal Opportunity Day / Dedication Day / Remembrance Day -- anniversary of the Gettysburg Address

Family Volunteer Day -- to get families working together to better their communities and the world; get information here 

Fete de S.A.S. le Prince Souverain -- Monaco (National Day)

Flag Day -- Brazil

Garifuna Day/Carib Settlement Day -- Belize

"Have a Bad Day" Day -- for the hidden, or not so hidden, grouch in all of us; sponsored by Wellcat Holidays

Holidays in the City Grand Illumination Parade -- Norfolk, VA, US (to kick off Thanksgiving and the upcoming holidays)

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

International Men's Day -- Australia; Canada; Ghana; Hungary; India; Ireland; Jamaica; Malta; Singapore; South Africa; Trinidad and Tobago; United Kingdom; United States

International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day 
     National Survivors of Suicide Day -- US (by Congressional designation since 1999, and now an international movement; remembering those who have lost loved ones to suicide, especially as Thanksgiving and the holidays are coming)

Liberation Day -- Mali

Natchitoches Festival of Lights -- Natchitoches, LA, US (over 350,000 lights go on every night from now until Jan, 6, with carolers on Friday and Saturday evenings downtown, festivals and events every weekend; come celebrate the season in the Oldest Settlement in the Louisiana Purchase)

National Adoption Day -- US (encouraging us to find a home for every child; many courts finalize thousands of adoptions of children from foster care on this day each year) 

National Carbonated Beverage with Caffeine Day

Nordic Yulefest -- Nordic Museum, Seattle, WA, US (a Scandinavian holiday extravaganza; through tomorrow)

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

Please Maintain Your Focus Today Day -- internet generated, but a good idea

St. Obadiah's Day (Obadiah the Prophet)

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

"What Ever Happened to Gary Pucket?" Day -- internet generated, and a fun question to research

Women's Entrepreneurship Day 

World's Champion Duck-Calling Contest and Festival -- Stuttgart, AR, US (pageants for Queen Mallard and Junior Queen Mallard, carnival, and the best duck calling possible; through Nov. 30)

World Toilet Day -- sponsored by the World Toilet Organization (yes, really, to raise awareness of the 2.5 billion people who don't have access to proper sanitation)


Anniversaries Today:

Zion National Park is established, 1919
Women's Christian Temperance Union is founded, 1874


Birthdays Today:

McCaughey Septuplets, 1997
Kerri Strug, 1977
Savion Glover, 1973
Gail Devers, 1966
Terry Farrell, 1963
Jodie Foster, 1962
Meg Ryan, 1961
Allison Janney, 1960
Anne Curry, 1956
Eileen Collins, 1956
Scott Jacoby, 1956
Glynnis O'Connor, 1955
Kathleen Quinlan, 1954
Ahmad Rashad, 1949
Calvin Klein, 1942
Garrick Utley, 1939
Ted Turner, 1938
Dick Cavett, 1936
Jack Welch, 1935
Larry King, 1933
Roy Campanella, 1921
Indira Gandhi, 1917
Peter Drucker, 1909
Tommy Dorsey, 1905
Billy Sunday, 1862
James Garfield, 1831


Debuting/Premiering Today:

Heaven's Gate(Film), 1980
"Rocky and His Friends/Rocky and Bullwinkle"(TV), 1959
The first Automatic Toll Collection Machine, at the Union Toll Plaza in New Jersey, 1954


Today in History:

The Council of Clermont, called by Pope Urban II to discuss sending the First Crusade to the Holy Land, begins, 1095
Rabbi Isaiah b Abraham aha-Levi Horowitz arrives in Isreal, 1621
The Jakobinen club forms in Paris, 1794
The Jay Treaty, the first US extradition treaty, is signed with Great Britain, 1794
Lewis and Clark reach the Pacific Ocean, becoming the first European Americans to cross the continent, 1805
Warsaw University is established, 1816
The St. Petersburg flood, caused by storms, kills 10,000, 1824
The second Canadian railway line, the Montreal and Lachine Railway, is opened, 1847
Lincoln delivers his Gettysburg Address, 1863
Boss Tweed is convicted, sentenced to 12 years, 1874
Carrie Nation attempts to address the US Senate, 1903
NY receives the first Marconi wireless transmission from Italy, 1911
Samuel Goldwyn and Edgar Selwyn establish Goldwyn Pictures (anybody want to guess what this eventually became?), 1916
The first issue of Time Magazine is published, with Emperor Hirohito on the cover, 1928
Télé Monte Carlo, Europe's oldest private television channel, is launched by Prince Rainier III, 1954
The first automatic toll collection machine is introduced on New Jersey's Garden State Parkway, 1954
Ford cancels the Edsel, 1959
Apollo 12 astronauts Pete Conrad and Alan Bean land at Oceanus Procellarum (the "Ocean of Storms") and become the third and fourth humans to walk on the Moon, 1960
Egyptian President Anwar Sadat becomes the first Arab leader to officially visit Israel, when he meets Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin and speaks before the Knesset in Jerusalem, seeking a permanent peace settlement, 1977
Lt. Gen. Maurice Baril of Canada arrives in Africa to lead a multi-national policing force in Zaire, 1996
Vincent van Gogh's Portrait of the Artist Without Beard sells at auction for $71.5 million USD, 1998
The People's Republic of China launches its first Shenzhou spacecraft, 1999
Claudia Castillo has a successful trachea transplant from stem-cell created organ, 2008
Many nations urge lower fishing rates on the Atlantic bluefin tuna; quota limits on the critically endangered fish are discussed by major fishing nations in Paris, 2010

Felines Settle In and Thanksgiving Fill-Ins

Feline Friday is hosted by Steve, The Burnt Food Dude, and i'm going to believe it's because he likes cats.
Feline Friday is simple to join. All you have to do is..
1) post a picture, drawing, cartoon or video of a cat (They may be silly or cute)

2) go to Steve's page, linked above, then on the menu bar click on the Feline Friday tab to get the code

3) paste the code under your cat picture

4) add your name and link
That’s all there is to it! Be sure to check back every so often and visit all the Feline Friday bloggers. Also, please leave a nice comment on their blogs. Nasty comments will be deleted!

Before we left town, the kittens were settling in:

A few minutes later, they all got up and started playing!

*************************************************************

Friendly Fill-Ins are easy to do. There are four statements: the first two statements are provided by Ellen of 15AndMeowing, and the final two are offered by McGuffy Ann Morris of McGuffy's Reader. They try to make sure the statements will be fun to both answer and share. The linky will be posted at or about 12:00 AM on Friday. Please head over to one of their sites, link up, and share your thoughts! 

My fill-ins for the statements are underlined:

Week 28: November 18, 2016

1. One Thanksgiving tradition I have is __________________________.

2. Black Friday _______________________.

3. The best part about Thanksgiving Day is ___________________________.

4. One Thanksgiving, ___________________________.


1. One Thanksgiving tradition i have is that i make the gravy.  First, you make a roux... *

2. Black Friday has become too much in my view.  There is no "deal" so good that i would want to knock people over or wait in such lines.

3. The best part about Thanksgiving Day is having the whole family there.

4. One Thanksgiving, many, many years ago, my Papa wanted a duck for Thanksgiving as well as a turkey.  My poor Nana was going crazy trying to deal with six adults and six children in a house with only one bathroom, and he just wouldn't drop the idea of roast duck.  So Nana got someone to take her to the store for last minute things (back in the day when stores all closed on Thanksgiving), and when she came home, she was pulling items out of the bags, slamming them on the table.  Nana never slammed anything, and never, ever used a bad word, ever, but that that moment she was so mad she said, as she slammed it on the table, "And I bought your f***ing duck, too!"  Papa knew he had gone too far, and never pushed her to do that again!

*the joke about Cajun recipes is that almost all of them start with, "First, you make a roux..."



Today is:

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

Constitution Day -- South Africa (the 1993 Constitution, granting blacks the right to vote, was approved)

Day of Ardvi Sura (Aredvi Sura Anahita), Mother of the Stars -- Ancient Persian Calendar (date approximate)

European Antibiotic Awareness Day -- ECDC (because prudent use of antibiotics can help stop antibiotic resistance) 

Feast of the Virgen de Chiquinquirá -- Maracaibo, Venezuela

Grand Illumination Celebration and Gingerbread House Competition & Display -- Lahaska, PA, US (the holiday fun begins at the Peddler's Village, through the New Year)

Greater Pittsburgh Arts and Crafts Show -- Monroeville, PA, US (through Sunday)

Hap-Dancing and Tiger-Tuning -- Fairy Calendar

Holiday Folk Fair International -- Milwaukee, WI, US (featuring costumes, dancing, entertainment, exhibits, and more from 65 cultures; through Sunday)

Holiday Lights on the Lake -- Altoona, PA, US (51 acres of lights, animations, gift shops, food, model train displays, and more; through the Sunday after New Year's Day)

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

Independence Day -- Morocco(1956); Western Saraha(1975)

Magal de Touba -- Senegal (commemoration of the departure into exile of Ahmadou Bamba to Gabon, a Sufi religious festival)

Married to a Scorpio Support Day -- remembering those married to Scorpios (like me!) and suffering because of it, and encouraging them too hide the flow charts and assert themselves today; sponsored by Wellcat Holidays

National Day -- Oman (trad.; will be observed Nov. 27)

National French Vichyssoise Day

Ned Ludd Memorial Machine-Smashing Day -- internet generated, but enjoy!  i know i will

Proclamation of the Republic -- Latvia (1918)

Push-Button Phone Day -- launched this day in 1963

Ranch Hand Festival and Breakfast -- King Ranch, Kingsville, TX, US (the festival begins today, and tomorrow morning there will be a real ranch hand meal, cooked and served outdoors, on a working cattle ranch where you can watch cowboys round up longhorns)
     kickoff of the celebration La Posada de Kingsville, with special holiday celebrations through December

Silver Bells in the City -- Lansing, MI, US (the capital city sparkles as the business district lights up for the holidays)

St. Odo of Cluny's Day (Patron of needed rain)

Substitute Educators Day -- US (the NEA encourages everyone to recognize those hard working substitute teachers, especially the ones who work most or all of the school year)

Total Disregard for Taste Day -- marking the debut of Howard Stern's radio show on this day in 1985

Vertieres Day -- Haiti (Battle of Vertieres and Army Day)

William Tell Day -- the famed apple-off-his-son's-head-shot was today in 1307

York International Postcard Fair -- York, PA, US (over 100 international dealers in post cards show, sell, and trade their finest cards; through tomorrow)



Birthdays Today:

Owen Wilson, 1968
Elizabeth Perkins, 1960
Sinbad, 1956
Katy Sagal, 1956
Kevin Nealn, 1953
Andrea Marcvicci, 1948
Jameson Parker, 1947
Wilma Mankiller, 1945
Susan Sullivan, 1944
Linda Evans, 1942
Brenda Vaccaro, 1939
Margaret Eleanor Atwood, 1939
Mickey Mouse, 1928
Alan Shepard, Jr., 1923
John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer, 1909
Imogene Coca, 1908
George Gallup, 1901
Eugene Ormandy, 1899
Clarence Shepard Day, 1874
Dorothy Dix (Elizabeth Meriwether Gilmer), 1861
Ignacy Jan Paderewski, 1860
James Edward Sullivan, 1860
Sir William Schwenck Gilbert, 1836
Asa Gray, 1810
Louis-Jacques Daguerre, 1787
Sojourner Truth, 1787
Carl Maria von Weber, 1786


Debuting/Premiering Today:

Star Trek: Generations(Film), 1994
Malcolm X(Film), 1992
Calvin and Hobbes(Comic strip), 1985 (in this first strip, Calvin catches Hobbes in a tiger trap baited with a tuna sandwich)
"See It Now"(TV), 1951
"Skin of Our Teeth"(Wilder play), 1943
Steamboat Willie (a/k/a Mickey Mouse), 1928
US Uniform Time Zone Plan, 1883 (on this date, the railroads adopted the current uniform time zone plan; it wasn't legally mandated until 1918)


Today in History:

Old St. Peter's Basilica is consecrated, 326
The Japanese Emperor Kammy relocates the residence of Nara to Kioto, 794
William Tell shoots the apple off his son's head, 1307
The Holland/Zealand dikes break during a storm, resulting in thousands of deaths, 1421
The first English printed book, "Dictes & Sayengis of the Phylosophers", is published, 1477
Christopher Columbus first sights the island now known as Puerto Rico, 1493
Vasco da Gama reaches the Cape of Good Hope, 1497
The worst earthquake in Massachusetts Bay/Boston area, 1755
The first Unitarian Minister in the US is ordained in Boston, 1787
30 women meet at Mrs Silas Lee's home in Wiscasset Maine, to organize the Female Charitable Society, first woman's club in America, 1805
Mark Twain's story The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County is published in the New York Saturday Press, 1865
National Woman's Christian Temperance Union organizes in Cleveland, 1874
Standard time zones are formed by railroads in the US and Canada, 1883
The first newspaper Sunday color comic strip is printed, in the NY World, 1894
Britain flies its first sea plane, 1911
Lincoln Deachey performs the first airplane loop-the-loop, over San Diego, 1913
Sigma Alpha Rho, a Jewish high school fraternity, is founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1917
Release of the animated short Steamboat Willie, the first fully synchronized sound cartoon, directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks, featuring the third appearances of cartoon characters Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, 1928
Off the south coast of Newfoundland in the Atlantic Ocean, a Richter magnitude 7.2 submarine earthquake, centered on Grand Banks, breaks 12 submarine transatlantic telegraph cables and triggers a tsunami that destroys many south coast communities in the Burin Peninsula, 1929
New York City's Mad Bomber places his first bomb at a Manhattan office building used by Consolidated Edison, 1940
In the United States, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is ratified, 1993
HIP 13044 b, a planet that was formed in another galaxy, is discovered in the Helmi Stream, 2010