Morning came early as i got up to peel shrimp, make the shells into stock, and premake the roux. Then we put cooking on hold for a swamp tour.
When i tell people we live in a swamp, i do mean it. This area used to flood each year, for thousands of years, just like the Nile flooded Egypt. The plants grew in this wet, boggy environment, and rain kept it all lush and prolific year round.
Then levees were built, and roads, and the swamp down the street from us was cut off from the flooding, but is now just a rain fed swamp that does drain into the bayous a bit, but is not fed by them.
We saw tons of native plants, lots of different spiders and birds, and way too many invasive species. It's difficult to keep them out, but they do try.
Our tour guide pointed out the poison ivy early, so i think all of us were well warned to stay on the trails and behave, which we did.
After the walking tour, which was shorter than i remembered last time because parts of the trail are still impassible after the hurricane, we got to pet a snake and a baby alligator. We also got to watch a couple of the snakes being fed.
Lunch was Thai, and the Doberge cakes were ready on cue, and DiDreaming, WSS and i went back to the house to get the gumbo really going. The others went to their respective hotels to rest a bit.
It was while making the gumbo that we almost had a major snafu. We were making vegan, chicken and sausage, and seafood. We were partway through the seafood when Di happened to taste it and for some reason there was an undertone of plastic taste to it, it was awful! We have no idea how it happened, but we had to dump it out, run to the store for more ingredients, and make up for lost time.
Still, it got done. Script came and both played her recorder for us (she is a very talented musician) and made her home made Caesar salad, from her Italian cousin's special recipe. Ninja brought the party music for us. Dayeanu arrived! She was in plenty of time to enjoy the whole evening with us.
So the menu was the Caesar salad, gumbo, and Doberge cake. Of course there are tons of leftovers, of course since i only drink water and my smoothies i had to make tea last minute because we just don't keep soda in the house, and of course it all ended way too early because Saturday is plantation day.
Today is:
Aizu Byakko Matsuri -- Aizuwakamatsu-shi, Fukushima, Japan (ceremonial recreation of a march to war in 1868; through the 24th)
Aloha Festival Floral Parade -- Oahu, Hawai'i (part of the larger Aloha Festival celebrations this month and next on all the islands, celebrating native Hawai'ian culture)
American Business Women's Day -- US
Apple Saturday -- Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village, New Gloucester, ME, US (tours of the Shaker orchard and exhibits, and bring your own apples to be pressed into cider with a hand press, or buy some grown there; also two Saturdays following)
Autumnal Equinox -- 10:49am EDT; related observances
Mabon -- Wicca/Pagan Northern Hemisphere
Ostara -- wicca/Pagan Southern Hemisphere
Alban Elfed -- Celtic Winter Finding
Chuseok -- Korean harvest festival
Feast of Carpo -- Greek Horae, goddess of autumn
Kukulcan Snake God Celebration -- Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico (the snake appears at the equinox, a time to honor this Mayan god)
Festival of the Sea Goddess -- Eskimo
Higan -- Japan
Mabon/Fallfest -- Asatru/Norse Pagan (harvest festival, time to make wine and mead for the next winter)
Oenach Carman -- Ancient Celtic Calendar
Sendai Great Tug-of-War -- Sendai, Japan (festival on the equinox that dates back over 400 years)
Svarog's Holiday -- Slavic Pagan Calendar (day to drink mead in honor of Svarog, god of fire and the sky)
Boidromia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate; honor Apollon as god of rescue during war)
Breakfast, Snack, Elevenses, Snack, Lunch, Snack, Tea, Snack, Dinner, Snack, More Snacks, Supper, Snack, and Bilgewack Celebration Day -- Fairy Calendar (Borms; they are little known relatives of Goblins, given to being overweight and sedentary and lying around feeling ill; bilgewack is their term for having eaten too much and having to lie down.)
Buffalo Roudup and Arts Festival -- Custer, SD, US (buffalo round up, Western and Native American entertainment, arts and crafts; through tomorrow)
Car-Free Day -- this has spread to much of the world; try it for yourself!
Coya Raymi -- Inca Native Americans (festival to honor Moon Goddess Quilla, with a focus on purging sickness and evil; through tomorrow, dates approximate)
Dear Diary Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays; get it down on paper!
Elephant Appreciation Day -- sponsored by "Elefunteria" and WildHeart Productions
Feast of Mikeli -- Ancient Latvian Calendar (harvest celebration; through the 24th)
Feast of the Ingathering -- UK traditional (also called Harvest Home; in Scotland, Kirn; in northern England, Mell-Supper. Celebrations will be held in rural areas for the next few weekends, celebrating the end of the harvest.)
Fish Amnesty Day
Gettysburg Fall Antique Show -- Gettysburg, PA, US
Hobbit Day
Ice Cream Cone Day -- Italo Marchiony patented an ice cream cone mold on this day in 1903
Independence Day -- Bulgaria; Mali
International Day of Radiant Peace -- www.radiantpeace.org
International Rabbit Day -- to promote responsible rabbit ownership
National Book Festival -- National Mall, Washington, D.C., US (the Library of Congress celebrates "Books that Shaped America"; through Sunday)
National Centenarians Day -- US
National Hunting and Fishing Day -- US
National Seat Check Saturday -- US (check it for what, sagging? i'm old, of course it is! Oh, make sure car seats are secured -- my kids finally outgrew those, phew)
Oktoberfest -- Germany (through Oct. 7)
OneWebDay
Princess Martha Louise's Birthday -- Norway (an official flag day)
R.E.A.D. in America Day -- sponsored by CheeREADing
Responsible Dog Ownership Day -- sponsored by the AKC
Rettir -- Iceland (around this time of year; a traditional sheep round up celebrated in Iceland during September, actual round up dates may vary from region to region)
Ritual of the Netjers of the Two Lands (Upper and Lower Egypt) -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)
St. Maurice's Day (Patron of armies, cloth dyers, cloth makers, infantrymen, soldiers, swordsmiths, weavers; Austria; Manresa, Spain; Pianello Val Tidone, Italy; Piedmont, Italy; Sardinia; Stadtsulza, Germany; Pontifical Swiss Guards; against cramps and gout)
Thrue Bab/Blessed Rainy Day -- Bhutan
Xterra Wheeler Canyon Xduro -- Ogden, UT, US (nationals of the extreme, off-road half marathon; through tomorrow)
Birthdays Today:
Bonnie Hunt, 1964
Scott Baio, 1961
Joan Jett, 1960
Andrea Bocelli, 1958
Debby Boone, 1956
Shari Belafonte, 1954
Tommy Lasorda, 1927
Michael Farriday, 1791
Lord Chesterfield, 1694
Today in History:
Legion I Italica is created by Emperor Nero, 66
Switzerland becomes an independent state, 1499
The General Provincial Court at Patuxent, MD, US, empanels the first all female jury in the colonies to try the case of a woman accused of murdering her child, 1656
A final 8 people are hanged for witchcraft in Salem, Mass., 1692
Nathan Hale is hanged for spying during American Revolution, 1776
Russia establishes a colony at Kodiak, Alaska, 1784
City of Des Moines, Iowa, is incorporated as Fort Des Moines, 1851
Abraham Lincoln, by executive proclamation, declares that the slaves in the rebelling states shall become free on Jan. 1 of the upcoming year, 1862
Richard Wagner's opera Das Rheingold premieres in Munich, 1869
The first issue of National Geographic Magazine is published, 1888
Queen Victoria surpasses her grandfather, King George III, as the longest reigning monarch in British history, 1895
Italo Marchiony granted a patent for an ice cream cone, 1903
The Duke of York's Picture House opens in Brighton, now the oldest continually operating cinema in Britain, 1910
Ralph J. Bunche becomes the first black winner of the Nobel Peace Price, 1950
The Dead Sea Scrolls are made available to the public for the first time by the Huntington Library, 1991
David Hempleman-Adams becomes the first person to cross the Atlantic Ocean in an open-air, wicker-basket hot air balloon, 2003
Friends have slowly but surely trickled in.
DiDreaming drove in, then Grace called from her hotel. She had a rental, so she came over, and i took them on a pilgrimage to Whole Foods.
We headed back to the house after a call from Ninja, who stopped to say hello. (Yes, we consider her a real ninja.)
Script met us at the restaurant after Ninja picked her up.
CanDo and Eagle didn't make it in time for the restaurant and Cajun music, but the rest of us had fun.
And there was a surprise message from Daye -- she is trying to get her. She will have to sneak away from her 90-year-old terror of a mother, who is on the warpath yet again. (If you have a parent who is mentally ill, pray he/she doesn't get dementia added to the mix, it makes for a new kind of torture when you have to deal with that.)
Next up -- swamp tour, and gumbo, and home made Caesar salad, and Doberge cake. What a combo!
Today is:
Arbor Day -- Brazil
Breakfast, Dinner, and Supper Celebration Day -- Fairy Calendar (Goblins)
Chästeilet im Justistal -- Merlingen, Switzerland (dividing of the summer's cheese between the dairy farmers of the area)
Chili Cook-Off and Fall Festival of the Arts And Crafts -- Washington, MO, US (chili fest and contest, juried art festival, and fun; through Sunday)
Eleven Days of Global Unity -- Day 11, Peace (to coincide with the International celebration; sponsored by We, the World)
Independence Day -- Armenia(1991); Belize(1981); Malta(1964)
International Day of Peace
Kharisteria -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate; feast of Aremis Agrotera[the huntress] that became a thankgiving for the victory of the battle of Marathon)
Kwama Nkrumah's Birthday/Founder's Day -- Ghana
Miniature Golf Day -- golf the fun way! (separate from National Miniature Golf Day in May)
Monterrey Jazz Festival -- Monterrey, CA, US (55th Annual; through Sunday)
National Pecan Cookie Day
National Tradesmen Day -- US
National POW/MIA Recognition Day -- US
New Hampshire Highland Games -- Loon Mountain, Lincoln, NH, US (everything highlands you can think of, and those of Scottish descent can even look up their clan connections; through Sunday)
Osage River Mountain Man Festival and Black Powder Shoot -- Lake Ozark, MO, US (reenactment of a pre-1840s wilderness rendezvous; through Sunday)
Seven Sweets and Sours Festival -- Intercourse, PA, US (celebrating all the flavors of fall, and pumpkin bowling; through tomorrow)
St. Matthew the Evangelist's Day (Patron of accountants, bankers, bookkeepers, customs officers, financial officers, guards, money managers, security forces, security guards, stock brokers, tax collectors; Salerno, Italy; Trier, Germany; Villa d'Ogna, Italy)
Student's Day and Spring Day -- Argentina
Throw Away Something Day -- you have the internet's permission to get rid of that hideous gift; if you can't bring yourself to throw it out, donate it
World Alzheimer's Day
World Gratitude Day
Birthdays Today:
Faith Hill, 1967
Darva Conger, 1965
Rob Morrow, 1962
David James Elliot, 1960
Dave Coulier, 1959
Bill Murray, 1950
Stephen King, 1947
Henry Gibson, 1935
Leonard Cohen, 1934
Larry Hagman, 1931
Chuck Jones, 1912
H.G. Wells, 1866
Maurice Barrymore, 1849 (family patriarch)
Today in History:
Richard the Lionheart captured, 1192
Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa orders Jews of Holland to wear a badge, 1451
John and Nicolaas van der Heyden patent a fire extinguisher, 1677
Nathan Hale arrested for spying, 1776
The Pennsylvania Packet & Daily Advertiser becomes the first successful US daily newspaper, 1784
Joseph Smith, Jr. claims that the Angel Moroni gives him the gold plates from which he translates the Book of Mormon, 1827
The Duryea Motor Wagon Company becomes the first auto manufacturer, 1895
"Kit Carson", the first cowboy film, premiers in the US, 1903
Publication of Tolkien's "The Hobbit", 1937
Bahrain, Bhutan and Qatar join the United Nations, 1971
Sandra Day O'Connor is unanimously approved by the U.S. Senate as the first female US Supreme Court justice, 1981
Brunei joins the United Nations, 1984
Deep Space 1 flies within 2,200 km of Comet Borrelly, 2001
The Galileo mission is terminated by sending the probe into Jupiter's atmosphere, 2003
Woke up Thursday morning to find out that #2 Son had not, in fact, cleaned the library, and that there were 5 loads of laundry backed up from the rain instead of 3, since the cats had again baptized Bigger Girl's bed when her back was turned and she had left the tarp off.
With a concerted effort we got most of it done, including all the litter boxes totally changed out and my van cleaned out some. The laundry is going to stay piled up, clean and dry, until i can get a group of volunteers to climb that mountain.
After dropping off the kids at school, i headed to NOLA to the airport to pick up WSS. When i got there, i about panicked when i parked, grabbed the piece of paper with her flight number and phone number on it and the peel from the banana i had snacked on, and accidentally threw the paper away with the peel. Had to go back to that trash can to find it.
It all worked out, WSS is here safely, and we drove home with no more than the usual nuttiness on the interstate.
At home, we set up the cot with the air mattress and pillow and cooked supper, and i got a surprise message from Daye, whom we hadn't heard from in a while. She decided, last minute, to work everything out and come down.
Altogether, a pleasant evening, to make up for the hectic morning.
Today is:
Birthday of the Sun -- Inca (date approximate; a few days before the Autumn
Equinox, all fires, including that at the Temple of the Sun, were
extinguished and 3 days later ceremonially relighted using only glass to
concentrate the sunlight on cotton; followed by 8 days of feasting)
Eleven Days of Global Unity -- Day 10, Disarmament (sponsored by We, the World)
Feast of Orlog -- Scandinavian Deity of Destiny (date approximate)
Feast of Zywie -- Poland (goddess of longevity and health; date approximate)
Genesia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (festival to honor the dead, especially those who died in wars)
National Rum Punch Day
National Youth Day -- Thailand
Okuma-kabuto Festival -- Nakajima, Japan (Noto Peninsula's top autumn festival)
Paryushana Parva -- Jain (8-day festival signifying human emergence into new spiritual and moral refinement; through the 29th)
Rishi Panchami -- Nepal (another holiday only for female employees, and again, i haven't been able to find out why or exactly what it means)
St. Eustace's Day (Patron of difficult situations, fire prevention, firefighters, hunters, torture victims, trappers; Madrid, Spain; Poli, Italy; against fire and torture)
Birthdays Today:
Taro Aso, 1940
Sophia Loren, 1934
Anne Meara, 1929
Dr. Joyce Brothers, 1928
Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton, 1890
Upton Sinclair, 1878
Rama V, King of Thailand, 1853 (eldest son taught by Anna, of "The King and I" fame)
Emperor Takakura of Japan, 1161
Today in History:
Atilla the Hun defeated at Chalons-sur-Marne by General Aetius, 451
Saladin begins the siege of Jerusalem, 1187
Ferdinand Magellan sets sail from Sanlúcar de Barrameda with about 270 men on his expedition to circumnavigate the globe, 1519
Galileo Galilei is tried before the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for teaching that the Earth orbits the Sun, 1633
Maryland passes the first "anti-amalgamation" law to stop English women from marrying black men, 1664
The Negro Convention of Free Men agrees to boycott slave-produced goods, 1830
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is created, 1848
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 ends with the recapture of Delhi by troops loyal to the East India Company, 1857
The first gasoline-powered car debuts in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, 1891
The Otis Elevator Company unveils the first escalator at the Paris Exposition, 1900
Cunard Line's RMS Mauretania is launched, 1906
The first Cannes Film Festival is held, 1946
James Meredith, an African-American, is temporarily barred from entering the University of Mississippi, 1962
The RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 is launched, 1967
Billie Jean King beats Bobby Riggs in The Battle of the Sexes tennis match, 1973
The Socialist Republic of Vietnam joins the UN, 1977
Walt Disney World hosts its 200 millionth guest, 1985
U.S. President George W. Bush declares a "war on terror", 2001
The US Military ends its "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, 2011
The last minute stuff is getting done somehow. Some of it, anyway.
What isn't done, well, i tried. The rain delayed the laundry, but because it came already, it looks like we will have plenty of nice weather the rest of the week and into next.
Meanwhile, #2 Son doesn't have much time to get his junk out of the library. The girls have done a great job with the den, where none of us will be, probably.
The library, right next to the kitchen, will be where most of us hang out, i'm sure.
"No matter where i serve my guests, it seems they like my kitchen best!"
There are paper products available, so if most of the cups and bowls disappear (actually, i only have 4 bowls left!), we will get through it.
This morning will be spent getting an air mattress, and changing out all the litter boxes (again) among other things. This afternoon, i go pick up one friend from the airport.
Bigger Girl is having breakfast with Grandpa, and he will probably be calling me to ask what in the world is going on around here.
Wait until he hears my "retreat" this year is at my house. This could get fun.
Today is:
Armed Forces Day -- Chile
Chelsea Antique Fair -- Chelsea Old Town Hall, London, England (through Sunday)
Cosmetic Bridge Day -- seems internet generated, but i'm sure your dentist will approve
Day of the First Appearance of the Slovak National Council -- Slovakia
Eleven Days of Global Unity -- Day 9, Freedom (sponsored by We, the World)
Ganesha Chaturthi -- Hindu (festival to honor the god of prosperity, prudence, and success)
Independence Day -- St. Kitts and Nevis(1983)
International Talk Like a Pirate Day -- www.talklikeapirate.com
Jubilee of the Moth Moons -- Fairy Calendar
National Butterscotch Pudding Day
Petit Jean Fall Antique Auto Swap Meet -- Morrilton, AR, US (swap meet and the Museum of Automobiles; through Saturday)
St. Januarius of Naples' Day (a/k/a Gennaro of Naples; Patron of blood banks; Naples, Italy; against volcanic eruption) related observance
Feast of San Gennaro -- NYC, NY, US (began on the 13th, continues to the 23rd; one of the highlights of the festival is this, the actual Saint's day)
Women's Suffrage Day -- New Zealand
Birthdays Today:
Jimmy Fallon, 1974
Jim Abbot, 1967
Trisha Yearwood, 1964
Joan Lunden, 1950
Leslie "Twiggy" Lawson, 1949
Jeremy Irons, 1948
Randolph Mantooth, 1945
"Mama" Cass Elliot, 1941
Bill Medley, 1940
Paul Williams, 1940
David McCallum, 1933
Adam West, 1928
Duke Snider, 1926
Joseph Pasternak, 1901
Today in History:
Edward, the Black Prince, commands the forces which defeat the French army and capture France's King John II, 1356
Giles Corey is pressed to death after refusing to plead in the Salem Witch Trials, 1692
The Continental Congress passes the first budget of the US, 1778
Ephraim Morris patents the railroad brake, 1838
Bond and Lassell discover Hyperion, moon of Saturn, 1848
New Zealand becomes the first country to grant all of its women the right to vote, 1893
Funeral of assassinated President William McKinley, 1901
Mickey Mouse makes his screen debut as Steamboat Willie, at the Colony Theater in NYC, 1928
The Council of Europe is founded following a speech by Winston Churchill at the University of Zurich, 1946
Nikita Khrushchev is barred from visiting Disneyland, 1959
Betty and Barney Hill claim that they saw a mysterious craft in the sky and that it tried to abduct them, 1961
The Solomon Islands join the United Nations, 1978
Scott Fahlman posts the first documented emoticons :-) and :-( on the Carnegie Mellon University Bulletin Board System, 1982
Ötzi the Iceman is discovered by German tourists, 1991
The BP oil well at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico was declared “effectively dead” by retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the government’s point man on the blowout disaster, 2010
Plans are being made. Personal messages being sent, and lots of messages on the board.
There are schedules being bandied about, and my brain is going haywire. It will be worked out, though.
Less certain is whether my home is habitable for overnight guests. The hot water heater is going wonky, and i haven't been able to do the amount of cleaning i wanted. If i have to, i will pay for those who wanted to stay here to have a hotel room. (Yes, i squirreled away a little bit for such a contingency.)
Meanwhile, #1 Son is still in town, doing lots of final stuff. We now have the license plates transferred, and he will finally get that A/C working tomorrow.
Oh, and while i'm going crazy trying to get it all done, the campus was evacuated because of a bomb threat. Sweetie was home most of the day yesterday.
If he retires and just stays home, i will commit hari kiri. He will have to find something to do with his time besides follow me around all day.
Today is:
Ear Wig Fitting Day -- Fairy Calendar
Eleven Days of Global Unity -- Day 8, Human Rights (sponsored by We, the World)
Hari Taika (Teej) -- Nepal (a public holiday for female employees only, and i can't find an English explanation of why and what it means, but i will keep looking)
Hug a Greeting Card Writer Day
Independence Day -- Chile
National Cheeseburger Day
National Respect! Day(sm) -- US (encouraging abused women to respect themselves enough to get out)
Plataia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate)
Opening of Parliament -- Netherlands (holiday in The Hague)related observance
Prinsjesdag -- Netherlands (technically translates "Prince's Day;" the day Parliament opens and the reigning sovereign, now Queen Beatrix, gives the Speech from the Throne and the Minister of Finance proposes next year's budget)
St. Joseph of Cupertino's Day (Levitating saint, and so Patron of air crews, air travelers, astronauts, paratroopers, pilots/aviators, students, test takers; Cupertino, Italy)
World Water Monitoring Day -- International
Anniversaries Today:
Hull House opens, 1889
Constantine II of Greece marries Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark, 1964
Birthdays Today:
Lance Armstrong, 1971
James Gandolfini, 1961
Ryne Sandberg, 1959
Frankie Avalon, 1939
Robert Blake, 1933
June Foray, 1920
Jack Warden, 1920
Greta Garbo, 1905
Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, 1905
Samuel Johnson, 1709
Marcus Ulpius Nerva Trajanus, Emperor Trajan, 53
Today in History:
Christopher Columbus lands at Costa Rica on his 4th and final voyage, 1502
Ft. Ticonderoga, NY opens, 1755
The British capture Quebec City, 1759
John Harris builds the first spinet piano in the US, 1769
President Washington lays the cornerstone of the Capitol Building, 1793
Royal Opera House in London opens, 1809
A horse beats the first US made locomotive, near Baltimore, 1830
Tiffany and Co. (first named Tiffany & Young) is founded by Charles Lewis Tiffany and Teddy Young in New York City; the store is called a "stationery and fancy goods emporium", 1837
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is first published, 1842
First publication of The New-York Daily Times, which later becomes The New York Times, 1851
Old Faithful Geyser is observed and named by Henry D. Washburn during the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition to Yellowstone, 1870
The banking firm of Jay Cooke & Co. in Philadelphia declares bankruptcy, which starts the Panic of 1873 and a severe economic depression, 1873
The Blackpool Illuminations are switched on for the first time, 1879
Riots break out in Montreal to protest against compulsory smallpox vaccination, 1885
In appreciation for all she had done for the tribe, Harriet Maxwell Converse, adopted as a member of the Seneca tribe, is made a chief of the Six Nations Tribe at the Tonawanda Reservation, 1891
Daniel David Palmer gives the first chiropractic adjustment, 1895
A typhoon with tsunami kills an estimated 10,000 people in Hong Kong, 1906
The Irish Home Rule Act becomes law, but is delayed until after World War I, 1914
The Netherlands gives women the right to vote, 1919
The Columbia Broadcasting System goes on the air, 1927
Juan de la Cierva makes the first autogyro crossing of the English Channel, 1928
Margaret Chase Smith of Maine becomes the first woman elected to the US Senate without completing another senator's term, 1948
Fidel Castro arrives in New York City as the head of the Cuban delegation to the United Nations, 1960
U.N. Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld dies in a plane crash, 1961
Burundi, Jamaica, Rwanda and Trinidad and Tobago are admitted to the United Nations, 1962
The Bahamas, East Germany and West Germany are admitted to the United Nations, 1973
Hurricane Fifi strikes Honduras with 110 mph winds, killing 5,000 people, 1974
Voyager I takes first photograph of the Earth and the Moon together, 1977
Soyuz 38 carries 2 cosmonauts (including 1 Cuban) to Salyut 6 space station, 1980
Joe Kittinger completes the first solo balloon crossing of the Atlantic, 1984
Liechtenstein becomes a member of the United Nations, 1990
ICANN is formed, 1998
The 72 year run of the soap opera The Guiding Light ends as its final episode is broadcast, 2009
Timmy was very well behaved yesterday, as was Dana (who generally demands a great deal of attention and doesn't want to do what she is told).
From his usual upside-down headstand, when i talked about certain things in the Bible, like miracles, being mysterious, he labeled them "Awkward!" with his trademark grin.
That was an interesting word choice.
And Dana actually got off the swing when the timer went off and her turn was up, without fuss.
So a good class, with lots of running and fun and cinnamon streusel bread and learning about awkward miracles. Sometimes teaching this kind of class is an awkward miracle in itself.
Today begins the final stretch of trying to get this house into some semblance of better order before my guests arrive.
Let's just hope they understand that if there aren't any forks, it's because they are all outdoors or under someone's bed. If the cups are gone, go check in the cars. If the floors look like they haven't been mopped since last month, it's because they haven't been mopped since yesterday and the kittens have been busy.
Also, i need to warn them about driving around here. Streets change names when you cross intersections because the streets used to not be connected there. Little Old Ladies with blue hair and late model vehicles have the right of way at all times. And remember, the Chamber of Commerce considers a trip across town in terrible traffic, which will take a minimum of one hour because you can't get there from here, to be a scenic drive.
Maybe i should just rent a 15 passenger van and take them around myself. After all, our first rule is hold on and pray.
Today is:
Autumn Equinox Festival at Chichen Itza -- beginning today, thousands will gather for the amazing play of light and shadow each evening at sunset through the 27th)
Citizenship Day -- US
Eleven Days of Global Unity -- Day 7, Women (sponsored by We, the World)
Feast of Hathor -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)
International Love Your Files Week -- the week to make sure your filing system is working for you
Keiro no hi -- Japan (Respect for the Aged Day)
National Apple Dumpling Day
National Heroes Day -- Angola
Niketeria -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate)
Operation Market Garden Remembrance -- Netherlands
Pledge Across America Day -- US (beginning of Constitution Week)
Return of Kelp-Koli Celebration -- Fairy Calendar (under duress, of course)
Rosh Hashanah -- Judaism (began at sundown yesterday)
Stigmata of St. Francis' Day
St. Hildegard von Bingen's Day (author of treatises on natural healing and the first musical composer whose biography is known)
St. Lambert's Day (Patron of Middelaar, Netherlands)
VFW Ladies Auxiliary Day -- anniversary of founding in 1914
Woman Road Warrior Day -- to recognize the traveling businesswomen in today's world
Anniversary Today:
The Constitution of the United States is signed, 1787
American Professional Football League (later the NFL) founded (a/k/a the Swallowing Up of Weekends), 1920
Birthdays Today:
Cassandra "Elvira" Peterson, 1951
John Ritter, 1948
Ken Kesey, 1935
Anne Bancroft, 1931
Roddy McDowall, 1928
Hank Williams Sr., 1923
Jerry Colonna, 1904
John Willard Marriot, 1900
Baron Friedrich Von Steuben, 1730
Today in History:
The Battle of Thermopylae, fought between 300 Spartans, led by their king, Leonidas, and the Achaemenid Empire begins, BC480
Arabs conquer Alexandria, and destroy its library for the last time, 642
Netherlander sailors discover Mauritus, 1598
Massachusetts Bay Colony gets a new charter, 1691
Presidio of San Francisco is founded in New Spain, 1776
US Constitution is adopted by the Philadelphia convention, 1787
Sprinkler system for extinguishing fires is patented by Phillip W. Pratt, 1872
The Wright Flyer flown by Orville Wright, with Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge as passenger, crashes killing Selfridge, who becomes the first airplane fatality, 1908
The first transcontinental airplane flight, from New York to Pasadena, is completed after 82 hours 4 minutes, 1911
The Okeechobee Hurricane strikes southeastern Florida, killing upwards
of 2,500 people, the third deadliest natural disaster in United States history, behind the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, 1928
The Canadian steamship SS Noronic burns in Toronto Harbour with the loss of over 118 lives, 1949
Television is first broadcast in Australia, 1956
Malaysia joins the United Nations, 1957
Bangladesh, Grenada and Guinea-Bissau join the United Nations, 1974
The first Space Shuttle, Enterprise, is unveiled by NASA, 1976
The Camp David Accords are signed by Israel and Egypt, 1978
Vanessa Williams becomes the first black Miss America, 1983
Estonia, North Korea, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, the Marshall Islands and Micronesia join the United Nations, 1991
The first version of the Linux kernel (0.01) is released to the Internet, 1991
Fourpeaked Mountain in Alaska erupts, marking the first eruption for the long-dormant volcano in at least 10,000 years, 2006
#1 Son came in to visit, see a home team game, and finish up the business with the auto transfer. That involved getting the proof of insurance in his name, and then a trip up to the local mom and pop grocery store to visit the notary public for the act of donation.
In Louisiana, notaries have to take a very long, complicated course and pass it, and can do many of the same things lawyers can do. They can't argue in front of the bar, but they are civil law notaries, commissioned for life, and can do many of the other things you need lawyers to do in other states. That is because back in the day when this was established, some parishes would only have a lawyer or two at the parish seat, and it was up to notaries to take care of legal matters for anyone who couldn't travel that far, or didn't want to. Sort of like us having public school text books, into the 1930s, that showed pictures of paved roads for the kids in the areas of the state that had never seen one.
Yes, it's true. But i digress, again.
So the fact that we can find a notary at the local mom and pop grocery across the highway is a good thing. Thus we went over for the paperwork, with licenses, title, insurance, and etc. in hand. And money. It always involved money.
The very nice notary up there asked what we were in for, and i said transferring title of a car to my son as an act of donation. That means he's not paying me for it, and there's no tax involved in the transaction. He looked up at my son and told him, "You're lucky they are giving it to you."
"Yes, but it's old, 130,000+ miles," he said.
"What's a young guy like you doing with such an old car?" he asked.
"It will do until I can get more settled up in Kansas," #1 Son answered. "Besides, it doesn't matter so much what it looks like if it drives well."
"What in the world is up in Kansas that you are going up there?"
"My new job and my fiancee," he grinned.
"Oh, a girl. You don't ever put her in the back of the car, do you?"
"No," he answered. "Her parents are strict, and I like that."
Besides, i interjected, my kids know i don't want to see any grandkids until there are rings on those fingers.
#1 Son smiled at me and the notary said, "Well, be careful. My wife got pregnant 7 times in the back of my Oldsmobile. Never trust an Oldsmobile. Here, sign this at the yellow x."
After all the signing, he said, "You should get your new title within 2 weeks. If not, come back here and I will redo the paperwork for free. If you wait more than 30 days, I have to charge you the fees again."
"Oh, one more thing," he said. "Be careful up there, tornadoes. And don't forget, stay out of the back seat."
"I will" my son answered.
Maybe he shouldn't drink the water while he's at it. Just in case.
Today is:
Anne Bradstreet Day -- Massachusetts, US (by Proclamation of the Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to honor Anne Bradstreet, America’s first poet, who is also recognized as the first published woman poet in the English language)
Biosphere Day -- Noosaville, Australia
Cherokee Strip Day -- Oklahoma, US (anniversary of the last land run, in 1893, which opened Native American land to white settlers)
Collect Rocks Day -- i guess it means besides all the ones in my head
Crown Prince's Birthday -- Tonga
Eleven Days of Global Unity -- Day 6, Children & Youth (sponsored by We, the World)
Festival for Ra, Osiris, and Horus -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)
Independence Day -- Malaysia(1963); Mexico(1910); Papua New Guinea(1975)
International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer -- UN (commemorates the signing, in 1987, of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer)
Martyrs' Day -- Libya
Mayflower Day -- the ship left England on this day
National Cinnamon Raisin Bread Day
National Guacamole Day
National Heroes' Day -- St. Kitts and Nevis
National Play-Doh Day -- unofficial; get some anyway and be a kid again for a little while
Owain Glyndwr Day -- Wales
Rosh Hashanah -- Judaism (begins at sundown)
St. Cornelius' Day (Patron of cattle, domestic animals, earache sufferers, epileptics; Kornelimunster, Germany;against earache, epilepsy, fever, twitching )
St. Cyprian of Carthage's Day (Patron of Algeria, North Africa)
St. Euphemia's Day (Patron of Rovinj, Croatia)
St. Ludmilla's Day (Grandmother of St. "Good King" Winceslaus; Patron of converts, duchesses, widows; Bohemia; Czech Republic; against in-law problems)
Stepfamily Day -- US and others who choose to recognize it (if you have stepfamily you love, celebrate it wherever you live)
Tolkien Week begins
Wife Appreciation Day -- unofficially celebrated the 3rd Sunday in September
Women's Friendship Day -- created by Kappa Delta Sorority, meant to encourage women to celebrate their bonds with friends
Working Parents Day -- internet generated, enjoy if you are a working parent or have a working parent you want to thank
Birthdays Today:
Marc Anthony, 1968
Jennifer Tilly, 1961
David Copperfield, 1956
Mickey Rourke, 1956
Robin Yount, 1955
Ed Begley, Jr., 1949
Peter Falk, 1927
B.B. King, 1925
Lauren Bacall, 1924
Allen Funt, 1914
James Cash Penney, 1875
Hildegard of Bingen, 1098
Today in History:
The Massachusetts village of Shawmut changes its name to Boston, 1630
Handel's "The Messiah" premiers in Dublin, 1741
The Great Seal of the United States is used for the first time, 1782
Russians set fire to Moscow shortly after midnight – the city burns down completely days later, 1812
Slavery is abolished in all French Territories, 1848
The Cherokee Strip, in Oklahoma, is opened, making land available to white settlers, 1893
Roald Amundsen discovers the magnetic south pole, 1906
William Durant, carriage-maker, founds General Motors Corp., 1908
Juan Perón is deposed in Argentina, 1955
Malaysia is formed, 1963
Cape Verde, Mozambique and Sao Tome and Principe join the United Nations, 1975
Shavarsh Karapetyan saves 20 people from the trolleybus that had fallen into Erevan reservoir, 1976
An earthquake measuring 7.5-7.9 on the Richter scale hits the city of Tabas, Iran killing about 25,000 people, 1978
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines join the United Nations, 1980
The Montreal Protocol is signed to protect the ozone layer from depletion, 1987
The Pound Sterling is forced out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism by currency speculators and is forced to devalue against the German mark, 1992
Denmark elects its first female Prime Minister, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, 2011
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