"Mom, what are those huge boxes on the front porch?" Little Girl had just walked into the house.
Since i didn't know there were boxes out there, i had no clue.
Upon inspection, the boxes had come from Amazon, and were addressed to me. This was odd and a bit distressing, as i had not, to my knowledge, ordered anything.
My first thought was that Sweetie had ordered something for work, and had it delivered to the house. This would be odd, though, as he insists items ordered shipped to a business are handled much faster, and so he usually has everything delivered there, even personal stuff.
Since he was out for the evening, with his phone off (he always turns it off for choir practice or band practice, and i don't blame him), there was no way to call and ask him, i would have to wait until he got home.
My next thought was ID theft, but that made no sense at all. If i'm a thief, and i want to order merchandise for myself and make someone else pay, i certainly wouldn't order it sent to that person.
A quick check of my Amazon account showed no activity, and my checking account had no debits i couldn't place.
Meanwhile, Little Girl had ripped into the boxes and found...ice chests.
To be specific, two very nice ice chests, large ones, with wheels, one of which claimed it could keep stuff cold for up to 5 days (under ideal circumstances, of course).
Okay, i ordered, as #2 Son and Bigger Girl joined me on the porch, we aren't touching this stuff until i am sure it's not for your father's work.
"Then can we use these big boxes as kitten boxes?" Bigger Girl asked.
Funny, when they were kids, they wanted boxes to play in. Now we use them to raise bottle feed kittens. It seems we spend our whole lives looking for the perfect boxes for things, but i digress.
When Sweetie came home, he professed no knowledge of the items in question, so i gently took one out of its box. No order slip. Ah, there it was, in the other box.
Finally, an answer.
When i was entertaining guests last month, we needed ice chests. And i do have them, Styrofoam ones that my father brings and leaves here, and which i have to hide to keep the cats from sharpening their claws on them. We used them, and they did get knocked around a bit, and aren't the easiest in the world to load, unload, or use.
It seems my guests, bless them, bought and had shipped directly two me these two beauties, which i will be using, i am sure, for years to come.
So a special thanks is due to Ninja, Script, Grace, Eagle, CanDo, Dayeanu, DiDreaming, and WSS.
And yes, i will hide them from #2 Son to prevent their use down at the creek for holding fish or snakes, or for transporting food down there for a day of adventure, even if i have to sleep on top of them to keep his mitts off of them.
Let him use Styrofoam.
Today is:
Albuquerque International Balloon Festival -- Albuquerque, NM, US (Blaze A Trail for 9 days of fun)
Apple Butter Festival -- Berkeley Springs, WV, US (simmering spicy apple butter in copper kettles in the town square, plus lots more; through tomorrow)
Armed Forces Day -- Egypt
Chowderfest -- Mystic Seaport, CT, US (festival of New England Chowders; through Monday)
Earthquake Remembrance Day -- Turkmenistan
Fell's Point Fun Festival -- Baltimore, MD, US (two day festival in Baltimore's original seaport)
Festival of the Other Five Toes -- Fairy Calendar
Harvest Celebration -- Billings Farm, Woodstock, VT, US ('tis the season, especially for apple cider and lots of pumpkins; through tomorrow)
Inter-American Water Day
International Frugal Fun Day -- created by Shel Horowitz, author of The Penny-Pinching Hedonist
Issaquah Salmon Days Festival -- Issaquah, WA, US (celebrates the return of the spawning salmon to the hatchery; through tomorrow)
Ivy Day -- Ireland (death anniversary of Irish nationalist leader and Home Rule advocate Charles Stewart Parnell)
Johnny Appleseed Days -- Lake City, MN, US (two days of apples and fun)
Knox County Scenic Drive -- Knx County, IL, US (drive through up to 100 miles of scenic rural Spoon River Valley, with attractions at every stop; this weekend and next)
Mad Hatter Day -- US (second crazy day in the year, to balance April Fool's Day, and based on the 10/6 on the Mad Hatter's hat in Tenniel's drawing; in English-speaking countries where the day preceeds the month in notation, it is celebrated on June 10)
Morro Bay Harbor Festival -- Morro Bay, CA, US (a working waterfront at play; through tomorrow)
Naha Festival -- Okinawa, Japan (tug-of-war involving a 27 ton rope)
National Apple Harvest Festival -- Gettysburg, PA, US (this weekend and next)
National German-American Day -- US (anniversary of the disembarking of the first German immigrants to Pennsylvania in 1683)
German Pioneer Day -- Pennsylvania
National Noodle Day
Oyster Festival -- Chincoteague Island, VA, US (oysters served almost every way imaginable, all you can eat!)
St. Faith's Day (Patron of pilgrims, prisoners, soldiers)
St. Bruno's Day (Founder of the Carthusian Monks; Patron against demonic possession)
Tishreen Liberation War Day -- Syria
Vermont Apple Festival -- Springfield, VT, US (family fun; through tomorrow)
Woofstock -- Wichita, KS, US (celebrate peace, love and pets; bring your pup and participate as all proceeds go to the Kansas Humane Society)
World Card Making Day -- Paper Crafts Magazine suggests you have fun and make a card today
Anniversaries Today:
American Library Association founded in 1876
Birthdays Today:
Elisabeth Shue, 1963
Britt Ekland, 1942
Thor Heyerdahl, 1912
Carole Lombard, 1908
Le Corbusier, 1887
George Westinghouse, 1846
Jenny Lind, 1820
Today in History:
The Cimbri inflict the heaviest defeat on the Roman Republic army of Gnaeus Mallius Maximus in the Battle of Arausio, BC105
Founding of Germantown, Pennsylvania by 13 Mennonite families from Germany, 1683
The Americans and French begin the siege of Cornwallis at Yorktown, which becomes the last battle of the American Revolutionary War, 1781
Benjamin Hanks patents a self-winding clock, 1783
Louis XVI accedes to the demands of the women of Paris and returns to that city, 1789
Great Fire of Newcastle and Gateshead begins shortly after midnight, leads to 53 deaths and hundreds of injuries, 1854
The American Chess Association is organized and holds the first major US chess tournament, in NYC, 1857
The American Library Association is organized in Philadelphia, 1876
Thomas Edison shows his first motion picture, 1889
Nabisco Foods debuts its Cream of Wheat, 1893
Beatrix Van Rijk becomes the first licensed Dutch woman pilot, 1911
Opening of The Jazz Singer, the first prominent talking movie, 1927
Egypt launches a coordinated attack against Israel to reclaim land lost in the Six Day War, 1973
Massacre of students gathering at Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand to protest the return of ex-dictator Thanom, 1976
Pope John Paul II becomes the first pontiff to visit the White House, 1979
President of Egypt, Anwar al-Sadat is assassinated, 1981
51 Pegasi is discovered to be the first major star apart from the Sun to have a planet (and extrasolar planet) orbiting around it, 1995
Jason Lewis completes the first human-powered circumnavigation of the globe, 2007
"Mom, have you seen the spiders in the tree by the side of the house?" #2 Son came into the kitchen for a snack and a talk.
No, i hadn't, as i avoid that side of the house. The outdoor covered porch over there is the teen boy "man cave - teen hangout", and it drips with testosterone, so i don't go over there. All i do is call for a cup/plate/utensil round up once in a while, and demand a bag of trash be removed from the area at least once a week, so it doesn't build up. Other than that, the men children have that area.
"There are huge spiders over there. I think I should get rid of them."
How in the world, after reading Be Nice to Spiders to all of my kids and trying to raise them to be as much arachnophiles as me, did i end up with kids who go after the poor creatures?
Upon questioning the need for such savagery unless they were poisonous (that, to me, means only brown recluses, black widows, and brown widows), he said, "These are huge! Even though they don't usually go after people, they can when they get this big, and if they do, it hurts and it turns the area where they inject the poison to jelly. One friend of mine was in the hospital because of one. I really think I should get rid of them."
Are they really that much of a danger to you?
"Mom, one of the webs one of them is making is hanging right over the path to out there. It could easily drop on me, and I keep running into the web, too."
When asked how he planned to do it, he said, "Flame thrower, of course."
Son, where will you get a flame thrower?
"I have my ways," he grinned.
Oh, i noted, hair spray and a lighter?
"Mom, really? That is so lame. A super soaker water gun with some gasoline in it and a lighter."
Son, you will set the house on fire!
"Mom, really? I know what I'm doing. That tree is green and won't burn just from one or two spurts from that, and I wouldn't have to do more than that to get the spiders gone."
Son, the wasp spray should do it, it's by the front door.
"Party pooper," he mumbled as he went for the wasp spray.
Maybe so, but at least i'm not going to have to explain to Sweetie why we are filing an insurance claim for pyromaniac son.
Today is:
Armed Forces Day -- Indonesia (Hari Tentara Nasional)
Cohocton Fall Foliage Festival -- Cohocton, NY, US (with the world famous tree-sitting contest; through Sunday)
Columbus Day Festival and Hot Air Balloon Regatta -- Columbus, KS, US (through Sunday)
Come and Take It Festival -- Gonzales, TX, US (celebrating the cry of Texans fighting for independence when the Mexican military demanded a cannon be returned; through Sunday)
Constitution Day -- Vanuatu
Do Something Nice Day -- internet generated; make someone's day brighter, it will brighten your own
Festival of the Five Toes -- Fairy Calendar
Festival of Mania -- Ancient Roman Calendar (held to placate the Manes, on dates when it was believed the doors to the underworld were open and the dead were free to roam)
Hull Fair -- Hull, England (through the 13th, closed Sunday; a fair that dates back over 700 years)
Kentucky Apple Festival -- Paintsville, KY (apples, music, arts and crafts, antique cars, rides, food, and fun; through tomorrow)
Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest -- Kitchener and Waterloo, ON, Canada (through the 13th; second largest Oktoberfest in the world)
Long Walk Day -- David Kunst finished his walk around the world on this day in 1974; go for a long walk in his honor
Most Common Birthday -- US (yes, according to Anybirthday.com, on average, more people are born in the US on this day than any other; wonder if it has anything to do with today being 9 months after New Year's Eve?)
National Apple Betty Day
National Diversity Day -- US (vow tolerance, embrace how differences make the world a better place)
National Storytelling Festival -- Jonesborough, TN, US (a three-day celebration of storytellers, stories, and oral tradition from around the country and around the world, all in Tennessee's oldest town)
Noisy Munching Day -- a fun day for kids, or your own inner child; munch chips, celery, pickles, anything loud, to annoy others
Nubaigai -- Pagan Lithuanian Calendar (harvest festival; can't get independent confirmation that it's always on this day)
Ocean County Columbus Day Parade and Italian Festival -- Seaside Hgts., NJ, US (through Sunday)
Ozark Empire Fair -- Springfield, MO, US (largest agricultural trade show in the Ozarks, and a fun fair, too; through Sunday)
Republic Day -- Portugal
Rockport Seafair -- Rockport, TX, US (fresh-from-the-bay seafood, entertainment, crab races, and more; through Sunday)
Springs Folk Festival -- Springs, PA, US (Amish crafts and food at the height of fall foliage; through tomorrow)
St. Charles Scarecrow Festival -- St. Charles, IL, US (handcrafted scarecrows, music, entertainment, and more; through Sunday)
St. Placid's Day
Swappin' Meetin' -- Cumberland, KY, US (through tomorrow; celebrating the rich heritage of mountain people)
Tennessee Valley Old-Time Fiddlers Convention -- Athens, AL, US (200 contestants, 18 categories, all crammed into three music filled days; if you love old time fiddle music, this is the place for you)
Thesmophoria -- Ancient Greek Calendar (start of a 3 day women's festival of Demeter; date approximate)
Unicorn Questing Season begins -- as established by the late W. T. "Bill" Rabe, get your official license here (http://www.lssu.edu/banished/uh_license.php)
World Smile Day -- do one act of kindness, help one person smile, in honor of Harvey Ball, who created the Smiley face
World Teachers Day -- International
Birthdays Today:
Maya Ying Lin, 1959
Bernie Mac, 1957
Bob Geldof, 1954
Karen Allen, 1951
Glynis Johns, 1923
Donald Pleasence, 1919
Allen Ludden, 1917
Larry Fine, 1902
Chester A. Arthur, 1829
Denis Diderot, 1713
Jonathan Edwards, 1703
Today in History:
Founding of the city of Concepcion, Chile, 1550
The Gregorian calendar is introduced in Italy and other Catholic countries, 1582
March on Versailles by the women of Paris, 1789
Shawnee Chief Tecumseh killed in the battle of the Thames, 1813
Founding of the City of Anaheim, 1857
Destruction of most of Calcutta by cyclone, approximately 60,000 die, 1864
A strong hurricane devastates the Bay of Fundy region of Maritime Canada, 1869
Surrender of Chief Joseph, after the 1,700 mile retreat, marks the end of the Nez Pierce War, 1877
The first individual time trial for racing cyclists is held on a 50-mile course north of London, 1895
Sir Samuel Griffith is appointed the first Chief Justice of Australia and Sir Edmund Barton and Richard O'Connor are appointed as foundation justices, 1903
First appearance of the Little Orphan Annie comic strip in the NYC Daily News, 1924
Suffrage is extended to women in France, 1944
The 1948 Ashgabat earthquake kills 110,000, 1948
The first documented recovery meeting of Narcotics Anonymous is held,
1953Dr. No, the first in the James Bond film series, was released, 1962
The first episode of the famous comedy show Monty Python's Flying Circus aired on BBC, 1969
Signature of the European Patent Convention, 1973
Raoul Wallenberg is made an honorary US citizen, 1981
Marc Garneau becomes the first Canadian in space, aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger, 1984
The first official version of the Linux kernel, version 0.02, is released, 1991
The Bulldozer Revolution begins in Belgrade, eventually leading to the resignation of Slobodan Milosevic, 2000
To me, a story should always have a happy ending, sappy as that is. This story did, and all because a pet owner thought to microchip the pet.
A man was driving through Taunton, Massachusetts, when a small dog ran out in front of his car. He hit his brakes and did not feel any impact, nor did he see the animal on the road after that. He figured it got across safely, and continued on.
He was wrong, and eleven miles later, after he had crossed into Rhode Island, someone alerted him to the fact that the small dog was wedged in the grille of his car! He drove straight to a police station in East Providence, where police and animal control workers got the dog out and brought it to an animal emergency clinic.
The dog had a concussion and a bit of minor bladder damage that healed very quickly. An initial call to Taunton's Police Department didn't turn up any missing dog reports fitting the description, but when they finally found the microchip, Suzie the Poodle mix was returned to her family.
If this isn't a call to pet owners to be sure they microchip their pets, i don't know what is. Stories like this often don't have happy endings without that grain of rice sized bit of technology.
After all, you never know when your pet may decide to hitch a ride the hard way.
Today is:
Buttering-Up Final -- Fairy Calendar
Cowboy Hall of Fame Ceremony and Banquet -- Willcox, AZ, US (the kickoff for Rex Allen Days, includes the Cowboy Hall of Fame induction ceremony)
Dalton Defenders Days -- Coffeyville, KS, US (honoring those who defended Coffeyville's banks against the Dalton Gang in 1892; through Sunday)
Festival of Hathor -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)
Golf Lovers' Day -- internet generated, enjoy if you love golf
Ieiunium Cereris -- Ancient Roman Calendar (fast for the goddess Ceres)
Improve Your Office Day -- and water that plant while you are at it!
Independence Day -- Lesotho(1966)
International Toot Your Flute Day -- an internet generated day for shameless self promotion
Kanelbullens Dag -- Sweden (cinnamon roll day)
National Student Day -- US (a day for college students to celebrate and promote social responsibility by volunteering)
National Taco Day
Nihonmatsu Lantern Festival -- Nihonmatsu, Japan (one of Japan's 3 largest lantern festivals; through the 6th)
Peace and National Reconciliation Day -- Mozambique
St. Francis of Assisi's Day (Patron of animal welfare societies, animals, birds, ecologists, ecology, environment and environmentalists, families, lace makers/lace workers, merchants, needle workers, peace, tapestry workers, zoos; Italy, especially Assisi, as well as several other cities around the world; against dying alone, fire)
St. Petronius' Day (Patron of Bologna, Italy)
10-4 Day (C.B. 'ers) -- fourth day of the tenth month, ten-four, good buddy, etc.
Tewa Deer Dance -- Tewa Native Americans (celebrating the cosmic duality of the feminine and masculine, and honoring male and female ancestors; through the 7th)
Vodka Day -- internet generated
World Animal Day -- International
World Space Week begins -- International
Anniversary Today
The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 1, 1957
Birthdays Today:
Rachael Leigh Cook, 1979
Alicia Silverstone, 1976
Christoph Waltz, 1956
Susan Sarandon, 1946
Anne Rice, 1941
Jackie Collins, 1937
Alvin Toffler, 1928
Charlton Heston, 1924
Buster Keaton, 1895
Damon Runyon, 1884
Rutherford B. Hayes, 1822
Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine, 1807
Today in History:
One of the largest naval battles in history, the Battle of Lake Poyang, ends when the Chinese rebel forces of Zhu Yuanzhang defeat Chen Youliang, 1363
The first full English translation of the Bible, sometimes called the Matthew Bible, which contained the work of translators William Tyndale and Miles Coverdale, is printed in Switzerland, 1537
Pope Gregory XIII announces the calendar adjustment that bears his name, 1582
Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts drafts its first code of law, 1636
Peter Stuyvesant establishes America's first volunteer fire department, 1648
Christian Huygens patents the pocket watch, 1675
The state of Belgium is created after separation from the Netherlands, 1830
The New Orleans Tribune becomes the first black daily newspaper, 1864
The Orient Express, linking Turkey to Europe by rail, makes its first run, 1883
Norman Rockwell's Willie Gillis character debuts on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post, 1941
The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty is opened for signature, 1991
The Rome General Peace Accords ends a 16 year civil war in Mozambique, 1992
NATO confirms invocation of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, 2001
SpaceShipOne wins Ansari X Prize for private spaceflight, by being the first private craft to fly into space, 2004
...i'm an easy mark.
It is, i'm sure, because of my history. As a child, i was forced to walk door to door selling. Chocolate for school. Cookies for Girl Scouts. Raffle tickets for the majorettes group.
Let me tell you, i hated every stinking minute of it. Hated getting doors slammed in my face. Hated having to walk all over the neighborhood lugging the chocolate, keeping up with the money, sweat pouring down or freezing or just plain wishing i could be at home doing what i really wanted to do, which was bury my nose in a book.
Having to do it year after year made me angry, too. Why in the world, i always wondered, can't they just charge people what it costs or ask for donations, why go through all the trouble to make only a percentage by having the kids sell stuff? Now that i'm a grown-up, i understand it more, but i still hate the idea that kids have to hawk wares in order to not get in trouble at school or to pay for after school activities.
In fact, i hated it so much that by the time i had a part time job, i used to just buy my share so i wouldn't have to go door to door. And yes, i resented having to use my spending money on that stuff.
(Although i must say, i admire the spunk of our next door neighbors, who told their daughter they would give her $50 of the $100 she needed to participate in one activity she wanted to do. She would have to come up with the rest. So she bought a $50 gas card with what they gave her, and sold raffle tickets for it at $2 each until she had her hundred. Brilliant kid.)
Thus, when the kids come here, to our "No Solicitations Allowed" neighborhood (duly registered with the city as such), if it is at all possible, i buy something. Whether it's allowed or not, there's no stopping the youngsters, they can pass all the regulations they want.
(Yes, i buy at church, too; that's now a favorite place for kids to sell if their parents don't want them canvassing the neighborhood. Also, i stop and buy something at every lemonade stand i pass, as i figure the kids are working and should be encouraged.)
She was cute, with her freckles and curls, peddling sugar (which isn't good for us at all), and i bought 5 of them, one box of chocolate covered almonds for each member of the family (and no, i won't eat one, they can fight over it). She had her boxes in a rolling backpack and grinned hugely as she dug deep for the boxes. Apparently she was doing well today and only had a few left when she got to our house, and i'm glad, for her sake.
So, if you are a kid selling stuff for band, or Scouts, or school, be it unhealthy foodstuffs or wrapping paper or candles or whatever, come on by. My loathing of having to sell the stuff for so many years has made me a sympathetic, easy target.
Today is:
Balloons Around the World -- balloon artists around the world are encouraged to donate an hour or more to a charity of their choice in their community, entertaining children everywhere with balloon sculpture
Buttering-Up Semi-Finals -- Fairy Calendar
Change a Light Day -- US, sponsored by EntergyStar, promoting energy saving light bulbs
Festival of Bacchus/Dionysus -- Ancient Roman Calendar (sometimes called Meditrinalia, tasting the old and new wine and celebrating the harvest)
Independence Day -- Iraq
International Walk to School/Bike to School Day -- to promote both healthy exercise and less pollution
Kae Chun Jul -- Korea (National Foundation Day, BC 2333)
Morazan Day -- Honduras (Soldier's Day)
National Butterfly and Hummingbird Day -- internet generated; celebrate these beauties today, no matter where you are
National Carmel Custard Day
Nottingham Goose Fair -- Nottingham, England (dating back to at least 1284, what began as a fair market so people could stock up on food supplies for winter is now a fun festival with rides and games; through Sunday)
Oschophoria -- Ancient Greek Calendar (in honor of the return of Theseus after killing the Minotaur; deities celebrated were Dionysius and either Athena or Ariadne, depending on the source cited; date approximate)
Relief of Leiden Day -- Netherlands
Reunification Day -- Germany
St Dionysius the Areopagite's Day (considered the first Bishop of Athens, mentioned in Acts 17; Patron of Zakynthos Island, Greece; against headaches and the devil)
Sts. Ewald the Black and Ewald the Fair's Day (Patrons of Westphalia)
Techies' Day -- give your techies some well deserved appreciation
Birthdays Today:
Stevie Ray Vaughan, 1954
Lindsey Buckingham, 1949
Roy Horn, 1944
Chubby Checker, 1941
Erik Bruhn, 1928
Gore Vidal, 1925
James Herriot (James Alfred Wight), 1916
Today in History:
The state of Gojoseon (modern-day Korea) is founded by Dangun Wanggeom during the reign of the Chinese emperor Yao, BC2333
The siege and battle of Alesia is ended by the surrender of Vercingetorix, leader of the Gauls, to Julius Caesar, BC52
Julius Caesar's assassins suffer a decisive defeat at the First Battle of Phillipi, BC42
Jews are expelled from Eger, Bohemia, 1430
The Duke of Montrose issues a warrant for the arrest of Rob Roy MacGregor, 1712
British Captain James Cook anchors in Alaska, 1778
General Napoleon Bonaparte first rises to national prominence being named to defend the French National Convention against armed counter-revolutionary rioters, 1795
George Washington proclaims the first national Thanksgiving Day will be held on Nov. 26, 1789
American author Edgar Allan Poe is found delirious in a gutter in Baltimore, Maryland under mysterious circumstances; it is the last time he is seen in public before his death, 1849
J.S. Thurman patents a motor-driven vacuum cleaner, 1899
The first conference on wireless telegraphy agrees to adopt SOS as the warning signal and sign of distress, 1906
Leon Trotsky, Adolph Joffe, Matvey Skobelev and other Russian exiles in Vienna, Austria, found the Pravda newspaper, 1908
Mrs. W.H. Felton, of Georgia, becomes the first woman seated in the US Senate, 1922
A V-2 /A4-rocket from Test Stand VII at Peenemünde, Germany is the first man-made object to reach space, 1942
The United Kingdom successfully tests a nuclear weapon, 1952
Germany is reunified, 1990
Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy is attacked by one of the show's tigers, 2003
The ad really made me angry.
It started with me getting angry several years ago with the "get your folic acid" people. Yes, you need your folic acid/folate/vitamin B9, especially if you are pregnant, to prevent neural tube defects in the baby.
The problem i have is with the message that the best way to get the folic acid you need is through fortified foods and supplements.
Fortified foods are processed foods, and i don't want to eat processed foods. Supplements should be used to catch the bits of gaps in our requirements, not the main thing we rely upon to get the vitamins and micronutrients we require.
What ever happened to eating real food to get the vast majority of your needed nutrients? Folate can be found in leafy vegetables, many Asian vegetables, legumes, egg yolks, baker's yeast, sunflower seeds, and even in some quantity in many other fruits and veggies.
When i was pregnant, they were telling me to eat tons of processed grain that has been fortified to get my folate. More and more, we are seeing that even whole grain breads are not digested in such a way as to help us control our weight. For a great report on that, read Crabby McSlacker's latest post here.
Now i am hearing ads for a new supplement that is aimed at getting good omega fats into children. Call the 1-800 number and for just shipping and handling fees they will send you a month's supply of this supplement for your kids. (Of course, it probably works as all of these do, where they will automatically charge you for it next month and send it out, unless you remember to cancel, and the 30 day free trial starts today even though you won't get the stuff in the mail for almost a week, and it takes forever to get out of one of these programs, but that's another rant entirely.)
Not "get your kids eating more healthfully." Not "get your omega fatty acids from good, whole foods." No, now it is "buy this supplement because eating a healthy diet, with a bit of supplementation, isn't enough."
At least, that's how i hear it, and it makes me cranky.
If you raise your kids to eat good, whole foods (and mine voluntarily go to the salad bar at the football games where there is a ton of junk food available!) and yes, give them a good multivitamin/multimineral supplement to catch the fact that none of us eats a perfect diet, you really shouldn't have to buy every supplement that comes along to make sure your kids are getting what they need.
That goes for grown-ups, too.
Today is:
Batik Day -- Indonesia (UNESCO designated Indonesian batik as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage)
Buttering-Up Quarter Finals -- Fairy Calendar (I have no idea what this means, but anything to do with butter sounds good.)
Day of Appearance of the Primordial/Eight Great Netjers -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)
Gandhi Jayanti -- India
Go for a Stroll After Dinner Night -- because it's healthy
Guardian Angels Day -- recognize and thank your own Guardian Angel
Feast of Guardian Angels -- Spain (patrons of the police force)
Independence Day -- Guinea
International Day of Non-Violence -- UN, in honor of Gandhi's birthday
Mehregan -- Iran (pre-Muslim Zoroastrian festival of Persia to honor Mehr, which means friendship, affection, and love; also called Persian Festival of Autumn)
Name Your Car Day (and i hope you don't have to name it "Old Unreliable")
National Custodial Workers Day -- US
National Fried Scallops Day
Nobel Conference 48 -- Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, MN, US (annual two-day science symposium)
Old Man's Day -- Braughing, Herts, England (in honor of a 16th-Century man's escape from premature interment; he left money for a street sweeping and celebration on this day which is still observed)
Phileas Fogg's Wager Day -- he made his famous wager, according to Jules Verne, this day in 1872
St. Leger's Day (a/k/a Leodegar; Patron of blind people, millers; against blindness and sore eyes)
World Dairy Expo -- Madison, WI, US ("Around the World of Dairy in 5 Days")
World Farm Animals Day
Anniversaries Today:
Redwood National Park established, 1968
Birthdays Today:
Lorraine Bracco, 1955
Sting, 1951
Annie Leibovitz, 1949
Donna Karan, 1948
Don McLean, 1945
Rex Reed, 1938
George "Spanky" McFarland, 1928
"Sheriff John" Rovick, 1919
Bud Abbot, 1895
Groucho Marx, 1890
Mahatma Gandhi, 1869
King Richard III of England, 1452
Today in History:
Saladin takes Jerusalem from the Crusaders, 1187
Jacques Cartier discovers Mount Royal (Montreal), 1535
Kazan is conquered by Ivan the Terrible, 1552
Jan Lippershey completes a prototype of the modern reflecting telescope, 1608
George Washington transmits the Bill of Rights to the States for ratification, 1789
The Texas Revolution begins with the Battle of Gonzales against Mexican troops attempting to disarm the people of Gonzales, Texas, and meeting with stiff resistance, 1835
J Osterhoudt patents the tin can with key opener, 1866
John Logie Baird performs the first test of a working television system, 1925
The "Prelature of the Holy Cross and the Work of God", commonly known as Opus Dei, is founded by Saint Josemaría Escrivá, 1928
Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz is first published, 1950
The anthology series The Twilight Zone premieres on CBS television, 1959
Thurgood Marshall is sworn in as the first African-American justice of United States Supreme Court, 1967
NATO backs US military strikes following 9/11, 2001
American Samoa joins the North American Numbering Plan, 2004
NFL plays first regular season game outside United States when the Arizona Cardinals defeat the San Francisco 49ers 31-14 in Mexico City, Mexico, 2005
Timmy has set a new standard.
Most of the story lessons i teach in Sunday school have flannel board figures. When he's not standing on his head so he can hear what i'm saying, he especially loves to hold the figures and hand them to me as i need them.
Now, he wants to be the flannel board, after figuring out, by lucky accident, that the figures stay better on his shirt than on the board i use.
So in telling stories about how G-d can do anything that is good and within His holy will, Timmy started against the wall in his headstand and ended being the plaid background of our story. When his shirt ran out of room, he recruited Lily to stand next to him.
From now on, i imagine, i will have a living, moving flannel board, which is fine, as it gets them more into the story.
He was also, as usual, very exact in his answers. When i asked about what G-d can't do, Timmy noted, "G-d can't disobey Himself, 'cause that wouldn't work!"
Only from the mind of a 6-year-old.
Today is:
Armed Forces Day -- South Korea
Bat Appreciation Month -- hooray for Bat Conservation International! www.batcon.org
Blue Shirt Day / World Day of Bullying Prevention
California Ride-Share Week (good luck with that)
Child Health Day -- US
Children's Day -- Singapore
Christmas Seal Campaign begins
Cut Out Dissection Day -- lets find alternatives for school kids!
Feast of St. Therese of Lisieux a/k/a Therese of the Child Jesus or The Little Flower of Jesus (Doctor of the Church; Patron of African missions, AIDS patients, air crews/aircraft pilots/aviators, florists/flower growers, missionaries, sick people, those who have lost parents, tuberculosis; Australia; France; Russia; several cities around the world; against bodily ills and tuberculosis)
Festival of Penha -- Rio de Janiero, Brazil (through the 31st; pilgrimages to the Church of Our Lady of Penha)
Firepup's® Birthday -- have fun learning fire safety from Firepup; www.nfsc.org
Flattering Finals -- Fairy Calendar
Global Diversity Awareness Month begins -- to foster and further our understanding of the value of people of all races, genders, nationalities, ages, religions, sexual orientations, classes, and physical disabilities
Guoqing Jie -- China (National Day/Founding of the Republic)
Homemade Cookies Day
Independence Day -- Cyprus(1960); Nigeria(1960); Palau(1994); Tuvalu(1976)
International Day of Older Persons -- UN
Investiture of the Captains Regent -- San Marino
Kalends of October -- Ancient Roman Calendar; also
Day Sacred to Fides -- goddess of faithfulness and keeping your word
Festival of Juno Sororia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (Juno the Sister, protector of young women at puberty)
Labour Day -- ACT, NSW, & SA, Australia
Month of Freethought -- inspired by Freethinkers who emigrated to the US in the 19th century
Pageantry in Oslo -- Oslo, Norway (opening of Parliament)
Pancasila Sanctity Day -- Indonesia
Peat-Cutting Day -- Falkland Islands
Popcorn and Tears Movie Appreciation Night -- go see a tear jerker; if guys don't want to go, make them stay home and vacuum
Pudding Season begins (Time to preserve meat from slaughtering for the winter by making meat puddings.)
Queen's Birthday Holiday -- QLD & WA, Australia
Ram Mating Ceremony -- various towns and villages in Turkey (through the 20th, each village setting its own date; after being separated from the females for two months, the rams are returned with ceremonies to ensure good luck and lots of babies next spring)
Right-Brainers Rule Month begins (because left handers / right brainers are in their "right" minds)
St. Remigius of Rheims' Day (Patron of France; Rheims, France; against epidemics, fever, plague, religious indifference, snakes, and throat pain)
St. Romanos the Melodist's Day (hymn writer of the early 6th Century whose surviving works are still sung)
Teacher's Day -- Uzbekistan
Territory Day -- Christmas Island
Thanksgiving Day -- Saint Lucia
Unification Day -- Cameroon
US Fiscal Year begins (Why in October?)
World Habitat Day -- UN
World Vegetarian Day
Anniversaries Today:
South African College is founded, 1829 (Now University of Cape Town)
Yosemite National Park and Yellowstone National Park are founded, 1890
Stanford University opens, 1891
Birthdays Today:
Mark McGwire, 1963
Randy Quaid, 1950
Julie Andrews, 1935
Richard Harris, 1932
George Peppard, 1928
Tom Bosley, 1927
Jimmy Carter, 1924
James Whitmore, 1921
Walter Matthau, 1920
Bonnie Parker, 1910
Vladimir Horowitz, 1903
Henry III, King of England, 1207
Today in History:
Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia, BC331
The Russian Parliament accepts the annexation of the Ukraine, 1653
First session of the new French legislative assembly is held, 1791
Spain cedes Louisiana to France in a secret treaty, 1800
The first steamboat to sail the Mississippi River arrives in New Orléans, Louisiana, 1811
Maria Mitchell discovers a non-naked-eye comet, 1847
A cyclone strikes Calcutta, India, killing 70,000, 1864
Karl Marx' "Das Kapital" is published, 1867
The world's first postcards are issued, in Vienna, Austria, 1869
John Philip Sousa becomes the new director of the USMC Band, 1880
Thomas Edison opens the first electric lamp factory, 1880
The USPS begins special delivery mail service, 1885
Jews are expelled from major Russian cities, 1898
Arab forces under T.E. Lawrence, a/k/a Lawrence of Arabia, capture Damascus, 1918
An oil field accident cost aviator Wiley Post his left eye, but he used the settlement money to buy his first aircraft, 1926
The Pennsylvania Turnpike, often considered the first superhighway in the United States, opens, 1940
Mensa International is founded in the United Kingdom, 1946
First broadcast of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, 1962
The Concorde supersonic transport plane breaks the sound barrier for the first time, 1969
Walt Disney World opens near Orlando, Florida, United States, 1971
The United States returns sovereignty of the Panama canal to Panama, 1979
EPCOT Center opens at Walt Disney World, 1982
William Gibson's groundbreaking novel Neuromancer is published, introducing the word "cyberspace" to the English language, 1984
Denmark introduces the world's first legal modern same-sex civil union, 1989
The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom takes over the judicial functions of the House of Lords, 2009
Computer is acting up again, but my latest attempt at how to get organized is here.
Have a fabulous Sunday; by tomorrow, i should have another Timmy story.
Today is:
Agricultural Reform Day -- Sao Tome and Principe
Banned Books Week begins -- through Oct. 6, celebrate your right to read what you want!
Celtic Tree Month Gort begins (Ivy)
Chuseok / HanGawi -- Korea (a harvest festival and days to give homage to the ancestors and celebrate family)
Day of Liberation of the Republic of Abkhazia -- Abkhazia (disputed territory on the Black Sea)
Do Something Wacky With A Grandparent Day -- just not the monkey bars, please; old bones don't knit fast enough
Eleusinian Mysteries -- Ancient Greek Calendar (the Greater Mystery Rites, date approximate; mystery rites of Demeter and Persephone at Eleusis, one of the most sacred times of their year)
Gold Star Mother's Day -- US (honoring mothers who have lost children who were serving in the US Armed Forces)
Independence Day -- Botswana
International Translation Day -- International Federation of Translators
Kokkeisetsu -- Chinatown, Yokohama, Japan (Chinese National Founding Day in the largest Chinatown in Japan; through tomorrow)
Medetrinalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (festival fruits offer to the goddess of medicine)
Monkey Bars Day -- a day to go see if you can still do tricks on the monkey bars, because the internet wants to kill us and let the machines that would never do anything so silly take over
National Mud Pack Day -- give yourself a facial
National Hot Mulled Cider Day
St. Gregory the Enlightener (or Illuminator; Patron of Armenia)
St. Jerome's Day (Patron of archaeologists, archivists, Biblical scholars, librarians, libraries, school children, students, translators; Saint-Jerome, Quebec)
also an Apache celebration of Geronimo, the Native American who was named after this saint
Sukkot -- Judaism (begins at sundown; 7 day Feast of Tabernacles)
World Rivers Day -- International
Zhongqui Jie -- China; Macau; Taiwan (Mid-Autumn Festival, celebration of family, also called the Moon Festival, celebrated with mooncakes, matchmaking, sky lanterns, Fire Dragon Dances, and more)
Birthdays Today:
Eric Stoltz, 1961
Fran Drescher, 1957
Marilyn McCoo, 1943
Z.Z. Hill, 1935
Johnny Mathis, 1935
Angie Dickinson, 1931
Truman Capote, 1924
Deborah Kerr, 1921
Buddy Rich, 1917
Rumi, 1207
Today in History:
Rambam (Maimonides) authorizes Samuel Ibn Tibbon to translate the Guide of the Perplexed from Arabic into Hebrew, 1199
Mozart's last opera, The Magic Flute, premiers, 1791
Anesthetic ether is used for the first time by Dr. William Morton, who extracted a tooth, 1846
German scientist Hermann von Meyer announces the discovery of the first fossil of an archaeopteryx, 1861
The first Portuguese immigrants arrive in Hawai'i, 1878
The world's first commercial hydroelectric power plant begins operation on the Fox River in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States, 1882
Hubert Cecil Booth patents the vacuum cleaner, 1901
The first manned rocket plane flight, made by auto maker Fritz von Opel, 1929
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan and Yemen join the United Nations, 1947
The World Series, featuring the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers, is televised for the first time, 1947
The U.S. Navy submarine USS Nautilus is commissioned as the world's first nuclear reactor powered vessel, 1954
James Dean is killed in a road accident, 1955
Mexican-American labor leader César Chávez founds the United Farm Workers, 1962
James Meredith enters the University of Mississippi, defying segregation, 1962
General Suharto rises to power in Indonesia after an alleged coup by communists, and massacres over a million Indonesian people suspected of belonging to the Communist Party, 1965
BBC Radio 1 is launched and Tony Blackburn presents its first show, 1967
Ethernet specifications are published by Xerox working with Intel and Digital Equipment Corporation, 1980
The Dalai Lama unveils the Canadian Tribute to Human Rights in Canada's capital city of Ottawa, 1990
The first images of a live giant squid in its natural habitat are taken 600 miles south of Tokyo, 2004
The controversial drawings of Muhammad are printed in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, 2005
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