rEcess Time!

The school year has begun, so we've started rEcess again.

For those who don't know, it's a volunteer program where several of us, including at least one or two medical people, get together to babysit special needs kids so that their parents may have a night out.

These are children with severe problems, so you can't just leave them with the kid down the street.

This week, we had Lana, who despite being one of the only children in the world with a mitochondrial illness, has managed to learn to crawl, and can throw a toy now and watch the grown-up pick it up

Pete came, with his twin brothers.  He has Down's Syndrome, and is one of the most fun kids to watch play.  His brothers are 3, he is 5, and they are all about the same size and developmentally about the same.

Jack was there, who has braces on his legs, little use of his arms, and who lets nothing stop him.  Put him on the floor, and he rolls wherever he needs to go, even up a step or to, onto the stage.  He performed a comedy show up on the small stage for us all.

Anna, who has some developmental problems and used to have a feeding tube, came with her two sisters and her brother.  Her tube is not needed any more, she has learned to eat without choking, and she was full of fun.

Then there was my special charge, Grace.

Some might remember Grace.  She spent the first two years of her life in an orphanage in Bangladesh, and as is typical of orphanages in many nations, she was in a crib with no stimulation and the only contact she had was when her diaper was changed or she was handed a bottle.  No rocking, no being spoken to, little to no input.  She does have a seizure disorder, but it's minor.  Her biggest problem was simply lack of stimulating environment.

She's been in the US with her adoptive mother for almost a year now, and the difference is striking.  She's about 3 now, and her development is about that of a 1-year-old, but she can walk and run more like a child of 3.  So, like a 1-year-old, she is now at the babbling stage, where she strings syllables together in sentence patterns, but it makes sense only to her.  She also now has a much bigger vocabulary and even a couple of sentences.

She's no longer afraid to get in and try to play alongside other kids, and we had fun throwing the ball to another child.  Ella, a daughter of a volunteer, who is almost exactly her age, spoke to her and showed her how to use a couple of the toys.

Grace also now has a pillow pet from which she is inseparable, and a personality that has its own likes and dislikes is emerging quite strongly.

We spent a good bit of time running, played the drums for a bit, and she decided she was the best thing around with her funny clown glasses.

A few pictures i managed to get, between sessions of running down the halls:

Grace loves the trampoline, though she can't jump well yet.

The glasses.

Grace running with the glasses on.

Play ball!

It was a good night, we all had fun. 


Today is:

Air Force Day -- Pakistan

America's Day For Kids -- sponsored by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America

Aunt's Day 2013 -- not the same as Aunt and Uncle's Day in July, or the Aunt's Day some list in May, this one i can't find a sponsor or reason for

Beer Lovers' Day -- ESPN began to broadcast on this day in 1979

Boonesborough Days -- Boonesboro, MD, US (living history, food, antiques, and a celebration of the original spelling of the town's name; through tomorrow)

Braemar Royal Highland Gathering -- Braemar, Scotland (one of the largest gatherings and Highland Games, celebrated for the last 900 years)

Carl Garner Federal Lands Cleanup Day 2013 -- US (the Saturday after Labor Day, everyone is encouraged to volunteer in cleaning federal land, recreation areas, or waterways, to help do their part to keep these places beautiful)

Chadds Ford Days -- Chadds Ford, PA, US (Brandywine Valley traditional art celebration; through tomorrow)

Classic Boat Show -- Tuckerton, NJ, US (the Tuckerton Seaport and the Philadelphia Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society present classic wood and glass boats exhibitors, entertainment, demonstrations, a parent/child boat-building contest, and more; through tomorrow)

Feel the Love Day

Festival of Children -- Costa Mesa, CA (weekends through Sept.; a community-wide charity outreach with over 100 stage and hands-on activities through the month)

Grandma Moses Day

Hang Around Victor Day -- Victor, NY, US

Independence Day -- Brazil

Little Falls Arts and Crafts Fair -- Little Falls, MN, US (arts and crafts from hobbyists and pros; through tomorrow)

Lusaka Peace Agreement Day -- Mozambique

Mushroom Festival -- Kennett Square, PA, US (food, fun, and fungi in the Mushroom Capital of the World; through tomorrow)

Naked Gardening Day -- scare the neighbors!  get rid of those pesky squirrels!  experience nature (and sunburn, and mosquito bites) with your whole body!  not to be confused with World Naked Gardening Day, which is now held in May each year

Nanticoke Powwow -- Millsboro, DE, US (Native American gathering and celebration; through tomorrow)

National Acorn Squash Day

National Hummingbird Day -- not official, but someone loves them enough to have started this

National Napoleon Day (the dessert, not the general)

National Threatened Species Day -- Australia

Neither Snow Nor Rain Day -- celebrates the opening of the US Post Office in NYC on this day in 1914, which building has the famous inscription on it

New Jersey Maritime Heritage Festival & Antique and Classic Boat Show -- Tuckerton, NJ, US (lots of seaworthy fun; through tomorrow)

Nijamati Sewa Dival -- Nepal (Civil Servants' Day)

Onam Festival -- Kerala, India (first day of the rituals celebrating the legendary King Maveli)

Salami Day -- sponsored by salamiday.com

Sheriff's Ride Ceremony -- Lichfield, UK (dating back to 1553, the sheriff and his men ceremonially ride the circuit of the boundary of the city; originally on the 8th Sept. every year by order of Queen Mary, now held on the Saturday nearest)

St. Cloud's Day (a/k/a Clodoald the Confessor; Patron of nail makers; St. Cloud, Minnesota)

St. Regina's Day (Patron of poor people, shepherdesses, torture victims)

Turn A Cartwheel in Public Day -- the internet has it out for us

Valparaiso Popcorn Festival -- Valparaiso, IN, US

Victory Day -- Mozambique

Welsh Fairies Bonnet-Hurling Competition -- Fairy Calendar


Anniversary Today:

Sergey Brin and Larry Page incorporate Google, 1998


Birthdays Today:

Gloria Gaynor, 1949
Richard Roundtree, 1942
Cuneyt Arkin, 1937
John Phillip Law, 1937
Buddy Holly, 1936
Don Messick, 1927
Peter Lawford, 1923
Anthony Quayle, 1913
Elia Kazan, 1909
Michael E. DeBakey, 1908
Grandma Moses, 1860
Elizabeth I, Queen of England, 1533


Today in History:

Traditionally, the solar eclipse date that marks the birth of Heracles of Thebes (Latin Hercules), BC1251
The Roman army under Titus occupies and plunders Jerusalem, 70
In the world's first submarine attack, the American submersible craft Turtle attempts to attach a time bomb to the hull of British Admiral Richard Howe's flagship HMS Eagle in New York Harbor, 1776
The "Troy Post" of NY first uses "Uncle Sam" to refer to the US, 1813
Last hold-up of Jesse James, 1881
Edith Eleanor McLean becomes the first baby in the US to be put in an incubator for premature infants, 1888
The Boxer Rebellion in China officially ends with the signing of the Boxer Protocol, 1901
Eugene Lefebvre (1878–1909), while test piloting a new French-built Wright biplane, crashes at Juvisy, France when his controls jam. Lefebvre dies, becoming the first 'pilot' in the world to lose his life in a powered heavier-than-air craft, 1909
The first day of the first Miss America Pageant is held in Atlantic City, NJ, 1921
Philo T. Farnsworth demonstrates the first use of television in San Francisco, 1927
The last surviving member of the thylacine species, Benjamin, dies alone in her cage at the Hobart Zoo in Tasmania, 1936
Integration begins in Washington, D.c. and Baltimore, MD public schools, 1954
Desmond Tutu becomes the first black man to lead the Anglican Church in South Africa, 1986
A 5.9 magnitude earthquake rocks Athens, rupturing a previously unknown fault, 1999
Hurricane Ivan, a Category 5 hurricane, hits Grenada, killing 39 and damaging 90% of its buildings, 2004
The first presidential election is held in Egypt, 2005

Feline Friday: Chowing Down

Feline Friday was begun by Steve, the Burnt Food Dude, and i'm going to say it's because he likes cats, and wanted them to have their own day each week.  (We already know that every dog has its day, after all.)


It's always time to chow down around here, espcially with all of these now weaned and soon to be at the shelter for adoption kittens.

When i come downstairs at 5am, i set down a platter, scatter kitten kibble all over it, and let them go at it.  While they eat this, i mix formula and give them some in bowls, and fill bottles for the as yet unweaned little ones.

Stephen Hayes has pointed out that there seems to be no shortage of kittens needing bottle raising around here, and he's right.  Many people don't spay/neuter, leaving cats to have litters which are abandoned.  Many cats are feral, the cast offs of the people who formerly owned them, or are born to such abandoned pets and end up wild, reproducing and if their litter gets orphaned, there's a chance i will end up raising them.

Several rescue groups are working in the area to try to trap, neuter, and release as many feral cats as possible, to encourage owners to spay and neuter, and to end these heartbreaking problems.

For now, though, there are times like this, where i end up with 19 kittens from 8 litters, sponsored by 3 different rescue groups.  Eight of those are young enough that they still have to have a bottle, 3 are nibbling the dry food and taking some of their milk from a bowl, but still wanting the bottle, and the rest are weaned and go up for adoption within the week.

Today is:

Arcola Broom Corn Festival -- Arcola, IL, US (includes a parade; through Sunday)

Armed Forces Day -- Sao Tome and Principe

Defense Day -- Pakistan

Dri-jerbal -- Marshall Islands (Labor Day)

Ear and Trumpter Contests for Mice -- Fairy Calendar

Festa Della Rificolona -- Florence, Italy (one of Florences oldest and most colorful celebrations; through tomorrow)

Festival of the Vine -- Geneva, IL, US (celebrating the flavors of fall, especially good food and wine from around the world; through Sunday)

Flag Day -- Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles

Freddy Mercury's Montreaux Memorial -- Montreaux, Switzerland (annual tribute to the work of Freddie Mercury; through Sunday)

Great Canadian Beer Festival -- Victoria, BC, Canada (through tomorrow)

Lazy Moms Day -- a day for mom to be lazy, and let the kids do the housework!

National Coffee Ice Cream Day -- Sweetie swears the best ever was at Howard Johnson Restaurants back in the day

Norwalk Seaport Oyster Festival -- Norwalk, CT, US (vintage ships, crafters, entertainment, oysters, and a Kids' Cove; through Sunday)

Ohio River Sternwheel Festival -- Marietta, OH, US (a three day riverfront extravaganza)

One Arm Dove Hunt -- Olney, TX, US (a one-of-a-kind event, begun by two Texas politicians from Olney who were both amputees, they and the town of Olney invite every amputee or person who has lost use of a hand or arm to come to "The Friendliest Town West of the Mississippi River" for Texas food, fun, a glove swap, musical entertainment, one arm jokes and tales, one arm golf tournament, the famous 10 cents a finger breakfast, a Cow Chip Chunk'n, Amputee Vs. Politician, and the big dove hunt; through tomorrow)

Popeye Picnic -- Chester, IL, US (celebrate everyone's favorite cartoon sailor in the town where his creator, E.C. Segar, was born; through Sunday)

Puyallup Fair -- Puyallup, WA, US (one of the top ten fairs in attendance in the world; through the 22nd)

Read A Book Day -- can't find the history on it, but enjoy!

Rosh Hashanah -- Judaism (ends today at evening)

Sacrifice to Hera Thelchinia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate)

Somhlolo Day -- Swaziland (Independence Day)

St. Magnus of Fussen's Day (Patron of crops; against caterpillars, hail, lightning, reptiles, vermin)

Stillbirth Remembrance Day -- Canada (some Provinces); US

Thiruvonam Festival -- KL, PY, India (start of the ten day festival of Onam)

Unification Day -- Bulgaria

Walker Cup -- Southampton, NY, US (biennial competition between amateur teams from the US and UK; through Sunday)


Birthdays Today:

Jeff Foxworthy, 1958
Jane Curtin, 1947
Swoosie Kurtz, 1944
Jo Anne Worley, 1937
Joseph P. Kennedy, 1888
Jane Addams, 1860
Marquis de Lafayette, 1757


Today in History:

The Victoria, the only surviving ship of Ferdinand Magellan's expedition, returns to Sanlúcar de Barrameda in Spain, becoming the first ship to circumnavigate the world, 1522
The Spanish "Silver Fleet" disappears off the Florida Keys, 1622
Founding of Salem, Massachussetts, 1628
The first US lighthouse is built in Boston, 1716
Hurricane hits Martinique and Guadalupe, hundreds of ships sink and thousands die on land and at sea, 1776
Thomas Blanchard patents the lathe, 1819
Oberlin Collegiate Institute of Ohio becomes co-ed, with 4 women and 30 men in attendance, 1837
Louisa Ann Swain of Laramie, Wyoming becomes the first woman in the United States to cast a vote legally after 1807, 1870
Juliana becomes Queen of the Netherlands, 1948
Canada's first television station, CBFT-TV, opens in Montreal, 1952
Nine Israeli athletes are killed during a rescue attempt after being kidnapped at the Munich Olympic Games; two had died during the kidnapping the day before, 1972
The Soviet Union recognizes the independence of the Baltic states:
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and restores the name St. Petersburg to Russia's second largest city, 1991
Cal Ripken Jr of the Baltimore Orioles plays in his 2,131st consecutive game, breaking a record that stood for 56 years, 1995
Diana, Princess of Wales is laid to rest in front of a television audience of more than 2.5 billion, 1997

Annual PSA

Tomorrow is the appointment, but tomorrow i have a different post scheduled, so, i will do my Annual PSA today.

Tomorrow, i go in to get the twins their glamor shots.  It's a simple procedure, it's quick and easy and not even really all that uncomfortable.  It is a bit of a PITA to get around to it, of course, but i make the time once a year like i make the time to brush and floss each day, or to go in every 3 months and have my thyroid blood work done.

So, Ladies, if you are "of an age" and haven't done so yet, go schedule a mammogram, and get the twins their glamor shots.  If you are even more "of an age," as i am, you might do what i'm doing and get a bone density scan, too.  It's also simple and painless and can save you a world of trouble by detecting problems early.

Gentlemen, don't think i'm letting you off the hook easily.  Please go schedule your annual exams, too.  You know what they are, and why.  Your libido will thank you, and so, presumably, will your wife.



Today is:

Be Late For Something Day -- sponsored by the Procrastinators' Club of America, Inc. (if they can get around to mentioning it in their newsletter, of course)

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta's Day

Fiesta de Santa Fe -- Santa Fe, NM, US (festivities include the burning of the Zozobra -- Old Man Gloom effigy -- on the first night, so bring your personal gloom written down before the burning, and watch it be destroyed, then enjoy one of the oldest fiestas in the US; through Sunday)

Genesia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (a day of the dead; date approximate)

Hassaku-sai -- Matsuo-taisha Shrine, Kyoto, Japan (rituals to ask the gods for mild weather, good harvests and safe homes)

Jeune Genevois -- Geneva, Switzerland (Genevan fast, dates back to the 16th century; now a flower and garden show also)

Jupiter Stator Festival -- Ancient Roman Calendar (commemorates that Jupiter helped Romulus to stop the Sabine invasion under Titus Tatius)

Jury Rights Day -- marking the decision by a jury, in 1670, to not convict William Penn of laws which they considered unjust which would have prohibited him from the practice and preaching of his religion to a peaceably assembled congregation; this decision became the basis of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the US

Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials -- Stamford, England (this year with a reappearance of some gates from the Olympic 3-Day event; through Sunday)

Longs Peak Scottish/Irish Highland Festival -- Estes Park, CO, US (wonderful celebration of the heritage of the Highlands and Ireland; through Sunday)

Marion Popcorn Festival -- Marion, OH, US (performances by nationally renowned entertainers, races, parade, arts and crafts, and more popcorn than you could ever shuck; through Sunday)

National Cheese Pizza Day

St. Laurence Gustiani's Day (First Patriarch of Venice)

Sts. Zechariah and Elisabeth's Day -- Anglican and Eastern Orthodox Churches

Teacher's Day -- India

Toronto International Film Festival -- Toronto, ON, CA (through the 15th)

United Tribes International Pow-Wow -- Bismark, ND, US (over 70 Native American Tribes represented at the major cultural event; through Sunday)

Wag and Carrot Fancying Day -- Fairy Calendar

Yellow Daisy Festival -- Stone Mountain, GA, US (annual arts and crafts festival and fun; through Sunday)


Birthdays Today:

Cathy Guisewite, 1950
Raquel Welch, 1940
Carol Lawrence, 1934
Bob Newhart, 1929
Arthur C. Nielsen, 1923
John Cage, 1912
Darryl F. Zanuck, 1902
Jesse James, 1847
Johann Christian Bach, 1735


Today in History:

Peter the Great of Russia imposes a tax on beards, in an attempt to Westernize his people, 1698
The First Continental Congress is assembled in Philadelphia, 1774
The French National Convention initiates the Reign of Terror, 1793
Napoleon surrenders Malta to Great Britain, 1800
Sam Houston is elected as the first president of the Republic of Texas, 1836
The First Opium war begins in China, 1839
James Glaisher, pioneering meteorologist and Henry Tracey Coxwell break world record for altitude whilst collecting data in their balloon, 1862
Sioux Chief Crazy Horse is killed, 1877
The First Labor Day Parade is held in NYC, 1882
The first gasoline pump is delivered to a gasoline dealer in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, 1885
The first legal forward pass in American football is thrown by Bradbury Robinson of St. Louis University to teammate Jack Schneider in a 22–0 victory over Carroll College (Wisconsin), 1906
The French Upper Volta is broken apart between Ivory Coast, French Sudan, and Niger, 1932
The first conference of the Non Aligned Countries is held in Belgrade, 1961
A Palestinian terrorist group called "Black September" attack and take hostage 11 Israel athletes at the Munich Olympic Games. 2 die in the attack and 9 die the following day, 1972
Voyager 1 is launched after a brief delay, 1977
The St. Gotthard Tunnel opens in Switzerland as the world's longest highway tunnel, 1980
The current international treaty defending indigenous peoples, Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989, came into force, 1991
Tuvalu joins the UN, 2000

"Eddication"

"Hello, honey, how was your day?"

Sweetie had just walked in from work, clutching his lunch bag and briefcase with one hand, his best suit, the one they wear only twice a year at work for two extremely formal events so he keeps it at work in the other.

Hey, it was okay, i answered.

"Well, if I come home, and there's no bad news, it's been a good day," he said.

So, you've gotten your suit back from the cleaners? i asked.  (After all, i had seen it in the back of his car for a day or two, and knew he needed to have it cleaned before my dad's big, formal event in October.)

"No, of course not!  I brought it home so it could be taken to the cleaners," he said.  When he says "so it could be taken to the cleaners," he means, but does not say, by yours truly.

Now, wait a minute.  You know you need it cleaned, you've had it in the car with you for a couple of days, and you pass your favorite dry cleaner every day on the way to work, and instead of dropping it off, you brought it home for me to take it to the cleaners? i said, somewhat incredulously.

"Well, it seemed like the logical thing to do at the time," he answered.

Note -- this from the man with a master's degree, who can organize anything at work and goes about everything logically there, and can find ways to do things the other people there say are impossible.  This, he couldn't figure out, and couldn't understand why i looked at him so oddly.

At that moment, Bigger Girl was at the computer, doing some math work.  It's a special program with videos to explain how to do the work, and practice sessions.

"Whatever drug it is that this lady in the video is on to make her so perky about doing math, I want to be on it!" she said.  "Math people should not be so perky!"

Math is not the strong suit of the family, as proven by what happened next.

"Mom, I've got my test results, and I'm going to have to take an extra math class," Little Girl said.

Looking at her latest Iowa test score, i agree.  She is grade level 13+ on anything to do with English, vocabulary, reading, history, and science, and is above grade level on comprehension of math word problems and use of resources.

She is 6th grade level at math computation skills. It's a family thing, i'm sure.  Thus, she will be doing extra make up work on computer, and we are getting her a special tutoring computer program to help.

After all, it's fine if you can read, but not okay if you can't figure out how to make change when you buy the book.




Today is:

Animals' Day -- Curacao

Ceremony of Transformation through Anubis -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Defeat of Jesse James Days -- Northfield, MN, US (a bank raid reenactment, plus parade, races, rodeo, and more; through Sunday)

Eat An Extra Dessert Day -- internet generated, you have the WWW's permission to indulge today
     note that some sites also list this day, instead of July 7, as World Chocolate Day, so celebrate either one!

Farmers and Threshermens Jubilee -- New Centerville, PA, US (steam engines, threshing the old fashioned ways, and fun; through Sunday)

Fight Procrastination Day/National Do It Day

Immigrant's Day -- Argentina

Ludi Romani -- Ancient Roman Calendar (through the 19th; a festival to Jupiter Optimus Maximus, also called Circensian games)

National Macadamia Nut Day

Newspaper Carrier Day -- US (anniversary of Benjamin Day, publisher of the New York Sun, hiring Barney Flaherty as the first newspaper carrier in 1833)

Peach Days Celebration -- Brigham City, UT, US (delicious peaches and family fun; through Saturday)

Rosh Hashanah -- Judaism (begins this evening; through the evening Sept. 6)

St. Ida of Herzfeld's Day (Patron of brides, widows)

St. Rose of Viterbo's Festival -- Viterbo, Italy (actual feast day of the saint is March 6)

The Masters -- Spruce Meadows, Calgary, AB, Canada (The international horse show jumping competitions; through the 8th)


Anniversaries Today:

Ford Motor Company introduces The Edsel, 1957
The comic strip Beetle Baily is introduced, 1950
The first Beatrix Potter story featuring Peter Rabbit is published, 1902



Birthdays Today:

Beyonce Knowles, 1981
Mitzi Gaynor, 1930
Dick York, 1928
Paul Harvey, 1918
Henry Ford II, 1917
Richard Wright, 1908
Nigel Bruce, 1895
François-René, vicomte de Chateaubriand, 1768


Today in History:

Romulus Augustulus, the last Roman emperor in the West, is formally deposed, 476
Edmund Halley, English astronomer, first observes the comet that now bears his name, 1682
The City of Los Angeles is founded in Bahia de las Fumas (Valley of Smokes), 1781
Robert Fulton begins operating his steamboat, 1807
Barney Flahery, age 10, is hired to be the first newsboy, by the NY Sun, 1833
Although he had demonstrated their use before, the first major lighting with electricity comes online as 400 bulbs are lit in offices on Spruce, Wall, Nassau, and Pearl streets in lower Manhattan by Thomas Edison, 1882
The last major US-Indian war ends with the surrender of Apache Chief Geronimo, 1886
George Eastman patents the first roll-film cameral and registers the trademark name "Kodak", 1888
Beatrix Potter first tells the story of Peter Rabbit, 1893
Comic strip "Beetle Bailey" first appears, 1950
The Ford Motor Company introduces the Edsel, 1957
Mark Spitz becomes the first competitor to win seven medals at a single Olympic Games, 1972
Google is founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, two students at Stanford University, 1998
A 7.1 earthquake strikes the South Island of New Zealand, causing widespread damage, 2010

Words

"Mom, what if language prevents us from fully experiencing things?"  Bigger Girl was in the mood for a discussion.

What do you mean? i asked.

"Well, think about it.  When we experience something, we immediately search for the words to describe it.  If we didn't have words and language, would we experience it more, or more deeply, because we didn't have to search for words to talk about it?"

Interesting idea, i said, but what about the fact that science seems to show that babies don't form long term memories until they have the words, the language, to describe what they are going through or what is happening?

"But animals don't have words, either, and they form memories.  I mean, they do have their own version of languages or was to communicate, but they have memories.  And what if they experience things more deeply and fully than we because they just take it in, without having to analyze and define and quantify it with words?"

Then there's Helen Keller, i noted.  She had very few memories, from what i gather, from before she learned sign language, and the few things she did remember were things she developed her own sign language for.  It would be interesting to ask someone like her if she experienced things more deeply before she had language and words.

"Yeah, it would be interesting.  Oh, and something I found out today.  When I wear this collar that looks like a dog collar, it's Soccer Mom repellant!  The moms all look at me and herd their children away from me!  That will come in handy some day, I bet."

Most likely, i noted drily.


Today is:

Another Look Unlimited Day -- sponsored by Envira Myntyl, a day to look around and see what you don't need and can donate to charity, to lessen the flow to landfills

Armed Forces Day -- Taiwan

Concordia Fall Festival -- Concordia, MO (celebrating agriculture and the German heritage of the area; through Saturday)

Cromwell's Day -- The Cromwell Association holds a service at his statue on his death date

Day to Mourn All Manifestations of Sexism -- in honor of passage of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women

Day of Universal Alarm -- Fairy Calendar (no one remembers what to be alarmed about, which is what is so alarming, at least to the Fairies)

Feast of San Marino and the Republic -- San Marino

Flag Day -- Australia

Macchina di Santa Rosa -- Viterbo, Italy (St. Rose, patron of the city, celebration begins this evening at 9pm sharp)

Merchant Navy Remembrance Day -- Canada

National Welsh Rarebit Day

National Wilderness Day -- US (commemorates passage of The Wilderness Act in 1964)

Play Days -- sponsored by the HUMOR Project, add humor to your life; through Saturday

Skyscraper Day -- birth anniversary of Louis H. Sullivan in 1856, architect credited with some of the first skyscrapers

South Carolina Apple Festival -- Westminster, SC, US (through Saturday)

St. Gregory the Great's Day (Inventor of Gregorian Chant; Patron of choir boys, educators, masons, musicians, papacy, Popes, schoolchildren, singers, stone masons, stonecutters, students, teachers; England; Kercem, Malta; Legazpi, Philippines; Montone, Italy; San Gregorio nelle Alpi, Italy; West Indes; against gout and plague)

St. Marinus' Day (Patron and founder of San Marino; also Patron of bachelors, deacons, and falsely accused people)

Tokehega Day -- Tokalau (remembrance of the Treaty of Tokehega)


Birthdays Today:

Charlie Sheen, 1965
Mort Walker, 1923
Kitty Carlisle Hart, 1914
Alan Ladd, 1913
Uncle Sam, 1813 (Image first used this date.)
Anna, Duchess of Bedford, 1783 (in 1840, she began the tradition of afternoon tea)
Nicolo Amati, 1596


Today in History:

Sextus Pompeius, son of Pompey, is defeated in the Battle of Naulochus by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, admiral of Octavian, which ends the resistance to the Second Triumvirate, BC36
Saint Marinus founds San Marino, one of the smallest nations in the world and the world's oldest republic still in existence, 301
Consecration of Pope Gregory the Great, 590
King Richard I (the Lionheart) crowned, and 30 Jews are massacred as part of the celebration, 1189
Richard Cromwell becomes Lord Protector of England, 1658
The first large group of Swiss and German colonists reach the shores of North and South Carolina areas, 1709
The Flag of the United States is flown in battle for the first time, 1777
Signing of the Treaty of Paris, end of the US Revolutionary War, 1783
John Dalton, English scientist begins using symbols to represent different atomic elements, 1803
The first daily newspaper, a "penny paper", that actually succeeded, The Sun (New York), begins publication, as well as employing the first paper boys, 1833
Outbreak of the Greek revolution against the autocratic rule of King Otto, 1843
William, Prince of Albania, leaves the country after six months because of opposition to his rule, 1914
Sir Malcolm Campbell reaches a speed of 304.331 miles per hour on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, becoming the first person to drive an automobile over 300 mph, 1935
68th and final transport of Dutch Jews, including Anne Frank and her family/friends, leaves for Auschwitz, 1944
Wally Gator premiers, 1962
Dagen H in Sweden: traffic changes from driving on the left to driving on the right overnight, 1967
The Viking 2 spacecraft lands at Utopia Planitia on Mars, 1976
Russia and the People's Republic of China agree not to target each other with nuclear weapons, 1994
An 87-automobile pile-up happens on Highway 401 freeway just East of Windsor, Ontario, Canada after an unusually thick fog from Lake St. Clair, 1999
Iran's Parliament approves the first woman minister in 30 years, confirming the appointment of Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi as Minister of Health, 2009

My Turn!

Mealtime.  Get out of my way!

Don't get your bare toes too close, either.

A happy Labor Day/Labour Day to all workers!


Today is:

Bison-Ten-Yell Day -- celebrating the imaginary Bison-Ten-Yell, inventor of 10 battle yells now used as American football signals

Celtic Tree Month Muin (Vine) begins

Coughing and Spluttering Convention -- Fairy Calendar

Feast of Osiris -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Independence Day -- Transdniestria

Labor Day/Labour Day -- Bermuda; Canada; Palau; U.S. and Territories

National Blueberry Popsicle Day

National Day -- Vietnam

National Stearman Fly-In Days -- Galesburg, IL, US (the largest gathering of Stearman bi-planes in the world, with flying, seminars, and exhibits; through Saturday)

Pierce Your Ears Day -- does a kitten screaming in my ear count?  oh, since the person who decided we should celebrate this today didn't leave a trace, i guess it's okay to interpret any way we want

Sacrifice to Hekate and Artemis -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate)

Sedantag -- Germany

St. Agricola of Avignon's Day (Patron of rain -- for or against, whichever you need! -- of good weather and storks; Avignon, France; against misfortune and plague epidemics)

Umhlanga -- Swaziland (Reed Dance Public Holiday and final day, culmination of the Reed Dance Celebration begun last week and sponsored by the Royal Family)

VJ Day -- Surrender Ceremony took place on this date aboard the USS Missouri


Anniversary Today:

Beginning of the Marathon Runs during the Persian War, Sept. 2-9, 490BC



Birthdays Today:

Lennox Lewis, 1965
Keanu Reeves, 1964
Jimmy Connors, 1952
Mark Harmon, 1951
Christa McAuliffe, 1948
Terry Bradshaw, 1948
Cleveland Amory, 1917
Lili'uokalani, 1838


Today in History:

Cicero's first Philippic (oratorical attack) on Marc Antony, BC44
Pharaoh Cleopatra VII of Egypt declares her son co-ruler as Ptolemy XV Caesarion, BC44
Octavian's troops win the Battle of Actium which ends the Final war of the Roman Republic, BC31
The Great Fire of London breaks out and burns for three days; it ends with 8 dead and 13,000 houses destroyed, 1666
Great Britain adopts the Gregorian calendar, nearly two centuries later than most of Western Europe, 1752
US Treasury Dept. is established by Congress, 1789
The solar super storm continues to affect electrical telegraph service, 1859
Theodore Roosevelt adivses the US to "Speak softly, and carry a big stick." 1901
President Ngo Dinh Diem of South Vietnam becomes the first foreign head of state to make a state visit to Australia, 1957
The Principality of Sealand is established, ruled by Prince Paddy Roy Bates, 1967
Swissair Flight 111 crashes near Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia; all 229 people on board are killed, 1998
Pope Benedict hosts an eco-festival, "Save Creation Day," in Loreto, Italy, to encourage Catholics to live an eco-friendly lifestyle, 2007

Hard To Go

Most of the time, i'm bottle raising for a couple of particular rescue groups, especially one that has a shelter of its own.

This call was from the group that tries to rescue the dozens and dozens of precious animals that end up at animal control.

Before this group started, most of those animals were euthanized.  Many still are.  It's much better now, though, as this group works very hard to get homes for as many animals as possible.

Kay called and asked for a favor, the companion group that works with animal control needed a bottle feeder.  She gave my name to Tina, who gave it to Maria, and Maria said she was desperate, these three were living on a multi-animal formula that another volunteer was feeding them when they were able to take out the time, as they are always so overworked.

The animal control center is forever and a half out on the edge of town, past the juvenile court, bail bond places, and parish prison.  Out in the area where no one wants to willingly go.  Yet the dedicated volunteers go out there, day after day, and take care of animals, doing so much more than the animal control staff can do.

When i pulled up to the place i hadn't been in over 15 years, i parked in the back near where the tangled weeds grow right up to the fence, with the woods beyond.  The on site veterinary "office" is a house trailer that has seen better days.

Then out of the car and i saw what's so hard to see.  Cage after cage, dog after dog, some two or three in a larger cage.  Most of the cages were clean, but a few needed attention.  Every tail wags and every pair of eyes follows hopefully when people pass.

Now, i have to admit that i am a messy mimi.  While i do clean, things can get a bit behind, and stuff tends to pile up in some places.  My floors, especially, often sport dried kitten formula and other dregs of raising these babies, but all litter boxes get cleaned daily and i sweep and try to spot clean as soon as i see anything and mop as often as i can.  It builds up, though, and my house smells like it has cats, it can't be helped.  It's something we are used to, we don't notice.  When i walk into other people's homes, if they have cats or dogs, i don't notice a smell, it's something i'm used to, unless it's a hoarding situation.

This time, following a volunteer into the large part of the back of the animal control building itself, the stench was almost overwhelming.  As much as i don't mind smells, and even enjoy the smell of a barn,  that beautiful, earthy scent of horses or cows, this smelled of death and illness, and it was awful.  It's the area the public doesn't see, the reason i have such a hard time coming out there.

It's the reason i think the people who volunteer out here are among the best people there are, because i'm not sure i could do it.

She brought me through to the front, where the public can sit and pick a happy, healthy companion, and from there Maria brought me in a tiny back office where one small dog was in a cage and another was wandering around, getting underfoot and being a darling.  On a table in a carrier were three kittens.  Next to the carrier, a cup full of formula that looked thin and watery to me, with syringes in it, the kind with no needled, to use to feed the babies.  No bottles are available here.

Maria asked me to fill out a volunteer form, which i did, and i fed the babies some more of their watery formula, which they took gladly, so they would perhaps sleep on the trip home.  As i stood there, she called two other volunteers back with her to discuss a man who had come in to claim his dog.  The dog had been left tied to a fence, so closely tied that it could hardly move, with no food, water, or shelter.  This in the hot south Louisiana summer can easily be lethal.  Yet she was explaining that there was no animal control hold on the animal, so she wasn't sure she could deny him.

A couple of phone calls, and she got someone from the staff to agree that, though there wasn't a hold, he would come out there on a Saturday and talk to the man, stressing that they would check up on the dog and telling him he had to provide shade and water at all times the animal was outside.  The whole conversation made me want to cry, and i know those volunteers hate having to give an animal back to an owner under such circumstances.  Yet they keep coming back and doing this job.

A few minutes later,  i put the kittens in my carrier and went out through the front door to walk around the building to my car, as i could not imagine trying to go through the back area again.

That last feeding was only partially successful; one of the babies screamed for about half of the long trip, and of course i came home to 13 screaming at me at home, all ready for a meal.  Many of those are weaned, though, or partially so, so it's not so bad.

The two in the kitten cage had been bathed and let out of isolation earlier, and the cage cleaned for these new ones.  So i fed everyone and moved these three into the cage, the tiniest babies into a much larger carrier, and the other 11 are running around the kitchen, dining area, library, and front hall, terrorizing my own cats who find the situation of all these invaders intolerable except that they bring with them the opportunity to steal kitten food and formula.

Now i have 16 kittens, from 3 different rescues, ranging from 2-7 weeks in age, and from 6 different litters.  Next Friday, the biggest of them can go to the one rescue that has a shelter of its own.

And in a few weeks, i'll have to go back out there, where it's hard for me to go.  At least these babies will get homes from out there, but i'm in more awe of the volunteers who work in that place than ever before.  They have nerves of steel.




Today is:

Banti Meskerem -- Eritrea (Revolution Day)

Bonnat Pig Fair -- Bonnat, France

Building and Code Staff Appreciation Day

Chicken Boy's Day -- the mascot of the now defunct restaurant by that name, the 22 foot statue of a boy with a chicken's head was saved from destruction and is now a pop icon in L.A. on Route 66

Constitution Day/National Day -- Slovakia

Day of Knowledge -- Estonia (an official Flag Day); Russia

Disaster Prevention Day/Kanto Earthquake Memorial Day -- Japan

Ecclesiastical Year begins -- Orthodox Christian

Father's Day -- Australia; Fiji; Papua New Guinea; New Zealand

Festival of Juno Regina and Jupiter Liber -- Ancient Roman Calendar

Giostra del Saracino -- Arezzo, Italy ("Saracen Joust," a tilting contest dating back to the 13th century, with knights in armor)

Harvest Wine Celebration -- Livermore, CA, US (open-house visits to 43 wineries; through tomorrow)

Hassaku Oshi-tsuki -- Tsuma, Oki Island, Japan (bull sumo, with bulls pushing each other out of the ring)

Historical Regatta -- Venice, Italy (competition among two-oar racing gondolas, preceded by Venetian ceremonial boats)

Mustaqillik Kuni -- Uzbekistan (Independence Day, 1991)

National Cherry Popover Day

National No Rhyme (Nor Reason) Day -- the day to celebrate the amazing words in the English language that do not rhyme with any other words

Nutt Day -- for Emma M. Nutt, the first female telephone operator

Oyster Season begins

Partridge's Day -- partridge hunting season begins in UK

Presidential Message Day -- Mexico

Random Acts of Kindness Day -- New Zealand

Running of the Sheep -- Reed Point, MT (matched only by the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, hundreds of sturdy Montana bred woolies charge down the six blocks of the main street in town, plus there is a parade!)

Sing A Silly Song in Bed Day -- now, this one has no real rhyme or reason

Sneeze-Wobbling Festival -- Fairy Calendar

St. Fiacre's Day -- Ireland and France (the rest of the church celebrates this Patron of gardeners on August 30)

St. Gideon the Judge's Day (Patron of Saint-Gedeon-de-Beauce, Canada)

St. Giles' Day (Patron of the beggars, blacksmiths, breast feeding, cancer patients, disabled/handicapped people, epileptics, forests, hermits, horses, lepers, mentally ill people, noctiphobics, paupers and the poor, rams, spur makers, woods; Edinburgh, Scotland; Toifa, Italy; against breast cancer, epilepsy, fear of the night, insanity, leprosy, mental illness, noctiphobia, sterility)

St. Simeon Stylites' Day -- Eastern Orthodox Christian

Teacher's Day -- Singapore

Wattle Day -- Australia


Birthdays Today:

Gloria Estefan, 1957
Dr. Phil McGraw, 1950
Barry Gibb, 1946
Lily Tomlin, 1939
Seiji Ozawa, 1935
Conway Twitty, 1933
"Boxcar" Willie, 1931
Rocky Marciano, 1923
Yvonne DeCarlo, 1922
Vittorio Gassman, 1922
Edgar Rice Burroughts, 1875
Englebert Humperdinck. 1854 (composer, esp of opera Hansel and Gretel)
Johann Pachelbel, 1653


Today in History:

Rabbi Moses Ben Nachman establishes a Jewish community in Jerusalem, 1267
Adi Granth, now known as Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of Sikhs, was first installed at Harmandir Sahib, 1601
The first yacht race is held, between England's King Charles I and his brother James, 1661
Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa forms in California, 1772
Juno, one of the largest main belt asteroids, is discovered by German astronomer Karl Ludwig Harding, 1804
Narcissa Whitman, one of the first white women to settle west of the
Rocky Mountains, arrives at Walla Walla, Washington, 1836
The first Pullman sleeping car is put into service, 1859
The Solar Superstorm/Carrington Event: a huge solar sunspot and solar flare storm that disrupted telegraphy and allowed the Aurora Borealis to be seen as far south as the Caribbean occurs, 1859
Joseph Lister performs the first antiseptic surgery, 1865
Robert T. Freeman becomes the first African American to graduate from the Harvard Dental School, 1867
The first underground rapid transit system in North America, the Boston Subway, opens, 1897
One of the first science fiction films ever, A Trip To The Moon, opens in France, 1902
Alberta and Saskatchewan become the 8th and 9th Canadian provinces, 1905
Martha, the last passenger pigeon, dies at the Cincinnati Zoo, 1914
The United States, Australia and New Zealand sign a mutual defense pact, called the ANZUS Treaty, 1951
In Reykjavík, Iceland, American Bobby Fischer beats Russian Boris Spassky and becomes the world chess champion, 1972
Canada adopts the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as part of its Constitution, 1982
A joint French-American expedition locates the wreckage of the RMS Titanic, 1985
Luxembourg becomes the first nation to complete the transition to all digital tv broadcasting, 2006