Not Very Wordless Wednesday: Oh, Crud!

Because i'm a church lady.  "Oh, crud!" is about as bad as it should get.

And that's what i said when i realized i hadn't mailed out something that has a due date -- in three days.

It's in the mail now.  Yes, our box needs help.

We know the box isn't much to look at, but some vandals have hit it a couple of times, mostly with pumpkins.  At least when they knock it off, we can just stick it back on, you can't make it much worse.

Meanwhile, another moment of truth when Sweetie brought in this:

Vintage guitar amp, with vintage plug.

Actually, the "vintage" plug was added, and is the kind you use on a lamp, not an amp.  It's not grounded at all.  And yes, that is tape.

Plug held on with tape, and a plastic fastener.

So there's this amp, and it was a prototype, only a few made, but somewhere along the way it got a "new" plus (the amp is about 50, the plug about 40), and if it doesn't get a better plug put on it, it could easily burn up.

Another "how did it get like this" moment.  To his credit, Sweetie only just traded for this amp recently, so it's not his fault, and he wants to take care of the situation quickly.

These things happen, and when they do, i say, "Oh, crud!" and deal with it.  And get a post out of it, because these crazy things are my life.


Today is:

Assembly Line Workers' Day -- listed on many sites but no particular reason for it to be this day; then again, why not today?

Azhirnikhua -- Abkhazia (Day of World Creation)

Cakes and Ale Day -- emblems of the good life, a day to remember the good things we have, and be grateful

Celebration of the 2nd Week of Moonhopper -- Fairy Calendar

Daikoku Matsuri -- Kanda Myojin Shine, Tokyo, Japan (purification ceremony; through tomorrow)

Day of Defenders of the Native Land (Army Day) -- Uzbekistan

Feast of Divina Pastora -- Barquisimeto, Venezuela (religious procession attended by about 2million people)

Feast of the Ass -- Medieval Christianity (commemorates the Flight Into Egypt)

Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition -- Rockford, IL, US (frozen art fun; through Saturday)

International Kite Festival -- Jaipur and Ahmedabad, India

Makar Sandranti -- India/Hindu Calendar (part of the sidereal solstice festivals)

National Dress Up Your Pet Day -- do you really dislike your pet this much?

National Forest Conservation Day -- Thailand

National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day

National No-Tillage Conference -- Cincinnati, OH, US (conference to encourage ecologically sound farming; through Saturday)

Niino no Yukimatsuri -- Izu shrine, Niino, Nagano Prefecture, Japan (snow festival with offerings made to bring a good harvest in the coming year; through tomorrow)

Organize Your Home Day -- another one that i can't figure out who started it, but i will say s/he was nuts to think this could be done in one day

Orthodox New Year -- RS, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Serbia

Pongal continues -- Tamil New Year, among the Tamil People (multiple day thanksgiving festival at the end of harvest)
     Tamil Thai Pongal Day -- Sri Lanka
     Maghi Parba/Maghe Sankranti -- Western Nepal

Ratification Day -- US (anniversary of the Treaty of Paris that recognized the independence of the US from England)

Revolution and Youth Day -- Tunisia

Sidereal Winter Solstice Celebrations -- throughout South and Southeast Asia

St. Felix of Nola's Day (Patron of domestic animals, eyes; Nola, Italy; against eye diseases, false witness, lies, perjury)

St. Sava's Day (Patron of Serbia and all Serbs)

Take a Missionary to Lunch Day -- to honor Albert Schweitzer's birth anniversary

Wings Over Willcox -- Willcox, AZ, US (tours of the playa and wetlands, birding, workshops, and more; through Sunday)



Anniversary Today:

Joe DiMaggio marries Marilyn Monroe, 1954


Birthdays Today:

Kristin Cavallari, 1987
Jason Bateman, 1969
Emily Watson, 1967
Shepard Smith, 1964
Steven Soderbergh, 1963
Lawrence Kasdan, 1949
Carl Weathers, 1948
Nina Totenberg, 1944
Holland Taylor, 1943
Faye Dunaway, 1941
Jack Jones, 1938
Andy Rooney, 1919
William Bendix, 1906
John dos Passos, 1896
Hal Roach, 1892
Hugh Lofting, 1886
Albert Schweitzer, 1875
Thornton W. Burgess, 1874
Richard Felton Outcault, 1863
Matthew Fontaine Maury, 1806
Benedict Arnold, 1741


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The Bionic Woman"(TV), 1976
"Sanford and Son"(TV), 1972
"Sinfonia Antartica"(Vaughan Williams' 7th symphony), 1953
"Today Show"(TV), 1952
"Tosca"(Puccini Opera), 1900


Today in History:

The Knights Templar are formally approved by the Roman Catholic Church, 1129
Pope Leo X issues a papal bull against slavery, 1514
Spain annexes Cuba, 1539
The "Fundamental Orders", the first written constitution that created a government, is adopted in Connecticut, 1639
Massachusetts holds a day of fasting for wrongly accusing "witches", 1699
Congress ratifies the Treaty of Paris, formally ending the American Revolutionary War, 1783
The US Supreme Court rules that racial separation on trains is unconstitutional, 1878
An earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica, kills more than 1000, 1907
Henry Ford introduces the assembly line to the production of the Model-T, 1914
The first prototype of the MiG-17 makes its maiden flight, 1950
The Reserve Bank of Australia, the country's central bank and banknote issuing authority, is established, 1960
Toronto, Ontario Mayor Mel Lastman becomes the first mayor in Canada to call in the Army to help with emergency medical evacuations and snow removal after more than one meter of snow paralyzes the city, 1999
The national flag of Georgia, the so-called "five cross flag", is restored to official use after a hiatus of some 500 years, 2004
Landing of the Huygens probe on Saturn's moon Titan, 2005

Never a dull moment.

"Oh, Garfield, Garfield, Garfield!  You've sunk to a new low!"  Little Girl's lament came from the dining area next to the kitchen.

What's wrong? i asked.

"Oh, Garfield is now sending images by Instagram, and Jon is okay with it!  What ever happened to him being a regular cat, you know?  Chasing mice and such?"

Maybe that got old and dull, i said.

"This isn't dull," Young Jacob said as he entered.  "My new brake pads for my bike came in!  The best in the world!"

With a racing machine like yours, i noted, you need good breaks.

"Yeah, these are made to stop you even if you are going over 200 miles per hour, which my bike will do."

You don't want cheap brakes for that, i said.

"And I don't want to be late for work!" Bigger Girl said.  "So whoever is in the restroom better hurry.  I don't want to have to go a whole shift without being able to use the restroom again, I want to do it before I leave."

What's wrong with the restroom at work? i asked.

"It's broken," she said.  "And the other workers don't seem to care, they go the whole shift without complaining."

That's not good, to have no restroom for your employees, i said.

"Well, it's not totally broken, but you do have to use a bucket of water to flush it, and it's a pain, and I had enough of that when ours at home were like that, so I don't want to have to deal with it at work, if you know what I mean."

Yes, i understand.  And i think whoever is in there is finished.

"Guess what!" Friend Chris said, coming downstairs from the restroom in the hall.  "I sold more inventory than anyone else, and they are thinking they will move me up to corporate or give me a store to manage!"

Sounds great! i told him.

"Yeah, and in the meanwhile, they are changing the shifts.  I will still get full time, but as 4 tens, and my three days a week off won't be consecutive."

It may be temporary, i said.

"Let's hope so," he noted.  "Although it really isn't much of a problem now that i'm unattached."

More girlfriend trouble?

"You were right, she only wanted me because I make good money so I could pay her rent.  Turns out her family likes me more than she does, anyway!"

Move on, i said, to which he replied, "Oh, I have."

With the kids and their friends, it's always something.


Today is:

Democracy Day -- Cape Verde

Feast of St. Kentigern (a/k/a St. Mungo) (Patron of Glasgow whose given name meant "head chief" but whose nickname meant "dear one.")

Ides of January -- Ancient Roman Calendar

Liberation Day -- Togo

Maghi -- Sikh

Make Your Dreams Come True Day -- no info on the origin of this; maybe someone who broke their New Year's resolutions by this day used the fact that it's New Year's by the Julian calendar to start over

Midvintersblot -- Ancient Norse Calendar (midwinter festival)

National Peach Melba Day

Old New Year's Day -- Belarus; Georgia; Montenegro; Republic of Macedonia; Republic of Srpska (Yes, that's how it's spelled; no, i don't know how to pronounce it); Serbia; Russia; Ukraine; Wales (Julian Calendar)

Pongal begins -- India (thanksgiving festival at the end of the harvest season, honoring Indra, god of clouds and rain)
     first day, Bhogi

Radio Day -- anniversary of the first public radio broadcast in 1910

Recuperation Fortnight begins -- Fairy Calendar (i think i need one of those!)

Runic Half-month of Peorth (womb) begins

Rubber Ducky Day

Sidereal Winter Solstice Eve -- celebrations through South and Southeast Asia, including
     Bhogi -- Tamil (first day of Pongal)
     Lohri -- Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh
     Uruka -- Assam

Silvesterklausen -- Switzerland ("Old" New Year's celebration, based on the Julian Calendar)

St. Hilarius' Day (according to English tradition, the coldest day of the year; Patron of learning challenged children; Argusto, Italy; Vervio, Italy; against snakes and snake bites)

St. Knut's Day (a/k/a Little Christmas or Twentieth Day or Tyvendedagen among the Scandinavians, it celebrates Canute IV of Denmark and is the day to "plunder" the tree put up on Christmas Eve, eating the candies and cookies that were decorating it, and puting all the other decorations away before the tree is removed.)

Strive and Succeed Day -- Horatio Alger's birth anniversary

Theogamia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (anniversary celebration of the marriage of Zeus and Hera; date approximate, but during Gamelion, the month of marriages)

Tiugunde Day -- Old England (midwinter offering, a celebration picked up from the Norse Midvintersblot)

Tyvendedagen -- Norway (Twentieth day after Christmas, official end of Yuletide or "Juletid")


Birthdays Today:

Joannie Rochette, 1966
Orlando Bloom, 1977
Nicole Eggert, 1972
Keith Coogan, 1970
Patrick Dempsey, 1966
Penelope Ann Miller, 1964
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, 1961
Kevin Anderson, 1960
Jay McInerney, 1955
Richard Moll, 1943
Frank Gallo, 1933
Charles Nelson Reilly, 1931
Frances Sternhagen, 1930
Gwen Verdon, 1925
Army Archerd, 1922
Robert Stack, 1919
Alfred Carl Fuller, 1885
Sophia Tucker, 1884
Horatio Alger, 1832
Salmon P. Chase, 1808


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The Sopranos"(TV), 1999
"Mickey Mouse"(Comic strip), 1930


Today in History:

Crusaders set fire to Mara, Syria, 1099
Sicut Didum, the papal bull prohibiting the enslavement of Canary Island natives who had converted to Christianity, is promulgated, 1435
The controversial play Eastward Hoe by Ben Jonson, George Chapman, and John Marston is performed, landing two of the authors in prison, 1605
The Bank Of Genoa fails after the announcement of national bankruptcy in Spain, 1607
Jonathan Swift is ordained and Anglican priest in Ireland, 1695
James Oglethorpe and 130 colonists arrive in Charleston, South Carolina, 1733
John Walter publishes the first issue of the London Times, 1785
The Great fire of New Orleans, Louisiana begins, 1830
Dr. William Brydon, a surgeon in the British Army during the First Anglo-Afghan War, becomes famous for being the sole European survivor of an army of 16,500 when he reaches the safety of a garrison in Jalalabad, 1842
Anthony Foss patents the accordion, 1854
A chenille manufacturing machine is patented by William Canter of NYC, 1863
A circus fire in Poland kills 430, 1883
 The Independent Labour Party of the UK has its first meeting, 1893
U.S. Marines land in Honolulu from the U.S.S. Boston to prevent the queen from abrogating the Bayonet Constitution, 1893
The first radio set is advertised, a Telimco for $7.50 in Scientific American; claimed to receive signals up to one mile, 1906
The first public radio broadcast takes place; a live performance of the opera Cavalleria rusticana is sent out over the airwaves from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City, 1910
An earthquake in Avezzano, Italy kills 29,800, 1915
The Black Friday bush fires burn 20,000 square kilometres of land in Australia, claiming the lives of 71 people, 1939
Henry Ford patents a plastic automobile, which is 30% lighter than a regular car, 1942
Karol Wojtyla, the future Pope John Paul II, is appointed archbishop of Krakow, Poland, 1964
Robert C. Weaver becomes the first African American  US Cabinet member, 1966
Johnny Cash performs live at Folsom Prison, 1968
A passenger train plunged into a ravine at Ethiopia, killing 428 in the worst railroad disaster in Africa, 1985
L. Douglas Wilder becomes the first elected African American US governor as he takes office in Richmond, Virginia, 1990
Soviet Union military troops attack Lithuanian independence supporters in Vilnius, 1991
An earthquake hits El Salvador, killing more than 800, 2001
The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia sinks off the coast of Italy, 2012

Awww Monday: Baby

Awww Monday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus.  It's easy to participate, just post a picture that makes everyone say, "Awww!"  We can all use a dose of cute at the start of the work week.

It's not kitten season, but i dug into the files for this one:

Bottle-feed kitten from a while back.

While i don't remember all of them, or all of their names, i do remember i had someone snap this photo because this kitten loved to suck our fingers when she wasn't actually hungry.

Speaking of kittens, for the next two Thursdays Little Girl and i are taking the evening shift cleaning the cages only at the shelter.  The cages are for kittens and the few sick cats we have there.  Our regular Friday duties are also being tended, but we are subbing for someone who is out since we have plans to be out in February.  After our first time doing only cages and not colony rooms, Little Girl commented, "Oh, that was too easy!"  Indeed, it is.




Today is:

Clean Off Your Desk Day -- me and what army? (Note:  some sites put this as always on Jan. 9, some the second Monday of January; either way, my question remains)

Compitalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (slave festival to the Lares and Manes, household gods)

Curried Chicken Day

Eat Crackers and Try to Whistle Day -- just to see if it's as much fun as it was when you were young

Eugenio Maria de Hostos' Day -- Puerto Rico (birth anniv. obs.)

Feast of Fabulous Wild Men Day -- an internet generated holiday with whatever purpose you decide to give it

Goblin Gala -- Fairy Calendar (Fairies not invited)

Hen Galan -- Gwaun Valley, Dyfed, Wales (New Year Celebration begins -- yes, they still use the old calendar)

Little League Girls Baseball Day -- girls were finally allowed to play this date in 1974

Majority Rule Day -- Bahamas

Memorial Day -- Turkmenistan

National Clean Off Your Desk Day -- so that, at least once each year, you can see the top of your desk and prepare for the year's upcoming paperwork

National Marzipan Day

National Pharmacist Day -- US

North American International Auto Show -- Detroit, MI, US (a showcase for the world's vehicle introductions; through the 25th)

Peddler's Village Quilt Competition and Display -- Peddler's Village, Lahaska, PA (handmade quilts of all types, open daily through Mar. 29)

Plough Monday -- UK (farm work is resumed the Monday following the 12 Days of Christmas, and ploughs are brought to the church to be blessed)

Rubber Band Veteran Day -- to commemorate the warriors and heroes of rubber band fights around the globe and in your very own school or office

Seijin-no-hi -- Japan (Adult's Day, or Coming of Age Day; celebrating all who have reached age 20, full legal adult age, in the past year)

Stick to Your New Year's Resolution Day -- because it's too soon to give up

St. Benedict Biscop's Day (Founder and Patron of English Benedictines, and Patron of musicians, painters; Sunderland, England)

Zanzibar Revolution Day -- Tanzania


Birthdays Today:

HAL, 1997 (according to A. C. Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey)
Jeff Bezos, 1964
Oliver Platt, 1960
Kirstie Alley, 1955
Howard Stern, 1954
Rush Limbaugh, 1951
Joe Frazier, 1944
Glenn Yarborough, 1930
Ray Price, 1926
Ira Hamilton Hayes, 1922
James Farmer, 1920
Luise Rainer, 1910
Tex Ritter, 1905
Joe E. Lewis, 1902
Jack London, 1876
John Singer-Sargent, 1856
Edmund Burke, 1729
Charles Perrault, 1628
John Winthrop, 1588 (O.S. date)


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Dynasty"(TV) 1981
"All in the Family"(TV), 1971
"Batman"(TV), 1966
"Arthur Godfrey and His Friends"(TV) 1949
"Ottone, re di Germania"(Handel's Opera, HWV 15). 1723


Today in History:

Tsarina Elizabeth establishes the first university in Russia, 1755
The first US public museum is established, in Charlestown, South Carolina, 1773
Mission Santa Clara de Asis is founded in California, 1777
The first cargo arrives in New Orleans by steamship, from Natchez, 1812
Anthracite coal is first used to smelt iron, in Mauch Chunk,Pennsylvania, 1839
The Royal Aeronautical Society is founded in England, 1866
The Dow-Jones closes above 100 for the first time, 1906
A long-distance radio message is sent from the Eiffel Tower for the first time, 1908
The University of the Philippines College of Law is formally established; three future Philippine presidents are among the first enrollees, 1911
The United States House of Representatives rejects a proposal to give women the right to vote, 1915
Finland's "Mosaic Confessors" law went into effect, making Finnish Jews full citizens, 1918
Hattie W. Caraway becomes the first woman elected to the United States Senate, 1932
Dr. James Bedford becomes the first person to be cryonically preserved with intent of future resuscitation, 1967
An act of the U.S. Congress authorizes the use of military force to drive Iraq out of Kuwait, 1991
A new constitution, providing for freedom to form political parties, is approved by a referendum in Mali, 1992
Nineteen European nations agree to forbid human cloning, 1998
The world's largest ocean liner, RMS Queen Mary 2, makes its maiden voyage, 2004
Deep Impact launches from Cape Canaveral on a Delta 2 rocket, 2006
The French warship Clemenceau reaches Egypt and is barred access to the Suez Canal, 2006
Comet C/2006 P1 (McNaught) reaches perihelion becoming the brightest comet in more than 40 years, 2007
An earthquake in Haiti kills an estimated 230,000 and destroys most of Port-au-Prince, 2010

Silly Sunday: What Will You Be?

Silly Sunday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus.  It's the place to come for weekly laughs, and the rules are simple, just have fun.  We can enjoy other great bloggers, so Laugh and Link Up!

Yesterday i came downstairs to hear a conversation in progress.

#2 Son:  She can be a doctor!

Festus:  That sounds good, Dr. Kid!  (Note: Kid is their nickname for Little Girl.)

Little Girl:  I'd love to be a doctor!

Festus:  Hello, Dr. Kid!

Red-Headed Alex:  Here, take this!  (Handing Dr. Kid a stick.)

Little Girl:  What do I need that for?

Red-Headed Alex:  It's The Stick of Truth!

Little Girl:  And I need that so...

Red-Headed Alex:  So your patients will tell you the truth!

Festus:  Or so that you can be a lawyer, too! &nbsp A lawyer needs something like that.

Little Girl:  So I can be a doctor and a lawyer?  I like that!

The next day, i got to find out what kind of doctor she would be.

Young Jacob:  I have a big bag of M&M's and I've been eating them for breakfast!

Me:  That doesn't sound very healthy.

Young Jacob:  They are peanut M&M's.

Me:  The peanuts do not make much of a nutritional difference, do they, Dr. Kid?

Little Girl:  They are chocolate, so all bets are off!  I declare them healthy!

All this reminds me of the time Boudreaux and Clothile were trying to determine what Tee Boudreaux was going to be when he grew up.

Tee had got to be 24, an' Boudreaux an' Clothile was gittin' worry about him.  So Boudreaux, he come up wit' a plan.

"We goin' put a ten-dollar bill, a Bible, an' a bottle o' booze on de table," he tell Clothile.  "When Tee come in, if'n he pick up de money, he showin' he gonna be a man o' business.  If he pick up de Bible, he showin' interest in de Good Book an' likely he want to be a preacher.  But if he pick up de booze, well he likely gonna be a bum!"

Clothile agree, an' dey put de stuff on de table an' hide in de pantry to see when Tee come in.  A bit later, he come home an' walk in an' see de table.  He walk over an' pick up de money, look at it, an put it in his pocket.  Den he pick up de Bible, flip de pages a bit, an' put dat unner his arm.  Fin'ly, he pick up de bottle, take a swig, and walk off wit' all three.

Boudreaux an' Clothile come out de pantry and Boudreaux let out a big sigh.  "Mais!" he say.  "It look he gonna be a politician!"






Today is:

Banquet of Fairies, Goblins, Pixies, and Elves -- Fairy Calendar

Baptism of the Lord Jesus -- Christian

Blessing of the Sea -- Margate, UK (ceremony with the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Thyateria and Great Britain)

Burning of the Clavie -- Burghead, Scotland (ancient ritual to ensure good luck through the year)

Carmentalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (festival of the goddess of childbirth)

Cuckoo Dancing Week begins -- in honor of Laurel & Hardy, whose theme song was "The Dancing Cuckoos"; watch some of their fabulous material this week, and introduce it to a new fan

Designated Hitter Day -- the American League adopted the "designated hitter" rule on this date in 1973

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

Independence Manifesto Day -- Morocco(1944); Western Sahara(1944)

International Thank You Day -- as declared by Adrienne Sioux Koopersmith

Juturnalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (goddess of prophetic waters festival)

Kosrae Constitution Day -- Micronesia

Meitlisunntag -- Meisterschwanden and Fahrwangen, Switzerland (procession and festival celebrating the role of women in the victory of a battle in 1712)

Milk Day

National Hot Toddy Day

No Pants Subway Ride -- NYC, NY, US (ImprovEverywhere is sponsoring the NYC ride, and encourages people everywhere to stage their own around the world)

Secret Pal Day -- no info found on the origin, it's a secret!  do something nice for someone, secretly.)

Step in a Puddle and Splash Your Friends Day -- just don't do it to your secret pal

Sts. Paldo, Taso, and Tato's Day (founders of the monastery of San Vincenzo)

St. Theodosius of Cappadocia (Patron of file makers)

Tattoo Pride Day

Ullr Festival -- Breckenridge, CO, US (festival of the mythical Norse god of winter; through the 17th)


Birthdays Today:

Amanda Peet, 1972
Mary Blige, 1971
Kim Coles, 1962
Stanley Tucci, 1960
Ben Crenshaw, 1952
Christine Kaufmann, 1945
Naomi Judd, 1946
Jim Hightower, 1943
Clarence Clemens, 1942
Jean Chretien, 1934
Rod Taylor, 1930
Grant Tinker, 1926
Alice Paul, 1885
William James, 1842
Eugenio Maria Hostos, 1839
John A. Macdonald, 1815
Alexander Hamilton, 1755
Theodosius I, 347


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Daktari"(TV), 1966
"Have a Heart"(Musical), 1917


Today in History:

Prophet of Islam Muhammad leads an army of 10,000 Muslims to conquer Mecca, 630
The first recorded lottery in England is drawn in St. Paul's Cathedral, 1569
Isaac Newton is elected a member of the Royal Society, 1642
Mt. Etna erupts, 1693
William Herschel discovers Titania and Oberon, the moons of Uranus, 1787
An earthquake in Martinique destroys half of Port Royal and results in about 700 deaths, 1839
Charring Cross Station opens in London, 1864
Milk is first delivered in bottles, 1878
Martha H. Cannon becomes the first woman state senator in the US, in Utah, 1897
The Hudson, the first sedan type automobile, goes on display at the 13th Auto Show in NYC, 1913
The first use of insulin to treat diabetes in a human patient occurs in Canada, with 14-year-old Leonard Thompson, 1922
Amelia Earhart becomes the first person to fly solo from Honolulu to Oakland, California, 1935
The first recorded snowfall in Los Angeles, California, 1949
United States Surgeon General Luther Leonidas Terry, M.D., publishes a landmark report saying that smoking may be hazardous to health, sparking nation- and worldwide anti-smoking efforts, 1964
The Gateway Bridge, Brisbane in Queensland, Australia is officially opened, 1986
The government of Ireland announces the end of a 20-year broadcasting ban on the IRA, 1994
Illinois Governor George Ryan commutes the death sentences of 167 prisoners on Illinois' death row based on the Jon Burge scandal, 2003
Forty-six  people are killed and 12 are missing after a landslide buries a village in the Yunnan province, China, 2013

Context

Text messages.

Wednesday, 4:37 pm, The Big Boss:  Can we hold off on you coming over to clean this week?  Still trying to regroup from the last trip.  Thanks.

Me:  Yes, sir.

Thursday, 3:37pm, The Big Boss:  Can u come tomorrow morning?  This house needs help!

Me, Yes, sir.

Friday, 6:48am, Ms. P.:  Today is a bad day for you to come over.  I have sick children.  Can we please reschedule for next week?

Me: Yes, ma'am.

Friday, 7:41am, The Big Boss:  The sick child decided to go to school.  Could you please come today?

Me:  Just getting out of Bible study, i'll be there as soon as i can.

Yes, after being scheduled and cancelled twice, i went to work yesterday.  Five loads of laundry and the usual cleaning, then the cat shelter where there are more sick cats.  It was a long, good day.

Today, i may sleep in until 5am.  Folding laundry always makes my back hurt.




Today is:

Children's Day -- Thailand

Feast of St. Geraint -- Wales (legendary Welsh hero who fought King Arthur)

National Bittersweet Chocolate Day

National Cut Your Energy Costs Day

National Western Stock Show and Rodeo -- Denver, CO, US (106th edition of the Super Bowl of livestock shows; through the 25th)

Peculiar People Day -- an internet generated day to celebrate all the strange and peculiar people in your life, including me!;)

Pennsylvania Farm Show -- Harrisburg, PA, US (the largest indoor agricultural show in the US, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Dept. of Agriculture; through the 17th)

St. Peter Orseolo's Day

Sturdy Flat-Heeled Shoes Appreciation Day -- listed on many sites, and since i appreciate them, i included it

The Fairy Lunch -- Fairy Calendar

Ume Matsuri -- Atami, Japan (celebrating the ume -- plum -- at one of the most famous plum viewing spots in the country; through March 8)

Vaudoun Day -- Benin (Traditional Religions Day, with a huge festival in the seaside town of Ouidah)

Where's The Beef? Day -- the slogan premiered this day in 1984

Word Nerd Day -- originated by Maria Schneider of WritersDigest (to celebrate those who enjoy playing with words)


Anniversaries Today:

Princess Margriet of the Netherlands weds Pieter van Vollenhoven, 1967
UN General Assembly first meeting, 1946
Uniform Penny Post (the reformed postal system) starts in the UK, 1840


Birthdays Today:

Pat Benatar, 1953
Bonnie Hellman, 1950
George Foreman, 1949
Rod Stewart, 1945
Jim Croce, 1943
Sal Mineo, 1939
Bill Toomey, 1939
Gisele MacKenzie, 1927
Johnnie Ray, 1927
Paul Henreid, 1908
Ray Bolger, 1904
Robinson Jeffers, 1887
Grigori Rasputin, 1869 (O.S.)
Mary Ingalls, 1865
George Washington Carver, 1864
Charles Ingalls, 1836


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Masterpiece Theater"(TV), 1971
"That Was The Week That Was"(TV, US version), 1964
"Finian's Rainbow"(Musical), 1947
"Arsenic and Old Lace"(Play), 1941
"Pete the Tramp"(Comic strip), 1932
"Street Scene"(Play), 1929
"Rosalie"(Musical), 1928



Today in History:

Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, begins a civil war, BC46
"Common Sense" by Thomas Paine is published, 1776
Napoleon divorces Josephine, 1810
Poets Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning begin their correspondence, 1845
The first underground railway opens in London, 1863
John D. Rockefeller incorporates Standard Oil, 1870
The first great Texas oil gusher is discovered at Spindletop in Beaumont, Texas, 1901
The League of Nations is established, 1920
The United States Army Signal Corps successfully conducts Project Diana, bouncing radio waves off the moon and receiving the reflected signals, 1946
The United States and the Vatican establish full diplomatic relations after 117 years, 1984
Torrential rain in the Lockyer Valley region of South East Queensland, Australia causes severe flash flooding, killing 9 people, 2011

Feline Friday: Not Interested At All!

Feline Friday was started by Steve, The Burnt Food Dude, and i'm going to believe it's because he likes cats.  It's easy to participate, just post a picture of a cat -- your cat, a LOL cat, or even draw a picture -- and link up!

KidaMosquito, the elderly, asthmatic Siamese, is fed canned food because of her propensity to get scarily thin otherwise.  She has too hard a time with the dry food the other cats get.

When feeding her, we have to stand guard, or the other felines in the house will grab her food faster than you can say "fat cats!"

Yesterday, Enigma was trying to convince me she was not interested in Kida's food.

What canned food?

Oh, look at the stove!  Isn't it amazing?

Nope, I'm not interested in her food at all!

Today is:

Ati-Atihan Festival -- Aklan, Kalibo, Panay Island, Philippines (start of the vivid religious carnival/feast dating back to the 13th century to honor Santo Nino [Baby Jesus]; through the 18th)

Balloon Ascension Day / Aviation in America Day -- the first manned free balloon flight in the US was on this date in 1793 at Philadelphia

CHA Winter Convention and Trade Show -- Anaheim, CA, US (largest Craft and Hobby Association show of the year; through the 13th)

Duelo Nacional -- Panama (Martyrs' Day)

Feast of All Fairies -- Fairy Calendar

Feast of the Most Holy Black Nazarene -- Quiapo District, Manila, Philippines (culmination of the celebrations; a 400 year old Catholic procession with a black life-sized wooden statue of Jesus)

Festival of the Agonalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (gifts given to Janus)

Hatsu-Ichi -- Maebashi, Japan (a daruma -- good luck doll -- market, to start the year off right)

"I Will Stay" Day -- Brazil (anniversary of the start of the Independence Movement in 1922)

London Boat Show -- London's Docklands, London, England (worth a trip to England for anyone who loves boats; through the 18th)

National Apricot Day

Peace Agreement Day -- South Sudan

Positively Penguins Day -- a day to celebrate all things penguin

Republic Day -- Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Scalloway Fire Festival -- Shetland Islands (viking festival; through tomorrow)

Static Cling/Static Electricity Day -- on some sites, listed as April 26; i can only ask why it's listed anywhere for any reason

St. Marciana's Day (Patron of those with wounds)

Stepfather's Day -- not official, but it should be, there are some great stepfathers out there

Stuffed Animal Laundry Day -- give that old bear a bath!

The Big Chill -- Racine, WI, US (formerly the Flake Out Festival, lots of snowy fun; through Sunday)

Toka Ebisu -- Japan (parades and shrine rituals through Japan, but especially in Kyoto, Osaka, and Fukuoka; through the 11th)

Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival -- Whittlesea, England (the "straw bear" goes through the town collecting gifts and performing, and on Sunday, the costume is burned amid much celebration; a festival celebrated since medieval times)


Anniversaries Today:

Connecticut becomes the 5th US State, 1788


Birthdays Today:

Sergio Garcia, 1980
Dave Matthews, 1967
Joely Richardson, 1965
Mark Martin, 1959
Imelda Staunton, 1956
J.K. Simmons, 1955
Crystal Gayle, 1951
Jimmy Page, 1944
Joan Baez, 1941
Susannah York, 1941
Byron Barlett "Bart" Starr, 1934
Bob Denver, 1935
Judith Krantz, 1928
Lee Van Cleef, 1925
Les Paul, 1915
Gypsy Rose Lee (Rose Hovick), 1914
Richard Nixon, 1913
Simone De Beauvoir, 1908
Chic Young, 1901
Carrie Lane Chapman Catt, 1859
Gracie Fields, 1898


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"It Takes a Thief"(TV), 1968
"Rawhide"(TV), 1959
"Dear Abby"(newspaper column), 1956
Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze(Film), 1894


Today in History:

Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople, 475
Seven hundred Jews, believed to be causing the Black Death, are burned in their homes in Basel, Switzerland, 1349
The first sighting of manatees by a European (Columbus), 1493
Philip Astley stages the first modern circus in London, 1768
The first hot-air balloon flight in the US lifts off in Philadelphia, 1793
Income Tax is introduced in the UK (to fund the war against Napoleon), 1799
Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson receives a state funeral and is interred in St Paul's Cathedral, 1806
Sir Humphry Davy tests the Davy lamp for miners at Hebburn Colliery, 1816
The Daguerrotype photo process is announced at French Academy of Science, 1839
Thomas Henderson makes the first measure of stellar parallax, of Alpha Centauri, 1839
The Astor Library opens in NYC, 1854
The first hostilities of the Civil War, at Fort Sumter, South Carolina, 1861
The Great Gale of 1880 devastates parts of Oregon and Washington with high wind and heavy snow, 1880
New England Telephone and Telegraph installs the first battery-operated telephone switchboard in Lexington, Massachusetts, 1894
Alfred Tennyson's son, Hallam, the Second Baron Tennyson, becomes the second Governor General of Australia, 1903
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., the first historically black intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity to be officially recognized at Howard University is founded, 1914
The Ottoman Empire prevails in the Battle of Çanakkale, as the last British troops are evacuated, 1916
Juan de la Cierva makes the first autogiro (helicopter) flight, Spain, 1923
A fire at the Laurier Palace movie theatre in Quebec, Montreal, kills 78 children, 1927
Several Panamanian youths try to raise the Panamanian flag on the U.S.-controlled Panama Canal Zone, leading to fighting between U.S. military and Panamanian civilians, 1964
Elections are held to replace Yasser Arafat as head of the Palestine Liberation Organization. He is succeeded by Rawhi Fattouh, 2005
Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement rebel group sign a peace agreement in Naivasha, Kenya, 2005

Wednesday Night Prayer

With rare exceptions, we have a prayer group that meets every Wednesday evening at our church.

(The rare exceptions would be nights like Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, when the church is otherwise occupied, and that only happens every few years.)

Last night, the topic of race relations came up for prayer.  Our prayers were these:

That all of us would be united, not divided.
That those people who seem to be fostering division would come to see the harm they do, and stop.
That churches would be at the forefront of fostering peace, harmony, and unity.
That our country would not revert to being like times past, but would move forward into understanding.
That the upcoming movie Selma would start a good dialog that would help us see what we do not want to revert back into.

Eight churches in our area work together year round in several areas.  Some are traditionally African-American congregations, some traditionally white.  We are Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, and Catholic.  As a group, we have an ecumenical Thanksgiving service each year, with the churches taking turns as hosts.  We have a pilgrimage at Christmas, where we move from church to church, singing carols and enjoying each other's choirs.

Most of all, we all work together to fund an outreach center for the homeless, and take turns assisting Pastor M. at the outdoor church ministry each week (our church does the first Sunday of every month).

Such sharing and working together is how it should be.  Our prayer is that it continues and expands.  That's just the way it should be.



Today is:

Bubble Bath Day -- remember how much fun it was as a kid?  enjoy that again today

Day Sacred to Justicia -- Ancient Roman Empire (personification of justice)

Emperor Norton Day -- E. Clampus Vitus Society puts on a party in San Francisco's Chinatown in honor of the passing on this day of Norton I, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico

Feast of Hathor and Sekhmet -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Feast of St. Gudula (Patron of single laywomen; Brussels, Belgium)

Grandmothers/Midwives Day -- Bulgaria (a/k/a Babin Den; celebrating Grandmothers as midwives of their grandchildren, for the role they play in the traditional family.)

Haloa -- Ancient Greek Calendar (fertility festival of Demeter and Dionysos called after the halos, or threshing floor; date approximate)
     Rural Dionysia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (the fertility festival of the countryside)

It All Adds Up Day -- anniversary of Hollerith's tabulating machine patent

Kim Jong-un's Birthday -- North Korea

Male Watcher's Day -- often listed as a day for the females to get even and do a little guy ogling, but no site gives any reason behind why this day was chosen

Midwife's Day / Women's Day -- Greece (women get out and go to a cafe or shopping, and the men must stay home and do the chores and care for the children, and in some areas, men caught shirking will be stripped and drenched in cold water; on the approximate date of an ancient Greek celebration of midwives)
     Gynaecocratia -- Macedonia

Milk Carton Day -- Sheffield Farms began packaging milk in parafin lined paper cartons on this day in 1929

National Eat Something Raw Day 

National English Toffee Day

National Joygerm Day -- a day to infect others with joy; begun by Joygerm Joan, whose motto is "The only thing Joygerms allow to get depressed are their tongues!"

Old Hickory Day -- Andrew "Old Hickory" Jackson leads the victory in the Battle of New Orleans

Rock 'n' Roll Day -- on Elvis' birth anniversary, of course

Show and Tell at Work Day -- another Wellcat Holiday to observe carefully if at all

St. Severinus' Day (Patron of Austria and of San Severo, Italy)

Toka Ebisu Matsuri -- Osaka, Japan (Festival of Ebisu, god of business and prosperity; through the 11th)

Ultimate Fishing Show -- Detroit, MI, US (through Sunday)

Winterskol -- Aspen, Colorado (Aspen's annual "toast to winter", through Sunday)

Birthdays Today:

Ami Dolenz, 1969
Vladimir Feltsman, 1952
Don Bendell, 1947
David Bowie, 1947
Robbie Krieger, 1946
Kathleen Noone, 1946
Stephen Hawking, 1942
Yvette Mimieux, 1939
Bob Eubanks, 1938
Shirley Bassey, 1937
Elvis Presley, 1935
Charles Osgood, 1933
Soupy Sales, 1926
Ron Moody, 1924
Larry Storch, 1923
Jose Ferrer, 1912
Galina Ulanova, 1910
Wilkie Collins, 1824
James Longstreet, 1821
Nicholas Biddle, 1786


Debuting/Premiering Today:

Symphony No. 15 in A major (Opus 141, Dmitri Shostakovich), 1972
"Almira"(Handel's first opera), 1705


Today in History:

Monaco gains its independence, 1297
Genoa, Italy expels Jews, 1598
The oldest surviving commerial newspaper begins in Haarlem, Netherlands, 1675
The New York Fishing Company is the first American commercial corporation chartered, 1675
Premiere performance of George Frideric Handel's Ariodante at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 1734
US President George Washington delivers the first "State of the Union" address, 1790
Victor, the Wild Boy of Aveyron, emerges voluntarily from the wild in southern France (he had been captured and escaped before), 1800
The Battle of New Orleans, 1815
The first US music school, the Boston Academy of Music, is established, 1833
The US national debt hits $0 for the first and only time, 1835
Alfred Vail demonstrates a telegraph system using dots and dashes (this is the forerunner of Morse code), 1836
French physicist Jean Foucault proves, using his "Foucault's pendulum," that the Earth rotates on its axis, 1851
Crazy Horse and his warriors fight their last battle with the US Cavalry at Wolf Mountain in Montana Territory, 1877
Dr. Herman Hollerith receives the first US patent for a tabulating machine, considered by some to be the earliest computer, 1889
The Blackstone Library is dedicated, marking the beginning of the Chicago Public Library system, 1904
Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa is exhibited in the United States for the first time, at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., 1963
Soviet space mission Luna 21 is launched, 1973
The RMS Queen Mary 2, the largest passenger ship ever built, is christened by her namesake's granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II, 2004
Some scientists claim 2012 weather as the hottest year ever recorded, 2013