Feline Friday: Contrasts

Feline Friday is hosted by Steve, The Burnt Food Dude, and i'm going to believe it's because he likes cats.

Feline Friday is simple to join. All you have to do is..

1) post a picture, drawing, cartoon or video of a cat (They may be silly or cute)
2) go to Steve's page, linked above, then on the menu bar click on the Feline Friday tab to get the code
3) paste the code under your cat picture
4) add your name and link

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

Some cats, like Horizon, do not prefer to be photographed, or even disturbed, in any way:

Do you mind!!!

While others, like Link, continually show that no one can relax and not give a care like a cat:

There's no one so relaxed as a sleeping cat!

 

 

Today is:

Abolition Day -- Saint Barthelemy

Algonquin Mill Festival -- Carrollton, OH, US (an 1800s pioneer festival; through Sunday)

Apple Butter Makin' Days -- Mt. Vernon, MO, US (making apple butter on the courthouse lawn, and lots of other fun; thrugh Sunday)

Cephalopod Awareness Days:  Nautilus Night -- celebrating the most intelligent invertebrates in the world; today, celebrate all of the lesser-known extant cephalopods

Children's Day -- Singapore

Columbus Day Festival and Hot Air Balloon Regatta -- Columbus, KS, US (through Sunday)

Community Day -- Valencia, Spain

Curious Events Holiday -- Fairy Calendar

Establishment of the Samitinget in Norway -- Sami People's Parliament

Feast of Abraham the Patriarch -- Christian

Festival for Fausta Felicitas -- Ancient Roman Calendar (goddess of good luck and joy)

Festival for Venus -- Ancient Roman Calendar

Fort Ligonier Days -- Ligonier, PA, US (commemoration of the Battle of Ligonier with reenactments, parade, entertainment, etc.; through Sunday)

Give Peace a Chance Day / Instant Karma Day -- in honor of the birth of John Lennon

Guayaquil Independence Day Holiday -- Ecuador

Hull Fair -- Hull, England (a fair that dates back over 700 years, now one of the countries largest travelling funfairs; through the 17th)

Independence Day -- Uganda(1962)

Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest -- Kitchener and Waterloo, ON, Canada (second largest Oktoberfest in the world; through the 17th)

Korean Alphabet Day -- Korea (Hangul Nal)

Leif Erickson Day -- Iceland; Norway; Minnesota and Wisconsin, US

Messenger Appreciation Day -- 10/9 in radio talk is a request to repeat information

Mississinewa 1812 -- Mississinewa, IN, US (the largest War of 1812 living history and reenactment event; through Sunday)

Moldy Cheese Day (Sorry, but I do not like the stinky, moldy cheeses, at least not the heavier ones.)

Mop Fair -- Tewkesbury, England (through tomorrow; festival dating back to the 12th century, originally a fair in which prospective employers came to find laborers, now two days of fun, fairgrounds rides, traditional games and sideshows, and more)

Natchitoches Historic Pilgrimage -- Natchitoches, LA, US (National Historic Landmark District homes, plantations, and the sites where the movie Steel Magnolias was filmed are featured on this fabulous tour; through Sunday)

National Chess Day -- US (declared by President Ford in 1976) 

National Day of Honor -- Peru (sometimes translated as Day of Dignity; commemorates the nationalization of the countries oil fields)

National Submarine/Grinder/Hoagie/Hero/PoBoy/Pierogi Day -- each of these has its own special day, but today you get to pick which one you want

Ocean County Columbus Day Parade and Italian Festival -- Seaside Hgts., NJ, US (through Sunday)

Parke County Covered Bridge Festival -- Rockville, IN, US (with 31 historic covered bridges, this is the covered bridge capital of the world; tours, arts and crafts booths, demonstrations, and old-fashioned homemade foods, through the 18th)

Royal National (Gaelic) Mod -- Inverness, Scotland (Gaelic Language Festival; through the 17th)

Southern Festival of Books: A Celebration of the Written Word -- Nashville, TN, US (through Sunday)

Southern Oregon Music Festival -- Medford, OR, US (over 100 performances, jazz and rock and everything in between, many by nationally known bands, plus food and celebration; through Sunday)

St. Charles Scarecrow Festival -- St. Charles, IL, US (handcrafted scarecrows, music, entertainment, and more; through Sunday)

St. Denis' Day (Patron of possessed people; France; Paris, France; against frenzy, headaches, rabies, and strife)

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)

St. Louis Bertrand's Day (Patron of Caribbean vicariates; Columbia; Dominican novices)

Takayama Matsuri Autumn Festival -- Takayama, Japan (ancient, elaborate floats parade through the old city; through tomorrow)

Tennessee Fall Homecoming -- Museum of Appalachia, Clinton, TN, US (celebrating the culture and heritage of Appalachia; through Sunday)

Victorian Theatre by Candlelight presents "Hoosier Haunts" -- Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, Indianapolis, IN, US (watch as prominent Indianapolis attorney Benjamin Harrison prosecutes Nancy Clem, the first woman tried for murder in the state of Indiana; this weekend and next)

World Egg Day -- International (from the International Egg Commission) 

World Post Day / Universal Postal Union Day -- UN

Ziua Nationala de Comemorare a Holocaustului -- Romania (National Day of Commemorating the Holocaust)


Anniversaries Today:

Mission San Francisco de Asis, the oldest building in the city of San Francisco and now called Mission Delores, is founded, 1776
King Louis XII of France marries Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry VIII of England, 1514


Birthdays Today:

Zachary Ty Bryan, 1981
Brandon Routh, 1979
Eddie Guerrero, 1967
David Cameron, 1966
Michael Pare, 1959
Mike Singletary, 1958
Tony Shalhoub, 1953
Scott Bakula, 1954
Sharon Osbourne, 1952
Robert Wuhl, 1951
Jackson Browne, 1948
John Entwistle, 1944
Brian Lamb, 1941
Joe Pepitone, 1940
John Lennon, 1940
Russell Myers, 1938
Donald Sinden, 1923
Jacques Tati, 1908
Bruce, Catton, 1899
Alfred Dreyfus, 1859
Camille Saint-Saens, 1835
Mary Ann Shadd Cary, 1823 (with her husband, the first black newspaper publishers in the US)
Robert de Sorbon, 1201 (founded Sorbonne University, Paris)


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"High Button Shoes"(Musical), 1949
"The Iceman Cometh"(Play), 1946
"June Moon"(Play), 1929
"Topaz"(Play)1928


Today in History:

Leif Ericson discovers "Vinland" (somewhere in New England or Nova Scotia, possibly?), 1000
Leif Ericson lands in L'Anse aux Meadows, Canada, a definitive European landing in the "New World", 1003
The Korean Hangual alphabet is devised, 1446
Founder of Rhode Island Roger Williams is banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony as a religious dissident after he speaks out against punishments for religious offenses and giving away Native American land, 1635
Collegiate School of CT (Yale University) is chartered in New Haven, 1701
Father Francisco Palou founds Mission San Francisco de Asis in what is now San Francisco, California, 1776
City of Hobart, Tasmania, founded, 1804
Official opening of the University of Ghent, 1817
Isaac Singer patents the sewing machine motor, 1855
Joshua Stoddard of Worcester, Mass., patents the first Calliope, 1855
The first US underground pipeline for carrying oil is laid in Pennsylvania, 1865
Aaron Montgomery starts the mail order business that will later become Montgomery Ward, 1872
The Universal Postal Union is created as part of the Treaty of Berne, 1874
The first 2-way telephone conversation over outdoor wires occurs, 1876
Washington Monument opens to the public, 1888
Woodrow Wilson becomes the first US president to attend a World Series Game, 1915
National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) forms, 1926
Hoover Dam begins transmitting electricity to L.A., 1936
A day after being captured, Marxist revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara is executed for attempting to incite a revolution in Bolivia, 1967
The Khmer Republic is proclaimed in Cambodia, 1970
Abolition of capital punishment in France, 1981
A 13 kilogram (est.) fragment of the Peekskill meteorite lands in the driveway of the Knapp residence in Peekskill, New York, destroying the family's 1980 Chevrolet Malibu, 1992
North Korea allegedly tests its first nuclear device, 2006
First lunar impact of the Centaur and LCROSS spacecrafts as part of NASA's Lunar Precursor Robotic Program, 2009

Six Sentence Story: Backfired

"You have to admit my record with being romantic absolutely sucks," she said with a sigh that seemed to come from her toes.

"Well, I admit, most of it didn't turn out quite as you planned," he agreed with a grin, "but it wasn't all your fault."

"Spending the night snuggled with you in blankets on the floor was my fault," she said, "since we both know my back goes out sometimes, but the flowers..."

"You couldn't help it that the flowers you sent to my work went to the other guy who has the same first name as me, and he didn't realize it until after he had taken them home," he told her, "and I appreciated the thought, and he brought them back the next day, with his wife mad at him thinking he had a girlfriend!"

"The picture I sent you in that slinky dress, though, I probably should have not taken the picture and just let you see the finished result when you got home."

"How would you know I'd brag about my girl to the boss and show him the picture and he'd hit on you when you came to pick me up?" he said, then added, "I like that he was so impressed with you!"

Linking up with Uncharted Blog and Six Sentence Stories, where the cue is Record, and yes, Bigger Girl has a friend who has had everything she's done to try to be romantic backfire this way!

.

Today is:

Air Force Day -- India

American Touch Tag Day -- go outside and remember how much fun it is to play tag

Cephalopod Awareness Days:  Octopus Day -- celebrating the most intelligent invertebrates in the world; today, celebrate all the eight-armed species

Children's Day -- Iran

Feast of St. Bridget -- Sweden (traditional date, others who recognize the saint celebrate on July 23; Patron of widows; Europe; Sweden)

Feast of St. Keyne -- Celtic Saint, patroness of the spring and tree arbor that bear her name; the first to drink of her water after being newly married will have the upper hand in the marriage

Independence Day -- Croatia

Lovable Lawyers Day -- internet generated, and if you love one, good for you

National Depression Screening Day® 2015 -- US (find out how to help spread the word) 

National Fluffernutter Day

National Pierogi Day -- this day in 1952, Ted Twardzik, Sr., produced Mrs. T's Pierogies samples and took them to a local grocery store; eat a pierogi today in his honor

National Student Day -- US (a day for college students to celebrate and promote social responsibility by volunteering) 

Navy Day/Battle of Angamos Day -- Peru

New York Comic Con -- NY, NY, US (through Sunday)

Rockport Seafair -- Rockport, TX, US (fresh-from-the-bay seafood, entertainment, crab races, and more; through Sunday)

San Ernesto Day -- celebration of Che Guevera as a saint who answers prayers for rain among Bolivian campesinos

Sergeant Alvin C. York Day -- US (the feats for which he earned the Medal of Honor in 1918 were accomplished on this date)

St. Demetrius' Day (Patron of Belgrade, Serbia; Salonica, Greece; Thessaloniki, Greece; against evil spirits)

St. Pelagia the Penitant's Day (Patron of actresses)

St. Thais' Day (Patron of fallen women)

Tube Top Day -- if you dare. i don't

World Sight Day -- International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (This year's Call To Action is "Eye Care for All")

 
Anniversary Today:

Ozzie Nelson marries Harriet Hilliard, 1935


Birthdays Today:

Matt Damon, 1970
Darrell Hammond, 1960
Stephanie Zimbalist, 1956
Bill Elliot, 1955
Sigourney Weaver, 1949
Sarah Purcell, 1948
Chevy Chase, 1943
R. L. Stine, 1943
Jesse Jackson, 1941
Harvey Pekat, 1939
Paul Hogan, 1939
Clodagh Aubry, 1937
Rona Barrett, 1936
Faith Ringgld, 1930
Juan Peron, 1895
Eddie Rickenbacker, 1890
Benito Jerónimo Feijóo y Montenegro, 1676
Heinrich Schutz, 1585


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Cagney and Lacey"(TV), 1981
"Sugar Babies"(Revue)< 1979
"The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet"(Radio), 1944
"Capricorn Concerto"(Barber Op. 21), 1944
"In the Shadow of the Glen"(Play), 1903


Today in History:

Constantine, Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, defeats Licinius, Emperor of the Western Roman Empire, at the Battle of Cibalae, 314
Great standing on the Ugra river, a standoff between the forces of Akhmat Khan, Khan of the Great Horde, and the Grand Duke Ivan III of Russia, which resulted in the retreat of the Tataro-Mongols and eventual disintegration of the Horde, 1480
The supernova "Kepler's Nova" is first sighted, 1604
The Massachusetts Bay Colony forms its first government, 1633
First recorded eruption of Galunggung (volcano of West Java, Indonesia) sends boiling sludge into the valley (this volcano would later erupt at such a time as to cause passenger jets to be damaged and forced into emergency landings), 1822
The first Hawai'ian constitution is proclaimed, 1840
The telegraph line from LA to SF opens, 1860

A gas explosion causes the Peshtigo Fire, in Peshtigo, Wisconsin, which killed between 1,200 and 2,500 people and consumed the entire town of Peshtigo and surrounding forests and several other villages -- the deadliest fire in American history, it covered 1.5 million acres, and occured on the same day as the Great Chicago Fire, 1871

The Great Chicago Fire, which consumed 4 square miles, killed 200, and destroyed the original Emancipation Proclamation, began, 1871

The first women's prison run by women opens at the Indiana Reformatory Institute, 1873
Dow Jones begins reporting an average of selected industrial stocks, 1896
Edmonton, Alberta and Prince Albert, Saskatchewan are incorporated as cities in Canada, 1904
New York Yankees's Don Larsen pitched the only perfect game in a World Series; one of only 20 perfect games in MLB history, 1956
Algeria joins the United Nations, 1962
Guerrilla leader Che Guevara and his men are captured in Bolivia, 1967
Australia's Ken Warby sets the current world water speed record of 317.60mph at Blowering Dam, Australia, 1978
A deadly earthquake hits Pakistan, 2005
Australian mare Black Caviar ties the horse racing record set by Phar Lap with an unbeaten run of 14 wins, 2011

Wordless Wednesday: We Are Not Amused.

The kittens, now totally clear of ringworm (yea!!!), were not amused at being brought to the shelter to be put up for adoption.  It's okay, though, they'll understand when they end up in just the right "forever" home.

A carrier is not our idea of fun!

Linking up with Wordless Wednesday. 

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

Bathtub Day -- can't confirm this one, but it's as good a day as any to be glad you have one!

BOL Foundation Day -- Laos

Bring Your Teddy Bear to Work Day -- at your own risk! sponsored by Susan E. Schwartz of "Teddies Are The Answer"

Change a Light Day -- US (was originally sponsored by EnergyStar, promoting energy saving light bulbs; although they don't seem to be running this particular campaign any more, it's a great idea to switch to the highest efficiency bulbs you can) www.energystar.gov
     while the original dates were on Wednesdays, some websites list this on the first Sunday of October each year

Feast Day of Ma'at -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Festival of the Deerk Toes -- Fairy Calendar (celebrating the toes on a fairy's "deerk", for which there is no human equivalent)

International Walk to School/Bike to School Day -- to promote both healthy exercise and less pollution 

Lepanto Day -- Greece

Nagasaki Kunchi -- Nagasaki, Japan (harvest festival, through the 9th)

National Flower Day -- US (anniversary of President Reagan signing the bill, in 1986, that made the rose the US National Flower)

National Frappe Day

National Pet Obesity Day -- because about half of pets in the US are overweight or obese 

Nones of October -- Ancient Roman Calendar; other observances
     Festival of Juno Cutitis and Jupiter Fulgor
     Victoria, Lady of Victories Day a/k/a Pallas Athena -- also celebrated by the Ancient Greeks

Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary -- Catholic Christian

St. Justina of Padua's Day (Patron of Padua, Italy; Santa Giustina, Italy)

Try To Start An Argument Over Which Is the Best Muppet Day -- Kermit, hands down (argue below, if you wish)(Possibly started by the International Association of People without a Life)

You Matter To Me Day -- because the phrase "you matter to me" can make a profound difference in someone's life 


Anniversaries Today:

Larry King married Julie Alexander, 1989
Dow Jones makes the first report, in the Wall Street Journal, of an average of the prices of 12 industrial stocks, 1896



Birthdays Today:

Toni Braxton, 1967
Simon Cowell, 1959
Michael W. Smith, 1957
Yo-Yo Ma, 1955
Vladimir Putin, 1952
John Cougar Mellencamp, 1951
Joy Behar, 1943
Charles Dutoit, 1936
Thomas Keneally, 1935
Amiri Baraka, 1934
Bishop Desmond Tutu, 1931
Al Martino, 1927
R. D. Laing, 1927
June Allyson, 1917
Vaughn Monroe, 1911
Andy Devine, 1905
Niels Bohr, 1885
Thomas J. Wise, 1859
James Whitcomb Riley, 1849
Caesar Rodney, 1728(O.S. date)


Debuting/Premiering Today:

The Independent(Newspaper, first issue), 1986
"Cats"(Musical), 1982
"Route 66"(TV), 1960
"Your Hit Parade"(TV), 1950
"One Touch of Venus"(Musical), 1943
"Eve of St. Mark"(Play), 1942


Today in History:

Start of the epoch of the modern Hebrew calendar (Proleptic Julian calendar), BC3761
The first public burning of books in Louvain, Netherlands, 1520
Ralph Wedgewood patents carbon paper in London, 1806
The first chartered railway in the US, the Granite Railway, begins operations, 1826
Spain abolishes slavery in Cuba, 1886
Henry Ford institutes the moving assembly line, 1913
Georgia Tech defeats Cumberland college in the infamous 222-0 football game, 1916
160 consecutive days of 100*F+ temperatures begin at Marble Bar, Australia, 1924
Beat poet Allen Ginsberg reads his poem "Howl" for the first time at a poetry reading in San Francisco, 1955
U.S.S.R. probe Luna 3 transmits first ever photographs of the far side of the moon, 1959
Nigeria joins the United Nations, 1960
Oman joins the United Nations, 1971
Cats opens on Broadway and begins a run of nearly 18 years, 1982 
The Great Flood of 1993 ends at St. Louis, Missouri, 103 days after it began, 1993
Matthew Shepard, a gay student at the University of Wyoming, is found tied to a fence after being savagely beaten, 1998
The U.S. invasion of Afghanistan begins, 2001
A Southampton University research fellow discovers a long way lost Antonio Vivaldi flute concerto at the National Archives of Scotland in Edinburgh, 2010

Better than a football game.

What else did i do this weekend?  Well, i'm so glad you asked, because i did not go to the home team football game, as i noted that i wouldn't a couple of days ago.  And i'm glad, because i had more fun with what i did do.

On Saturday, i learned how to put siding on a house!

It's not nearly as hard as it looks, as long as you measure accurately.

Measure out a piece of siding:

Those boards of siding are long!

Cut:

Measure twice, mark well, cut once.

Measure up the wall in increments of 7", and nail it on:

Be careful on the ladder and don't drop the hammer!

Also, i painted, and banged my finger really well with a hammer (you should see the lovely purple bruise! wait, no, you shouldn't!), and i had the best home made tortillas i've ever eaten at the build site, standing around with friends and ignoring the primer and other heaven-knows-what on our hands.

We only have one more weekend of work, not this coming up weekend, but the one after.  By then the plumbing and electric and HVAC and drywall and inspections will be done, so we will just paint and hang cabinets and finish stuff out. 

Then comes the dedication, and after all the paperwork is done the homeowner (who is the lady who taught me to hang the siding) can move in with her children, and we will have the "pounding," where you bring staple foods for the pantry and cleaning supplies and paper goods (so named because way back when you welcomed people into their new home by supplying things that were sold by the pound, like flour and sugar and beans and nails and soap and etc.).

There's so much to look forward to!

Today is:

Armed Forces Day -- Egypt

Child Health Day -- US 

Earthquake Remembrance Day -- Turkmenistan

Face Your Fears Day -- Stephen Hughes(hityourstride.com) encourages you to use this as a day to try to do something you've always been afraid to do

Festival of the Other Five Toes -- Fairy Calendar

Garlic Lovers Day -- internet generated, unofficial, and delicious

Ivy Day -- Ireland (death anniversary of Irish nationalist leader and Home Rule advocate Charles Stewart Parnell)

Jackie Mayer Rehab Day -- Sandusky, OH, US (anniversary of renaming the local rehab hospital after Sandusky's "favorite daughter", Jackie Mayer, Miss America 1963 and stroke survivor, now advocating on behalf of stroke survivors)

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)

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

National Physician's Assistant Day -- US (anniversary of the first graduating class of physician assistants from Duke University on this day in 1967

Nobel Conference 51 -- Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, MN, US (annual two-day science symposium)

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


Anniversaries Today:

Elizabeth Taylor marries Larry Fortensky, 1991
American Library Association founded in 1876


Birthdays Today:

Jimmy Sisto, 1974
Elisabeth Shue, 1963
David Zucker, 1947
Britt Ekland, 1942
Thor Heyerdahl, 1912
Carole Lombard, 1908
Janet Gaynor, 1906
Helen Wills Moody, 1905
Florence Seibert, 1897
Le Corbusier, 1887
Karol Szymanowski, 1882
George Westinghouse, 1846
Jenny Lind, 1820


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation"(TV), 2000
"The Gin Game"(Play), 1977
"I Hear a Symphony"(Supremes single release), 1965
"The Mousetrap"(Mystery play), 1952 (still being performed)
The Jazz Singer(Film, the first "talkie"), 1927



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

Awww Monday: rEcess is my favorite class!

Awww Monday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus.

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

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

We had a fun time at rEcess this past Friday.  (For any who don't know, rEcess is a program where we take care of severely handicapped children and their siblings for free eight times a year so the parents can get a date night or just a break for an evening.)

Sam is new, he's only two and has autism. 

He's small but fast!

Peggy loves getting out of her wheelchair and is getting better at moving around.

On the floor = Freedom!

Linda, here in her wheelchair, loves to play with keys.  Anyone's keys.  Watch your keys!

Keys are so much fun!

As for our precious Gracie girl, she no longer qualifies as "disabled," but her mama still needs a break so we let her come and play, treating her as if she were the sibling of a special needs child.  She still wants to spend most of her time running.

We mostly see Gracie from the back!

Our badge for bravery this week went to Ginny, who has had to have two surgeries to clear her shunt in the past three weeks, and still not only came, but ate more than we've ever seen her eat before and played as much and as hard as ever!

Ginny, in her bandana, enjoying a Lunchable!

Today will be her first day back to school since the first surgery three weeks ago, and we are hoping the other children are considerate and don't tease her about the bandana.  If you are a praying person, perhaps you could say a prayer for tender hearts among her classmates.

Today is:

Armed Forces Day -- Indonesia (Hari Tentara Nasional)

Blue Shirt Day / World Day of Bullying Prevention 

California Rideshare Week -- California, US (designed to encourage commuters to take personal responsibility for reducing traffic and smog by pledging to rieshare); it all started with 
     Ride-Share Week 2015 -- Ventura County, CA, US (encouraging car dependent Californians to drive less, save money, keep the air cleaner, and carpool) 

Constitution Day -- Vanuatu

Country Inn, Bed-and-Breakfast Day

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) 

International Day of No Prostitution -- information here 

Labour Day -- ACT, NSW, QLD, & SA, Australia

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

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)

Peat-Cutting Day -- Falkland Islands (Spring Holiday)

Republic Day -- Portugal

St. Placid's Day

Territory Day -- Christmas Island

Thanksgiving Day -- Saint Lucia

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 

World Day of Architecture -- International Union of Architects (this year's theme: Architecture and the eradication of poverty.)

World Habitat Day -- UN (Habitat for Humanity) 

World Teachers Day -- UN


Birthdays Today:

Jesse Eisenberg, 1983
Kate Winslet, 1975
Parminder K. Nagra, 1975
Josie Bissett, 1970
Mario Lemieux, 1965
Laura Davies, 1963
Michael Andretti, 1962
Maya Ying Lin, 1959
Bernie Mac, 1957
Bob Geldof, 1954
Clive Barker, 1952
Bob Geldof, 1951
Karen Allen, 1951
Jeff Conaway, 1950
Steve Miller, 1943
Vaclav Havel, 1936
Bill Dana, 1924
Glynis Johns, 1923
Bil Keane, 1922
Donald Pleasence, 1919
Allen Ludden, 1917
Larry Fine, 1902
Robert Hutchings Goddard, 1882
Louis Lumiere, 1864
Chester A. Arthur, 1829
Denis Diderot, 1713
Jonathan Edwards, 1703


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Monty Python's Flying Circus"(TV), 1969
"Love Me Do"(Single release), 1962
"Zane Grey Theater"(TV), 1956
"The Diary of Anne Frank"(Play), 1955
"You Bet Your Life"(TV), 1950
"Secret Service"(Play), 1896
"Orfeo ed Euridice/Orpheus and Euridice"(Opera), 1762


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
The 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
A new, though threatened, language known as Koro, is discovered by a team of linguists on an expedition to Arunachal Pradesh, in northeastern India, 2010