Feline Friday: The Princess

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!

The cat shelter is undergoing renovations, and one of the roaming cats, Princess, is still ruling the roost even from a cage, since we can't let them roam with all the work going on.  She won't let me put her food in the back of her cage, she stops me and insists on making me hold the bowl so she can eat!

She is a diva princess, that's certain!

Today is:

Abraham Lincoln's Birthday -- US (with a wreath laying ceremony at the rebuilt cabin near where he was born)

American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting -- Washington, D.C., US (a meeting of top scientist; who knows what these people will come up with next, because science is amazing! through the 15th)

Borrowed Days (through the 14th) -- Scottish Highlands (Gaelic Faoilteach, days supposedly borrowed from January, and if the weather is bad, the rest of the year will be good.)

Darwin Day -- International (birth anniversary)

Day Holy to Diana -- Ancient Roman Calendar

Downers Grove Ice Sculpting Festival -- Downers Grove, IL, US (this year's theme is "Once Upon a Time"; through Sunday)

Great Back Yard Bird Count begins -- birdsource.org; a four day project for anyone from across North America; count birds for a few minutes a day today, or every day for the next four days, giving a real time idea of where the birds are now

Lost Penny Day -- in honor of pennies, the first US coin to commemorate a person; collect all those pennies you have hanging around and donate them to a good cause

National Date Festival -- Indio, CA, US (a most exotic county fair, the date comes from the land of the Arabian Nights and this festival celebrates all aspects of the theme; through the 22nd)

Oglethorpe Day/Georgia Day -- Georgia, US (landing of General Oglethorpe at what is now Savannah in 1733)

Pick A New Love Song Day -- internet generated, and why?  Only bother if your old one has worn thin.

Plum Pudding Day -- shouldn't this be at Christmas? Ah, well, i don't set them, i just report them.

Powamu Festival -- Pueblo/Hopi Native Americans (8 day sacred Bean Dance and purification ceremonies; date approximate)

Red Hand Day -- UN (Drawing attention to the plight of child soldiers.)

Reenactment of the Battle of Olustee -- Olustee, FL, US (largest Civil War battle in Florida; through Sunday)

Runic Half Month of Sigel (Sun) begins

Sacrifice to Dionysos -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate)

St. Julian the Hospitaler (Patron of boatmen, carnival/circus workers, childless people, clowns, ferrymen, fiddlers, hospitality, hotel keepers/innkeepers, jugglers, knights, pilgrims, repentant murderers, shepherds, travellers, wandering musicians; to obtain lodging while travelling; San Giljan, Malta)

Triodion begins -- Orthdox Christian

Union Day -- Myanmar

Vasant Panchami / Saraswati Puja  -- Hindu (celebrating Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge)

Wings Over the Platte Spring Migration Celebration -- Grand Island, NE, US (the world's largest concentration of sandhill cranes is celebrated through mid-April)

Youth Day -- Venezuela

Yuma Square and Round Dance Festival -- Yuma, AZ, US (for square and round dance enthusiasts; through Sunday)


Anniversaries Today:

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is founded, 1909
Michigan State University is founded, 1855
Maria Therese Habsburg marries Emperor Francios I, 1736


Birthdays Today:

Jennifer Stone, 1993
Christina Ricci, 1980
Jesse Spencer, 1979
Naseem Hamed, 1974
Josh Brolin, 1968
Chyna Phillips, 1968
Arsenio Hall, 1955
Joanna Kerns, 1953
Michael McDonald, 1952
Simon MacCorkindale, 1952
Steve Hackett, 1950
Cliff De Young, 1947
Maud Adams, 1945
Ray Manzarek, 1939
Judy Blume, 1938
Joe Don Baker, 1936
Bill Russell, 1934
Arlen Specter, 1930
Joe Garagiola, 1926
Franco Zeffirelli, 1923
Dom DiMaggio, 1917
Lorne Greene, 1915
Ted Mack, 1904
Roy Harris, 1898
Omar Bradley, 1893
Anna Pavlova, 1881
John Llewellyn Lewis, 1880
John Graham Chambers, 1843
Charles Darwin, 1809
Abraham Lincoln, 1809
Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 1775
Cotton Mather, 1663
John Winthrop the Younger, 1606
John Winthrop the Elder, 1588
Kujo Yoritsune, Japanese shogun, 1218


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Child's Play"(Play), 1970
Dracula(Film), 1931
"Rhapsody In Blue, 1924

"Beggar on Horseback"(Play), 1924
"Fruen Fra Havet(The Lady from the Sea)"(Ibsen Play), 1889



Today in History:

Vasco da Gama sets sail from Lisbon, Portugal, on his second voyage to India, 1502
Santiago, Chile, is founded by Pedro de Valdivia, 1541
A year after claiming the throne of England for nine days, Lady Jane Grey is beheaded for treason, 1554
The Onderlinge van 1719 u.a., the oldest existing life insurance company in the Netherlands is founded, 1719
Englishman James Oglethorpe founds Georgia, the 13th colony of the Thirteen Colonies, and its first city at Savannah, 1733
The first US fugitive slave law, requiring the return of runaway slaves, is passed, 1793
The Teatro di San Carlo, the oldest working opera house in Europe, is destroyed by fire, 1816
The Creek Indian treaty is signed, requiring the tribes to turn over all of their land in Georgia to the government and migrate west by Sept. 1 the following year, 1825
Ecuador annexes the Galapagos Islands, 1832
Official proclamation sets April 15 as last day of grace for US silver coins to circulate in Canada, 1870
The US Congress abolishes bimetallism and authorizes $1 and $3 gold coins, 1873
King David Kalakaua of the Sandwich Islands/Hawaii becomes the first king to visit the US, 1874
The first news dispatch by telephone takes place, between Boston and Salem, Massachusetts, 1877
News of the Battle of Isandlwana, the single greatest defeat for the British Army at the hands of a native army, reaches London, 1879
The New York to Paris auto race, via Alaska and Siberia, begins; George Schuster wins after 88 days behind the wheel, 1908
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) forms, 1909
The last Ch'ing (Manchu) emperor of China, Hsuan T'ung, abdicates, 1912
A meteor creates an impact crater in Sikhote-Alin, in the Soviet Union, 1947
U.S.S.R. launches Venera 1 towards Venus, 1961
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, winner of the Nobel Prize in literature in 1970, is exiled from the Soviet Union, 1974
Carmen Lawrence becomes the first female Premier in Australian history when she becomes Premier of Western Australia, 1990
NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft touchdown in the "saddle" region of 433 Eros becoming the first spacecraft to land on an asteroid, 2001
The city of San Francisco, California begins issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in response to a directive from Mayor Gavin Newsom, 2004

Six Sentence Story: Draw

They ran out of the building giggling like a couple of school girls, the markers they used in the store to denote specials and draw on the chalk boards in their hands and looking over their shoulders to make sure they weren't seen by the one person they wanted to surprise.

Stopping at the van of their intended victim, they dove behind it first, laughing and making sure they couldn't be seen.  Then they popped out and started to draw, their expertise obvious, with a design they had agreed on beforehand.

It's a conspiracy!

A few minutes later they ran inside and went back to work as if nothing had happened, then ran back out again at the soonest opportunity of not being noticed.  This went on until the birthday boy's car was well and obviously emblazoned with designs drawn to garner him more attention that he would probably want on the way home.

Honk!  It's My Birthday!

With work friends like these, you are guaranteed to have a surprise filled birthday at least.

Complete with a TP-ing!

Linking up with Uncharted Blog and Six Sentence Stories, where the prompt is Draw.

Today is:

Armed Forces Day -- Liberia

Be Electrific Day -- Edison's birth anniversary

Berlin International Film Festival -- Berlin, Germany (a premier international film festivall; through the 21st)

Camellia Festival 2016 -- Chiswick House and Gardens Trust, London, England (through Mar. 13)

Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk Day -- no history on the origin, but remember we all mess up once in a while, don't take small mess ups too seriously

Evelio Javier Memorial Day -- Panay Island, Philippines

Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes/World Day of the Sick -- Roman Catholic Church (anniversary of the first appearance of Our Lady of Lourdes to Bernadette)

Gold Rush Days -- Wickenburg, AZ, US (celebrating the Old West; through Sunday)

Grandmother Achievement Day -- internet generated; call your grandmother, or someone's grandmother you admire, and tell her what she is doing right

Independence Day -- Vatican City (Holy See) (a/k/a Lateranensi Pact Day, for the pact that established it as an independent state)

Kenkoku Kenen-no-hi -- Japan (also called National Foundation Day or Empire Day)

Meringue Memorial Day -- don't know who came up with it, but it's the day to see if you remember how to make meringue

Miami International Boat Show -- Miami, FL, US (biggest boat show in the US, and the main event for product introductions; through Monday)

National Conference on Education -- Phoenix, AZ, US (three day conference sponsored by the American Assn. of School Administrators)

National Inventors' Day -- US (Edison's birth anniversary)

National Peppermint Patty Day

National Shut-In Visitation Day -- some sites have it here, some in October; either way, go visit someone who can't get out of the house today, or make plans to see them this weekend

Nelson Mandela Day -- South Africa (celebrates his release from prison)

Pro Sports Wives Day -- the annual recognition of those who truly are sports widows, wives of professional athletes, coaches, and support personnel

Satisfied Staying Single Day -- for those who aren't desperate to have someone by the 14th; sponsored by Wellcat Holidays

St. Caedmon's Day (Oldest English poet known by name.)

White Shirt Day -- a recognition of the dignity of the working class

Youth Day -- Cameroon


Anniversaries Today:

Napoleon weds Marie-Louise of Austria, 1810
The founding of London University, 1826


Birthdays Today:

Taylor Lautner, 1992
Natalie Dormer, 1982
Kelly Rowland, 1981
Matt Lawrence, 1980
Brandy, 1979
Mike Shinoda, 1977
Jennifer Aniston, 1969
Sarah Palin, 1964
Sheryl Crow, 1963
Carey Lowell, 1961
Sergio Mendes, 1941
Bobby "Boris" Pickett, 1938
Burt Reynolds, 1936
Tina Louise, 1934
Leslie Nielsen, 1926
Paul Bocuse, 1926
Eva Gabor, 1921
Sidney Sheldon, 1917
Max Baer, 1909
Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1909
Philip Dunne, 1908
Thomas Alva Edison, 1847
Lydia Marie Child, 1802


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The French Chef"(TV, with Julia Child), 1963
"Dynamo"(O'Neill play), 1929
"Salome"(Wilde Play), 1896
"La Fille du Regiment"(Donizetti Opera Comique), 1840


Today in History:

Traditional date for the founding of the Japanese empire under Emperor Jimmu, BC660
Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus, heir to the Roman Emperorship, dies under mysterious circumstances in Rome, which clears the way for Nero to become Emperor, 55
Henry VIII of England is recognized as supreme head of the Church of England, 1531
The Pennsylvania Hospital opens, the first in the US, 1752
Religious Society of Friends, also known as Quakers, petitions U.S. Congress for abolition of slavery, 1790
Anthracite coal is burned experimentally as fuel for heating a home for the first time, by Jesse Fell in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, 1808
Robert Fulton files a patent for improvements to steamboat navigation, 1809
Massachusetts Governor Elbridge Gerry signs a redistricting bill that leads to the first use of the term "gerrymander," 1812
The first public toilet facilities for women opens in London, on Bedford Street, 1852
The Meiji constitution of Japan is adopted, 1889
Emma Goldman is arrested for lecturing on birth control, 1916
BBC Television produces the world's first ever science fiction television program, an adaptation of a section of the Karel Capek play R.U.R., which coined the term "robot", 1938
Eighty-seven countries, including the US, UK, and USSR, sign the Seabed Treaty outlawing nuclear weapons in international waters, 1971
The People's Republic of China lifts a ban on works by Aristotle, Shakespeare and Dickens, 1978
Nelson Mandela, a political prisoner for 27 years, is released from Victor Verster Prison outside Cape Town, South Africa, 1990
The first wave of the Egyptian revolution culminates in the resignation of Hosni Mubarak, 2011

Wordless Wednesday: Bows

We went crazy at the bakery with the Mardi Gras cakes, now it's on to Valentine's Day, so we are bringing the bows home to make them!

We are bringing them home to make more, we've run out of time to get to them at work!

Linking up with Wordless Wednesday.

Today is:

Ash Wednesday -- Christian (beginning of the Lenten Fast)
     Oskudagur -- Iceland (with the special tradition of hanging oskupokar [ash bags] on people, as girls try to hang bags of ash on men's clothing, and boys try to hang bags of stones on women's clothing; begins Langafasta, and during the fast, you may not even mention meat at all)

Deep Blue Day -- the IBM computer defeats chess champion Gary Kasparov, the first such victory for a computer, in 1996

Feast of Saint Paul's Shipwreck -- Malta

Gold Record Day -- Glenn Miller is awarded the first ever Gold Record, for "Chattanoga Choo Choo", 1942

National Cream Cheese Brownie Day

National Memorial Day of the Exiles and Foibe -- Italy, especially in Trieste

Plimsoll Day -- honoring Samuel Plimsoll, the "Sailor’s Friend," who persuaded Parliament to have a maximum load limit on ships.

St. Scholastica's Day (Patron of children in convulsions, nuns; LeMans, France; against rain, storms)

Try to Invent a New Jell-O Flavor Day -- it can't hurt to try

Umbrella Day



Anniversaries Today:

Poland is symbolically married to the Baltic Sea by Jozef Haller de Hallenburg, celebrating the restitution of Polish access to the water, 1920
Tom Thumb marries Mercy Lavinia Warren, 1863
Queen Victoria marries her cousin Albert von Saxe-Coburg, 1840
Treaty of Paris ends the Seven Years' War (a/k/a French and Indian War), 1763
Academie Francaise forms in Paris (by Cardinal Richelieu), 1635


Birthdays Today:

Lance Berkman, 1976
Laura Dern, 1967
Glen Beck, 1964
Lenny Dykstra, 1963
Cliff Burton, 1962
George Stephanopoulos, 1961
Greg Norman, 1955
Jim Cramer, 1955
Mark Spitz, 1950
Donovan, 1946
Frances Moore Lappe, 1944
Roberta Flack, 1939
Robert Wagner, 1930
Leontyne Price, 1927
Lon Chaney, Jr., 1906
Bertolt Brecht, 1898
Frances Margaret "Dame Judith" Anderson, 1898
Jimmy Durante, 1893
William "Bill" Tilden, 1893
Boris Pasternak, 1890
Samuel Plimsoll, 1824
Charles Lamb, 1775


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"My Friend Flicka"(TV), 1956
"Death of a Salesman"(Play), 1949
"Puss Gets the Boot"(Cartoon, first Tom and Jerry short), 1940
"Icebound"(Pulitzer-winning Davis' Play), 1923
"All the News That's Fit to Print"(Slogan of the New York Times), 1897
"Les Contes d'Hoffman"(Offenbach Opera), 1881
"The Lily of Killarney"(Opera), 1862


Today in History:

St. Paul is shipwrecked on the island of Malta, 60
Crusaders defeat Prince Redwan of Aleppo at Antioch, 1098
The St. Scholastica's Day riot breaks out in Oxford, England, leaving 63 scholars and perhaps 30 locals dead in two days, 1355
Wampanoag Indians under King Philip kill all the men in Lancaster, Massachusetts, 1676
Edmund Halley is appointed the second Astronomer Royal of England, 1720
The Treaty of Paris ends the French and Indian War, surrendering Canada to England, 1763
Simon Bolivar is named dictator by the Congress of Peru, 1824
The first US fire extinguisher patent granted to Alanson Crane of Virginia, 1863
The YWCA is founded in NYC, 1870
Nathaniel Carr Goodwin becomes the first actor to perform in two different cities on the same day, in Boston for a matinee, and then in NYC for and evening performance, 1887
Nearly 11,000,000 acres of land, ceded to the US government by the Sioux Indians, is opened for settlement, 1890
The New York Times begins using the slogan, "All the news that's fit to print," 1897
Japan and Russia declare war after Japan's surprise attack on Russian fleet at Port Arthur disabled 7 Russian warships, 1904
Britain's first modern and largest battleship "HMS Dreadnought" is launched, 1906
Baseball outlaws all pitches that involve tampering with the ball, 1920
New Delhi becomes the capital of India, 1931
The first singing telegram is delivered, by the Postal Telegram Company of NYC, 1933
Captured American U2 spy-plane pilot Gary Powers is exchanged for captured Soviet spy Rudolf Abel, 1962
Ron Brown is elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee becoming the first African American to lead a major American political party, 1989
The IBM supercomputer Deep Blue defeats Garry Kasparov for the first time, 1996
The communication satellites Iridium 33 and Kosmos-2251 collide in orbit, destroying both, 2009

Tuesday Coffee Chat: Show Me Love, Date Night on a Budget

Rory Bore at Ink Interrupted hosts the Tuesday Coffee Chat, and this week the topic is Show Me Love.  Get all lovey-dovey with a poem, a craft, or date night ideas. 

No, i won't subject you to my poetry, no one deserves that.  As for crafts, i will do one if someone else comes up with the pattern and shows me how.  The only thing i can tell you about is what Sweetie and i do when we don't have much money for date nights, which is most of the time.

Our first favorite is simply to go to a local coffee shop after dinner for decaf coffee and a long talk.  Days can go by during which we are ships passing in the night, me working multiple jobs and he putting in applications and working a bit for The Big Boss and by the time we are in the same place at the same time, we're ready for bed.  Taking an hour to go get a decaf and have a chat reconnects us.

The next one will sound boring to those who aren't book worms, but we love to go to a bookstore for a date night.  We will save up a bit of money and enjoy wandering the aisles, getting back together with a few books to share with each other, like sharing treasures.  Looking at the prices and our budget, we decide which ones are best to add to our library, and come home ready to lie in bed and each read our favorite.

Going out for breakfast is a much less expensive date than dinner, and is a great way to connect at the start of a day.  If you do it on a Sunday morning, it's a great way to connect at the start of the week.

Spending time together doing something fun doesn't have to cost much, and is always worth it!

Today is:

Extraterrestrial Culture Day -- New Mexico, US ("to celebrate and honor all past, present, and future extraterrestrial visitors in ways to enhance relationships among all citizens of the cosmos, known and unknown.")

Feast of Apollo -- Ancient Roman Calendar

International Pancake Day

Mardi Gras -- Fat Tuesday, Carnival, the last day to feast before the Lenten fast begins tomorrow, greeted with revelry in many parts of the world; related observances and names:
     Scotland, Fasten's E'en or Bannocky Day
     Portuguese, Terça-feira Gorda
     Italian, Martedì Grasso
     Swedish, Fettisdagen
     Danish, Fastelavn
     Norwegian, Fastelavens
     Estonian, Vastlapäev
     Spanish, Martes de Carnaval
     German, Faschingsdienstag
     Hawaiian, Malasada Day
     Lithuanian, Uzgavenes
     Icelandic, Sprengidagur (literally, Bursting Day)
     also Pancake Day or Bursting Day, the day to eat the last of the eggs and butter in the form of some kind of fried cakes, and to eat until bursting

Mother's Day -- Israel (Shevat 30)

Narvik Sun Pageant (Vinterfestuka) -- Norway (annual festival held since ancient times to honor the sun goddess)

National Bagels and Lox Day

National DAV (Develop Alternative Vices) Day -- internet generated, in hopes that bad habits will be altered to positive coping mechanisms

National Read in the Bathtub Day -- yes, the day has its own Facebook page

National Sports Day -- Qatar

Pizza Pie Day

Read in the Bathtub Day -- another one that no one will claim to have invented, and please don't try it with a digital book

Remembrance for Eyvind Kinnrifi -- Asatru/Slavic Pagan (martyr)

Safer Internet Day -- organised by Insafe (promotes safe and responsible use of the internet by teaching children how to keep themselves safe online)

Shrove Tuesday -- Christian

St. Apollonia's Day (Patron of dentists; Achterbos, Belgium; Ariccia, Italy; Cuccaro Monferrato, Italy; against toothaches, tooth disease)

St. Maroun's Day -- Lebanon (Syriac Maronite Church of Antioch, an Eastern Catholic Church)

Tales of Kelp-Koli begin -- Fairy Calendar (through the 16th)

Toothache Day -- and someone thought this needed a day because...?  Okay, I guess because there is a patron saint for it.  Or against it.  However that works.

Weather Day -- US (Weather Service Founding)

World Ag Expo -- Tulare, CA, US (largest farm and equipment show in North America; through Thursday)


Birthdays Today:

David Gallagher, 1985
Ziyi Zhang, 1979
Mena Suvari, 1979
Shakira, 1977
Travis Tritt, 1963
Charles Shaughnessy, 1955
Judith Light, 1949
Mia Farrow, 1945
Alice Walker, 1944
Joe Pesci, 1943
Carole King, 1942
Janet Suzman, 1939
Roger Mudd, 1928
Brendan Behan, 1923
Kathryn Grayson, 1922
Bill Veeck, 1914
Gypsy Rose Lee, 1914
Ernest Tubb, 1914
Carmen Miranda, 1909
David Dean Rusk, 1909
Ronald Colman, 1891
Amy Lowell, 1874
William Henry Harrison, 1773


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Falstaff"(Verdi Opera), 1893
"Venice Preserv'd"(Otway Play), 1682


Today in History:

The Synod of Breslau orders Jews of Silesia to wear special caps, 1267
The first recorded race meet in England in Roodee Fields, Chester, 1540
The British ex-premier Walpole becomes the Earl of Oxford, 1742
After no presidential candidate receives a majority of electoral votes in the election of 1824, the United States House of Representatives elects John Quincy Adams President of the United States, 1825
– The U.S. Weather Bureau is established, 1870
The first Japanese immigrants arrive in Hawaii, 1885
The Davis Cup competition is established, 1900
The first forestry school is incorporated at Kent, Ohio, 1909
Snow falls on Mauna Loa, Hawaii, 1922
Brazil becomes a member of the Berne Convention copyright treaty, 1922
Year-round Daylight saving time is re-instated in the United States as a wartime measure to help conserve energy resources, 1942
Joanne Woodward receives the first star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 1960
Jamaica becomes an independent nation within the Commonwealth of Nations, 1962
The Beatles make their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, performing before a "record-busting" audience of 73 million viewers, 1964
First test flight of the Boeing 747, 1969
Satchel Paige becomes the first Negro League player to be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, 1971
Space Shuttle astronauts Bernard A. Harris, Jr. and Michael Foale become the first African American and first Briton, respectively, to perform spacewalks, 1995
A storehouse of thirty Egyptian mummies is unearthed inside a 2,600-year-old tomb, 2009

Awww Monday: What i learned at rEcess.

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!

What i learned from rEcess this past week:

From Sam, the jelly side of the PB&J is the best side.

Peanut butter is good, but the jelly is the best part!

From Emmy, don't worry what anyone thinks, nap when you need to.

rEcess night is a long one.

From Peggy, when they get you out of the wheelchair, crawl around and shake that pony tail!

Using only one arm and leg, she moves fast!

Peggy now has a few words, and as she crawls on the floor she says, "Can do!"  Yes, she can!

Today is:

Boy Scout Day -- celebrates the birthday of Scouting in the US

Bramley Apple Week begins -- UK (celebrating these wonderfully delicious fruits)

Clean out Your Computer Day

Cowtown's Last Old West Gunfight -- White Elephant Saloon, Fort Worth, TX, US (annual reenactment of the last gunfight in what was then Cowtown, between White Elephant Saloon owner Luke Short and former marshal T.I. “Longhaired Jim” Courtright on this date in 1887)

Death of Kelp-Koli -- Fairy Calendar

Family Day -- BC, Canada

Go Green Week begins -- UK (helping people find greener alternatives)

Hari Kuyo -- Sensouji Temple, Japan (Festival of Broken Needles, in which all of the worn or broken sewing needles from the previous year are put in a sacred resting place.)

Hold Onto Your Head Day -- invented by someone for people like me, because heaven knows i'm losing mine!

Hurling the Silver Ball -- St. Ives, Cornwall, England (keeping up the over 1,000 year old tradition of an early form of rugby, the person who returns the silver ball to the Mayor on the steps of St. Ives Guildhall at midday gets a silver coin; pennies are thrown to the children in the afternoon)

Laugh and Get Rich Day -- a day to recognize the power of laughter

Love a Mensch Week begins -- because mensches are decent and responsible men and women, and we should appreciate how they enhance our lives; info from Robin Gorman Newman

Love May Make the World Go 'round, But Laughter Keeps US from Getting Dizzy Week -- anually, the week before and including Valentine's Day; dedicated to Victor Borge’s notion that “Laughter is the shortest distance between two people” and Joel Goodman’s notion that “Seven days without laughter makes one weak.”

Lunar New Year/Chinese New Year/Lhosar/Seol-Nal/Tet -- celebrations throughout Asia before and after, some for up to a month; Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist celebrations
     Sonam Lhosar -- Nepal (Tamang New Year)

Lundi Gras -- Fat Monday, Carnival, one of the last to days to feast before the Lenten fast begins Wednesday
     Bolludagur -- Iceland (Bun Day, the children wake the parents with a "spanking" while calling for cream buns that will be eaten that day)
     Old Mask Parade -- Oranjestad, Aruba (with the Burning of the Momo tomorrow, marking the end of Carnival)
     Rosenmontag -- German-speaking Countries (Rose Monday, highlight of Karneval)

National Molasses Bar Day

Oatmeal Monday -- Scotland (traditionally, at universities in Scotland, the day the students were allowed to go home and get more "meal", or oatmeal, and other supplies, as they had to provide their own food and fuel for the fires while in school)

Preseren's Day -- Slovenia (Honors their national poet, France Preseren, often called Day of Slovenian Culture)

Rebel Day -- birth anniversary of James Dean

Royal Hobart Regatta Day -- Tasmania, Australia

St. Jerome Emilani's Day (Patron of orphans; Taos Indian Pueblo)

Tako-ichi -- Kita-ku, Tokyo, Japan (kite fair dating back to the Edo period)


Anniversary Today:

Founding of Universiteit Leiden, with the motto Praesidium Libertatis, 1575


Birthdays Today:

Josh Keaton, 1979
David "Phoenix" Farrell, 1977
Seth Green, 1974
Alonzo Mourning, 1970
Gary Coleman, 1968
Claudette Pace, 1968
Vince Neil, 1961
John Grisham, 1955
Mary Steenburgen, 1953
Brooke Adams, 1949
Robert Klein, 1942
Nick Nolte, 1941
Ted Koppel, 1940
John Williams, 1932
James Dean, 1931
Jack Lemmon, 1925
Audrey Meadows, 1924
Freddie Blassie, 1921
Lana Turner, 1921
Elizabeth Bishop, 1911
Lyle Talbot, 1902
William Tecumseh Sherman, 1820
Jules Verne, 1828
Samuel Butler, 1612


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Good Times"(TV), 1974
"RCA Victor Show Starring Dennis Day"(TV), 1952
"Danses Concertantes"(Stravinsky Ballet), 1942
"Two for the Show"(Musical), 1940 
"The Plough and the Stars"(Play), 1926
The Stars and Stripes(US Armed Forces Newspaper), 1918
The Birth of a Nation(Film), 1915
"Boris Godunov"(Mussorgsky Opera), 1874
"Flora; or the Hob in the Well"(Cibber's Opera, first opera performed in the Colonies), 1735


Today in History:

Mary, Queen of Scots, is executed on suspicion of having been involved in the Babington Plot to murder her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I, 1587
Isaac Newton reads his first optics paper before the Royal Society in London, 1672
French and Indian troops set Schenectady, NY, afire, 1690
A doctor in Salem Village, Massachusetts Bay Colony suggests that two girls in the family of the village minister may be suffering from bewitchment, leading to the Salem witch trials, 1692
The Supreme Privy Council is established in Russia, 1726
The first opera in the US, "Flora," opens in South Carolina, 1735
A minor earthquake shakes London, 1750
The strange phenomenon called the "Devil's Footprints" mysteriously appear in Devon, England, 1855
Martin Robinson Delany becomes the first black major in the US Army, 1865
The Boy Scouts of America is incorporated by William D. Boyce, 1910
D.W. Griffith's controversial film The Birth of a Nation premieres in Los Angeles, 1915
The Stars and Stripes newspaper is published for the first time, 1918
Swiss men vote against women's suffrage, 1920
Radio arrives at the White House, 1922
Allende meteorite falls near Pueblito de Allende, Chihuahua, Mexico, 1969
The NASDAQ stock market index opens for the first time, 1971
After 84 days in space, the crew of the first American space station Skylab returns to Earth, 1974
The Melbourne dust storm hits Australia's second largest city. The result of the worst drought on record and a day of severe weather conditions, a 320 metres (1,050 ft) deep dust cloud envelops the city, turning day to night, 1983
The massive Internet collaboration "24 Hours in Cyberspace" takes place, 1996
A freak storm in the Hindukush mountains of Afghanistan triggers a series of at least 36 avalanches, 2010

Silly Sunday: In Shape

Silly Sunday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus.

Silly Sunday is the place to come for weekly laughs.  The rules are simple, just have fun.

This is a great opportunity to get to know other bloggers and have a laugh or two in the process.

Here is how it works: Laugh and Link Up!

1. Post a joke.
2. Link Up with the URL to your joke in the Linky Tools Widget.
3. Read my joke.
4. Leave a comment to tell me how much you enjoyed my joke.
5. Try and visit a few others participating in Silly Sunday.
6. Go to Sandee's site, linked above, and get the Silly Sunday code for your blog, too!

"Devon, would you come over here and stir the frosting?" Ms. Amy asked Devon, our head baker, chief cleaner/dishwasher, and all around indispensable person, at the bakery yesterday.

"You want me to stir the frosting?" he asked, laughing.  There's a lot of laughing in the back of the bakery, we joke around all of the time.

"Yes, because we need it and I want you to do it because I want to watch your muscles!" she said, at which he laughed even harder.  He works out for a reason, and finds it amusing when we refer to how cut he is.

Also, i must admit, it's nice having someone so strong around when we need to get huge boxes full of product down from the top shelf of the chiller.

"Come gather around, ladies, Devon is going to stir the frosting and we get to watch his wonderful biceps at work!" Ms. Amy continued, and we were all howling, especially Devon.

Boudreaux, who has an opinion about everything, has an opinion about exercise, too.

Both de docteur an' Clothile done been on Boudreaux to go got him some exercise.  He be talkin' 'bout dat wit' Thibodeaux, how dey be naggin' an' he t'ink he be in plenny good shape, an' Thibodeaux done tell him, "Why not you go try some relaxin' exercise?"

"Mais, what you be talkin' 'bout, 'relaxin' exercise'?" Boudreaux say.

"You know, you can try dat dere yoga stuff.  When you do dat, you close you eyes, an' you relax, an' you imagine you se'f back at home on de couch not doin' no exercise!"

Today is:

British Yorkshire Pudding Day -- UK (celebrating this delicious traditional dish, and here's how to make it right)

Carnival of Binche -- Binche, Belgium (famous carnival dating back to the 16th century, which includes a giants parade, childrens parade, fireworks, orange tossing, and more; through Shrove Tuesday)

Charles Dickens Day -- read a chapter or two of his work, in honor of his birth

Church Action on Poverty Sunday -- UK (Visions of the Good Society)

Daniel Boone Escape Day -- he escaped from the Shawnee tribe which had captured him

Dump Your Significant Jerk Day -- beginning of Dump Your Significant Jerk Week; make a resolve and do it now, before Valentine's Day

Fasching Sunday -- Germany and Austria, and among German speaking peoples; the Party before Lent kicks into gear now

Feast of Mulk (Dominion) -- Baha'i

Four Chaplains Sunday -- Interfaith

Hall Sunday -- meaning Hallowed Sunday, the Sunday before Lent, which has many traditions associated with it

Ice Cream for Breakfast Day -- because you have to do it at least once a year

Igbi -- Shaitli and Kituri among the Avar ethnic group, Dagestan, Russia (midwinter celebration, through the 5th, which is the first day the sun is expected to return to shine on the towns here)

Independence Day -- Grenada(1974)

Lunar New Year's Eve
     Seol-nal -- South Korea (Lunar New Year Holiday begins)
     Spring Festival -- China; Taiwan (Chinese New Year's Eve, start of the festival)
     Tet Eve -- Vietnam

Man Day -- always the Sunday before Valentine's Day, sponsored by C. Daniel Rhodes

Marriage Week -- UK (part of the Futureway Trust, and now observed around the world, celebrating the diversity and vibrancy of marriage as the heart of family life)

National Fettucini Alfredo Day

National Hangover Awareness Day -- internet generated and shouldn't it be on Jan.1?

Scout Sunday -- BSA (Boy Scouts are encouraged to wear their uniforms to church and represent scouting to their congregation)

Send a Card to a Friend Day -- wonder which card company created this one

Saint Theodore Stratelates' Day (Patron of soldiers; Brindisi, Italy; for finding lost objects)

Super Bowl Sunday; related observance
     National Popcorn Day

Transfiguration Sunday -- Christian

Wave All you Fingers at Your Neighbor Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays; wave to your neighbors, let them know you like them


Birthdays Today:

Tina Majorino, 1985
Ashton Kutcher, 1978
Chris Rock, 1965
Garth Brooks, 1962
Eddie Izzard, 1962
James Spader, 1960
Miguel Ferrer, 1954
Hector Babenco, 1946

Pete Postlethwaite, 1945
Gay Talese, 1932
Keefe Brasselle, 1923
Eddie Bracken, 1920
Oscar Brand, 1920
Larry "Buster" Crabbe, 1908
Sinclair Lewis, 1885
James Hubert “Eubie” Blake, 1883
Alfred Adler, 1870
Laura Ingalls Wilder, 1867
Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev, 1834
Charles Dickens, 1812
John Deere, 1804
Sir Thomas More, 1478


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"America's Most Wanted"(TV), 1988
Blazing Saddles(Film), 1974
Pinocchio(Disney animated Film), 1940
"The Cat and the Canary"(Play), 1922
Kid Auto Races at Venice(first Charlie Chaplin "Little Tramp" Film), 1914
"Chantecler"(Rostand Play), 1910
"The Deserter"(first ballet performed in US), 1827
"Il Matrimonio Segreto" (Comarosa Opera), 1792


Today in History:

The Mongols burn the Russian city of Vladimir, 1238
Edward of Carnarvon,later Edward II, becomes the first English prince to hold the title Prince of Wales, 1301
The bonfire of the vanities occurs in which supporters of Girolamo Savonarola burn thousands of objects like cosmetics, art, and books in Florence, Italy, 1497
King Philip II forms an inquisition in South America, 1569
Academie Francaise begins a Dictionary of the French Language, 1639
An 8.2 magnitude earthquake shakes New Madrid, Missouri, 1812
The colonial Tasmanian Parliament passes the Electoral Act of 1856, the first piece of legislation anywhere in the world providing for elections by way of a secret ballot, 1856
The Battle at Ingogo, Transvaal: the Boers defeat superior British forces, 1881
The Great Blizzard of 1891 begins, 1891
Émile Zola is brought to trial for libel for publishing J'Accuse, 1898
Baltimore catches fire; 1500 buildings are destroyed in 80 blocks, 1904
The Mud March, the first large procession organized by the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS), 1907
Charlie Chaplin debuts "The Tramp" in "Kid Auto Races at Venice," 1914
The first wireless message sent from a moving train to a station is received, 1915
Bert Hinkler begins the first solo flight from England to Australia, 1928
Pluto moves inside Neptune's orbit for the first time since either was discovered, 1979
Astronauts Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart make the first untethered space walk using the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), 1984
The Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party agrees to give up its monopoly on power, 1990
Haiti's first democratically-elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, is sworn in, 1991
The Maastricht Treaty is signed, leading to the creation of the European Union, 1992
Crown Prince Abdullah becomes the King of Jordan on the death of his father, King Hussein, 1999
Bushfires in Victoria left 173 dead in the worst natural disaster in Australia's history, 2009
In Europe, ready-meal manufacturer, Findus, withdrew its beef lasagne meals from supermarkets after confirming beef supplied by French manufacturer, Comigel contained horsemeat, 2013