What a Difference (Six Sentence Story) and Good Fences

(Because some people like Blogger and some like WordPress, i am putting the same content at both.  If you would prefer to read this on the other site, it is linked here.)

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We started out with about a dozen of us, determined to get through things together, first high school, then college, then life.

Dan and Kate married and stayed together, Bob and Roxy married and didn't, the rest of us found or didn't find love outside of our circle.

Kids and mortgages, jobs and layoffs and moving, life just kept happening.

We all stayed friends, more or less, mostly more, at least when we could, some closer than others because of physical proximity.

When Keith suddenly died of a heart attack, it hit all of us very hard; at his funeral I kept wondering, how did we get to this point?

One day by one day, like beads slipping off a string, one day by one day, each seeming about the same as before, but in reality, what a difference a day makes.

Linking up with Denise at Girlie On The Edge Blog, where she hosts Six Sentence Stories, and the cue is Difference.    

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Gosia, of Looking for Identity, has taken over Good Fences, and it's now Good Fences Around The World.  Post a picture of a fence or gate, link back to her blog, and go visit others blog to see what interesting fences there are out in this big world.     

This old red brick fence is one i pass at least once a week:

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Today is:

Armed Forces Day -- Sao Tome and Principe

Defense Day -- Pakistan

Ear and Trumpter Contests for Mice -- Fairy Calendar

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

Fight Procrastination Day/National Do It Day

Flag Day -- Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles

Heritage Open Days -- UK  (What's on your doorstep?  Go find out, explore for free places that often charge admission or are not usually open to the public, castles to cottages to battlefields, all over the country; through the 9th and again the 13th-16th)    

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

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

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

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

Paryushana Parva -- Jain (start of the 8 day festival signifying human emergence into a new world of spiritual and moral refinement and a celebration of the natural qualities of the soul; the final day is Samvatsari, the most important day and focused on forgiveness)

Read A Book Day -- can't find the history on who set it for today and why, but enjoy!

Rettir -- Iceland (around this time of year; a traditional sheep round up celebrated in Iceland during September and into October, actual round up dates may vary from region to region)

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

Somhlolo Day -- Swaziland (Independence Day)

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

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

Toronto International Film Festival -- Toronto, ON, CA (through the 16th)

Unification Day -- Bulgaria

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

Birthdays Today:

Justin Whalin, 1974

Sarah Strange, 1974

Rosie Perez, 1964

Elizabeth Vargas, 1962

Jeff Foxworthy, 1958

Jane Curtin, 1947

Swoosie Kurtz, 1944

Jo Anne Worley, 1937

Billy Rose, 1899

Joseph P. Kennedy, 1888

Jane Addams, 1860

Catharine Esther Beecher, 1800

John Dalton, 1766

Marquis de Lafayette, 1757

Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, 1711

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp"(TV), 1955

Jack Dempsey/Billy Miske Boxing Match(First match broadcast on radio), 1920

"La clemenza di Tito/The Clemency of Titus"(Opera, Mozart K. 621), 1791

Today in History:

The Victoria, the only surviving ship of Ferdinand Magellan's expedition, returns to Sanlúcar de Barrameda in Spain, becoming the first ship to circumnavigate the world, 1522

The Spanish "Silver Fleet" disappears off the Florida Keys, 1622

Founding of Salem, Massachussetts, 1628

The first US lighthouse is built in Boston, 1716

Hurricane hits Martinique and Guadalupe, hundreds of ships sink and thousands die on land and at sea, 1776

Thomas Blanchard patents the lathe, 1819

Oberlin Collegiate Institute of Ohio becomes co-ed, with 4 women and 30 men in attendance, 1837

Louisa Ann Swain of Laramie, Wyoming becomes the first woman in the United States to cast a vote legally after 1807, 1870

Juliana becomes Queen of the Netherlands, 1948

Canada's first television station, CBFT-TV, opens in Montreal, 1952

Nine Israeli athletes are killed during a rescue attempt after being kidnapped at the Munich Olympic Games; two had died during the kidnapping the day before, 1972

The Soviet Union recognizes the independence of the Baltic states: 

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and restores the name St. Petersburg to Russia's second largest city, 1991

Cal Ripken Jr of the Baltimore Orioles plays in his 2,131st consecutive game, breaking a record that stood for 56 years, 1995

Diana, Princess of Wales is laid to rest in front of a television audience of more than 2.5 billion, 1997

China launches an investigation into its commercial pilots upon learning that more than 200 of them had falsified their resumes, 2010

Central Australia reports the first sighting since 1960 of a Central rock rat, 2013

Asteroid 2014 RC makes a close approach to Earth (39,900 km; 24,800 mi), 2014

British archaeologists announce the discovery of a Neolithic "superhenge" under 3ft of earth at Durrington Walls, 2015

One of My New Favorite Things (Wordless Wednesday) and Words for Wednesday

(Because some people like Blogger and some like WordPress, i am putting the same content at both.  If you would prefer to read this on the other site, it is linked here.)

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Linking up with Wordless Wednesday and Sandee at Comedy Plus.

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Words for Wednesday was begun by Delores and has become a moveable feast of word or picture or music prompts that encourages us to write stories, poems, or whatever strikes our fancy.    

This month, the prompts are being provided by Delores at Mumblings.

This week’s words are:

hitch, 

quack, 

curtains, 

deplorable, 

mundane, 

raveled

and/or

split, 

friendship, 

tracked, 

porch, 

intrepid 

spunk

“Grandma!  Grandma!” 

Cody’s yells SPLIT the air on what had, up until that moment, threatened to be yet another MUNDANE day on the farm.  As well they announced his imminent arrival on the front PORCH where his grandmother sat in the swing, sewing replacements for the RAVELED old kitchen CURTAINS.

“Land sakes, boy, why all the noise?  Did another snake get into the hen house?”

“No, but Grandma!  I heard someone moaning in the barn and I TRACKED it down and there’s a man hiding in the back of the tack room and he’s bleeding!”

“Well, show some SPUNK, boy, and go HITCH the Grover to the surrey.  You and  Mavis head for town and get the sheriff and the doctor,” she said, as she tossed the sewing aside and went to the front door.

“What are you going to do, grandma?” Cody asked.

“I’ll keep an eye on him,” she said, grabbing the old shotgun she kept behind the door.

Cody nodded and headed for the carriage barn.

Mavis had heard the yelling, and came out of the house wide-eyed.  “Grandma, do you think it might be that man who was hurt trying to rob the hotel yesterday?”

“Mebbe so, child.  That’s why I’m not having you two walk into town for help.”

“But grandma,” the young girl continued, “I thought you always said Doc Hanson was a QUACK and he always criticizes your cooking.  Why would you send for him?”

“Never you mind what I’ve said, child, you just do as I ask.  When you get to town, let Cody drop you at the Doc’s office while he goes and finds the sheriff.”  Grandma smiled to herself, thinking about how such a young girl wouldn’t yet understand the depth of an old FRIENDSHIP that kept two people poking and prodding each other that way.

When the sheriff and Doc Hanson arrived, they found Mrs. Watts standing at the door of the tack room in the barn leveling her shotgun at the would-be hotel robber.

“Quite an INTREPID thing for you to do, Mrs. Watts, keeping guard on him like that,” the sheriff had commented as he loaded the man in his wagon after Doc Hanson had stopped his bleeding and stabilized his broken arm.

“She’s nothing if not intrepid,” Doc had noted, grinning at her.

“Once you’re done with him,” Mrs. Watts asked Doc, indicating the injured man with a nod of her head, “would you like to come back and have supper with us?”

“Is your cooking as DEPLORABLE as ever?” Doc asked.

“As bad as your doctoring,” she answered with a laugh.

“I’ll be here!”

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Today is:

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

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

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

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

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

International Day of Charity -- UN

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

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

National Cheese Pizza Day

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

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

St. Teresa of Calcutta's Day (Mother Teresa)

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

Teacher's Day -- India

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

Wag and Carrot Fancying Day -- Fairy Calendar

Anniversaries Today:

John Travolta marries Kelly Preston, 1991

Birthdays Today:

Kim Yu-Na, 1990

Rose McGowan, 1973

Dweezil Zappa, 1969

Kristian Alfonso, 1964

Cathy Guisewite, 1950

Dennis Dugan, 1946

Raquel Welch, 1940

William Devane, 1939

Carol Lawrence, 1934

Bob Newhart, 1929

Arthur C. Nielsen, 1923

John Cage, 1912

Arthur Koestler, 1905

Darryl F. Zanuck, 1902

Morris Carnovsky, 1897

Jesse James, 1847

Johann Christian Bach, 1735

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The Joan Rivers Show"(TV), 1989

"Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon for Muscular Dystrophy"(TV), 1966

"No Mother To Guide Her"(Play), 1905

Today in History:

The Great Fire of London ends, leaving 8 people dead and 13,200 homes destroyed, 1666

Peter the Great of Russia imposes a tax on beards, in an attempt to Westernize his people, 1698

The First Continental Congress is assembled in Philadelphia, 1774

The French National Convention initiates the Reign of Terror, 1793

Napoleon surrenders Malta to Great Britian, 1800

Sam Houston is elected as the first president of the Republic of Texas, 1836

The First Opium war begins in China, 1839

James Glaisher, pioneering meteorologist and Henry Tracey Coxwell break world record for altitude whilst collecting data in their balloon, 1862

Sioux Chief Crazy Horse is killed, 1877

The First Labor Day Parade is held in NYC, 1882

The first gasoline pump is delivered to a gasoline dealer in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, 1885

The first legal forward pass in American football is thrown by Bradbury Robinson of St. Louis University to teammate Jack Schneider in a 22–0 victory over Carroll College (Wisconsin), 1906

The French Upper Volta is broken apart between Ivory Coast, French Sudan, and Niger, 1932

The first conference of the Non Aligned Countries is held in Belgrade, 1961

A Palestinian terrorist group called "Black September" attack and take hostage 11 Israel athletes at the Munich Olympic Games. 2 die in the attack and 9 die the following day, 1972

Voyager 1 is launched after a brief delay, 1977

The St. Gotthard Tunnel opens in Switzerland as the world's longest highway tunnel, 1980

The current international treaty defending indigenous peoples, Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989, came into force, 1991

Tuvalu joins the UN, 2000

For the first time, a browsable, analysable overview of four million functional elements of the human genome discovered to date are made available to the public, 2012

The World Health Organization estimates 1,900 people have died from the Ebola virus out of 3,500 infected in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone, 2014

Hurricane Irma becomes the post powerful Atlantic Ocean hurricane in recorded history with winds of 185mph, 2017

Togo's government shuts down the internet for a week to quell government opposition, 2017

Complications, Rain, Retirement and More, a Happy and Random Tuesday

(Because some people like Blogger and some like WordPress, i am putting the same content at both.  If you would prefer to read this on the other site, it is linked here.)

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It's time once again for a random and happy Tuesday, linking up with Stacy's Random Thoughts at Stacy Uncorked and Sandee at Comedy Plus.  

#1 Son has been having phone trouble again.  We had made all the arrangements to get him over to the repair place when he decided to see if maybe the problem was his charge cord instead of the receptacle in the phone (he's had a lot of trouble with it getting plugged up and needing to be cleaned).

Bingo, a short walk to a local store, a $5 charge cord, and he was back in business.  

It's so nice when things work out that way, we have enough complicated problems here.

The weather people have been having a high old time trying to scare us out of countenance about the "tropical weather."  To hear them tell it, yesterday we should have all floated away again.  Instead we had three or four short showers.

Of course, that's on top of the fact that it's been raining a bit almost every afternoon, so we are quite well tanked up, thankyouverymuch.  #2 Son says the new pump he installed is standing by, he can get it going at any time.  We hope not to need it.

We hope this is the only emergency preparedness we ever need!

The Big Boss called from his vacation spot, they are in the mountains and they are cold.  Somehow i'm having a difficult time feeling sorry for them.  Sweetie told him flat out to go buy themselves coats and hot cocoa.  The Big Boss may be his former employer, and may pay him sometimes now to house-sit, water plants, and run errands, but sometimes Sweetie is not always as deferentially reverent to him as before.

Labor Day was as usual, i labored.  Dr. D and i got more things moved to her office, and she is setting aside stuff to sell on Ebay.  There's a friend at church who has an Ebay business, and i am hoping she will buy the stuff from Dr. D at a discount and then sell it herself.  

Ms. JAI actually let me work a whole two hours at her house yesterday, too.  She won't allow more than that, it costs too much (and i give her a discount).  Can we say "frugal"?

Have a great Tuesday, everyone!

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Today is:

Animals' Day -- Curacao

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

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

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

Eat An Extra Dessert Day -- internet generated, you have the WWW's permission to indulge today

    note that some sites also list this day, instead of July 7, as World Chocolate Day, so celebrate either one!

Immigrant's Day -- Argentina

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

National Boss/Employee Exchange Day -- US (or anyone else who wants to foster understanding between bosses and employees, trade places for a day and see how the other half lives!)

National Macadamia Nut Day

National Wildlife Day -- US     

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

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

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

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

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

Anniversaries Today:

Ford Motor Company introduces The Edsel, 1957

Birthdays Today:

Beyonce Knowles, 1981

Ione Skye, 1970

Mike Piazza, 1968

Damon Wayans, 1960

Judith Ivey, 1951

Tom Watson, 1949

Jennifer Salt, 1944

Mitzi Gaynor, 1930

Dick York, 1928

Paul Harvey, 1918

Henry Ford II, 1917

Richard Wright, 1908

Nigel Bruce, 1895

Daniel Hudson Burnham, 1846

Anton Bruckner, 1824

François-René, vicomte de Chateaubriand, 1768

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Captain Midnight"(TV), 1954

"Beetle Bailey"(Comic strip), 1950

"London Calling"(Musical revue), 1923

"Adonis"(Burlesque musical), 1884

Today in History:

Romulus Augustulus, the last Roman emperor in the West, is formally deposed, 476

Edmund Halley, English astronomer, first observes the comet that now bears his name, 1682

The City of Los Angeles is founded in Bahia de las Fumas (Valley of Smokes), 1781

Robert Fulton begins operating his steamboat, 1807

Barney Flahery, age 10, is hired to be the first newsboy, by the NY Sun, 1833

Although he had demonstrated their use before, the first major lighting with electricity comes online as 400 bulbs are lit in offices on Spruce, Wall, Nassau, and Pearl streets in lower Manhattan by Thomas Edison, 1882

The last major US-Indian war ends with the surrender of Apache Chief Geronimo, 1886

George Eastman patents the first roll-film cameral and registers the trademark name "Kodak", 1888

Beatrix Potter first tells the story of Peter Rabbit, 1893

Comic strip "Beetle Bailey" first appears, 1950

The Ford Motor Company introduces the Edsel, 1957

Mark Spitz becomes the first competitor to win seven medals at a single Olympic Games, 1972

Google is founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, two students at Stanford University, 1998

A 7.1 earthquake strikes the South Island of New Zealand, causing widespread damage, 2010

Scientists announce the creation of a 'magic carpet' using optical fibers to help prevent elderly people from falling by detecting when unusual footsteps are taken and giving them a warning, 2013

Archaeological remains of a Viking fortress from the 900s, the Vallø Borgring, are discovered in Denmark, 2014