Thursday, April 4, 2024

Distressed Over Dungarees (Six Sentence Story), Good Fences, Sammy's Poetry Day and Brian's Thankful Thursday, an A to Z Post

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To enjoy more blogs participating in the A to Z Challenge, click here.     



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Every year, when we'd go on vacation, it was time to go to the Outlet Mall and refresh our wardrobes.


Not being fashion plates but rather working stiffs who abuse their clothing with real actual hard wearing, we only bought what was needed to replace what was worn out, with an occasional nice piece for Sunday, but the latter aren't needed as often as they don't wear out quickly, if you buy right you don't need to worry about it going out of fashion.


As the family yearly vacation is a thing of the past, we'd been going to an outlet just a longish drive up the road the last couple of years and making a morning of it, finishing with lunch once we'd procured sufficient raiment.


Alas, the couple of stores there which carried the clothes most suitable to our line of work have closed and we are casting around for an alternative.


It's not that there aren't some suitable items at other local of stores, it's that finding the ones which wear the best and longest takes searching at these places, and we're thinking we will be soon forced to do the dreadful online ordering, with its attendant problems of returning for a different size, etc.


If anyone knows where a five-foot-nothing-hundred-and-ten-pound-soaking-wet gray-haired woman janitor can get decent jeans to work in, please clue me in!



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




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While Good Fences Around the World seems to have gone the way of the dodo bird, i still enjoy looking for and posting interesting fences, so i will!







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It's Angel Sammy's Poetry Day This week's image and my poem:    







The class project got out of hand

when acting class did "FairyLand."

How I got this role,

it was this or the troll.

Next semester, I'm joining the band!



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Angel Brian's Family of Brian's Home hosts the Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.   It's time to share something for which i am thankful.  


Today i am thankful for the simple pleasure of iced tea, so refreshing after a busy day.






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Today is:


Ballroom Dance Day -- dance with your sweetheart today in honor of the birth anniversary of Arthur Murray


Bonza Bottler Day™


Children's Day -- Taiwan


Homogenized Milk Day -- a machine to homogenize milk was patented this day in 1892 by Auguste Gaulin


Hug a Newsman/Newswoman Day -- an internet holiday, and be careful, no more fiascos like the gropings in 2009, please, just a nice hug


Independence Day -- Senegal(1960)


International Carrot Day 


International Day for Mine Awareness & Assistance in Mine Action -- UN


Matsuyama Haru Matsuri -- Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, Japan (Spring celebrations incorporating the Matsuyama Castle festival and the Dogo Hot Springs festival)


Megalesia, a/k/a Festival of Magna Mater -- Ancient Roman Calendar (great mother festival for Cybele; through the 9th)


Nafels Pilgrimage -- Canton Glarus, Switzerland (commemoration of the Battle of Nafels in 1388, observed with processions, prayers, sermon, and a reading of the names of those killed in battle)


National Cordon Bleu Day


National Reading a Roadmap Day -- another internet holiday that some sites call "Learn to Read A Roadmap Day," but a good one to observe; you need to know how to read one when your GPS battery dies, after all


National School Librarian Appreciation Day


Ose Matsuri -- Ose Shrine, ShizouKa Prefecture, Japan (men dressed in women's clothes dance a lively jig on board a boat afloat in the harbour which is festooned with flags and streamers while taiko groups play drums on shore in this festival thought to date back to a wife wanting to protect her fisherman-husband by giving him a kimono)


Peace Day -- Angola


Quing Ming Jie -- China; Hong Kong; Macau; North Korea; Taiwan (Tomb Sweeping Day, last day of the Quingming Festival)(a/k/a Festival of Clear Brightness, Festival for Tending Graves, Grave Sweeping Day, Chinese Memorial Day, Tomb Sweeping Day, Spring Remembrance, and All Souls Day (not to be confused with the Roman Catholic holiday of the same name); the festival includes kite flying and rituals to call the spring rains, as well as cleaning the graves of ancestors and offering them gifts)


St. Benedict the African's Day (Patron of African missions; African-Americans; Palermo, Sicily, Italy)


St. Isidore of Seville's Day (Patron of computer technicians, computer users, computers, the Internet, schoolchildren, students)


Swedish-American Friendship Day


Tell a Lie Day -- an internet generated holiday; the only day it is acceptable! make sure, after today, to clear it up, trust me


Victims of Violence Day -- anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.


Vitamin C Day -- the vitamin was isolated on this day in 1932 by C.C, King at the University of Pittsburgh


Walk Around Things Day -- fun to do, it makes people look at you funny


World Rat Day -- pet rat lovers everywhere, unite and introduce your friends to your pet rats


ZAB Death Anniversary -- Pakistan (39th anniversary)



Anniversary Today:


Bill Gates and Paul Allen found Microsoft Corporation, 1975



Birthdays Today:


David Blaine, 1973

Dave Mirra, 1972

Jill Scott, 1972

Barry Pepper, 1970

Nancy McKeon, 1966

Robert Downey, Jr., 1965

David Gavurin, 1963

Gary Moore, 1952

Christine Lahti, 1950

Craig T. Nelson, 1946

Kitty Kelley, 1942

Angelo Bartlett "Bart" Giamatti, 1938

Michael Parks, 1938

Anthony Perkins, 1932

Maya Angelou, 1928

Muddy Waters, 1915

Frances Langford, 1914

Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, 1908

John Cameron Swayze, 1906

Arthur Murray, 1895

Isoroku Yamamoto, 1884

Linus Yale, Jr., 1821

Dorothea Dix, 1802



Today in History:


Francis Drake is knighted for completing a circumnavigation of the world, 1581

Sir Robert Walpole becomes First Lord of the Treasury of England, and is so influential in the Cabinet that he is considered the de facto first Prime Minister of England, 1721

Napoleon abdicates for the first time, 1814

Casparus van Wooden of Amsterdam patents chocolate milk powder, 1828

William Henry Harrison dies of pneumonia becoming the first President of the United States to die in office and the one with the shortest term served, 1841

Bryant's Minstrels debut the song "Dixie" in a blackface minstrel show, 1859

Susanna Medora Salter is elected the first US woman mayor, in Argonia, KS, 1887

Cecil Rhodes scholarship fund is established, 1902

An earthquake in India's Kangra Valley kills 20,000, destroys most of three cities, 1905

Vitamin C was first isolated by C.C. King at the University of Pittsburgh, 1932

Twelve nations sign the North Atlantic Treaty, creating NATO, 1949

Martin Luther King, Jr., is assassinated, 1968

Dr. Denton Cooley implants the first temporary artificial heart (the patient survived for 65 hours), 1969

The World Trade Center in NYC is dedicated, 1973

Bill Gates and Paul Allen form Microsoft, 1975

Space Shuttle Challenger makes its maiden voyage into space, 1983

Marc Andreessen and Jim Clark found Netscape Communications Corporation under the name "Mosaic Communications Corporation", 1994

Comet Hyakutake is imaged by the USA Asteroid Orbiter Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous, 1996

The Angolan government and UNITA rebels sign a peace treaty ending the Angolan Civil War, 2002

15 British Royal Navy personnel held in Iran are released, 2007

The most distant supernova on record is found by the Hubble Space Telescope, 2013

The "Pink Star" diamond sells at an auction in Hong Kong for a record $71 million, 2017

Elon Musk buys enough Twitter stock to make him the company's largest shareholder, 2022

Finland officially joins NATO at a ceremony in Brussels, becoming its 31st member and doubling NATO's border with Russia, 2023

Wednesday, April 3, 2024

Cat Person Does Boxes Right (Words for Wednesday) and Wordless Wednesday, an A to Z Post

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To enjoy more blogs participating in the A to Z Challenge, click here.     



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Linking up with Wordless Wednesday, BeThere2Day, 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 to encourage us to write stories, poems, or whatever strikes our fancy.    


This month, the prompts are being provided by Elephant’s Child 


This week's prompts are:


  • Wife,
  • Comfort, 
  • Time, 
  • Book,
  • Doors

 

And/or

 

  • Certificate,
  • Appreciation,
  • Elephant,
  • Olive,
  • Major 

Charlotte (MotherOwl) has selected water blue as the colour of the month.  If you can include it in your story she and I will be grateful.

 

As always, have fun.


It had been a MAJOR accomplishment.


From the time he'd moved the old hulk of a muscle car he wanted to restore into the decrepit old "barn," a term they used loosely, and the DOORS had fallen off the barn in the moving, his WIFE had not said a word of complaint about the whole thing.


Oh, she'd make the occasional joke about the white ELEPHANT in the garage, but she'd also taken TIME to COMFORT him when his plans went awry, ordered many a BOOK on restoration of this kind of car and even read him instructions out of them while he was busy with his hands deep in its greasy insides, and celebrated with him when it cranked up for the first time.


Now it was done.  The exterior was Water Blue, the interior a complementary OLIVE color, it was a dream come true.


So, he thought, was she.  No mere CERTIFICATE of APPRECIATION could get across how he felt about her love and support over the years, and she felt the same as he'd also supported her projects and pet schemes.


They were due for a second honeymoon, and they'd take it, he had it all planned, with her parents' help.  The children's long awaited trip to a theme park would be undertaken, but when they arrived, her parents would be there to surprise her and take over with the children so the two of them could drive off for a get-away of their own.


He thought it a fitting celebration of victory.



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Today is:


American Circus Day -- the first circus in the US opened this day in Philadelphia in 1793


Anniversary of the Second Republic -- Republic of Guinea


Cold Food Day -- China (especially celebrated in the Shanxi Province, a commemoration of Jie Zitui, a loyal servant; no fires are to be lit and all food is too be served cold)


Day Sacred to Bona Dea and Day of Proserpina's Rise from the Underworld -- Ancient Roman Calendar


Don't Go to Work Unless it's Fun Day -- and unless you have a really great job, we know your decision


Find-A-Rainbow Day -- a day to paint bright and colorful wishes for your friends, family, and sweetheart; if you actually find a rainbow in the sky, that's a plus, send a pic to the RainbowBrite site


Hanshi a/k/a Cold Food Festival -- China (second day of the Quingming Festival)


National Chocolate Mousse Day


National Day of Hope -- US; recognizing victims of child abuse and neglect, a day to recommit to make the world safe for children


National Walking Day -- US 


Overcome a Handicap Day -- on the day, in 1981, when one-legged Canadian high jumper Arnie Boldt cleared 6 feet 8¼ inches, only about a foot under the world record at the time


Paraprofessional Appreciation Day -- honoring the contributions of paraprofessionals everywhere


Pony Express Day -- US; inaugurated this day in 1860


Second Republic Day -- Guinea


St. Irene of Thessalonica's Day (Patron of girls, peace)


St. Richard of Chichester's Day (called Ricardus, ri for ridens meaning "laughing", car for carus meaning "dear", dus for dulcis meaning "sweet"; Patron of coachmen and of the Diocese of Chichester, Sussex, England)


Tweed Day -- a day to consider the costs of political corruption, on the birth anniversary of "Boss" Tweed


World Party Day -- anyone and everyone is invited to join the party  



Anniversaries Today:


Isle Royale National Park is established in Michigan, US, 1940

Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England, 1043



Birthdays Today:


Amanda Bynes, 1986

Leona Lewis, 1985

Cobie Smulders, 1982

Jamie Bamber, 1973

Jennie Garth, 1972

Picabo Street, 1971

Robert Chapin, 1964

Eddie Murphy, 1961

David Hyde Pierce, 1959

Alec Baldwin, 1958

Bernie Parent, 1945

Tony Orlando, 1944

Leona Lewis, 1943

Marsha Mason, 1942

Wayne Newton, 1942

Jane Goodall, 1934

Calvin "Baby Vet" Graham, 1930

Max Frankel, 1930

Virgil "Gus" Grissom, 1926

Jan Merlin, 1925

Marlon Brando, 1924

Doris Day, 1924

Herb Caen, 1916

Sally Rand, 1904

Henry Robinson Luce, 1898

Leslie Howard, 1893

John Burroughs, 1837

William Magear "Boss" Tweed, 1823

Edward Everett Hale, 1822

Washington Irving, 1783



Debuting/Premiering Today:


"Endgame"(Play), 1957

"TV Guide"(Publication), 1953



Today in History:


Edward the Confessor is crowned king of England, 1043

The US Pony Express begins its first run, 1860

Gottlieb Daimler receives a German patent for his engine, 1885

Trial of the libel case instigated by Oscar Wilde begins, eventually resulting in his imprisonment on charges of homosexuality, 1895

The US House of Representatives accept the "American's Creed," a patriotic contest winner by William Tyler Page, as the official creed of the US, 1918

The building of the RMS Queen Mary is commissioned, 1929

President Harry S. Truman signs the Marshall Plan, 1948

Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech, 1968

The first portable cell phone call is made in New York City, 1973

Bobby Fischer refuses to play in a chess match against Anatoly Karpov, giving Karpov the title of World Champion by default, 1975

Conventional-Train World Speed Record: a French TGV train on the LGV Est high speed line sets an official new world speed record, 574.8 km/h (357.2 mph), 2007

Australia formally adopts the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 2009

Following the News International phone hacking scandal, James Murdock resigns as Chairman of BskyB, 2012

France outlaws the hiring of models who do not meet new Body Mass Index (BMI) minimums for a certain period of time before and during a modeling job; the law aims to prevent promotion of anorexia among models and people who emulate them, 2015

Captain Brett Crozier is cheered as he leaves his ship after being fired for requesting more help for his sailors infected with Covid19, 2020

The Taliban outlaws cultivation of opium in Afghanistan, reducing the world's supply by 80%, 2022

NASA announces the four astronauts for the 2024 Artemis II lunar mission will be Americans Christina Hammock Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman and Canadian Jeremy Hansen, 2023