It is time for a celebration in our house!
Bigger Girl has her learner's permit!
She was not happy with the test format being done on computer, and it threw her a bit. She recovered from that and passed. So now we get to go driving, just around the neighborhood at first, expanding out from there.
By summer, she should have a full license, making it much easier on me.
Meanwhile, the sounds in the car are -- no, not screams, she's better than that! -- are me saying things like:
Okay, sweetheart, remember your turn signal, and look both ways.
It's okay, your stops will get smoother as you practice more.
Yes, you are supposed to stop back behind the sign. But at this corner, you can't see if it's safe to proceed until you pull up a bit more. As long as you fully stop, it counts.
You're right, a solid line means don't get in that lane, it's not safe to pass.
Ah, the chatter of teaching a new driver. It does two thing. First it brings back the memories of when i learned all those years ago. It also makes me much more acutely aware of my own behavior behind the wheel.
Maybe everyone should take a turn being the teacher at some point. It makes you dig back, deep, to remember all of the rules, to try to remember what you actually do, step by step, without even thinking about it, every time you drive.
Still, it's a celebration here. She's doing s well.
In honor of National Humor Month:
Overheard in my car, when taking a neighbor's 9-year-old home from school, "I'm sorry my sister broke up with that guy. He had a really cool car!" At least the boy knows what's important.
Boudreaux calls the doctor and says, "Doc, doc, my wife Marie is in labor and da contractions are only two minutes apart!" The doctor asked, "Is this her first child?" Boudreaux shouts, "No, ya idiot, this is her husband!"
Today is
Ambedkar Jayanti -- India
Baisakhi -- Sikh
Black Day -- South Korea (for those who got neither Valentine's gifts nor White Day gifts)
Celebrations in the Houses of Ra, Osiris, and Horus -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar
Children with Alopecia Day
Day of Mologa -- Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia
Elfin Choir Congress -- Fairy Calendar
Ex Spouse Day -- why?
International Moment of Laughter Day
Meme Appreciation Day
National Be Kind To Lawyers Day -- if i must
National Pecan Day
Pan American Day
Reach as High as You Can Day
Runic Half Month of Man (humanity) begins
Sidereal Equinox New Year Celebrations -- throughout South and Southeast Asia, including
* Assamese New Year, or Rongali Bihu (India's Assam Valley)
* Bengali New Year, or Pohela Boishakh (Bangladesh and India's West Bengal state)
* Burmese New Year, or Thingyan (Burma)
* Hindu and Sikh New Year, or Vaisakhi (Punjab region)
* Khmer New Year, or Chol Chnam Thmey, most commonly celebrated on April 13 (Cambodia)
* Lao New Year, or Songkan / Pi Mai Lao, generally celebrated from 13 to 15 April (Laos)
* Malayali New Year, or Vishu (India's Kerala state)
* Nepali New Year, or Bikram Samwat / Vaishak Ek (Nepal)
* Oriya New Year, or Maha Visuba Sankranthi (India's Orissa state)
* Sinhalese New Year, or Aluth Avurudhu (Sri Lanka)
* Tamil New Year, or Puthandu (India's Tamil Nadu state)
* Thai New Year, or Songkran, celebrated from 13 to 15 April (Thailand)
* Tuluva New Year, or Bisu (India's Karnataka state)
Sommarsblot -- Ancient Norse Calendar (celebration of the coming summer)
St. Peter Gonzalez's Day
St. Tiburtius' Day
Vaisaki -- Hindu
Youth Day -- Angola
Birthdays Today:
Abigail Breslin, 1996
Sarah Michelle Gellar, 1977
Robert Carlyle, 1961
Brad Garrett, 1960
Ritchie Blackmore, 1945
Julie Christie, 1941
Pete Rose, 1941
Loretta Lynn, 1935
Rod Steiger, 1925
John Gielgud, 1904
Anne Sullivan, 1866
Emperor Momozono, 1741
Christiaan Huygens, 1629
Today in History:
Mark Antony, besieging Julius Caesar's assassin Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus in Mutina, defeats the forces of the consul Pansa, who is wounded, BC 43
Titus, son of emperor Vespasian, surrounds the Jewish capital with four Roman legions, beginning the Siege of Jerusalem, 70
Temur, grandson of Kublai Khan, is elected Khagan of the Mongols and Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, 1294
The foundation stone of Cathedral St. Peter and St. Paul in Nantes, France is laid, 1434
Benjamin Franklin and Benjamin Rush establish the first abolitionist society in the US, 1775
Napoleon calls for establishing Jerusalem for the Jews, 1799
Noah Webster copyrights the first edition of his dictionary, 1828
The Donner Party departs Springfield, Illinois, 1846
Harriet Tubman begins her first Underground Railroad run, 1853
William Bullock patents the continuous-roll printing press, 1863
Abraham Lincoln is shot at Ford's Theater by John Wilkes Booth, 1865
Canada sets denominations of currency as dollars, cents, & mills, 1871
Canada passes the Dominion Lands Act, 1872
The RMS Titanic hits an iceberg at 11:40pm and sinks 2 hours later, 1912
The first Volvo car premieres in Gothenburg, Sweden, 1927
The Grapes of Wrath, by American author John Steinbeck is first published by the Viking Press, 1939
The Soviet satellite Sputnik 2 falls from orbit, 1958
The heaviest hailstones ever recorded, at 1 kilogram, hailstones fall on the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh, killing 92, 1986
The most costly natural disaster in Australian history, a hailstorm, strikes Sydney, Australia, 1999
The Human Genome Project is completed with 99% of the human genome sequenced to an accuracy of 99.99%, 2003
End of an era, for me at least.
We had our last teaching co-op this week. Because Little Girl will be in the same school with the others next year, we will not be back at c0-op, so it was my last one.
One of my co-teachers, Anne, is a whiz at cookie and cake decoration. She brought cookies and her decorating materials, and we decorated to our heart's content. She showed us the techniques for outlining and flooding, and how to make royal icing and use the colors. It was fun, and they got to take pictures of their creations, then eat them.
This is one activity i'm going to miss. Having them ask for a recipe, as i tell them we don't need a recipe, or have to be slaves to it, and ask them how they want it. Then, watching them taste what they have done, and enjoy it.
It also challenged me, as they would ask for things i had never done before, so i would come home, learn to do it, and go teach them.
It's been a good run.
In honor of National Humor Month:
Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.
Boudreaux is walking down the road when he's approached by his friend, Thibodeaux, who is carrying a very long bamboo fishing pole, and a yardstick. They stop and talk awhile, when Thibodeaux stands the pole straight up in the air, and attempts to reach the very top with the yardstick.
Seeing it won't work, ole Boudreaux yanks the pole from Thibodeaux's hands , lays it on the sidewalk and measures it. "There you go; it's 12 feet long", says Boudreaux .
Thibodeaux, upset and very irritated, grabs the yardstick and yells to Boudreaux ," You fool!! I don't want to know how long it is!! I want to know how high it is!"
Today is
Blame Someone Else Day
Chiang Mai Songkran -- Thailand (Thai New Year / Water Festival, through the 15th)
Feast of Rotten Endings -- because some stories just don't end well
Festival of Libertas -- Ancient Roman Calendar (Jupiter Victor and Jupiter Libertas)
Huguenot Day -- France
International Special Librarians' Day
National Day -- Chad
National Peach Cobbler Day
Poshui Jie -- Jinghong, China (Water Splashing Festival)
Scrabble Day
Songkran Festival -- Burma; Laos; Singapore; Sri Lanka; (new year festival, celebrated when the sun enters the zodiac sign of Aries)
Squashing of Moonhopper Day -- Fairy Calendar
Takayama Spring Festival -- Takayama City, Japan (through tomorrow)
Thank Your School Librarian Day
Thomas Jefferson Day
U.S. Elephant Day
Birthdays Today:
Jonathan Brandis, 1976
Rick Schroder, 1970
Garry Kasparov, 1963
Max Weinberg, 1951
Al Green, 1946
Tony Dow, 1945
Lowell George, 1945
Jack Casady, 1944
Lyle Waggoner, 1935
Don Adams, 1926
Howard Keel, 1919
Eudora Welty, 1909
Samuel Beckett, 1906
Butch Cassidy, 1866
F.W. Woolworth, 1852
Thomas Jefferson, 1743
Guy Fawkes, 1570
Today in History:
The Seventh Crusade is defeated in Egypt with the capture of Louis IX of France, 1250
Henry IV of France signs the Edict of Nantes, granting freedom of religion and political rights to Huguenots (French Protestants), 1598
John Dryden, age 36, becomes the first English Poet Laureate, 1668
George Frideric Handel's oratorio Messiah makes its world-premiere in Dublin, Ireland, 1742
The first elephant seen in the Western Hemisphere arrives from India, 1796
The British Parliament grants religious freedom to Roman Catholics, 1829
Hungary becomes a republic, 1849
The first US Pony Express run is completed, 1860
George Westinghouse patents a steam powered brake, 1869
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is founded, 1870
J.C. (James Cash) Penney opens his first store, 1902
British troops fire on unarmed demonstrators in Amritsar, India, killing at least 379 and wounding over 1,200 more, 1919
Helen Hamilton becomes the first woman US Civil Service Commissioner, 1920
Lord Clydesdale makes the first flight over Mt. Everest, 1933
The Jefferson Memorial is dedicated on the 200th anniversary of his birth, in Washington, D.C., 1943
Van Cliburn becomes the first American to win the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, 1958
Sidney Poitier becomes the first African-American male to win the Best Actor Oscar for Lilies of the Field, 1963
An oxygen tank aboard Apollo 13 explodes, putting the crew in great danger and causing major damage to the spacecraft while en route to the Moon, 1970
The Universal Postal Union decides to recognize the People's Republic of China as the only legitimate Chinese representative, effectively expelling the Republic of China administering Taiwan, 1972
Western Union (in cooperation with NASA and Hughes Aircraft) launches the United States' first commercial geosynchronous communications satellite, Westar 1, 1974
Portugal and the People's Republic of China sign an agreement in which Macau would be returned to China in 1999, 1987
Grocery stores certainly know how to get people to buy.
The other day i saw a sign that read "Heirloom Naval Oranges".
Now, anyone who knows about naval oranges knows that they are a mutation that happened almost 200 years ago in one tree. Because they don't have seeds, all naval orange trees are from cuttings. Thus, all naval orange trees are clones, in a sense, of the original tree.
Thus, they are technically heirloom. All dating back to one mutation. All genetically identical. So really, this was making a huge deal out of the desire for heirloom produce for, well, not much.
Organic navals -- now that might be something to tout and to charge a bit more for. This, however, even if it is truth in advertising, is stretching it.
In honor of National Humor Month:
Even though i push the envelope every day, it still remains stationery.
Boudreaux was lying on his death bed. The doctor had already told him that he surely wouldn't live for another week.
Suddenly, and much to Boudreaux's glee, a wonderful aroma hit Boudreaux like a tidal wave. He knew that the smell meant only one thing- his wife had just made a pot of gumbo.
Boudreaux wanted a bowl so badly, but he was no longer able to walk, so he crawled out of his bed and into the kitchen.
Just as Boudreaux was reaching for the pot, Clotile barked out, "Boudreaux! Shame on you! You know dat gumbo is going to be for the funeral."
Today is
Big Wind Day
D.E.A.R. Day (a/k/a Drop Everything And Read)
Festival of Cerealia begins -- Ancient Roman Calendar
Halifax Day -- North Carolina, US
Hocktide Festival/Tutti Day -- Hungerford, Berkshire, England (commemorates a battle in 1002 A.D. when Saxon women defeated the invading Danes; celebrated in the Middle Ages by women imprisoning their men and, after paying the church, retrieving them)
Look Up At The Sky Day
National Licorice Day
National Redemption Day -- Liberia
Ramanavami -- Hindu
Russian Cosmonaut Day
St. Zeno's Day
Walk on Your Wild Side Day
Yuri's Night -- International
Birthdays Today:
Riley Smith, 1982
Claire Danes, 1979
Nicholas Brendon, 1971
Shannen Doherty, 1971
Nick Hexum, 1970
Art Alexakis, 1962
vince Gill, 1957
Andy Garcia, 1956
David Cassidy, 1950
Tom Clancy, 1947
David Letterman, 1947
Ed O'Neill, 1946
Herbie Hancock, 1940
Dennis Banks, 1937
Tiny Tim, 1930
Ann Miller, 1923
Beverly Cleary, 1916
Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism, BC599
Today in History:
Constantinople falls to the Fourth Crusade, temporarily ending the Byzantine Empire, 1204
The formal inquest of Galileo by the Inquisition begins, 1633
The first edition of Tatler Magazine is published in London, 1709
The American Civil War begins at Fort Sumter, South Carolina, 1861
George C Blickensderfer patents a portable typewriter, 1892
Pierre Prier makes the first nonstop flight from London to Paris, in 3h 56m, 1911
Sir Frank Whittle ground-tests the first jet engine designed to power an aircraft, at Rugby, England, 1937
The strongest surface wind gust ever measured, 231 mph, at Mount Washington, New Hampshire, 1943
The Salk vaccine is declared safe and effective, 1955
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to travel into outer space, 1961
Samuel Doe takes over Liberia in a coup d'etat, ending 130 years of peaceful and democratic presidential successions, 1980
The first launch of a space shuttle, the Colombia, 1981
The Euro Disney Resort officially opens (now Disneyland Paris), 1992
Canter & Siegel post the first commercial mass Usenet spam, 1994
Kittens, that is.
Got the call Sunday afternoon, in the middle of cooking dinner before going to babysit. It was a friend of someone who has a friend that works with a spay/neuter group, but that doesn't do adoptions.
"Hi, this is Linda, my friend Kay from the spay group told me she met you at the vet's office and that you bottle feed kittens."
So, my reputation precedeth me. What've you got?
"We found four kittens, their eyes are still closed, and we think they haven't eaten since their mama was run over on Thursday."
That doesn't sound too good, kittens that young don't usually survive 3 days with no food. They might not be able to make it.
"Well, they really are very lively, poking around for food and crying. All we know is the guy said he picked the mama cat, or what we think was the mama, off the road on Thursday, and we didn't hear them crying until today. Kay says she'll help find homes for them, and if I have to I'll bottle raise them, but she told me you would know what to do."
Okay, i'll take them, and ask my rescue to give me numbers for them. If not, i'll get in touch with Kay and see what she can do.
After that, it was all over but the feeding. Linda came about 20 minutes later, with Ike, and four kittens in a bucket. They had used old underwear and two very threadbare towels in the bottom, and told me i could keep it all. If i've had little ones that wouldn't settle down without my scent, i've put my shirt in there with them, but never old underwear. Oh, well, whatever you have on hand, i guess.
These are a lively bunch. They certainly do not seem to have gone days without food, they would be in much worse condition. It is more likely that the cat run over wasn't the mama. Really, though, we won't ever know. Funny, too, we have a black, a tabby, and two grays -- exactly like the other litter of four. Linda already knows which one she wants to adopt back when they are ready. She wants a bottle raised so it will be very friendly and snuggly, and most bottle raised are that.
One dozen kittens. Four old enough to use the box and within a week of starting to lick formula out of a bowl. One of those (Maximus) attempting to escape the confines of the kitchen at every possible moment. Four going to be old enough to be litter trained by the end of the week. Four just starting out.
Full house, and it's working out.
In honor of National Humor Month:
The reason talk is cheap is because supply exceeds demand.
One day Pierre went to Boudreaux's house and Boudreaux was working on a jigsaw puzzle.
A year later, Pierre again visits Boudreaux and Boudreaux is still working on the puzzle.
Another year after that, Pierre went to Boudreaux's to go fishing with him.
Boudreaux comes out of the house and says "Mais Pierre, I'm so proud of myself, I finally finished dat puzzle and it only took me two years!"
Pierre says "Mais, Boudreaux, I don't tink dat it should take you dat long!"
Boudreaux says "Mais, Pierre, I tink I did perty good when it says rite dere on the box -- 'Jigsaw Puzzle - 500 pieces - 6 to 12 years'!"
Today is
Barbershop Quartet Day
Dandelion Day
Eight Track Tape Day -- do you remember those?
Festival of Unmeditated Play -- just go out there and have fun, like kids do
International "Louie Louie" Day -- a song that caused such a stir it deserves a day
Juan Santamaria Day -- Costa Rica
National Cheese Fondue Day
St. Stanislaus' Day (patron of Poland)
World Parkinson's Disease Day
Yasurai Matsuri -- Imamiya Jinja, Kyoto, Japan (festival to prevent ill health)
Birthdays Today:
Joss Stone, 1987
Vincent Gallo, 1961
Meshach Taylor, 1947
Louise Lasser, 1939
Joel Grey, 1932
Ethel Kennedy, 1928
Oleg Cassini, 1913
Today in History:
William III and Mary II are crowned as joint sovereigns of Britain, 1689
The last execution for witchcraft in Germany takes place, 1775
President Abraham Lincoln makes his last public speech, urging a spirit of conciliation during reconstruction, 1865
The Shogunate is abolished in Japan, 1868
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is organized, 1876
Ellis Island is designated as an immigration station, 1890
Spain cedes Puerto Rico to the United States, 1899
Albert Einstein announces his Special Theory of Relativity, 1905
The International Labour Organization is founded, 1919
The Stone of Scone, the stone upon which Scottish monarchs were traditionally crowned, is found in Arbroath Abbey where Scottish nationalist students had taken it from Westminster Abbey, 1951
Britain agrees to Singaporean self-rule, 1957
Apollo 13 is launched, 1970
The Apple I is created, 1976
Ugandan dictator Idi Amin is deposed, 1979
The London Agreement is secretly signed between Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Shimon Peres and King Hussein of Jordan, 1987
Australia beats American Samoa in a 31-0 win, the biggest ever in an international match of football, 2001
An all around nice weekend.
The pantry is organized. This means i now know how many cans of green beans i have, and how many cans of other stuff i do not have. There were only a couple of out of date things; those have been tossed. A few seldom to never used kitchen items have been boxed for donation.
Bigger Girl went to driving school. She took the 6 hour course, and passed with 100%. That means she should be easily able to pass the state written exam and get a learner's permit this week. By next school year, she should have her regular license and be able to drive herself, #2 Son, and Little Girl to school, saving me from doing it.
The four bigger kittens, Cinderheart, Maximus, 'Festus, and Willowshine, are all now as reliably potty trained as kittens ever are. After all, you must remember, they are little things, and while they do usually use the box after being trained, once in a while, when one is playing way over here, and the box is way over there, it's just too far for a little guy or gal to have to travel in order to go. That's especially true when you are very busy in the middle of a game of attack the clean sock in the laundry basket, pounce on the next passing foot, or grab the adult cat's tail.
For a nice finish, there is now a Cajun music program on for two full hours on both Saturday and Sunday evenings. Makes the weekends sound even better.
In honor of National Humor Month:
Sorry, i don't approve of political jokes -- i've seen too many of them get elected.
One day, Boudreaux had a sign in his yard that read "Boat for Sale."
Pierre came by and said, "Boudreaux ... tell me sometin ... why you got dat sign in dat yard dat say 'Boat for Sale'? Mais, you ain't got no boat!"
Boudreaux replied "Mais no I don't got no boat, but see my car over dare by dat sign?"
Pierre responded "Mais yeah I see dat car."
Boudreaux then said "And see my trailor over dare by dat sign?"
Pierre said "Mais yeah I see dat trailor."
Boudreaux said "Mais Pierre, dey boat for sale, wats de matter wid you!"
Today is
ASPCA Day/Humane Day
Baby Massage Day
Commodore Perry Day
Every Day is Earth Day
Feast of Bau -- Ancient Babylonian Calendar (date approximate, mother of Ea[Earth])
Feast of the Rivers and Seas -- Ancient Sumerian Calendar (date approximate)
Golfer's Day
National Cinnamon Crescent Day
National Love Our Children Day
National Siblings Day
Passion Sunday -- Christian
Care Sunday -- England
Sechselauten -- Switzerland (through tomorrow, an end of winter festival in which the Boog -Old Man Winter- in the form of a snowman is destroyed)
St. Fulbert's Day
St. Hedda's Day
Birthdays Today:
Haley Joel Osment, 1988
Mandy Moore, 1984
Ryan Merriman, 1983
Liz McClarnon, 1981
Shemekia Copeland, 1979
Steven Seagal, 1952
John Madden, 1936
Omar Sharif, 1932
Max Von Sydow, 1929
Chuck Connors, 1921
Harry Morgan, 1915
Joseph Pulitzer, 1847
James Bowie, 1796
Commodore Matthew Perry, 1794
Cybele, Roman goddess (traditional, year unknown)
Today in History:
Halley's Comet and Earth experienced their closest approach to one another when their separating distance equalled 0.0342 AU (3.2 million miles), 837
the lama Deshin Shekpa visits the Ming Dynasty capital at Nanjing. He is awarded with the title Great Treasure Prince of Dharma, 1407
The Charter of the Virginia Company of London is established by royal charter by James I of England with the purpose of establishing colonial settlements in North America, 1606
The first law regulating copyright is issued in Great Britain, 1710
The Mount Tambora volcano in Indonesia begins its peak eruption period that lasts until July 15, 1815
The 10,500 inhabitants of the Greek town Messolonghi start leaving the town after a year's siege by Turkish forces. Very few of them survive, 1826
The NY "Tribune" begins publishing under editor Horace Greeley, 1841
The safety pin is patented by Walter Hunt of NYC, who sells the rights for only $100, 1849
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is founded in New York City by Henry Bergh, 1866
The first Arbor Day is celebrated in Nebraska, 1874
The Titanic leaves Southampton, England, 1912
Mexican Revolution leader Emiliano Zapata is ambushed and shot dead by government forces in Morelos, 1919
Warner Brothers debuts the first 3-D movie, "House of Wax," 1953
Adolf Eichmann is put on trial as a war criminal in Israel, 1961
In an attempt to thaw relations with the United States, the People's Republic of China hosts the U.S. table tennis team for a week long visit, 1971
A 7.0 earthquake kills 1/5 of population of Iranian province of Fars, 1972
H J Heinz, Van Camp Seafood & Bumble Bee Seafood say they would not buy tuna caught in nets that also trap dolphins, 1989
A rare tropical storm develops in the Southern Hemisphere near Angola; the first to be documented by satellites, 1991
How do you end up with half a pair of scissors?
Really, why is it called a pair, anyway? And why plural? Yes, i could probably look all of that up, but right now isn't the time.
Instead, right now, i'm trying to figure out what to do with half a pair.
My favorite, very expensive Cutco scissors had gone missing. They are strong, sturdy, sharp, and come apart for easy cleaning after kitchen use.
Half of the scissors showed up in #2 Son's room. No, he can't explain the half part.
They were next to a missing pot holder, a cookie sheet he had baked biscuits on, two dirty plates and three forks.
Somehow, looking back at that list, i'm not sure that i really want to know what scissors had to do with all of that.
Anyone else have any ideas?
In honor of National Humor Month:
There are 3 ways to get something done:
Do it yourself.
Hire it done.
Forbid the children from doing it.
For Valentines Day Boudreaux wanted to get Clotile, his wife, a real surprise. She had been wanting a milk bath for a long time.
So Boudreaux told his friend Pierre, he say, "Pierre," he say, "I wanna give Clotile a milk bath for Valentine Day." He say, "Why don't you bring you cow over to da house and put me some milk in da battub."
And Pierre say, "Okay, Boudreaux," he say, "Dat milk, you want dat pasteurize?"
Boudreaux thought about it a while, then said, "No, just so it covers her belly, dat's all I want."
Today is
Baby Massage Day
Bataan Day/Day of Valor -- Philippines
Cimarron Territory Celebration and World Cow Chip Throwing Championships -- Beaver, Oklahoma, US (through the 17th)
Day of the Finnish Language -- Finland
Edinburgh International Science Festival -- Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, through the 25th
Grand National Steeplechase -- Aintree, England
Lucerne Festival at Easter -- Lucerne, Switzerland, through the 17th
Martyr's Day -- Tunisia
Name Yourself Day -- an internet holiday allowing you to change your name, if you want to.
National Cherish An Antique Day -- hooray for old fashioned quality!
National Chinese Almond Cookie Day
National Former Prisoners of War Recognition Day
National Unity Day -- Georgia
Prairie Dog Chili Cook Off and World Championship Quail Egg Eating Contest -- Traders Village, Grand Prairie, Texas, US
St. Casilda's Day
Vimy Ridge Day -- Canada
Winston Churchill Day -- commemorates his becoming an honorary US citizen
Anniversaries Today:
Sophia Loren marries Carlo Ponti, 1966
Charles, Prince of Wales, marries Camilla Parker-Bowles, 2005
Birthdays Today:
Elle Fanning, 1998
Kristen Stewart, 1990
Jesse McCartney, 1987
Leighton Meester, 1986
Keshia Knight Pulliam, 1979
Rachel Stevens, 1978
Gerard Way, 1977
Austin Peck, 1971
Cynthia Nixon, 1966
Paulina Prizkova, 1965
Dennis Quaid, 1954
Michael Learned, 1939
Avery Schreiber, 1935
Jean-Paul Belmondo, 1933
Hugh Hefner, 1926
Ward Bond, 1903
Paul Robeson, 1898
Efrem Zimbalist, 1889
Charles Baudelaire, 1821
Tamerlane, 1336
Today in History:
The Mongol hordes defeat the Poles and Germans in the Battle of Liegnitz, 1241
Robert Cavalier de la Salle reaches the mouth of the Mississippi River and claims all the land drained by the river and its tributaries for France, 1682
The African Methodist Episcopal church in the US is formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1816
The oldest audible sound recording of a human voice is made, 1860
Robert E. Lee surrenders the Army of Northern Virginia to Ulysses Grant at Appomattox Court House, effectively ending the US Civil War, 1865
Passing by a single vote, the United States Senate ratifies a treaty with Russia for the purchase of Alaska, 1967
The Hudson Bay Company cedes its territory to Canada, 1869
Jumbo the Elephant arrives in the US, 1882
The Titanic leaves Queenstown, Ireland for NYC, 1912
The first full color film, "World, The Flesh, and The Devil", premiers in London, 1914
Mae West makes her NYC debut in "Diamond Lil," 1928
The first Japanese built aircraft to fly to Europe, the Kamikaze, arrives at Croydon Airport in London, 1937
The Suez Canal is officially opened for shipping, 1957
NASA announces the selection of the United States' first seven astronauts, whom the news media quickly dub the "Mercury Seven", 1959
In the first game in the Astrodome, Houston beats the Yankees 2-1 in an exhibition game, and Mickey Mantle hits the first indoor home run, 1967
The first British built Concorde makes its first flight, 1969
Georgia declares its independence from Russia, 1991
The funeral of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, at Westminster Abbey, 2002
This weeks shelter visit was less, shall we say, eventful, than the last.
First thing i noticed, pulling up, was that i could see all the lines in the parking lot. Meant i didn't have to guess if i was parking straight. What an improvement.
Clint was not sitting in the window, probably because the big room has been cleaned and organized! He was exhaustedly sleeping in a cat hidey bed, and didn't even have the energy to look at me and hiss when i found him.
At this point i asked an office volunteer what had gotten into everyone that the place was changing so much. Turns out, this past weekend, a local church decided to put faith in action, skipped the usual services, and sent out teams to do work with local charities and for individuals who were in need. Our rescue got a team assigned, and they did a great job.
Grady was out in the main part of the shelter, chasing a laser light held by one of the office volunteers. Apparently, this volunteer loves to spend lots of time making the cats run after the laser light, and Grady is his favorite. It was good, too, as it made Grady amenable to being put back in the big room when we left.
So the big room is clean, organized, and is down to five cats, fewest it's ever had. Sophia, PittyPat, and Prissy are the girls in there now.
Candy has been moved to a room by herself. When Candy is alone, she is the nicest cat ever. Very loving and affectionate. Put another cat with her, or put her in the big room, and she turns into a completely different animal, clawing at everyone who passes, playing very rough and not being loving at all. Whoever adopts her will have to be a one cat house.
Cali is back in with Baby, and back to hiding. It's sad to see sweet Cali hide out like that. She came out for me, and for the first time in ever Baby didn't hiss at me when i went in, or when i petted Cali. Maybe Baby is getting mellow?
Angel and Dustie are still the usual loves. Don't know what is wrong that neither of them has been adopted yet.
Sergio still hates his feline acne treatment, but he and Jeremiah are doing well.
Joey has a bald spot starting on his back and tail. There was no notation that anyone has seen it, so the office volunteer used his phone to take a picture and email it to Miss W. Wow, what they can't do these days. While i was trying to figure out how to leave her a note, he was finished. Jimmy, Georgie, and DeeDee, his roomies, are showing no signs of whatever this is.
JuJu wouldn't take her med with the treat, so we had to go through the same rigmarole as last time. Three people, Grady gloves, towels, pry the jaws apart, watch her mess all over, and this time, in addition, she got away and had to be dragged out from under a shelf to be put back in her cage. #2 Son got a nasty scratch in the scuffle, too. When an animal is that resistant to being medicated, they need to use long acting injections.
Frieda was so exhausted. i guess because of the work being done around there in cleaning and organizing, that she didn't look up from her cat nap at all.
Buttercup bit again, and Baby Girl, a new arrival, is another escapee, like Grady.
All the rest, Banshee (nice cat, terrible name when trying to get him adopted), Sphinx, Henry, Caliente, Emily, Emmie, Rosie, Neko, and Dixie, are doing well.
The back bathroom is off limits now because of the cats i stumbled upon last week -- by the bottle of disinfectant outside of the room, i'm figuring ringworm.
Adoptions so far this month have been Cami, Tom, Cayenne, Clare, and Teddy Bear.
In honor of National Humor Month:
How can you get four suits for a dollar?
Buy a deck of cards.
This Louisiana game warden had been keeping an eye on the fishing docks, when after about a week he noticed that Boudreaux had been coming back every day with a boat full of fish. One day he starts to talk to Boudreaux as he's pulling his boat in. The warden says,'Boudreaux, I been watchin you. I notice every day dat you been comin' in wid a full load of fish. You must be havin some good luck? Eh?" Boudreaux answers, "May yah, dem fish is easy to catch." The game warden replies, "Well listen. I got me a day off comin next Saturday. I was wondring, maybe I could go an fish wid you?" Boudreaux replies, "May dat be no problem. Jus make shore you be here at dat 6 a.m. sharp. Cause I gonna leave dis dock wid or widout you." "May I'll be here, don't chu worry none about dat" answers the warden.
Saturday comes and the game warden is waiting at the dock when Boudreaux pulls up and puts his boat in the water. The game warden gets in and Boudreaux proceeds to drive the boat out to the middle of the lake. At this point, Boudreaux shuts off the engine and lets the boat glide to a stop. The game warden, who'd been curious anyway, says to Boudreaux, "May Boudreaux, I been lookin aroun dis boat, and I notice dat all you don brought was dis here ice-chest and dat little brown paper bag under your seat. May, you don't even got no fishin pole." Boudreaux answers, "May, dat be because dats all I need" And he proceeds to pull a stick of dynamite out of the brown paper bag, lights it, thows it in the water and watches it go boooom! All the fish in the area, being stunned, float to the top of the water.
The warden, by this time, can't believe his eyes. Half yelling, he says to Boudreaux, "May Boudreaux, I know we been knowin each udder for a long time, but man, you can't be doing dat, especially wid me being a game warden n all. May, dat's agin de law in a big way dat is."
Boudreaux, without say a word, calmly reaches down into the bag (with the warden still rattling off), pulls out a stick, lights it, hands it to the warden and says, "You gonna talk, or you gonna fish?"
Today is
All is Ours Day -- an internet holiday to remind us of what we do have
Buddah's Birthday -- Mahayana Buddhism in Japan (based on Gregorian Calendar, other Buddhists use a different dating system)
DAB(Draw a Bird) Day
Fast and Prayer Day -- Liberia
Feast of the Hummingbird -- Ancient Aztec Calendar (date approximate)
French Quarter Festival -- New Orleans, Louisiana, US (celebrate all that makes the Vieux Carre special, through the 10th)
Hana Matsuri Flower Festival -- Japan
Holiday in Dixie -- Shreveport and Bossier City, Louisiana, US (ten days celebrating the Louisiana Purchase and what it meant to the US)
International Bird Day
International Day of the Roma -- a celebration of Romani culture
Mennonite Relief Sale -- Hutchinson, Kansas, US (Mennonite, Bretheren in Christ, and Amish congregations from all across the area auction quilts, grandfather clocks, furniture, tools and crafts to raise money for hunger relief worldwide, through tomorrow)
National Empanada Day
National Pie Championships -- Celebration, Florida, US (through the 10th, sponsored by the American Pie Council)
Ozark UFO Conference -- Eureka Springs, Arkansas, US (experts -?- from around the world meet to exchange the latest info on UFOs)
Sealing the Frost -- Guatemala (Cuchumatan Indians ritual to protect their corn from frost)
St. Dionysius of Corinth's Day
Birthdays Today:
Kirsten Storms, 1984
Patricia Arquette, 1968
Julian Lennon, 1963
Kofi Annan, 1938
Shecky Greene, 1926
Betty Ford, 1918
Sonja Henie, 1912
Mary Pickford, 1893
Today in History:
Sultan Baybars conquers the Krak des Chevaliers in Syria, 1271
The first Jewish congregation in the US forms the Shearith Israel synagogue in NYC, 1730
The first fire escape, a wicker basket on a rope and pulley system, is patented, 1766
The statue Aphrodite of Milos (Venus de Milo) is discovered on the Aegean island of Melos, 1820
John D. Lynde patents the aerosol dispenser, 1862
William Ewart Gladstone introduces the first Irish Home Rule Bill into the British House of Commons, 1886
The first recorded college basketball game occurs in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, 1893
Longacre Square in Midtown Manhattan is renamed Times Square after The New York Times, 1904
Auguste Deter, the first person officially diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease, dies, 1906
The last meeting of the League of Nations is held, 1946
Hammerin' Hank Aaron hits his 715th home run, beating Babe Ruth's record, 1974
Retired tennis great Arthur Ashe announces that he has AIDS, acquired from blood transfusions during one of his two heart surgeries, 1992
The Republic of Macedonia joins the United Nations, 1993
The construction of the world's first building to integrate wind turbines is completed in Bahrain, 2008
