Thanksgiving Comes First

And there's a scientifically valid reason why it should!

Yes, Suldog is leading the charge again, and i thank him, because it's the right thing to do.

When you think of the end of the year holidays, what comes to mind?  For me, it's often a song, including the one with the line, "It's the most wonderful time of the year!"

What is supposed to make it so wonderful, so joyous, so special?  Time with family and friends, of course, to begin.  Parties and games and fun, to continue.  Let's not forget that we are all supposed to be happy at this time of year, getting things we've been longing for that will make us happy.

Unfortunately, scientifically speaking, it doesn't work.

We think that by getting stuff, we will be happy.  So, why are we still wanting more stuff?  If getting stuff made us happy, how come it didn't work last year and/or how come last year's stuff isn't still doing the trick?

All the research is pointing to the fact that getting doesn't make us happy, giving does, and that includes giving thanks.  Even more research is showing that there is a direct correlation between a happy and joyful life and being grateful and thankful.

In one experiment i heard about, people were given $5 and one group was told to go get themselves something with it.  The second group was told to buy something and surprise someone else with it.  Both then rated how happy it made them feel.

The second group was the happier group.  This shows that money brings happiness when you are giving it, not just always receiving, or spending on yourself.

In another experiment, some people were asked to write down five things for which they were grateful every day for a month.  Others were asked to write down their hassles and problems instead.  Guess who was the happier group at the end of the experiment?

The fact is, the gimme, gimme, gimme greed of running over Thanksgiving is a huge rush to get to the holidays beyond will not make this the most wonderful time of your year.  It will make it the most stressed and miserable.

If, instead, we take the time out, individually, as families, and as a nation, to be thankful for what we already have, we will enter the season of joy with more calm and happiness.  We will be ready to give and not just get.  We will be able to have joy at a time when there used to be so much stress.

Now, if you are a person who shops a little bit all year long, getting things for people as you find the right item, making sure you can fit all your loved ones into your budget, go right ahead.  You are probably a person who takes time out for Thanksgiving anyway, because you are not a messy and disorganized person like me.

The rest of us, though, should try the experiment.  Pause in the rush toward ending the year and be grateful.  Count your blessings, among which is living in a nation where there is such a holiday as Thanksgiving, meaning that the underlying principle of being grateful for what we have is understood.

Stop and smell the turkey and gravy (or, in the case of us vegans, the veggie burgers) and pause for a time to be thankful.  Spend a day telling your family how grateful you are for them, remembering all of your blessings, and laughing once again at Uncle Joe, who always falls asleep on the couch watching football and then snores so loudly that he scares Aunt Mabel's yip yip dog.

Take time out to be thankful, and you will make the upcoming season the most wonderful time of your year.

Try to practice Thanksgiving Comes First, and prove me wrong, i dare you.




Today is:

A Community Affair -- Menomonee Falls, WI, US (country lunch, arts, crafts, and collectibles, quilt raffle, and more)

Adai Caddo Indian Nation Pow Wow -- Robeline, LA, US

Armilustrium -- Ancient Roman Calendar (festival of Mars)

Autumn Historic Folklife Festival -- Hannibal, MO, US (Tom Sawyer's hometown celebrates the heritage and traditions of the 1800s; through tomorrow)

Bettara-Ichi -- Ebisu Shrine, Tokyo, Japan (Pickle Market Fair, enjoy the pickled radishes, a specialty; through tomorrow)

Boun Ok Phansa -- Laos (Buddhist Lent Ends; a festival is celebrated, with hundreds of decoroated candle-lit floats, made of paper, set adrift in the rivers)

Bridge Day -- New River Gorge Bridge, Fayetteville, WV, US (world's biggest extreme sports event)

Constitution Day -- Niue

Deutsch Country Days -- Marthasville, MO, US (authentic recreation of early German life in Missouri; through tomorrow)

Dita e Lumturimit te Nene Terezes -- Albania (Mother Teresa Day)

Evaluate Your Life Day -- a day to make sure your life is heading where you want, and course correct if it isn't; sponsored by Wellcat Holidays

Greasy Spoon Day -- internet generated, a day to go revel in the love of your favorite greasy spoon diner

International Human Rights Day -- Turks and Caicos Islands

Leif Ericson Day Celebration -- Philadelphia, PA, US (seeking to both celebrate the first European to land in the New World and promulgate a realistic historic image of the Viking people)

Missouri Day Festival -- Trenton, MO, US (parade, baby show, flea market, entertainment, and fun; through tomorrow)

Monster Mash Day -- Bogue Falaya Park, Covington, LA, US (annual fundraiser for the St. Tammany Parish Hospital Parenting Center, with a day of fun for everyone)

Nagoya Festival -- Nagoya, Japan (biggest festival in the city; through tomorrow)

National Seafood Bisque Day

Old Farmers Day -- Loranger, LA, US (through tomorrow; learn how farmers used to live)

Quincy Preserves Fall Architectural Tour -- Quincy, IL, US

Rattlesnake Festival and Gopher Races -- San Antonio, TX, US (wild animal fun, Texas style; through tomorrow)

Romp in the Swamp Fun Walk -- Appleton, WI, US (plus hayrides, face painting, an outdoor movie, animal shows, a campfire with s'mores, and more)

Roseland Cottage Fine Arts & Crafts Festival -- Woodstock, CT, US (one of the leading juried shows in New England; through tomorrow)

Samora Machel Day -- Mozambique

Seeking of King Look Under Your Mattress -- Fairy Calendar

Saint Mary's County Oyster Festival -- Leonardtown, MD, US (oysters served every style; through tomorrow)

St. Frideswide's Day (Patron of Oxford and the University of Oxford)

St. Rene Goupil's Day (Patron of anesthetists, anesthesiologists)

Sweetest Day -- begun by Herbert Birch Kingston, a candy company employee who decided it would be wonderful to distribute candy to the sick, shut-ins and orphans in Cleveland, OH; today is the day to do something for someone that makes him/her say, "Oh, that is so sweet!"

Wisconsin Dells Autumn Harvest Fest -- Wisconsin Dells, WI, US (includes a scarecrow stuffing contest, pumpkin decorating, microbrew tasting, and more; through tomorrow)

Woolly Worm Festival -- Banner Elk, NC, US (woolly bear caterpillars race up 3-ft pieces of string, winner gets to predict the severity of the upcoming winter; through tomorrow)

Yabusame Festival -- Koyama, Japan (horseback archery, samurai costumes and dragons, oh, my!)

Yorktown Victory Day -- VA, US


Birthdays Today:

Ty Pennington, 1965
Evander Holyfield, 1962
John Lithgow, 1945
Jeannie C. Riley, 1945
Peter Max, 1937
Robert Reed, 1932
John Le Carre, 1931
Jack Anderson, 1922




Today in History:

Battle of Zama, Scipio Africanus and his Roman legions defeat Hannibal Barca and the invading Carthagian army, BC202
King Gauseric and his Vandals take the city of Carthage, 439
The Thirteen Years' War ends with the Treaty of Thorn, 1466
Martin Luther becomes a doctor of theology, 1512
The first general court is held in Boston, 1630
Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown at 2PM, end of the US Revolutionary War, 1781
Napoleon begins his retreat from Moscow, 1812
Elizabeth Blackwell becomes the first woman to receive a medical degree, 1849
The first 4 blacks are elected to the US House of Representatives, 1870
The USPS first used an automobile to collect and deliver mail, 1914
Streptomycin, the first antibiotic which could treat tuberculosis, is isolated at Rutgers University, 1943
Black Monday - the Dow Jones Industrial Average falls by 22%, 508 points, 1987
Mother Teresa is beatified by Pope John Paul II, 2003
Saddam Hussein goes on trial in Baghdad for crimes against humanity, 2005
Hurricane Wilma becomes the most intense Atlantic hurricane on record with a minimum pressure of 882 mb, 2005

Feline Friday: They Got Me!

Steve, The Burnt Food Dude, started Feline Friday, and i'm going to figure it's because he likes cats.

When you have a lot of kittens in the house, it's easy to get surrounded.

Little Girl and company.

Today is:

Alaska Day -- Alaska, US

Apple Butter Stirrin' --  Coshocton, OH, US (bluegrass music, crafts, family fun, and best of all, apple butter; through Sunday)

Clean Water Act Day -- US (considered by many a day to give thanks for water and open any who are grateful for clean water)

Fall Festival of Leaves -- Ross County, OH, US (celebrate the beauty of nature and of the arts of the region; through Sunday)

Fantasy Fest -- Key West, FL, US (a ten day costume party for grown ups)

Full Hunter's Moon/Full Blood Moon/Full Sanguine Moon (some also consider this the true Harvest Moon, if last month's came too early)
     Thadingyut Full Moon/Buddhist Lend ends -- Myanmar (begins at sunset, through tomorrow)
     Vap Full Moon Poya Day -- Sri Lanka

Independence Day -- Azerbaijan(1991)

King Look Under Your Mattress's Unique Hiding Display -- Fairy Calendar (Finally! Proof, on the internet, that you do, indeed, need to look under the mattress!)

Lakshmi Puja -- TR, WB, India (Hindu celebration during the Festival of Lights)

National Bandanna Day -- Australia (to raise funds for kids with cancer)

National Chocolate Cupcake Day

National Mammography Day -- US

National Statistics Day -- Japan

No Beard Day -- internet generated, a day to shave, which is illogical in the northern hemisphere, with winter coming

Pandrosus Festival -- Ancient Greek Calendar (all-refreshing goddess, or all-dewy one; date approximate)

Persons Day -- Canada (Marking the ruling that women are persons in 1929.)

Procession of the Lord of Miracles (Senor de los Milagros) -- Lima, Peru (Christian celebration of the Lord's miracles, with song, dance, prayers, and parades; through tomorrow and again on the 28th)

Stephen Foster Quilt Show and Sale -- Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park, White Springs, FL, US (fun for quilters, and quilt lovers; through Sunday)

St. Luke's Day (The Evangelist; Patron of artists, bachelors/unmarried men, bookbinders, brewers, butchers, doctors/physicians/surgeons, glass makers/glasswrkers, gold workers/goldsmiths, lacemakers/lace workers, notaries, painters, sculptors, stained glass workers, Worshipful Company of Painters; Capena, Italy; Hermersdorf, Germany)

Watch a Squirrel Day -- internet generated, and different from squirrel appreciation day in January

World Menopause Day -- sponsored by the International Menopause Society


Anniversaries Today:

Women in Military Service for America Memorial is dedicated, 1997
University of Heidelberg opens, 1386


Birthdays Today:

Zac Efron, 1988
Wynton Marsalis, 1961
Erin Moran, 1960
Jean-Claude Van Damme, 1960
Martina Navratilova, 1956
Pam Dawber, 1951
Laura Nyro, 1947
Mike Ditka, 1939
Dawn Wells, 1938
Peter Boyle, 1935
George C. Scott, 1927
Chuck Berry, 1926
Melina Mercouri, 1923
Jesse Helms, 1921
Anita O'Day, 1919
Lotte Lenya, 1900


Debuting/Premiering Today:

Roseanne, 1988
“The Yellow Kid Takes a Hand at Golf”, the first actual newspaper comic strip telling a continuing story (as opposed to a single cartoon panel) appears in American Humorist, 1897


Today in History:

Pappus of Alexandria, Greek philosopher, observes an eclipse of the sun and writes a commentary on The Great Astronomer (Almagest), 320
Caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah destroys the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, 1009
Battle of Assadun (Ashingdon), Danes defeat Saxons, 1016
Basel, Switzerland is destroyed by the Basel earthquake, the most significant historic seismological event north of the Alps, 1356
Fourth Battle of Kawanakajima -- Takeda Shingen defeats Uesugi Kenshin in the climax of their ongoing conflicts in feudal Japan, 1561
The shoemakers of Boston form the first labor organization in the Colonies/US, 1648
The Mason/Dixon line is agreed upon, 1767
Herman Melville's Moby-Dick is first published as The Whale by Richard Bentley of London, 1851
The US takes formal possession of Alaska from Russia, for $7.2 million, 1867
Edison makes electricity available for household use, 1878
John Owen becomes the first formally timed person to run 100 yd dash in under 10 seconds, 1890
United States takes possession of Puerto Rico, 1898
The British Broadcasting Company (later Corporation) is founded, 1922
The Grand Ole Opry opens in Nashville, Tennessee, 1925
Texas Instruments announces the first Transistor radio, 1954
The Soviet probe Venera 4 reaches Venus and becomes the first spacecraft to measure the atmosphere of another planet, 1967
Azerbaijan becomes independent from the USSR, 1991
After 8 years in exile, Benazir Bhutto returns to her homeland Pakistan, 2007

Pure Chaos

Well, unless something weird happened between when i wrote this and when it publishes (at 2am Pacific time, because i can't figure out how to reset Blogger to Central time, where i am), it looks like the Guv'mint has once again managed to avert disaster and mayhem and reopen.

In other news, a Rasmussen poll has shown that a record 78% of us want to throw out all of Congress and start over.

My proposal would be even more radical.

Let's throw out everyone, from the top down, and hold new elections for every position, Federal, State, and local.  In addition, let's set the rule that no one who has held any office at all at any level within the past 15 years may run for anything at all.

For good measure, let's toss out the tax code and start that over, too.

You want mayhem and disaster, that would likely do it.  It would be pure chaos for a while.  Then it would settle back down, and probably eventually return to business as usual.

Meanwhile, though, it might be fun to watch those sparks fly, and i could guarantee some excitement.



Today is:

Belfast Festival At Queens -- Queen's University, Belfast, Ireland (International arts festival; through Oct. 27)

Biketoberfest -- Daytona Beach, FL, US (last chance to ride before winter, and enjoy concerts and shows, too; through Sunday)

Black Poetry Day -- birth anniversary of the USA's first published black poet, Jupiter Hammon

Dessalines Day -- Haiti

Doburoku Matsuri -- Oita Prefecture, Japan (one of the few sake festivals at a shrine; through tomorrow)

Festival of Hengest -- Asatru (approximate date of the Norse celebration of Hengest and Horsa, who fought to establish Norse settlements in Eastern Britain)

Four Prunes Day (only if you dare!)

Gaudy Day a/k/a Wear Something Gaudy Day

Get Smart About Credit Day -- sponsored by the American Bankers Association

Get to Know Your Customers Day -- third Thursday of every quarter

International Credit Union Day -- World Council of Credit Unions

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty -- UN

Large Fairies Come First Day -- Fairy Calendar (because the rest of the year they let the little ones go first)

Loyalty Day -- Argentina

Mulligan Day -- C. Daniel Rhodes wants you to give yourself or someone else a free do-over today

National Pasta Day

Paint a Mural on a Sidewalk Day -- let your inner child go a bit wild

Preaching of the Lion Sermon -- St. Katherine Cree Church, London, England (Sermon dating back to the 1640's in commemoration of a gift for the poor made by Sir John Gayer, who was delivered from a lion while in Turkey)

St. Ignatius of Antioch's Day (Patron of the Church in the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa; against throat diseases)

St. Richard Gwin's Day (Patron of large families, parents of large families, torture victims)

Toronto Ski, Snowboard, and Travel Show -- Toronto, ON, Canada (Canada's largest show of this type; through Sunday)

Work on Your Charisma Day -- because what else are you going to do on a Thursday?


Anniversaries Today:

Crown Prince Fernando of Aragon marries Princess Isabella of Castile, 1469
Composer Johann S. Bach marries his niece Maria Bach, 1707


Birthdays Today:

Norm MacDonald, 1963
Alan Jackson, 1958
Howard Rollins, 1950
Margot Kidder, 1948
George Wendt, 1948
Ronn Owens, 1945
Evel Knievel, 1938
Jimmy Breslin, 1930
Tom Poston, 1921
Montgomery Clift, 1920
Rita Hayworth, 1918
Arthur Miller, 1915
Jean Arthur, 1905
Spring Byington, 1893
Jupiter Hammon, 1711


Debuting/Premiering Today:

The Hollywood Squares, 1966


Today in History:

King Cyrus the Great of Persia marches into the city of Babylon and releases the Jews from their 70 years of exile and making the first Human Rights Declaration, BC539
Battle of Neville's Cross, the defeat of King David II of Scotland by Edward III of England, 1346
German astronomer Johannes Kepler observes a supernova in the constellation Ophiuchus, 1604
Boston blacks petition the legislature for equal school facilities, 1787
The political rights of Jews are suspended in the Duchy of Warsaw, 1808
Thomas Edison files a patent for the Optical Phonograph (the first movie), 1888
Guglielmo Marconi's company begins the first commercial transatlantic wireless service between Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada, and Clifden, Ireland, 1907
Albert Einstein arrives in the US as a refugee from Nazi Germany, 1933
The first commercial nuclear power station is officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in Sellafield,in Cumbria, England, 1956
Prime Minister of Australia Robert Menzies opens the artificial Lake Burley Griffin in the middle of the capital Canberra, 1964
Botswana and Lesotho join the United Nations, 1966
Quebec Vice-Premier and Minister of Labour Pierre Laporte murdered by members of the FLQ terrorist group, 1970
OPEC starts an oil embargo against a number of western countries, considered to have helped Israel in its war against Syria, 1973
Mother Teresa awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, 1979
The pinnacle is fitted on the roof of Taipei 101, making it the World's tallest highrise, 2003

It's Not So Hard

"Here you go, honey."

Sweetie had just come in from running errands, including to the Local Hardware Hangout.  It's our favorite, not a BigBoxStore.  He had gone there to get me some material to repair our window screens.

The weather has gotten a bit cooler, and we are starting to leave windows open.  Since insects don't have a season, the screens need a bit of work.

"Did you go to the Local Hardware Hangout, Dad?" Bigger Girl asked when she saw him hand me the materials.

"Yes, I did," he answered, fishing the receipt out of his pocket.

"I love that place!" she said.  "It smells like what a hardware store should smell like.  I went there yesterday, to get better brackets for my shelves, because the cats keep trying to knock them down.

 "It was great.  The young guy behind the counter was one I hadn't seen before.  When I walked in, he leaned forward and asked, 'Can I help you find something?' and I answered, 'No, thanks, I know what I need,' and you should have seen the look on his face.  I love it when a new guy's 'Girl in a Hardware Store' radar goes off, and I can make it shut down that fast!"

She grinned with glee over the thought, and her comment explained why i had heard hammering in her room earlier.  It also explained why i can't find my hammer again, but at least now i know where to look next.

It's nice having kids who like to do it themselves, they've learned it's not so hard to work with hardware.




Today is:

Boss's Day -- either celebrate, or roll your eyes, both are acceptable responses (begun by Patricia Bays Haroski in 1958 in honor of her boss, who was also her father; this date was his birthday)

Buffalo Races -- Chon Buri, Thailand (lots of water buffalo contests, including fancy dress!; through Nov. 1, with Oct. 29 being the biggest day)

Chrysanthemum Festival -- Japan ("The Festival of Happiness", various shrines; through Nov. 15)

Circleville Pumpkin Show -- Circleville, OH, US (celebrating with over 100,000lbs of pumpkins, squash, and gourds; through Saturday)

Clean Your Bug Zapper Day -- internet generated, and we're getting a bit overboard here, aren't we?

Day of National Concern About Young People and Gun Violence -- US (students around the nation are asked to sign the Pledge Against Gun Violence)

Day of Pope John Paul II -- Poland

Dictionary Day / Learn a Word Day -- Noah Webster's birth anniversary

Dress Like A Dork Day -- does someone have it out for us with these?

East Texas Yamboree -- Gilmer, TX, US (yam it up with the family at the carnival, watch them crown the Yamboree Queen, enjoy the livestock show, and more; through Saturday)

Elephantine Festival -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (several such celebrations of elephants were held around this time of year in Egypt)

Ether Day (first demonstrated use, see History)

Feast of 'Ilm (Knowledge) -- Baha'i

Hagfish Day -- a day to celebrate the uniqueness and necessity of even the ugliest of sea creatures, like the hagfish

International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction -- UN

National Feral Cat Day -- US (sponsored by Alley Cat Allies)

National Liqueur Day

National Support Your Local Chamber of Commerce Day

Niihama Drum Festival -- Niihama, Japan (three day festival with two ton drum floats)

Sennin Musha Gyoretsu -- Tochigi, Japan (procession of 1,000 warriors; through tomorrow)

St. Hedwig's Day (Patron of brides, duchesses, difficult marriages, widows; Bavaria; Berlin, Germany; Gorlitz, Germany; Silesia; against the death of children, jealousy)

Tacoma Holiday Food and Gift Festival -- Tacoma, WA, US (through Sunday)

Teachers' Day -- Chile

World Food Day -- UN


Anniversaries Today:

The first birth control clinic in the US is opened, 1916
Brigham Young University is founded in Provo, Utah, 1875
Girton College, Cambridge is founded, becoming England's first residential college for women, 1869
Zion's Co-Operative Mercantile Institution, America's first department store, opens, 1868
The Collegiate School (forerunner of Yale University), 1701, Old Style Date


Birthdays Today:

John Mayer, 1977
Kellie Martin, 1975
Flea, 1962
Tim Robbins, 1958
Suzanne Somers, 1946
Angela Lansbury, 1925
Eugene O'Neill, 1888
Oscar Wilde, 1854
Noah Webster, 1758


Today in History:

Jadwiga (yes, a she) is crowned King of Poland, 1384
Olivier van Noorts' ships reach the Philippines, 1600
George Washington takes Yorktown, 1781
Marie Antoinette, wife of Louis XVI, is guillotined, 1793
Sir William Rowan Hamilton comes up with the idea of quaternions, a non-commutative extension of complex numbers, 1843
Dentist William T. Morton demonstrates the effectiveness of ether, 1846
Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre" is published, 1847
John Brown leads a raid on Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, 1859
The Cardiff Giant, one of the most famous American hoaxes, is "discovered", 1869
John Harwood takes out a patent on a self-winding watch, 1923
The Disney Company is founded, 1923
Benjamin O. Davis Sr. is named the first African American general in the United States Army, 1940
Fidel Castro is sentenced in Havana to 15 years in prison, 1953
The People's Republic of China detonates its first nuclear weapon, 1964
In response to the October Crisis terrorist kidnapping, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau of Canada invokes the War Measures Act, 1970
Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho are awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, 1973
Pope John Paul II is elected after the October 1978 Papal conclave, 1978
Wanda Rutkiewicz is the first Pole and the first European woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest, 1978
Desmond Tutu is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, 1984
Reinhold Messner becomes the first person to summit all 14 Eight-thousanders, 1986
Bibliotheca Alexandrina in the Egyptian city of Alexandria, a commemoration of the Library of Alexandria that was lost in antiquity, is officially inaugurated, 2002

Still Shaking My Head

While i'm going to stop asking myself why i read these articles, because apparently i'm not going to cease from reading them, i am going to start getting a little bit of fun out of them.

What i'm talking about are the "what to serve for dinner every night this week" articles.  Every time i'm stuck for what to cook, and i see one and click on it and read it, all i get is frustrated, because their suggestions are, at the end of the day, hilarious for a person who is trying to feed a husband who is a former farm boy with appetite and taste to match, a #2 Son who wants to be a chef but is, himself, a picky eater, and two vegetarian daughters.

They are also hysterical to a person on a seriously tight budget.

From now on, when i read them, i'm going to get a bit of fun out of it by imagining what my Sweetie would say if i ever actually served these things.  (Please note that he is also a former chef, and might enjoy some of these in a restaurant setting, but when he is at home, he wants something he's used to, or like his mother used to make.  She was a country cook with bacon grease ever at her elbow for a reason.)

This week's selection, from a Yahoo article:

Monday:  French Onion Soup   Sweetie's probable response:  "Eww!  What kind of cheese did you use in this!  And you didn't pick a better wine to go with it?  Where are the sandwiches?  You know I don't like a soup night without sandwiches, soup is just a liquid.  It doesn't fill me up!"

Tuesday:  Pasta Shells with Chicken and Brussels Sprouts   Sweetie's probable response:  "Pasta!  You know I don't eat much pasta any more, it's too fattening.  And why would you use Brussels sprouts?  You know I hate those!"  (Note:  he will then go to an Italian restaurant and proceed to suck down plain old spaghetti and meatballs like there is no tomorrow.)

Wednesday:  Roast Cod with Little Tomatoes and Assorted Olives   Sweetie's probably response:  "You know how much I hate fish!  My mom never served fish!"

Thursday:  Easy, Lighter Baked Falafel   Sweetie's probable response:  "How come there's no meat with this meal?  And you know I don't like most Mediterranean food, except hummus.  It all tastes so weird to me.  They put cinnamon in the meat.  And pine nuts.  I hate pine nuts.  How do you pronounce this?  I don't think I like it."

Friday:  Gouda, Pear and Arugula Grilled Cheese   Sweetie's probable response:  "What kind of grilled cheese sandwich is this?  I only like grilled cheddar cheese sandwiches.  Why did you put this green stuff on it?"

Saturday:  Butternut Squash Baked Risotto   Sweetie's probable response:  "How come there's no meat with this?  And I hate squash, unless it's cooked down in bacon grease."

Saturday:  Roast Chicken Dinner   Sweetie's probable response:  "Finally!"

Yes, i'm exaggerating a little, just for a laugh.  It's true, though, he wouldn't like most of this menu, and we probably wouldn't be able to afford it anyway.

The real kitchen magicians, i've noted for a long time, are not the celebrity chefs who have all the ingredients they want at their fingertips, with someone else to expedite them (a fancy chef word for having another person to do all the chopping and prep work).  It's the mom on a limited budget who is trying to come up with yet another way to serve that same old pound of ground beef.


Today is:

Cayenne Festival -- French Guiana (celebration of the capital city)

Cementation and Propitiation Festival / Friends Made Ceremony -- Cherokee Native Americans (approximately 10 days after the Great New Moon that marked the New Year, a festival for renewing friendships, making new friends, cleansing, and building a new Sacred Fire; dating approximate as often these ceremonies are closed to the public)

Day of Hommage for the late King Father -- Cambodia (Norodom Sihanouk)

Dine with TV Dinners on the Floor Night -- probably started by someone who wanted to see how many websites would be crazy enough to even list this

Feast of the Three Noble Ladies -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (female pharoahs; date approximate)

Fete Nationale de l'Evacuation -- Tunisia (Evacuation Day, celebrates the day all foreign military finally and fully left)

Global Handwashing Day -- International (scrub up! prevent the spread of germs)

Guangzhou Autumn Trade Fair -- Guangzhou, China (through Nov. 15)

Ides of October -- Ancient Roman Calendar; also on this date
     Harvest Festival of Mars
     Ludi Capitolini (games in honor of Jupiter)
     Winter's Day

International Day of Rural Women -- UN

Mahakiki -- Hawai'ian New Year Season (a four month season where warfare is forbidden and many ceremonies take place; begins around the time of the first sighting of the Pleiades in the Northern Hemisphere)

Mertz of All Possible Mertzes -- internet generated and on the day "I Love Lucy" premiered; i guess Fred and Ethel were the definition of what a Mertz should be!

National Cake Decorating Day -- again, because every website gives a different date

National Chicken Cacciatore Day

National Grouch Day -- sponsored by Alan Miller, chairman of the board of NAG (National Association of Grouches)

National Mushroom Day

National Roast Pheasant Day

National Tree Planting Day -- Sri Lanka

Newspaper Week -- Japan

Poetry Day -- birth anniversary of the Roman poet Virgil

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day -- Canada; NSW, Australia; UK; US

Rectification Day -- Burkina Faso

Rainbow Pickling Day -- Fairy Calendar

Sewing Lovers' Day -- internet generated, as those who love to sew deserve a day to celebrate

St. Teresa of Avila's Day (Founder of the Reformation of the Discalces[Barefoot] Carmelites; Patron of lace makers/workers, people in need of grace, people in religious orders, people ridiculed for their piety, sick people; Amos, Canada; Berzano di Tortona, Italy; Pozega, Croatia; Spain; against bodily ills, headaches, sickness, the death of parents)

Teacher's Day -- Brazil

The NILE (Northern International Livestock Exposition) -- MetraPark, Billings, MT, US (rodeo, trade show, horse clinics, and livestock sales; through Saturday)

White Cane Safety Day -- US (celebrating the achievements of the blind/visually impared, and recognizing the white cane as the symbol of their independence)

Wishbones for Pets begins -- US program asking professional pet sitters to gather pet supplies and donations for homeless pets through Thanksgiving

World Rural Women's Day/International Day of Rural Women -- UN; related observance
     Mother's Day -- Malawi


Birthdays Today:

Sarah Ferguson, 1959
Emeril Lagasse,1959
Tanya Roberts, 1955
Richard Carpenter, 1946
Jim Palmer, 1945
Penny Marshall, 1942
Linda Lavin, 1937
Lee Iacocca, 1924
Mario Puzo, 1920
Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., 1917
John Kenneth Galbraith, 1908
Friedrich Nietzsche, 1844
Publius Vergilius Maro / Virgil, 70BCE


Debuting/Premiering Today:

I Love Lucy, 1951


Today in History:

Belisarius makes his formal entry into Carthage, having conquered it from the Vandals, 533
Commissioned by Catherine De Medici, the 1st ballet "Ballet Comique de la Reine," is staged in Paris, 1581
Asser Levy is granted a butcher's license for kosher meat in New Amsterdam, 1660
The Montgolfier brothers' hot air balloon marks the first human ascent, by Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier, (tethered balloon), 1783
George Washington takes the first formal presidential tour, of New England, 1789
Napoleon Bonaparte is exiled to the Island of St. Helena, 1815
Child labor law takes 12 year olds out of the work force, 1874
Edison Electric Light Company is incorporated, 1878
Koln cathedral is completed, 633 years after it was begun, 1880
The German dirigible "Graf Zeppelin' lands in Lakehurst, NJ, 1928
LaGuardia Airport opens, 1939
Fortran, the first modern computer language, is shared with the coding community for the first time, 1946
The start of the 2500-year celebration of Iran, celebrating the birth of Persia, 1971
The Great Storm of 1987 hits France and England, 1987
Wayne Gretzky becomes the all-time leading points scorer in the NHL, 1989
Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, 1990
The first supersonic land speed record is set by Andy Green in ThrustSSC (United Kingdom), exactly 50 years and 1 day after Chuck Yeager first broke the sound barrier in the Earth's atmosphere, 1997
The Cassini probe launches from Cape Canaveral on its way to Saturn, 1997
NASA's Galileo spacecraft passes within 112 miles of Jupiter's moon Io, 2001
China launches Shenzhou 5, its first manned space mission, 2003

Thankful

Today is Canada's Thanksgiving Day.

It's very smart of them to celebrate it earlier than the US, as they don't have much trouble, i would imagine, separating out taking the time to be thankful from the Season of Consumerism that comes at the end of the year.

In fact, i rather envy them this, and wish our Thanksgiving could be moved.  Traditional purists would decry this, but they also decry the constant encroachment of Consumerism Season upon it, and that's not going to stop.

Moving our time to give thanks to an earlier month would help.  The stores are still going to have their Christmas decor out by now (they do), because they have to order it early enough to have it in stock in time.  It would seem, though, that they wouldn't want to start Consumerism Season this early for fear of it fizzling out because it's being dragged out too long if it began now.

That would mean we could enjoy the time of giving thanks without having family members missing because they have to work the Consumerism Season sales events.  It's nice to dream about, that is for sure.

A very blessed Thanksgiving to all in Canada today!



Today is:

Anti-Columbus Day

Arafat Day -- Afghanistan; Bahrain; Djibouti; Egypt; Kuwait; Libya; Saudi Arabia; United Arab Emirates

Be Bald and Be Free Day -- Wellcat Holidays wants everyone who is "shiny" to be proud of it!

Chisinau Day -- Chisinau, Moldova

Columbus Day/Discovery Day/Two Worlds Day/Anti-Columbus Day/Native Americans Day/Pan America Day -- observed, several countries
     American Indian Heritage Day -- AL, US
     Columbus Day (obs.) -- Turks and Caicos Islands; US and Territories
     Dia del Respet a la Diversidad Cultural -- Argentina
     Fraternal Day -- AL, US
     Native Americans' Day -- much of the US formally; almost everywhere informally (a day to mourn Native American victims of conquest and oppression, make peace, and celebrate the empowerment of Native Americans)

commonwealth Culture Day -- Northern Mariana Islands

Dasera/Dussehra -- Hindu (celebration of victory of Lord Rama over evil; observed in several countries, where days of celebration and official holidays will vary)

Dessert Day -- another one?

Dia del Respeto a la Diversidad Cultural -- Argentina

Doburoku Matsuri -- Shirakawago, Japan (unrefined sake festival and harvest festival; through the 19th)

Durga Puja -- Hindu (celebration of the goddess Durga)

Eid al-Adha -- Islam (Festival of Sacrifice, a three day commemoration of Abraham's obedience and willingness to sacrifice his son; begins at sunset, local customs of date and official government days off in many places will vary)

Festival for the Penates -- Ancient Roman Calendar (gods of the storeroom)

First Fiddle of the Month -- Fairy Calendar

Fitness Day / Health-Sports Day -- Japan

Flag Day/Jour de la Proclamation de la Premiere Republique -- Madagascar (flag adopted this day in 1958)

Liberation Day -- Yemen

Lotu-a-Tamaiti -- Samoa; Tokelau (Day after White Sunday)

Mega Kenka Matsuri -- Hyogo, Japan (Roughhouse Festival, wrestling for a blessing; through tomorrow)

Mother's Day -- Belarus

Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Day -- Tanzania (climax of the Uhuru Torch Race)

National Chocolate Covered Insect Day -- i'll pass, sorry

National Education Day -- Poland

National Frump Day -- National FRUMPS of America (to honor the frugal, responsible, unpretentious, and mature people everywhere)

National Kick-Butt Day -- a day to kick yourself in the rump, jump start yourself to doing something you've been wanting to do and making excuses for not doing; begun by Sylvia Hendersonwww.springboardtraining.com

national lower case day -- someone wants us to not use all caps

Norfolk Island Agricultural Show Day -- Norfolk Island, Australia

Republic Day / October Revolution Day -- Yemen

St. Callistus' Day (Patron of cemetary workers)

St. Donatian of Rheims's Day (Patron of Bruges, Belgium; Rheims, France; West Flanders, Belgium)
St. Petca Paraskeva's Day (Patron of embroiderers, needle workers, spinners, weavers, and all who do needlework of any kind)related observance
     Petkouden -- Bulgaria

Svetitskovloba/Living Pillar Cathedral -- Georgia (celebration of the first Christian church in Georgia)

Thanksgiving -- Canada (Interfaith)

Vinternatsblot, a/k/a Haustblót -- Asatru (to bid Winter welcome; at the approximate date of the start of winter in the Old European Calendar of the Norse

Virgin Islands - Puerto Rico Friendship Day

World Rainforest Week begins -- Internationalwww.ran.org

World Standards Day -- International

Youth Day -- Zaire (Democratic Republic of the Congo)



Birthdays Today:

Harry Anderson, 1952
Sir Cliff Richard, 1940
Ralph Lauren, 1939
Roger Moore, 1927
John Wooden, 1910
e.e. cummings, 1894
Lillian Gish, 1893
Dwight Eisenhower, 1890
William Penn, 1644


Debuting/Premiering Today:

Winnie-The-Pooh is first published, 1926


Today in History:

William the Conqueror wins England in the Battle of Hastings, 1066
Robert the Bruce of Scotland defeats King Edward II of England at Byland, forcing Edward to accept Scotland's independence, 1322
Mary, Queen of Scots, goes on trial for conspiracy against Elizabeth I of England, 1586
Massachusetts enacts the first punitive legislation against the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), 1656
Rabbi Judah Hasid & Chayim Molocho arrive in Jerusalem, 1700
Henry Blair receives a patent for a corn planter, becoming the first black to obtain a US patent, 1834
The 15th and the last military Shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate resigns in Japan, returning his power to the Emperor of Japan and thence to the re-established civil government of Japan, 1867
George Eastman patents paper-strip photographic film, 1884
Theodore Roosevelt is shot while campaigning in Milwaukee on the "Bull Moose" ticket, 1912
The children's book Winnie-the-Pooh, by A.A. Milne, is first published, 1926
Ethel Merman makes her Broadway debut in "Girl Crazy", 1930
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the Indian Untouchable caste leader, converts to Buddhism along with 385,000 of his followers, 1956
Queen Elizabeth II becomes the first Canadian Monarch to open up an annual session of the Canadian Parliament, presenting her Speech from the Throne in Ottawa, Canada, 1957
The Cuban Missile Crisis begins when a U.S. Air Force U2 Reconnaissance pilot takes pictures of Soviet missiles being installed in Cuba, 1962
The city of Montreal, Quebec, begins the operation of its underground Montreal Metro rapid-transit system, 1966
The first live telecast from any manned spacecraft, the Apollo 7, 1968
The Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, The Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin, and the Foreign Minister of Israel, Shimon Peres, receive the Nobel Peace Prize for their role in the establishment of the Oslo Accords , 1994
Indonesian rights groups applaud the end of a Suharto-era law that bans books deemed 'offensive' or a 'threat to public order,' 2010
A colony of stromatolites is discovered at the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland, 2011

Hotel Weekend

It was a game day weekend at the university, so Grandpa invited the kids to stay up at the hotel.  It's very convenient, and more fun.

On the way downstairs to breakfast Saturday morning, Little Girl was tapping her room key against her hand.  It's one of those that look like a credit card, and then she reached up with it for some reason and tapped one of the wall sconce lights.  It made a sound that made her look at it again.

"What!" she exclaimed.  She tapped it a bit again.  "It's plastic!  All these years, I thought those were glass!  It's a lie!  My whole life is a lie!"  She was laughing as she said it, but she did look a bit chagrined to find cheap plastic where she expected glass.

Then she went on, "Oh, and I had a weird dream last night, but I can't remember it. I hate when that happens.  If it's weird and interesting, I want to remember it."

"I had a weird dream, too," Bigger Girl said as we sat down.  "I dreamed that two actors from one of my favorite shows were being interviewed, and they were complaining about what their wives cooked for them every night.  They were even complaining that their wives used the stove to cook!  It was odd.  Never fall asleep with the cooking channel on the TV!"

"I won't, 'cause I want to watch the shows," #2 Son said, flopping into a chair at the table and setting a whopping big waffle down in front of him.  He then took off his team logo hat, and, looking for a place to set it, threw it into an empty chair.

"Does your hat need a chair of it's own?" Little Girl teased.

"Yes, it does!  All hail, the mighty hat!" he laughed back at her.

Altogether, it turned out to be a very good day.




Today is:

Assassination of the Hero of the Nation Day/Prince Rwagasore Day -- Burundi (Commemorates the assassination of Prince Louis Rwagasore in 1961.)

Blessing the Fish Harvest -- St. Oswald's Church, Flamborough Head, Yorkshire, England (the blessing is this month, and it was on this date in 2009, cannot confirm that it is the same date each year)

Burgoo Festival -- North Utica, IL, US (only the Burgoomeister knows the secret recipe!  enjoy the burgoo, as well as music, food, antiques, and more)

Chicago Marathon

Cirio de Nazare -- Belem, Brazil (two week Feast of Cirio begins in Belem [St. Mary of Bethlehem])

Chung Yeung Festival -- Hong Kong; Macau (Ancestors' Day)

Clean the Crumbs Out of the Broiler Oven Day -- keep it working longer, and prevent a potential fire

Clergy Appreciation Day

Fontinalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (garlanding of fountains)

Grandmother's Day -- FL, US

International Skeptics Day -- while there are skeptic organizations(http://www.freeinquiry.com/skeptic/organizations/) around the globe, there's no documentation of this being celebrated internationally; maybe the creator of the day wanted us to be skeptical about it?

John Peel Day -- UK (in honor of his last broadcast)

Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day -- http://mbcn.org/

Modern Mythology Day -- internet generated, go look up a few modern myths on truthorfiction.net or snopes.com and have a good laugh

Naha Festival -- Okinawa, Japan (tug-of-war involving a 27 ton rope)

National Police Day -- Thailand (Wan Tamruat)

National Yorkshire Pudding Day

Navy Establishment Day -- US

Prince Rwagasore Day -- Burundi

Runic Half-month Wyn (joy) begins

St. Colman's Day (Patron of horned cattle, horses, and those who are to be hanged; Austria; against death by hanging and plague; a blessing of horses and cattle is still held at Melk on this day)

St. Edward the Confessor's Day (Patron of kings, those in difficult marriages, separated spouses; the English Royal Family)

Train Your Brain Day -- spread around the internet by no one knows whom, but today is a good day to commit to doing what you can to keep your brain young

Waqf al Arafa - Hajj Day -- Islam (begins at sunset, through sunset tomorrow)

White Sunday -- Samoa and American Samoa (children wear white to church and run the church services, are served a special meal, and recieve new church clothes for the upcoming year)

Windsor Pumpkin Regatta -- Windsor, NS, Canada (racing giant pumpkin boats [PVCs -- Personal Vegetable Crafts] across Lake Pezaquid, plus a parade and other festivities)


Anniversaries Today:

Founding of Georgia Institute of Technology (Ga. Tech), 1885
Cornerstone of the White House laid, 1792
US Navy is authorized by the Continental Congress, 1775


Birthdays Today:

Nancy Kerrigan, 1969
Kelly Preston, 1962
Jerry Rice, 1962
Marie Osmond, 1959
Chris Carter, 1957
Sammy Hagar, 1947
Paul Simon, 1941
Nan Mouskouri, 1934
Lenny Bruce, 1925
Margaret Thatcher, 1925
Nipsey Russell, 1924
Yves Montand, 1921
Cornel Wilde, 1915
L. L. Bean, 1872


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Kukla, Fran, & Ollie", 1947



Today in History:

Nero becomes emperor, 54
The Vandals and Alans cross the Pyrenees and appear in Hispania, 409
Rabbi Issac Abarbanel begins his exegesis on the Torah, 1483
Jonathan Swift publishes the last of Drapier's letters, 1724
Charles Messier discovers the Whirlpool Galaxy, 1773
First publication of the "Old Farmer's Almanac", 1792
George Washington lays the cornerstone of the "Executive Mansion" (White House), 1792
Founding of B'nai B'rith, 1843
The first arial photo taken in the US, from a balloon over Boston, 1860
Eliezer Ben-Yehuda & friends agree to use Hebrew exclusively in their conversations, which begins the revival of it as an active and growing language, 1881
Greenwich, in London, England, is established as Universal Time meridian of longitude, 1884
Edward Emerson Barnard discovers D/1892 T1, the first comet discovered by photographic means, on the night of October 13–14, 1892
Ankara replaces Istanbul as the capital of Turkey, 1923
Fiji joins the United Nations, 1970
The first electron micrograph of an Ebola viral particle was obtained by Dr. F.A. Murphy, now at U.C. Davis, who was then working at the C.D.C, 1976
Ameritech Mobile Communications (now AT&T) launched the first US cellular network in Chicago, Illinois, 1983
End of the Lebanese Civil War, 1990
The 2010 Copiapó mining accident in Copiapó, Chile comes to an end as all 33 miners arrive at the surface after surviving a record 69 days underground awaiting rescue, 2010