To Love and Obey (Cajun Joke) and Christmas Escapees (Sunday Selections)

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

Just because Sandee at Comedy Plus no longer hosts a Silly Sunday meme, don’t expect me to quit telling Cajun jokes.

The marriage seminar last weekend was very good although there was very little new information.  One of the livelier discussions of course was the roles of husband and wife and the dreaded “S” word (Submission).

Boudreaux be him at de store an’ he be in line to check out, an’ Thibodeaux be right dere behin’ him when Boudreaux motion fo’ Thibodeaux to go firs’.

Thibodeaux say, “Be you sure, Boudreaux?  I gots just as much stuff to buy as you.”

An’ Boudreaux say, “I be here wit’ Clothile, an’ she forgotted her a few t’ings, an’ so she tell me to stay right here an’ she go gets dem, an’ mais!  I be goin’ do jes’ what she tell me!”

***********************************

Sunday Selections was started as a way for bloggers to use photos that might otherwise just languish in their files.  It is now hosted by River at Drifting Through Life.

At Grandma’s house, i noticed that there are still a very few lingering reminders of Christmas that have just not managed to make it back into storage.  They sit among the stuffs of everyday life, rather like delightful discoveries of a time past waiting to be noticed.

The snowman soap dish still graces the little used back bathroom.

The altar boys from the church in the Christmas village and a hand made rose ornament on the painted table.

Two tree ornaments have escaped and found a home on the coffee table.

The tiny tree is tucked in the corner of the patio by the holy candles.

Today is:

Army Day -- Armenia

Data Privacy Day -- International

Desert Festival -- Jaisalmer, India (three days of local culture, contests, and fun)

Festival of the Lenaia to Dionysus -- Ancient Greek Calendar, end January through early February

Homeless Sunday -- UK (an opportunity to consider what action churches are being called to in addressing homelessness) 

Jackhammer Day -- US (the pneumatic jackhammer was patented this day in 1894 by Charles Brady King of Detroit, MI)

Lowcountry Oyster Festival -- Mt. Pleasant, SC, US (80,000lbs. of oysters, come have some fun!)

National Blueberry Pancake Day

National Kazoo Day -- because anyone can play one!

National Spieling Day -- internet generated, and whatever your area of expertise, spiel about it today

Rinkydinks Annual Snowball Fight -- Fairy Calendar

Runic Half-month Elhaz (elk) commences

St. Charlemagne's Day (Patron of the University of Paris)

St. Thomas Aquinas's Day (Patron of academics, apologists, book sellers, chastity, colleges, learning, pencil makers, philosophers, publishers, scholars, schools, students, theologians, universities; Aquino, Italy; Belcastro, Italy; Falerna, Italy; University of Vigo; all Catholic academies, schools, and universities; against lightning, storms)

Telephone Exchange Day -- US (the first telephone exchange was set up in New Haven, CT with 22 subscribers on this day in 1878)

Triodion begins -- Orthdox Christian (Publican & Parisee Sunday)

World Leprosy Day -- International

Anniversary Today:

Adoption of the Great Seal of the United States, 1782

Birthdays Today:

Elijah Wood, 1981

Nick Carter, 1980

Joey Fatone, Jr. 1977

Kathryn Morris, 1969

Sarah McLachlan, 1968

Harley Jane Kozak, 1957

Nicolas Sarkozy, 1955

Rick Warren, 1954

John Beck, 1943

Susan Howard, 1943

Alan Alda, 1936

Susan Sontag, 1933

Claes Oldenburg, 1929

Jackson Pollack, 1912

Robert Stroud, 1890 (The Birdman of Alcatraz)

Arthur Rubenstein, 1887

Auguste Piccard, 1884

Jean Felix Piccard, 1884

Colette, 1873

Jose' Marti, 1853

Henry Morton Stanley, 1841

Alexander Mackenzie, 1822

Peter the Great of Russia, 1775

St. Thomas Aquinas, 1225

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Fantasy Island"(TV), 1978

"Barnaby Jones"(TV), 1973

"Symphony No. 1/Jeremiah"(Bernstein), 1944

Today in History:

The Walk to Canossa: The excommunication of Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor is lifted by Pope Gregory VIII, 1077

The first Crusaders begins siege of Hosn-el-Akrad Syria, 1099

Pope Alexander VI gives his son Cesare Borgia as hostage to Charles VIII of France, 1495

Edward VI, age nine, succeeds his father Henry VIII as king of England, 1547

By the Edict of Orleans, the persecution of French Huguenots is suspended, 1561

Articles of the Warsaw Confederation are signed, sanctioning freedom of religion in Poland, 1573

Sir Thomas Warner found the first British colony in the Caribbean, on St. Kitts, 1624

The Russian Academy of Sciences was founded in St. Petersburg by Peter the Great, and implemented in the Senate decree (it was called St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences until 1917), 1724

Horace Walpole, in a letter to Horace Mann, coins the word serendipity, 1754

London's Pall Mall is the first street lit by gaslight, 1807

Pride and Prejudice is first published in the United Kingdom, 1813

The first locomotive runs from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean on the Panama Railway, 1855

In a snowstorm at Fort Keogh, Montana, the world's largest snowflakes are reported, being 15 inches (38 cm) wide and 8 inches (20 cm) thick, 1887

Walter Arnold of East Peckham, Kent became the first person to be convicted of speeding in an automobile. He is fined 1 shilling, plus costs, for speeding at 8 mph (13 km/h), thus exceeding the contemporary speed limit of 2 mph (3.2 km/h), 1896

The Carnegie Institution is founded in Washington, D.C. with a $10 million gift from Andrew Carnegie, 1902

An act of the U.S. Congress creates the United States Coast Guard, 1915

The first Jewish  US Supreme Court justice, Louis Brandeis, appointed by Wilson, 1916

A symbolic Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is installed beneath the Arc de Triomphe in Paris to honor the unknown dead of World War I, 1921

The name Pakistan is coined by Choudhary Rehmat Ali Khan and is accepted by the Indian Muslims who then thereby adopted it further for the Pakistan Movement seeking independence, 1933

The Lego company patents the design of its Lego bricks, still compatible with bricks produced today, 1958

The current design of the Flag of Canada is chosen by an act of Parliament, 1965

Tropical Storm Domoina makes landfall in southern Mozambique, eventually causing 214 deaths and some of the most severe flooding so far recorded in the region, 1984

Supergroup USA for Africa (United Support of Artists for Africa) records the hit single We Are the World, to help raise funds for Ethiopian famine relief, 1985

Space Shuttle Challenger breaks apart after liftoff killing all seven astronauts on board, 1986

Hundreds of thousands of protesters filled up the Egyptian's streets in demonstrations referred to as "Friday of Anger" against the Mubarak regime, 2011

DNA analysis confirms that the 6th Century "Plague of Justinian" was caused by a variant of Yersinia pestis bacteria, the same bacteria that caused the Black Death, 2014 

On the Receiving End (Ten Things of Thankful)

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

The other day i noticed a pattern.  For some reason, i have been on the receiving end of things.  Good things.  Things which i needed and for which i am thankful.

Toting them up, i have been the recipient of enough items for a whole post, and it does not even count the TV i mentioned last Saturday.

For years now, we've had trouble keeping silverware in this house.  The kids lose it, take it with them when they go, or it gets thrown away by accident, something happens, and our kitchen silverware drawer was almost always empty.  Little Girl gave us a whole new set.  Even if it starts to pull a disappearing act, i'm thankful to have it for now.

Ms. JAI gave me hand cream that smells delicious and makes my hands feel nice after work, and some music CDs she didn't want any more that Sweetie really enjoys.

Dr. D gave me books she did not want any more, my all time favorite things.

Ms. V gave me a set of sheets for Bigger Girl's bed.  They were too flowery for her son to use but are right up my daughter's alley.

Ms. B gave me towels.  This year, for some reason, several members of her family decided she needed new towels for Christmas.  She kept some, but decided she didn't need them all.  We haven't had new ones in a long time, and these are really good and should last a while.

Ms. G gave me cardboard cat scratchers that her cats ignored but our cats have decided are the best things on earth next to catnip.

Someone at church gave us a $25 gift card to Subway.  Sweetie and i will use it for a lunch date soon.

People sometimes donate items to the shelter that we cannot use there.  Many of these items are sold through a second hand shop that gives us a portion of the sales, but some of them are simply given to volunteers.  In the past week i was given three things i can use:  litter pan liners (because Tripod SissyCat has decided she wants to use newspapers instead of litter and i am using liners in her pan), a cat water fountain (because Link will not drink if the water is not moving, and running the water in the tub for him is getting expensive), and a big bag of the pricey diet cat food that prevents kidney trouble.

Have you been given something unexpected lately?  Do you have other things you could list for which you are thankful?  You don't have to have ten items to join Ms. Josie Two-Shoes and link up a list at Ten Things of Thankful.  The only thing needed is gratitude and the desire to share what makes you grateful with the rest of us.

Today is:

Afrma Fancy Rat and Mouse Annual Show -- Riverside, CA (don't laugh, rats and mice make great pets!)

Amherst Railway Society Railroad Hobby Show -- West Springfield, MA, US (8 1/2 acres of hobby train fun; through tomorrow)

Big Garden Birdwatch -- UK (sponsored by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds; through Monday) 

Big Snow Day -- remembering the 15 inch snowflakes that fell on in Fort Keough, Montana, on this date in 1887

Brookfield Ice Harvest and Winter Carnival -- Brookfield, VT, US (demonstrating traditional ice harvesting using original equipment near the Brookfield Floating Bridge, one of only two such bridges still extant)

Chocolate Cake Day

Cordova Ice Worm Festival -- Cordova, AK, US (one of Alaska's zaniest festivals, and you have to be a bit zany to survive the winter here; through Sunday)

Day of Remembrance for Victims of Nazism -- Germany (anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz)

Day the Netjers of Heaven Receive Ra -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Eagle Days -- Little Platte Park, Smithville Lake, MO, US (learning about bald eagles in the environmental learning center, as well as eagle viewing over the lake and children's activities; through tomorrow)

Family Literacy Day -- Canada

Gasparilla Pirate Fest -- Tampa, FL (reenactment of the invasion of Tampa by pirates, this is the adult version of last weekend's celebration for kids)

Greater Springfield Garage Sale -- Springfield, MO, US (if you want to find it used, you can probably find it here at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds; through tomorrow)

Great Fruitcake Toss -- Manitou Springs, CO, US (what to do with leftover fruitcake?  toss, hurl, or launch it for fun and prizes)

Hoggetowne Medieval Faire -- Gainesville, FL, US (jousting, birds of prey, medieval arts, food, entertainment; through tomorrow, and again next weekend)

International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust

Iroquois Mid-Winter Ceremony -- Iroquois Native Americans (for the continuation of all life-sustaining things; a multi-day ceremony and feast that begins around this time of year)

Ka Moloka'i Makahiki -- Molokai, Hawaii (traditional ceremonial end of the harvest festival, a time of peace; still celebrated with ceremonies and sporting events)

Kumquat Festival -- Dade City, FL, US (because kumquats are not just funny, they are delicious!)

Listen to Classical Music During Lunch Day -- in honor of Mozart

Mozart Day

National Seed Swap Day -- find or set one up in your area, so you can expand your garden, and help others expand theirs

National Storytelling Week -- UK (the Society for Storytelling encourages you to celebrate one of the most ancient art forms)  

Orange City Blue Spring Manatee Festival -- Orange City, FL, US (learn about the manatee and have fun doing it; through tomorrow)

Polar Bear Festival/Polar Bear Jump -- Seward, AK, US (lots of fun, if you want to freeze!)

Punch the Clock Day -- internet generated, and no reason for it given; this has to be one of the more baffling ones

St. Angela Merici's Day (Founder of the Sisters of the Order of St. Ursula; Patron of the disabled and ill; against bodily ills and the death of parents)

St. Devota's Day (Patron of Corsica; Monaco)

Swamp Buggy Races -- Naples, Florida (the world famous swamp buggy races; through tomorrow)

Thomas Crapper Day -- death date, in 1910, of the perfector of the flush toilet mechanism

Wakakusa Yamayaki -- Nara, Japan (Grass Burning on Mt. Wakakusayama, and fireworks; an annual New Year tradition)

Anniversaries Today:

Founding of the National Geographic Society, 1888

The first sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, is founded at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, 1870

The University of Georgia is chartered, the first state university in the US, 1785

Birthdays Today:

Julie Foudy, 1971

Jennifer LB Leese, 1970

Patton Oswalt, 1969

Alan Cumming, 1965

Bridget Fonda,1964

Cris Collinsworth, 1959

Mimi Rogers, 1956

Mikhail Baryshnikov, 1948

Nick Mason, 1944

Mairead Corrigan, 1944

James Cromwell, 1942

Troy Donahue, 1936

Donna Reed, 1921

David Seville, 1919

Skitch Henderson, 1918

Hyman George Rickover, 1900

Jerome Kern, 1885

Samuel Gompers, 1850

Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson), 1832

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1756

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Laverne and Shirley"(TV), 1976

Tarzan of the Apes(Film), 1918

Today in History:

Trajan becomes Roman Emperor, 98

The Rashidun Caliphate ends with the death of Ali, 661

Song Dynasty General Yue Fei is wrongfully executed, 1142

Dante Alighieri becomes a Florentine political exile, 1302

The trial of Guy Fawkes and other conspirators begins, ending with their execution on January 31, 1606

The first American lime kiln begins operation in Providence, Rhode Island, 1662

Mustafa II becomes the Ottoman sultan in Instanbul, 1695

Czar Peter the Great sets the first Russian state budget, 1710

Abdication of Stanislas, the last king of Poland, 1736

The US Congress approves the opening of Indian Territory for settlement, which led to the forced relocation of Native Americans on the "Trail of Tears," 1825

Manitoba and the Northwest Territories are incorporated, 1870

Thomas Edison is granted a patent for the electric incandescent lamp, 1880

The National Geographic Society is organized, in Washington, D.C., 1888

"Tarzan of the Apes," the first Tarzan movie, premiers, 1918

The Harlem Globetrotters play their first game, 1927

Apollo 1 – Astronauts Gus Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee are killed in a fire during a test of their spacecraft at the Kennedy Space Center, 1967

More than sixty nations sign the Outer Space Treaty banning nuclear weapons in space, 1967

Through cooperation between the U.S. and Canadian governments, six American diplomats secretly escape hostilities in Iran in the culmination of the Canadian caper, 1980

The pilot shaft of the Seikan Tunnel, the world's longest sub-aqueous tunnel (53.85 km) between the Japanese islands of Honshu and Hokkaido, breaks through, 1983

American-born sumo wrestler Akebono Taro becomes the first foreigner to be promoted to the sport's highest rank of yokozuna, 1993

Germany first observes International Holocaust Remembrance Day, 1996

Western Union delivers it's final telegram, 2006

Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, unveils a new invention, a tablet PC called the iPad, at a press conference in San Francisco, 2010

Tunisia’s President Moncef Marzouki and the head of the National Assembly signed a new constitution, enshrining one of its last steps toward full democracy after a 2011 uprising that inspired the Arab Spring, 2014

Cranky Cat (Feline Friday) and Friendly Fill-Ins

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

He has handed hosting duties off to Sandee, of Comedy Plus, and it's simple to join, just follow the link to Sandee's page for the rules and the code. 

How i know Horizon is not happy with me:

His back is turned, he's not asleep, and his ears are cocked -- he's angry i brushed him!

***********************************

Friendly Fill-Ins are easy to do. There are four statements: the first two statements are provided by Ellen of 15AndMeowing, and the final two are offered by McGuffy Ann Morris of McGuffy's Reader. They try to make sure the statements will be fun to both answer and share. The linky will be posted at or about 12:00 AM on Friday. Please head over to one of their sites, link up, and share your thoughts! 

My fill-ins for the statements are underlined:

Week 90: January 26, 2018:

1.The flu shot                    .

2. I think everyone should take _________ daily.

3. I (almost) always                   , because                      .

4. I (almost) never                       because                         .

1. The flu shot is about useless as far as i can see, but Grandpa makes me take one anyway.

2. I think everyone should take whatever vitamins or minerals or other supplements their own doctor recommends daily.  Only your doctor knows if some medicine you are on could interfere with, or be interfered with by, a supplement.

3. I (almost) always get everywhere on time or early, because i believe it is rude to be late unless you are unavoidably delayed even though you left on time.

4. I (almost) never miss going to church because i really enjoy going to church!

***********************************

Today is:

Arizona Musicfest -- North Scottsdale, AZ, US (a winter classical music festival; through Mar. 16)

Australia Day -- Australia (National Day); Christmas Island; Cocos (Keeling) Islands; Norfolk Island; (Commemorates Captain Arthur Phillip's arrival at Sydney Cove with the First Fleet, on January 26, 1778.)

    Australia Day Cockroach Races -- Brisbane, Queensland (the greatest gathering of thoroughbred cockroaches anywhere, with competition proceeds going to charity)

Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo -- Rapid City, SD, US (everything you could want in such an event, including the stockman banquet and ball; through Feb. 4)

Carnaval de Quebec -- Quebec City, Canada (a vigorous winter celebration, where they have the cold around long enough to need it; through Feb. 11)

Dental Drill Day -- George F. Green, of Kalamazoo, MI, US, patents the electric dental drill, 1875

Dinagyang -- Iloilo, Philippines (huge religious and cultural festival celebrating Santo Niño[Baby Jesus], this year's festival theme is "Timeless Tradition, Culture and Devotion" and the religious theme is “Señor Santo Niño: Chaste, Poor and Obedient Son of God”; through the weekend)

Duarte Day -- Dominican Republic

Eagles Etcetera Festival -- Bismarck, AR, US (bald eagles in the wild, birds of prey demonstrations, and lots of outdoor fun; through Sunday)

End of the Fifth Quarter of the Ninth Dozen of the Thirteenth Set -- Fairy Calendar

Fun At Work Day -- inject laughter and fun into your workplace (if you dare); some sites have this as a national or international day, and dates given vary, but my warning stands if you decide to celebrate this at all

Liberation Day -- Uganda

Lotus 1-2-3 Day -- released this day in 1983

National Peanut Brittle Day

National Pistachio Day

National Preschool Fitness Day -- get kids to love staying fit and healthy early in life 

Oregon Truffle Festival -- Eugene, OR, US (celebrating the high-end culinary delight that is the lowly truffle, with seminars, cooking demos, and more; through Sunday)

Republic Day -- Delhi, India (pompous and splendid celebrations through the 29th)

Sailing of Anubis -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (celebration of the god of the dead; date approximate)

Spouse's Day -- an internet generated reason to tell your SO how much he/she means to you

St. Moritz Polo World Cup on Snow -- St. Moritz, Switzerland (winter polo on the frozen lake of St. Moritz; through Sunday)

St. Paula's Day (Patron of widows)

St. Timothy's Day (Patron against stomach and intestinal disorders)

St. Titus' Day (Patron of Crete)

Toad Hollow Day of Encouragement -- begun at Toad Hollow School in Kalamazoo, Michigan in the 1800s, a day to encourage your friends

Anniversaries Today:

Establishment of Rocky Mountain National Park, 1915

Michigan becomes the 26th US state, 1837

Birthdays Today:

Kherington Payne, 1990

Kirk Franklin, 1970

Andrew Ridgeley, 1963

Wayne Gretzky, 1961

Anita Baker, 1958

Ellen DeGeneres, 1958

Eddie Van Halen, 1955

Lucinda Williams, 1953

David Strathairn, 1950

Gene Siskel, 1946

Angela Davis, 1944

Scott Glenn, 1942

Bob Uecker, 1935

Father George Harold Clements

Jules Feiffer, 1929

Paul Newman, 1925

Anne Jeffreys, 1923

Jimmy Van Heusen, 1913

Maria Augusta von Trapp, 1905

Bessie Coleman, 1893

Douglas MacArthur, 1880

Mary Mapes Dodge, 1831

Julia Dent Grant, 1826

Emperor Go-Nara of Japan, 1497

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Phantom of the Opera"(Musical), 1988

"The Dukes of Hazzard"(TV), 1979

"Duchess of Padua"(Oscar Wilde play), 1891

"Cosi Fan Tutte"(Mozart Opera), 1790

"Esther"(Racine play), 1689

Today in History:

The fifth recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet, 66

Vicente Yáñez Pinzón becomes the first European to set foot on Brazil, 1500

The Council of Trent issues its conclusions in the Tridentinum, establishing a distinction between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, 1564

Isaac Newton receives Jean Bernoulli's 6 month time-limit problem, and solves the problem before going to bed that same night, 1697

The magnitude 9 Cascadia Earthquake took place off the west coast of the North America, as evidenced by Japanese records, 1700

The British First Fleet, led by Arthur Phillip, sails into Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) to establish Sydney, the first permanent European settlement on the continent of Australia, 1788

The Rum Rebellion, the only successful (albeit short-lived) armed takeover of the government in Australia, 1808

Tennessee enacts the first prohibition law in the United States, 1838

Hong Kong is proclaimed a sovereign territory of Britain, 1841

The first US income tax, passed to raise funds for the Civil War, is repealed, 1871

Muhammad Ahmed ("Mahdi") rebels conquer Khartoum, Sudan, 1885

The World's largest diamond, the 3,106-carat Cullinan, is found, 1905

The Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Mk III is officially introduced into British Military Service, and remains the oldest military rifle still in official use, 1907

Glenn H. Curtiss flies the first successful American seaplane, 1911

Richard Strauss' opera Der Rosenkavalier receives its debut performance at the Dresden State Opera, 1911

Former Ford Motor Co. executive Henry Leland launches the Lincoln Motor Company which he later sold to his former employer, 1920

Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses, 1952

Danny Heater sets a worldwide high school basketball scoring record when he records 135 points for Burnsville High School (West Virginia), 1960

Ranger 3 is launched to study the moon, but misses its target by 22,000 miles (35,400 km), 1962

Hindi becomes the official language of India, 1965

The Great Blizzard of 1978, a rare severe blizzard with the lowest non-tropical atmospheric pressure ever recorded in the US, strikes the Ohio – Great Lakes region with heavy snow and winds up to 100 mph (161 km/h), 1978

Israel and Egypt establish diplomatic relations, 1980

An earthquake hits Gujarat, India, causing more than 20,000 deaths, 2001

President Hamid Karzai signs the new constitution of Afghanistan. 2004

Western Union discontinues its telegram service, 2006

The 41st World Economic Forum convenes in Davos, Switzerland, 2011

Libby Lane is ordained as the first female bishop of the Church of England, 2015