Good Morning! Wednesday November 18, 2009

Good morning! It's a wonderful morning! It's a bit overcast, but not so chilly as I thought it would be. It might rain. It might not. LOL!
Last night was running errands. We picked up my friend, and got to 3 different stores (drooling over decorations, of course! LOL! But not buying them). We ate at Chik-Fil-A, and I finally got one of their peppermint-chocolate chip shakes (they were out every time I tried to get one last year). Oh my!! They are SO good, I'm surprised they're legal!!! We got home late and very tired.
Tonight the (inside) big tree will get finished going up and lit. A few other things need to be done, but that's primary. The rest is just "finishing touches" (like decorating the trees! LOL!) It'll get done ... because where ever I stop, it's done! :)
There are 36 days left until Christmas!

Today is "Married to a Scorpio Support Day" ..."National Educational Support Professionals Day" ... "Birthday - Mickey Mouse" ... "Independence Day (Latvia)" ... "National Holiday (Oman)".

Quotes of the Day:
This became a credo of mine...attempt the impossible in order to improve your work."
-- Bette Davis

"Television has raised writing to a new low."
-- Samuel Goldwyn

Today in history:
In 326, the old St. Peter's Basilica was consecrated.

In 1477, "The Sayings of the Philosophers" was published, the earliest known book printed in England to carry a date.

In 1883, the United States adopted Standard Time and set up four zones -- Eastern, Central, Mountain and Pacific.

In 1928, Mickey Mouse made his screen debut in the landmark "Steamboat Willie" at the Colony Theater in New York City. The Walt Disney cartoon was the first with synchronized sound.

In 1963, push-button telephones made their debut. Touch-tone service was available as an option for an extra charge.

Today's birthdays include
- French philosopher and writer Pierre Bayle in 1647
- German composer Carl von Weber in 1786
- English composer Henry Bishop (Home Sweet Home) in 1786
- French physicist Louis Daguerre, inventor of daguerreotype photography, in 1787
- English playwright W.S. Gilbert, libretto writer for the comic operas of composer Arthur Sullivan, in 1836
- Polish composer Ignace Paderewski in 1860
- Conductor Eugene Ormandy in 1899
- Pollster George Gallup in 1901
- Comedic actress Imogene Coca in 1908
- Songwriter Johnny Mercer in 1909
- Astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American in space, in 1923
- Actress Brenda Vaccaro in 1939
- Actress Linda Evans in 1942
- Actor Jameson Parker in 1947
- Actor Kevin Nealon in 1953
- Actress Elizabeth Perkins in 1960

Everyone have a Great Wednesday!


A floral arrangement in a silver ice bucket:

Good Morning! Tuesday November 17, 2009

Good morning! It's a wonderful morning. In true fall style, the temps have dropped again, and it'll be cloudy. But, it's only low 60s, not really "cold" yet. We may or may not get more rain, and that's ok too. :)
I pushed myself to get busy last night. I finished putting away laundry, cleared the pile of boxes in the living room, and actually have a big pile to take upstairs tonight. Every time I walked by a tree I added an ornament or two! LOL!
Tonight I may take a friend to run errands, or I may continue on emptying boxes and taking upstairs. Or both. I'll have to see how the evening goes; but it all needs to be done..... there are 5 days until I have company coming, and ....
...... 37 days left until Christmas!

Today is "Homemade Bread Day" ... "Anniversary - Suez Canal".

Quotes of the Day:
"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear. "
-- Mark Twain

"Remember that fear always lurks behind perfectionism. Confronting your fears and allowing yourself the right to be human can, paradoxically, make you a far happier and more productive person. "
-- Dr. David M. Burns

Today in history:
In 1800, the U.S. Congress convened in Washington for the first time.

In 1869, the Suez Canal in Egypt was opened, linking the Red Sea and the Mediterranean.

In 1881, Samuel Gompers organized the forerunner of the American Federation of Labor.

In 1962, John F. Kennedy dedicated the Dulles International Airport.

Today's birthdays include
- King Louis XVIII of France in 1755
- German astronomer and mathematician August Mobius in 1790
- Social reformer Grace Abbott in 1878
- British army Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery in 1887
- Drama teacher/actor Lee Strasberg in 1901
- Actor Rock Hudson in 1925
- Balladeer Gordon Lightfoot in 1938
- Film director Martin Scorsese in 1942
- Model/actress Lauren Hutton in 1943
- Actor/director Danny DeVito in 1944
- Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels in 1944
- Actress Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio in 1958
- Model/actor RuPaul in 1960

Everyone have a Great Tuesday!


This was taken in my garden just last week!

Good Morning! Monday November 16, 2009

Good morning! It's a wonderful morning. There's bright sunshine spilling across the back yard, and most of the early fog has burned off. It's going to be clear and low 70s, a lovely fall day. Perhaps the last for awhile ... although the cooler weather is ok with me. I just have a hard time with the gray days. Oh well, we need them too! :)
We (meaning my friend who worked 4 times as much as I did!!) all worked so hard yesterday. Not everything on the list got done ... but .... a lot of the "major" items got done. The front of my house looks just amazing!! And, it's still got some embellishing coming. The 2 big trees are started (need more lights to continue), and most of the other trees are in place. I got started on some of the smaller things (like nutcrackers). The "children" brought boxes down for me. Once I get them emptied and the rooms cleared again, I'll be about 90% done! Nights this week will be busy. :)
There are 38 days left until Christmas!

Today is "UN International Day for Toleranced" ... " Button Day" ... "Admission Day (Oklahoma)" ... "Day of National Rebirth (Estonia)".

Quotes of the Day:
"They certainly give very strange names to diseases. "
-- Plato

"That best portion of a good man's life,
His little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love. "
-- William Wordsworth

Today in history:
In 1892, the University of Chicago, a founding member of the Big 10 Conference, won its first football game, beating Illinois, 10-4.

In 1904, John Ambrose Fleming invented the vacuum tube.

In 1907, Oklahoma became the 46th state admitted to the union.

In 1984, the space shuttle Discovery returned to Earth with the first two satellites ever plucked from space.

Today's birthdays include
- Tiberius, emperor of Rome, in 42 B.C.
- Composer W.C. Handy, known as the Father of the Blues, in 1873
- Broadway director and playwright George S. Kaufman in 1889
- Jazz guitarist and bandleader Eddie Condon in 1905
- Actor Burgess Meredith in 1909
- Actress Marg Helgenberger in 1958
- Actress Lisa Bonet in 1967
- Olympic figure skater Oksana Baiul in 1977

Everyone have a Great Monday!

Good Morning! Sunday November 15, 2009

Good morning! It is a beautiful morning. There's a layer of spooky looking fog hovering just off the ground, but it's very bright. I'm sure the sun will be out soon. Yesterday by late afternoon all the clouds had moved out; today is supposed to be clear and warm, mid-70s. Perhaps today we'll be able to finish the outside stuff. There are several things we'd like to do, but only one that is "critical" in terms of what's already up. That will be easy though, and I believe we'll get that done.
Yesterday was very busy, with a lot of unexpected events. We did get a lot done, even though most of it was "embellishing" what we already had up. It's all good. :) Last night a little friend (step-son's girlfriend's son, age 11) spent the night so he can ride to the coast today with DH. That meant there were 6 of us for dinner ... that was a challenge! LOL! Anyway, I'm hoping we get a lot done today.
There are 39 days left until Christmas!

Today is "America Recycles Day" ... "George Spelvin Day" ... "I Love to Write Day" ... "National Bundt Day" ... "UN World Day of Remembrance For Road Traffic Victims" ... "Dynasty Day (Belgium)" ... "Republic Day (Brazil)" ... "Shichi-Go-San (Japan)".

Quotes of the Day:
"We should take care not to make the intellect our god; it has, of course, powerful muscles, but no personality. "
-- Albert Einstein

"Speech is conveniently located midway between thought and action, where it often substitutes for both. "
-- John Andrew Holmes

Today's birthdays include
- British statesman William Pitt (the elder) in 1708
- British astronomer William Herschel, discoverer of the planet Uranus, in 1738
- Nobel Prize-winning physiologist August Krogh of Denmark in 1874
- Jurist Felix Frankfurter in 1882
- Artist Georgia O'Keeffe in 1887
- Diplomat W. Averell Harriman in 1891
- World War II German Gen. Erwin Rommel in 1891
- Annunzio Mantovani, orchestra leader, in 1905
- U.S. Air Force Gen. Curtis LeMay in 1906
- TV personality and retired Judge Joseph Wapner in 1919
- Actor Edward Asner in 1929
- Pop singer Petula Clark in 1932
- Actor Yaphet Kotto in 1937
- Actor Sam Waterston in 1940
- Conductor Daniel Barenboim in 1942
- Actress Beverly D'Angelo in 1951
- Musician Kevin Eubanks in 1957

Everyone have a Great Sunday!

Good Morning! Saturday November 14, 2009

Good morning! It's a wonderful morning! It's still gray, but not rainy and not so cold. It's still windy, but that will be subsiding by afternoon. Very soon the sun will come back out, and we can begin to dry out again. The ground is still pretty soggy, but by afternoon we should be able to do some of the outside things that need to be done.
I didn't get very much done last night (seems I rarely do on Friday); but this morning I could sleep later, so I'm all rested up (well, sort of! LOL!) and ready to get busy and finish the decorating.
There are 40 days left until Christmas!

Today is "Loosen Up, Lighten Up Day" ... "National American Teddy Bear Day" ... "Spirit of NSA Day" ... "UN World Diabetes Day" ... "Children's Day (India)".

Quotes of the Day:
"The government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it. "
-- Ronald Reagan

"Only the mediocre are always at their best. "
-- Jean Giraudoux

Today in history:
In 1666, the first blood transfusion took place in London. Blood from one dog was transfused into another.

In 1832, the first horse-drawn streetcar made its appearance in New York City.

In 1889, newspaper reporter Nellie Bly set off to break the fictional record of voyaging around the world in 80 days set by Jules Verne's character Phileas Fogg. She made the trip in 72 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes and 14 seconds.

In 1926, the NBC radio network made its debut.

In 1969, NASA launched Apollo 12.

Today's birthdays include
- Robert Fulton, inventor of the steamboat, in 1765
- French Impressionist painter Claude Monet, in 1840
- Indian statesman Jawaharlal Nehru in 1889
- Mamie Doud Eisenhower, wife of U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower, in 1896
- U.S. composer Aaron Copland in 1900
- Singer Morton Downey in 1901
- Actor/singer Dick Powell in 1904
- U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy, R-Wis., in 1908
- Actress Veronica Lake in 1919
- Singer Johnny Desmond in 1920
- Actor Brian Keith in 1921
- Former U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali in 1922
- Actor McLean Stevenson in 1927
- Astronaut Edward White, killed in the 1967 Apollo I launch pad fire, in 1930
- King Hussein of Jordan in 1935
- Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, in 1948
- New Age singer/songwriter Yanni in 1954
- Actress Laura San Giacomo in 1962

Everyone have a Great Saturday!

Good Morning! Friday November 13, 2009

Good morning! It's a wonderful morning! It's still gray and windy, but the system is on it's way out. By the weekend the weather will start being clear and warm again. Today, low 50s and maybe still some rain. That's ok too, this is no longer the "driest year on record"!
I only got one small box down last night (but did take empty boxes up). It was packed full of small items, all of which have been unpacked and placed where they belong! And, some of the decorations went up on a (small) tree. So, progress. There's a good chance I will have lots of help this weekend, so I'm hoping to considerably shorten my long "to do" list! LOL!
Tonight ... I have no idea what we'll do; maybe just rest up and get an early start tomorrow! :)
There are 41 days left until Christmas!

Today is "Friday the Thirteenth" ... "Guinness World Records Day" ... "National Donor Sabbath" ... "World Kindness Day".

Quotes of the Day:
"No trumpets sound when the important decisions of our life are made. Destiny is made known silently. "
-- Agnes de Mille

"I can win an argument on any topic, against any opponent. People know this, and steer clear of me at parties. Often, as a sign of their great respect, they don't even invite me. "
-- Dave Barry

Today in history:
In 1927, the Holland Tunnel was opened under the Hudson River, linking New York City and New Jersey.

In 1967, Carl Stokes became the first black U.S. mayor when he was elected in Cleveland.

In 1982, the Vietnam War Memorial was dedicated in Washington.

Today's birthdays include
- St. Augustine of Hippo, a theologian, in 354
- King Edward III of England in 1312
- Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson in 1850
- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis in 1856
- Actor Richard Mulligan in 1932
- TV producer/director Garry Marshall in 1934
- Actor Dack Rambo in 1941
- Actor Joe Mantegna in 1947
- Actress Tracy Scoggins in 1953
- Actor Chris Noth in 1954
- Comedian Whoopi Goldberg in 1955

Everyone have a Great Friday!

Good Morning! Thursday November 12, 2009

Good morning! It's a wonderful morning! We're getting lots and lots of much needed rain. Of course, I'd be ok with a bit less wind! LOL! But, it's not like I have a choice, right? :) I have seen news reports of trees and power lines down, but there's been nothing that severe around here. I have 2 large camelia bushes on the outside corners of my room, and it sounds like the wind is much worse than it is when the scrape the siding! LOL! But, it's all good.
I did a little better last night: I finished a project I had been putting off because I couldn't decide what to do with it (bathroom curtain). I finally made up my mind that *something* would be better than nothing! LOL! So, they're done. And I got one box unpacked; and I got 2 loads of laundry done.
Tonight I *plan* to re-straighten the guest room, and get one more box down. Tonight is also the 3rd night of the CSI trilogy, so will have to find something in "my room" to work on. :)
There are 42 days left until Christmas!

Today is "Postman Day's (Mexico)" ... "National Pizza With the Works Except Anchovies Day".

Quotes of the Day:
"Work is not always required... there is such a thing as sacred idleness, the cultivation of which is now fearfully neglected."
-- George McDonald

"A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought. There is a visible labor and there is an invisible labor."
-- Victor Hugo

Today in history:
In 1799, the first North American meteor shower on record took place. Early American astronomer Andrew Ellicott Douglass said, "The whole heaven appeared as if illuminated with sky rockets."

In 1892, the first professional football game was played in Pittsburgh. The Allegheny Athletic Association defeated the Pittsburgh Athletic Club, 4-0. (Touchdowns at the time were worth 4 points.)

In 1980, the Voyager 1 spacecraft passed Saturn and sent back stunning pictures.

In 1981, the shuttle Columbia became the first spacecraft launched twice from Earth.

Today's birthdays include
- French physicist Jacques Charles in 1746
- Women's suffrage activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton in 1815
- Baha'u'llah (born Mirza Husayn Ali), founder-prophet of the Baha'i faith, in 1817
- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun in 1908
- Singer Jo Stafford in 1917
- Actress Kim Hunter in 1922
- Princess Grace of Monaco, the former American movie star Grace Kelly, in 1929
- Rock musician Neil Young in 1945
- Actress Megan Mullally in 1958
- Olympic gymnast Nadia Comaneci in 1961
- Baseball star Sammy Sosa in 1968

Everyone have a Great Thursday!