Apr 29- World Wish Day

When you wish upon a star ... or a wishbone ... or a penny ... your dreams may or may not come true.  But you know, if a deserving child is the recipient of the Make-A-Wish Foundation the odds are really in their favour.  This day isn't just about making a random wish and blowing out a dandelion, it is about making actual reality happen for those who are somehow in need because of a fight against a deadly illness.  Watch the inspiring origins of World Wish Day here:

April 29th is the day that inspired the foundation in 1980  and now celebrates the day in gratitude for the donors who make possible the life-changing wishes of a child in need, who may not see another year in his or her life.  And it started with how one community came together with this wish ... this one wish ... the unity, spirit, and universal emotion captivated on this day changed many children's short, short lives.  Even now, 35 years later ... wishes are still being granted.

April 28 - National Poetry Reading Day

Whan that aprill with his shoures soote

The droghte of march hath perced to the roote,

And bathed every veyne in swich licour

Of which vertu engendred is the flour;

Whan zephirus eek with his sweete breeth

Inspired hath in every holt and heeth

Tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne

Hath in the ram his halve cours yronne,

That is all I remember by memory without prompting of the prologue to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, although if someone prompts the first two words of whatever line I forget, I can totally do it.   Thank you, senior English teacher.  I can admit to looking up the spelling, though.  And since it happens to be an April 'holiday,' I went there first.  "Whan that aprill..."

Thank heavens for theatre so I could feed this brain that memorizes so well.  Although ... it IS kind of a curse that I remember whole plays years after I've done them.  That and I can still quote the entire Robin Hood movie, Disney version ... at least every part that was on the LP.  But I digress.

However, to celebrate National Poetry Day I am going to recite Roald Dahl's version of Cinderella from Revolting Rhymes, which I bought in Vienna years ago and just found in the garage this morning while looking for something else.  They are insanely easy and I used them when I dressed as either Lady Boo, Lady Christmas, or Lady Marmalade (don't go there lol) and told stories in elementary school classes.  I'm not going to recite it RIGHT HERE because those are insanely long.  I am either going to make my 4th grader listen to me or just do it on the front porch and draw attention to myself.

Apr 27 - Morse Code Day

- .... .. ...  .. ...  -- -.--  -... .-.. --- --. .-.-.-  .. ..-.  -.-- --- ..-  .... .- ...- .  - .... .  .--. .-. --- .--. . -. ... .. - -.--  - ---  -.. . -.-. .. .--. .... . .-.  - .... .. ...  -.-. --- -.. . --..--  - .... . -.  -.-- --- ..-  .- .-. .  -- -.--  .... . .-. --- .-.-.-  - .... .  .--. . --- .--. .-.. .  ..  .- -.-. - ..- .- .-.. .-.. -.--  - .... .. -. -.-  .-- --- ..- .-.. -..  -.. ---  .. -  -.--. .. ..-.  - .... . -.--  .... .- .--. .--. . -. . -..  - ---  -.-. .- - -.-. ....  - .... .. ... -.--.-  .- .-. .  .--- . ..-. ..-. .-. . -.--  .-- .. .-.. .-.. .. .- -- ...  .- -. -..  -.- . .-.. .-.. -.--  .-.. .- .--. -.-. --.. -.-- -. ... -.- .. .-.-.-  .-. --- -...  .-- .. .-.. ... --- -.  -- .. --. .... -  .- .-.. ... ---  -.. ---  .. -  .. ..-.  .... .  .. ...  -... --- .-. . -..  . -. --- ..- --. ....  .. -.  .-  -.-. --- ..-. ..-. . .  ... .... --- .--. .-.-.-  .-.. --- .-..

.... ..  --. ..- -.-- ...!

-. --- .--  .... . .-. .  .. ...  -- -.--  -- . ... ... .- --. . ---...
.----. .... --- .--. . .----.  .. ...  - .... .  - .... .. -. --.  .-- .. - ....  ..-. . .- - .... . .-. ...—
- .... .- -  .--. . .-. -.-. .... . ...  .. -.  - .... .  ... --- ..- .-..—
.- -. -..  ... .. -. --. ...  - .... .  - ..- -. .  .-- .. - .... --- ..- -  - .... .  .-- --- .-. -.. ...—
.- -. -..  -. . ...- . .-.  ... - --- .--. ...—.- -  .- .-.. .-..—

.- -. -..  ... .-- . . - . ... -—.. -.  - .... .  --. .- .-.. .—.. ...  .... . .- .-. -..—
.- -. -..  ... --- .-. .  -- ..- ... -  -... .  - .... .  ... - --- .-. --—
- .... .- -  -.-. --- ..- .-.. -..  .- -... .- ... ....  - .... .  .-.. .. - - .-.. .  -... .. .-. -..
- .... .- -  -.- . .--. -  ... ---  -- .- -. -.--  .-- .- .-. --—

.. .----. ...- .  .... . .- .-. -..  .. -  .. -.  - .... .  -.-. .... .. .-.. .-.. . ... -  .-.. .- -. -..—
.- -. -..  --- -.  - .... .  ... - .-. .- -. --. . ... -  ... . .-—
-.-- . - --..--  -. . ...- . .-. --..--  .. -.  . -..- - .-. . -- .. - -.-- --..--
.. -  .- ... -.- . -..  .-  -.-. .-. ..- -- -...—--- ..-.  -- . .-.-.-

-.--. -. --- .--  --..-- --..-- --..--  ..  .-- --- -. -.. . .-.  .. ..-.  .... . .-.  -.. .- ... .... . ...  .-. . .- .-.. .-.. -.--  - .... .-. --- .--  --- ..-. ..-.  - .... .  -- --- .-. ... .!-.--.-  

Apr 26 - Hug a Friend Day

Let your friends know how special they are.  Here is my virtual hug to some of them.  I could say so much about so many friends who have touched my life but I am narrowing it down to three very close friends I have known for around 10 years and are living in Nashville.

• Beth, you are my partner in literary crime and so enjoy the creativity and laughter that you bring out in me.  I don't remember whose place you took in the play where we met, but I certain I would not have felt so challenged, loved, and special as I do knowing you.  The pajamas you gave me after the flood have lots of holes now, but they also give me a hug so I dare not part with them ... or YOU!  Ever.  Get used to it.  ;-)

• Daniel, it's so nice to have a friend who I do not have to see or hang out with for months at a time but when we finally do, it's real, it's important, it's fun, and it's usually intense.  All of those could apply to everything we've ever done together...sometimes we are just fulfilling one of those as a close-friend-need and sometimes we find a way to do them all at once on my back porch ... with spirits.  Love ya, man.

• Julie, we have known each other for much longer than ten years and somehow we were brought together in the same city ... again.  Your face is a blessing.  Your home is a blessing.  Your stories, fact or fiction, are a blessing in so many ways.  Our times together grow more and more meaningful with each meeting or new experience or even trauma.  You mean WAY more to me than my luggage and we really should have collected a journal of inside jokes, Tawanda.  I love you, truly.

Let your friends know how important they are to you by giving them a hug.  This virtual hug is real, but it can't beat the "bonding" hormone oxytocin that the body releases when given a real hug.  Do it.  Don't wait.  I'll bet they need one too.  ;-)

Apr 25 - Eeyore's Birthday

I started writing this blog entry, but it doesn't matter.

I found this cute picture, if you care about that kind of thing.

It is (apparently) Eeyore's birthday.  He is (or ... was?) a quirky, sad donkey from The Hundred Acre Wood, who has a penchant for gloomy ruminations, or so says Tigger. But his particular outlook on life produces some pretty great (and perfectly deadpan) witticisms, don't you think?

Or do you even care?  ;-)

My favourite quote which I have often repeated is this: 

"It's snowing still," said Eeyore gloomily.
"So, it is."
"And freezing."
"Is it?"
"Yes," said Eeyore.  "However," he said, brightening up a little, "we haven't had an earthquake lately."

Now, how 'bout that for positive thinking?  Happy birthday, sad dude.  Here's some Wellbutrin.

Apr 24 - National Pet Parents Day

Notice that the cat is saying nothing to it's parents?  Typicsl.

National Pet Parents Day is observed annually on the last Sunday in April.

There is a very special connection, a unique bond, between a pet and its owner.  This unique relationship, which can often last for many years, is often a vital part of the ‘pet parents’ life.  Their loved pets are considered to be a member of the family.

 I memorized all my pets when I was in third grade.  I was so proud to say that I had, "a dog, a cat, 13 fish, a gerbil, and a turtle."  My poor parents!  Only child syndrome, maybe, but they were all my good friends.  We had parties and stuff.  I included the barbies because they didn't balk when I adjusted their costumes ...

National Pet Parents Day was created to honor all dedicated pet parents across the nation with a special day of their own. That's today.  It's MY day, bitches.

Gus is the cat at the theatre door.  Yep, that's where we found her.   Lakewood Theatre backstage door, 2005, a few weeks after we had just adopted Rosie, named after the previous owner of our house.  

Sonic, our dog, came to us as he crawled through the open window of a car as someone drove by me in the adjoining neighbourhood and said, "Is this yours?"  He wasn't and I tried to find his owners, but, just like Satchel, who had passed immediately following the flood, HE found US and ... we kept him.

We are also currently keeping a kitty on our back porch in hopes to find it a home.  But we've named it.  Uh oh.  And ...

Does my iguana count?

I have not changed since third grade.  My poor husband!  Folks, I have a disease. ;-)

April 23 - Talk Like Shakespeare Day

talking as the Bard is quite a dare 
tis neith'r h're n'r th're
but i can speak as that gent at which hour i hath chosen -- aye, doth anywh're 
if 't be true thee tryeth to disagreeth i shall fig thee f'rthwith and i shall doeth it with a rhyme

So.  Yeah.