Thursday, November 29, 2018


Did You Know Yesterday (Nov. 28) Was Make Your Own Head Day?

Make Your Own Head Day


Date When Celebrated : Always November 28

Make Your Own Head Day is today. The only rule that we can think of, is that the head must be your own. So get started, so we can see how good of an artist you are!

This is a crafty day. It is very popular in grade schools, and art classes. In class, you can make your own head. Any medium will do. You can use clay, paper mache, draw or sketch your head. You can make a picture with paint, charcoal, or crayon. Be creative and add a hat to your head.

Happy Make Your Own Head Day.

I can't believe I missed it this year! 

It was also Red Planet Day! Just two days after the Mars Insight landing! 


Red Planet Day



Date When Celebrated: Always November 28 
The planet Mars is referred to as the "Red Planet" because it appears red in color. Red Planet Day honors our celestial neighbor, the fourth planet in the solar system.
Red Planet Day commemorates the launch of the Spacecraft Mariner 4 on November 28,1964. The 228 day mission of Mariner 4 brought the spacecraft within 6,118 miles of Mars on July 14, 1965.

Seriously...all of these "special" days make me laugh out loud. 




I think my favorite is Sept. 19. It be "Talk Like A Pirate Day", you scallywag landlubbers! 


International Talk Like a Pirate Day

Date When Celebrated : Always September 19 th

Ahoy, Matey! Did you know that today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day? It's a day just for fun, a day to let out the pirate in each of us. We like "just for fun" days and we know you do, too.


Practice up your "pirate-speak" in anticipation of this day. The conversation will be lively, and you don't want to be left behind. Today, everyone will be talking the talk, if not walking the walk. It is not a requirement to dress like a pirate today. Just talk like one. 


(I hope I don't get fined for pirate talking on Nov. 29!)


Speaking of Nov. 29, we're celebrating Square Dance Day today! This is VERY important to me, since I took official Square Dancing lessons as a lad!

Square Dance Day



Date When Celebrated: Always November 29
Here's a chance to get out and "Dosey Do" with your partner. It's Square Dance Day!
English, Irish, and Scottish settlers brought square dancing to the U.S. As it evolved in the U.S., a caller was added, to help dancers stay in step. It remains popular among southern and western rural areas, and with senior citizens

December 6, is a very unique day. If you think Christmas is important, it pales in comparison to this day...

Put on Your Own Shoes Day



Date When Celebrated : Always December 6
Put on Your Own Shoes Day is today.

As we researched this special day, we kept on asking Why, why why?....... why does this day exist? We found no answer.

Well, I guess I can give Jeeves the day off on Dec. 6, and put on MY OWN shoes. 

Okay...here is another favorite...

Northern Hemisphere Hoodie-Hoo Day



Date When Celebrated : Always on February 20 
On this winter day, people go out at noon, wave their hands over their heads and chant "Hoodie-Hoo".
It is a day to chase away winter blahs, and bring in spring. After all, everyone in the northern hemisphere are sick and tired of winter at this point and a little crazy being cooped up inside all winter and not seeing the sun.

Did you know? Hoodie Hoo Day is a copyrighted holiday. It was created and is provided, courtesy of the great folks at  Wellcat.com

I've GOT to mark this on my calendar! It's right up my alley! 




It seems that every day of the year has some "special" significance to someone. If you want to laugh a lot, here is a link to these Daily Holidays...

http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/


Don't forget to SQUARE DANCE your butts off today...and comment! A simple HELLO would be marvelous...just marvelous! 

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Mars Landing - The REAL Reason

Mars nerds celebrate like Mr. Peabody and Sherman, when they built the WABAC machine! Well, I think it was Mr. Peabody (the doggie) who actually built it.


Link below tells the whole, riveting story of the actual Mars landing...but why click on reality when I have a better story, hmm?


Did you ever wonder why these "beaker buddies" get so excited over these mundane Moon, I mean Mars landings?

It can't just simply be that their intricate mathematical calculations and mechanical engineering skills have accomplished something that NO humans have EVER accomplished in history. 

Of course not! The reason has to be more devious, more deceitful, more CONSPIRATORIAL! 

Yes! That's the ticket! It is certainly a DEEP, DARK, DIRTY CONSPIRACY!! 

To be totally truthful and transparent today...I don't REALLY know the REAL reason for the Mars landing, but let me throw out some common sense hypotheses.

1. Gold, diamonds, other precious metals.

Remember, that new Mars contraption is gonna be digging into the surface of Mars! Why? To find GOLD, SILVER, and PRECIOUS METALS!! 

Watching this cartoon is essential to understanding my blog! Just kidding! 

Thar's GOLD in them thar craters! No, wait, that would be the moon. Anyway, you get the point.

2. The "Face On Mars" has beamed signals to NASA, and needs us to save the "underground inhabitants" by drilling through the Mars crust and funneling Red Bull to the dying race. (This blog has no connection to the Red Bull Corporation)



3. The "Military Industrial Complex" wants to use Mars as a base for Trump's new "Space Force", and they are digging the foundation for the B-Wing Starfighters hangars.

4
4. Extra Terrestrial beings have landed on Earth and are invading the innermost recesses of the NASA scientists brains, to force them to explore the "red planet", where they will awaken a gigantic red creature that will terrify and eat all the astronauts that come anywhere near it's deadly jaws!


Maybe YOU would like to venture a guess as to WHY the NASA NERDS have landed that billion dollar buggy on Mars, in the comments section below.

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Remembering Drive-In Theatres In The Middle Of A Snowy Day
This theatre, near my boyhood home, boasted the fact that it was "the ONLY 4 screen drive-in theatre in the world"! Not sure about that, but it was very cool!

Did you ever think of warm things to make you feel better on a cold, snowy day? Like a tropical island, the Sahara Desert, and drive-in theatres? 



Me either. Except for today!

It snowed...AGAIN! In November, for heaven's sake! It's also colder than the average temperature in central Illinois, in NOVEMBER, for cryin' out loud!

So, to compensate, I started to imaginate about the sizzling hot summer nights when 8 of us would pack into our 53 Ford Fairlane (with no air conditioning) and  transmigrate ourselves to the drive-in theatre. 

I feel warmer already!

We were extremely fortunate to have 2 (count them), 2 super fantastic drive-in theatres within walking distance from our home! (The walking distance part is important, as you will find out later)

The Airway Drive-In was excellent, because it had a little rollar coaster, a playground and seats in front of the screen for those who wanted to walk in! (Didn't I tell you you would find out later about the WALKING thing?)
Guess how much the admission was? $1.00 a car load! Yes, even if you had 16 people in the car! I'm not making this up, folks! 

The other drive-in theatre was the afore - pictured, St. Ann Drive-In Theatre!
You could watch YOUR movie with sound, and a movie on another screen without sound!  With 4 gigantic screens to view, how could you lose?!

I think the 4 Screen started out at $2.00 a car load and the price went up later, as did the price at the Airway, but....

What am I doing? I'm way off the original theme!

The focus should be on the HOT NIGHTS  we suffered through at the drive-in, to take our minds away from this snowy, wintery day!


St. Louis heat is legendary, as you all know. It's even hot at NIGHT! So, if you're in a steaming hot Ford Fairlane, with 7 other family members, sitting on someone's lap, as a chubby little kid...you just about melt...like the Wicked Witch Of The West.

This is not an actual, real life happening, kids. It's only a movie.

It was not only hotter than a pot bellied pig, on a red hot radiator, in the middle of July (that's the way they might say it in southeast Missouri), but it was STICKY!

What's worse...being hot or sticky? I say BOTH! 

In addition, with the windows open, the mosquitoes were drawn to my sticky little body, and feasted on my highly sugared blood. 

With the heat rising off the blacktop of the drive-in, the hot cars (especially the classic Chevys), the month of July or August, family members radiating heat, no A.C....I'll bet you don't feel quite as cold now. 

Anyway, why not take a couple of minutes to tell your drive-in experiences, if you're old enough to have experienced the unique..uh...experience. 

You'll find the comments section at the bottom. 
It looks kinda like this.

Monday, November 26, 2018

Way To Go Will...Who Clears My Snow


The great, gargantuan, gregarious, Greg and Dan radio show, beloved by Central Illinois folks, has a segment called, "Way To Go Todd", that celebrates the kind deed perpetrated by Todd Walker. (Link to his story below)


Greg and Dan find stories of people who perform kind and loving deeds to others, and share these heartwarming stories with their devoted listeners. 



In addition, here is the link to the AMAZING Greg and Dan Show...


Now, let's return to MY story, that could be a good subject for Way To Go Todd, but we'll call it Way To Go Will.

Will and his family moved in across the street from us before last winter. 

Will is the Pastor of the Pekin Lighthouse Church here in Pekin, Illinois. Here is another link for ya...https://pekinlighthouse.org/

Anyway, beginning last winter, I would wake up, dreading the experience of shoveling X amounts of snow, but magically and mysteriously, my snow would be ALREADY cleared! My driveway and sidewalks were completely snow free! 



Well, after a while, I got up real early and waited, like a kiddo would wake up early to view Santa, to see what kind soul was shoveling my snow.



It was WILL! I did not even know him very well, but he was giving his valuable time, strength, and time in a warm bed, to help and old codger like me!
Franki and Will


Representation of me..but not actually me.

He must have noticed me walking the dog, bent over with pain from my aching back, or me just looking ancient...I don't know, but what a wonderful, great thing to do! 

He never took credit for doing it, but when I found out it was him, I thanked him profusely, and he was so humble about what he did, kind of like, "It wasn't much"...but it was a beautiful expression of Christian love to my wife and I! 



God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. Heb. 6:10



Friday, November 23, 2018

I Know Quacky The Duck-Personally
The famous, Quacky (The Duck), with my granddaughter Breanna

I have always been curious about the folks who wear the iconic and legendary suits that have triggered the imaginations of tiny tots throughout their little, innocent lives. 

Barney, for instance. 

The Big Bird Guy.

Snuffleupagus dude.

So you must know how blessed, excited, thrilled and profoundly joyful I am to have discovered the secret identity of QUACKY THE DUCK! 

Who is Quacky the duck, you ask so inquisitively? 

Well, Quacky is the official mascot of The Center For Prevention Of Abuse, and he/she will be marching in the oldest Santa Claus Parade in the U.S. that, incidentally, takes place TODAY (11/23/2018), here in good ole Peoria, Illinois! 



The super cool part about all of this is that through connections, text messages, morse code, gossip, smoke signals and word of mouse mouth, I've gained access to information that has provided the secret info as to whom the person behind Quacky truly is! 

I really, really, really wish I could share my secret with all of you, but I took a sworn oath to hold my tongue, and it's making it very hard to eat my breakfast!

Just wanted to conclude this brief blog posting with a picture of my sophisticated, award winning step daughter, Ashley, who in NO WAY is Quacky the duck! Even if everyone tells you she is wearing that Quacky the duck suit, don't believe them! 


Tuesday, November 20, 2018

WHY MY BLOG WILL SOON HAVE ONE MILLION READERS...MAYBE.


I have been racking my bi-polarized brain to find the secret of corralling (a cowboy term) a million, or so, readers to follow my ridiculously stupid blog, and I think I've found the vehicle! (No, not a 57 Chevy)


YouTube! Yes, good ole YouTube, to popularize my blog! 


What a genius idea, he declares in a braggadocious,Trumpian sort of way!


Using a videographic medium to promote a product that you have to read is so "out of the box" that it's spilling out on to the carpet and running into the kitchen!


Don't you get it? It is a delightful reminder that keeps looping, over and over again! 



If you see the blog first, you'll be sucked in to watch the YouTube video, and if you see the YouTube video first, you'll be lured in to clicking on the link to my blog! 

Aha, ha, ha, haaaa! What a sly, evil (better not use evil in a family blog), brilliant, marketing ploy to misdirect folks to my mostly mediocre blog! 



So....without further ado....here is the YouTube video that NONE of you have been waiting for...