Humpday Happenings...

Well how about that - the middle of the week AGAIN.
Amazing how that works out.
And yes, another evening of rain came through...saves from having me water the plants and flowers.
Our Hoosierland weather for today will consist of sunny skies, temps reaching to around 83 degrees, and believe it or not...NO rain today (the rain comes back late tomorrow). I think we can manage to like this.
Now, lets all get a cool, refreshing drink as we take a look at what's been going on elsewhere...
*** First out of the washer is our WHO SAID THAT? quote of the week:

"In marriage do thou be wise: prefer the person before money, virtue before beauty, the mind before the body; then thou hast a wife, a friend, a companion, a second self."
After reading numerous quotes (and there ARE a lot), both serious and humorous, I think this particular one sums things up quite well. So, who said that?
The answer at the top of tomorrow's post.
Meanwhile, back in the Tower of London...
*** Next up, it's time for our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
JUNE 21 -
---it's Go Skateboarding Day

(sorry that train left the station for me DECADES ago)
---It's National Daylight Appreciation Day

(well, it does save on electric usage)
---It's National Day of the Gong

(okay, name FIVE songs that use a gong)
---It's National Peaches 'n' Cream Day

(still not to be confused with Peaches and Herb)
---It's National Seashell Day

(no SEA...no shells. Simple, huh?)
---It's National Selfie Day

(yes, Chris, I'm gonna count the pic in your post from yesterday)
---Summer Begins - aka the Summer Solstice

(betcha couldn't see that coming)
*** Next up, it was twenty years ago today, but Sgt. Pepper wasn't teaching the band to play...
It's the day Wifey and I got hitched, and that "bridle" thing still hurts my head...LOL.

TWENTY years (so far).
Funny, seems more like forty...(OW!, now that hurt!)
And because we are at this millstone...I mean MILESTONE, I looked up some stuff regarding this particualr anniversary.
From the http://www.anniversary.us.com/20thanniversary.html website:
(( 20th ANNIVERSARY-TWENTIETH
20 years.  Where has the time gone?
(you tell me - I got nothing.)

Still can't find my TARDIS.

Congratulations to you and yours for being together 20 years.  It is a testament (old or new?) of your love and devotion to each other. (and I thought that itch was psoriasis)  If you are looking for a special gift to commemorate your lives together (maybe) or to give as a gift to another couple, you might want to consider these interesting facts about the 20th anniversary.
=================================

Lenox (china)...what else?

20th Traditional Anniversary Gift: CHINA
Modern Gift: PLATINUM
Gemstone: EMERALD
Flower: DAY LILY
Most Popular Song 20 Years Ago: "CANDLE IN THE WIND" - Elton John
(seriously?)
Average Price of Gasoline when you were married: $1.23 / gallon
(God, I miss THOSE days!)
TRADITIONAL GIFT: China is the traditional gift for the 20th wedding anniversary.  There are several different gifts that can be given.  Here are just a few suggestions:  a china vase, dinner set, tea set, photo frame, personalized china plate.  If you want to pull out all the stops, consider arranging a trip to China.  (yeah, like that'll happen)

MODERN GIFT: The modern gift for the 20th anniversary is platinum.  Platinum usually comes in the form of jewelry such as a ring, broach, tie clip, etc.  
Two non-jewelry suggestions are a platinum rose or collectible coins. (or an album that WENT platinum?)

GEMSTONE: The emerald is known for its brilliant green shine.  This shine comes from a high content of chromium.  Genuine emeralds contain trace amounts of iron, which actually increases the value of the stone.  Some of the best emeralds in the world are found in South America, particularly Colombia and Brazil.  Ancient Egyptians buried emeralds with mummies. (they telling me something?)  Some of the oldest emeralds in the world were harvested from the infamous “Cleopatra mines”.   Emeralds are known to be very tough gems, but they are prone to cracks on the surface, which could devalue the gem.  For this reason, before the gems are sold to the public, they are treated with epoxy or oils to fix or prevent any cracks and improve the transparency.

FLOWER: The day lily is the flower associated with the 20th wedding anniversary.  Lilies come in a variety of colors, so you can pick a favorite color.  A bouquet of 20 is a very thoughtful and traditional gift. (but they have no smell!) 
We invite you to visit us before your 25th anniversary and we will give you suggestions for celebrating your silver anniversary.))
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My, my..."silver anniversary?" - the people who wrote this seem to be optimistic...lol.
---Okay, so if CHINA is the traditional gift that's given, then damn near ANYTHING I get for Wifey should work, because most everything any of us purchase these days is...(wait for it)...
MADE IN CHINA.
(gotta love a good loophole, right?)
We already have PLENTY of dishes, so ANY china would be redundant as the day is long.
Platinum is the modern gift...anything electronic already HAS platinum in the circuitry somewhere (not gonna go look for it). Already have lilies, and gotta ask the Munchkins for anything "emerald"...lol.
We plan our usual fare (can't be called a soiree` because it doesn't take place in the evening)...a nice lunch up to Red Lobster (pics to follow tomorrow, Lord willing).
It'll be the first time we take the Wifeymobile 2.0 up there.

Hope that Bruce still works there, as he's a top notch server.
After that, we return to "homestead heights"...for a nice NAP...lol.
Not even thinking about dinner. We'll figure something out for that.
This is what I refer to as Wifey-Week, because she gets a double-shot - anniversary (today) and birthday (this Sunday).
I gotta wait until August (as usual) for my b'day. But, we are planning something for the "kids", as we figured they were both born around this time last year (we brought them home in November and they were about 5 months old then).
Wonder how you make a cake out of Kitten Chow and Iams anyway?
*** Next up, and speaking of felines, let's stop by "Kitten Corner"...

Taking a break from the cat-toy "mambo".

Our kids had a pretty good day. Their "chasing" spells were shorter than usual (a good thing), and the play time was something I had to show Wifey. We watched as Gallifrey had this one shaggy-ball-thing and was "dancing" with it. Violet just watched the whole thing.

She has her moments with her fuzzy toy (and the laser). I wonder if they realize how much fun they bring to us (when they're not dashing about the house like a herd of wildebeest)...
*** Next, time to take a look at our 'Tales of Midnight"...

Guardian of the garden

He spent a lot of the day on or near our patio (until it decided to rain. He was soundly sleeping, in fact when ti started to drizzle. Then, he left to wherever he goes when the weather gets nasty.

Totally "zonked" before it began to rain.

You know when he leaves the immediate area NOT by his absence, but by the number of birds that come to feed...lol. That's a real giveaway, and when the birds disappear, you can bet Midnight comes back to get another handful of food.
*** Last back to the dryer...twenty years is a decent amount of time.

We had a cat (Rassie) who spent twenty years with us (we got him before we got married).
But, spending the same time with a PERSON you care for is quite another thing. It's a whole new level of dynamics, and rightly so.
Time has this strange way of comforting us with the familiar, and providing an often profound sense of belonging.
I had my father for 25 years, and my mother for 45 years. I've lived in one house (Philly) for almost 30 years, and this house for 20 years. In that amount of time, you do create memories...you build a life, and you manage to live it, despite the outside influences which may prove detrimental.

Now, if you're like me, you see each day as a gift from the Almighty, so imagine how you view the years as they pass by.
Sure, there are always things you wanted to do, and some things you wish you hadn't, but you tend to look at life as a journey...travels in which you learn and grow, and help, and love.
If twenty years pass and you are at a loss when it comes to such things, those years have been wasted.

And one should never allow that to happen, if life is to be valued in the manner it should be.
So, here's to a very good 20 years...not perfect, not terrible, and certainly not without it's unique challenges.
I think Wifey and I did okay so far, as relationships go.
Any relationship you want to work succeeds in the most basic manner; you take it one day at a time.
You never let the sun go down on any anger, never fail to listen. never be afraid to speak.
And always try to allow each day to mean something.

Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.