This day is December 14th, 2021. I’m fully in the Christmas spirit because the Christmas songs haven’t started to drive me crazy yet. I’ve even learned to play Feliz Navidad which is one of those songs you simply can’t get out of your head. This is Monkey Day, Free Shipping Day, Roast Chestnuts Day and National Bouillabaisse Day. My pick is Bouillabaisse or fish stew in a tomato sauce. It’s one of my favorite meals. Onto the history of this date. In 1287 a seawall collapsed in Northwest Netherlands and 50,000 people drowned. The event is called “St. Lucia’s Flood”. In 1542 Princess Mary Stuart succeeds her father James V and becomes Queen Mary I of Scotland at 6 days old. I know a little bit of the history of Mary Queen of Scots. After being held in custody for the last 18.5 years of her life, they cut off her head. In 1793, the 1st state road was authorized. It was between Frankfort, Kentucky, and Cincinnati. In 1812, the French invasion of Russia, led by Napoleon, officially ended with the French having lost as many as 530,000 men. In 1903 on this day the Wright brothers attempted to fly the Wright Flyer for the first time at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. This is the day in 1953 that Marjorie Rawlings passed. She was an author (Cross Creek). Marjorie said, “A woman never forgets the men she could have had; a man, the women he couldn’t” and “…a pie so delicate, so luscious, that I hope to be propped up on my dying bed and spoon fed a generous portion.” Not a bad way to go out of this life. This is also the day in 1799 that President George Washington drew his last breath at the age of 67. I’ll end with a few of his quotes: “A pack of jackasses led by a lion is superior to a pack of lions led by a jackass.” “I can only say that there is not a man living who wishes more sincerely than I do to see a plan adopted for the abolition of slavery.” I’ll end with this one: “The bosom of America is open to receive not only the opulent and respectable stranger, but the oppressed and persecuted of all National and Religions; whom we shall welcome to a participation of all our rights and privileges.” Interesting quotes from one of our founding fathers. Have a great day. Abide.
