It’s 04.02.2022. April comes from the Latin verb “aperire” which means “to open” and has been used since the 12th Century. Now you know. Today the Commission has decreed that April 2nd is International Fact-Checking Day and we all should do more of that. It’s also National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day, Ferret Day, Reconciliation Day, International Children’s Book Day, and National Walk To Work Day. I think a P B & J is in my near future. Now we head down history lane. This is the day in 1513 explorer Juan Ponce de León claimed Florida for Spain. In 1827 on this day, US inventor Joseph Dixon of Salem, Massachusetts, began manufacturing lead pencils. In 1877, the 1st Easter egg roll was held on White House lawn. This is the day in 1863 of the bread revolt in Richmond, Virginia. During the civil war, there were “bread” riots all over the South when a mob (mostly women) would storm shops and steal food. On this day in 1931 Jackie Mitchell, a 17 year old girl, struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in an exhibition baseball game in Chattanooga, TN. On this day we start our walk through the cemetery with C.S. Foster who was a novelist who died in 1966 and said, “I’d rather be in trouble for having done something than for not having done anything.” Next, we have Harvey Penick who was a teacher of the game of golf and died in 1995 and said, “No matter how poorly you play, there is always someone you can beat. No matter how well you play, there is always someone who can beat you.” To end this post we stop at the grave of Gil Hodges who was a baseball player and died in 1972 at the age of 47 and said, “Just do the best with what you have, and you’ll soon be doing it better.” All three quotes are good ones for this day. Abide.
