At midnight it became August 21, 2023. Most of the people on Earth must now transition from the weekend to the work week. I’m grateful not to be in that majority. While I don’t have as long to live, I can live each day doing what I decide to do instead of what someone else expects me to do. No bosses, no customers, just family and friends. Life’s been good to me so far. Today is Cupcake Day, National Spumoni Day, Poet’s Day, Senior Citizen’s Day, and Stay Home with Your Kid’s Day. Now let’s see what our fun-loving ancestors did on this day: In 1321 they burned 160 Jews at the stake in Chicon France. How Christian of them. On this day in 1680 the Pueblo Indians took possession of Santa Fe’ in New Mexico after they had driven out 2,000 Spanish colonists. On this day in 1771 King Gustav III installed himself as the enlightened despot and King of Sweden taking away the powers of the Swedish Parliament that had run the country for the last 50 years. He would end torture as an instrument of legal investigation, grant freedom of the press, amend the poor law, establish religious toleration and promote free trade. On this day in 1863 the Lawrence Kansas Massacre took place when 450 Confederate raiders led by William Quantrill and Frank James killed 150 unarmed men and boys. On this day in 1938 Italy barred all Jewish teachers in Public & High School. At that time, the Jewish represented only 1/10 of 1% of the Italian population. This is the day in 1969 that the first Gap store opened on Ocean Avenue, San Francisco. Today we will hear Kenny Rogers who passed in 2020 at the age of 81. Kenny said, “Youth is a frame of mind. You can have it at any time of your life.” “You can’t make old friends. You either have them or you don’t.” “Growing older is not upsetting; being perceived as old is.” “We did some massive flirting in front of the nation, but there was never anything more than that.” I’m sure he’s talking about Dolly Parton. Last quote is “You gotta know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em”. Abide.
