ambigram - that's a word?

Yep, as much of a word as ambivalent or ambidextrous.

That "ambi-" is from the Latin "ambo", which means "both", as in someone who is ambidextrous uses both hands equally well.

As for "-gram", that would refer to a something visual, such as a written word or drawing.

This particular prefix and base were not combined as a single, unique, word until 1983, when the physicist philosopher Donald Hofstadter did so to describe his art.

Therefore, the word "ambigram" is the same age as my first niece (Christina), my eldest niece (Christy), and my first nephew (Stephen).

(That helps to put it into perspective for me.)

So, why the fuss today over such a thing?

Well, here is the reason: today's date, in numeric form with the year fully expressed and with month and day expressed in two-digit format and excluding any punctuation, is not only a palindrome, but is also an ambigram.

It doesn't matter how one reads it - left to right, right to left, right-side up or upside-down - the numbers come out with the same exact meaning.

Admittedly, the font does matter, and using a sans serif helps make it true.

Take a little time, play with it, even set it up to read vertically instead of horizontally.

The result is the same: 12 02 2021 = 1202 20 21, spaces inserted to make my point.

How did I mark the occasion?

For my dinner, I created an Italian favorite, using a favorite Greek soup, as well as leftovers from Tuesday!

First, I heated up the Progresso Chicken With Orzo & Lemon, which is a pretty quick and easy version of Avgolemono soup.

I added some chopped spinach - 'cause I love them veggies! - and more lemon juice, to brighten the taste.

Then I tore the two pieces of bread from Truffles into pieces that were about one inch square.

When the soup was boiling, I threw in the bread, stirred, and turned off the heat - it was done!

Ribollita was my reward, as it had been when I first supped on it in Siena - magnifica!

And what did I do for entertainment?

I watched "Annie" 'with' Christina!

'Tis the holiday season and so the local channels are wooing our attention with fabulous specials... and this beloved musical, with its current Broadway cast, was on ABC - hooray!!!

I could certainly sense Mama's presence, joining in with us as we texted back and forth.

I'm sure she approved of this stage version, even though some of its songs were different from those in the movie that had Carol Burnett.

A musical is a musical is a musical, and this was certainly that, especially with Harry Connick, Jr., as Daddy Warbucks!

What a sweet surprise when I realized the older, stouter, bald, man was that crooner!

Guess how I finally knew it was him?

I had closed my eyes to listen to the voice and thought it sounded like that of Mel Torme, though I knew he had died years ago.

And, justthatfast, I had the correct identity!

Very nice, very nice!

So glad that first niece was able to join me tonight!

i thank You, God.