May 1, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Grump Out Day – All of you grumpy people out there need to put on your happy faces today. This is a day to stop all the grumpiness, complaining, sourness, and striking out. Shake off the sour mood today, you can go back to your normal grumpy self tomorrow.

May Day – An ancient spring festival celebrated in the Northern Hemisphere. It originated in pre-Christian times as the festival of the Roman goddess of flowers, Flora.

Beltane Day – The celtic name for May Day.

Loyalty Day – Begun in 1921, this is a day to reaffirm our loyalty to the United States of America and to recognize our heritage of freedom.

Mother Goose Day – Founded in 1987 by Gloria T. Delamar when her book about Mother Goose was published. We've all been raised on Mother Goose rhymes and read them to our children. But I have recently encountered children who have never heard of Mother Goose. What a tragedy.

Save the Rhino Day – This is a day for us to be aware of the danger Rhinoceros's face. Their numbers are dwindling and we need to support those who are fighting for the survival of the species.

National Chocolate Parfait Day – Parfait means different things in different countries. In France a parfait is frozen custard mixed with whipped cream, here in America it is layers of pudding alternated with whipped cream and/or anything else that you think would taste delicious and sweet.

National Train Day – On this day in 1971, Amtrak first went into service. They began this holiday in 2008 to promote the advantages of rail travel and the history of trains in this country.

Batman Day – On this day in 1939, Batman first appeared in comic books. He was so popular at that time that the next year he got to star in a comic book named after him.

Executive Coaching Day – This is a day to applaud executives that don't have a job, they have a profession. And they take it seriously enough that they are willing to go the extra mile and help others in their profession by coaching them. Everyone benefits when this happens. The organization and the coaches and the workers being coached.

Law Day – This year the Emancipation Proclamation is 150 years old. This day is for reflecting on the work that has been done to promote equality in the past and to see where work still remains to be done. The goal is for all people to be equal, all forms of discrimination to be eradicated and for human trafficking and other human rights violations to be ended. http://www.americanbar.org/groups/public_education/initiatives_awards/law_day_2013.html

Lei Day – This is a Hawaiian celebration although I don't see why everyone can't join in. Many Hawaiian inspired activities are planned for today such as, brace for the shock.....the making of leis.

Keep Kids Alive! Drive 25 Day – This is a day to pay attention to how you drive on neighborhood streets where kids are likely to be playing. I know in my neighborhood it is very common to see people speeding off to work or back home again and I have witnessed a couple of near misses with cars and people. Please be careful everyone and drive slowly in neighborhoods. http://www.keepkidsalivedrive25.org/

New Homeowner's Day – On this day we celebrate everyone who has bought a new home. If you know a new homeowner personally, today is a good day to drop in and get a tour of their new place.

Silver Star Service Banner Day – Created by the Silver Star Families Of America, this day was accepted by all 50 states and then by the U.S. Congress. President Obama signed the resolution on April 29, 2011. The Silver Star Service Banner is a symbol that reminds American's of those who have sacrificed for us. It is reserved for our brave men and women who have been wounded or contracted a serious injury or a sickness while in a war zone. It may be flown by anyone as a symbol of remembrance and honor.

National Day To Prevent Teen Pregnancy – For the last twelve years, this has been a day for preventing teens from getting pregnant and becoming parents too early in their lives. I have a couple of teenagers so I'm all for this day.

To celebrate today, pick some flowers and make yourself a special May Day lei, then recite the Pledge of Allegiance to reaffirm your loyalty while you read the Batman comics and Mother Goose rhymes that you found in the closet. Next, make sure you talk to your teen about how to avoid becoming pregnant. The surest way is to not have sex, of course, but teens don't always seem to think of that one. Then ride your pet rhino to the nearest train station to watch the train go by on your way to work to coach the workers there so they can improve their work habits. On the way home, make sure your rhino doesn't go any faster than 25 miles per hour in your neighborhood. Drop in on a new neighbor to welcome them on their new home purchase. Then wander the neighborhood looking for Silver Star Service Banners so you can thank the owner for his/her service and sacrifice. Finally, go home and complain about absolutely everything you can think of to your family while you eat your chocolate parfait.

April 30, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Oatmeal Cookie Day – This is healthy, isn't it? It has oatmeal, after all. How bad could it be?

Hairstyle Appreciation Day – When you look great, you feel great. A fabulous hairstyle goes a long way to making you look great so have some mirrors around so you can appreciate how wonderful you look today.

National Honesty Day – Created by M. Hirsh Goldberg in the early 1990's to celebrate honesty. He chose the last day in April for this day because the first day in April celebrates falsehoods. The idea is that if anyone asks you a question today, you must answer it truthfully. And if you ask someone a question today, they must answer it truthfully (as long as you make sure they know what day it is today.) At the time, Mr. Goldberg was working on writing a book about lies told over the course of history so cynics believed this day was created to draw attention to his book.

Bugs Bunny Day – On this day in 1938, Bugs Bunny debuted in the cartoon short Porky's Hare Hunt. Bugs looked and sounded very different then but that was definitely him.

International Jazz Day – This years host city is Istanbul. Special Jazz events will be occurring all over the world today, but Istanbul will be the location of the biggest and best so if you are a true Jazz lover, that is where you need to be. http://jazzday.com/

Dia De Los Ninos/ Dia De Los Libros Day – This is a day that recognizes the importance of literacy for all children from all walks of life. The goal is to connect children with books for the purpose of learning new things. http://dia.ala.org/

Spank Out Day – This is a day for spreading the word that spanking is not the best disciplinary option. A fact for some, an opinion for others, I'm not completely sold on it as I've seen lots of people who I feel really could benefit from a good whack on the rump.

Walpurgis Night – A traditional spring festival celebrated on this day or May 1^st in large parts of Central and Northern Europe. It is celebrated with bonfires and dancing in honor of Saint Walpurga, an English missionary who lived in the 700's.

To celebrate today, get a new sexy hairstyle, then fly over to Istanbul to enjoy some jazz music before coming home to watch some Bugs Bunny cartoons and eat some oatmeal cookies with the kids. When your spouse asks you where you've been make sure you tell the truth. Then read some books to the kids and refrain from spanking them when they decide to dump apple juice all over your new couch.

April 29, 2013

Today we celebrate:

International Dance Day– Begun in 1982 by the International Dance Committee of the International Theater Institute, the purpose is to commemorate the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre. Mr. Noverre is the father of modern ballet and was born in 1727.

National Shrimp Scampi Day – If you like shrimp, garlic and parsley, this is the meal for you.

Greenery Day – This is actually a national holiday in Japan. It originally celebrated Emperor Showa's birthday during the Showa era. In 1989 with a new Emperor, the name was changed from “Birthday of the Emperor” to “Greenery Day”. Now it's a day to commune with nature and be grateful for nature's blessings.

“Peace” Rose Day– The Peace Rose was developed by French horticulturist, Francis Meiland. He wanted to save the rose during World War II when it seemed inevitable that France would fall to Germany so he sent cuttings of his rose to friends in Italy, Germany, Turkey and the U.S. It made it onto the last plane to the U.S. before the German invasion. During the war it was cultivated in the U.S. by the Conrad Pyle Co. In 1945, Monsieur Meiland contacted Field Marshall Alan Brooke, one of the master strategists of the U.S. whose strategies helped win the war, and offered to name the rose after him. But Brooke suggested that he name it “peace” instead. It's name was announced on this day in 1945.

Pinhole Photography Day – This day encourages you to make your own camera, take a picture and share it with the world in the hopes of encouraging creativity. http://www.pinholeday.org/org/

Zipper Day – On this day in 1913, the zipper was patented. Where would we be without it? Would we still have to button our flies?

To celebrate this day, zipper up your windbreaker because it's still April so it will probably be windy and chilly at some point. Then head to the park to commune with nature. See if you can find some peace roses and take pictures of them with your homemade camera. This evening, have some shrimp scampi for dinner and drag your spouse to the theater to see a lovely ballet.

April 28, 2013

Since I'm not going to have time to get on my computer this weekend, I'm going to go ahead and post Sunday's celebrations early so if you're looking for Saturday, just scroll down the page and you'll see it.

Today, Sunday, we celebrate:

National Blueberry Pie Day – My brother-in-law's favorite dessert. He asks for this instead of cake for his birthday.

Great Poetry Reading Day – Today is a day to read great poetry and I have just the website for you. I have many poems that I enjoy, most of them were written for kids by Shel Silverstein. I'm not sure what that says about me, but there you go. On this website you can find many poets and apparently you can publish your own as well. This link takes you to one of my favorites. http://allpoetry.com/poem/8538923-The_Nap_Taker-by-Shel_Silverstein

Kiss Your Mate Day – Today is the day to kiss your spouse (boyfriend or girlfriend) if you have one, if you don't, next choice is your kids. If you don't have any of them, find a willing stranger. Unless you live in Cedar Rapids, Iowa where kissing a stranger is illegal. And since it's Sunday, if you live in Hartford, CT you'll have to skip this day if you're married as it's illegal for a man to kiss his wife on Sundays and I don't promote illegal activities on this blog. More fun kissing information can be found at this site (It's two years old but still relevant): http://realestateinwisconsinlisabear.blogspot.com/2011/04/pucker-up-its-kiss-your-mate-day-today.html

Biological Clock Day – Our biological clocks do more than nag us about the right time to have babies. Our clocks tell us when it's time to sleep and when it's time to wake up as well. This is what gets messed up when we travel to different time zones. Amazingly enough, they also control our metabolism, and our temperature and blood pressure among other things.

Lag B'omer – A Jewish holiday, this day represents a break in the season between Passover and Shavuot. This is the 33^rd day of the 50 that are between those two events. It is a lifting of the mourning practices that occur during this time.

National Pet Parent's Day – Celebrated on the last Sunday in April, this is a day to give appreciation to the special people who open their hearts and their homes to pets of all kinds.

Mother, Father Deaf Day – Also on the last day of April, this is a day to honor the deaf parents of hearing children.

Workers Memorial Day – Each day world wide, a worker dies in a preventable workplace incident every 15 seconds. This is a day to honor those people who didn't get up to go to work expecting to never come home. All they were trying to do is take care of their families. Our companies need to take better care of their most valuable resource; their people. http://www.workermemorialday.org/

To celebrate today, practice saying your favorite poem using handsigns and then make a blueberry pie for yourself or any other workers in the family to thank them for putting their lives at risk every day they go to work. Then give your mate a big, smoochy kiss. If you don't have a spouse, make it a tamer kiss for the kids or they will surely complain. And for your older kids' peace of mind, make sure you don't kiss them in front of their friends. If you're going for a stranger, you're on your own, I'm not helping you figure that out. Then, recite your favorite poem to your hapless victim to calm him/her down, then you can see if he/she is Jewish and wants to get married. If he/she is a deaf parent, even better since you can use your brand new handsigning skills. If the marriage idea is a good one, you can do it today as it is common for Jewish couples to marry on this day of celebration. Finally, if you have a pet, congratulate yourself on being a great pet parent. If not, what are you waiting for?

April 27, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Prime Rib Day – Are you a beef lover? Well, then, today is your day. Have some prime rib for dinner tonight.

Babe Ruth Day – Proclaimed by Baseball Commissioner Happy Chandler, this was a day to support Babe Ruth during his fight against cancer and it has endured, particularly with the Yankees, ever since.

Tell A Story Day – Today is a day for stories. Tell your kids a story today. You don't need to read it out of a book, try making one up. Maybe a story about when you were a kid or a completely made up story. You could even write it down for them so they can read it again and again.

Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day – This day is not only about appreciating bulldogs, who are beautiful in their own way. It is also about celebrating the beautiful differences between people of all sizes, shapes, colors and coordination.

Mantanzas Mule Day – On this day in 1898, during the Spanish-American War, the U.S. Navy bombarded a village in Cuba named Mantanzas. They hit it with everything they had. I'm sure it was impressive for its' time considering how long ago it was. When it was over and the villagers looked for dead bodies, they discovered that the entire village suffered a casualty count of: 1 mule.

Morse Code Day – On this day in 1791, Samuel Morse was born. He, of course, created the Morse code which was used regularly to pass telegraph messages for many years and is probably still used today in certain circumstances, if only on television to broadcast SOS messages by banging on pipes with a wrench.

Eeyore's Birthday Day – Always celebrated on the last Saturday in April, this is Eeyore's birthday! The idea came from one of A.A. Milne's stories where Eeyore thinks everyone forgot his birthday only to find out that they had been planning a party all along. Ever since 1963, Austin, TX has had a huge all day festival to celebrate this day.

National Rebuilding Day – The non-profit organization, Rebuilding Together, works hard to rebuild and repair homes and community centers for low-income families. This day is always celebrated on the last Saturday in April and the goal is to bring attention to the organization's mission and the sad plight of the low-income population of this country.

http://rebuildingtogether.org/

Save The Frogs Day – We've been saving frogs on this day for five years now. If you have been unaware of that, now is the time to get with the program and focus on amphibian conservation efforts. The frog population is dwindling all over the world and we need to do what we can to save them. Even simple things like not polluting their habitat and cleaning up our garbage is a step in the right direction.

Sense Of Smell Day – Today is a day to celebrate your nose. The world would be a pretty bland place without the ability to smell. Granted, when we smell stinky things, we're not so pleased about it, but the good generally outweighs the bad. In fact, I think that a smelling app is going to be the next new invention for the next generation iPhone.

World Veterinary Day – The theme for this years event is vaccination. Make sure you get your pets and farm animals vaccinated against the diseases that can kill them.

World Healing Day – Always on the last Saturday in April, this day is focused on healing in all forms. The following celebration days fall under the World Healing Day umbrella and all organized events associated with them are meant to focus our consciousness on personal and global healing for 24 hours:

     World Tai Chi & Qigong Day – Celebrated in 60 countries around the world since 1999, this a

     day to spread awareness of the two related disciplines. The goals of today are to educate the world

     about the health benefits of Tai Chi and Qigong and to encourage people to embrace wisdom from

     all countries and cultures of the world.

     World Native Aboriginal Sacred Ceremony & Dance Day – On this day at 10am around the

     world, native and aboriginal groups hold sacred ceremony and dance events including meditation

     and participation programs.

     World Yoga Day – Their focus this year is to support FIAN International which works toward

     making the world free from hunger.

     World Reiki Day – Also at 10am today, Reiki groups around the world are teaching Reiki

     meditations and holding participatory exhibitions.

     World Art Day – This is a day to visit museums and really look at the art. Take your time,

     examine all the details, find out what it says to you.

     World Prayer Day – This is a day to pray for healing for yourself, your neighbors, your city,

     your state, your country and your world.

To celebrate today, blow your nose really well so it's ready to take in all the scents you come across in the course of the day. At 10 am, head to the closest art museum and really look closely at a few of the pieces that catch your eye. Think quality instead of quantity today so if you only have time to really look at 3 or 4, then don't skimp because you think you have to see as much as possible in a short period of time. While you're there, take the time to pray for healing and maybe spread out a yoga mat and strike a few poses. As you leave, drive around town to see if you can find a Tai Chi or Qigong class. Then on your way home, track down some natives or aboriginals and ask to participate in their dance events today. When you get home, make up a story about bulldogs and mules and frogs and tell it to your kids. Next you can use Morse code to create a secret message about Eeyore's birthday for your kids and see if they can figure it out. Then you can volunteer for a few hours to help Rebuilding Together on a project they are working on in your area. Later this afternoon, take your pet to the vet for it's vaccinations and then head to Yankee Stadium to see what events they have going on to celebrate Babe Ruth today. Finally, tonight find a Reiki class (look online, you can find anything online) and practice on your family.

April 26, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Pretzel Day – One of my favorite things to eat and one of the few things I really miss since I've gone gluten free. Gluten free pretzels just aren't the same. If you look around, you might even find a free pretzel to be had today. Last year, Auntie Annie's had buy one get one free deals. You had to like their facebook page to get the coupon.

Richter Scale Day – The Richter Scale was created by Charles Richter in 1935 and, as everyone in California knows, it measures the size of earthquakes. The largest one measured so far since it's creation was a 9.5 in Chile on May 22, 1960. This day is significant in that Charles Richter was born on this day in 1900.

Hug An Australian Day – A day that was created by the people of Wellcat.com, this day is about showing appreciation for our good friends, the Australians. They are easy to spot if you can get them to speak because of their wonderful accent that I could listen to all day long.

Audubon Day – John James Audubon was born on this day in 1785. He was an artist who dedicated more than 30 years of his life to drawing as many different kinds of birds as he could find. The Audubon Society was created after his death by one of his wife's students, George Bird Grinnell, for the purpose of studying and protecting birds everywhere. And yes, as far as I can find out, that is Mr. Grinnell's real name.

National Kids And Pets Day – This is a day sponsored by people who believe that every child should have a pet to care for. http://www.kidsandpetsday.com/index2.htm

National Arbor Day – Today is all about trees. You can't have too many trees. Plant a new one today, just don't put it too close to power lines or the foundation of your house. http://www.arborday.org/

National Hairball Awareness Day – This is a day to spread awareness of the dreadful and debilitating hairball disease. Mostly suffered by felines and feline lovers, although my canine also seems to suffer from periodic bouts of the disease, it causes coughing, hacking, and puking on the brand new living room carpet or in the expensive and also brand new dress shoes. Volunteer for your local SPCA to help them find a cure for this socially unacceptable issue.

To celebrate today, keep your ears open all day so when you find an Australian, you can run right over for a hug. Everyone loves hugs so I'm sure they won't mind. Then head to the SPCA to adopt an animal for your child. You may want to avoid the felines, but if you cannot, watch them carefully to see if you can narrow down the cause of the hairball disease, that hair must be getting in there somehow. Next, head to your local nursery to pick up a tree (if you can do this, you're stronger than most people in the world) and take it home and plant it in your yard somewhere. Then you can watch the birds sitting on the branches and building nests while you eat your pretzel and keep your china from hitting the floor during the 3.7 earthquake that's going to happen tonight.

April 25, 2013

Today we celebrate:

World Penguin Day – Who doesn't love penguins? Today is a day for the whole world to love them! http://worldpenguinday.com/

DNA Day – On this day in 1953, James Watson, Francis Crick, Maurice Wilkins, Rosalind Franklin published papers on the structure of DNA. Then, on this day in 2003, the genome project was declared as complete as it was financially able to be. The Senate and House of Representatives declared April 25, 2003 to be DNA Day, intending it to be just a one day celebration. However, several other non-governmental groups have declared it to be World DNA Day or International DNA Day, every year since then.

East Meets West Day – On this day in 1945, U.S. and Russian troops met in Germany for the first time.

Hairstylists Appreciation Day – A hairstylist is not just a hairstylist. They are hair experts and psychologists all in one. Show your hairstylist how much you appreciate them today.

Malaria Awareness Day – Designated by proclamation of President George W. Bush in 2007, this day is intended to focus our awareness on the plight of all of the people who suffer from this disease. They are primarily located on the continent of Africa where 3,000 children die every day and over a million people die every year from this treatable disease.

Hug A Plumber Day or Plumbers Day – For those of us who are not handy in this area, where do we go when the toilet stops flushing or the sink leaks? That's right, you go to someone who knows what they are doing with water and pipes and such, your friendly neighborhood plumber. Give him a hug before he climbs under the sink and gets all dirty.

Red Hat Society Day – Born of the simple idea of having fun as you age, this wonderful group of ladies has only been around for about 15 years and in that time they have grown in number from one to thousands all over the country. Ladies 50 and up wear red hats and purple clothes (the clashing is on purpose) and Ladies under 50 wear pink hats and lavender clothes. http://www.redhatsociety.com/

Yom HaZikaron – This is a day of remembrance for Israeli fallen soldiers since 1860 and victims of terrorism and is also known as Israel's official Memorial Day.

Take Our Daughters & Sons To Work Day – For twenty years now the goal of this day is to help strengthen the connections between work and education and the relationships between parents and their children. This day is primarily for children between 8 and 18 years old.

To celebrate today arrange for your kids to meet other kids on either the east or west side of town depending on where you live. Then, while they are playing, go online and buy some mosquito screens and ship them off to Africa. Then send some of your DNA off to be sequenced and head to the hairstylist where he/she will be happy to hear all about your day so far. Top off your new hair with a pink or red hat, depending on your age and take your son or daughter to work with you this afternoon. On the way home from work, stop at the nearest zoo and take a peek at the penguins. When you get home, thank the plumber who has been working for hours trying to fix your leaky plumbing.

April 24, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Pigs-in-a-Blanket Day – Bite sized sausages or hot dogs wrapped in dough, these are commonly served as hors d'oeuvres at a party.

Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day – Between 1915 and 1918, some 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks. Turkey remembers events differently and disputes the validity of this day. The Armenians keep this day going not out of a desire for revenge but out of a desire for recognition and remembrance. Particularly since Turkey continues to deny that it ever happened.

Administrative Professionals Day or Secretary's Day – This is a day to recognize the hard work of receptionists, secretaries, administrative assistants, and other administrative support personnel. Without the support, the management of almost any company would not be able to function.

International Guide Dogs Day – Celebrated on the last Wednesday of April, this is a day to celebrate the important roll guide dogs play in maintaining the independence and mobility of people with a wide range of disabilities. It started out in the late 1920's with Dorothy Eustis, who had heard about the possibility of training dogs for this purpose from a school in Pottsdam, Germany, that went out of business after World War I. She wrote an article about it which Morris Frank, a blind man from Nashville, heard about and it went from there. Mr. Frank was the first blind man to have a seeing eye dog and he went on to create a training program here in the states that is still going today.

International Size Acceptance Day – This is a day to accept yourself no matter what size you are. This day is sponsored by the International Size Acceptance Association and was begun in 1998.

To celebrate today, first, accept yourself for who you are regardless of what size clothing you wear. Once you have accomplished that, bring your Administrative Assistant (or if you don't have one, borrow someone else's) some pigs-in-a-blanket to snack on while you tell him/her about the Armenian Genocide. Then, keep your eyes open until you spot a guide dog. These are working dogs, so don't touch or in any way disturb them, but you can give their owner a treat to give them later and you can tell them that they are good dogs. Dogs like that kind of praise.

April 23, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Cherry Cheesecake Day – If you love cheesecake, here's a recipe you can try. http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/cherry-cheesecake

National Lovers' Day – Less well known, hyped up and expensive than Valentine's Day. This is a day to appreciate your lover with a picnic and a bottle of wine, or a cozy night on the couch eating chips, or a moonlit stroll on the beach holding hands. Whatever it is the two of you like to do together, this is the day to do it.

National Zucchini Bread Day – One of my kid's favorites. They hate zucchini, but if I put it in a bread product with lots of sugar, suddenly it's ok. Call me suspicious, but I wonder if it's more because of the sugar than the zucchini.

Take A Chance Day – Prepare yourself because today you will be moving outside of your comfort zone. It means different things to different people but whatever it is you are comfortable doing, do the opposite today. Take a chance and expose yourself to new experiences.

World Laboratory Day – Sometimes it seems like we live in one giant laboratory. The ones in the schools where our children are learning different sciences. The forensic laboratories that the police use to solve crimes. The medical laboratories where diseases are studied in the hopes of finding cures or blood samples are studied so we can find out what is wrong with us. I could go on and on but you'll stop reading so I won't.

National Teach Your Children To Save Day – If we do not want to raise the next group of debtors, we need to teach our children how to save their money. Many financial institutions visit schools on this day to talk to the kids about how important it is.

Talk Like Shakespeare Day – England's National Poet, and one of the greatest poets and playwrights ever. Today you should grab one of his works and bone up on your Shakespearian language skills because you will be talking like one today on the anniversary of his death in 1616.

World Book and Copyright Day (International Day of the Book) – The day was officially begun in 1995, but in 1932, Spanish booksellers connected this day to the date of the burial of author Miguel de Cervantes according to the Gregorian Calendar. Then England jumped in and decided that they would indeed celebrate this holiday but it was because Shakespeare died on this day according to the Julian Calendar. However, the interesting thing is that because of the use of different calendars by the different countries, the two men seem to have died on the same day, but Shakespeare actually died 11 days after de Cervantes.

To celebrate today, get out your favorite Shakespeare play and bone up on your Shakespearian language because that is how you will communicate with people today. It will make teaching your children about saving their money a challenge, but take a chance and go for it while you ply them with zucchini bread to get them to sit still long enough to listen. Then, read them your favorite Shakespeare play so they can enjoy him as well. Next, you can turn your kitchen into a laboratory while you mix certain ingredients, apply heat where appropriate in order to change the chemical composition of the original ingredients and magically create a cherry cheesecake that you can later share with your lover while you snuggle on the couch watching a movie.

April 22, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Jelly Bean Day – I, for one, love jelly beans. I always have them in the house around Easter time, they don't last long so I don't have anymore but since it's a special day, I think I'll get some more.

Earth Day – This year the theme is about the Faces of Climate Change and they will feature related images at thousands of events throughout the world. http://www.earthday.org/2013/

Chemists Celebrate The Earth Day – This is a day for chemists, chemistry teachers and chemistry students to show the world the positive role that chemistry plays in saving the environment for future generations.

Girl Scout Leader Day – This is a day of appreciation for all the volunteers who work with the Girl Scouts as leaders or mentors. The organization could not exist without all of these wonderful helpers.

“In God We Trust” Day – On this day in 1956, President Eisenhower signed a law declaring “In God We Trust” to be our nation's motto.

International Mother Earth Day – This day is all about recognizing our responsibility to promote harmony and balance with nature and the Earth to meet the social, economic and environmental needs of our future generations.

To celebrate today, gather all of the Girl Scouts in your troop (or borrow a troop if you don't personally have one) and give them jelly beans to snack on as you help them help the earth by cleaning garbage in playgrounds and on the side of the road. Then you can take all that garbage and find a chemist who can teach them how to chemically alter that garbage into fuel for the vehicles you will one day create if you trust in God enough.

April 21, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Chocolate-Covered Cashews Day – I love cashews but oddly enough, I didn't know they came covered with chocolate. I will have to seek some out.

Kindergarten Day – Today we celebrate the birthday of Friedrich Froebe who was born on this day 1782 and started the first kindergarten in 1837. It was a very popular concept but the government chose to stop it in 1851. A year later Friedrich died and so wasn't able to see that his idea was resurrected in Germany in 1860 and in 1873 the first public kindergarten was opened in St. Louis Missouri

National Drive It Day – Always on the Sunday nearest to April 23^rd, this day celebrates April 23, 1900 and the 64 cars that left London and embarked upon the Thousand Mile Trial. Forty-six of the cars finally returned to London on May 12^th. Don't forget that back then cars were very new and not accustomed to traveling that far. Hence the 18 cars that didn't make it back in time to be counted in the trial. http://www.national-awareness-days.com/national-drive-it-day.html

To celebrate today, drive your kids to kindergarten and then spend the rest of the day munching on chocolate-covered cashews.

April 20, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Pineapple Upside-down Cake Day – This is a fun cake to make but somehow I never manage to make it without it breaking somehow when I flip it over to get it out of the pan.

Look Alike Day – Did you know that you look just like Jennifer Aniston? Really, I swear! I think everyone looks like someone else. I found someone in Texas years ago that looked just like my sister. No one else thought so, but she really did!

Volunteer Recognition Day – This is a day to honor the thousands and thousands of volunteers who spend so much of their time helping others in a myriad of ways every day.

Auctioneers Day – A day to reflect on one of the oldest professions in history and to celebrate its' future. Today we have online and in person auctions to participate in, maybe in a hundred or so years we will be able to participate holographically.

Husband Appreciation Day – Celebrated on the third Saturday of April, this is a day to appreciate your husband if you have one. Do something nice for him today, be extra sweet and maybe make his favorite dinner.

Record Store Day – Also celebrated on the third Saturday of April, this day was created in 2007 by Eric Levin, Michael Kurtz, Carrie Colliton, Amy Dorfman, Don Van Cleave, and Brian Poehner to celebrate the art of music. This day is recognized world wide with musical artists of all kinds participating in special appearances, performances, meeting fans, and special releases of CDs.

 

Spring Astronomy Day – Begun in 1973 by Doug Berger, President of the Astronomical Association of Northern California. The original plan was to set up telescopes in urban locations so people who did not normally get to spend much time looking at the stars could do so on this special day. This day is now sponsored by a variety of astronomical groups and is a day for interaction between regular people and astronomy enthusiasts.

International Marconi Day – At first glance, I thought this was Macaroni Day too, but it is most definitely not. Born on April 25, 1874, Guglielmo Marconi played an enormous role in the invention of wireless telegraphy. In other words, we have radio capability because of him. We celebrate his birthday on a Saturday close to his birthday with amateur radio events going on all over the world.

To celebrate today, keep your ham radio on all day so you don't miss anything. Then volunteer to make a pineapple upside down cake for your husband to enjoy while he looks at the stars through the telescope you found for him at an auction, and listens to his favorite music. You are sure that is your husband, right? You never know, it could be a look alike who is impersonating him to get a piece of cake.

April 19, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Garlic Day – These seasoning powerhouses do more than keep away the vampires. They have been used to season food for over 6,000 years according to this website: http://www.nationalgarlicday.com/ It has well known and proven health benefits as well as being rich in vitamins and minerals. It also has a great side benefit of helping to get rid of unwanted boyfriends/girlfriends. All you have to do is eat enough of it.

National Day Of Silence – This is a day to take a vow of silence of some kind to take a stand and make a statement against bullying, specifically against bullying the GLBT community. Bullying anyone for any reason is just wrong. You don't have to agree with the choices other people make, or the lifestyles they live, you can even flat out disagree with them, but no one has the right to bully, or persecute anyone for those choices or lifestyles. On this day, if you are a student you are encouraged to inform your teachers ahead of time about your vow of silence but you must know that during classroom instruction time, if a teacher requires you to vocally participate in any way, you must do so. Some teachers, if they know ahead of time, might support your stand, but not all will and so you need to be prepared to suspend your vow of silence during classroom time. http://www.dayofsilence.org/content/getinformation.html

John Parker Day – On this day in 1775, John Parker, a farmer, mechanic, soldier and Captain of the Massachusetts Militia, commanded his men at the famous Battle of Lexington. Although, his men either didn't hear him or they ignored his command to disperse and let the British go through, and someone, either a Militiaman or a British soldier, ignored the command to hold their fire and started the battle with a single gunshot. He is credited with saying, “Stand your ground. Don't fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.” It is interesting to note that John Parker was sick with Consumption at that time and died a few months later.

National Hanging Out Day – Do you have a clothesline? Well, if not, you might want to hang one up today because this is a day to focus on conserving energy and saving money by hanging out your clothes to dry instead of using a dryer. This day was created by a group called Project Laundry List and they got together with lots of other organizations to promote this day so I'm sure you'll hear about it from other sources as well. http://www.laundrylist.org/programs/education/70-national-hanging-out-day

Oklahoma City Bombing Commemoration Day – On this day in 1995, a truck bomb exploded next to the Alfred P. Murrah federal building killing 168 people, including 19 children, and injuring hundreds more. Two people were responsible, ( I will not name them because I don't want their names to be remembered, it would be far better to remember the names of the victims.) one was executed, and one is serving life in prison.

To celebrate today, make your vow of silence and don't say anything to anyone all day (unless you have to go to school and talk to your teachers). Then, wash your laundry and hang it out to dry. Make sure you do this early so it has plenty of time to dry. Next you can have a silent reenactment of the Battle of Lexington in your backyard, you can be John Parker. For dinner have something with lots of garlic in it.

April 18, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Animal Crackers Day – Begun in 1902 by the company now known as Nabisco, these crackers were originally called Barnum's Animals.

Newspaper Columnists Day – On this day in 1945, Ernie Pyle was killed. He was a well-known and well-respected newspaper columnist who was covering World War II. He lived with the soldiers, saw what they saw, ate what they ate, felt what they felt, and was killed by a Japanese sniper.

Adult Autism Awareness Day – This is a day to recognize the challenges of adults who live with autism and the difficulties many of them have maintaining employment and independence.

Get To Know Your Customers Day – Yes, you're right! We had this day in January already. However, you will see it again twice more this year because it is celebrated on the third Thursday of every quarter as a reminder to business owners about how important it is to know who your customers are and what their needs might be.

National Golf Day – A golf industry group called We Are Golf created this group after Hurricane Katrina relief efforts helped other sports but excluded help for golf courses and related businesses. Their goal is to convince the world that golf is a sport that is just as important as any other sport.

Pet Owners Independence Day – On this day, you get a day off from work and your pet goes in to the office and does your work for you. Sounds like a deal to me. I wonder what my boss will say when my dog walks in instead of me.

National High Five Day – There are lots of different stories trying to tell the origins of this congratulatory gesture so there is really no way to know who first used it and why but it is definitely a part of our culture now and you see it happening everywhere.

International Amateur Radio Day – On this day in 1925, the International Amateur Radio Union was founded. It has evolved a great deal since that time but is still just as popular.

Poem In Your Pocket Day – Another day to celebrate poetry, this time you need to take a poem you like and keep it in your pocket today so you can pull it out and read it whenever you feel the urge.

Support Teen Literature Day – Teen literature has changed a bit since I was a teen. But I love the books that my daughter reads, I'm usually anxious for her to finish so I can read them next.

National Ask An Atheist Day – Celebrated on the third Thursday of April, this is a day to ask an atheist anything you want about their beliefs, or rather, unbeliefs. They don't wish to be yelled at or chastised or converted, but will gladly participate in a civilized discussion.

To celebrate today, send your pet to work and you can have the day to do all this celebrating. First, grab a box of animal crackers to stick in your pocket because you'll be hungry later. Then find your favorite poem and put that in your pocket too. Next, get on your ham radio and ask everyone for their recommendations for teen books that your teen (or you) might like to read. Next head to the golf course where you can high five everyone who finishes the game. You'll be there a while so I hope you brought the newspaper so you can read all of the columnists' work. Next, head to your favorite store and chat with the owner so he/she has a chance to get to know you. On the way home, try to imagine how difficult it would have been to do all that if you had Autism.

April 17, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Haiku Poetry Day – Poetry lovers everywhere rejoice! Today is a day to celebrate the Haiku form of poetry. http://www.thehaikufoundation.org/national-haiku-poetry-day/

National Cheeseball Day – My husband loves a good cheeseball to have with his crackers at a party. I'm sure all of you cheese lovers do too.

Blah, Blah, Blah Day – This is a day to do all the things that you have been asked to do but don't remember because you tuned out the asker and didn't really listen when they gave you the list.

International Bat Appreciation Day – Created by http://smileybat.com/holidays/ and sponsored by Bat Conservation International, this is a day to admire everything about bats, including the fact that they eat insects. This day may be changing to November 1^st.

Ellis Island Family History Day – This day was officially proclaimed by the nation's governors “to recognize the achievements and contributions to America by Ellis Island immigrants and their descendents.” This day was first celebrated in 2001 when the American Family Immigration History Center at Ellis Island was opened. http://www.ellisisland.org/Eiinfo/Press_HISTORY_DAY.asp

Ford Mustang Day – On this day in 1964, Henry Ford II unveiled the first Ford Mustang at the World's Fair in Flushing Meadows, NY. That same day, they were put up for sale at Ford showrooms around the country and 22,000 were sold. 400,000 were sold within a year.

National Bookmobile Day – Begun in 2010, this is a day to celebrate the contributions of the nation's bookmobiles for people who do not have easy access to books, and the people who make them possible.

Nothing Like A Dame Day – I couldn't find out much information about this day, but it seems to be a day to celebrate the “Dame's” of old black and white movies.

To celebrate today, fire up your old Ford Mustang and head to Ellis Island to tour the History Center. While you're there, see if you can get up into the Statue of Liberty and go all the way to the top (you might need to sweet talk the guards by talking like a Dame.) Then you can see if there are any bats living up there. Let me know, will you please? Use the view from the top to inspire you to write a Haiku poem about the Statue. Then look for a bookmobile on your way home so you can pick up a book for your kids to read while you work on the chore list that you didn't make.