August 1, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Raspberry Cream Pie Day – Yesterday's raspberry theme continues with this cool and refreshing dessert.

Girlfriend's Day – Today is a day to celebrate girlfriends. It doesn't matter if you're talking about a special female love interest or a bunch of gal pals. Show them today how much you care about them.

Lughnasa - Celebrated by the Irish and Scottish, this is a day that began as a harvest festival and continues today with festivals, bonfires and dancing. It is also a popular day to begin handfastings which are trial marriages. After a year and a day the couple has the option of ending the relationship or formalizing it into a lasting marriage.

National Minority Donor Awareness Day – Begun in 1996 with the goal of raising awareness among ethnic groups on all the issues related to organ, tissue and blood donations among minorities. The hope was to promote healthy living among minorities and to ultimately increase the number of minority donors. More than half of the people on the transplantation waiting list are minorities so it is very important for minorities to be involved in donations because they have a much better chance of being a good match for another member of their minority.

Respect For Parents Day – This is a day to be aware of how respectful you are to your parents. Sometimes when we get aggravated at people we need a little reminder about how important it is to be kind, respectful and most important of all, patient with all of our elders but particularly with our parents. 

Rounds Resounding Day – Do you remember singing Row, Row, Row Your Boat in a round when you were younger? I think most of us did that at some point with that song or with another one. For the non-musically inclined among us, a round is when a group of people sing a song together but each person starts the song at a different time (or if you have a large group, divide into small groups and each group would start at a different time). So the first person would sing “Row, row, row your boat” and as that person starts the next line with “gently”, the second person would start singing “Row, row, row your boat” and the rest would follow in that staggered pattern. If done well, it sounds good so practice with your family today.

Yorkshire Day – This is a day to celebrate the English county of Yorkshire. On this day in 1834, slaves in the British Empire were freed and also on this day in 1759 the Battle of Minden was fought and won by the British during the Seven Years' War.

Spider-Man Day – Spider-Man first appeared in comics in 1963 and has continued with varying degrees of popularity until this year. I couldn't find a reason why this day was chosen to celebrate him but since it was dig out some old comics or buy some new ones and read all about his adventures.

World Wide Web Day – I'm not sure why today was chosen to celebrate the World Wide Web. As far as I can tell, it should be on August 6^th since that is the day in 1991 that the WWW was open to the public. But in any case, get on the web today and look to see how far we have come in just 22 years.

World Scout Scarf Day – This is a Boy Scout celebration. Celebrations today call for all scouts, whether they are active or former, to wear their scout scarfs in public today. The scarf is a symbol of the scout promise and for the scout mission to leave the world a little bit better than they found it. Sounds like a great mission to me.

To celebrate today, dig out your scout scarf, if you have one, and wear it today. If you don't have one, keep your eye out for scouts who are wearing their scarves today and ask them about their scouting experiences. Then invite them and your parents and your girlfriend(s) and anyone you can find that is from Yorkshire County and invite them to your house for a Lughnasa celebration. Get on the web and find out what kind of food is usually served at one of these celebrations and supplement it with raspberry cream pie. Make sure you organize everyone so you can sing some rounds and pass out Spider-Man comic books. Finally, go around your neighborhood seeking out minorities so you can talk to them about the importance of donations to their minority groups.

July 31, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Raspberry Cake Day – I have never had a raspberry cake before but now I can't think why. I'll have to change that today.

Cotton Candy Day – Is celebrated on this day and on December 7^th. Since cotton candy is really a summertime treat, I assume (but was not able to confirm) that the reason is that in the northern hemisphere it is summer today and in the southern hemisphere, December 7^th is summer weather.

Jump for Jelly Beans Day – This is a day to enjoy the many varieties of flavors of jelly beans. I'm not sure why jumping is included unless it is because we jump for joy when we get to eat them.

Uncommon Instruments Awareness Day – This is a day to celebrate musical instruments. But not your every day, ordinary flutes, violins, pianos and guitars. This is a day to celebrate the ones you don't see every day like the dulcimer or clackamore, handpan, clapsticks, marimba, and nose flute.

Mutt's Day – Not to be confused with National Mutt Day on December 2^nd. This is, however, a day to celebrate a much maligned canine. Many people disparage the mutt and look for a purebred dog. However, it has been proven that mutts can be a blend of traits from different kinds of dogs that may suit your family better than a purebred. Plus, they usually have fewer health problems than purebreds do so don't discount a mutt before you get to know him/her better.

To celebrate today, find some uncommon instruments and play them for your mutt, or your neighbor's mutt if you don't have one. Then prepare for a sugar rush because you will be eating raspberry cake, cotton candy and jelly beans for dessert tonight.

July 30, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Cheesecake Day – The flavor of the cheesecake is not specified so I think it would be acceptable to have whatever flavor you wish.

International Day Of Friendship – This day has been declared the official International Friendship Day by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 2011, however some countries choose to celebrate this day on the first Sunday in August. This day was begun by the greeting card industry in the 1920's in the United States, but it didn't do well because people thought it was a pretty obvious ploy to sell greeting cards. It never really gained popularity but it never really went away either. Then with the spread of the internet and mobile phone technology, it has spread to other countries who have adopted the sentiment behind the day wholeheartedly.

Paperback Book Day – On this day, in 1935, Penguin Books published its first paperback book. While there had been other paper covered books before, they were considered poor quality books to say the least such as dime novels. This one in 1935 was the first respectable book to be printed inexpensively in this manner.

Health Care Now! Medicare's Birthday – On this day, Medicare turns 48 years old. According to the following website, it is the nation's most popular social program and has been providing healthcare to millions of people who would not otherwise be able to afford healthcare at all. http://www.healthcare-now.org/campaigns/single-payer-rally

Father-In-Law Day – This is a day to honor your father-in-law. Hopefully you have a good relationship with yours so call him up today or go see him if you can and wish him a very happy father-in-law day.

National Support Public Education Day – There is a petition out there on change.org that is attempting to gather support to ask the President of the United States to declare this day National Support Public Education Day. The petition was begun by the SOS Million Teacher March Organization in an effort to convince the government that public education needs the kind of support that a special day like this can give.

To celebrate today, call up your extensive list of friends and your father-in-law and invite them over for a Support Public Education Party. You can get all of them to sign the petition while they are there at your house. Each person should bring a paperback book to swap with someone else. Serve cheesecake to your guests and make sure they all know that when they are 65 or become disabled, they can sign up for Medicare.

July 29, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Lasagna Day – Delicious layers of pasta and cheese and whatever else you like to put in your lasagna. I prefer a meat filled lasagna but vegetables are good too.

Rain Day – The history of Rain Day is too involved for me to get into here so I will post a site where you can read all about it. I will simply say that it involves rain, betting, hats, celebrities and a Rain Day Prophet. http://www.raindayfestival.com/history.html

National Chicken Wing Day – Proclaimed in 1977 by Mayor Stan Makowski of Buffalo, NY, this day has been celebrated with enthusiasm every year since. Apparently the people in Buffalo REALLY love their chicken wings and eat thousands of them every week. That is why they are sometimes called Buffalo wings.

Cheese Sacrifice Purchase Day – It looks like your goal today is to catch some mice so you need to sacrifice some cheese for bait. I don't have an mouse to catch, thank goodness. If you do, better get some good cheese so they are very tempted.

Anniversary of the Army Chaplain Corps – Celebrating it's 238^th year of supporting the faith of the armed forces with an incredibly diverse group. There are a little less than 3,000 chaplains from about 130 different faith groups including a Hindu chaplain and two Buddhist chaplains who signed on a couple of years ago. I had no idea they supported that many different faiths. They also have Muslims, Orthodox, Jewish, as well as the standard Catholic and Christian denominations.

To celebrate today, bet someone a hat that it will rain today, then get some chicken wings and take them to the nearest Army base to share with the local Chaplain. Lasagna is for dinner tonight and don't forget to bait your mouse traps with cheese before you go to bed.

July 28, 2013

Today we celebrate:

Auntie's Day – Yes, I know we just had Aunt and Uncle Day a couple of days ago, but this is a day just for Aunts. This is the fifth year for this celebration. I couldn't find a reliable source for the origin of this day but most of us have at least one Aunt that we love dearly, or maybe you are one. So give her a call today and tell her how much you love her.

National Milk Chocolate Day – People have been making and eating some form of chocolate since around 1000 B.C. So it's no wonder so many of us love it. It's a part of our history. Milk chocolate is one of the sweeter varieties since it's just chock full of sugar, milk, cocoa butter and cocoa liquor.

Anne Hutchinson Memorial Day – Celebrated every July on a Sunday near Anne's baptism day, July 20, 1591. This is a day to honor this incredible woman who had somewhere around 15 children, was a religious leader and spiritual leader for women in Boston. She helped lay the groundwork for the free speech and religious tolerance that we, as American's, hold so dear. It didn't go over so well with the Puritans she lived with at the time. Some consider her to be the first American feminist.

Buffalo Soldiers Day – Started in 1992 by the United States Congress, this is a day to commemorate the first regular Army regiment of African-American soldiers formed on this day in 1866. Now in case you are confused by this because I'm sure you know that African-American regiments fought in the Civil War several years prior to this, the difference is that they were not permanent regiments. This day is typically celebrated with reenactments, and museum programs, prayer services and other assorted memorials.

Parents' Day – This is a day to celebrate your parents or celebrate being a parent. We wouldn't be here without our parents so show them how much you appreciate their love and support over the years. And, just to be clear, it doesn't matter if your parents are biological or if you got them in some other manner. Biology doesn't make a parent, love does.

World Hepatitis Day – Celebrated for the last 6 years, this is a day to understand this disease and spread awareness of it around the world as well as how to avoid becoming infected and what to do if you already have it. Hepatitis B and C are considered “silent” viruses because they do not present obvious symptoms, but if you do not get the proper treatment, they can lead to life threatening complications with your liver. Both of these viruses are spread through blood to blood contact although Hepatitis B can also be spread through other body fluids. http://www.worldhepatitisalliance.org/AboutViralHepatitis/What_is_Viral_Hepatitis.aspx

To celebrate today, call up your Aunts and tell them about Anne Hutchinson's accomplishments, then go visit your parents and take them to a Buffalo Soldiers reenactment. While you are watching or better yet, participating, share some milk chocolate with them. On the way home, stop by a doctor's office to ask about getting tested for Hepatitis.  

July 27, 2013

Today we celebrate:

Walk On Stilts Day – This is a day to practice walking on stilts. Stilt walking is an old and very entertaining method of transportation. Once you get good at it, you can cover distance faster than your regular old feet because you can take longer strides. And, until you get good at it, it is a great source of entertainment for those who are watching you learn how to walk on them.

National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day – Declared by the White House, this is a day to commemorate the 60^th Anniversary of the Korean War Armistice. There will be a special ceremony by the Department of Defense in Washington D.C. at 8am at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C.

National Day Of The Cowboy – Founded by the American Cowboy magazine in 2004, this is a day to promote our cowboy history and protect our Western heritage. This day is celebrated on the fourth Saturday of July.

National Dance Day – Begun by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton in 2010, this is a day to celebrate dancing and other forms of physical fitness in order to have a healthy lifestyle.

Barbie-in-a-Blender Day – This is an interesting day created by freeculture.org. This is an organization that “promotes the public interest in intellectual property and information & communications technology policy.” It was created when an artist, Tom Forsythe, was sued by Mattel for taking a picture of a Barbie doll in a blender. Mattel lost that one. And today you can celebrate your right of free speech by taking your own picture of a Barbie in a blender.

Paddle For Perthes Disease Awareness Day – Legg-Calve-Perthes disease is a disease that causes problems with the blood supply to the hips. Without enough blood, the bones break easily and do not heal well. So, to celebrate today, we don't use our legs much, hence the paddling. Paddle your canoe, or kayak or small boat or raft to show support for those who suffer from this disease. This day is celebrated on the last Saturday of July.

To celebrate today, grab your stilts and use them to lengthen your stride so you can make a quick trip to Washington D.C. by 8am for the ceremony at the Korean War Veterans Memorial. On the way home, borrow a cowboy's horse and herd a few cows on your way. Make sure you return the horse you borrowed because horse stealing is a serious offense. If you have to cross any rivers, rent a canoe or kayak or build a raft and paddle across. Don't worry, your horse can swim. When you get home, dance around your house while you take pictures of a Barbie doll in your blender.

July 26, 2013

To celebrate today,

National Bagelfest – All bagels, all day long today. Have as many as you can stand. Mix it up a little since bagels come in all kinds of flavors. You might even want to try your hand at making your own. I've done it and they've come out pretty good.

One Voice – On this day, the people of the world will unite and recite the Universal Peace Covenant in one voice. This is a day to unite spiritually as well as vocally in order to proclaim your dedication to achieving world peace.

All Or Nothing Day – This is a day to risk it all, this could be your last day on this planet, after all. You never know what the future will bring so live life like it's your last chance to do whatever it is you have been really wanting to do. Do not, however, be tempted to break any laws today because you could have quite a few years left in this life and you really don't want to spend them in jail.

Aunt And Uncle Day – This is a day to honor your parent's siblings. It is not an official day yet, but there is a movement in the works to try to make it one.

Lumberjack Day – created in 2005 by Marianne Ways and Colleen AF Venable, this is a day to behave like a lumberjack if you know what that type of behavior consists of. Apparently lumberjacks eat a lot of pancakes, talk differently and carry an ax wherever they go. http://www.lumberjackday.net/

National Talk In An Elevator Day – This is a day to gather your courage, take a deep breath, and....talk in an elevator. Normally, people riding in an elevator with strangers will stay silent which can sometimes feel awkward. So break the silence today.

System Administrator Appreciation Day – System Administrators make our working lives possible these days. You would be hard pressed to find any job that does not in some way rely on a computer system somewhere in order to function and system administrators are the ones who set up the systems, make sure they work properly, back up anything that needs to be backed up and upgrade anything that becomes out of date. Make sure you find one and thank him/her today. http://sysadminday.com/

To celebrate today, have a bagel and a bunch of pancakes for breakfast, then call all of your Aunts and Uncles and wish them a great day today in your best lumberjack voice. Then recite the Universal Peace Covenant before you call up all the system administrators you know and thank them for their hard work. Find a building with an elevator and ride up and down until you have company and be brave and talk to them. Don't worry if they act nervous about it, that's normal. Finally, risk everything to do something you have always wanted to do today like talking to that really cute man/woman who lives down the road (as long as you are both single).

July 25, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Hot Fudge Sundae Day – Does anyone really need an excuse to have a hot fudge sundae? Well, if you do, I've just given it to you.

Carousel Day or Merry-Go-Round Day – This is a day to celebrate Carousels. They were invented in 1871 by William Schneider and children and adults have enjoyed them ever since. Although the antique wooden carousels that were carved in the late 1800s and early 1900s are quickly becoming extinct.

Culinarians Day – This is a day for people who love food and love to cook. This kind of person is considered to be a chef whether it's a hobby or a living. This is not a day to simply cook. It is a day to create, or if you do not have that talent, it is a day to order and enjoy food made by those who create.

National Chili Dog Day – Well this day does not go very well with Culinarians Day, in my personal opinion. Chili Dogs do not quite qualify as food in my house, although my husband disagrees. If you feel the same, celebrate by eating one today. If you look, you may find some restaurants that will give you one free if you purchase something else.

Thread The Needle Day – This is a term that can either refer to sewing or to the fine line that is found between two difficult decisions. I'm unsure which we are celebrating today so feel free to use whichever suits your situation.

To celebrate today, find a carousel to take the children on, then treat them with a chili dog, if such can be considered a treat. Dinner tonight will be at an excellent restaurant near you and you can finish up the day with a relaxing sewing project.

July 24, 2013

Today we celebrate:

Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints Pioneer Day – This is a holiday in Utah that remembers the entry of Brigham Young and his group of Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley on this day in 1847. This day is celebrated by staging reenactments, dances, potlucks and pioneer games.

Cousins Day – This is a day to celebrate cousins. Find a way to spend some time with them today or talk to them and let them know how much you love them.

National Drive-Thru Day – This is a day to celebrate businesses that allow you to not ever get out of your car. Drive-thru restaurants, or drive-thru pharmacies, or even drive-thru stores in some areas, are some of the options you have open to you today. I hope your car is comfortable.

Amelia Earhart Day – Amelia was born on this day in 1897 in Kansas. She was only the 16^th woman to be issued a pilot's license. She became famous for being the first person to fly over both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Sadly, she was attempting to fly around the earth when she disappeared and was never seen again. The assumption is that she had plane trouble and went down somewhere in the ocean but there is a lot of mystery involved since many of her personal belongings have been found on various Pacific islands.

National Tequila Day – I'm told that tequila is very good and can be mixed into some delicious drinks. But when I was young, I saw a television show where a man drank tequila out of a dirty glass and there was a disgusting worm at the bottom of it. Even today the thought of drinking tequila turns my stomach. Call me crazy if you want to, I don't mind.

Tell An Old Joke Day – Laughter is a great medicine. Today is a day to get it working for you by telling an old joke to someone. Just make sure it's a good joke, and if you need to find someone who hasn't heard it before, try a neighborhood child for an audience. Well, as long is it isn't a dirty joke.

To celebrate today, get all of your cousins and your neighbors together to stage a reenactment of the day Brigham Young brought his pioneers to the Salt Lake Valley. If you have any Mormons in your group, double check the details with them so you can get it right. Hit a drive-thru at lunch time in order to get lunch for everyone. Then regal your children with the story of Amelia Earhart. Follow that up with an old joke and once they are all in bed and you are home for the night (and over the age of 21), have a drink with tequila in it to wrap up your evening.

July 23, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Vanilla Ice Cream Day – Some consider vanilla ice cream to be a rather bland and boring flavor, but I disagree. I love it because it can be paired with almost anything. I personally like to mix vanilla ice cream and butterscotch pudding.

Gorgeous Grandma Day – this is a day to give your gorgeous grandma a call and maybe even a visit if you can. Grandmas are precious and sometimes you don't realize how precious they are until they are gone. You never know how much time you have left with yours. Don't waste a moment of it.

Hot Enough For Ya Day – Yet another day created by the wellcat.com people, Thomas & Ruth Roy. This is a day that gives us permission to ask that ever present summer question that everyone asks when they can't think of anything else to say.

To celebrate today, take some vanilla ice cream with you when you go to visit your grandma. Make sure you ask her if it's hot enough for her.

July 22, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Hot Dog Day - The National Hot Dog & Sausage Council in the United States designated this day as National Hot Dog Day. They give advice on hot dog eating etiquette (who knew there was a hot dog eating etiquette?) and encourage the nation to have special hot dog eating contests and family friendly activities like face painting and wiener dog races in order to celebrate. And, of course, eat hot dogs.

Casual Pi Day – This day is also known as Pi Approximation Day because if you write the date the European way with the day first then then the month you get the fraction equivalent of pi (22/7).

Hammock Day – Today is a day to slow down, relax, and spend the day in your hammock. If you need to get some food or refresh your beverage, feel free to get up and do that but work of any other kind is strictly prohibited today.

National Penuche Fudge Day – This isn't really fudge, but it is fudge-like. It uses brown sugar and so it has a tan color and a caramel flavor. Many people like to mix in different kinds of nuts to enhance the flavor.

Rat-Catchers Day – This day is also celebrated on June 26^th and it is about commemorating the Pied Piper of Hamelin. The difference in dates is because the Brothers Grimm said that the Pied Piper led the children out of town on the 26^th of June 1284, but Robert Browning, who wrote a poem about it, gave it a date of July 22^nd, 1376. I suggest that if you have a problem with rats in your home, the rat-catcher is your very best friend and deserves two special days.

Spooners (Spoonerism) Day – This is a day to remember Reverend William Archibald Spooner, who was born on this day in 1844. Rev. Spooner was known for frequently slipping up and mixing up the beginnings of words, such as saying “swell foop” instead of the intended “fell swoop” and “queer old dean” instead of “dear old queen.” He did this so often that his name was used to describe this type of tongue tripping.

To celebrate today, set up your hammock and get ready for a hard day of relaxing. Make sure you have your phone with you when you lay down so you can call up your local rat catcher and wish him/her a great day. Then have some hot dogs and penuche fudge while you calculate pi out as far as you can without a computer handy. Finally, as you are falling asleep, think of all the spoonerisms that you can remember making in your lifetime.

July 21, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Creme Brulee Day – It appears that the British invented this dish at the University of Cambridge. Probably not all of the British, probably just a few of them, but I don't know which ones. So to make sure I don't miss whichever ones are responsible, I'll just thank everyone in this world that lays claim to even a drop of British blood. This is delicious.

National Junk Food Day – Normally we try to avoid junk food because we are trying to set a good example for our children. However, today feel free to have all the junk food you want for breakfast lunch and dinner. Tomorrow, it's back to eating healthy.

National Ice Cream Day – Celebrated on the third Sunday in July, this day was created by former President Ronald Reagan who saw how popular ice cream was (and still is) in this country. His direction was that this day should be observed with “appropriate ceremonies and activities.”

Legal Drinking Age Day – This day is a celebration of the establishment of the legal drinking age of 21 years old that was signed into law on July 17, 1984. If you are 21 years old or older, you may celebrated with an alcoholic beverage of your choice. However, I implore you to keep in mind that you do not have the right to risk your life or anyone else's life by driving while you are impaired by alcohol.

To celebrate today, throw a party at your house and serve junk food, ice cream and crème brulee. Then once everyone has left to go home, if you are 21 years old or older, have a glass of wine to celebrate the end of a great party.

July 20, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Lollipop Day – Everybody loves a lollipop. It doesn't seem to matter how old you are, they make you feel young again.

Moon Day – This is the fifth annual celebration of space exploration. Find an observatory or museum near you and see if they have any special events, exhibits, and activities today.

Toss Away the “Could Haves” and “Should Haves” Day – Celebrated on the third Saturday in July, this is a day to write down your “could haves” and “should haves” on a piece of paper and throw it away into the garbage. Make a resolution to never live in the past and wallow in your regrets. You can't change anything that has happened, you can only chose to make life better today.

National Woodie Wagon Day – Back in the 1940's and until 1951, car makers used wood to accent the outside of automobiles. Today we celebrate this American symbol of a casual lifestyle. I'm not too certain why this sort of decoration on your vehicle indicates a casual lifestyle so perhaps someone out there can enlighten me on this.

Ugly Truck Day – Although there is some disagreement about whether this day is celebrated today or June 20^th, it seemed that the most reliable looking information I found put it on this day. If you have an ugly, old truck sitting in your yard rusting slowly into nothingness, this is the day for you. If it will run, take it out for a drive and show it off today. If it won't run, take a picture of it and show it off to everyone you meet. Maybe you can join an ugly truck competition today. You won't have to look too hard in order to find one.

To celebrate today, take a picture of your ugly truck, make a bunch of copies, grab a bag of lollipops, decorate your car to look like a woodie wagon and drive around town handing out lollipops and truck pictures to everyone you meet. When you run out of lollipops and pictures, head to an observatory to join in the Moon Day celebrations. When you get tired of that, go home and write down all of your “could haves” and “should haves” and throw it into the trash. There don't you feel like a big weight has lifted off your shoulders?

July 19, 2013

Today we celebrate:

Flitch Day – A flitch is the meat cut from the side of an animal or fish. These days you usually only hear it when a side of salted or cured pork is being referred to as a flitch of bacon. There is a VERY old tradition (rarely heard of these days except in certain parts of England), that a married couple that can swear that they do not regret getting married for a year and a day after the wedding are given a flitch of bacon.

National Raspberry Cake Day – The perfect dessert to go with your bacon, don't you think?

To celebrate today, find out how much bacon is in a flitch and find a happily married (or at least not regretfully married) couple to give it to. Then treat yourself to some raspberry cake.

July 18, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Caviar Day – This is a very expensive, seafood delicacy. Caviar is the fancy word for fish eggs. True caviar is not just any fish's eggs, but only comes from sturgeon captured in the Caspian or Black Sea. It is so expensive because there are bans on fishing for this type of fish because of a dwindling supply. I say let the fish keep their eggs and live their lives. Surely we can find something more appetizing to eat.

Get To Know Your Customers Day – This is the day for the third quarter for all business owners to get to know their customers.

Nelson Mandela International Day – This is Nelson Mandela's birthday and was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2009 for the purpose of calling people all over the world to contribute to changing their communities and thereby changing the world, one community at a time.

To celebrate today, spend the day getting to know your customers and their likes and dislikes so you can meet their needs better than any other company. Splurge on some caviar for dinner to congratulate yourself on a job well done and brainstorm ways that you can change your community for the better.

July 17, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Peach Ice Cream Day – This is the perfect time of year for some fresh peach ice cream. I love peach ice cream but really only in the summer when the peaches are so delicious.

Wrong Way Corrigan Day – Douglas Corrigan, a pilot with a plane that seemed to be falling apart around him, flew nonstop from California to New York in July of 1938. Then, immediately after that, on this day in 1938, he filed plans to fly across the ocean but he was denied permission because authorities didn't believe his plane would be able to make the journey intact so instead he was given permission to fly back to the West Coast. So he took off pointed west and then a few moments later turned 180 degrees and disappeared into the clouds. He landed in Ireland 28 hours later and claimed that he got lost in the clouds and his compass didn't work. The authorities were not amused and suspended his license but the public thought it was very funny and called him “Wrong Way” Corrigan and he became a national celebrity.

Yellow Pig Day – Possibly created by Michael Spivak and David C. Kelly, when they were college students in the 1960's. They began listing interesting properties of the number 17 and created the yellow pig with 17 eyelashes in the process. Michael Spivak has written several math books since then with yellow pigs contained in the illustrations. Mathematicians sometimes refer to yellow pigs and some even have collections of yellow pigs. Events celebrating this day have been held by mathematicians since the 1960's, although sometimes they are held on May 17^th or September 17^th.

To celebrate today, go shopping and keep your eyes open for a yellow pig to bring home and share with your family. Make sure you deliberately go the wrong way at least once on the way home and then finish up the day with some delicious peach ice cream.

July 16, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Corn Fritter Day – When I make corn fritters, which my husband loves, I start out frying them and then finish them in the oven. Some people deep-fry them or just bake them or pan-fry them all the way through. However you like it, enjoy it that way today.

National Personal Chef Day – We celebrated this on February 26^th as well since there is so much disagreement regarding which day it should be celebrated. I like the idea so much that I think it deserves two celebration days. Who wouldn't want a personal chef to come to their home and make dinner for them?

To celebrate today, have your personal chef make you some delicious corn fritters for dinner.

July 15, 2013

Today we celebrate:

National Tapioca Pudding Day – Tapioca is a starch from Manioc, which is a plant that is from Brazil but spread throughout South America, the West Indies, Africa and Asia by the Portuguese and Spanish explorers. It's gluten free and is used in cooking to thicken foods as well as to make delicious tapioca pudding.

National Be A Dork Day – There are many things that you can do that would be considered dorky by teeneagers, so if you need help figuring out how to celebrate today, ask yours or borrow a neighbors'. I'm sure they would be only too happy to help you as long as they don't need to have anything else to do with you today.

Global Hug Your Kid Day – This is a day that urges every mother and father all around the world to hug their children today and every day. This day is celebrated on the third Monday in July since 2008 when it was created by Michelle Nichols. Her son, Mark, died suddenly and tragically from brain cancer in 1998 at the very young age of 8 ½ years old. Do not miss one single opportunity to hug your child because with the fragile nature of life, you just never know when it will be the last hug you get or give.

Gummi Worm Day – a small,worm shaped, rubbery candy. It is one of my favorite candies to eat, in any shape, which my children know so they do not find it difficult to talk me into buying them when we see them in the store. I am trying to be strong, but since today is Gummi Worm Day, I think I am doomed before I even begin.

National Pet Fire Safety Day – Every family should have a fire safety plan. Installing smoke detectors and making sure they are working is a big part of that. But you should also have a plan for your pets. There are many good ideas here: http://www.petmeds.org/petmeds-spotlight/national-pet-fire-safety-day/#.UcZtouzD-Uk

National Get Out Of The Doghouse Day – I'm not sure why the doghouse is the designated spot for people in trouble with their family members, but for whatever reason it is. The goal today is for the whole country to get out of the doghouse. Say something nice, do something nice, beg for forgiveness, whatever you need to do, do it and resume your happy life.

Saint Swithin's Day – Swithin was the Bishop of Winchester from somewhere around 853 A.D. Until his death sometime between 862 and 865. He is now the patron saint of Winchester Cathedral. He is known for great posthumous miracles. Today is his feast day and a well known tradition in England is that whatever the weather is today, it will continue for the next 40 days. So if it's raining today, break out the life jackets because you know what happened the last time it rained for 40 days.

Tish B'Av – This is an annual fast day in Judaism that commemorates the destruction of the First Temple and the Second Temple in Jerusalem. The second was destroyed 655 years after the first, but on the same Hebrew calendar date. The fast begins at sundown.

To celebrate today, you don't need to worry about food since you will be fasting so instead, hug your kids and then ask them to help you dork it up today. If necessary, you can bribe them with gummi worms to get them to help you. Next, check the weather so you can make your plans for the next forty days. Then get your family together to help you create a fire safety plan, because that's a very good idea. If you have pets, make sure you plan for them as well. If you don't have pets, you probably have a stuffed animal or two around that you can use to pretend you do have pets. Then, do whatever you have to do to get out of the doghouse with whichever family member is mad at you. You know there's at least one. Maybe you can give them some tapioca pudding as incentive to forgive you.