June 1, 2014

Today we celebrate:

World Milk Day – First celebrated in 2001, this is a day to focus attention on milk and the benefits the world receives from milk. It is an important source of calcium which is good for maintaining strong bones. Let's appreciate the dairy farmers who look after their cows every day as well. Cows have to eat, and be cared for, every day so that they are healthy and give good quality milk and so farmers don't get many days off.  Some countries have chosen to celebrate this day either a week before or a week after today.

National Hazelnut Cake Day – Hazelnut adds a nutty flavor to any already delicious cake and turns the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Flip a Coin Day – Some of the most important decisions in our lives are decided by a flip of the coin. I wouldn't pick a spouse that way, but picking a vacation spot or deciding who washes the dishes...you bet!

Heimlich Maneuver Day - Invented by Dr. Henry Heimlich in 1974, the Heimlich Maneuver is standard practice for saving someone who is choking.  There are posters in just about every cafeteria in the United States with directions on how to perform this life saving move.

National Go Barefoot Day - This is a day that was created by Soles4Souls for the purpose of donating gently used or new shoes to people who have lost everything because of natural disasters.  There have been a lot of that going around in the world in the last few years.  Countless numbers of people have lost everything and had to start over with nothing.  Shoes may seem like a small thing, but if you don’t have any, it becomes huge.

Say Something Nice Day – Four years ago, Mayor Keith Summey of North Charleston declared this day for the purpose of spreading healthy and positive communication. The plan is to start with saying positive things to yourself, then move on to smiling at everyone you see, graduating to contacting a friend you haven't talked to in a while and finally, writing a love letter to someone you love.

Stand for Children Day – Founded by Jonah Edelman in 1996, this is a day full of rallies organized by Stand For Children (an American education advocacy group) for the purpose of supporting our nation's children.  You don’t have to have children to participate, there are children almost everywhere you go in your community, we need to work together to do whatever we can to make them safe and keep them healthy.

To celebrate today, use milk in your hazelnut cake, then say all kinds of nice things to the barefoot children in your neighborhood that you are vigilantly working to keep safe today.  Next, flip a coin to decide which restaurant you will go to for dinner where you can keep a sharp eye on the other diners so you are ready to jump in with the Heimlich maneuver if someone starts choking.

May 31, 2014

Can you hear me? How about now? We're ready to celebrate:

Save Your Hearing Day – This is a day to focus on a very important sense, our ability to hear. For as long as I can remember, young people have been determined to destroy this sense as quickly as possible. Probably something to do with knowing that they will one day have very loud children and so they know already that there will come a day when they will be glad that the noise is somewhat muffled. Or, maybe it is simply because they like loud music. Who doesn't? I like to crank up my radio when I'm alone in the house too, but I also have to endure the many complaints of my family members that I should get my ears checked because I can't hear diddlysquat. Which is nonsense. Who wants to hear diddlysquat anyway?

World No Tobacco Day – This is a day for absolutely everyone to spread the word any way they can that tobacco can cause many health problems. Some ideas include: working on banning tobacco advertising, holding anti-smoking meetings, going into schools and telling kids how bad tobacco is, stopping people in public places and encouraging them to stop smoking, holding public marches and demonstrations. Because you never know, some people who have lived under a rock for the last twenty or so years, just might emerge today and be receptive to your information. You could save a life today.  The theme for this year is, “Raise Taxes on Tobacco”.

National Macaroon Day – Macaroons are cookies made with egg whites, sugar, ground almonds, coconut and maybe some chocolate. They do not use flour. They are also not to be confused with macarons, which are sandwich like treats filled with butter or jam. Have some macaroons today. These won't even mess up your gluten-free diet if you are on one.

Heat Awareness Safety Day – We had Heat Awareness Day last week.  This week we need to be aware of how we can be safe in the heat. Most of it is commonsense, such as making sure you drink enough water, stay out of the direct sun as much as possible, try to complete outside labors in the morning or evening when it's a little cooler, wear sunscreen, wear a hat, etc. The hard part is putting that knowledge into action. You know, this is a great opportunity to go have a glass of water. Yes, I'm talking to you.

What You Think Upon Grows Day – This is a day that is all about the power of positive thinking. Whatever you allow your mind to dwell on, will come to pass. If you persist in thinking about negative things, negative things will happen in your life. So anytime you start thinking negatively, push those thoughts right out of your head and replace them with positive thoughts. The more positive thoughts you have, the more positive things will happen in your life.

To celebrate today, throw away your tobacco and think only positive thoughts while you stay out of the heat, eat macaroons and lecture your children about saving their hearing.

May 30, 2014

Do you have a flower garden to take care of? Or even just a flower in a pot? Maybe you could invent a new way to get water to the garden that doesn't require that I hold a hose and stand there in boredom. And don't suggest a sprinkler. We have a sprinkler but it wastes water on things that don't need to be watered like the sidewalk and driveway so my husband doesn't like me to use it.

Water A Flower Day – Wow, I'm getting it from all sides today. My husband is always on my case because I remember to water my vegetable garden but I never think about the poor flowers. Usually because I'm in a hurry to get to work or get away from the mosquitos so I only water the “important” things. I know, I know, flowers are important too. Sheesh, I'll water them already.

Loomis Day – This is a day dedicated to people who think outside the box like Mahlon Loomis, a dentist and the inventor of artificial teeth in 1854, was also the earliest inventor of a wireless telegraph, which he patented on this day in 1872. His idea worked, but not for the reasons he thought. He was using kites with metal wires, instead of string, as antennas and thought that if the kites were flown at the same level in the atmosphere, the messages could be transmitted between them. It worked, but it worked because of the length of the wire, not the height of the kite. I don't understand it all, but I do know that Congress wasn't buying the whole concept so even though he got a patent for his idea, it didn't end up going anywhere. He may not have been totally successful, but his ideas sparked a trend that led to the technology we have today. http://www.carnetdevol.org/Wireless/loomis.html

To celebrate today, invent a new kind of flower and water it today or better yet, invent a new kind of watering system.

May 29, 2014

Today we celebrate:

Put A Pillow On Your Fridge Day – Back in the day before there were refrigerators, it was fairly common practice, or so I understand not being old enough to have experienced it, to put cloth in your larder as it was believed to bring good luck and prosperity to the family. Well, no one has a larder any more and not too many of us have piles of cloth lying around so we are encouraged to put a pillow on or in (if you have room) your refrigerator. If you do this, let me know if it works and you end up having good luck and great wealth.  And make sure you have a camera handy to capture the looks on the faces of your loved ones as they attempt to raid the fridge and find a pillow among the food.

Ascension Of Baha'u'Llah – On this day in 1892, Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Baha'i faith, died and ascended into Heaven. He left his followers teachings which he believed would lead all of humanity to a “true and abiding peace.” http://www.bahai.us/2012/05/28/baha%E2%80%99is-commemorate-ascension-of-baha%E2%80%99u%E2%80%99llah/

Learn About Composting Day – This is a day to learn about composting. The basic idea is to reuse our food scraps by collecting them in a compost bin and over time, turning them into compost which would make good, natural fertilizer.

National Coq Au Vin Day – Chicken and wine. Really, that is all this is. Have some chicken and wine for dinner tonight. Oh, you can follow a traditional recipe and make it all fancy if you want or have time. If not, any old chicken and wine will do.

International Day Of United Nations Peacekeepers - Keeping the peace is a difficult and dangerous job.  This is a day, declared by the United Nations, to remember and honor the United Nations Peacekeepers who have lost their lives to this cause.  The first UN peacekeeping mission was performed in 1948 and more than 3,200 have died in the years since then as a result of their pursuit of world peace.

End of Middle Ages Day – According to historians, this day in 1453 was the last day of the Middle Ages. I don't know about you but my first question was: How do they know that? Well, I'll tell you. May 29, 1453 was the day that Constantinople fell, marking the end of the Byzantine Empire. Goodbye, Middle Ages: Hello, Renaissance.

Ascension Day – Also known as the Feast of the Ascension, this day commemorates the bodily Ascension of Jesus Christ into Heaven and is celebrated by Christian Churches.

To celebrate today, put a pillow on your fridge, (if it's like mine, there is no room inside and who wants to do that anyway...although it might be amusing when the kids go in there to get a snack.). Next, find a middle ages costume to wear (maybe you can be a knight in shining armor) and head to the United Nations to cheer up the Peacekeepers. When you get home tonight, take some time to research the right way to compost and start a composting program for your house.  Have some chicken and wine for your feast of Ascension dinner while you explain about Baha'u'Llah to your family.

May 28, 2014

Today we celebrate:

Amnesty International Day – Amnesty International was founded in 1961 after an article was published on this day in 1961 by the The Observer entitled “The Forgotten Prisoners” by Peter Benenson. Amnesty's goal is to bring attention to the many cases of human rights abuse in the world and to bring pressure to governments whenever and wherever they can to try to get those abuses to end. The organization was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 1977 for its “campaign against torture,” as well as the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights in 1978.

Sierra Club Day – Founded on this day in 1892, with John Muir as its' first President and a membership of 182 charter members, this club has worked tirelessly to, as John Muir said, “do something for wildness and make the mountains glad.” This club now has more than a million members and is the oldest environmental organization in the U.S. http://www.sierraclub.org/history/origins/

World MS Day – Multiple Sclerosis is a neurological disorder that affects approximately 2 million people worldwide. It usually shows up in young adults so most people are diagnosed between the ages of 25 and 31. More women than men are affected. There is no cure and no one knows what causes it. The type and severity of the symptoms vary widely from person to person but can include weakness of limbs, dizziness, fatigue, tingling sensations, and vision disruptions among many others. Sometimes patients can be in remission and be symptom free for days to even years and then it will relapse. Others never get a period of remission. Some can live a reasonably healthy life for many years and others become severely debilitated very quickly and do not live long at all. There is no predicting the course of the disease in anyone. Find out more here: http://www.msif.org/

National Senior Health & Fitness Day – This day has been celebrated every year since 1993 with a goal of keeping older Americans healthy and fit. It is always celebrated on the last Wednesday in May and you will find events happening all over the world. The theme for this year is: “Make a Move Toward Better Health!”

To celebrate today, stay fit and keep moving by going to the nearest wilderness for a hike in John Muir’s honor after you gather some sponsors who will donate to the MSIF for each mile you hike.  Then rest your tired feet while you research online to find out what Amnesty International is up to and what you can do to help them.

May 27, 2014

Today we celebrate:

Sunscreen Day – This is a day to raise awareness of the importance of wearing sunscreen to protect your skin. It's also important to remember that you don't have to see the sun in order to be burned by the sun. I've gotten the worst sunburns of my life on cloudy days because those are the days you don't even think about needing sunscreen. Protect your skin and you will be less likely to get a melanoma.

Cellophane Tape Day – On this day in 1930, Richard Drew of the 3M company, received a patent for his invention of cellophane tape, also known as Scotch Tape or Invisible Tape or just Tape. I have a whole lot of this stuff in my house because I went a little crazy one day at BJ's and I will probably never have to buy it again. See if you can find a new way of using it today besides the tried and true old present wrapping standby. Last year I amazed my teenager by using cellophane tape to remove lint from her black shirt. I don't know what shocked her more; that it worked, or that I knew something she didn't know.

To celebrate today, tape bottles of sunscreen to every door so you and your family members remember to put some on before you go outside.

May 26, 2014

Let's make sure we honor our Veterans today:

Memorial Day – Celebrated on the last Monday in May, this is a United States Federal Holiday and is a day for remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It was originally known as Decoration Day, as I mentioned two days ago, and celebrations began shortly after the Civil War to commemorate both Union and Confederate soldiers who died in that war. It has since been extended to honor all Americans who died in all of the wars we have been involved in. Veteran's grave stones or crosses are typically decorated for this day with an American flag and sometimes with wreaths and flowers as well.

Fiji Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna Day - On the last Monday in May, the people of Fiji celebrate the life of one of their most important leaders, Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna.  He was a hero in WWI and then became a politician who helped Fiji gain independence from Great Britain.  He didn’t see that goal reached because he died on May 30, 1958, twelve years before independence was achieved.

National Blueberry Cheesecake Day – Any kind of cheesecake is delicious but if you're a fan of blueberries, which I am, then delicious becomes heavenly.

Sally Ride Day – On this day in 1951, Sally Ride was born. Sally, of course, became an astronaut when women just didn't do that, and in 1983, at 32 years old, became the first American woman to enter space and orbit the earth. She had another space flight in 1984 and between the two flights, spent more than 343 hours in space. She was the only person to serve on the investigation board for both the Challenger and the Columbia disasters and she formed her own company, Sally Ride Science that creates entertaining science programs for students, with an emphasis on girls. She died of pancreatic cancer in 2012.

To celebrate today, watch a local Memorial Day parade while you eat blueberry cheesecake and tell all the children in your vicinity about Sally Ride and her dedication to spreading a love of science among girls.  Then take a trip to Fiji to celebrate Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna.

May 25, 2014

Having your child added to the list of Missing Children has to be the worse thing in the world for a parent to have to endure.  Please take the time to look at this list of faces.  You  never know who might see someone they recognize.  http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2014/may/national-missing-childrens-day-2014

National Missing Children's Day – Begun in 1983, this day was created in the memory of Ethan Patz, a six year old boy who disappeared on this day in 1979.  He was never found.  Today we honor law enforcement officers who have performed above and beyond their call of duty in order to safely recover a missing child, or have helped a child who has been sexually exploited over the course of the year.

Towel Day – This day is a tribute to late author Douglas Adams. We are to celebrate by carrying a towel everywhere we go today. Fans of Adams' book, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, need no further explanation. For the rest of you, I will explain only that if you are an interstellar hitchhiker, or you want to be prepared in case you unexpectedly become one, you absolutely MUST have a towel with you. If you want to know more, read this marvelous and entertaining book.

National Tap Dance Day – This is a day to celebrate tap dancing. It was created by Carol Vaughn, Nicola Daval and Linda Christensen, and signed into law by President George H.W. Bush in 1989. It is also celebrated in a few other countries like Japan, Australia, India & Iceland. This day was chosen for celebrating tap dancing because it is the birthday of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson.

National Brown-Bag-It Day – This is a day to celebrate the simple brown bag that we all used to use to carry our lunches to school. These days we have fancier bags that keep things cold or warm but bringing your lunch to school or work is still called brown-bagging-it. I bring my lunch every day and if you don't you might want to consider doing so at least now and then. It's healthier, depending on what you pack, and it's definitely cheaper.

Nerd Pride Day or Geek Pride Day – This day was chosen for this particular celebration because on this day in 1977, the first Star Wars film, A New Hope, was released. The idea for today is to play up your unique geekness or nerdiness.

Cookie Monster's Birthday – A little confusion here with this day. Cookie Monster's birthday is really November 2nd, but the voice of Cookie Monster, Frank Oz, celebrates his birthday today. So have a cookie today in honor of the Cookie Monster's voice.

To celebrate today, wear a particularly geeky outfit today and make sure you have a towel and a bag lunch while you go out to pass out cookies and tap dance in the street to entertain the Missing Person’s division of your local law enforcement.

May 24, 2014

An easy day to celebrate today:

Julia Pierpont Day – Julia Pierpont is known for having the original idea for Memorial Day, which was first called Decoration Day, back in May of 1866. You can pay tribute today to Julia as well as our veterans by decorating veterans graves in order to prepare them for Memorial Day coming up in just two days.

National Escargot Day – This dish is a French delicacy that I have never been tempted to try since I know that the English translation is “snails”. Now before you run out back to find that snail you just saw the other day (they’re slow, he might still be there), be warned….these are not just any old snails that you might find in your garden because not all snails are edible. In my opinion, no snails are edible, but the French did not ask my opinion.

International Tiara Day – This day was first celebrated in 2005. The day was created by Barbara Bellissimo and seems to be related to bridal attire. Lynanne White received permission from Barbara to take over the day with the idea of making every woman feel like a princess. This particular day was chosen for the celebration because it is Queen Victoria's birthday.

To celebrate today, wear your tiara while you decorate veterans graves today before having a delicious dinner of escargot.

May 23, 2014

Today we celebrate superstition, chewiness, cuteness in a shell, fake hair, disease, skin and heat.  When you put it like that, they don't really seem like things that should be celebrated, do they?

Let's put it like this instead:

Lucky Penny Day – Pennies are made from copper, or at least they used to be, these days they are mostly zinc with a little bit of copper. Anyway, copper represented the Greek God Venus and the Greeks believed it could protect against evil and attract love. Therefore, finding a penny meant you were protected from evil and might find love soon. That is what makes them lucky. Keep your eyes peeled for pennies today, maybe they still have enough copper in them so that their power still works.

National Taffy Day – Taffy is soft, and chewy and can be many different flavors. See if you can find some today, it would make a great dessert.

Don't Fry Day – Celebrated on the Friday before Memorial Day, this is a day to think about saving your skin from the sun. Having fair skin, I have to be extra cautious about this and have turned into a sunscreen nazi, I have to admit. I time how long the kids have been in the pool and pull them out to dry off and reapply the sunscreen far more often than they like. But there are other things you should do besides applying sunscreen. See this website for more skin saving tips. http://skincancerprevention.org/programs/dont-fry-day

National Wig Out Day – Celebrated on the Friday before Memorial Day, this is a day to have fun. Put on a wig and try out a new hairstyle without risking your actual hair, or put on a wig and an alter ego and pretend to be someone else today.

Heat Awareness Day – While we all have at least a few days in the summer when we find the heat unbearable, sometimes we forget that heat kills hundreds of people every year. It's hard to believe it, but heat kills more people than tornadoes, floods, lightning, and hurricanes combined. There are things you can do to keep yourself safe when the temperature runs too high, make sure you know what those things are and do them. Also try to keep an eye on your elderly relatives or neighbors this summer. http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/heat/

World Crohn's and Colitis Day - Not to be confused with the World IBD Day back on the 19th, this day was created by Josh Golder in 2007 and is recognized by the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. Josh has Crohn's disease and is a prominent figure in the Crohn's community. This day is about bringing together people who have been affected by either disease as well as their friends and family to spread awareness of these diseases.

World Turtle Day – This day is sponsored by American Tortoise Rescue and has been around since 2000. The idea for today is to encourage people to take action to help turtles and tortoises survive.  They emerge from their eggs into a very dangerous world where everyone is waiting around for a chance to eat them.  You name a critter that is not an herbivore and that’s a critter that would love to have these tiny little babies for an appetizer.  So there are groups of people who take it upon themselves to help these turtles and tortoises to at least make it to the water alive.

To celebrate today, put on some sunscreen, munch on taffy, and watch for lucky pennies while venture out in your new wig hair style to find some turtles to save.  Make sure you check with your elderly friends, family and neighbors to make sure they have working air conditioners to stave off the heat of the summer that is coming and tell them about Crohn’s and Colitis to make sure they get checked for these diseases.

May 22, 2014

Today we celebrate music, the sea, biodiveristy, the Bab, pudding and Canada! 

Canadian Immigrants Day – This is a day to celebrate immigrants to Canada and recognize the contributions they have made to that great country. Celebrate by participating in a lively discussion about the Canadian immigration policy and your experiences with Canadian immigrants.

National Maritime Day – On this day in 1819, the SS Savannah, an American sailing ship/sidewheel steamer, set sail and became the first steamship in the world to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Although most of the distance was not covered using steam power, it was still a historic event.

International Day For Biological Diversity – Created by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993 to increase awareness and understanding of biodiversity issues. Biodiversity is the variety of life in a particular habitat.  December 29th was the date originally chosen for celebration because that was the date of the beginning of the Convention of Biological Diversity. However, in 2000, the date was changed to today partly because many countries have a large number of celebrations already around that time of year and it was difficult to plan and carry out appropriate celebrations for this day.

Buy A Musical Instrument Day – Have you always wanted to learn a musical instrument and never got around to it? Well this is the day to get an instrument and get started. If you don't want to spend the money to buy a new one, you can always get a used instrument that is just as good as a new one, or you can rent one for a while to see if you like it.

Declaration Of The Bab Day – On this day the Baha'is celebrate from sunset tonight to sunset tomorrow night. They are celebrating the origins of their faith which began in 1844 when Siyyid Ali-Muhammad announced that he was the bearer of a Divine Revelation, which would prepare humanity for the arrival of the Promised One which has been foretold by almost all the world's religions.

National Vanilla Pudding Day – A simple, but delicious dessert. I tend to prefer vanilla over chocolate and you can mix other things in to get other flavors like strawberries or ice cream or bananas. Yum, I'm making myself hungry.

To celebrate today, call up a Canadian immigrant and discuss the Baha’i faith while you eat vanilla pudding and peruse musical instruments you would like to buy.  Then take your kids to the nearest body of water to watch the ships sailing by while you tell them about biodiversity.

May 21, 2014

How much do you know about the Hummel Figurines?  Probably more than I did before I researched today's Holidays.  Read on and see if you learn something you didn't know before.

National Memo Day – While the memo is occasionally a useful method of conveying information, sometimes it is overused. Other times it seems that important information still doesn't get to the people it needs to get to. But I don't think it's the memo's fault. I think that most likely it is the fault of whoever is sending the memo. So we should still celebrate the memo today.

Turn Beauty Inside Out Day – Celebrated on the third Wednesday in May, this is a day to look inside yourself and see the beauty within. Physical beauty is skin deep and the most beautiful person in the world could be ugly on the inside. Conversely, the person who society sees as ugly on the outside could be the most beautiful, generous, wonderful person on the inside.  Today is a day to let your inner beauty shine through to the world.

National Employee Health & Fitness Day – Vanderbilt University recognizes the third Wednesday of May as a day to stress physical activity and eating healthy. They have many events throughout the day to celebrate including places where you can go to get a healthy breakfast-to-go, Zumba classes outside, a walking relay and a 3 mile run.

National Waiters And Waitresses Day – Waiters and Waitresses put up with a lot of grief from their customers. Not you, of course, I'm talking about other customers with unruly children, obnoxious manners, poor tippers and humungous mess makers. But in spite of all that, most of them are able to keep their friendly attitudes and do a great job providing excellent service. So lets give them a hand today, and maybe an extra big tip.

National Golf Day - This is another day for golfing.  I’m not sure how many more we will have throughout the year because different people celebrate this day at different times of the year.  But if you are a golfer, you don’t need much of a reason to get out there and hit that little ball around that huge course.  Enjoy yourselves. http://wearegolf.org/capitol-hill/national-golf-day/

American Red Cross Founder's Day – Clarissa Harlowe Barton founded the Red Cross in 1881 at the age of 60. The age when most people are beginning to think about retirement and golfing 24/7. Then, she ran the organization for 23 years. Prior to that she provided assistance to Union troops during the Civil War. She led an amazing and inspiring life, you can read about it here: http://www.redcross.org/about-us/history/clara-barton

World Day For Cultural Diversity For Dialogue & Development – This is a day proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in November 2001 for the purpose of promoting diversity around the world. The UN would like communities to understand the value of cultural diversity, realize that we can all learn from each other, and live together in harmony.

Sister Maria Hummel Day – Born on this day in 1909, Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel, O.S.F., was an artist and a German Franciscan Sister. She created the artwork for the Hummel figurines which are very famous in the art world. It should be noted that Adolf Hitler hated her art and although the Nazi's allowed her to work, they banned distribution of her work in Germany. In 1940, the Nazi's seized the convent that she lived in and forced many of the 250 Sisters to leave. The 40 Sisters that remained there lived without heat or a means of support so Hummel continued to work, sometimes even drawing pictures with a Jewish theme which was very dangerous.  The Nazi's took half of the money she made and the rest went to buy food for the Sisters. Sister Hummel became ill during this time and never recovered. She died in 1946. http://www.hummelmuseum.de/english/02bertahummel/index.html

To celebrate today, pull out your inner beauty and show it to the world as you go through your day writing memos encouraging all of your fellow employees to eat healthy and exercise.  Then, take your favorite waiter or waitress golfing and discuss ways of spreading cultural diversity in the world using the work ethic of Clarissa Harlowe Barton.  Spend the rest of your evening looking at Hummel figurines online.