June 20, 2014

Have you ever had an ice cream soda?  I don't think I have, but I'm not sure if I'd remember if I did.  Is that how you know you're old?

Toad Hollow Day of Thank You - Toad Hollow was the name of a school more than 100 years ago.  Ralph C. Morrison heard about it and used the name in his stories.  He made the name come to life when he was given land in Kalamazoo County to make a Toad Hollow park.  It was a success, but the county later took the land back for other purposes.  But the sentiment has lived on, spread by the Voluntoads (volunteers who worked at Toad Hollow) who have carried on in other locations the activities they performed at the park.  They created this day to encourage us to take time to thank anyone who has helped us or has given anything to us.

Ice Cream Soda Day – Invented in 1874 by Robert McCay Green in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this quickly became a popular beverage particularly among teenagers. There are others who claim to have invented this sweet drink around this time period, but Mr. Green is the one who generally gets credit for it.

American Eagle Day – Approved by the U.S. Congress in 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011 and by 40 Governors as of 2012, this is a day to focus on what this majestic bird needs in order to survive. It has been removed from the endangered list, but that doesn't mean that we don't have to worry about it anymore. It still faces a loss of nesting areas and habitat from which it finds food, as well as diseases.

Midsummer – Celebrated on the 3rd Friday in June rather than specifically on the 21st, this is a day to celebrate the Summer Solstice, which is longest day of the year, and it is a holiday in many different Northern Hemisphere countries such as Sweden and Finland. Festivities include singing and dancing, sometimes having a bonfire and of course, with traditional foods.

Take Your Dog To Work Day – This is a day to celebrate dogs and encourage people to adopt them. There are so many wonderful dogs out there that would make perfect pets for you. We adopted our dog from a rescue organization and I cannot now imagine how we got along without him. He even melted my not-a-dog-person husband's heart. This day began to be celebrated in 1999 and was created by Pet Sitters International.  It is always on the Friday after Father’s Day. http://www.takeyourdog.com/About/

National Flip Flop Day – Celebrated on the third Friday in June, this day was created by Tropical Smoothie Cafe for the purpose of raising money for the charity they sponsor, Camp Sunshine. Camp Sunshine is a camp for children with life threatening illnesses and their families. It is a chance for the entire family to have some fun, and make some wonderful, lasting memories and to just get away from the illness for a little while. If you wear your flip flops to Tropical Smoothie from 2pm to 7pm, you will get a free smoothie today. All 300 of their Cafe's will also be collecting donations for the Camp.  http://www.nationalflipflopday.com/about-nffd/

World Refugee Day – Established by the United Nations, this is a day to honor the men, women and children who are forced to abandon their homes to avoid violence and persecution. Right now there are 43.7 million refugees in the world. That's a lot of people and the United Nations Refugee Agency provides assistance and protection for 34 million of them. http://www.worldrefugeeday.us/site/c.arKKI1MLIjI0E/b.8092105/k.B369/World_Refugee_Day.htm

To celebrate today, wear your flip flops when you take your dog to work.  Make sure you get outside to enjoy the midsummer sunshine while you drink an ice cream soda and watch out for eagles.  Thank everyone you meet today and finish the day by finding out what you can do to help the refugees of the world.

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