October 1, 2014

Today we celebrate:

CD Player Day - I don’t know where this day came from or why it came from anywhere but it seems to be a day to play your CDs on a CD Player.  I’m not sure where else you would be inclined to play them, but it matters not.  It’s all about the CD player today.

World Vegetarian Day – Created by the North American Vegetarian Society in 1977, this is a day, “To promote the joy, compassion and life-enhancing possibilities of vegetarianism.”  My husband is a dedicated meat lover but I do enjoy a vegetarian dish now and then so I will be sure to prepare one today.

Fire Pup Day – This is a day to celebrate canine firefighters. While not all fire stations have dogs, these honorary firefighters have secured a seat of honor on any firetruck.

International Day of Older Persons – Created by the United Nations General Assembly in 1990, this is a day to focus on honoring the older people in our families and communities. Help them out today so they can continue to lead full lives.

Model T Day – On this day in 1908, the first Model T Ford was completed and rolled off the factory line. A total of 15 million were built in the following twenty years. At an initial cost of $825 (about $18,000 in today's dollars), this was the first car that was affordable for the average person.

Homemade Cookies Day – Cookies bought at the bakery, while delicious, do not qualify today. You must make some real HOMEMADE cookies today. I guarantee you won't be sorry, not only will your children celebrate, your house will smell amazing!

National Lace Day – This is a day to learn how to make lace if you don't already know. Done well, handmade lace is absolutely beautiful. It takes a lot of practice to get it right, so start learning today.

International Music Day – This is a day to promote music by organizing or attending a free concert or by performing in the streets for passersby to enjoy. The only rule to the day is that all performers must donate their time and all performances must be free to the public.

International Raccoon Appreciation Day – This is a day to appreciate raccoons. This is an animal we normally consider something of a pest. Nocturnal by nature (If you see one during the day, it may very well be sick so keep your distance and if it behaves unusually, get away and call for help.) so we don't usually see them, which is kind of a shame.  I find them to be very inventive, intelligent, and clean (since they tend to wash their food when they can before they eat it).  They can be annoying if you are camping close the the dumpsters in the campground and have to listen to them banging the lids on their way in and out all night long.

Balloons Around The World Day – This is a day to spread smiles around the world. Balloon artists all over the globe will participate in twisting balloons into a variety of wonderful shapes and giving them to people. Everyone loves balloon animals. I have a friend who is quite good at making a plethora of different balloon animals so I will inform him of the need to make a whole lot of them today.  I’m sure he will be delighted.

To celebrate everything in one day, pop your favorite CD in the player and listen to some music while you make some homemade lace and call up all the old people you know to see if they need any help with anything.  Then  make balloon animals in the shape of fire pups and raccoons and hop into your Model T and take the balloons and some homemade cookies to the firestation to give to the firemen.  When you get home, make something vegetarian for dinner tonight.

September 30, 2014

Today we celebrate blasphemous, muddy, mulled cider and chewing gum. What a combination.

National Mud Pack Day – Mud is supposed to be very good for your skin. You can either go to a spa and spend a bunch of money to have them pack your face with mud for a while, or you can go out in the back yard, get the garden hose, make some mud and smear it on your own face. Same benefit, a little cheaper. Just watch out for the bugs and worms.

National Mulled Cider Day – It's apple season, perfect for making mulled cider. One of my favorite hot beverages although it's good cold as well.

Blasphemy Day – This is an atheist holiday during which people are expected to openly express their disbelief in, disdain for, or criticism of, religion. It was created in 2009 by the Center for Inquiry. This day was chosen because it is the anniversary of the publication of Muhammad cartoons in a Denmark newspaper. Be careful where you do this, if you do this. In some countries such as Afghanistan, blasphemy is punishable by death.

Chewing Gum Day - This is a day to exercise your jaws and teeth and chew some gum.  Chewing gum in various forms has been around for hundreds and maybe thousands of years.  I don’t imagine that the original version tasted great, but it couldn’t have been too bad or it wouldn’t have persisted for so long.  It began to be manufactured and sold as a product in the late 1800s and was originally licorice flavored.  I’m not a fan of licorice so I’m very glad that “Adam’s Black Jack” gave way to “Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit and Spearmint” flavor.

To celebrate everything in one day, chew some gum before you pack your face with mud, enjoy some relaxing mulled cider and have a rousing discussion of your religious beliefs with your children.

September 29, 2014

Today we celebrate:

Goose Day - This is a day to celebrate geese in any way you can find.  Do you have a pond where you go to feed the geese?  Maybe your kids like to play Duck, Duck, Goose?  Maybe you know some adults who like to play?  You can read some stories that feature geese to your kids or watch a movie with geese in it.

National Poisoned Blackberries Day - According to legend, on this day, hundreds of years ago, the Devil poisoned all the blackberries in Scotland resulting in  the death of many people.  As a result, there are still some blackberries that are poisoned and should not be eaten.  I would assume that the ones you get in the store are safe to consume, but you should probably research blackberry varieties before eating wild berries.

Broadway Musicals Day - I couldn’t find much information on this day beyond the fact that it exists.  But I would assume that a good way to celebrate would be to go to see a Broadway play.  Do they have any open on a Monday?  I’m not sure so you should check before you head to NYC.

World Heart Day – Created in 2000, this is a day to teach people about heart disease and stroke since they are the leading cause of death in the world. Many of these deaths can be avoided if you know the risk factors and change your life accordingly.

National Attend Your Grandchild's Birth Day – This is a day to encourage grandparents to start bonding with their grandchildren from the very first moment by attending and participating in their birth. I think that sounds great, but in practice it might not be so great. I didn't really want a lot of people in the room with me when I gave birth. I would have found it too stressful. I needed it to be quiet and dark and nobody bother me, please, I'm busy. So in my opinion, whether or not the grandparents attend the birth should be at the discretion of the birthing mother.

National Coffee Day ( also known as Coffee Day or International Coffee Day) – This is a day celebrated by several countries for the purpose of enjoying a good cup of coffee. We are also expected to promote fair trade for coffee and raise awareness of the sad plight of coffee growers. In the short time I had to research this, I was not able to find out what is happening with the coffee growers, so if you know the answer, please let me know so I can feel badly for them. I can only imagine that they share the challenges of other agricultural based enterprises, which are no laughing matter.

VFW Day – Established on this day in 1899, the VFW began as a small group of Spanish-American veterans and has grown to become the nation's largest group of combat veterans. The VFW has, for 114 years, dedicated itself to honoring the dead by helping the living. They do this by spreading good will, patriotism and scholarships for the youth.

To celebrate everything in one day, grab some coffee to get your heart started and head to Broadway to see a play.  It doesn’t even matter what play, they are all great.  Then stop by the VFW near you to share some unpoisoned blackberries.  On the way home, find a pond with some geese and feed them a few bread crumbs left over from your sandwich at lunch.

September 28, 2014

Today we celebrate:

Fast of Gedaliah – This is a Jewish fast day that begins at dawn and ends at dusk. They are remembering the assassination of the governor of Judah named Gedaliah by a Judean named Yishmael Ben Netaniah and several cohorts a few thousand years ago.

National Good Neighbor Day - Celebrated on the fourth Sunday in September, this is a day to recognize your good neighbors and to be a good neighbor yourself.  Some stores near you might recognize this day with a sale, and I suggest you recognize it with some good neighbor deeds.

National Ask A Stupid Question Day – This is officially celebrated on this day every year. However, since it is usually celebrated by students and teachers, they tend to change the date to  the last school day of the month instead.  Anyway, this is a day to stop being afraid of looking stupid and ask any question you want to know the answer to.  

National Strawberry Cream Pie Day – Who doesn't love strawberries? But as good as strawberries are, strawberries and cream are even better. This picture is modified from the one posted by http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/

strawberry-cream-pie.

World Rabies Day – The Global Alliance for Rabies Control which has headquarters in the United States and the United Kingdom, coordinates activities on this day which honors the death of Louis Pasteur, who was a part of the team that developed the first rabies vaccine. They honor him by working to raise awareness of the dangers of rabies for humans and animals, and spreading information about how to prevent the disease. Humans and animals on every continent except Antarctica are at risk although some continents such as Africa and Asia hold the most risk because of the large number of unvaccinated stray dogs.

Gold Star Mother's Day – This is a day that was created by the American Gold Star Mothers Inc. which is an organization that provides support for mothers of children who were lost in a war. It was created just after World War I. Membership is open to any American woman who has lost a child in service to the United States. We celebrate this day on the last Sunday in September every year.

Confucius Day – At daybreak this morning, we will honor Confucius as this is considered to be his birthday. Since he was born in 551 BC, I'm not really sure how the powers that be know this for sure. But we do know for sure that he was a very wise scholar and philosopher who is still quoted to this day.  You will find people celebrating Confucius on various days at the end of September.  I’m not sure which is the official day because all kinds of legitimate looking sites put it on the 27th, 28th, or 29th.

Read A Child A Book You Like Day - If you have children, I am sure you have put in plenty of time reading the same book over and over and over again.  Some you have read so many times you would really like them to disappear so you never have to see them again, no matter how good the books were the first hundred times.  Well, this is a day when you get to pick which book you read.  Pick one that is age appropriate (although I am guilty of reading all kinds of weird stuff to my kids when they were babies and didn’t know what I was saying) and that you enjoy and have fun reading it to them.  You can even do this if you don’t have children, I’m sure you can find one to borrow if you look around.

National Drink Beer Day - I’m not a fan of beer and never have been, but I know it is an extremely popular adult beverage so if you enjoy a beer, have one today.  There are certainly a lot of different kinds to choose from.

To celebrate everything in one day, track down a good neighbor and ask him/her a whole bunch of questions without worrying if they are stupid ones.  Then confuse him by offering him some wisdom from Confucius.  Next, take your pet to get their annual rabies shot and while you are waiting for your turn, read a book that you like to your child.  Then, track down a mother who has lost a child to war and give her a hug.  Finally, break your fast with beer and strawberry cream pie.

September 27, 2014

Today we celebrate:

National Crush A Can Day – This is an odd day that doesn't seem to have a specific purpose or history that I can find. I can speculate that it is a stress relieving day as some people like to relieve their stress by breaking or crushing things. I prefer to recycle my cans but I guess I can make an exception today.

Ancestor Appreciation Day – This is a day to dig into your family history and find out where you came from so you can appreciate your ancestors, whoever they happen to be.  Without every single one of them, you would not be who you are.  So, even if you find that one or more of them are not necessarily people you would be proud of, you should be thankful for their role in ultimately creating you.

Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day – Created in 2008 by the National Association of People with AIDS, this is a day to recognize that although gay and bisexual men are only about 2 percent of the U.S. population, they accounted for 61 percent of all of the newly diagnosed HIV infections in the year 2009. Since this is the demographic that is most at risk of developing this devastating disease, it stands to reason that men who are gay and bisexual need to be tested regularly and, even better, take precautions to protect themselves against becoming infected in the first place.

National Chocolate Milk Day – Chocolate fans everywhere, heads up! This is a day for you. Carry some chocolate around with you today so you can add it to your milk at every meal. If you don't usually drink milk at meals, you might want to change your habits today.  I really like to use Ovaltine as opposed to Nestle or Swiss Miss or other chocolate milk mixes because it is chock full of vitamins and minerals and makes really good chocolate milk.

Google's Birthday – This date apparently changes depending on when the Google people feel like having some cake. The real first day of opening for Google is probably September 4th, 1998, at least that is when they incorporated, but they registered their web domain on September 15, 1997 so some may consider that to be Google's birthday.  I can’t find a reason why they would celebrate anything today and some speculate that it is related to a rivalry of some kind with Yahoo!

Family Health and Fitness Day USA – Celebrated on the last Saturday in September, this is a day to encourage families to engage in physical activity together. Face it, your kids will be far more likely to exercise if they see you doing it. I know when my kids were little, I would exercise here in my house and every time I got down on the floor to do pushups or situps or anything like that, they were right there climbing on me either wanting to do it with me ( in their own fashion ), or wanting to make it harder for me.

National Hunting and Fishing Day – Celebrated on the 4th Saturday in September, this is a day to celebrate the history and tradition of hunting and fishing in America.

National Museum Day – Many (but probably not all) museums will have free admission today so take advantage of that and visit your favorite, or take a chance and visit one you've never been to today.

National Public Lands Day – Celebrated by the National Environmental Education Foundation, this is a day to enjoy, and learn how to conserve, public lands.

World Tourism Day - This is a day to focus on the value of tourism.  The theme for this years celebration is "Tourism and Community Development - focusing on the ability of tourism to empower people and provide them with skills to achieve change in their local communities."  The organizers want to know how you will be celebrating so they ask that you send them photos based on the theme to the WTD Facebook album and label your tweets about it with #WTD2014.

Fish Amnesty Day - This day, created by PETA, is always celebrated on the fourth Saturday of September. It is a day to understand that fish are living beings with the same rights any animal should have.  PETA wants to protect the fish by convincing vegetarians who eat fish to become full vegetarians.  Even better if they can convince some meat eaters to become vegetarians.

International Lace Day - Also celebrated on the last Saturday in September, this is a day to make lace.  You can’t have too much of the stuff, it doesn’t take up too much room and it is pretty.  Make a lace tablecloth for your dining room table.  Or a runner for a living room table or nightstand.

Kiwanis Kids’ Day - Another fourth Saturday in September celebration, this one was created by Kiwanis International  in 1949, to focus on children and their welfare. On this day Kiwanis clubs all over the world have a wide variety of activities that involve children.  From parades to picnics to talent shows and banquets.  Contact the Kiwanis International Foundation to find out more.

To celebrate today, crush a can of chocolate milk before you go fishing on public lands with a bunch of Kiwanis club kids.  Grant any fish you catch amnesty by releasing them back into the wild. Then google the location of a Lace Museum that you can tour with your gay friends.  Make sure they are aware of HIV/AIDS and how to keep themselves safe.  Next, make sure you appreciate your ancestors and the gift of life that they gave you by keeping yourself healthy and fit.

September 26, 2014

Today we celebrate:

Johnny Appleseed Day – Born on this day in 1774, this is a day to celebrate John Chapman who was known by many as Johnny Appleseed. He was responsible for introducing apple trees to parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, West Virginia and Indiana. He became a legend in this country, even before he died in 1845, mostly because of his conservation skills and his kind and generous way of life.

National Pancake Day – This is not the IHOP Pancake Day that we celebrated back in February, and it is not associated with the “pancake race” that is held every year in England (check back in April for more on this fascinating tradition). This is simply a food holiday that just happens to fall on this day. Have some pancakes for breakfast today.

International Hug A Vegetarian Day – Celebrated on the last Friday in September, this is a day to support the vegetarians in the world.  People have a variety of reason for choosing to become vegetarian.  Sometimes those reasons are personal preference and sometimes health concerns so be supportive of others right to choose what goes into their bodies and give the vegetarians in your life a hug.  If you are a vegetarian, tell everyone you know about this day and maybe you’ll get lots of hugs today.

Save The Koala Day – Created by the Australian Koala Foundation and celebrated on the last Friday in September, this is a day to raise money for the Foundation which has made great strides in protecting the habitat of the Koalas in Australia. The goal, of course, is to save this adorable animal from the inevitable extinction that will occur if we do not do something now.

Love Note Day - This is a day to get out the paper and pen and write a love note to the one you love.  No texting, emailing or tweeting.  That will just not count today.  Paper and pen is the only way to go, but it doesn’t have to be long in order to be heartfelt.  I promise you that your loved one will absolutely love to receive this from you.

Shamu the Whale Day - Shamu is the trademarked name given to various orca whales that perform at several of the SeaWorld parks.  There is a lot of controversy right now regarding the captivity of these whales and several trainers have been injured or killed because the whales are wild creatures who cannot always be controlled the way the SeaWorld people would like them to be.

Native American Day - Celebrated on the fourth Friday in September, this is a state holiday in California which was created in 1968 for the purpose of honoring all the different Native American cultures and their very important contributions to the country.

To celebrate today, make some apple pancakes and write love notes to Shamu the Whale before you do your best to help save koalas by hugging vegetarians while you encourage them to share their koala-free recipes with the Native Americans.  Before I am inundated with hate mail, let me assure you that I am well aware that Native Americans do not eat koalas, because koalas, sensing a possible problem in that area, were crafty enough to decide to live on a different continent.  We won’t talk about the Aboriginals they had to avoid instead.

September 25, 2014

Today we celebrate:

National Comic Book Day - This is a day to read a comic book and maybe to share it with someone else who would enjoy reading it.  Don’t put it down and say it’s not a real book just because it has lots of pictures and the words are in bubbles.  It is still reading, so let your kids read some comic books today.

International Ataxia Awareness Day – This is the day to increase awareness of Ataxia. The word “ataxia” means “without coordination”. People with this disease have malfunctioning nervous systems which make it impossible to control their movements and balance. It could affect just a small part of a person’s body, such as fingers, eyes, or speech, or it could affect many parts of the body. It is diagnosed based on family history and an MRI brain scan. Genetic tests can be performed to see if someone carries the Ataxia gene. It can begin causing symptoms in either childhood or adulthood. http://www.ataxia.org/learn/ataxia-diagnosis.aspx

Math Story Telling Day – First celebrated in 2009, this is a day to tell math stories. You can make it a joke or an anecdote using numbers or symbols. Be creative about it and the kids will enjoy it much more.

World Maritime Day – Celebrated by different countries on different days during the last week in September, this is a day to stress the importance of safety on the waters for people and marine life.

National One-Hit Wonder Day – Created by Steve Rosen, this is a day to celebrate and remember those artists who had only one big hit in their careers.  That’s still more musical hits than I’ve had, so I’ve got to hand it to them because they’ve all gone farther than I have.

To celebrate everything in one day, write a math story in comic book format that takes place on water and give it to your kids to read one time and only one time. Then go online to spread awareness of Ataxia to all of your Facebook and Twitter friends.

September 24, 2014

Today we celebrate:

Gallbladder Good Health Day - This is a day to focus on eating healthy foods that your gallbladder likes and avoiding fatty foods that make your gallbladder work hard.  So no fried foods today, instead eat fruit and vegetables and lean meats and enjoy your healthy gallbladder.

National Bluebird of Happiness Day - This is a day for going out of your way to spread happiness.  Bluebirds have been linked to happiness for thousands of years.  This was reaffirmed in the lyrics of the song Bluebird of Happiness from 1934.  You don’t actually need to have a bluebird in order to accomplish the act of spreading happiness, but if you happen to see one today, whistle so it knows you are just as happy as it is.

Rosh Hashanah – This is the Jewish New Year. It begins at today at sundown. Happy New Year everyone!

National Cherries Jubilee Day – A dessert that consists of cherries over vanilla ice cream. Sometimes brandy or some other kind of liqueur is warmed and poured over the top. I've never tried it because I’m not a big fan of cherries, although I do like cherry flavoring so maybe I can find a compromise.

National Women's Health & Fitness Day – This day is considered to be “the nation's largest annual health promotion event for women of all ages.” It is held on the last Wednesday in September with a goal of highlighting the importance of health awareness. Physical activity on a regular basis is an important component of being healthy so look into joining a local fitness center or working on your own to increase your level of physical activity. Many fitness based organizations all over the country will be having special events today.

World School Milk Day – Celebrated for the last 14 years, this is a Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations created day for the purpose of establishing school milk programs all over the world. Milk is a good way to get calcium which is important for growing strong bones for children.  This makes milk an important part of a child's diet and far too many children in the world do not have access to it. http://www.national-awareness-days.com/world-school-milk-day.html

Punctuation Day – I better proofread my work carefully today because this day is all about proper punctuation. Make sure you use your commas, colons, periods, apostrophes, etc., properly.

To celebrate today, have an apple and some milk to feed your healthy gallbladder and head outside to look for bluebirds.  Give everyone you see an hand made card wishing them a happy Rosh Hashanah, being extra careful of your punctuation, and then go to the gym for some physical fitness work.  Finish out the day with Cherries Jubilee for dessert.

September 23, 2014

Today we celebrate:

National Dogs In Politics Day – This is a day to celebrate the dogs that have been part of presidential families. On this day in 1952, President Richard Nixon gave a speech about not receiving illegal campaign contributions for personal use. He did receive a gift that he intended to keep for his daughters and that was a dog named Checkers. This day is sometimes known as Checkers Day.

Celebrate Bi-sexuality Day – This is a day for bisexual people, friends and supporters to celebrate the bisexual community and culture. It was first celebrated in 1999 and was created by Wendy Curry, Michael Page and Gigi Raven Wilbur.

National Voter Registration Day – Participation is vitally important when you live in a democratic society.  If you don’t participate, you leave the decisions up to the ones that do and you don’t get a voice.  Sometimes it seems like voting is pointless especially if you are part of a minority party, but you still need to realize that your voice is important and you have the right to speak.  And if you speak up loud enough, you may be able to sway others to your point of view and then you can create change.  So if you are not registered to vote in your local area, get out there and register today.

Restless Legs Syndrome Awareness Day – Celebrated today on Swedish neurologist, Dr. Karl Axel Ekbom's, birthday, this is a day to spread awareness of RLS, also known as Willis-Ekbom disease. The most common symptom is an irresistible urge to move in order to stop odd and sometimes painful sensations. Most of the time it affects the legs, but it can affect other parts of the body as well. Moving the body part that is uncomfortable stops the symptoms for a moment, but they keep coming back making it almost impossible for many people to sleep.  I have begun experiencing some of these symptoms myself on occasion and I have discovered that for me, and possibly for others, if I drink plenty of water during the day, and stretch my legs and hips in the evening before I go to bed, I don’t have as much of a problem.

To celebrate everything in one day, stretch your legs while you try to name all the presidential dogs from American history. Then call up a bisexual friend or family member and wish them a happy day before you go out to register to vote.