January 29, 2015

Today we celebrate:

Clash Day or Mismatch Day – My oldest daughter celebrates this every day but she's a bit of an over achiever. The rest of you might have some trouble with the concept of making sure your shirt doesn't match your pants which shouldn't match your shoes or your socks or anything else for that matter.

National Corn Chip Day – Well, I generally try to avoid these because I love them so much but they are so bad for my hips. But since this is a special day, I'll be forced to make an exception. Any resulting weight gain is not my fault.

National Puzzle Day – There are all kinds of different puzzles out there to enjoy; Jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, word search puzzles, number puzzles like Sudoku, word puzzles and more. I plan to enjoy as many of these today as I can.

Kansas Day – Kansas was the 34th state admitted into our United States of America. That happened on this day in 1861. Schools in Kansas have been celebrating this day since 1877.

Curmudgeons Day – Celebrated on the birthday of W.C. Fields, our most famous and beloved curmudgeon, this is a day to behave like a curmudgeon by pointing out hypocrisy wherever you see it and ignoring social niceties.

Freethinkers Day or Thomas Paine Day – Born on this day in 1737, Thomas Paine came to America in 1774 and published a pamphlet called Common Sense. He served in the Revolutionary War and later held positions appointed by congress. His words inspired many and he was the first to publicly call for an end to slavery and the establishment of basic human rights. Freethinkers Day was created by the Truthseeker magazine in order to educate the public on Thomas Paine and his importance to our history of freedom. Thomas Paine Day was created by the Thomas Paine Foundation simply to celebrate everything to do with Thomas Paine.

National Carnation Day – This is a day to celebrate one of my favorite flowers. I had mini carnations as the main flower for my wedding. According to Christian legends, carnations first appeared as Jesus carried the Cross.  His mother, Mary, wept at the sight and her tears became the first carnations.  Others say that the flower has been cultivated for more than 2,000 years in Asia and Europe.  They come in many different colors and varieties.  The red ones have been the state flower of Ohio since 1904.

Seeing Eye Guide Dog Day – On this day in 1929, Seeing Eye, Inc was founded by Morris Frank, a blind man who heard of a guide dog program in Europe. That program didn’t succeed but he was not deterred.  He convinced an American dog trainer living in Switzerland, who knew something about the guide dogs, to train him and provide him with a dog so that he could bring the program to America and train others. Seeing eye dogs are so important to helping the visually impaired maintain their independence. If you have a seeing eye dog, maybe you could give him/her an extra treat and belly rub today.

To celebrate today, mismatch your clothes before you sit and eat some corn chips while you solve some puzzles and watch a W.C. Fields movie so you can bone up on your curmudgeon skills to use throughout the day. Then send a Happy Birthday card and a bouquet of carnations to someone with a seeing eye dog in Kansas. Finally, use your freethinking skills to solve all of America's problems before you go to bed.

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