March 23, 2015

Today we celebrate:

National Melba Toast Day – Believed to have been created in 1897 by Auguste Escoffier, it was named by Cesar Ritz after Dame Nellie Melba, the stage name of an Australian opera singer.  It is a very thin and crunchy bread that is usually eaten combined with something else like a salsa topping.

Near Miss Day – On this day in 1989, a large asteroid missed hitting the Earth by only about 500,000 miles. Which is just a little farther away than the moon. In space terms, it was pretty close, but close is way better than a direct hit, so it's all right.

National Puppy Day – Created by Colleen Paige, today is a day to celebrate puppies and the joy they bring to the people who love them, and also to fight against the puppy mills and the tragic plight of the dogs within them. If you wish to get a puppy, look for one at your local animal shelter. If you're looking for a specific kind of dog and your shelter doesn't have that breed, there are websites such as petfinder, that will help you find one from another shelter or a foster family.

National Chip and Dip Day – The original party food, I often serve these as one of the hors d’oeuvres at our parties. It's easy and delicious.

OK Day – There are many stories about the origins of this slang word.  One of the stories is from English professor, Allan Metcalf.  Mr Metcalf believes that this slang word was first used on this day in 1839 by a journalist, Charles Gordon Greene, who, following the craze of the time of abbreviating everything possible, used OK to abbreviate 'all correct'. It was just fine, except for the fact that he misspelled his abbreviation.  So if Mr. Greene had been a better speller we would all be using AC instead of OK, which I don’t think would have stuck around for as long as OK has.  Interestingly, OMG is also older than the kids today would probably imagine, having been first written by a British Naval Officer in 1917.

World Meteorological Day – On this day in 1950, the World Meteorological Organization was created. There is a theme every year and this year's theme is, “Weather and climate: engaging youth.” The WMO is hoping that young people will learn more about weather and climates since they will be living through some of the biggest impacts of global warming.

To celebrate today, check that the weather is OK before you cuddle your puppy while you have some chips and dip with your melba toast to celebrate the near miss 25 years ago.