May 1, 2015

Today we celebrate more in one day that I think we have since I started this blog.  I hope you will have some help:

Global Love Day - This is a day that is all about loving one another unconditionally.  I think we all have a few people in our lives that we love to that degree, but today the Love Foundation wants us to come together and love everyone that way.  Their theme is “Love Begins With Me” and their hope is that if you work on this today, it will encourage you to behave this way every day.

National Purebred Dog Day - This is a day that “celebrates the heritage,diversity and predictability of the purpose bred dog”.  Yes there is definitely something to be said for getting a purebred dog.  While I have a very large soft spot in my heart for mutts, the one thing that I am a little leery about is that you don’t know what traits you are getting in a mutt until you get to know them a bit.  With a purebred dog, for the most part, you know what to expect from them right at the start.

Law Day - The theme for this year’s celebration is “Magna Carta: Symbol of Freedom Under Law.”   The Magna Carta basically states for all to see that no one is above the law.  It was created in 1215 to ensure that even royalty or nobility have to adhere to the same laws as the commoners.  That isn’t to say that corruption doesn’t happen because we all know that it does, but without this law, there wouldn’t be any opportunity to even attempt to see justice done.  And we have all seen that not every rich or powerful person manages to buy his/her way out of trouble.  Sometimes, hopefully most of the time, justice prevails.  See this website of the American Bar Association for more information:

May Day – An ancient spring festival celebrated in the Northern Hemisphere. It originated in pre-Christian times as the festival of the Roman goddess of flowers, Flora.  An old tradition, that is mostly ignored now, is leaving baskets of candy or flowers by your neighbor’s front door.

Beltane Day – The Celtic name for May Day.

Loyalty Day – Begun in 1921, this is a day to reaffirm our loyalty to the United States of America and to recognize our heritage of freedom.  Many places in the country have parades to celebrate this day.

Mother Goose Day – Founded in 1987 by Gloria T. Delamar when her book about Mother Goose was published. I was raised on Mother Goose rhymes and I read them to my children as well, but there are many young children now who have never heard of Mother Goose so I’m guessing that she is fading away into obscurity.

Save the Rhino Day – This is a day for us to be aware of the danger Rhinoceros' fate. Their numbers are dwindling and we need to support those who are fighting for the survival of the species. There is an event in London called the Rhino Mayday that celebrates the Rhino by talking with interested students about all kinds of Rhino related issues.  There will be several speakers with a wide variety of topics.

National Chocolate Parfait Day – Parfait means different things in different countries. In France, a parfait is frozen custard mixed with whipped cream.  Here in America, it is layers of pudding alternated with whipped cream and/or anything else that you think would taste delicious and sweet.

Batman Day – On this day in 1939, Batman first appeared in comic books. Specifically, he appeared in Detective Comics #27 where he was referred to as the “Bat-Man”. He was so popular at that time that the next year he got to star in a comic book named after him.

Executive Coaching Day – This is a day to applaud the executives that don't have a job, they have a profession. And they take it seriously enough that they are willing to go the extra mile and help others in their profession by coaching them. Everyone benefits when this happen; the organization, the coaches and the workers being coached.

Lei Day – Hawaii is known for their tradition of lei making.  If you’ve been to Hawaii, you have experienced their generosity in handing these beautiful flower necklaces to guests of their fair island.  But you don’t have to go to Hawaii to celebrate this day, you can have your own celebration right in the comfort of your own living room.  Many Hawaiian inspired activities are planned for today such as, brace for the shock.....the making of leis.

Keep Kids Alive! Drive 25 Day – This is a day to pay attention to how you drive on neighborhood streets where kids are likely to be playing. I know in my neighborhood it is very common to see people speeding off to work or back home again and I have witnessed a couple of near misses with cars and people. Please be careful everyone and drive slowly in neighborhoods.

New Homeowner's Day – On this day we celebrate everyone who has bought a new home in the last year. If you know a new homeowner personally, today is a good day to drop in and get a tour of their new place.  If they are a new neighbor, take the time to stop in and introduce yourself and welcome them to the neighborhood.

Silver Star Service Banner Day – Created by the Silver Star Families Of America, this day was first accepted by all 50 states and then by the U.S. Congress. President Obama signed the resolution on April 29, 2011. The Silver Star Service Banner is a symbol that reminds Americans of those who have sacrificed for us. It is reserved for our brave men and women who have been wounded or contracted a sickness or a serious injury while in a war zone. It may be flown by anyone as a symbol of remembrance and honor.

School Principals’ Day - This is a day to honor principals of schools all over the country.  They have a very difficult job ensuring the safety of the students and staff and making sure the students are educated and have all of the services that they require in order to get that education.

International Tuba Day – Celebrated on the first Friday in May, this day is about recognizing the challenges that tubists endure in order to play their instrument. These are big and bulky instruments and are frequently disrespected among fellow band players. The day was created by Joel Day in 1979 when he was one of two tuba players in his high school band. I’d be happy if my daughter’s high school band had even one tuba player.  Mr. Day continued celebrating this day into college where he was known for popular Tuba Day activities and the celebrations have spread from there.

No Pants Day – Celebrated on the first Friday in May, this is a fun day that involves not wearing any pants. The really fun part is that you have to pretend that there is nothing unusual about going out in your underwear and watching other people’s reactions.  This is probably not a good day to wear a thong, but that’s just my opinion. This is about not taking yourself seriously and reveling in the absurdity of the situation.  Some of us celebrated this day back in January 10th, which is the original anniversary of the first guy who, back in 1986, left home without any pants and bluffed his way through the day because going back home wasn’t an option.

International Space Day – Also celebrated on the first Friday in May, this is a day that is all about space and anything that you can learn about or from space. Museums that have Air and Space exhibits may have special events going on this weekend.  This celebration was created by the Lockheed Martin Corp in 1997 in order to get young people all over the world excited about science and math.

To celebrate today, focus on loving everyone you meet.  Then, leave your pants at home and make some leis with your children and give them to everyone you see who is flying a silver banner. Head to the nearest school and give one to the Principal along with a discussion about reason vs. religion. While you are driving around, be careful to go 25 miles per hour in neighborhoods and make sure you stop in to visit with anyone who has bought a new home this year. Take a Batman comic book to everyone you coach at work and wish them a happy May Day or Beltane Day, whichever you prefer. Next, have some chocolate parfait while you reaffirm your loyalty to your country by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance before you read Mother Goose rhymes to your kids and tell them all about the rhinoceroses who still roam the earth.  Finally, this evening sit with your purebred dog outside and play your tuba under the stars but if you live with noise laws, make sure you stop at the right time.

April 30, 2015

Today we celebrate:

Poem In Your Pocket Day – Celebrated on the last Thursday in April, this is yet another day to celebrate poetry, this time you need to take a poem you like and keep it in your pocket today so you can pull it out and read it whenever you feel the urge.

Hairstyle Appreciation Day – Celebrated on the last day of April, this is a day to appreciate your hair style and the Hairstylist who created it for you.  When you look great, you feel great, and a fabulous hairstyle goes a long way to making you look great.  Have some mirrors around so you can appreciate how wonderful you look today.

National Honesty Day – This day was created by M. Hirsh Goldberg in the early 1990's to celebrate honesty. He chose the last day in April for this day because the first day in April celebrates falsehoods. The idea is that if anyone asks you a question today, you must answer it truthfully. And if YOU ask someone a question today, they must answer it truthfully (as long as you make sure they know what day it is today).

Bugs Bunny Day – On this day in 1938, Bugs Bunny debuted in the cartoon short Porky's Hare Hunt. Bugs looked and sounded very different then, but that was definitely him.

International Jazz Day – Created by the United Nations, this is a day to celebrate Jazz all day long, all over the world.  There will be a global webcast that you can access in the link.  Look for special events in your area. This year the host city is Paris, France.

National Oatmeal Cookie Day – Oatmeal is healthy, or so I’ve heard …..repeatedly …..from my husband, so that means that these cookies must also be healthy, right?  I’m not a person who can sit down and eat a bowl of oatmeal, no matter what you put in it to hide the taste, but I can certainly sit down and eat a bowl full of oatmeal cookies.

Dia De Los Ninos/ Dia De Los Libros Day – Begun in 1997, this is a literary day that is all about connecting children (ninos) with books (libros).  Check with your local library because many of them will have special events today.  

Spank Out Day – This is a day for spreading the word that spanking is not the best disciplinary option. This is considered a fact for some, and an opinion for others. I see some of their points, but I'm not completely sold on it as I've seen lots of people who I feel really could benefit from a good whack on the rump.

Walpurgis Night – A traditional spring festival celebrated on this day or May 1st in large parts of Central and Northern Europe. It is celebrated with bonfires and dancing in honor of Saint Walpurga, an English missionary who lived in Germany in the 700's. She was canonized as a saint on May 1st a hundred years after her death so this day celebrates the eve of that event.  For reasons I do not know, she is the patron saint of those suffering from rabies.

National Raisin Day - Also known as dehydrated grapes, these make a great snack especially when they are mixed with other things like nuts and chocolate.

National Adopt A Shelter Pet Day - This is a day to save an animal by adopting it from a shelter today.  So before you drop hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a pet store animal, stop by your local shelter and take a look at the beautiful animals just waiting for the right person to save them.

To celebrate today, put a poem in your pocket and refrain from spanking your kids before you head to your hairstylist so that you can show him/her some honest appreciation in the form of oatmeal raisin cookies.  Then, go to the local animal shelter and adopt a bunny for a pet so you can call him Bugs.  Tonight, throw a Walpurgis Night party with Jazz music and books for the kids to share.

April 29, 2015

Today we celebrate:

International Guide Dogs Day – There is some discrepancy on when this day is to be celebrated, so I could be mistaken but I believe it is on the last Wednesday of April.  This is a day to celebrate the important role that guide dogs play in maintaining the independence and mobility of people with a wide range of disabilities. It started out in the late 1920's with Dorothy Eustis, who had heard about the possibility of training dogs for this purpose from a school in Pottsdam, Germany, that went out of business after World War I. She wrote an article about it which Morris Frank, a blind man from Nashville, heard about and it went from there. Mr. Frank was the first blind man to have a seeing eye dog and he went on to create a training program here in the states that is still going today.

International Dance Day – Begun in 1982 by the International Dance Committee of the International Theater Institute, the purpose is to commemorate the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre. Mr. Noverre is the father of modern ballet and was born in 1727.  But we don’t just celebrate ballet, we celebrate every form of dance there is, cross all barriers and come together with a language everyone understands.

National Shrimp Scampi Day – If you like shrimp, butter, garlic and parsley, this is the meal for you.  Try this recipe if you don’t already have one you like. http://www.food.com/recipe/shrimp-scampi-26321

“Peace” Rose Day – The Peace Rose was developed by French horticulturist, Francis Meiland. He wanted to save the rose during World War II when it seemed inevitable that France would fall to Germany so he sent cuttings of his rose to friends in Italy, Germany, Turkey and the U.S. It made it onto the last plane to the U.S. before the German invasion. During the war it was cultivated in the U.S. by the Conrad Pyle Co. In 1945, Monsieur Meiland contacted Field Marshall Alan Brooke, one of the master strategists of the U.S. whose strategies helped win the war, and offered to name the rose after him. But Brooke suggested that he name it “peace” instead. It's name was announced on this day in 1945. The day that Berlin fell to Allied forces and the war against Germany was officially over.

Zipper Day – On this day in 1913, the zipper was patented by Gideon Sundback. Where would we be without it? Would we still have to button our pants and coats?  Would we need lots of help and patience to get into and out of our dresses?  Others before him attempted to develop different kinds of fasteners but their attempts didn’t achieve the success of Sundback.

National Walk @ Lunch Day - Also celebrated on the last Wednesday of April.  This is a day to encourage fitness for all people.  Schools are encouraged to have their students participate, and businesses of all kinds are to encourage their employees to make the choice to get out there and walk as well.  Hopefully it’s not raining in your area.

To celebrate this day, zip up your jacket and commune with nature by dancing around your yard and planting roses.  Have a walk at lunch time, then have some shrimp scampi for dinner with your guide dog for dinner.

April 28, 2015

Today we celebrate:

National Blueberry Pie Day – I love blueberries almost as much as my brother-in-law who asks for blueberry baked goods every time I see him.  He’ll be a happy camper today.

Great Poetry Reading Day – This is a day to read great poetry and I have just the website for you. There are lots of poems that I enjoy, many of them were written for kids by Shel Silverstein. I'm not sure what that says about me, but there you go. On this website you can find many poets and apparently you can publish your own as well. This link takes you to one of my favorites. If you go to http://allpoetry.com you can find almost any poem you want.   

    

Kiss Your Mate Day – Today is the day to kiss your spouse (boyfriend or girlfriend) if you have one.  If you don't, next choice is your kids. If you don't have any of them, find a willing stranger. Unless you live in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where kissing a stranger is illegal. And when this day falls on a Sunday (fortunately not this year), if you live in Hartford, CT, you'll have to skip this day altogether if you're married because it's illegal for a man to kiss his wife on Sundays and I don't promote illegal activities on this blog (But since it’s Tuesday this year, you’re in the clear Hartford residents.). More fun kissing information can be found at this site (It's four years old but still relevant).

Biological Clock Day – Our biological clocks do more than nag us about running out of time to have babies. Our clocks tell us when it's time to sleep and when it's time to wake up which is what gets messed up when we travel to different time zones and don’t take steps to reset our clocks. Amazingly enough, they also control our metabolism, and even our temperature and blood pressure among other things.

Workers Memorial Day – Each day worldwide a worker dies, is disabled, or is made sick by a preventable workplace incident every 15 seconds. This is a day to honor those people who didn't get up to go to work expecting to never come home or to come home permanently changed. All they were trying to do is take care of their families. Our companies need to take better care of their most valuable resource; their people.

To celebrate today, wake up when your biological clock tells you to, then kiss your mate and say a prayer for the workers who will be injured today in preventable workplace accidents.  Then spend the day reading poetry and eating blueberry pie.

April 27, 2015

Today we celebrate:

National Prime Rib Day – Are you a beef lover? Well, then, today is your day. Have some prime rib for dinner tonight.

Babe Ruth Day – Proclaimed by Baseball Commissioner Happy Chandler, this was a day to support Babe Ruth during his fight against cancer and it has endured, particularly with the Yankees, ever since.

Tell A Story Day – Today is a day for stories. Tell your kids a story today. You don't need to read it out of a book, try making one up. Maybe a story about when you were a kid or some other kind of completely made up story. You could even write it down for them so they can read it again and again.  You  may find events celebrating this day at your local Library.

Mantanzas Mule Day – On this day in 1898, during the Spanish-American War, the U.S. Navy bombarded a village in Cuba named Mantanzas. They hit it with everything they had. I'm sure it was impressive for its' time considering how long ago it was. When it was over and the villagers looked for dead bodies, they discovered that the entire village suffered a casualty count of...1 mule.

Morse Code Day – On this day in 1791, Samuel Morse was born. He, of course, created the Morse code which was used regularly to pass telegraph messages for many years and is probably still used today in certain circumstances.  Most everyone knows at least some Morse code, even it it’s just the code for SOS( . . . _ _ _ . . .).

To celebrate today, tell your kids the story about Mantanzas while you are driving to Yankee Stadium where they can learn about Babe Ruth.  Stop for a prime rib lunch on the way home.   This evening, teach your children Morse code.

April 26, 2015

Today we celebrate:

Help A Horse Day - This is a day that was created by the ASPCA to support the organizations that work hard to make sure that horses are safe and not being abused or mistreated.  If you are part of such an organization, check out the link and and see how you can sign up for the contest next year.  It’s too late to sign up this year because the deadline was April 1st but see what is involved and see if you can plan to participate next year because you could win several thousand dollars to help your mission.

National Pretzel Day – Pretzels have been around for a long time.  There’s a story that they were invented by either German or Italian monks back around 600 A.D., but I couldn’t find any documentation about that so I don’t know if it’s true.  However, there is documentation in the form of illustrations dating back to the 12th century that proves that they are at least that old.

Richter Scale Day – The Richter Scale was created by Charles Richter in 1935 and, as everyone in California knows, it measures the size of earthquakes. The largest one measured so far since it's creation was the Great Chilean Earthquake which registered a 9.5 on May 22, 1960.  Between the earthquake and the resulting tsunami, more than 6,000 people died.  The only reason that number isn’t higher is because of the relative low population density in the area at the time.  Mr. Richter was born on this day in 1900.  

Audubon Day – John James Audubon was born on this day in 1785. He was an artist who dedicated more than 30 years of his life to drawing as many different kinds of birds as he could find. The Audubon Society was created after his death by one of his wife's students, George Bird Grinnell, for the purpose of studying and protecting birds everywhere. And yes, as far as I can find out, that was Mr. Grinnell's real name.  Many Audubon societies will have special events or opportunities for volunteering today.

Mother, Father Deaf Day – Also on the last Sunday of April, this is a day to honor the deaf parents of hearing children. Raising children is difficult under the best of circumstances.  If you can’t hear them when they cry or you can’t hear them when they get quiet because they’re up to no good, it gets a hundred times harder.

National Kids And Pets Day – Created by Colleen Paige, who has created a lot of different pet related holidays, this is a day to foster the belief that every child should have a pet to care for.  I had pets for most of my childhood and I can tell you that caring for them taught me a lot.  I loved them more than I can even begin to tell you.

National Drive It Day – Always on a Sunday close to April 23rd, this day celebrates April 23, 1900 and the 64 cars that left London and embarked upon the Thousand Mile Trial. Forty-six of the cars finally returned to London on May 12th. Don't forget that back then cars were very new and not accustomed to traveling very far or very fast for that matter because today it would only take about 15 hours give or take a little, depending on speed limits and street lights, to travel that distance. Plus they had the added handicap of not having paved roads because there were no such thing back then.

National Pet Parent's Day – Celebrated on the last Sunday in April, this is a day to give appreciation to the special people who open their hearts and their homes to pets of all kinds. Pets are not easy to take care of, even fish need to have their tanks cleaned and sometimes need special water and temperatures.  Bigger pets make bigger messes, need to be walked, fed, cleaned up after, and let’s not even talk about those vet bills.  Kudos to all those pet parents who take these tasks on so willingly.

Pinhole Photography Day – Celebrated on the last Sunday in April, this day encourages you to make your own camera, take a picture and share it with the world in the hopes of encouraging creativity. All you need is a “light-tight” container, a pinhole in the side of it and a photo sensitive surface inside it.

To celebrate today, pick out a pet bird for your kids to learn to take care of.  Take some pictures of it with your pinhole camera for some deaf parents to enjoy. Next, have some pretzels before you drive home to find out where the last California quake fell on the Richter scale.  Tonight, go online to donate to the effort to help horses not be mistreated.

April 25, 2015

Today we celebrate a very busy day so you will probably have to take time off from work.  I'm sure your boss will understand.

DNA Day – On this day in 1953, James Watson, Francis Crick, Maurice Wilkins, and Rosalind Franklin published papers on the structure of DNA. Then, on this day in 2003, the genome project was declared as complete as it was financially able to be. The Senate and House of Representatives declared April 25, 2003 to be DNA Day, intending it to be just a one day celebration. However, several other non-governmental groups have declared it to be World DNA Day or International DNA Day, every year since then.

East Meets West Day – On this day in 1945, U.S. and Russian troops met in Germany for the first time.  Some groups have turned this into a reason for having sporting events such as a team from the east of an area playing against a team from the west.

Malaria Awareness Day or World Malaria Day – Established in 2007 by the World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization, this day is intended to focus our awareness on the plight of all of the people who suffer from this disease. They are primarily located on the continent of Africa where 3,000 children die every day and over a million people die every year from this treatable disease.  We need to spread awareness of how to control the mosquito population that spreads the disease, and how to treat it once it has been contracted.

Hug A Plumber Day or Plumbers Day – For those of us who are not handy in this area, where do we go when the toilet stops flushing or the sink leaks? That's right, you go to someone who knows what they are doing with water and pipes and such, your friendly neighborhood plumber. Give him a hug before he climbs under the sink and gets all dirty.

World Penguin Day – Who doesn't love penguins? Today is a day for the whole world to love them! Did you know that penguins are piscivorous?  That means they only eat fish.

Red Hat Society Day – Born of the simple idea of having fun as you age, this wonderful group of ladies has only been around for 16 years and in that time they have grown in number from one to thousands all over the country. Ladies 50 and up wear red hats and purple clothes (the clashing is on purpose) and Ladies under 50 wear pink hats and lavender clothes. Founded by Sue Ellen Cooper on this day in 1998, when this day falls during the week, some chapters will celebrate on a close Saturday instead.

ANZAC Day - Celebrated in Australia and New Zealand, today we remember the landing, on this day in 1915, of the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps on the Gallipoli Penninsula in Turkey during World War I.  More than 11,000 men from these two countries died and 25,000 were wounded.  In total, there were more than 130,000 casualties among the Allied Forces for that very long battle that lasted many months. Today, this day is used to remember all of the Australian and New Zealander veterans who have died for their country.  

Robigalia - According to the Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations of the World Dictionary by Cherie D. Abbey, Robigus was one of many Roman Gods but this one has the distinction of being the God of blights on crops.  The Romans didn’t know what to do about the mildew, rust and other things that would attack their crops periodically, so on this day every year, they prayed and sacrificed to Robigus hoping that he would have mercy on them.

World Healing Day – Always on the last Saturday in April, this day is focused on healing in all forms. There are many different kinds of health oriented celebration days associated with this day.  Some of which I have listed below but I have no doubt that there are many more.

World Tai Chi & Qigong Day – Celebrated in 60 countries around the world since 1999, this is a day to spread awareness of the two related disciplines. The goals of today are to educate the world about the health benefits of Tai Chi and Qigong and to encourage people to embrace wisdom from all countries and cultures of the world.

World Native Aboriginal Sacred Ceremony & Dance Day – This is a day to embrace the ceremonies and special dances of the natives and aboriginals in the world.

World Yoga Day – Yoga is excellent exercise.  Some of my favorite stretches came from yoga techniques and I do them every day.  And you might be surprised to know that yoga, not lamaze,  helped me to get through my second and third childbirth experiences since the first showed me that pain medication was not an option for me.

World Reiki Day – On this day, Reiki groups around the world will be teaching Reiki meditations and holding participatory exhibitions.

World Prayer Day – This is a day to pray for healing for yourself, your neighbors, your city, your state, your country and your world.  If you participate at 10am, you can be part of a global wave of prayer.

World Veterinary Day - Celebrated on the last Saturday of April, this is a day to appreciate your Veterinarian.  Those of us who have pets or farm animals depend upon our Veterinarians to keep our animals healthy and to help them when they are injured.  The theme for this year’s celebration is “Vector-Borne Diseases with a Zoonotic Potential.”

Eeyore's Birthday Day – Always celebrated on the last Saturday in April, this is Eeyore's birthday! The idea came from one of A.A. Milne's stories where Eeyore thinks everyone forgot his birthday only to find out that they had been planning a party all along. Ever since 1963, Austin, TX has had a huge all day festival to celebrate this day with live bands, food, drinks, family oriented games and arts and crafts.  Which is kind of crazy since I lived in the Austin area for two Aprils and don’t remember hearing about this.

International Marconi Day – At first glance, I thought this was Macaroni Day too, but it most definitely is not. Born on April 25, 1874, Guglielmo Marconi played an enormous role in the invention of wireless telegraphy. In other words, we have radio capability because of him. We celebrate his birthday on a Saturday close to his birthday with amateur radio events going on all over the world.

Save The Frogs Day – The frog population is dwindling.  You wouldn’t know it necessarily if you aren’t in the amphibian conservation business because who else goes around counting frogs?  But, for the last six years, Save the Frogs has been working to fix this problem. This day is celebrated on the last Saturday in April.

Sense Of Smell Day – Today is a day to celebrate your sense of smell. The world would be a pretty bland place without the ability to smell. Granted, when we smell stinky things, we're not so pleased about it, but the good generally outweighs the bad. In fact, I think that a smelling app has even been invented for one of the latest idevices.  We celebrate this day on the last Saturday of April every year.

National Rebuilding Day – The non-profit organization, Rebuilding Together, works hard to rebuild and repair homes and community centers for low-income families. This day is always celebrated on the last Saturday in April and the goal is to bring attention to the organization's mission and the sad plight of the low-income population of this country.  They have been working at this for over 25 years and have rebuilt more than 150,000 homes so far.

To celebrate today, keep your eyes peeled for frogs while you wear a red or pink hat and visit a zoo. Smell all the fresh manure while you let your kids play with the penguins and seek out that plumber that is always fixing the bathrooms so you can give him a hug. Suggest that he/she join a Rebuilding Together project that day because their expertise is probably needed.  At lunch, draw a picture of DNA so your kids can understand what it looks like and tell them about the day during World War II that the Russians & Americans met in Germany, then confuse them by switching to the Australians and New Zealanders in World War I.  Then take your pet to the vet before you seek out some natives in your area to learn some dance moves.  Then de-stress with some Yoga, Reiki and Tai Chi while you pray for the healing of the world.  This evening, announce over your amateur radio that you are having a birthday party for Eeyore. During the party set up an offering of vegetables for Robigus, making sure the mosquitoes don’t bite you while you do.