July 1, 2015

Today we celebrate:

International Chicken Wing Day - This is the most popular party food ever in the entire world, I think.  Especially during the Super Bowl when they can be hard to find at the grocery store.  And I think everyone has their own special recipe for cooking them.  Some people say this day is celebrated on July 5th, so go ahead and have some chicken wings on both days.

National Postal Worker Day - This is a day to appreciate the men and women who sort, process, and deliver our mail every day of the week except Sunday.  That is an immense undertaking for a country our size but they do an amazing job every day.  Thank you, Postal People!

National Gingersnap Day – Crispy, crunchy and impossible to mistake for anything else because of the strong smell of ginger.  This is a love it or hate it kind of cookie.

Canada Day – A federal holiday in Canada, this day celebrates the anniversary of the Constitution Act which created Canada by combining three colonies in 1867.

National GSA Employee Day – The General Services Administration, an independent agency of the United States government, was established in 1949 and helps manage and support federal agencies with transportation, office space, cost cutting policies and other assorted administrative functions. They employ more than 10,000 people and today is their day.

Second Half Of The Year Day – This is a day to look back on your New Year's Resolutions. What have you accomplished and what do you need to work harder on? Figure out if you were unrealistic with your goals and change, update and renew your goals and dedication to accomplishing them.

Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day – There are more wacky ice cream flavors that you can possibly imagine. There are the traditional vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry everywhere you go and every ice cream maker has their own special flavors like chocolate peanut butter cup. But then, if you go looking in local ice cream parlors you can find crazy flavors like Lavender Honey Ice Cream, and Sea Salt Dulce de Leche Ice Cream. You can go to a garlic festival and find garlic ice cream. You can even find ice cream that really shouldn't be ice cream.

U.S. Postage Stamp Day – Before postage stamps were created in 1840 in the United Kingdom, mail was paid for by the person receiving the mail, not the person sending the mail. Which is ridiculous because if the receiver didn't want to or was not able to pay for it, the postal service didn't get paid. Also the people sending the mail sent whatever they wanted, no matter what it might ultimately cost the recipient. The postage stamp changed all that and made the mail system much more efficient. Over the next twenty or so years, other countries followed suit with the United States issuing their first official stamps on this day in 1847.

Zip Code Day – Before airplanes became a really reliable form of transporting mail around the country, and even for some time afterward, the Post Office used the much slower railroad. With the population booming, the Post Office was having a lot of difficulty delivering the mail in an efficient manner, so in the 1960's they spent quite some time working on finding a solution to that. On this day in 1963, the zip code system began and involved some major readjustments in the method of transporting mail.

International Joke Day – I was unable to find out who created this day, but for a day like this that is not important information. Today is a day for joking all around the world. Laughter is important to us for many different reasons so enjoy the excuse to laugh today. Tell jokes and spread the fun around the world.

National Build A Scarecrow Day - Some say this day is celebrated on July 1st, others say it’s on the first Saturday in July and still others say it’s on the first Sunday in July.  All I can really be sure about is that this day is celebrated early in July and that it is a day to build a scarecrow to protect your vegetable garden from crows.  Get creative and see what works to scare the crows and what they just end up using as a perch.

To celebrate today, take some gingersnap cookies and interesting ice cream up to Canada to celebrate their Constitution with them.  Then find some GSA employees on the way home and tell them some jokes before you go to the post office to thank the postal workers, buy stamps and check to make sure your zip code is still the same.  Finally, review your resolutions and renew your dedication to making them happen.

June 30, 2015

Today we celebrate:

Asteroid Day - This is a day to do whatever we can to protect our planet and our people from asteroid impacts.  It is held on the anniversary of the 1908 asteroid impact in Siberian Tunguska, which is the largest impact in what scientists call “recent history”.  It isn’t so recent that I remember it, even though my children think I should be old enough.

Social Media Day - This is a day that was begun in 2010 in order to recognize the tremendous impact social media has had on communication around the world.  Thanks to social media, we can find out what is going on in the world almost instantly.  It also has a downside because pictures or events that you don’t necessarily want to be public can also travel around the world in a matter of moments.

National Meteor Day – Keep your eyes open for meteors tonight. You never know when you're going to see one. Sometimes astronomers can give us a heads up when we will get a meteor shower, but even if there is no shower expected, you could still see a stray meteor. These are also known as shooting stars.

Leap Second Time Adjustment Day – This is a day to make a one second adjustment to our time in order to stay close to the average solar time. Apparently our daily rotation is not exactly 24 hours but is a fraction of a second longer. Therefore, every now and then, at the end of June or December, we need to add a second to the clock so that we don't eventually have days when midnight comes sometime in the afternoon.  There are scientists whose job it is to track the Earth’s rotation and they have told us that it is time to add a second.  The last time a second was added was June 2012.

NOW (National Organization for Women) – Founded on this day in 1966, by 28 women, this organization is about fighting for equality for women in all aspects of life.

To celebrate today, keep your eyes open for asteroids and meteors today while you keep an eye on what time it is and share posts from NOW on social media.

June 29, 2015

Today we celebrate:

Feast of Saints Peter and Paul - This is a day that has been celebrated for a very long time.  It is a feast in honor of the martyrdom of apostles Peter and Paul.  We are not sure if it is the anniversary of their death or if there is another reason for this day being chosen.

Hug Holiday – I was not able to find a reliable source for where this holiday came from, so normally I wouldn't include it. However, this is not a busy day and I really like hugs so there you have it.

National Almond Buttercrunch Day – Crunchy, buttery and nutty, if you like that combination, you'll be in heaven today.

Camera Day – Joseph Niepce created the first photographic image in 1826 or 1827 but it faded pretty quickly and he needed 8 hours of light exposure in order to take the picture.  There is some dispute about that date, you might find some websites saying it was taken in 1814, but that info seems sketchy to me.  In 1839, Louis Jacques Daguerre took the first image that didn't fade and it only needed 30 minutes of light exposure. All that pales in comparison to the pictures we can take with today's cameras, but every new technology starts somewhere.  It’s pretty amazing that these men figured out how to take a picture of something they could see with their eyes and reproduce it exactly (well, almost exactly, since they were black and white) on paper.  Prior to this, of course, any “pictures” had to be drawn or painted by an artist.  If you search for images of the first camera, you will find copies of the picture that I have posted here.  However, this is not the first camera invented….because what on earth would be taking the picture of the first camera?...it is, in fact, the largest camera invented by George Lawrence in 1900.  It weighed 900 pounds and cost $5,000 (the same as a large house) and took 15 men to move and operate.

Waffle Iron Day – Early, primitive waffle irons date back to the 14th century. They would imprint elaborate patterns on the waffles and were baked over a fire. In 1869, Cornelius Swarthout patented the waffle iron in the U.S. and 1911, the first electric waffle iron was invented.

Please Take My Children To Work Day – Celebrated on the last Monday in June, this is a day to recognize stay-at-home mothers and the very difficult job they have every day doing pretty much every job there is. On this day, stay-at-home moms can kick back, relax a little and laugh at themselves.

To celebrate today, hug your kids and give them a feast of waffles and almond buttercrunch so they will be full and sit still for you while you take their picture in the car of the father, friend or stranger, who is going to take them to work for the day

June 28, 2015

Today we celebrate:

International Body Piercing Day - Some people are really into putting holes in their bodies in interesting places.  I’m not, but if you are, this is a day for you.  This is the birthday of Jim Ward, who happens to have introduced many of the different styles of piercing and the body jewelry that are in use now.  He also opened the first piercing parlor in the United States. This is a new day that was just begun in 2014.

ARRL ( American Radio Relay League) Field Day – The most popular on-the-air event in the US and Canada. Celebrated on the fourth weekend of June every year by more than 35,000 ham radio enthusiasts and their clubs. Some celebrate with a contest, others by practicing emergency radio drills, still others with picnics and campouts.

Paul Bunyan Day – This is a day for tall tales. You've all heard of Paul Bunyan, I’m sure. Tell your children about him today. Don't forget about Babe, the Blue Ox. Feel free to add your own embellishments to the story, that's what makes a tall tale so much fun.

National Insurance Awareness Day – This is a day for spreading awareness of how important insurance is. Call your insurance company and see if they will celebrate today by giving you a discount on something. We can't get by without insurance these days whether it's car insurance or health insurance or life insurance or homeowners insurance. It's big business and we need it because it saves us from losing everything we have when someone inevitably sues us for something or we experience some kind of disaster. Make sure your insurance is up to date today.

Log Cabin Day – Celebrated on the last Sunday in June by most people, this day is sponsored by the Log Cabin Society of Michigan and has been an annual event since 1987. Michigan is so far the only state that celebrates this festival.  They do so by conducting tours of many log cabins in the state.

International Caps Lock Day - This day was created by Derek Arnold in the year 2000.  It is also celebrated on October 22nd and is simply intended to be a fun, goofy day.  Others have created their own Caps Lock Days at various points in the year such as August 22nd.

National Tapioca Day - I love tapioca pudding and I’ve heard that you can also do other things with it like putting it in a drink.  I haven’t tried that yet, I’m not sure I like it that much, but perhaps today would be a good day to find a good recipe.  Maybe this one:

Tau Day – I didn't know what this was either until I looked it up so I will happily enlighten you. Tau is double Pi. Pi, of course, is 3.14....therefore Tau is 6.28...Hence the reason it is celebrated today.

America's Kids Day – Celebrated on the fourth Sunday in June, the goal of this day is to teach American children about what it is to be an American. We need to teach them our fundamental values of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Yes, there is a lot of cynicism out there, but it is still possible for children to grow up to be anything they want to be if they are willing to work for it. That's what it is to be an American.

Descendants Day – Celebrated on the last Sunday in June, this is a day to research your family tree to see if you are the descendant of someone (or a group of someones) important to history. Of course, everyone you are descended from is important to your personal history since you wouldn't be here if it were not for them.

To celebrate today, KEEP THE CAPS LOCK ON ALL DAY WHILE YOU TYPE INVITATIONS TO YOUR ARRL FIELD DAY PICNIC THAT WILL TAKE PLACE IN A LOG CABIN NEAR YOU.  BEFORE PEOPLE ARRIVE, CHECK TO SEE IF YOUR INSURANCE IS UP TO DATE AND RUN OUT TO GET SOME BODY PART PIERCED.  DON’T TELL ME ABOUT IT, I DON’T WANT TO KNOW.  THEN, LATER TONIGHT, HAVE PAUL BUNYAN CONTESTS WHILE YOU EAT TAPIOCA PUDDING AND EXPLAIN TAU TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD KIDS.  BEFORE YOU GO TO BED, SPEND SOME TIME RESEARCHING YOUR FAMILY TREE.

June 27, 2015

Today we celebrate:

National Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day - Begun in 2010 by Congressional Resolution, this is a day to spread awareness of the issues that people who suffer from PTSD face every day.  We usually see this disorder in members of the military because of what they go through every day during war time.  But they are not the only ones who can be affected.  Anyone who has to endure an extremely stressful event can be at risk.  And, of course, the family and friends of people with PTSD also suffer.  There are treatments and ways of living a normal life.  Some people qualify for a service dog which can be extremely beneficial.

Sunglasses Day – This is a day to celebrate eye protection. Even primitive societies have been known to devise some sort of covering that can be seen out of but still protect their eyes from the sun. These days we have a myriad of styles and colors of sunglasses to choose from. You can make them part of your fashion statement if you want to. The important thing is to realize that your eyes do need to be protected from the sun so that your eyesight will last longer.

Decide To Be Married Day – This is a day to celebrate couples who decide to get married. It is based on a poem entitled, “Decide to be Married”. Oddly enough, my happily married husband of 21 years always tries to talk people out of making this decision. Do you think he's trying to tell me something?

National Orange Blossom Day - This is a day to celebrate the flower known as the orange blossom which is ultimately responsible for producing the delicious fruit we all know as oranges.  Citrus fruits are important sources of Vitamin C and we use the flavor of citrus for many desserts and drinks and more.

National HIV Testing Day – Every year on this day, since 2005, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has promoted an HIV testing day. They want everyone who could possibly be at risk to be tested today. The earlier you are diagnosed, the earlier you can begin treatment and the longer you can live a normal lifestyle.

“Happy Birthday To You” Day – This song has been around longer than I would possibly have guessed. The melody was composed in 1859 by Mildred J. Hill, a schoolteacher from Kentucky. It was first published in 1893 with the lyrics her sister, Patty Smith, wrote for it and it was called “Good Morning To All”. It was changed to a birthday song and copyrighted in 1935. Find someone who has a birthday today and sing it to them.

Industrial Workers Of The World Day – On this day in 1905, The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) was formed. The concept of the IWW is that all workers should be united as a social class and that capitalism and wage labor should be abolished. Sounds great in theory, but history has shown us that putting it into practice is difficult and so far has not been very successful.

Great American Backyard Campout – On this day, thousands of Americans will gather in backyards all over the country to have their very own campout. Experience the outdoors without having to travel too far. This is a great option for people with young children who don't want to get too far away from indoor plumbing or who think their young children will not be able to last a whole night outside. This day is celebrated on the last Saturday in June every year.

To celebrate today, wear sunglasses and sing the Happy Birthday song to the one you have decided to marry.  Then both of you should go get tested for HIV while you discuss the plight of the workers of the world and PTSD.  Finally, camp out in your backyard tonight and see if you can smell orange blossoms in your local area.

June 26, 2015

Today we celebrate:

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.

National Chocolate Pudding Day – Chocolate pudding is pretty good, especially for a chocolate lover. Add a little vanilla ice cream and whipped cream and you have turned pretty good into delicious.

National Canoe Day – This is a Canadian celebration founded by the Canadian Canoe Museum with the idea of increasing participation in canoeing across the country. Whether you are new to the sport or you have been canoeing for years, get out and find some water to canoe in today. Enjoy the water, the quiet and the animals you find.

Beautician's Day – This is a day to celebrate the person who styles your hair or paints your nails. Most of us can't do that by ourselves and the people who do it for us help us to look the best that we can be.

International Day Against Drug Abuse And Illicit Trafficking – This is a United Nations created day to raise awareness of the serious problems that illegal drugs bring to society. This day is celebrated by people all over the world with awareness programs.

International Day In Support Of Victims Of Torture – Another United Nations sponsored day created in 1997 to condemn the act of torture which is a crime under international law. Sadly, many governments and individuals ignore this law but the United Nations is working toward completely eradicating this horrific act.

To celebrate today, shake hands with your beautician before you take your dog for a canoe ride.  When you get back, eat chocolate pudding while you learn more about how to help victims of torture and drug abuse.

June 25, 2015

Today we celebrate:

World Vitiligo Day - Vitiligo is a skin disease that destroys the cells that produce melanin, which means that people with dark colored skin will gradually have larger and larger white patches on their bodies.  It is often confused with leprosy in many countries and has a huge and negative social and psychological impact.  People are suffering from this disease are frequently shunned by family and friends.  This is a day to spread awareness of the disease and factual information about its’ causes and treatment.

National Bomb Pop Day – Bomb Pops are a frozen Popsicle type of dessert that is made by Blue Bunny. They were invented in 1955 by James Merritt and D.S. Abernethy in Missouri. They even have a sugar free variety so unless you are allergic to one of the ingredients, you have no reason to not get them for your family today.  This day is celebrated on the last Thursday in June.

National Handshake Day – Also celebrated on the last Thursday in June, this is a day for an old fashioned hand shake. No fist bumps or high fives or crazy secret handshake routines. No sir, people have been shaking hands for centuries. There was a time when a handshake was as good as a signed contract. People shake hands to say hello and to say goodbye, and to offer congratulations. You may be thinking that you are experiencing some deja vu today because we just had a Handshake Day back on the 21st, but that was a worldwide event.  This day is only for the United States to celebrate.  The rest of the world can just put their hands back in their pockets today.  Unless you want to come over here and shake our hands, because that would be perfectly acceptable.

National Strawberry Parfait Day – I understand that Parfait is French for perfect, and that is just what this dessert is, strawberry perfection.

Day of the Seafarer - This is a day to celebrate the people of the sea.  Working on the oceans and seas is a dangerous profession but without them we wouldn’t eat fish, or be able to transport anything by water.

National Catfish Day – This day was created by President Ronald Reagan's Proclamation in 1987. This is a day to eat farm raised catfish, the farming of which has become a sizable industry in America.

Color TV Day (CBS)- On this day in 1951, CBS broadcast the very first color TV program which very few people could enjoy since nearly everyone in America who owned a TV, owned a black-and-white TV since color TV's hadn't taken off yet and wouldn't for another decade. After all, why spend more money to buy a color TV if most of the shows on it were still black-and-white. Besides, TV was still pretty new at that point and many households had just recently purchased their first one. I'm sure they didn't want to turn right around and buy a new one.

Global Beatles Day – This is a day to celebrate the Beatles and the gifts they gave to the world because of their promotion of peace and love and the expansion of the human consciousness. They started a wave of global changes in fashion and art, among other things. This day was chosen to honor the first live global television broadcast of “All You Need Is Love” by John Lennon which occurred back in 1967 on this very day.

To celebrate today, invite over someone you know with Vitiligo and shake hands before you make yourselves comfortable and eat catfish, strawberry parfait, and a Bomb Pop while you watch an old (probably black & white) Beatles performance on your color television.  Then switch over to a documentary on a seaman’s life.

June 24, 2015

Today we celebrate:

Celebration of the Senses Day - This is a day to celebrate all of your senses: sight, touch, taste, smell and sound.  How you choose to celebrate is left up to you so do whatever is most pleasing to these senses.  It doesn’t need to be all at the same time, although if you can, it would certainly save time.

Museum Comes to Life Day - This day has been celebrated since 2006 and is a day to go to a museum and imagine what it would be like if everything in it came to life.  Take your kids with you and see what scenarios their amazing imaginations come up with.

National Pralines Day – A sweet pecan treat that is very popular in New Orleans. It originally came from France and used almonds but when those Frenchmen and women arrived in New Orleans way back when, almonds were hard to come by, so they switched to pecans and now no one even thinks of using almonds in this delectable dessert.

International Fairy Day – This is a day that celebrates those tiny, winged, little people who are born on the laugh of a baby. I couldn't find out where this day came from or why we should celebrate it, but if you have children, particularly the little girl variety, you probably already celebrate this day every day. You will notice that my graphic is not a photograph this time. That is, of course, because it is very difficult to get a photograph of a real fairy because they are hard to find. When you do find one, they are not inclined to stay still long enough for a picture.

Swim A Lap Day – This is a day to get a little exercise. Put on your bathing suit, (go ahead, I won’t look) and hop in the pool to swim a lap. Although since you went to all that trouble to get your suit on and find a pool, I don't know why you would stop at one lap. Go ahead and swim as many laps as you can.

To celebrate today, celebrate your senses by eating pralines, watching the fairies swim laps in the bird bath, listening to your favorite music, wiggling your toes in some sand and smelling the fresh air.  Then take some kids to a museum and imagine what it would be like if the whole museum came to life.

June 23, 2015

Today we celebrate:

Typewriter Day - On this day in 1868, Christopher Latham Sholes received a patent for his typewriter.  It’s hard to find a real typewriter these days.  I remember when I was in high school, typing classes were given on real typewriters and there were stores all over the place where you could buy ribbons for them.  Now I know there are some young people reading this wondering why you need a ribbon for a typewriter.  That just makes me feel old.  Anyway, this particular invention made secretary’s lives all over the world a hundred times easier and faster.

National Pecan Sandies Day – A special kind of cookie that may have originated in the medieval Arab world.

National Pink Day – This is a day for people who love the color pink. I can't figure out why pink deserves a special day. I haven't yet seen any other color get it's own day, so go figure. But today you are urged to buy things that are pink, wear things that are pink and decorate things with pink.

SAT Math Day – This is a day to share your favorite SAT math problems. It is celebrated today because today is Alan Turing's birthday. Alan Turing, as I'm sure you already know, was a British mathematician, computer scientist, cryptanalyst, and logician who was born in 1912. That's a lot of responsibilities for one man but he was brilliant at what he did. He also had a very large role in ending World War II. Sadly, he committed suicide just before he turned 42 because of governmental persecution over issues in his private life.

United Nations Public Service Day – On this day the UN Public Service Awards are given out to worthy public servants. This is a very prestigious event that celebrates the value of public service to communities around the world.

Pink Flamingo Day – This day was declared by Dean Mazzaralla in 2007. Mr. Mazzaralla was the Mayor of Leominster, MA. He apparently really liked pink flamingos and felt that enough other people did as well.  If you're a fan of pink flamingos, decorate your yard today with a flock of them. It is my understanding that less than 4 flamingos does not constitute a flock.

Runner’s Selfie Day - These people have a facebook page and I’m hoping they will post more of an explanation about this day than I saw when I wrote this post.  All I can really make out is that it’s a day for runners to take a selfie.

National Columnists’ Day - Created by Jim Six in May 1988 and celebrated on the fourth Tuesday of June every year since, this is a day to contact your favorite columnists and wish them a happy day.  Maybe even take a minute to tell them what you like about what they write.

International Widows’ Day - A United Nations day which acknowledges that widows can be found in every country, culture, race, and age bracket.  Millions of these women suffer from poverty, discrimination, violence and more.  This is a day to recognize their hardships and work to help the ones who need it.

To celebrate today, solve some SAT math problems while you eat some pecan sandies then send a thank you note to the public servants in your area, making sure you include a picture of your pink flamingo lawn ornaments to lift their spirits.