June 1, 2016

Today we celebrate:

Dare Day - Challenge someone today. Dare someone to do something, it doesn’t matter what it is. It could be anything because, after all, the person you are daring doesn’t have to actually do it. I always tell my children to ignore their friends when the “dare” word comes out because nothing good comes from it. So be as outlandish as you want, and let’s hope the daree has some sense to say no.

Don’t Give Up The Ship Day - This day is about Captain James Lawrence of the U.S. Frigate Chesapeake. He is known for saying, “Tell the men to fire faster and not to give up the ship; fight her till she sinks!” before he died. Well, history kind of indicates that the truth about the battle that this ship was engaged in, and the conduct of the crew was not as noble as the quote suggests. But, regardless, “Don’t give up the ship!” remains a popular naval motto in times of stress.

New Year’s Resolution Recommitment Day - I think it’s pretty obvious what this day is about. The website I referenced is slightly incorrect since they say it’s been six months since New Year’s occurred and it’s really only been five. There is another day on July 1st that is about recommitting to New Year’s promises and I think that one is more accurate. But if you reevaluate your resolutions now, you’ll have a jump on it next month and I don’t think that’s a bad thing.

International Children’s Day - This day has been celebrated in many countries on this day since 1950, but many other countries celebrate on different days. There are too many for me to list here, I don’t have that kind of energy. The day first came about in 1925 when it was proclaimed by the World Conference for the Well-being of Children, but it wasn’t until 1950 that a specific day was chosen. I will note that there is a Universal Children’s Day on November 20 that was created by the United Nations and it’s different, but at the same time….kind of the same.

Global Day of Parents - Well, if you are going to celebrate children, it only makes sense to also celebrate the people who created the children, the parents. Parents move heaven and earth to do whatever they need to do to protect and nurture their children. They provide love, food, shelter, and band-aids, and really what else does a kid need? Recognizing this, the United Nations, in their infinite wisdom and free time, created this day to honor parents all over the world.

Oscar The Grouch Day - Yes, even Oscar the Grouch has a birthday every year, whether or not he wants one. But really, it’s all in the thought behind the gift. I wouldn’t want a triple layer birthday cake that contains chicken and mint flavoring topped with sardine frosting, an empty box as a gift, and a pinata filled with garbage, but then again, I’m not a grouch. Clearly, this is a day for Sesame Street fans, of which I have always been one. I watched this great kids show when I was little, and I watched it some more when my kids were little. It’s been a few years now, but I hope it’s still going strong when I eventually (no need to rush on this now) have grandchildren.

Stand for Children Day - This is a day that was first celebrated on this day in 1996 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. with a small gathering of only about 300,000 people. That’s the size of my family reunions. Hmmm...maybe we should have our next one at the Lincoln Memorial, it seems like a great place to get together. I’ll talk to Aunt Stella about it. Anyway, this group has grown by leaps and bounds over the years since then and has been instrumental in lobbying Congress to create some legislation that is beneficial for the children of our country in the areas of education and health care.

Wear A Dress Day - Begun in Bend, Oregon on April 17th, 2010, after a couple of friends were talking about dresses and how beautiful women look in them and isn’t it a shame that so many women don’t wear them very often any more. There was a time when women had no choice but to wear a dress. They would have been horrified if they had been forced to wear anything else. So don’t wait for a special occasion to get all dressed up, wear one today just because it’s fun. This day is also celebrated on December 1st.

World Milk Day – First celebrated in 2001, this is a day to focus attention on milk and the benefits the world receives from milk. It is an important source of calcium which is good for maintaining strong bones. Let's appreciate the dairy farmers who look after their cows every day as well. Cows have to eat, and be cared for, every day so that they are healthy and give good quality milk and so these farmers don't get many days off.  Some countries have chosen to celebrate this day either a week before or a week after today.  In addition, let it be known that there has been a revival of the old fashioned glass milk bottle home delivery in some areas.  Here’s one place, but there are more so if you would be interested in that service, which would be great for reducing the garbage in landfills, check with your local dairy farms.

Heimlich Maneuver Day - Invented by Dr. Henry Heimlich in 1974, the Heimlich Maneuver is now standard practice for saving someone who is choking. It’s something that everyone can learn and you just never know when you might be called upon to use it to save someone. There are posters in just about every cafeteria in the United States with directions on how to perform this life saving move.

National Go Barefoot Day - This is a day that was created by Soles4Souls for the purpose of donating gently used or new shoes to people who have lost everything because of natural disasters.  There are many natural disasters in the world every year.  No place is immune as far as I can tell.  Countless numbers of people have lost everything and had to start over with nothing.  Shoes may seem like a small thing, but if you don’t have any, it becomes huge. I would recommend that you focus on donating practical footwear so stay away from high heels and think about where your donation is going. They don’t need snow boots in warm countries or flip flops in cold countries in the winter.

Say Something Nice Day – Four years ago, Mayor Keith Summey of North Charleston declared this day for the purpose of spreading healthy and positive communication. The plan is to start with saying positive things to yourself, then move on to smiling at everyone you see, graduating to contacting a friend you haven't talked to in a while and finally, writing a love letter to someone you love.

National Hazelnut Cake Day – Hazelnut adds a nutty flavor to any already delicious cake and turns the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Flip a Coin Day – Some of the most important decisions in our lives are decided by a flip of the coin. I wouldn't pick a spouse that way, but picking a vacation spot or deciding who washes the dishes...you bet!

National Running Day – Always on the first Wednesday in June, this is a day for runners all over the country to celebrate their passion. I am not a runner, I just want to make that clear. However, since it's not something that I do, I have great respect for those who can. Strap on those sneakers and get out there and run.

National Tailors Day – This is also celebrated on the first Wednesday of June. It is a day to be thankful for tailors. Most tailors these days are employed by stores that sell men's suits. You would be hard pressed to find one elsewhere, I think. But they do keep us looking well dressed.

May 31, 2016

Today we celebrate:

National Meditation Day - Meditation is a tool that can be used to bring harmony back to your life. It can help you destress, maintain your composure, reduce your anger, and increase your peacefulness, awareness and relaxation. Give it a try today, it only takes a few minutes a day to give you lasting benefits.

Save Your Hearing Day – This is a day to focus on a very important sense, our ability to hear. For as long as I can remember, young people have been determined to destroy this sense as quickly as possible. Probably something to do with knowing that they will one day have very loud children and so they know already that there will come a day when they will be glad that the noise is somewhat muffled. Or, maybe it is simply because they like loud music. Who doesn't? I like to crank up my radio when I'm alone in the house too, but I also have to endure the many complaints of my family members that I should get my ears checked because I can't hear diddlysquat. Which is nonsense. Who wants to hear diddlysquat anyway? What?

World No Tobacco Day – This is a day for absolutely everyone to spread the word any way they can that tobacco can cause many health problems. Some ideas include: working on banning tobacco advertising, holding anti-smoking meetings, going into schools and telling kids how bad tobacco is, stopping people in public places and encouraging them to stop smoking, holding public marches and demonstrations. Because you never know, some people who have lived under a rock for the last twenty or so years, just might emerge today and be receptive to your information. You could save a life today.  The theme for this year is, “Stop illicit trade of tobacco products”.

National Macaroon Day – Macaroons are cookies made with egg whites, sugar, ground almonds, coconut and maybe some chocolate. They do not use flour. They are also not to be confused with macarons, which are sandwich like treats filled with butter or jam. Have some macaroons today. These won't even mess up your gluten-free diet if you are on one.

What You Think Upon Grows Day – This is a day that is all about the power of positive thinking. Whatever you allow your mind to dwell on, will come to pass. If you persist in thinking about negative things, negative things will happen in your life. So anytime you start thinking negatively, push those thoughts right out of your head and replace them with positive thoughts. The more positive thoughts you have, the more positive things will happen in your life.

Speak In Complete Sentences Day - This is a day that requires us to focus on how we speak.  Far too many of us speak in slang, texting shorthand, and just plain poor grammar.  I have tried to teach my children that in the business world, no one is going to take you seriously if you don’t speak like a mature adult is supposed to speak.  Saying “like” every other word or juvenile forms of speech like, “Me and Dave” instead of “Dave and I” are going to lead to problems when you are trying to impress your boss or a client.

May 30, 2016

Today we celebrate:

My Bucket’s Got A Hole In It Day - I couldn’t find a source that could tell me exactly what this day is about or who created it. But I did find numerous references to it so I can only assume that it is real. It might be an homage to Hank Williams’ song by the same name, or it might be about appreciating buckets with or without holes, or it might be a metaphor for our lives and how none of us are perfect. Take your pick.

National Mint Julep Day - This is a cocktail made with bourbon whiskey, mint, water and sugar.  Many people feel this is a summer drink and wouldn’t think of having it in the winter.  It is most popular in the south and is the official drink of the Kentucky Derby.

Water A Flower Day – Wow, I'm getting it from all sides today. My husband is always on my case because I remember to water my vegetable garden but I never think about the poor flowers. Usually because I'm in a hurry to get to work or get away from the mosquitos so I only water the “important” things. I know, I know, flowers are important too. Sheesh, I'll water them already.

Loomis Day – This is a day dedicated to people who think outside the box like Mahlon Loomis, a dentist and the inventor of artificial teeth in 1854, was also the earliest inventor of a wireless telegraph, which he patented on this day in 1872. His idea worked, but not for the reasons he thought. He was using kites with metal wires, instead of string, as antennas and thought that if the kites were flown at the same level in the atmosphere, the messages could be transmitted between them. It worked, but it worked because of the length of the wire, not the height of the kite. I don't understand it all, but I do know that Congress wasn't buying the whole concept so even though he got a patent for his idea, it didn't end up going anywhere. He may not have been totally successful, but his ideas sparked a trend that led to the technology we have today.

Memorial Day – Celebrated on the last Monday in May, this is a United States Federal Holiday and is a day for remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It was originally known as Decoration Day, as I mentioned yesterday, and celebrations began shortly after the Civil War to commemorate both Union and Confederate soldiers who died in that war. It has since been extended to honor all Americans who died in all of the wars we have been involved in. Veteran's grave stones or crosses are typically decorated for this day with an American flag and sometimes with wreaths and flowers as well.

May 29, 2016

Today we celebrate:

Paper Clip Day - Ok, I’m not a fan of this day. Yeah, paper clips are useful. I use them every day at work. You could even say I’m a fan of paper clips because they work so great. But really, does that mean that they deserve a holiday? I think not. But as I’ve said before, I don’t make the days, I just tell you about them. It may be that paper clips were invented by Johan Vaaler from Norway in 1899, but I’m not 100 percent sure of that.

National Biscuit Day - This is a day to celebrate biscuits. I love biscuits, they taste great warmed up with melted butter and maybe a little dab of jelly. Yum. Now, ‘biscuit’ means different things depending on what country you come from, for example, in the United Kingdom, what we call ‘cookies’, they call ‘biscuits’. But since I don’t know what country this holiday comes from, eat some biscuits today, no matter what that means to you.

Indianapolis 500 - The famous car race that takes place on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway located in Speedway, Indiana. This race is always held over the Memorial Day weekend and is one of the three most important races in the world. It began in 1911 and has happened every year since then.

World Digestive Health Day - Created by the World Gastroenterology Organization, this is a day to increase public awareness of what we eat and how it affects us gastrointestinally. For example, coeliac disease can be devastating for the intestinal health of sufferers when they eat even small amounts of gluten. So the theme this year is, “Your Diet and Gut Health.”  Every year they focus on a different digestive disorder.  Last year was about “Heartburn: A Global Perspective.”

Learn About Composting Day – This is a day to learn about composting. The basic idea is to reuse our food scraps by collecting them in a compost bin and, over time, turning them into compost which would make good, natural fertilizer.

Put A Pillow On Your Fridge Day – Back in the day before there were refrigerators, it was fairly common practice, or so I understand not being old enough to have experienced it, to put cloth in your larder as it was believed to bring good luck and prosperity to the family. Well, no one has a larder any more and not too many of us have piles of cloth lying around so we are encouraged to put a pillow on or in (if you have room) your refrigerator. If you do this, let me know if it works and if you end up having good luck and great wealth. And make sure you have a camera handy to capture the looks on the faces of your loved ones as they attempt to raid the fridge and find a pillow among the food.

Ascension Of Baha'u'Llah – On this day in 1892, Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Baha'i faith, died and ascended into Heaven. He left his followers teachings which he believed would lead all of humanity to a “true and abiding peace.”

International Day Of United Nations Peacekeepers - Keeping the peace is a difficult and dangerous job. This is a day, declared by the United Nations, to remember and honor the United Nations Peacekeepers who have lost their lives to this cause. The first UN peacekeeping mission was performed in 1948 and more than 3,200 Peacekeepers have died in the years since then as a result of their pursuit of world peace.

End of Middle Ages Day – According to historians, this day in 1453 was the last day of the Middle Ages. I don't know about you but my first question was: How do they know that? Well, I'll tell you. May 29, 1453 was the day that Constantinople fell, marking the end of the Byzantine Empire. Goodbye, Middle Ages: Hello, Renaissance.

National Coq Au Vin Day – Chicken and wine. Really, that is all this is. Have some chicken and wine for dinner tonight. Oh, you can follow a traditional recipe and make it all fancy if you want and have time. If not, any old chicken and wine will do.

Stand for Children Day – Founded by Jonah Edelman in 1996, this is a day full of rallies organized by Stand For Children (an American education advocacy group) for the purpose of supporting our nation's children. You don’t have to have children to participate, there are children almost everywhere you go in your community and we need to work together to do whatever we can to make them safe and keep them healthy.

May 28, 2016

Today we celebrate:

National Brisket Day - Brisket is a specific cut of meat that comes from the lower chest of the animal. It is generally cooked low and slow, as my husband says, a phrase that you may not recognize if you are not an experienced cook or if my husband made it up. He means that you cook it for a long time over a low, or indirect, heat (if you are cooking it on a grill). All I know is that it is delicious!

International Jazz Day - On Saturday of Memorial Day weekend we are all about Jazz. Jazz music has been around for something like two hundred years. Its’ appeal has spread from sea to shining sea and beyond all the way around the world. Even people who say they don’t like Jazz, actually like Jazz. The best place to listen to it is, of course, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Amateur Radio Military Appreciation Day – On this day Amateur Radio Operators from around the world are asked to team up to allow people from their local communities to gather in public areas and use the two way radio to verbally express their support and appreciation for members of the all branches of the military, and First Responders.

Julia Pierpont Day – Julia Pierpont is known for having the original idea for Memorial Day, which was first called Decoration Day, back in May of 1866. You can pay tribute today to Julia as well as our veterans by decorating veterans graves in order to prepare them for Memorial Day coming up in just two days.

National Hamburger Day - Hamburgers apparently originated in Hamburg, Germany but the Americans added their own spin to it by putting it on a bun. Seymour, Wisconsin lays claim to that addition and hosts a hamburger festival called Burger Fest every year. I haven’t yet heard about anyone disputing that claim, although maybe no one cares enough to do so.

Amnesty International Day – Amnesty International was founded in 1961 after an article was published on this day in 1961 by the The Observer entitled “The Forgotten Prisoners” by Peter Benenson. Amnesty's goal is to bring attention to the many cases of human rights abuse in the world and to bring pressure to governments whenever and wherever they can to try to get those abuses to end. The organization was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 1977 for its “campaign against torture,” as well as the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights in 1978.

Sierra Club Day – Founded on this day in 1892, with John Muir as its' first President and a membership of 182 charter members, this club has worked tirelessly to, as John Muir said, “do something for wildness and make the mountains glad.” This club now has more than a million members and is the oldest environmental organization in the U.S.

May 27, 2016

Today we celebrate:

National Title Track Day - It looks like this day is celebrated on the fourth Friday of May, if that is incorrect please set me straight in the comments. Now my musical vocabulary is very limited so I am not really certain what a title track is, but from my research (which consists of web sites that assume that people know what a title track is) it seems to me that it is the song on the album (do they still call them albums?) that shares the same name as the album. So this is a day to listen to all the title tracks on all of your albums. That would be easy for me because I only have about 10, but if they mean my husband’s albums as well, that could take all day.

European Neighbours’ Day - Created in Paris, France in 2000, this is a festival that has spread to more than 36 countries and more than 30 million people. It’s a day to fight the European trend toward isolationism by making a simple, nice gesture to your neighbours. Invite them to a meal, and build some social bonds and friendships that will eventually stand the test of time. Any city or neighborhood who wants to participate and spread the word is welcome.

National Death Busters Day - Celebrated on the Friday before Memorial Day, this is apparently one of the most dangerous days to be on the road in a motor vehicle. So please be careful in your travels people, I don’t have very many readers of this blog and I would hate to lose a single one of you. I’m just kidding about that, but I am serious about asking you to be careful. Let’s make a goal of having everyone on the roads follow all the rules and have zero accidents in America today. And let's also avoid any train accidents which seem more and more prevalent these days as well. Deal?

National Grape Popsicle Day - Apparently popsicles were invented in 1905 when a child, Frank Epperson (age 11) did what all children do and didn’t clean up after himself. He left his beverage with a stirring stick outside on a cold night. But it turned out to be a great thing, so parents you should think about that the next time you tell your kids to clean up something. You could be ruining your child’s future accidental invention that could make millions of dollars. But this is not a day for all popsicles...only the grape ones...which everyone knows are the best flavor anyway.

Nothing To Fear Day - What are you afraid of? I don’t like to think about my fears very often, but every now and then we need to do that and figure out if our fears are stopping us from accomplishing our goals in life. Some fears are seriously debilitating and if you have any of those, you might need professional help to overcome them. If you have a fear of mental health professionals like Psychologists, Psychiatrists or Therapists, then you’re just toast and you’ll have to talk to your Great Aunt Bessie for some practical, down to earth advice on how to fix that little problem. But this is also a day to figure out where your fears are coming from.  Are they real? Or are you reacting to what you are hearing on the news? Because let me tell you right now, if you are paying too much attention to the news, you need to do some real research into those news stories, which all too often sensationalize things and make them seem like much bigger problems than they really are. They do that so people will watch the news because they need the ratings just like any other television show. “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Thank you, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, for the appropriate comment.

Old-Time Player Piano Day - While I was able to find out more than I ever wanted to know about player pianos, I was not able to find out why today is a significant day for them. They were developed gradually by various people inventing improvements that built on the ideas of those who came before. It looks like a Frenchman by the name of Fourneaux created the original player piano in 1863 but it was improved upon by many until the 1920s when it had its’ peak. Sales dropped off after that, and then the Great Depression really put the kabosh on the whole industry. The only ones still interested after WWII were a few collectors who just loved them and put in the time and money to restore any that they found.

Don't Fry Day – Celebrated on the Friday before Memorial Day, this is a day to think about saving your skin from the sun. Having fair skin, I have to be extra cautious about this and have turned into a sunscreen nazi, I have to admit. I time how long the kids have been in the pool and pull them out to dry off and reapply the sunscreen far more often than they like. But there are other things you should do besides applying sunscreen. See this website for more skin saving tips.

National Wig Out Day – Also celebrated on the Friday before Memorial Day, this is a day to have fun. Put on a wig and try out a new hairstyle without risking your actual hair, or put on a wig and an alter ego and pretend to be someone else today.

Heat Awareness Day – While we all have at least a few days in the summer when we find the heat unbearable, sometimes we forget that heat actually kills hundreds of people every year. It's hard to believe it, but heat kills more people than tornadoes, floods, lightning, and hurricanes combined. There are things you can do to keep yourself safe when the temperature runs too high, make sure you know what those things are and do them. The website I have referenced will help with that.  Also try to keep an eye on your elderly relatives or neighbors this summer.  This day is celebrated on the fourth Friday in May.

Sunscreen Day – This is a day to raise awareness of the importance of wearing sunscreen to protect your skin. It's also important to remember that you don't have to see the sun in order to be burned by the sun. I've gotten the worst sunburns of my life on cloudy days because those are the days you don't even think about needing sunscreen. Protect your skin and you will be less likely to get a melanoma.

Cellophane Tape Day – On this day in 1930, Richard Drew of the 3M company, received a patent for his invention of cellophane tape, also known as Scotch Tape or Invisible Tape or just Tape. I used to have a whole bunch of the stuff in my house after a trip to Costco four years ago.  I figured I would never have to buy more in my lifetime, but I didn’t factor my children into that equation. Now I’m constantly searching the house for whatever scraps remain.  I don’t want to buy more because I know I must have more somewhere here.  The kids couldn’t possibly have used all of it….could they?  Assuming you don’t have my problem, see if you can find a new way of using it today besides the tried and true old present wrapping standby. Last year I amazed my teenager by using cellophane tape to remove lint from her black shirt. I don't know what shocked her more; that it worked, or that I knew something she didn't know.

May 26, 2016

Today we celebrate:

Corpus Christi - This is not about the city in Texas, although I have been there and enjoyed it thoroughly and feel they deserve to have a day. But alas, this is not it. No, this is a day that is celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday in Christian churches and is actually called The Feast of Corpus Christi which is Latin for “Body of Christ”. The super simplification of the day is that it celebrates the belief in the body and blood of Jesus Christ. If you talk to a clergyperson, you will get a much better explanation that I can provide to you.

National Cherry Dessert Day - Truthfully, I’m not a huge fan of cherries, but I recognize that I am in the minority here. And I do understand that cherries are really very good for you. They are full of vitamins and minerals and even have some fiber to top it all off. This is a win/win situation. So, maybe I’ll make a cherry pie for my family who will think they have died and gone to heaven, but I’ll still choose to eat something different for myself.

National Grey Day - OK, this is another fairly odd day. Apparently grey is an underappreciated color. I wasn’t aware of that. Mostly because I wear a lot of black and grey because it is easy to match those colors with others. But many people avoid grey because it is too plain. So today you need to purposefully choose grey whenever you have an option. Grey clothes, grey crayons, pencils write in grey, and if you dim the lights at night you will see more grey.

National Paper Airplane Day - Paper airplanes are a simple and fun way of making your own toy. The purpose is to try to get people of any age to stop using their high tech gadgets that are killing us and isolating us from life, and get together with friends and family, get out some plane old paper, make some paper airplanes and  take them outside to fly them around. Experiment with how folding them differently affects how they fly, there are lots of different designs you can try.

Sally Ride Day – On this day in 1951, Sally Ride was born. Sally, of course, became an astronaut when women just didn't do that, and in 1983, at 32 years old, became the first American woman to enter space and orbit the earth. She had another space flight in 1984 and between the two flights, spent more than 343 hours in space. She was the only person to serve on the investigation board for both the Challenger and the Columbia disasters and she formed her own company, Sally Ride Science that creates entertaining science programs for students, with an emphasis on girls. She died of pancreatic cancer in 2012.

World Redhead Day - This is a day that was created by Jace Shoemaker-Galloway. She feels that redheads are negatively stereotyped as having hot tempers. The combination of red hair and the freckles that commonly go with it are viewed as imperfections. My own son, who is a redhead, hates his hair. I don’t get it because I love red hair and when I was young I would have given anything to have it instead of my boring brown hair. But the fact is that many redheads are discriminated against and even bullied because of their hair color. It is pretty rare to have natural red hair, and even if you do, it doesn’t always stay red into adulthood. My son is a teenager and his hair is already darkening and will eventually turn brown. I look at his baby pictures and compare that bright and vivid red to what he has now and I feel a little sad, but he can’t wait to feel normal. So if you have red hair, whether it is natural or colored, revel in sporting that beautiful color on your head, you are beautiful and you hope you feel that way.

National Blueberry Cheesecake Day – Any kind of cheesecake is delicious but if you're a fan of blueberries, which I am, then delicious becomes heavenly.

World Lindy Hop Day - This is a special African American dance that originated in Harlem, New York in the 1920’s and 30’s.  It requires jazz music from the big band era.  The goal today is to spread this dance all over the world because apparently not everyone knows about it.  However, if I use it’s other names, I bet I’ll have a few more people who recognize it. It is also known as Swing Dancing or the Jitterbug.  See?  There you go.

May 25, 2016

Today we celebrate:

Lag B'omer – A Jewish holiday, this day represents a break in the season between Passover and Shavuot. This is the 33rd day of the 50 that are between those two events. It is a lifting of the mourning practices that occur during this time.  It begins at sundown and ends at sundown tomorrow.

National Wine Day - Back in February we celebrated National Drink Wine Day.  Today is a little different.  You don’t have to drink wine if you don’t want to...although why wouldn’t you want to?  I’m joking, I know wine isn’t for everyone.  But if you do enjoy wine, celebrate today by going to a local vineyard for a wine tasting.  While you are there, learn a little bit about how wine is made and see if your vineyard knows anything about the history of wine.

National Missing Children's Day – Begun in 1983, this day was created in the memory of Ethan Patz, a six year old boy who disappeared on this day in 1979. He has not yet been found.  Today we honor law enforcement officers who have performed above and beyond their call of duty in order to safely recover a missing child, or have helped a child who has been sexually exploited over the course of the year.

National Tap Dance Day – This is a day to celebrate tap dancing. It was created by Carol Vaughn, Nicola Daval and Linda Christensen, and signed into law by President George H.W. Bush in 1989. It is also celebrated in a few other countries like Japan, Australia, India & Iceland. This day was chosen for celebrating tap dancing because it is the birthday of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson.

Towel Day – This day is a tribute to late author Douglas Adams. We are to celebrate by carrying a towel everywhere we go today. Fans of Adams' book, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, need no further explanation. For the rest of you, I will explain only that if you are an interstellar hitchhiker, or you want to be prepared in case you unexpectedly become one, you absolutely MUST have a towel with you. If you want to know more, read this marvelous and entertaining novel.

National Brown-Bag-It Day – This is a day to celebrate the simple brown bag that we all used to use to carry our lunches to school. These days we have fancier bags that keep things cold or warm, but bringing your lunch to school or work is still called brown-bagging-it. I bring my lunch nearly every day. If you don't, you might want to consider doing so at least now and then. It's healthier, depending on what you pack, and it's definitely cheaper than eating out every day.

Cookie Monster's Birthday – There’s a little confusion here with this day. Cookie Monster's birthday is really November 2nd, but the voice of Cookie Monster, Frank Oz, celebrates his birthday today. So have a cookie today in honor of the Cookie Monster's voice.

Nerd Pride Day or Geek Pride Day – This day was chosen for this particular celebration because on this day in 1977, the first Star Wars film, A New Hope, was released. The idea for today is to play up your unique geekiness or nerdiness in any way you choose.

World MS Day – This day is celebrated on the last Wednesday of May every year.  Multiple Sclerosis is a neurological disorder that affects approximately 2 million people worldwide. It usually shows up in young adults so most people are diagnosed between the ages of 25 and 31. More women than men are affected. There is no cure and no one knows what causes it. The type and severity of the symptoms vary widely from person to person but can include weakness of limbs, dizziness, fatigue, tingling sensations, and vision disruptions among many other things. Sometimes patients can be in remission and be symptom free for days to even years and then it will relapse. Others never get a period of remission. Some can live a reasonably healthy life for many years and others become severely debilitated very quickly and do not live long at all. There is no predicting the course of the disease in anyone. Find out more here, and here.

National Senior Health & Fitness Day – This day has been celebrated every year since 1993 with a goal of keeping older Americans healthy and fit. It is always celebrated on the last Wednesday in May and you will find events happening all over the world. The theme for this year is: “Improve Your Health for a Better Self!”