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.

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