August 27, 2016

Today we celebrate:

Pony Express Day - Celebrated on the last Sunday in August for the purpose of honoring the men who were part of the mail service delivering mail from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California by horseback. It was a 2,000 mile stretch that they traveled in 10 days. It only lasted 18 months but it employed 120 riders, and nearly 400 support personnel and was a very demanding and dangerous job.

Tarzan Day - On this day in 1912, Tarzan made his debut in a magazine, or so I am led to understand. I haven’t found proof of that and I have seen some evidence that it may have been an October issue of the magazine. I am certain, however, that Tarzan was the creation of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and two years later Mr. Burroughs published the first of a series of novels based on this amazing character.

Kiss Me Day - Not ME specifically, I’m sure you understand.  My husband would object. However, it was on this day in 1929, that the first on-screen kiss between Popeye and his lady love, Olive Oyl, occurred. I’m sure there were many raised eyebrows in the audience as well as hands placed over the kids eyes. Henceforth, this has become a day to kiss the one you love.

Just Because Day - This is a day to do something….well, just because. Is there something you would like to do but don’t really have a good reason to do it? Well, now is your chance. Do it today...just because.

National Petroleum Day - This is a day to think about petroleum. We use it every day, whether you have a car or take public transportation and there is a lot of buzz about how we should conserve our fossil fuels and use alternative energy, which is a great idea. But like all great ideas, it takes time for them to become mainstream. So until that happens, we must be grateful for the petroleum fuel we use right now.

National Pots de Creme Day – Pots de Creme (pronounced poh-deh-krem) is French for “pot of cream.” It is a custard that is heavier than you are probably used to and is baked in a small, single serving pot or ramekin. They can be vanilla or chocolate and they look delicious.

Banana Lover's Day – I love bananas and have one nearly every day in my cereal in the morning. How do you feel about them? They are not just delicious fruits that have only been readily available in this country for about a hundred years, but they are also very healthy and full of potassium which is very useful for preventing muscle cramps, something that I used to suffer from on a daily basis. But not since I started eating bananas everyday.

Lyndon Baines Johnson Day – This is a state holiday in Texas to honor President Lyndon Baines Johnson who was born on this day in 1908.

The Duchess Who Wasn't Day – You have probably heard the quote, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Who hasn't?  But you may not know who said it. It comes from a novel I had never heard of, Molly Bawn, which was written by Margaret Wolfe Hungerford who used a pseudonym, “The Duchess”, which was also the title of her most popular book. She was born in Ireland on this day in 1850 and died in 1897.

International Bat Night – Created by an organization called EUROBATS, this is a two day event that usually takes place on the last weekend in August and is celebrated by more than 30 countries with bat walks, presentations, exhibitions and generally a lot of love for bats.