October 5, 2014

Today we celebrate:

Do Something Nice Day – This is a day to be nice to someone without being asked to. This does not count as me asking you to. You need to do it because you want to. This is sometimes called a random act of kindness or paying it forward. Call it what you want, just do it today.

National Apple Betty Day – This was something we would have for dessert all the time when I was a kid. I think I need to make it more often for my kids. There's a recipe here that looks pretty good: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/apple-betty/detail.aspx

World Teachers Day – There are Teacher's Days that are localized and celebrated in different countries at different times (mostly because they are honoring the birth of someone specific to their area), but this is the only Worldwide Teacher's Day. I know it's Sunday today, but if you know any teachers personally, give them a call today.

Change A Light Day – This is a day to make a change for the good of the environment. Change at least one of your old light bulbs to one of the new energy efficient light bulbs. Even though they tend to be more expensive than the old bulbs, they will end up saving you money over the long term.

World Communion Day - Celebrated on the first Sunday in October, this is a day for Christians all over the world to come together in faith to remember and affirm Jesus Christ as the Head of the Church.

Country Inn Bed & Breakfast Day – Celebrated on the first Sunday in October, this is a day to celebrate inns, innkeepers and visitors to Bed & Breakfasts in North America. Some of them celebrate this weekend with special rates so if you happen to be enjoying a B&B today, ask about that.

To celebrate today, change a light bulb before you head to church for Communion.  Then do something nice and invite a teacher to come with you to a local bed and breakfast that also serves dinner and ask for some Apple Betty for dessert.

October 4, 2014

Today we celebrate:

Fall Astronomy Day - This is a day to look at the stars.  Check with your local planetarium  or Air and Space type of museum to see if they are having any special activities to celebrate today.  There will be things happening at all hours of the day and night because not all astronomy is based on the stars.  Back in April we had Spring Astronomy Day, this is the fall version of the same thing.  It occurs as closely as possible to the first quarter Moon in the Fall and is intended to facilitate interaction and education between astronomy professionals and enthusiasts and the general public.  http://www.astroleague.org/al/astroday/astrodayform.html

The Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi – The Patron Saint of animals, the environment and a Co-patron Saint of Italy. This is the day after the anniversary of his death in 1226. After growing up wealthy, and converting to a life of poverty and preaching, he began his own religious order which was eventually endorsed by Pope Innocent III in 1210.

Blessing of the Animals Day – This day coincides with the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi because of his love for all animals. So take your animals to a local Catholic church for their blessing today.

National Taco Day – A taco is the Mexican version of a sandwich. A tortilla wrapped around a filling of beef, pork or fish. There are countless variations on the taco so feel free to come up with your own.  You don’t need to go by what Taco Bell puts in it and it doesn’t matter if your tortilla is a hard shell or a soft flour or corn tortilla.  You can even make a breakfast taco with eggs and cheese and bacon.  

Improve Your Office Day – On this day, office workers all around the world are required to clean up, organize and decorate in order to make their work environment clean and safe and it wouldn't hurt for it to be healthy either so make sure you use disinfectant on phones, keyboards, mice, desks and anything else people touch regularly. I know it’s a Saturday this year but this is a project that is worth going to work on a Saturday for.

National Diversity Day – Established in 2005 by Leo Parvis, this is a day to celebrate whoever you happen to be no matter what your race, gender, religion, disability, sexual orientation, age or nationality. Everyone is special and precious and should be accepted for who they are.  Be as tolerant of other people’s differences as you would like them to be tolerant of yours.

Ten-Four Day – This is the fourth day of the tenth month and is a day of recognition for those radio operators who use the code words “ten-four” instead of the word “yes” on the radio. Do not ask me why radio operators need these code words, I do not have the answer for that.

National Vodka Day – The word comes from the Russian word “voda” which means “water”. This was traditionally a European drink and didn't become popular in the United States until after World War II. It is a very potent drink with a high alcohol volume so be careful when you drink it.

Inter-American Water Day – Celebrated on the First Saturday of October, this is a day to raise awareness of how important water is for life. It was created in 1992 by the Pan American Health Organization, the Inter-American Association of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering and the Caribbean Water and Wastapplewater Association.

World Card Making Day – This day is also celebrated on the First Saturday in October. It began in 2006 as a national day but went worldwide shortly after. It is a day for anyone involved in card making, whether you make them at home or you are part of the card making industry, to celebrate the creativity involved.

International Toot Your Flute Day – This is a day to brag, brag, brag. Don't be shy about telling everyone how great you are and all of the awesome, wonderful things you can do! Toot your own flute because no one can do it better since no one knows you like you do.

To celebrate today, all day substitute “ten-four” for “yes” when you talk to people making sure you tell them all about how wonderful you are.  First thing this morning, head to your office to clean and decorate it along with your diverse group of co-workers to whom you will pass out the cards you made thanking them for being different.  Then, watch the sun to tell the time so you can make sure you are not late getting your pets to church for their blessing. Next, have a feast of tacos for dinner and make sure you put water and vodka in any beverage you drink.

October 3, 2014

Today we celebrate:

Yom Kippur - Celebrations for this day begin at sundown today and end at sundown tomorrow. This is a very important holy day for the Jewish people. Most celebrate the day with fasting and prayer that sometimes lasts all day.

National Virus Appreciation Day – I'm not too sure about this one. Well, I’m sure that it exists, I’m just not sure why.  Perhaps someone can enlighten me about what there is to appreciate regarding viruses of any kind. There are living organisms that we call viruses that make us sick and there are computer viruses that make our computers sick. Either way, I don't appreciate them one little bit.

Butterfly and Hummingbird Day – Now this is a day I can appreciate. Who doesn't love butterflies and hummingbirds. I could watch them flit around all day.  Beautiful and graceful and only around at certain times of the year, see if you can spot one today.

National Caramel Custard Day – I never eat custard, although right now I can't think why. I absolutely love caramel so I'll have to give this a try today.  Here’s a recipe you can try that looks pretty easy: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/

caramel-custard

World Smile Day – This day is celebrated on the first Friday of October every year. It was created in 1999 by Harvey Ball, the artist who created the smiley face in 1963. He felt that his smiley face symbol was over-commercialized and was losing its intended significance. So he decided that the world needed a reminder that we should smile more often. So today, you should smile at absolutely everyone.

World Temperance Day – I haven’t found out anything about this day other than the fact that it exists and can be found on the calendars of several countries. I can only speculate that this is a day to avoid drinking alcoholic beverages. Many of us drink too much anyway, so drink some water instead.  

Look at the Leaves Day - Are the leaves changing near you?  You won’t know unless you look so take some time to look at the leaves today.  Hopefully they are very colorful where you are and making the trees look beautiful instead of already all sitting on the ground waiting to be raked up.

Lee's National Denim Day – Celebrated on the first Friday in October, this is a day for everyone to work together to fight against breast cancer by wearing jeans to work in exchange for a $5 contribution toward breast cancer research.

National Family TV Show Day - This is a day to have some family time.  There are those who believe that it would be a good idea to have this particular day at least once a week.  Sit down with your family and watch a TV show together.  It might spark an important opening to talk about your values on a multitude of issues.

National Techies Day - A hundred years ago a techie would have had a hard time finding a job.  But these days, we can’t go a day without needing a techie to help us with at least one of the multitude of gadgets that we use every day.  Make sure you thank your favorite techie today.

To celebrate today, put away the alcohol and put on some jeans and a smile while you look at the colorful leaves and watch the butterflies and hummingbirds in your back yard.  Then call a techie to come and clean viruses off your computer while you sit with your family, to watch a TV show about a Jewish Family celebrating Yom Kippur.  Then make some caramel custard for dessert tonight.

October 2, 2014

Today we celebrate:

World Farm Animals Day or World Day for Farmed Animals – This day is dedicated to saving farm animals from being raised in deplorable conditions and then being slaughtered for food.  It takes place on or near this day because this is the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, a man who stood for non-violence toward animals and people.  

International Day of Non-violence – Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2007, this is a day to spread the message of non-violence all around the world through educational programs and public awareness.  Again, this day was chosen to honor Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday.

Guardian Angels Day – This day has been celebrated for a very long time. In the 16th century, Pope Clement X chose this day for the Feast of the Guardian Angels. On this day we should thank God for the guardian angel that He has given to each of us to inspire us to do good deeds and to protect us from evil and to guide us to God at the moment of our deaths.

National Custodial Workers Day – This is a day to recognize the dedicated, hard working people who keep our schools and businesses clean. It is often a thankless and unnoticed job, but we sure notice if it's not done because then we are surrounded by a mess. Make sure you talk to the custodians in your life today and thank them for their hard work.

Phileas Fogg's Wager Day – On this day in 1872, Phileas Fogg made his famous wager that the book “Around the World in Eighty Days” was based upon. He wagered 20,000 pounds that he could navigate around the world in eighty days. You'll have to check back with me on December 21st to see if he won the wager. Or, I suppose you could just look it up.

Name Your Car Day – This is a day to get closer to your car. We depend on our vehicles to reliably get us to wherever we need to go. So we need to treat our cars right and that begins with giving it a really good name. We tend to care for things we name more than we do things we do not name. This is why if you have a farm, you have to be careful to avoid naming the animals you intend to eat.

National Fried Scallops Day – I love scallops any way I can get them, but fried scallops are particularly delicious, in my opinion.  You can have the small bay scallops or the larger sea scallops.  It’s easier to fry the sea scallops because they are bigger.  Whichever you choose, make sure you don’t overcook them.  They cook up very quickly and if you over do it, they will be tough and not very good.

To celebrate today, name your car Phileas Fogg and take your guardian angel for a ride to nearby farms to talk to the farmers about improving their living conditions in a non violent manner.  Then find a custodian in an office building or school and give them some fried scallops to thank them for their hard work.