June 9, 2017

Today we celebrate:

Donald Duck Day - Some consider this to be Donald Duck’s birthday because it was on this day, in 1934, that he first appeared in cartoons. Namely the Silly Symphony cartoon called “The Wise Little Hen”. However, it was on March 13th that Donald’s nephews were trying to figure out what to get him for his birthday so I think that is his birthday. But we can celebrate his anniversary of cartoon fame today.

National Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie Day – It's strawberry and rhubarb season so it's the perfect time to make this pie for your family. My teenage son would devour the whole thing himself if I let him and then finish it up by eating the leftover raw rhubarb. Yes, I know, he is very odd. Well, no one volunteered to make one for us this year, so I guess I’ll have to step up and make one myself. Fortunately, I like to bake so it won’t be a problem. Now I just need to find some time.  Does anyone have any that they can share with me?

World APS Day – On this day in 2005, the APSFA (Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome Foundation of America) was created. Therefore, this is the day that was chosen in 2007 to have World APS Day. You are encouraged to wear burgundy ribbons to help spread awareness of this autoimmune disease and to demonstrate encouragement to those who live with this disease in some way either as a patient, friend, family member or caretaker. To find out more about this disease see this website.

Writer’s Rights Day - This day was created by several different groups that represent writers. According to them, the average writer earns less than $9,000 a year and is not treated well by their publishers. The goal is to get writers to band together and protest this treatment, but the various groups all have different ideas on how to go about doing this.

National Marriage Day - We had World Marriage Day back in February. This one is just for us...and any other country that where someone has declared it. It’s a day that is best celebrated by getting married, going to a wedding for someone else, or renewing your vows if you have been married for a while now. This day was celebrated on the second Friday in June.

June 8, 2017

Today we celebrate:

World Brain Tumor Day - Begun in 2000 by the German Brain Tumor Association, this is a day to spread awareness of this devastating disease. Brain Tumors are abnormal cells that begin growing in the brain. Some tumors are benign and are located in areas of the brain where they can be fairly easily removed. There is nothing really easy about anything that involves surgery near or in the brain, but there are some that are easier than others. But even benign tumors can be life threatening if they are growing in areas of the brain that control our vital functions like the ability to breathe. Malignant tumors are a totally different kettle of fish. They are much more serious than benign tumors because they can grow very quickly, spread to other parts of the body and extend and invade healthy cells in the brain.

Best Friends Day – If you have a best friend, this is the day to celebrate that very special person. Spend some time with the one who has your back no matter what.

National Caribbean American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day – Approximately 240,000 people in the Caribbean are infected with HIV/AIDS. This day was created in order to provide Caribbean-Americans with HIV/AIDS education, the resources to combat the disease and the opportunity to get important, life lengthening treatments.

Upsy Daisy Day – This day is to be celebrated by the three G's. Getting up out of bed this morning gloriously, gratefully and gleefully. You're supposed to do this every morning, but since I know there are a number of you out there who are not morning people, and I don't want you to hurt yourselves, you really only have to do it this morning. I won't rat you out to the glorious morning police, although I can't promise you that your housemates will be that considerate.

Jelly Filled Doughnut Day - Doughnuts are delicious. Let’s just agree on that to start with. Filling a doughnut with jelly ramps the deliciousness up a notch or two. Enjoy one today, but perhaps you should only have one even if you want more. They are not very healthy after all.

World Oceans Day – This is a day dedicated to protecting the oceans of the world. This day is promoted by The Ocean Project and The World Ocean Network and has been celebrated since 2002. Their theme this year is, “Our Oceans, Our Future.” There are many activities planned for this day all over the world. See this web site to find one near you.

Name Your Poison Day – There is nothing but speculation out there regarding the origins or meaning of this day. The meaning I prefer to utilize is the idea that this day is about making a choice between the lesser of two evils. Approach any choice you need to make today with this in mind. Pick the thing that is less likely to be bad for you. Bartenders have used this phrase for years to ask what type of alcohol a customer would like to drink.  

June 7, 2017

Today we celebrate:

National Chocolate Ice Cream Day – Any kind of ice cream is good ice cream, but an ice cream that has chocolate involved is a great ice cream. Ice cream is far older than I ever imagined. Apparently it's origins can be traced back to the 4th century B.C. I'm sure that what they made doesn't in any way resemble what we eat today, but it must have been pretty delicious for the basic concept to have endured for so long.

Daniel Boone Day – Supposedly, on this day in 1769, Daniel Boone saw the forests and valleys of what is now Kentucky for the first time. The Kentucky Historical Society has been celebrating this day for more than 100 years. If you haven't read about Daniel Boone's life, you should. He was a fascinating man. The kind of man that legends are made from. I’m not an English major but I do believe I ended that last sentence with a preposition which I think is a no-no. Feel free to correct me, I don’t mind.

VCR Day – We still have a working VCR because we still have some old VHS tapes that we watch now and then. For those of you who are too young to know, VCRs are the devices that brought movies into our homes. Prior to this ingenious invention, you had to go to the movie theater if you wanted to see a movie and seeing the same movie 100 times was really not a viable option. VCR's paved the way for the DVD players we have now. And yes, I have one of those too. I'm not so old that I don't embrace new technology....at least some of it.

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.

June 6, 2017

Today we celebrate:

National Eyewear Day - People have long needed something to help them see better. There are lots of reasons for needing this kind of help whether it’s only sometimes or all the time. Eyeglasses were invented several hundred years ago and have improved in both style and personalized magnification so that they fit their wearer perfectly.

National Higher Education Day - This is a day to motivate high school students to pursue higher education and get a degree. Finding scholarships, financial aid, and deciding on a college as well as figuring out what to study are all very complicated issues to navigate. So today is a day to find out more information and find out who can help you.

National Hunger Awareness Day - There are thousands of Americans who are hungry every day. Many who have to choose between food, warmth, shelter, and medicine because they just don’t have enough money to pay for it all. Perhaps you can find a food bank in your area and donate some non-perishable food that they can distribute to families in need in your local area.

Atheist Pride Day - We had one of these back in March, and I just found out about this one as well. I’m not sure why there are multiples days for this, perhaps they are celebrated by different groups of people. In any case, for all of the atheists out there, this is a day to be proud of your beliefs or lack thereof. We live in a free country where everyone is still able to believe or not believe in anything they choose so revel in the ability to exercise that right today and don’t let anyone make you feel ashamed of it.

UN Russian Language Day - One of the six official United Nations languages, this day commemorates the birthday of Aleksandr Pushkin, a Russian poet who is credited with being “the father of modern Russian literature.”

National Gardening Exercise Day – Today is a day to get some exercise in the garden. Weeding, planting, weeding, watering, weeding, hoeing, weeding, and finally...resting while you watch the weeds grow. Get some fresh air and exercise those muscles at the same time.

National Applesauce Cake Day – This is a cake that has applesauce as a main ingredient. It is very moist, and shouldn't need any oil. Unless you have unusual food allergies like some of the people in my household do, this is a very good thing because apples are much healthier than oil to bake with.

D-Day – On this day in 1944, Allied troops invaded Normandy, France. More than 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft were involved and at the end of the day, our troops had a foothold in Normandy but the cost was great. We lost more than 9,000 soldiers on that day.

National Yo-Yo Day – This is believed to possibly be Donald F. Duncan, Sr.'s birthday... maybe. I’m not real sure about that and it appears that no one else is either. Why is that important, you ask? Well, I'll tell you. Yo-yo's have been around for well over two thousand years. In ancient Greece they were made from wood, or clay. In more recent times (1928), Pedro Flores began making yo-yo's to sell in California. Well, in 1929, Donald F. Duncan, Sr. felt that this new fad was going to go places and bought the Flores Yo-yo Corp. and registered the name Yo-yo as a trademark and really took off with it. We have all been yo-yoing ever since.

Drive-in Movie Day – There was a time when the Drive-in was THE place to go on a date. You could find one in almost any town. Nowadays, you'd be hard pressed to find one in every state. I happen to have one in my town, but that just makes me lucky. On this day in 1933, Richard Hollingshead's drive-in opened in New Jersey. His advertisement stated that “The whole family is welcome, regardless of how noisy the children are.” The first film they showed was called Wife Beware. The drive-in idea just took off from there and before long, they were everywhere.