I can't swim

Today is National Swim A Lap day. I never learned how to swim.

When I was 5, I went to the neighborhood pool with my aunt and my sister. My sister, who was about seven at the time, decided I needed to get in the water quickly. She picked me up by my waist, and dropped me in 5 feet. Well, you know at five years old you're not tall enough for 5 feet of water. What I remember is staring at the wall... I'm pretty sure I was floating... and then a man grabbing me out of the water by the back of my bathing suit. Amazingly, I held my breath and didn't swallow any water, but I was rather afraid of swimming after that.

When I was about 15, I started working at a camp, and we went to the pool almost every day. I then learned how to hold my breath longer, and I learned how to float. I was even able to move a little - although I wouldn't call it swimming. Thought I was doing well. Problems started, though. As I got older, I had trouble holding my breath, and even had issues with being chest deep in cold water. Lawrence has tried several times to teach me, but it's been useless. I just can't swim. 

I am happy that most of my kids can swim. Two out of the five have a fear of the water but the other 3 love it. I don't even like the water too much anymore... 

Anyway, Can you swim? If so, go out and swim a lap or two. If not.... take a class!

 Tomorrow is National Log Cabin Day and National Catfish Day. Yum!

National Chocolate Eclair Day

I like a good eclair. One that has just the right amount of filling to pastry ratio - not so much that the filling oozes out the other side, but enough that I can taste it in every bite. If a donut is Walmart, then an eclair is Target. Just a step above.

Speaking of eclairs, does anyone know where this is from?

I'm not THAT much of a fan of eclairs that I would eat one out of the trash, even if it was "hovering". 

In case this makes you want to whip up a couple of eclairs yourself, here's an easy recipe from foodnetwork.com:

Chocolate Eclairs
Total Time: 3 hr 55 min
Prep: 10 min
Cook: 3 hr 45 min
Yield:8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

Filling:
2 cups whole, 2 percent fat, or 1 percent fat milk
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
6 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter

Pastry:
1 cup water
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs, plus 1 extra, if needed

Egg Wash:
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons water
Chocolate Glaze:
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
Directions

Filling: In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla bean to a boil over medium heat. Immediately turn off the heat and set aside to infuse for 15 minutes. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cornstarch and whisk vigorously until no lumps remain. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture until incorporated. Whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture, reserving the saucepan. Pour the mixture through a strainer back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and slowly boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Let cool slightly. Cover with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill at least 2 hours or until ready to serve. The custard can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Refrigerate until 1 hour before using.

Pastry: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter, salt and sugar to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. When it boils, immediately take the pan off the heat. Stirring with a wooden spoon, add all the flour at once and stir hard until all the flour is incorporated, 30 to 60 seconds. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Scrape the mixture into a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer). Mix at medium speed. With the mixer running, add 3 eggs, 1 egg at a time. Stop mixing after each addition to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix until the dough is smooth and glossy and the eggs are completely incorporated. The dough should be thick, but should fall slowly and steadily from the beaters when you lift them out of the bowl. If the dough is still clinging to the beaters, add the remaining 1 egg and mix until incorporated.

Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, pipe fat lengths of dough (about the size and shape of a jumbo hot dog) onto the lined baking sheet, leaving 2 inches of space between them. You should have 8 to 10 lengths.

Egg Wash: In a bowl, whisk the egg and water together. Brush the surface of each eclair with the egg wash. Use your fingers to smooth out any bumps of points of dough that remain on the surface. Bake 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake until puffed up and light golden brown, about 25 minutes more. Try not to open the oven door too often during the baking. Let cool on the baking sheet. Fit a medium-size plain pastry tip over your index finger and use it to make a hole in the end of each eclair (or just use your fingertip). Using a pastry bag fitted with a medium-size plain tip, gently pipe the custard into the eclairs, using only just enough to fill the inside (don't stuff them full).

Glaze: In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat just until it boils. Immediately turn off the heat. Put the chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Set aside and keep warm. The glaze can be made up to 48 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use, and rewarm in a microwave or over hot water when ready to use.

Dip the tops of the eclairs in the warm chocolate glaze and set on a sheet pan. Chill, uncovered, at least 1 hour to set the glaze. Serve chilled.

© 2014 Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.

National Hollering Contest Day

Yes, I missed two days... I was away with my daughter, checking out her college. I was so exhausted, I was not able to think - so typing was out of the question. The days I missed were World Sauntering Day - although I DID saunter while walking with the college group. Dianna wasn't happy. Yesterday was Ice Cream Soda Day and Take Your Dog to Work Day.

Today is Finally Summer Day. Lawrence lit up the grill and made some yummy gyros. It's also National Hollering Contest Day. For that, I want to post the all-time winner of "hollering".

Crazy thing - this man looks very similar to my father-in-law:

Anyway, tomorrow (I WILL post on time) is National Chocolate Eclair Day. Yummm!!

I'm in a panic because my daughter splurged!!

First... yes, I did miss yesterday - eat your veggies day. But we did that the day before, so...

I usually tell people to not splurge on me. If someone tells me they're going to buy me an "expensive" gift, I try to talk them out of it. I feel the money can be used in other places. But I've been told that it hurts people's feelings when I don't just accept the gift, and sometimes I feel bad that I didn't get the gift that was offered to me.

So today, on International Panic Day AND National Splurge Day... I panicked a little when my daughter gave me as a late Mother's Day gift...

An iPad Mini!!

And yes, I can definitely use it. It will help with store operations, and I can leave my laptop at home so the kids can use it.

I am really excited.
But my panic meter is still up.

She IS having a baby soon... she could use that money for the baby. But I do trust that she is taking care of things, and she is learning how to spend and save her money... she's grown and learned so much. And I'm proud of her.


Tomorrow is:
World Sauntering Day. Great! A day where I can embarrass Dianna while we're at the college! This is going to be good!!

Fresh Veggies Day!

I know I've said that my husband loves to cook. These are the veggies that didn't make it on a burger or on the grill on Saturday. We love purchasing fresh veggies, but they can be expensive, so we usually just buy frozen. Problem is, frozen isn't that great for the grill.

For fresh veggies day, Lawrence made a nice salad with pan seared chili lime cilantro chicken. Was delish!

We need to find a close farmer's market that has convenient hours. We have a farmer's market near my store, but it's only open on Saturdays until noon, and the place is PACKED! I don't like crowds, so I don't go. There are others nearby, just haven't visited them yet. I don't get too many Saturdays free... 

So where do you get your veggies from? Local supermarket, farmers market, or your own garden? I had a garden, but it burned up during a drought. I was only able to get a couple of tomatoes, some dill, and a cucumber. Maybe I'll try again. 

Tomorrow... 

Eat Your Vegetables Day (didn't we do that already?) 

Fathers make me smile!

Today was Father's Day here in the US, and we celebrated by taking the man of the house out to breakfast at one of our favorite places - Zada Jane's on Central and Thomas in Charlotte. It has wonderful breakfast, and although they serve lunch and dinner, I have never been there for it - breakfast is enough for me. 

My oldest brought Lawrence two knives. He is serious about his cooking and loves tools, so the knives were a perfect gift for him. Hopefully he doesn't cut off a piece of another finger like he did with his mandolin...

Some information on Father's Day from www.holidayinsights.com:

A day to honor Dad. NO. Rather, it is a day to enjoy time with Dad and appreciate all he does for you. What Dad really wants is healthy, happy and successful kids. And, he wants you to spend a few moments with him on Father's Day. Today's life style is busy for both dads and kids. So, a little time with dad on Father's Day is just what he wants.

A Father is more than the biological paternal source of our being. It is the person who cares and provides for us. It is the man who helps to set the standards, the family values and the example. So, add to this group, step fathers and other men who willingly and eagerly accept and cherish the role. Whether biological, adopted or informally, if they are the father figure to you, give him some recognition today and don't hesitate to call him "Dad".

Did you know? The first Father's Day celebration was in Spokane, Wa. on May 18, 1910.

Today is also Smile Power day. 

Smiles can be contagious, and seeing someone smile can help your mood. Also, as most people know, smiling is easier than frowning. For you lazy people who don't like to exercise, smiling uses less muscles than frowning. So if you like a flabby face, smile more and frown less! 

I hope you enjoyed your Father's Day and smiled with your family. We enjoyed some smiles while playing Sorry and Phase 10. What did you do? 

Tomorrow is:

Fresh Veggies Day

Can you juggle?

It's World Juggler's Day!
I can juggle - juggle being a mom, wife, businesswoman, crafter.... but actual juggling? No. I'm more like Dianna here:

Lawrence was able to keep some cat toys up in the air just a little better:

I didn't try. Not going to, either.

It's also Flag Day. I am surprised I do not have a flag. I have to remedy that this year.

If you know my normal life, you know that it's been crazy last week and this week. I'm glad I kept up with the blog, although I'm not typing much. Some days, I'm not going to have much to say about the national day, but I will still tell you it is and make sure I will let you know what the next day is as well.

Tomorrow:
Father's Day
Smile Power Day (another fun one!)

I didn't do it!

Today, the kids, hubby, and I had a great "Blame Someone Else" day. We're always silly, anyway, so this was just a way for us to continuously blame someone else for a pinch, a tickle, a push while walking through the mall, and of course, a smell. 

Then, there's also Sewing Machine Day. There are actually TWO sewing machine days - today, June 13th and September 10th. Why two? Don't know. But September 10th is the day the sewing machine was patented. So... we'll just not ask questions and celebrate both days. 

I tried sewing. I realized that my lack of being able to draw a straight line hinders me from creating on a sewing machine. Dianna can sew rather well. She's made a skirt and fixed a few items here and there. All I've made was a sack that I call a dress. 

Yeah. I'll stick with crochet. 

Tomorrow:

Flag Day

World Juggler's Day (can't do that, either)

Red Rose Day!

I actually am not a fan of most cut flowers. They die. I think they're a waste of money. Although I do like when my husband buys me gerbera daisies. Those are beautiful. He even recently bought me a bouquet of fake gerbera daisies. I have them at my store. They won't die on me.

Anyway, it is National Red Rose Day. The flower of love. The most expensive flower right before Valentine's Day, and the cheapest flower right after Valentine's Day - which is the best time to buy them if you want them.

How do you celebrate red rose day without purchasing red roses? One way is to learn how to grow red roses in your yard. Here is a excerpt on growing roses from www.gardnersnet.com:

Here is the key ingredients to growing a healthy, productive rose plant, whether grown singularly or in a rose garden.

1. Plenty of Sunshine: This is the first and foremost ingredient . When planning your garden, keep in mind that roses like full sun. If that is not available, roses will tolerate partial shade. My rose garden is in partial shade, and they grow quite well.

2. Rich, loose soil: Roses require a lot of food and nutrients. When planting roses, make sure to mix in generous portions of compost and manure into the native garden soil. If this is not available, add store bought peat moss and cow manure.

3. Provide plenty of nutrients: Roses consume significant amounts of nutrients. What you add to your soil will get them off to a great start, but they will favorably respond to additional fertilizer added year after year. You've likely heard tales of fellow gardeners burying the remains of fish, or other animals, under their rose bush with stellar results. These stories are largely true. We do caution you that while your roses will respond favorably, a fish under your plant can cause the neighborhood cat to create a very unfavorable side effect, and likely damage to the root system.

Did you know? The middle number in common fertilizer is Phosphorus. This is the chemical element in the plant world that promotes flower blooming. When growing flowers, a fertilizer heavy in phosphorus will help promote those big, beautiful blooms that growers seek. Most garden stores will have several varieties of fertilizers and ones specifically for roses. When you read the ingredients, you will see the higher phosphorus levels.

Fertilize on a regular basis. We recommend every two to three weeks. Follow the directions on the fertilizer box or bag. Use a higher nitrogen fertilizer at the beginning of the season to promote growth of leaves and roots. Switch over to higher phosphorus as the first buds begin to appear.

4. Pour on the Water: Roses like lots of water. This does not mean they like to get their feet wet. As mentioned above, they like loose soil, which drains well. The right amount of moisture held in the soil compliments of the compost you provide. Adjust your watering to add more for sandy soils, and less for clay soil.

We also recommend you water at the base of the plant and avoid getting the leaves wet. Hot humid weather is a breeding ground for rose diseases. Adding water to the leaves during humid weather will help promote disease. In addition, if you have applied insecticide or fungicides, you are washing it away.

Tip: Place a drip or soaker hose around your rose garden and cover with mulch.

5. Mulch for Weed Control: Do not let weeds ruin the beauty of your rose garden. In addition to "stealing the show", weeds will rob your rose bush of water and nutrients. Avoid this by applying a heavy layer of mulch. Organic mulches are preferred as they will convert over time to compost, further enriching your soil. You can add several inches, effectively blocking but all but the most persistent of weeds. Or, you can lay down black plastic, then add a lighter lay of mulch.

6. Prune and trim: A rose bush will also respond favorably to a good manicure. Prune your bush on a regular basis. A well maintained bush has a full, yet not shaggy appearance. Allow several main stems to grow and develop. Allow enough room between the stems for good air circulation. This will help to avoid plant diseases. It will also cause the plant to focus it's energies on the remaining stems, rewarding you with bigger rose blooms.

7. Guard against insects and disease: Roses are susceptible to both insects and disease. Make sure you know the signs and the treatment.

For more info, go to http://www.gardenersnet.com/rose.htm

Tomorrow is:
 Blame Someone Else Day (he typed that, not me), Friday the 13th (of course) and Sewing Machine Day.

I'm creating a National Day!

On my national day calendar, there's no day for today. Soooo... I'm creating my own. 

It is......................................... National Graduates Day!! Woohoo!!

On this day in 2011, Iyana graduated from high school. It was on a Saturday, and lots of family came from Philadelphia. We had a barbecue that afternoon, followed by an incredible family argument (it was interesting, believe me), and then all of the family and friends following in a caravan to the arena where the graduation was held. It was a great time, and the argument was even resolved later. 

Iyana and her boyfriend Shakeel

Today, exactly 3 years later, Dianna graduated from high school. Unfortunately, not as many family members were able to come from Philly, but we still had a great time. This one was in the morning, so we got up rather early, drove to the theatre where the graduation was held, and enjoyed our baby walk across the stage. We then went to lunch (if you live in/near Charlotte, NC, you MUST go to Midwood Smokehouse. Amazing!). We came to the house, took a family photo, and everyone rocked out. Long day. Just as amazing as the first graduation. 

Dianna and her boyfriend Tim

The crazy thing about today, it's my in-law's 48th wedding anniversary! This is the second time they've spent their anniversary here celebrating the kids, and more than likely they will celebrate it here in Charlotte in two more years. On their 50th anniversary. We are going to have to do something special for them. 

Anyway, hence now and forevermore (and other weird smart sounding words), June 11th will be National Graduates Day! Even if no one else celebrates it with us, we'll celebrate it... along with our in-laws. 

Happy National Graduates Day!

So I missed yesterday...

... and I felt so bad! I wanted to make sure I followed each day without any interruptions. I was going to catch up this morning. 

Then I looked at what day it was. Donald Duck Day. 

I don't feel as bad anymore. 

But today... today is... 

National Iced Tea Day!!

Iced tea - not that sweet tea stuff the stores want to sell you here in the south... real, two tea bag and grab some ice iced tea. And today, I made it with my favorite tea - mint! I love mint tea, and drinking it cold is SOOO refreshing!

Everyone who knows me knows that I love coffee, but I do love some tea from time to time. I'd rather drink hot tea, but cold is good as well. And tea has so many healing properties - why not drink a refreshing cup on a hot summer day? 

Just remember, brew your own iced tea - so much better! 

 Here's to good health!

Best Friends Day

Better late than never... and I started before midnight.

My best friend.
I met my best friend 19 years ago on a community choir. I joined the choir chasing after this young guy I had a crush on in high school - I guy who I shared an amazing kiss with on his porch one summer. His brothers were funny -- they kept peeking out the door to see if we were finished kissing. About 2 years later, I saw him singing at Penn Station on a choir. I got his info and asked him where they met. I went to visit, only to find out he was on the choir with his girlfriend (well, one of them). So I became friends with the girlfriend and backed off the guy. I still joined the choir.
Later, I met another guy who I had lots of fun with. He was very sweet, and he stuck around me as I was going through a depressed state - right before I joined the choir, I broke up with Iyana's dad, so it was just her and I alone in the apartment. He would stay with me, cuddle with me, and keep me comfortable. It was nice. But he had so much going on, and I was just too much of a bad girl for him (or so I assumed).
One day, the day after our anniversary concert, the choir had to meet at Logan Square (or circle, whatever you wanted to call it). I was rather early, so was my soon to be best friend. We hung out that day, and the next weekend, I asked him out on a date.

19 and a half years and five kids later, I still love my best friend. People think I'm crazy to say my husband is my best friend. But even my Nicole (my sister from another mister) understands our strange best buddy relationship. He's my comedian, my caretaker, my business partner, my partner in parenting, my confidant. I still don't know why God put the two of us crazies together, but I thank Him all the time for my Lawrence. 

He is my best friend. 

National Chocolate Ice Cream Day

(Not my picture)

I love ice cream. I really do. But I couldn't follow through with it today.
I had ice cream at a party earlier - and it wasn't chocolate. So to go to the store and buy chocolate ice cream for a blog... I just couldn't do it.

But I hope YOU had ice cream. Chocolate, preferably.
Ice cream day is always June 7th, and I guess it works out well for it being celebrated at a time when it's warm outside. Chocolate is a little messy... so it was always a no-no ice cream for my kids while we were out, but if we were home, they could eat it without me worried about them getting it on their clothing. Have you ever tried getting chocolate out of a light t-shirt? Ugh! So annoying!!

Tomorrow is Best Friends Day. That post may be the longest post of this challenge.

Donut Day!!!

Today is National Doughnut (or Donut for all my Dunkin' Donut family) Day!! 

Because I wasn't standing in line just for one free doughnut, Lawrence went to the market and purchased a dozen glazed doughnuts for the family. 

National Doughnut Day is the first Friday in June every year. 

From holidayinsights.com (I don't know how true it is):

"National Doughnut Day honors the Salvation Army "Lassies" of WWI. It is also used as a fund raiser for needy causes of the Salvation Army.

The original Salvation Army Doughnut was first served by Salvation Army in 1917. During WWI, Salvation Army "lassies" were sent to the front lines of Europe. These brave volunteers made home cooked foods, and provided a morale boost to the troops. Often, the doughnuts were cooked in oil inside the of the metal helmet of an American soldier. The American infantrymen were commonly called doughboys. Salvation Army lassies were the only women outside of military personnel allowed to visit the front lines. Lt. Colonel Helen Purviance is considered the Salvation Army's "first doughnut girl".

On National Doughnut Day, look to see if your local doughnut shop, or other organizations, are offering free donuts to solicit donations for the Salvation Army or for another needy cause. If you find them, please be generous.

Note: The word "Doughnut" is often shortened to "Donut. So, if you see the term National Donut Day, its the same day."

So, make sure you enjoy a donut for the Salvation Army!

As I said before, there are several different calendars that have different national days. Although I am only following one calendar, I did want to acknowledge this weekend's national day - it's National Lemonade Day, in honor of Alexandra Scott - the founder of Alex's Lemonade Stand. She was a young girl that had cancer and wanted to help other kids in her situation. She was very successful in raising more than one million dollars right before she lost her fight in 2004 at age 8.
June 6-8th are National Lemonade Days, and people are selling lemonade all weekend to continue the fight in Alex's honor. Check out the foundation's website here - www.alexslemonade.org. 

What a great young lady. 

Tomorrow - 

National Chocolate Ice Cream Day!! WOOHOO!!!

Do you care about the environment?

Well, today is the day to start! It's World Environment Day!
Each year has a theme. This year was:

(from UNEP website)

There is so much information on UNEP's website - lots of it I didn't know; like the fact that there is a host country every year - this year it's Barbados. They have challenges each year you can register to participate in that celebrities promote - Don Cheadle, Gisele Bundchen, Ian Somerhalder, and Yaya Toure are all hosting teams to help the environment. You can sign up for a team, pledge to do something earth-saving (even as small as reusing plastic bags) and you can even register your own activity. 

One of my favorite yarn and fiber companies - Darn Good Yarn , is HUGE on recycling, helping the planet, and helping women in other countries earn a fair wage. This is some of their banana fiber yarn: 

So if you are ever using this yarn and someone asks you what you're doing, you can tell them you're helping save the planet! Maybe that will be my activity for World Environment day... crochet something with banana fiber yarn or recycled silk yarn. Can't get any better than that! 

Tomorrow is a day you DON'T want to miss - it's National Donut Day!! Donut shops are giving away FREE donuts tomorrow - check with the shops in your area. Krispy Kreme is definitely participating. 

Tomorrow is also National Gardening Exercise Day (huh?) and National Yo-Yo Day. 

Make sure you get your donut!! 

Fun national holidays today!

 

First - it's Hug Your Cat day! Since we have 3, a few of us were able to hug on the cats. Even anti-social Leia (the calico in the last pic) allowed Dianna to hug her for a couple of seconds. Moxie (first two pictures) and Jasper (next two pictures) love the attention. 

Some people celebrate National Hug Your Cat day in May, but most celebrate it in June. And since June is Adopt a Cat MONTH, I would think June would be the best month to celebrate it in. 

Do you have a cat to hug? No? Well we have enough cats for you to hug, or you can remedy it by celebrating Adopt a Cat Month. There are plenty of beauties at the shelter. That's where Leia came from, and Jasper and Moxie were 8 week old strays we rescued. We think we made great choices! 

Next - Applesauce Cake day!! This is my first time making applesauce cake, and it was delicious! 

Calling it a cake is a little off. It's more of a bread, like banana or zucchini bread. It's a VERY inexpensive treat, amazingly fast to bake, and it's great for vegans - no eggs at all! Although you aren't going to have it for the holiday, here's the simple recipe to whip up any time you want a treat:

Applesauce Cake I (by Joanna on allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup white sugar

1 cup chilled applesauce

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup raisins (we omitted the raisins)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions: 

Cream butter or margarine with sugar. Add applesauce; beat well. Stir in flour, soda, and spices. Add nuts and raisins. 

Pour batter into greased and floured 8in square pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until done (we baked ours for 50 minutes). Serve warm. 

Quick and easy!! 

So we didn't celebrate Old Maid's Day, as we have no "old maids" to celebrate with. We don't even have the cards. But celebrating two out of three of the holidays ain't bad... 

Tomorrow - World Environment Day. Take care of your environment - not just tomorrow, but every day! 

Today is today is...

!!

!!

And yes, it's the most annoying day EVER!! 

And yes, it's the most annoying day EVER!! 

Okay, I'm done with that. Repeating was fun around the house. I drove Ahja crazy, but the rest of us thought it was funny. 

Sooo today wasn't much of a day to post about... the conversations that drove people crazy wasn't great enough to post here. I'll try to add videos and more pictures to some. 

Tomorrow is Applesauce Cake Day, Hug Your Cat Day, and Old Maid's Day. 

Since we have 3 cats and we all like baking, it should be fun! Maybe we'll play the Old Maid card game. 

I LOVE....

Rocky Road!!
Today is National Rocky Road Day, and I absolutely love rocky road ice cream! Well to be honest, I love most ice cream, but rocky road is one of my favorites.
We went to the market to get the ice cream so we can celebrate correctly, and there was hardly any rocky road there! How many people are celebrating this holiday? I guess if you're going to pick one to follow...

Anyway, I hope you also enjoyed a scoop of ice cream. Mine was delicious!

It's also National "Bubba" day. It's to celebrate anyone formally named or nicknamed "Bubba". Why? I have not found this out yet, and I've searched several of the weird holiday sights, and there's no info.

One other thing - I noticed that most of these "holidays" don't have an origin or don't have a proclamation. No official person has made these days "national". Someone just said "let's do this", and several followed. Including me.

Tomorrow it's repeat day repeat day. I'm going to do that all day...

Flip a coin! I dare you!

Before I talk about what the national day is, I thought I should tell you what calendar I'm using. It's called www.holidayinsights.com, and it has info for regular holidays as well as the "crazy" ones. I'm telling you this because I realized in my research that there are several calendars out there with different information. While one calendar may say it's "Love your pet day" another calendar might say "Kick your cat day" (not that I would ever celebrate that...). So, if you hear of another day that I didn't mention, just know it may be from a calendar I'm not following - because I'm not going to follow several calendars... 

Now - 

Today is National "Flip a Coin Day" and "Dare Day"

I made a couple of decisions today by flipping a coin. The way I did it was if I was at a dilemma, I had to flip. Heads was "yes" or the first choice, tails was "no" or the second choice.

Getting ready for service. I wore a top with brown and white in it. I have both brown and white bottoms. Coin flip was heads, and brown won out.

I have been DYING to start a new crochet afghan...

Twilight Shells Throw - Red Heart

....but I have several unfinished products right now. Do I finish the blanket that's not needed until December, or do I start the new project? Coin flip - unfortunately, heads again. 

I didn't do much, because I was rather busy today. But I was excited that I 1. remembered, and 2. blogged about it! 

Tomorrow - National Bubba Day (what??) and National Rocky Road Day. I'm going to flip a coin to see which one I get to celebrate. I can't get heads again, right? 

I dare you to make a choice by flipping a coin. I double dog dare ya'!

Celebrate a Day!!

A little while ago, I realized there were quite a few interesting "national days" lately. Loyalty Day, Burger Day, and Iris Day was just this month. How did you celebrate No Socks Day? You didn't? Well, you missed it on May 8th. I'll send you a reminder card next year. I started noticing these days more and more last year and thought to myself what it would be like if we celebrated these bizarre national holidays. Well.... CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!!

I am going to attempt to celebrate at least one "holiday", and bring you the information on what I did to celebrate it. It may be as simple as eating a piece of fruit or taking a picture with something, and it may go as extreme as finding an extreme way for Make A Difference Day (in October). Whatever it is, you'll see it right here.

Each month has several monthly holidays. While I won't "celebrate" these for the entire month, I will mention them on the last post of the month for the next month. Here are the days for June (as cleverly pictured above):

Aquarium Month
Candy Month
Dairy Month
Fight the Filthy Fly Month (what???)
Gay Pride Month
National Accordion Awareness Month (okaayy.....)
National Adopt a Cat Month
National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month
Rose Month
Turkey Lovers Month

That would be a lot to celebrate every day for a month... so that's why I am only celebrating the daily national holidays.

This should be fun!