A Reason to … Celebrate, Remember, Have Fun! (Jan 13-19, 2012)

Friday, January 13^th: “Rubber duckie, you’re the oneeeeeee …” memories of the past with visions of Sesame Street’s Ernie clutching his beloved Duckie. Today is RUBBER DUCKIE DAY. (Singing is optional. However, a ring tone is available if you so desire.)

I like rubber duckies. There’s something appealing to many of us that are clearly too old for theSesame Streetcrowd anymore. I have a few myself. The adorable one sitting in the jack o lantern was supposed to go to my grandson. It just never quite made it in his Halloween box.  (Next year Mark!)

These buoyant bouncing baby toys are also popular for hundreds of fundraisers every year. Enthusiasts amass unique collections of these little rubber toys. I’ll celebrate the day and add a new one to my “flock”. I don’t think I’ll come close to the 2007 Guinness World Record of 2,583 though. Happy Rubber Duckie Day!

Saturday, January 14^th: Sweaters, bandanas, hats and more. It’s DRESS UP YOUR PET DAY and the cats go fleeing. The dogs usually cooperate better; some seem to actually enjoy it. Others, well, maybe not so much. The outfits available are simply amazing. But you don’t need to go hog wild to party with the pooches. A nice little bandana will do the trick. And maybe a dog treat to sweeten the pot for the participants in today’s celebration.

Sunday, January 15^th : Three tomatoes, one stalk of celery, two potatoes, one large onion, eye of newt …. oops, wrong recipe! The cold, brisk days of January makes it the perfect month for NATIONAL SOUP MONTH. Certainly not a new food, documentation shows that as early as 600 BC, the Greeks sold soup on the street, using peas, beans and lentils as main ingredients. This hot meal in a bowl packs a nutritional punch too.  Hmmmm… now just to decide: tomato basil bisque, beef & barley, green chili chicken, mushroom, chicken noodle … there’s so many soups to choose from!

Monday, January 16^th: Do nothing today. No celebrations, no commemorations. It’s NATIONAL NOTHING DAY. (Pending your boss’ approval, of course.  Which means, I may be un-celebrating the nothing day.) Newspaper columnist Harold Pullman Coffin created National Nothing Day, first celebrated in 1973, “to provide Americans with one national day when they can just sit without celebrating, observing, or honoring anything.” Harold died in 1981, leaving a legacy of an un-holiday that would outlive him for more than thirty years. Thank you Harold, for ‘nothing’!

Tuesday, January 17^th: Oranges, lemons, and grapefruit gather together to help us celebrate this week. Maybe joined by a splash of lime. It’s NATIONAL FRESH SQUEEZED JUICE WEEK. Fresh squeezed juices are healthy and nutritious, packed with vitamin C, which helps combat the dreaded winter cooties. They taste delicious and have the added benefit of no additional sugars and preservatives.

Wednesday, January 18^th: “You can’t stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.” This sage piece of advice is only one of many credited to a much beloved Winnie the Pooh. Today celebrates POOH DAY, the birth date of A.A. Milne, creator of Winnie-the-Pooh. Although most of us know the Pooh that Disney made so popular from 1966 to now, the original Winnie-the-Pooh was published in 1926. He looks pretty good for a bear so old, doesn’t he? Grab a balloon and a jar of honey, don a red shirt and celebrate Pooh Day.

Thursday, January 19^th: Pop, pop …. Pop …. Pop …. Hold onto your seats, it’s NATIONAL POPCORN DAY!  Not to be confused with National Popcorn Month that takes place in October, mind you. Here’s a day where popcorn reigns for the day only. These cold January evenings make for the perfect night to snuggle up with the family and a movie … centered around a huge bowl of fresh popped popcorn. See you after the movie!