May 31 - National Macaroon Day

Holiday Insights

I have no idea who made up this holiday, or why. Well, I know why - macaroons are YUMMY! I also have no idea if my macaroon recipe is "authentic." Even if it's not, I think I'll make some anyway:

Coconut Macaroons

3/4 c. granulated sugar
2 1/2 c. shredded coconut (sweetened is fine, but you may want to cut back on the granulated sugar)
2 egg whites (approximately 4 tablespoons or 2 ounces)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt

• Preheat the oven to 350F.
• Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with a spatula or your hands.
  
• Use a non-stick baking sheet, or line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Wet your hands and make small piles of the mixture, each 1-2 tablespoons, about an inch apart.
  
• Bake at 350F until light brown, about 15 minutes.
• Remove the baking sheet and cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before eating.
• These keep well in a covered container for up to 3 days.
  

May 30 - Water a Flower Day

Holiday Insights

Although the official name of this holiday directs you to water a single flower, you should probably go ahead and water any plants you may have around the house. We don't want to discriminate against any kitchen herbs and dwarf citrus you may have sitting around the house.

Take the time today to make sure your plants are getting enough sun and think about adding some fertilizer. Also, you may want to wipe down any large leaves that may have collected dust, and prune back any dead parts or thorns.

May 29 - Medical Maladies

Looks like the end of May is a little slim in the holiday department. I guess we used up all our celebrating on Memorial Day. So, today I compiled a list of the medical problems we are supposed to become more aware of this month. Try not to get too worried.

National Allergy & Asthma Awareness Month

ALS Awareness Month
ALS stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. You may know it better about Lou Gehrig's Disease. Suggested reading: Luckiest Man by Jonathan Eig

Arthritis Awareness Month

Better Hearing & Speech Month

Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month

National Brain Tumor Awareness Month
Best wishes go out to Ted Kennedy and his family.

Healthy Vision Month
The focus of Healthy Vision Month 2008 is to increase the use of protective eye wear in recreational activities and hazardous situations around the home.

Hepatitis Awareness Month

Huntington's Disease Awareness Month
Huntington's Disease is an inherited neurological brain disorder; it leads to severe incapacitation. Right now, there is no cure for HD.

Lyme Disease Awareness Month

Mental Health Month

Neurofibromatosis Awareness Month
Neurofibromatosis encompasses a set of distinct genetic disorders that cause tumors to grow along various types of nerves and, in addition, can affect the development of non-nervous tissues such as bones and skin. NF causes tumors to grow anywhere on or in the body.

Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month

Physical Fitness and Sports Month

National Smile Month (May 18-June 17)

National Stroke Awareness Month

May 28 - Grab Bag

Today is:

Amnesty International Day
National Senior Health and Fitness Day
Slugs Return from Capistrano Day


Enjoy!

May 27 - Sunscreen Protection Day

Sunscreen Protection Day

OK EVERYONE: you should know better by now. Always wear sunblock when you will be outside, even if it is cloudy out. You will get the worst burn of your life if you are on the beach on a cloudy day and skip the sunblock. Trust me; I speak from experience.

You should also make sure you wear sunscreen if you drive. Your left arm is several shades darker than your right? That should not happen. Twenty minutes before you hop in the car, slap on the sunblock and spare yourself the skin damage.

And for heaven's sake, stop tanning. Fake baking is JUST AS BAD as being out in the real sun.

Embrace your paleness. Buy a big floppy hat and cover up. Seriously, the teasing your friends will dish out is far better than SKIN CANCER.

Please. Be safe and cancer-free. Skin cancer is totally preventable.

May 26 - Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day!

Many thanks and much love to those serving overseas to protect our freedoms at home, as well as to those who have fought, sacrificed, and died for us in the past.

God Bless America!

May 25 - Nerd Pride Day

Nerd (or Geek) Pride Day
Towel Day

OMG, I'm so excited for Nerd Pride Day! I am a nerd about so many things, today is the day to let my Nerd Flag fly! Mostly, I am such a nerd about this blog. Seriously, people at work must be so sick of hearing about what holiday it is today. Although I'm sure they were happy I brought taffy to work for National Taffy Day.

What I think is really great about this holiday is that it originated in Spain. I always assumed that Spanish men were too suave and cool to be into things like comic books. I'm glad to see that people really are alike, no matter where they live.

Also, just because you aren't into manga, Star Trek or some other "typically nerdy" thing, that doesn't mean you aren't a nerd. EVERYONE is a nerd about SOMETHING.

Towel Day is in honor of Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. If you don't know what a towel has to do with anything, I suggest you start by reading the book.

So, embrace your nerdiness, and be sure to bring your towel with you, wherever you go. I'll be keeping an eye out for you, my fellow nerds.

May 24 - International Jazz Day

Holiday Insights

Jazz is such a strange thing (to me) to try to talk about. No matter who you talk to, everyone has a strong opinion, one way or another, on the topic. Jazz is so difficult to define, and I couldn't even begin to explain to you what I think and feel about jazz, nor what type of jazz I like. Here, instead, is a playlist I arranged to celebrate International Jazz Day. For those who may be new to jazz (like me), here are some of the biggest names.

May 23 - National Taffy Day

National Taffy Day

When I hear "taffy," saltwater taffy first comes to mind. And when I think of saltwater taffy, I think vacations.


For some reason, my family would always buy saltwater taffy when we were on vacation, even if we were nowhere near salt water! I distinctly remember going to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, to visit the Great Smoky Mountains. There was a store in the touristy part of town that, if I remember correctly, had a taffy pulling machine in the front window.


So, because I think of vacation destinations when I think of saltwater taffy, I assumed I wouldn't be able to find saltwater taffy at my local grocery store (even though I live in Los Angeles, a major tourism spot). I wondered how difficult it would be to make my own taffy at home. I found this very helpful site that explains not only how to make taffy, but why you put in certain ingredients. I like that. I also found lots of fun sites explaining how to throw an old-fashioned Taffy Pull Party. Or who can come to your party and show you and your guests how to pull taffy, if you'd rather do that.


The easiest solution to celebrate Taffy Day would be to just pick up some Now & Laters or Laffy Taffy. However, when I was at the hardware store the other day, I happened to come across a bag of saltwater taffy! I bought it without a second thought. I'm glad I did.

May 22 - National Backyard Games Week

Official Site?

According to my (not scientific, nor very extensive) research, National Backyard Games Week is the week in May starting the Monday before through the Monday of Memorial Day.

As a child, I liked to ride my bike around the neighborhood. We also played catch, baseball, basketball, tag, hide and seek, hopscotch and more that I have probably forgotten. The most fun games were the ones we made up. Maybe these games weren't unique to the kids in my neighborhood, I just haven't heard of them anywhere else.

We played a game we called Statue. I forget all the rules, but this was a two-person game. One player was the statue, the other person was the statue-maker. The statue-maker would move the statue's arms, legs, head, etc. into position, usually some bizarre or hilarious pose.

Also we played a game called Ice-Cream Man. There wasn't much to it. Actually, one person would just turn their bicycle upside down so it was upright with the handle bars and the seat on the ground. That person would move the pedals with both hands in a sort of churning motion. The other players would line up and tell the ice cream "man" what flavor they wanted. The ice cream man would then mimic making an ice cream cone and handing it over.

A variation of this game was the Cookie Queen. Actually, I don't remember the rules (if there were any), just that I was always happy when I got to be the Cookie Queen.

We played a game we stole from the Baby-sitter's Club books. In those books, it was called Let's All Come In or something like that. We just called it Hotel. This wasn't so much an outdoor game, but one my siblings and I would play in the basement. This is another make-believe game; one person would run the hotel and the others were the guests. I remember my brother always wanted to be some famous wrestler.

Well, reliving these memories has put a smile on my face. What games did you play when you were young?

Today is also:
International Day for Biological Diversity (or World Biodiversity Day)
National Maritime Day

May 21 - I Need a Patch For That Day

I Need a Patch For That Day

There seems to be some confusion regarding this holiday (hereafter referred to as INAPFTD). Perhaps I can clear up a few things.

1. If you Google this holiday, some sites say this is celebrated in November, others, in May. According to my personal research, Wellcat is the originator of this holiday, and their website shows that INAPFTD should be celebrated on May 21.
I myself was confused by this, and celebrated INAPFTD last November. If I have helped to perpetuate the confusion, I am deeply sorry and now regret not researching this more thoroughly before posting about INAPFTD last year.

2. Some people think that INAPFTD is referring to patches on clothing. Again, according to the Wellcat website, this holiday is in reference to patches that are placed on the body, i.e. nicotine patches. This day is to consider what you personally need a patch for, such as bad hair days, lack of motivation or willpower, and so on.

After reading some other people’s opinions, the patch that is desired above all is a patch for dealing with idiots. As one person imagines it:

Friend: Hey, did you see what that idiot just did?
Me: Nope, sorry. I’ve got the patch.

Some other excellent patch ideas include:

• A willpower patch – for doing your housework or other boring chores, or to keep you from eating unhealthy food and exercising when you don’t feel like it (I REALLY NEED THIS ONE!).
• A stupid patch - to prevent you from doing or saying stupid things (I'll take the Sam's Club super jumbo family pack of these).

So, now that the air has been cleared, what patch do YOU need?

Today is also:
National Employee Health and Fitness Day
Turn Beauty Inside Out Day
World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development

May 20 - Eliza Doolittle Day

This isn't an actual holiday, except to those who love the musical "My Fair Lady." In the lyrics to "Just You Wait," Eliza is frustrated by Henry Higgins' attempts to teach her proper English enunciation and fantasizes how she will get her revenge. She imagines she is famous and on familiar terms with the King of England, who pronounces May 20th as Eliza Doolittle Day.

From "Just You Wait," lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner:

One evening the king will say: "Oh Liza, old thing,
I want all of England your praises to sing.
Next week on the twentieth of May
I proclaim Liza Doolittle Day!
All the people will celebrate the glory of you
And whatever you wish and want I gladly will do."

"Thanks a lot, King," says I, in a manner well-bred;
"But all I want is 'enry 'iggins 'ead!"

To celebrate, try to rent the movie adaptation. If you can't get a copy in time, watch this video:

May 19 - Circus Day

Ah, the circus, the circus. I immediately think of a crowded tent, watching elephants and lion tamers and acrobats swinging overhead. I can nearly taste the popcorn and peanuts. As I think more about the circus, I think of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s Greatest Show on Earth. Then I think of Dr. Seuss. Or, more precisely, his book, If I Ran the Circus. Yes, the Circus McGurkus, with the 500 gallon tank of lemonade and Mr. Sneelock calmly smoking his pipe in the background.

On this day in 1884, the Ringling Brothers (Alf, Al, Charles, John, Otto, and later, Henry) wowed America with their first circus performance. But this was not the first circus in the world, not even the first in America.

Circuses and circus-like performers have been around since the days of ancient Rome. The more modern circus came about in the late 1700s. Philip Astley, of England, was famous for his fancy horse-riding tricks. He created the 42-foot ring that is the measurement used to this day. Also, to add novelty to his act, he later added what are now common circus sights: a clown, jugglers, tightrope walkers and more.

Later, in the early 1800s, these permanent shows were replaced by shows that took the circus on the road first with horse-drawn (or elephant) wagons, and later by train cars.

P. T. Barnum, who didn’t get into the circus business until late in his career, combined his freak-show/side-show spectacles with the more traditional circus acts and menageries.

Circuses are still on the road to this day, with the most modern type being the Cirque du Soleil.

Since Circus Day falls on a Monday this year, you may not be able to attend an actual performance. To celebrate, check out the links I've gathered for you. Check out the Super Circus TV show or color in some circus coloring pages.

Circuses, Circus history and further information:
Philip Astley
P. T. Barnum
The Barnum Museum
Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey
Circus World Museum
CircusWeb
The Circus in America
Cirque du Soleil

The Super Circus TV Show and other videos:
An episode from 1954
An episode from 1956
Mary Hartline, known as "Our Queen" on Super Circus
Circus Capers, an old b/w cartoon
Under the Big Top, a feature film from 1938

Old books about circuses and circus performers:
P. T. Barnum's autobiography
Circus Life and Circus Celebrities
Toby Tyler; or, Ten Weeks with a Circus
Sawdust & Spangles; Stories & Secrets of the Circus

Miscellaneous links:
Circus Circus, Las Vegas
Circus coloring pages
CircusFit
If I Ran the Circus
Circus, from Wikipedia

May 18 - Visit Your Relatives Day

Visit Your Relatives Day

If you can't visit your relatives today (mine are all at least 2000 miles away), you can send them an e-greeting card. I know these have passed their peak of popularity (e-greeting cards, not relatives!), but today is also Send an Electronic Greeting Card Day.
And if you can't bear to send an electronic card, you could at least call. They worry about you, you know.

Today is also:
Celebrate Your Elected Officials Day
International Museum Day
NASCAR Day

May 17 - Armed Forces Day

Armed Forces Day

Sorry, I don't have anything exciting or interesting to say today. I plan on playing with my Sea Monkeys today.

Today is also:
World Telecommunications and Information Society Day

May 16 - National Sea Monkey Day

Official Sea Monkeys Website

From Holiday Insights:

Celebrate this day by spending some time with your Sea Monkeys. Watch them swim and play. Give them an extra treat. If you do not have Sea Monkeys, today is the day to go out and buy a kit.

I never had Sea Monkeys when I was a kid. I think I'll head out to my local toy store to see if they have any for sale. If I can't find them, I'll most likely buy them from Discover This or Amazon. To find a store near you that sells Sea Monkeys, try this link.

For more information on Sea Monkeys than you ever dreamed existed, here are some sites to check out:

The Sea Monkey Workshop
The Sea Monkey Worship Page
Sea Monkeys on Howstuffworks
Sea Monkeys on Wikipedia

Today is also:
National Bike to Work Day
Biographers Day
National Defense Transportation Day
National Pizza Party Day
International Virtual Assistants Day

May 15 - National Chocolate Chip Day

Official Site

Happy Chocolate Chip Day! Celebrate by eating some chocolate chips. Semi-sweet are traditional, but pick whichever strikes your fancy. Here in LA, it'll be too hot for me to bake chocolate chip cookies, but if you live somewhere with a cooler climate here is one of my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes. This is a more tender, grown-up cookie that my Mom asks for every Christmas.

Chocolate Chip Butter Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (6 oz) chocolate chips
powdered sugar, for sifting on top

Preheat oven to 350F.
In a medium bowl, beat together butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, vanilla and salt until well blended. Add flour. Mixture will be stiff. Stir in chocolate chips.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Flatten with the tines of a fork.
Bake 15 minutes or until edges begin to brown lightly. Remove cookies from baking sheets; cool on racks. While warm, sift additional powdered sugar over tops.

Today is also:
International Day of Families
Nylon Stockings Day
Peace Officer Memorial Day

May 14 - Underground American Day

Official Site

Here is a day to celebrate and honor those who live IN the earth, not ON it. If you don't know anyone like this, you can celebrate by:

• Eating a parsnip or a radish
• Bury some treasure
• Ride the subway

This holiday interested me because I was always interested in homes built underground or into a hill. As a child, I practically lived in my parents' unfinished basement. Additionally, I've had a long-term fascination with tunnels and secret passageways.

Fault lines are not the only things that lie below the surface in Los Angeles:
Lizard People Living Under Los Angeles?
The Pacific Electric Subway (Defunct)
San Fernando Tunnel, SPRR
Figueroa Street Tunnels

Below the surface in Chicago, Burlington, WI and Moose Jaw:
Chicago Pedway (partially underground)
Tunnels of Moose Jaw
Al Capone and the Burlington, WI Tunnels

Today is also:
National Night Shift Workers' Day
Donate a Day's Wages to Charity Day
Receptionists' Day

May 13 - This Week

May 11-17, 2008
National Nursing Home Week
National Police Week
National Stuttering Awareness Week
National Transportation Week
National Women's Health Week

National Nursing Home Week
According to the American Health Care Association website:

Activities are designed to foster intergenerational relationships, collect and preserve patient's reminiscences, strengthen relationships with family members, celebrate quality, and recognize all staff members who demonstrate excellent care giving.

Nursing Home Week has, by far, the most fun activities suggested on their website.

National Police Week
This observation honors...
...fallen officers and makes the citizens of America aware that every 57 hours another law enforcement officer gives up his or her life for perfect strangers.

National Stuttering Awareness Week
Hey, you (former) bullies! Remember those poor stuttering kids you used to make fun of in school? This is a great time to make up for that.
Stuttering affects 1% of the population. There is no instant miracle cure, but the earlier you can detect a child's problem and get him/her some help, the better chance he/she has of overcoming this problem.
James Earl Jones, Marilyn Monroe, Winston Churchill, and King George VI all were affected by stuttering.

National Transportation Week
Kind of a lame duck, this one. From the NTW website:
National Transportation Week provides an opportunity for the transportation community to join together for greater awareness about the importance of transportation. National Transportation Week also focuses on making youth aware of transportation-related careers.
Yawn.

National Women's Health Week
Women's health is one of the most talked about topics on the news these days. It is hard for me to think there are women out there who are not concerned and/or taking steps to improve their health. Nevertheless, as a woman, I want others to know what they can do to improve their mental and physical health.
According to 4women.gov, this week is to

educate women about steps they can take to improve their physical and mental health and prevent disease, like:

• Engaging in physical activity most days of the week
• Making healthy food choices
• Visiting a healthcare provider to receive regular check-ups and preventive screenings
• Avoiding risky behaviors, like smoking and not wearing a seatbelt

Today is also:
National Library Legislative Day (May 13-14)

May 12 - Nutty Fudge Limerick Day

May 12 - Limerick Day
ALSO - National Nutty Fudge Day

I couldn't decide which holiday I wanted to celebrate today. I like funny poems. But I also like fudge with nuts. So I decided to combine my celebrations. I'll be making fudge (with nuts) and I'll pipe a limerick on top using frosting. Meanwhile, enjoy my limericks about nutty fudge!

There once was a man named Cutty
He wanted some fudge that was nutty
He tried making some
But it couldn't be done
It came out tasting like putty

There once was a man named Rudge
He liked to eat nutty fudge
His wife made him some
But she shouldn't have done
It came out looking like sludge
(OK, OK, I realize that is just a copy of the first poem...I'll try harder with the next one.)

There once was an old trial judge
Against his wife he held a grudge
His favorite treat
She wouldn't eat
That treat was some nutty fudge

On the face of Old Lady Crudge
Was a very large smudge of fudge
She tried and tried
and she cried and cried
but that smudge of fudge wouldn't budge.

Limerick Day was created to celebrate not only the familiar poetry style, but also the birthday of the man who popularized it - Edward Lear.

Here are some of his still enjoyable books:
The Owl and the Pussy-Cat
Complete Nonsense
Nonsense Books


Today is also:
Fibromyalgia Awareness Day

May 11 - Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there! Did you know it is also Eat What You Want Day? If your rotten kids don't treat you out to eat, then go and get what you want and eat it! Health permitting, of course.

May 10 - Food Celebrations for May

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day. It is also Eat What You Want Day. So treat Mom to lunch and let her eat whatever she wants (health permitting, of course!).

May is National Salad Month. Unfortunately, I like to eat un-healthy salads. My favorite salad is something I call “Fried Chicken Salad.” I put some lettuce in a bowl. I add some cut up pieces of fried chicken (or baked, breaded chicken), shredded cheese, cut up hard boiled egg, sunflower seeds, and croutons, with a honey-mustard dressing.

Coincidentally, (is it really?) May is also National Vinegar Month. Make an oil and vinegar dressing for your salad! One of my favorite flavorings to cook with is balsamic vinegar. Along with oil, salt, and pepper, balsamic vinegar makes a great dressing or marinade. I like to marinate chicken with it, then broil or grill it. Yum.

Another salad-related celebration is Sweet Vidalia Onions Month. These onions are only grown in certain parts of Georgia, and they are harvested from late April through mid-June. You can find some more recipes here.

May is National Egg Month. In culinary school, I learned that a chef’s hat has 100 pleats in it. Supposedly, these represent the 100 ways any chef worth his sea salt should be able to cook eggs.

Searching online, I was unable to find an official, definitive list of the 100 ways, but here is a cookbook from 1892. It lists 100 ways to cook eggs, along with 100 ways to cook fish and also 100 desserts.

Since May is the month when most of the US starts to really have great outdoor cooking weather, I think it is appropriate that May is National Barbecue Month.

To me, barbecue (or barbeque, or bar-b-q....) is synonymous with grilling. I’m sure there are barbecue purists out there who will be happy to disagree. Personally, I don’t like barbecue sauce, although I love grilled food. There is nothing better than a slightly charred hot dog, bratwurst or polish sausage. Mmm…crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. May is also National Hamburger Month. So throw a burger on that grill while you’re at it!

Monday is National Nutty Fudge Day. It also happens to be Limerick Day. If you can’t have nutty fudge, write a limerick about it instead.

The 15^th is National Chocolate Chip Day. I say have some chocolate chip cookies. Or you could add chocolate chips to some trail mix to celebrate.

May 16^th is National Pizza Party Day. If you can’t get your boss to sponsor a pizza party, then have your own. Order pizza in for dinner, or, better yet, make your own at home. Trust me, it’s easy.

On the 23^rd, we’ll be celebrating National Taffy Day. While I enjoy saltwater taffy, I’m not really sure why it needs its own holiday. If you can’t get your hands on saltwater taffy, pick up some Laffy Taffy at the grocery or drug store. Or, if you are feeling enterprising, you can make some yourself.

Today is also:
Astronomy Day
Birthmother's Day
National Train Day
Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive
World Fair Trade Day
World Lupus Day
World Migratory Bird Day

May 9 - Postcard Week

May 4-10 - National Postcard Week

I could not locate an official site for this holiday. The only link I could find was broken. Several sites state that the first week in May is Postcard Week, and that it is celebrated here in the US and in the UK.

I suggest you grab a few postcards and send 'em off to some people you have lost touch with. That seems like a lovely tradition to start. Or you could begin a postcard collection.

Maybe you have moved away from home. Have someone back home send you some postcards of your old hometown. On the flip side, you could send someone who has moved away some postcards so they know you are thinking of them.


Today is also:
Child Care Provider Appreciation Day

May 8 - No Socks Day

May 8 - No Socks Day
Official Site

Also celebrated on May 8 - VE Day


Do not wear socks today.

In fact, you should wiggle your sock-free toes while you remember May 8, 1945. Also known as Victory in Europe Day (or VE Day), this is the day the Allies formally accepted the surrender of Nazi Germany. (The UN has designated May 8-9 as the "Time of Remembrance & Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives During the Second World War.")



Today is also:
Cranmere Day
World Red Cross Day

May 7 - Great American Grump Out

May 7 - The Great American Grump Out
Official Site

Are you a Grumpy Gus? Today is your chance to try being a Sunny Sal. OK, enough with the cheesiness.

Personally, I'm usually pretty cranky. It doesn't help that I am not a morning person, and that I have to be at work by 7am. So for the Great American Grump Out (GAGO) I'll make an extra effort to be Miss Mary Sunshine. Which is usually who I'm telling people that I'm not.

Be sure to check out the GAGO website for tips on how to not be grumpy today. Oddly enough, a banana should help you through the day. Not to eat, mind you, but to remind you to smile.



Today is also:
National School Nurse Day

May 6 - No Diet Day

May 6 - International No Diet Day
Official Site (not updated since 2002?)
Wikipedia entry

I will be celebrating today by not being on a diet. That doesn't mean I won't be eating more fruits and veggies, though!

There is a family wedding coming up. This means pictures being taken plus family I rarely see equals I GOTTA LOSE WEIGHT! In the last two weeks, I've lost over ten pounds! But I am NOT on a diet.

I wholeheartedly support the Weight Watchers campaign which states that "Diets are mean." (I don't necessarily support WW as a whole, however) But diets are mean. And diets don't work. Not for me, anyway; I psych myself out when I say I'm on a diet. Now, if I say that I am trying to eat healthier, somehow it works.

I recently lost this weight by "trying to eat healthier" and adding exercise to my week. TADA! I can't wait to hit the dance floor - "We Are Family," here I come!


Today is also:
Joseph Brackett Day
National Teacher Day

May 5 - Cinco de Mayo

May 5 - Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is not the Mexican Independence Day. Nope. That's September 16th. Nor is it a popular holiday in Mexico. It is most widely celebrated in America.

And here in the US, Cinco de Mayo is a lot like St. Patrick's Day. More of a celebration of the culture, than of any significance the day itself holds. Most often, a drinking holiday.

The 5th of May came about like this: during the Mexican-American War, Mexico garnered a huge amount of debt. Benito Juarez wanted to delay paying off some debt for a while, to resume after two years. The French, English and Spanish didn't like this; they wanted their money. So they sent their troops to Mexico. The English and Spanish struck a deal with Mexico but France said, "No way." Thems fightin words. So they fought and Mexico's ragtag army surprisingly won. On the 5th of May, 1862.

My information came from the following sites (but don't accuse them if I am wrong - I'll take the blame):
Viva Cinco de Mayo
Mexonline
CLnet
National Geographic


Today is also:
Melanoma Monday
Totally Chipotle Day

May 4 - Respect for Chickens Day

May 4 - International Respect for Chickens Day
Official Site

I love to eat chicken, but I have to admit it is hard to read some of the articles on this site and remain a carnivore. I will definitely think twice before eating another chicken nugget. I want the food industry to change its ways, but I can't stop eating chicken! How does one remain a carnivore and care about animals at the same time?