November 13 - Indian Pudding Day

According to one source, today is Indian Pudding Day.

Never heard of Indian Pudding? Me either. So I pulled up my trusty search engine and looked for an answer. It doesn't sound Indian (American or Eastern) but it does sound delicious!

Indian Pudding is a dessert that is baked and it's a warm, brown, gooey, delicious-sounding thing you serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. I cannot wait to try this for Thanksgiving!

Recipe 1
Recipe 2

November 12 - Family Stories Month

November is Family Stories Month

I could not find an official site for this observance, nor could I find who had created it. Regardless, I still think it is a fantastic idea, and one that I can really get geeked about. Additionally, the holidays are the best time to try to collect family stories, as you often see them more this time of year.

I am a huge history buff and I love to hear stories about my family. My grandparents are all gone and most of their siblings as well. While I still have my parents, I want to know as much about my family as possible. Recently, I've been creating my family tree on Ancestry, but I don't really get any stories this way, mostly facts.

There are many ways to collect your family's stories, but you need to focus on the best way to get the stories from your family. Some people will find that story telling comes naturally, but others you will need to prompt. My mother always says that she doesn't have any stories, or that she can't think of any. All I need to do is simply ask her a question or two, then sit back and listen as she talks and talks. I tease her about it and say, "I thought you didn't have any stories!" She has them, she just needs a prompt or two.

Prompts can be as simple as, "What was your childhood like" or more specific, like "How old were you when you got your first job?" This site has some great questions to ask your relatives, or even to answer yourself! (November is also National Life Writing Month.)

One year, my family wrote down memories on little slips of paper. We put them in a jar, and pull them out at holidays, or when we are all at home. They don't have to be holiday specific, just funny or warm little things you don't want to forget!

Enjoy Family Stories Month, and let me know if you have any good ones! I love to hear family stories, even if they aren't about my family!

November 5 - Guy Fawkes Night

Remember, remember the fifth of November
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot
I can think of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, twas his intent
To blow up the King and Parliament.
Three score barrels of powder below
To prove old England's overthrow.
By God's providence he was catched
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!

Guy Fawkes Night

November 4 - King Tut Day

Today is the anniversary of the discovery of King Tutankhamen's tomb back in 1922. Celebrate by walking like an Egyptian (ha ha) or reading up on some Egyptian history. The ladies could wear black eyeliner and channel Cleopatra and the guys could wear those funny faux beards the Pharaohs used to wear.

Wikipedia entry on King Tut

August 4 - National Chocolate Chip Day

Wait just a minute.

Didn't I already celebrate Chocolate Chip Day earlier this year? Why, yes! Yes, I did - and here's the post to prove it.

If you view the National Confectioners Association's calendar, you will see that they really do have two National Chocolate Chip Days. (They also have five different days listed as Chocolate Day, two of which are in December. I call shenanigans!)

But when I think about it, chocolate chips are pretty amazing. I guess it wouldn't hurt to celebrate them twice a year. If you don't know by now how chocolate chips (and chocolate chip cookies) were invented, I will tell you. In 1933, a woman named Ruth Wakefield wanted to make chocolate cookies. She made her usual butter cookie batter, and chopped up a semi-sweet chocolate bar (that's how it was sold before chips were invented) thinking that the little bits would melt and blend with the cookie dough. When baked, the bits softened but basically kept their shape. Somewhere along the line, Nestlé heard about this and printed her recipe on their chocolate bar wrapper. At first, they made a special chopper to break up the chocolate, but in 1939, the chocolate began to be sold in chip (Nestlé calls them morsels) form. Oh, and Mrs Wakefield ran (with her husband) the Toll House Inn, hence the name, Toll House Cookies!

Now, since it is so warm this time of year, it is not likely anyone would want to bake chocolate chip cookies, so you can buy them (lame!) or make some chocolate chip ice cream. If I wasn't on a low-carb diet, I would sooo make mint chocolate chip ice cream. I have made this recipe in the past, and I highly recommend it. Use the teeny tiny chocolate chips if you can find them. Alternatively, you could shave a chocolate bar, but this isn't Chocolate Shavings Day, so you should probably just stick with the chips. Plus shaving chocolate can get really messy.

Today is also:
Coast Guard Day

June 11 - Kamehameha Day

Kamehameha Day

Let's face it. Any king who can unite the Hawaiian Islands and form alliances with the major Pacific colonial powers in order to preserve Hawaii's independence deserves a holiday.

Get lei'd in honor of King K today! You know, with a lei...made of flowers...get your mind out of the gutter!

Kamehameha Day
Kamehameha I

June 10 - Iced Tea Day

Today is Ball-point Pen Day! It is also Iced Tea Day. Drink some iced tea (sweet or not) while you write using a ball-point pen.

More on iced tea:
From Wikipedia
How to brew iced tea
History of iced tea and sweet tea

More on ball-point pens:
History of ball-point pens
How ball-point pens work

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 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 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

March 8 - Genealogy Day

March 8 - Genealogy Day

Yay! A day dedicated to one of my favorite hobbies (ok, they're all my favorite).

I could tell you the importance of genealogy but either you already agree with me or I won't be able to change your mind. Plus I don't feel like it.

Instead, I'd like to supply you with my personal list of genealogy links. This is heavy on Polish, Illinois, and Chicago links, because that is where my family is from. But I have many generally useful sites as well.

Don't forget to check for genealogy groups on your favorite social networking site (MySpace, Facebook, et al). The people in those groups are usually very friendly and willing to help point you in the right direction.

GENERAL SITES

Cyndi's List
A far more comprehensive pile of links than you will find in my humble blog.

1 Step Searches
Help in searching some common genealogy databases.

Free Cemetery Records
I haven't found any information on my family here, but others have had better luck.

Genealogy at About.com
I love About.com. I can always find help (or a point in the right direction) here. Not just for genealogy, but just about any topic.

WorldGenWeb Project
Lots of international help here.

USGenWeb Search Engine
1-click search of all the USGenWeb indices.

RootsWeb Surname List
If you can't find your ancestors, you may be able to find someone else who is researching the same last name. I came in contact with a lady who may or may not be related to me, but she was very friendly and helped me find more info on my family.

FamilySearch International Genealogical Index
This is part of the LDS FamilySearch site.

Social Security Death Index
This is the best SS death index I've found.

Obituary Search

COMING TO AMERICA

Ellis Island
If you are trying to determine when an ancestor arrived in America, start here.

Castle Garden
If you can't find your ancestor at the Ellis Island site, try this one.

Immigrant Ships Passenger Lists

(More) Immigrant Ship Passenger Lists

Guide to Immigration Records and Ships' Passenger Lists

POLISH LINKS (mmm...sausage)

Polish Genealogical Society of America
Click on Directory for lots of help, useful databases, and links.

Genealogy of Halychyna/Eastern Galicia

Polish Genealogy at About.com
I love About.com. I can always find help (or a point in the right direction) here. Not just for genealogy, but just about any topic. (Yes, I know I'm repeating myself.)

Common Polish First Names
This isn't exactly a genealogy site, but I enjoy learning about my family's Polish names.

Poznan Project
A Polish marriage database.

ILLINOIS (the "S" is silent)

Illinois Marriage Index, 1763-1900
Obviously you are restricted to pre-1900 marriages here.

Ordering Birth Records from Illinois

Illinois State Genealogical Society

CHICAGO/COOK COUNTY

St. Adalbert Catholic Cemetery, Niles, Illinois
I have a lot of family members here. Also see this link.

Cook County USGenWeb site

Cook County Clerk's Office - Vital Records

Chicago Genealogical Society
Their list of links is very useful.

Polk's Directory for 1928-1929
This is very interesting. It is like a phone book, but without the phone numbers. It lists all the addresses in Chicago, and all the residents at those addresses. (It also lists businesses.) This is not useful if you have a name, and are looking for an address, but I obtained an address for a relative and was able to locate them in this directory. This is a very large PDF file, be patient while it loads.

CALIFORNIA

Polish Genealogical Society of California

Los Angeles Regional Family History Center (LDS)
I am looking forward to visiting this place sometime this year. I can't wait to see all the great info available there.

February 2 - Groundhog Day

February 2 - Groundhog Day

I can never keep straight what happens if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow. Early spring, or not? I headed over to the Official Site of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club to do some research. According to the PGC,

"According to legend, if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather. If he does not see his shadow, there will be an early spring."

Now, here is why I think I get this confused. To me, if the sun is shining (shadow is seen) that would indicate an early spring, not six more weeks of winter weather. But then, I'm no meteorologist.

And those top-hatted guys over in Punxsutawney seem a bit odd. I mean, I can understand milking this thing for all it is worth (who would go to the cold center of Pennsylvania in February otherwise?), but they take this day waaay too seriously. For one thing, check out the Inner Circle members' job descriptions. And the way they explain how Phil has been prognosticating for 120 years can be found here. Wacky stuff.

Oh well, it's all in fun, I guess. Enjoy your Saturday, and let's all hope for an early spring! (Though I don't have much to complain about here in Southern California!)

P. S. This site is a bit less wacky, and has some history about how Candlemas turned into Groundhog Day.

P. P. S. Update! Six more weeks of winter are in store for us! Here is the official proclamation.