January 19 - Fresh Squeezed Juice Week

This is not a picture of fresh-squeezed juice. This is a picture of one of my favorite crafts I made in December. I am drinking juice as I type this sentence. Alas, it was not fresh-squeezed.

January 17 - Hunt for Happiness Week

Hunt for Happiness Week - I found a small bit of happiness while taking down the Christmas decorations today (yes, I know, finally!).

January 9 - Letter Writing Week

Letter Writing Week - This falls in perfectly with project #2 for 2010. I plan on taking some time on the 10th of each month to write actual letters to friends and family. Most of our family and friends are not nearby, and some are (gasp!) not even on Facebook. I know. Shocking...anyway, I thought they might enjoy getting some actual snail mail, and perhaps I may get some letters back from them as well.

January 2 - Resolutions Week

The first week or so of January is unofficially known as Resolutions Week.  Usually, I refuse to make resolutions, knowing I am not likely to actually keep them. Above is a list of things I would like to work on this year. Putting this out into the world for others to see might help keep me accountable to working on these areas of my life.  Speaking of which...

I recently came across a site called 6 Changes. The premise is that you come up with six changes you want to make in your life and spend 2 months on making each change. At the end of one year you will have (hopefully) met your goals. The site focuses on helping you work on those changes.  One of the steps in the 6 Changes method is public accountability. I know that I am more likely to follow through on something if I've told several people about it, rather than keep it to myself.

43things is a site that is less of a how-to in changing your life, and more of a place to put your list of (43) things you want to do. Somewhat related is Listology, which is a place to keep lists of all kinds.

I started this post talking about resolutions and somehow rabbit-trailed into list-making and keeping. Hope you found something useful and/or entertaining here!

November 11 - Pursuit of Happiness Week

November 8-14 is Pursuit of Happiness Week

I'm not sure who created this observance, but (at the risk of sounding cheesy) I'm glad they did!

Lately I've been kind of down in the dumps, for several different reasons. When I started researching this observance for my blog, I wasn't originally planning on celebrating this very intensely. But as I started to plan what I wanted to write, I realized that I should definitely take the opportunity to actively pursue happiness. I mean, face it: happiness is not likely to come a-knocking on my door.

According to this site, there are 16 factors to happiness. It will likely take me longer than a week, but I plan on spending at least one day thinking about each factor and how I can pursue happiness in that area of my life.

Even if you are normally a fairly happy person, take some time out this week to pursue some happiness! We can all use a little extra happy stuff in our life.

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 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 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

March 8 - Read an E-book Week

March 2-8 - Read an E-book Week
Official Site

Today is the conclusion of Read an E-book Week. But there is still time to read!

I don’t think that e-books will replace paper books, at least not in my lifetime. There is something about having books in your hand, on your shelf, at the store or library that cannot be replaced with a computer, e-reader or iPhone.

Despite this desire for actual, physical books, I do read e-books from time to time. I often read books found at Internet Archive, a pioneer in the book digitization industry. This non-profit organization only digitizes books that are in the public domain, which means that the books available are largely pre-1923. While you may initially feel restricted by this, you will eventually be surprised by the large number of popular titles available. The books vary widely in subject. There is plenty of non-fiction, novels, poetry, cookbooks, how-to, and more. You will certainly be able to find something to read there.

There are many other sites with free e-books available. Project Gutenberg is a partner with Internet Archive. More books can be found here and here.

I would love to get a Kindle, but for now I will read physical books, and some e-books online.

March 6 - Celebrate Your Name Week

March 2-8 - Celebrate Your Name Week
Official Site
More info, on Wikipedia

Just about each day this week has had a different name-related holiday. Yesterday, I posted about learning the meaning of your names.

One way to celebrate your name is to find out your Name Day. This is a more popular activity in Europe, but I think it is a good idea that we should adopt in the US. I think that Name Days could be like a second birthday, only without the questions about your age. (Yes, I am old enough to start fretting about that.)

Oddly enough, my Name Day falls on the same day as my boyfriend's birthday (September 6). I guess this means I get presents too. When is your Name Day?

Another way to celebrate is to listen to songs with your name in them. Jennys of the world, you can omit this. (You know, 867-5309...remember now?)

My favorite Alyson song is "Alison's the Bomb," by the Huntingtons. Not only because I am the bomb, but because in the liner of this CD, instead of the lyrics, there is a drawing of a girl wearing a Ghoti Hook shirt. And Ghoti Hook is just about my favoritest band in the world (RIP).

My second favorite would have to be "Alison," by Elvis Costello. This is the song most frequently sung to me when people discover my name.

I also like "Allison," by The Pixies. Even though it is not about a girl named Allison. (It is actually about Mose Allison, the jazz/blues musician.) Lyrics here, and a video here.

December 6 - Handwashing Awareness Week

The 4 Principles of Hand Awareness are:

1. Wash your hands before eating and when they are dirty.
2. Do NOT cough into your hands (try your elbow or a tissue).
3. Do NOT sneeze into your hands (see above).
4. Do NOT put your fingers into your eyes, nose or mouth.

December 3 - Recipe Greetings for the Holidays Week

December 1-8 - Recipe Greetings for the Holidays Week

I couldn't find where or how this week-long celebration originated. In that case, you get to hear how I'll be participating this week.

I'm on MySpace, so each day this week (Monday through Friday), I'll be posting a bulletin for all my friends/contacts to see. This bulletin will include a short greeting and a recipe (or a link to a recipe) that I use every year at Christmas.

If you are not on MySpace, or don't like my idea, you could send e-greeting cards with recipes, e-mails, or actual cards or letters to your friends and family. If you don't have any friends or family, you can send me a recipe greeting. I'd be happy to hear from you.

Oh, here is the greeting my friends will see today on MySpace:

"Happy Monday! I hope you are all well and happy. Here is a recipe I make every year at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Just wanted to share with you all!
Original Chex Mix"

November 24 - Better Conversation Week

November 19-25 - Better Conversation Week

I was so busy preparing for Thanksgiving, I almost let this week slip by without participating in Better Conversation Week. So yesterday and today I crammed. See, I would love to be a better conversation partner. I feel so awkward in social situations, especially in those situations in which I am faced with strangers or people I barely know. Here are some of the most common tips I ran across:

• BE PREPARED
• Several blogs and articles mentioned this tip. You may be wondering, how can I possibly prepare for a conversation with someone I don't know?
• Preparing for conversation could entail staying abreast of current events, reading magazines you wouldn't normally pick up, reading best-selling books, and maybe checking out a trivia site, such as Mental Floss. If you are aware of the news of the day, or the plot of the best-selling book of the year, you may find you have more to discuss with people you don't know.
• Another way to prepare is to explore the world. The next time you find yourself in unfamiliar territory, go exploring, even for 15 minutes. Someday you may run into someone from that place and you will have something in common, as small as it may be. Who knows where that conversation may lead?
• You could also prepare for future conversations with strangers by stepping out of your comfort zone. If you are a metal-head, try sitting through a classical concert. If your taste is more conservative, try hitting up a punk club. Tune out the tunes and people watch. See how the people you don't know behave in certain situations. You may be surprised by what you find out.
• ASK QUESTIONS
• Try to avoid yes/no questions. Nothing will stop an awkward conversation between strangers than an abrupt question or answer.
• See if you can ask a question related to the event you are both at. If you are at a wedding, ask if your conversation partner knows the bride or the groom.
• PAY ATTENTION
• Maintain eye contact. If you are not paying attention to the person you are speaking with, they will realize you aren't interested, and will not want to continue to speak with you. On the flip side, don't constantly stare at them. This is very disconcerting and may even scare them away.
  
• Actively listen. This means not only looking at them, but actually paying attention to what they are saying. Don't wait for them to pause just so you can jump in and say something.
• BE NICE
• When you do get a chance to speak, try to stay on topic.
  
• Don't dominate the conversation. Be sure to give your partner a chance to talk. You are trying to get to know them. You can't accomplish this if your mouth is running the whole time.
• Don't interrupt. This shows that you are not interested in what the other person has to say.

I hope this helps! I will be sure to apply these tips the next chance I get! Here are some links you may find helpful:

SoSuave.com
HELLO, my name is blog!
Five Ways to Become a Better Conversationalist

November 18 - National Game and Puzzle Week

November 18-24 - National Game and Puzzle Week

Oh. My. Golly. I love love love games and puzzles. Card games, board games, pencil and paper games....and crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, sudoku...happiness.

I will stop to say that I LOVE my Nintendo DS Lite. I have this game, which is all about games and puzzles! I seriously play with this every day. No lie. Ask my boyfriend.

You should pick up some games or puzzles to enjoy with your friends and family this week. You know there is only so much eating and shopping you can do next weekend. Do it on the cheap - check out your local thrift stores and Goodwill stores.


Thanksgiving Countdown: Four days to go! Pull turkey out of freezer tonight, and place in refrigerator to thaw.

November 14 - Children's Book Week

November 12-18 - Children's Book Week

Even as an adult, I still enjoy most children's books. I should re-read some of these books more often. Recently, I was looking through the children's books on amazon.com, and I came across a few that I'd almost forgotten about:

• The Velveteen Rabbit
• Harriet the Spy
• Ramona Quimby
• Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
  

I could go on and on listing books that I loved as a child. But I won't bore you with the details. Go grab a few children's books from the library, or see what is available on the Internet Archive. Enjoy!

November 6 - Dear Santa Letter Week

To me, the first week of November seems a bit early to be writing letters to Santa. I'm still eating Halloween candy, and we haven’t even hit Thanksgiving yet.

Maybe I’ve forgotten what it’s like to be a kid. The child universe revolves around Christmas. Maybe for kids who still believe in Santa (or just want more toys) the first week of November is cutting it kind of close.

So I called Santa to research this a bit. Turns out that the earlier he gets the letters, the better. He wants to be sure he has all the raw materials needed to make all the toys and presents in time for a Christmas delivery.

Santa can check out my Amazon wish list any time of year to see what I want. For those of you who don’t want to leave it up to the big guy, check out this website. You can print out your letter and mail it to Santa the traditional (snail mail) way.

For those who prefer the speed and convenience of e-mail, check out www.emailsanta.com. In addition to a personal response from Kris Kringle, this website has plenty of Christmas-related activities too. There is even a countdown to the big day.

Not sure if you’ll be getting candy or coal in your stocking this year? You can see if you qualify as Naughty or Nice. Turns out I am Nice, after all. Don't believe me? You can check with Santa.

You can also e-mail Santa through www.northpole.com and find more games and Christmasy activities.

For a more adult version of the Dear Santa letter, try this Mad Libs-style letter.

Those of you with children may want to see this blog from last year’s Dear Santa Letter Week; the author has some good advice and ideas. She lists the snail mail addresses you can send your letters to as well has how to get a reply from “Santa” mailed back to your children.

November 5 - Gettin' Figgy Wit It

National Fig Week, November 1-7

My fig experiences thus far have been limited to Fig Newtons. After doing a bit of research for this blog, I still know relatively little about figs, but you can go here or here for plenty of detailed information.

When I saw Fig Week approaching, I determined that I would cook or bake at least one item featuring figs. Having no notion of how to prepare figs, I turned to my trusty pal, Google. Search terms: how to prepare figs.

The first hit is a 2004 newspaper article from Florida. Not California, which is where 99-100 percent (depends on who you believe) of all commercially harvested figs are grown. Maybe fig-rich Californians already know how to work with figs. I don’t. And I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one.

Anyway, this extremely brief article gets right to the point. Wash the figs, cut off the stems, don’t bother trying to peel the skin. Ok, got it. The remaining hits from my Google search are for fig recipes, fig tree care tips (figs grow on the ficus; something else I didn’t know about figs), and how to prepare various electronic thingys that have nothing at all to do with figs.

Armed with my rudimentary fig preparation knowledge, I head to the kitchen to whip up some yummy figgy goodness.

First, I made an appetizer: Fig and Toasted Almond Brie. What a great appetizer for a holiday party or special occasion. I like to cut the rind off (this is best done when cold) but it can be left on (it is edible, I just don’t like it). Serve with fancy crackers or French bread. I think it is also very pretty. I’m sure dried figs would be just fine if you cannot get fresh ones.

For the main course: Chicken with Figs in Port Wine Sauce. It was good, but I think the recipe needs a bit of tinkering. Also, it didn't look so pretty, so no picture of this one.

On to dessert: Fig Spice Cake. Oh. My. Word. This cake was sooo good. Basically it is a spice cake or carrot cake, but with fresh figs (I bet you could use dried and it would be just great). Buttermilk makes this cake so moist and decadent. Of course, cream cheese frosting makes everything taste great. I think this recipe also came out very prettily.

Allrecipes.com has some fig recipes, or you can check out Internet Archive. There are some vintage cookbooks on the text portion of their website. Here are three featuring fig recipes:

How to Serve Figs in the Home

The Story of Dried Fruits

The Dromedary Cook Book

Oh, one last thing I didn’t know – God hates figs. Here is your proof.

November 4 - Food Celebrations

When you think about November, you think about Thanksgiving. Which means you think about a huge turkey dinner. Well, I do, anyway.

But surprisingly enough, November is NOT National Turkey Month. Officially, at any rate. It is however, National Georgia Pecan Month, which makes sense, as lots of folks serve pecan pie with Thanksgiving dinner. It’s also National Peanut Butter Lovers’ Month, National Pomegranate Month, and Vegan Month. I don’t usually associate peanut butter or pomegranates with Thanksgiving, and I would have a hard time figuring out what to serve at a vegan Thanksgiving dinner. Tofurky, I suppose. But no gravy or jello salad.

November 21 is National Pumpkin Pie Day, in case you can’t wait for T-day to chow down on some pie. The 23^rd is Sinkie Day, which means that you stand over the kitchen sink and eat the leftovers from Thursday. It’s also Flossing Day, which is good, because stringy turkey can get stuck between your teeth. Sometimes I fall asleep before I get a chance to brush and floss.

Other foods celebrated this month are figs (Nat’l Fig Week, Nov. 1-7), sandwiches (Nov. 3), bittersweet chocolate with almonds (getting a little too specific for me, Nov. 7), and homemade bread (Nov. 17). National Bundt Pan Day is Nov. 15, but I think you are meant to celebrate the pan itself, not what comes out of it.

Women, on November 1*, make your man cook dinner. It is, after all, National Men Make Dinner Day. On the 8^th, cook something (or make a man do it) bold and pungent, to celebrate Cook Something Bold and Pungent Day. Let’s dare to be different, folks.

*OK, OK, I know we’ve passed the first already; mark your calendar for next year.

Mysterious Celebration

So maybe Mysterious is a bit of an exaggeration. This week is Mystery Series Week. We are to celebrate and embrace our favorite continuing characters in crime fiction. I tried to do a bit of research on this holiday but so far I have not come up with much. This is the closest I can come to an official web presence for this celebration. Unfortunately, this page does not appear to have been updated in six years.

To celebrate, I re-read the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. She may be a bounty hunter, * ahem * I mean Bond Enforcement Agent, but she is usually the center of at least one mystery.

In addition, I plan on watching Women's Murder Club this Friday on ABC. It is a new television show based on James Patterson's book series. I haven't yet read the books, but maybe this will be the impetus that will drive me to it.


Other important things to celebrate this week:

National Carry A Tune Week - You may want to read this page. Apparently there are rules to celebrating this particular observation.

National Metric Week - God bless them. They're still hoping America will conform.

Nuclear Medicine Week - I didn't know there was such a thing as nuclear medicine. Am I that uninformed? Or is this a fairly obscure specialty?

Squirrel Appreciation Week - Squirrels are definitely under-appreciated. I'm glad they're getting some better PR. See also Cute Overload.