Month: July 2020

July 31st Mutts Day

July Holidays

I love mutts. They, to me, are the pure definition of a dog, man’s best friend. They have nothing to prove, no trophies to show, and offer nothing but pure love. They have two, or more, breeds in their makeup and that normally seems to balance them into just being a good friend. Some of them are pretty, others are beauty challenged, but that’s only on the outside, they are warm, caring animals that want to do little more than please you. Oh, and sure, they just like people, make mistakes but they will learn and always try better, even though sometimes then still make an error or two. Love your dog and they will love you ten-fold.

How to celebrate- Be thankful you have a best friend. Give your dog a treat just because. Adopt a dog, give them a home… you won’t regret it.

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July 30th Father-In-Law Day

July Holidays

If you are married, you have, or have had, a father-in-law. For some unknown reason we tend to be scared of them but they normally are among some of the most friendly, helpful people you’ll ever know. In an odd case, my father-in-law is younger than I am! Figure that one out! But he is also one of the best people I have ever met and he is always there when needed. My neighbor’s sister-in-law’s father takes care of her yard just because he cares. Their efforts to make life better for all those around them is amazing and a day like today is a chance to say thank you, even though they do not expect it.

How to celebrate – Throw your father-in-law a party. Take your father-in-law to lunch. Just be thankful for all the people who are there for you.

July 29th International Tiger Day

July Holidays

Animals need our help, or rather, they just need us to let them live in their natural environment without interference. In the case of tigers, there are probably only 3,000 left in the wild and maybe even less by now. The day was created by the International Tiger Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia in 2010. As we destroy their natural habitat to build a new mall or cut down trees so someone can sit on a new chair, we destroy a home for some other animal. It’s not that we can’t have those things we want either, just do it responsibly.

How to celebrate – Go on a safari before they are no longer available. Contribute to the International Tiger Fund. Learn where the products you use come from.

July 28th World Nature Conservation Day

April Holidays

Today we recognize just how important our resources are here on Earth.  A report from the global conservation organization World Wildlife Foundation suggests that since 1970, the pressure that we exert on the planet has doubled and the resources upon which we depend have declined by 33 percent. We must learn how to protect them while we retain our style of living. Over the years it has become an environmental awareness day, trying to make people aware of what we’re doing to the earth through our actions and creating activities that help Mother Nature. While the ways to save nature are varied there is no doubt that we must take an active part in salvaging what we have left.

How to celebrate – See how you can help the environment and nature. Do something simple like recycling to do your part. Celebrate the earth and all it provides us.

July 28th National Milk Chocolate Day

July Holidays

If you are a chocolate lover today must be Heaven to you. It’s National Milk Chocolate Day! Not to be confused with Dark chocolate or White chocolate, today is strictly for Milk Chocolate. It is exactly as it sounds, chocolate with milk added to it. It retains most of the flavor without the bitterness some dark chocolate has to it. Naturally it’s not as healthy as dark chocolate. (Not that dark chocolate is all that healthy either) Today is sort of the Easter (Without the religious aspect) of the summer but I do not suggest hiding eggs with chocolate in them outside.

How to celebrate – Do a taste test of dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate to see which you like best. Learn how milk chocolate is made. Have a glass of chocolate milk.

July 27th Take Your Pants For A Walk Day

July Holidays

Wow, it’s easy to see that these are the dog days of summer. The National Days are really reaching… today is take your pants for a walk day. I suppose you could reason that what it is really telling you is to go for a walk, and if you are walking in shorts or naked, then take your pants along with you. It’s sort of appropriate if you think about it though. So many of our talk show hosts and news reporters sitting a desks are dressed in suits from the waist up but wearing shorts, or less, below the camera view. So, if this includes you, take your pants out for a walk so they can see the light of day and hope, that if needed, you still fit in them. And we should note that it is also Take your Houseplants for a Walk Day (makes ya kind of wonder if someone just accidentally misspelled it at some point – thus creating 2 national holidays).

How to celebrate – Put on a pair of pants. Go for a walk. Go back to bed and wait for tomorrow.

July 26th All Or Nothing Day

July Holidays

While we all strive to be more and more politically correct and sensitive to each other we must also remember that when we begin to exclude parts of history we then exclude all of history. If we are to forget those moments of history we do not like to remember we also forget those who brought us out of those dark moments. This is the theory of All or Nothing. You can tear down statues of General Lee, “Stonewall” Jackson and all reminders of the Confederacy… but then we lose the importance of Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglas and the 54th Massachusetts. To remember heroes you must remember what made them heroes, to disregard it is to forget those deeds done by people to change it.

How to celebrate – Don’t disregard history just because you didn’t like it. Choose to remember, not forget. You cannot have a hero without first having a villain.

July 25th National Day of the Cowboy

Unboxing the Bizarre

There is something about the life of the cowboy that seems wholesome, even heroic. Naturally, as with all people, there are good cowboys and bad cowboys but in most cases, the cowboy does his job bothering no one as he, or she, goes about their work. It can be a lonely job and isn’t often celebrated like the life of a lawyer or a politician but requires an equal professionalism and dedication without the fanfare or insanity of higher profile jobs. The day has been celebrated on the fourth Saturday of July since 2005.

How to celebrate – Watch an old cowboy movie. Visit a Dude Ranch. Read about the real old west.

July 24th Cousins Day

July Holidays

Today we celebrate our Aunt’s and Uncle’s children, our cousins. If you are lucky as a child, you may grow up with your cousins around and generally speaking, they are within a few years of our own age. I remember growing up with my Uncle being in the Marine Corp and nearly every summer our cousins came to stay with us on the family farm. It was always fun to have them to play with, even tough we did occasionally fight. Did you know that during World War 1 the Czar, Kaiser and royalty of England were all cousins of each other!?! Right before the war started they would attend each other’s parties and vacation at each other’s palaces. Talk about your love/hate relationships.

How to celebrate – If you haven’t talked to your cousins in a while, contact them. Make a family tree. Throw a family reunion.

July 24 – 26 2020 World Lumberjack Championship Day(s)

July Holidays

Hey – did you know, there’s a World Lumberjack Championship? Yep that’s right. Every year for the last 60 years – burly men (and maybe women) have been getting together to do almost anything active you can think of with a log – saw, chop, climb, roll…the list goes on and on. But if you were planning on celebrating their 61st year, you will have to wait an extra year – as it has been postponed until 2021 due to COVID. Alas, you will have to celebrate virtually, or you can look at it as an extra year to train!

Practice your Lumberjack skills and enter the competition. Visit the site of Paul Bunyan in Minnesota for inspiration. Build a Lincoln Log cabin.