Count Your Buttons

October 21 is Count Your Buttons Day! Buttons have quite a long history. Buttons, or button-like objects, were used as decorations on clothing in the Indus Valley in 2800-2600 BCE. They were also used in both Ancient China and Ancient Rome as embellishments. The modern functional button used as a fastener with button holes dates to Thirteenth Century Germany. I’m not sure of the origin of this holiday, but I like the idea of it. My mother had button jars with collections of interesting buttons that I often examined as a child. The company Grandmother’s Buttons uses exceptional and unusual buttons in jewelry. Do you have a button collection? If so, celebrate today by counting your buttons. Or take a more mundane approach and examine your clothes for missing buttons. If you have missing buttons, celebrate by replacing or reattaching them.

Psalm 97:11-12 Light is sown like seed for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart. Be glad in the Lord, you righteous ones, and give thanks to His holy name.

~N

Information Overload Day

October 20 has been set aside as a day to rebel against information overload. Most of us suffer from TMI—too much information coming at us from smart phones, television and computers. Information Overload Day was established by people in business who wanted to bring awareness to this addictive and damaging need to be accessible to machines at all times. They wondered about the effect on employees and customers then they are overloaded with information. It was no surprise that research backed up the suspicion that productivity suffers from the constant distractions. Celebrate today by turning off your phone, or putting it in silent mode, and not checking emails for a while. You might like the peace it brings, and you may find yourself getting more done.

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

~C

Evaluate Your Life Day

October 19 is Evaluate Your Life Day! Wow! That sounds like a serious holiday! What if you evaluate yourself and determine that your life is a D, or even worse an F? Since you’re in charge of yourself, there should be no problem. The only person you have to please is you. If you are unhappy about something in your life, take this opportunity to make the changes you want. How long does it take to make a change in behavior become automatic? I read that depends on the difficulty of the change and the personality of the person. It can take from 18 to 254 days, with the average being 66. However long it takes, if you start today, tomorrow you will be one day closer.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

~N

No Beard Day

This holiday has been around for several years, but it’s hard to see it having any effect. Beards seem to be very popular. All the men in my family have beards. It’s a good thing I don’t suffer from  pogonophobia (fear of facial hair). Celebrate today by styling your beard and making a statement or by shaving it off and letting your face breathe a little.

You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard. Leviticus 19:27

 

Wear Something Gaudy Day

October 17 is Wear Something Gaudy Day! Gaudy is defined as bright and showy and possibly tasteless. Today is the day to bring out your biggest baubles, your brightest clothes, and your wildest shoes to wear with no worries. Have fun!

Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

~N

National Dictionary Day

October 16 is the birthday of Noah Webster; therefore, we celebrate it as National Dictionary Day. Webster published two dictionaries, one in 1806 and another twenty-seven years later. To help in evaluating the etymology of words, he learned twenty-six languages. He also is credited for changing the spelling to some words to a “American English.” For example, he replaced the spelling for “colour” to “color” and changed “centre” to “center.” Celebrate today by learning a new word or two. There are apps for that!

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. Proverbs 25:11

~C

National Grouch Day

October 15 is National Grouch Day! Kim Hubbard, a cartoonist who was drawing cartoons a hundred years ago said, “A grouch escapes so many little annoyances that it almost pays to be one.” In other words, the squeaky wheel gets the oil, and one sure way to get something is to grumble a lot. They say it takes only seventeen muscles to smile, while forty-three muscles are used in a frown. A few frowns can make us feel like we’ve put in a whole day’s work! With very little effort, I think it’s possible that we can even share our bad mood and spread it around, thus giving more people a reason to take advantage of the holiday.

Celebrate today by grumbling about something that annoys you, and while you’re at it, frown and get your daily exercise!!

Proverbs 15:13 A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken.

~N

National Dessert Day

What a sweet day to celebrate. Try a new treat or an old favorite. A Louisiana Christmas has a great variety of dessert recipes, from decadent White Chocolate Brownies to old fashioned Tea Cakes, and Yummy Yam Spice Cake. Hungry? Start baking! Happy Dessert Day!

My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. Proverbs 24:13

~C

International Skeptics Day

October 13 may be International Skeptics Day. Or it may not be, since some sources say January 13 is International Skeptics Day. In fact, there may not even be an International Skeptics Day. Can you imagine a skeptics organization of international magnitude? How would an international group made up of skeptics ever agree upon a set of rules? Skeptics are people who doubt or question commonly accepted facts, or perhaps I should say commonly accepted opinions or maybe I should just say opinions. In fact, opinions are not facts, and, as such, should be doubted, or, at least, could be doubted. Whatever, today is the day to celebrate your inner skeptic and question or doubt to your heart’s content. When in doubt, doubt!

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.

~N

Old Farmers’ Day

Recipe in A Louisiana Christmas

October 12 is Old Farmers’ Day. A hundred years ago most people in this country were farmers, and the United States was an agrarian society. Now there aren’t many small farmers left. Farms are owned by large companies who use the latest technology and equipment costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. I remember years ago when we drove on Kentucky roads and saw fences and fields. Now there are very few fences. When we drive through farming country, we see huge expanses of land and mile after mile of beans or wheat. Farming methods have changed, but our love of good produce has not changed. October is traditionally considered a harvest month. So celebrate today by eating some of your favorite fall foods. And if you’re looking for a great recipe for this time of year, check out A Louisiana Christmas: Heritage Recipes and Hometown Celebrations.

Psalm 67:6 The earth has yielded its produce; God, our God, blesses us.

~N