Celebrate Every Day

Welcome to February 1st, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate the strange towns of the Lone Star State and symbols that slither.

Texas is a big state and leads the way in many things such as livestock production, cotton production and, some would say, friendliness. Another thing Texas is good at is odd place names. Like…Bacon, Bangs, Beans, Bee Cave, Bigfoot, Blackjack, Bluntzer and Bobo, Bootleg, Bugtussle, Cat Spring, Cut and Shoot, Ding Dong and El Gato, Goodnight and Gun Barrel City, Happy, Humble, Hoop and Holler, Hornbeak, Knickerbocker, Latex, Log Cabin, Muleshoe and Lovelady. There’s Nada, Noodle, Oatmeal, Raisin, Scissors, Scurry, Smiley and Snook, Spearman, Tarzan, Uncertain and Who’d Thought It! Oh, and let’s not forget Zipperland, Hutto, the hippo capital of Texas and the town of Clark which changed its name to Dish, Texas in 2005 so each of its 201 residents could get free Dish TV for 10 years! On National Texas Day, celebrate the small towns that give this big state character.

Most of our symbols have specific meanings; a heart for love and compassion, a dove represents peace, and the serpent symbolizes… medicine. Yes, medicine. The Caduceus and the Rod of Asclepius are both symbols of medicine utilizing a staff entwined with serpents. So…why a snake? The answer goes as far back as Moses who reportedly used a bronze snake on a pole to cure people bitten by snakes. Caduceus is the symbol of Mercury in Roman mythology. Apparently Mercury stopped a fight between two serpents by throwing his rod at them at which point they wrapped themselves around the rod and the symbol was born. On National Serpent Day, celebrate this once feared creature and don’t be buying any snake oil.

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day!

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Welcome to January 31st, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate our heart’s desire and backwards thinking.

Your heart performs 365 days a year, without missing a beat. So isn’t it fair to give back to the hardest working organ in your body? It doesn’t need more cardio or a mushy romance novel, unless you find those things fun. Your heart is crying out for joy. That’s where artists come in. Pam Nielsen of Salt Lake City, Utah never meant to be a world renowned artist. This wife and mother was living a completely normal life when all at once she had a total recall of intense childhood abuse. What followed was a distinct voice that led her to work through the darkness with painting in vibrant colors. Working with metal and acrylic surfaces, Pam felt transformed. She is featured in homes, galleries and fine hotels around the world, but she credits God with her results. On Inspire Your Heart With Art Day check out Pam’s heart themed prints at her website: https://pamelanielsen.com/collections/love-heartz.

On National Backward Day consider having dessert for breakfast. Wear your clothes backwards or write from right to left. This worked for Leonardo da Vinci, who even wrote his letters backwards. Some say he did this to hide controversial ideas about science from the Church. Others say it prevented his best ideas from being stolen. And perhaps the most practical reason is that it kept him from smudging the ink as he wrote. Whatever your reasons for trying things in reverse, on National Backward Day don’t forget to use your blinkers.

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day!

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Welcome to January 30th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate tea tales and what to do when your dream pops.

The English love tea. In fact they built a global trade empire around it. But the beverage was actually introduced to the country by someone from Portugal. Tea had already been brought to Europe from China, but the Brits didn’t really care for it—they were using it as medicine. Then Catherine of Braganza of Portugal married England’s Charles II and moved to the British Isles. She drank tea every day, something that soon caught on with the rest of the nobility. Word spread about the queen’s habits and soon drinking tea became all the rage with the people of England. How is that for an influencer?! January is National Hot Tea Month, a great time to warm up with a delicious hot cuppa.

In 1957 Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes had a bright idea: three dimensional wallpaper. Thinking they could market this to the Beat generation, they took a stab at laminating two plastic shower curtains together. The results, however, popped their dream, as the sheets bubbled up too much. Alfred’s five year old son squeezed them in his hands but it would be years before that trend took off. They next dreamed of using it for greenhouse insulation, but the light bulb really went off when they turned it into a packaging material. The new strategy paid off big time when IBM became their first client, buying bubble wrap to ship their latest computer. The fact that it’s fun to pop wasn’t lost on anyone and to this day people celebrate National Bubble Wrap Day with this dual purpose invention.

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day!

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Welcome to January 29th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate corny legends and puzzling pastimes.

Some say the story of corn chips began on a road trip. In 1932 Elmer Doolin was traveling through San Antonio, TX where he discovered a local favorite called friotes. Elmer bought the recipe from a man who wanted to quit the corn chip business. Little did he know it would be the best 100 dollars he ever spent. Doolin perfected them in his mother’s kitchen and started selling the chips from the back of his Model T. But sales really took off when his mom Daisy came up with a recipe campaign called Cooking with Fritos. This led to a partnership with Herman Lay and today Fritos are a corn chip legend. On National Corn Chip Day enjoy your own favorite chips!

Putting together a puzzle is a fun way to spend a quiet day indoors. Of course, depending on the number of pieces, it can get frustrating. 100 pieces? Piece of cake. 500 pieces? A bit of a challenge. 1000 pieces? Now we are getting a little crazy. But, let’s put things into perspective. According to the Guinness Book Of Records, the most pieces ever used in a single puzzle is 551,232. It took 1,600 students in Vietnam around 17 hours to put it together. When completed, it measured over 48 by 76 feet and it depicted a lotus flower with 6 petals. No word whether there were any pieces missing. On National Puzzle Day, cozy up with your own beautiful challenge.

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day!

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Welcome to January 28th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate the buzz on kazoos and having fun at work.

The Down South Submarine is a uniquely American instrument better known as the kazoo. It was invented in the 1840s by German watchmaker Thaddeus Von Clegg. The kazoo has created some buzz over the years but mostly as a toy rather than a legitimate instrument. All of that changed in the jazz and blues era, though not many soloists made it their career instruments. Today you can listen to Barbara Stewart for inspiration. Barbara learned to play at the age of three and adds over 30 years of classical music training to her serious kazoo stylings. Check her out on YouTube and if you happen to be in South Carolina today, swing by the Kazoobie Kazoo factory for a tour on National Kazoo Day. Barbara is so cool. Did you know that everything sounds better when it’s played on a kazoo? Like, what’s your favorite song Marlo?

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day!

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Welcome to January 27th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate having your cake and eating it too and thinking like a Big Wig.

Here in America, chocolate was consumed primarily as a beverage until the 1840s. According to the Dover Post, the chocolate cake was born in 1765 when a doctor and a chocolate maker teamed up in an old mill. They ground up cocoa beans between huge millstones to make a thick syrup. The liquid was poured into molds shaped like cakes, which were meant to be transformed into a drink. It wasn’t until 1947 that a popular Philadelphia cookbook author, Eliza Leslie, published the earliest chocolate cake recipe in The Lady’s Receipt Book. Then in 1947 Betty Crocker released their first dry mix cake. On National Chocolate Cake Day celebrate having your cake and eating it too.

Today is National Big Wig Day, and in honor of the Look Good Feel Better Campaign, folks across the country host parties to raise money for cancer patients. It’s a way for people to show their inner Big Wig by taking on the role of philanthropist. No matter how you make a living, today is your chance to pool resources with like minded people to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the cancer charities of your choice. Show your support on National Big Wig Day by sporting lovely locks and giving as generously as you can.

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day!

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Welcome to January 26th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate the drinking of the green and the art of marriage.

Green juice is tastier than ever these days and one convenient bottle can hold the nutritional value of several servings of fruits and veggies. While juice has been around for thousands of years, the crazes of the last century have produced some amazing results. Norman Walker, who invented the first modern juicer in the 1930s lived to be 99 years old. Jack LaLanne who drank juice faithfully lived to be 96. And evidence suggests that it’s never too late to turn over a new leaf, especially if your juice contains more green veggies than fruit. Give yourself the green light to make small healthy changes that are easy to stick with on National Green Juice Day!

Frida Kahlo was smitten from the moment she set eyes on a mural created by Diego Rivera. Fifteen years later they were formally introduced and they fell in love and were married. Their rocky relationship had many ups and downs, however, the impact they had on one another’s art was enormous. Individually, they became two of the greatest artists of the 20th Century, but it was their mutual love for one another that fueled their creativity. On National Spouses Day, celebrate the partners who stick with you through thick and thin. As Frida put it, You deserve someone who brings you hope, coffee, and poetry.

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day!

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Welcome to January 25th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate a study in opposites and sharing our love for books.

Calvin Coolidge became our 30th United States President in 1923 upon the death of Warren G. Harding. He then ran for reelection in 1924 and won the Popular vote by a margin of 25.2, which is still considered a landmark victory. By 1928, Coolidge announced to the press, “I do not choose to run,” when commenting on the upcoming Presidential election. This statement caused widespread debate about whether or not he meant the opposite. But the President’s life had been touched by the tragedy of losing his son, and he felt it was time to retire. He is credited with restoring dignity and prestige to the office of President after the political landscape had reached an all time low. While some politician’s make a game of doing the opposite of their campaign promises, we celebrate a Commander in Chief who knew how to quit while he was ahead on National Opposite Day.

In the early 1500s, Leonardo da Vinci kept a notebook to jot down his observations of the world around him. Among other things, he discusses why fossils of fish can be found in mountains and why the moon shines so brightly. It’s full of random notes and illustrations, and is written in Da Vinci’s famous backwards writing, which can only be read when viewed in a mirror. This simple 18 page book, known as the Codex Lester, was bought and sold several times over the years and became one of the most expensive books in the world. In 1994, Bill Gates bought it for just under 31 million dollars. On Library Shelfie Day, share your own love of books by taking a selfie in front of your prized editions.

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day!

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Welcome to January 24th, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate honeyed words and spreadable gold.

Mark Twain once said, “I can live for two months on a good compliment.” Studies now show that our brains process positive affirmations the way we process financial rewards. For inspiration on making someone’s day, check out Shea Glover’s short film produced in a Chicago high school. She told fellow students that she was taking pictures of things she finds beautiful and asked them to pose for her. I challenge you to not react as you watch these faces bloom into smiles with this surprise compliment. With over 25 million views on YouTube, it’s obvious that people love the good vibes of watching a compliment take effect. The video is called People React To Being Called Beautiful and it will inspire you to pay it forward on National Compliment Day.

In 2014, a group of scientists in Germany ran some experiments to help them better understand the Earth’s mantle, or the layer between the crust and the core. They discovered that intense pressure on a substance will pull oxygen out of carbon dioxide, which can create diamonds. You’re probably wondering what this has to do with today’s celebration. It turns out that of all the ordinary objects they tested the theory on, only one created a diamond. Peanut butter. Now don’t get too excited. It’s not as if you’re going to find gemstones in your next PB and J. On National Peanut Butter Day enjoy this diamond in the rough trivia that’s also delicious on toast.

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day!

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Welcome to January 23rd, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate handy work and the pie war to end all wars.

Before the invention of the printing press, the only way to get a copy of a book was to duplicate it by hand. During the Middle Ages, monks worked for hours at a time to reproduce the Bible, history books, and countless other volumes that might have been lost over time. This massive undertaking undoubtedly caused more than its fair share of cramped hands. So think of that the next time you gripe about taking meeting notes by hand. On National Handwriting Day, we celebrate the lost art of writing longhand and how it shaped history.

Anyone who has ever baked a pie from scratch knows there is no such thing as, “easy as pie.” Turns out, there’s some skill involved in taking a pie to the face. Ben Turpin, the comedian and silent film star is largely credited with being the first victim of this joke in the 1909 film Mr. Flip. Fatty Arbuckle and Buster Keaton perfected the gag with specific recipes depending on the victims hair color. Blackberries looked better on blondes and cream filling was funnier on brunettes. By the time Laurel and Hardy were in full swing, the pie to the face was almost old hat, but Stan agreed to make the pie picture to end all pie pictures with the film Battle of the Century. The Los Angeles Pie Company provided the more than four thousand pies required for the movie, which debuted in 1927. Life magazine later wrote that this pie Armageddon was so classic that every pie made its special kind of point and piled on its special kind of laugh. On National Pie Day, don’t insult your favorite baker by making a joke of their masterpiece. Instead, savor a sweet bite with a classic comedy film.

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day!

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