Happy “National Corn on the Cob Day” (if you’re reading this on June 11th).  Judging from the number of people loading up their grocery carts with ears of corn the last time I was at the grocery story, many people are planning to celebrate, and not just for one day.  It’s also “German Chocolate Cake Day”–in case you’re not a corn fan.  

Fun fact:  German Chocolate Cake is not German at all, but rather named after the American Baker’s Company German Sweet Chocolate, which in turn was named in honor of Sam German.  Personally, I think of German Chocolate Cake as more of a fall/winter dessert, so I may substitute a more seasonally appropriate choice like strawberry pie.

On a non-food related note, it’s also the “National Making Life Beautiful” day.  

“National Making Life Beautiful Day on June 11th dedicates a celebration to those who make life beautiful. Whether you’re creating beauty by building relationships or helping others achieve personal success, your actions create a ripple effect, making life beautiful not just for yourself, but for those around you, too..”

For me, today will be “Family Day” as I get the chance to see some family members in person for the first time in quite a while.  The visiting will be good, though the fact that we’ll be at a funeral will not. Fortunately, the life we’ll be celebrating was a long, well-lived one, so there’s that.  The biggest concern at this very moment is whether any of my “going to a funeral” clothes still fit; I’m pretty sure black yoga pants won’t quite cut it.  My Friday will also include spending some time on the elliptical machine  (increasing the time from 35 to 40 minutes), and giving today’s writing prompt and random words a try.

Care to join me?

For those of you working away on a story (whether a first draft or a polished version on its way to publication), if you’re not feeling random, we’d love to hear a bit – whether it’s a scene, a paragraph, or even a phrase that you are especially pleased with and would like to share.

If you don’t have a story in progress, or just want to work on something new, I hope either today’s random words or writing prompt will catch your creative fancy.

Ready?

Prompt:   Nothing to Wear

Feel free to interpret the prompt any way you choose (or ignore it completely) and include any (or all) of the following random words:   

bulge               hideous           cram              fashion

surreal             grinder            fumbling       flamethrower

affordable       endless            power            gloomy

absurdity         brilliant            crafty            fiendish

I look forward to seeing your stories in the comments.  If you’re not feeling in the writing mood today, or don’t have time, feel free to post suggestions you might have for future writing prompts.  Ideas are always welcome.

Happy writing to all!

Happy “National Donut Day” (if you’re reading this on June 4th)–definitely one of my favorite days.  I’m pretty sure I know what I’ll be doing in the morning.   If you’re not a fan of donuts (crazy, but possible), it’s also “National Cheese Day” and “National Cognac Day”, so there are definitely options.

On a more serious note, it’s also the “National Gun Violence Awareness Day” along with “Wear Orange Weekend.”

“The effect of gun violence on our communities is pervasive, long lasting, and impacts everyone uniquely. Wear Orange is an opportunity to demonstrate our collective power as members of the gun violence prevention movement, bringing together a broad spectrum of organizations, brands, and influencers working in different ways to curb gun violence.”

For me today will be a regular work day–a bit of a change after several weeks of taking Fridays off.  I’m hoping to be able to fit in a visit to my favorite donut shop before work–to help them stay in business, of course.  Whether or not that plan turns out, I’ll definitely be increasing the resistance setting my elliptical machine another notch (I’m at 6 out of 10) and giving today’s writing prompt and random words a try.

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Happy “National Hamburger Day” (if you’re reading this on May 28th)–it’s also “National Road Trip Day” and “National Cooler Day.”  Sounds like the perfect combination for friends getting together for a holiday barbeque (taking appropriate safety precautions, of course). 

On a more serious note, it’s also the “International Day of Action for Women’s Health.”  

May 28 is the International Day of Action for Women’s Health, which for over 30 years, women’s rights advocates and allies in the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) movement worldwide have commemorated in diverse ways. Year after year, women, girls, advocates and allies have continued to take action and stand up for sexual and reproductive rights for what they are: an indivisible and inalienable part of our human rights.

I’m guessing people (at least those in the U.S.) will be busy planning what they will be doing for the upcoming long Memorial Day weekend.  With many cities and states opening up and doing away with masks and distancing, there will be a lot more options than there were last year.  Judging from the steady stream of highway traffic I’ve encountered whenever I’ve had to drive anywhere recently, folks are definitely making up for lost time.

For me, it is likely to be a lazy day around the house.  My only definite plan is to leave my work-computer turned off.  I’ve only been moderately successful at that in the past, but I hope springs eternal.  Regardless how that plan turns out, I’ll definitely be adding another minute to my elliptical workout routine (I’m up to 35 minutes) and giving today’s writing prompt and random words a try.

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Happy “National Bike to Work Day” (if you’re reading this on May 21st)–a day that probably received more activity when there were more people actually having to commute to work.  It’s also “National Strawberries and Cream Day” and “International Tea Day”, which seem to go together quite nicely. 

Great, now I’m craving a cup of tea and a bowl of strawberries and cream.

For those who missed it, yesterday was “World Bee Day.”  

To raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development, the UN designated 20 May as World Bee Day.  The goal is to strengthen measures aimed at protecting bees and other pollinators, which would significantly contribute to solving problems related to the global food supply and eliminate hunger in developing countries.  We all depend on pollinators and it is, therefore, crucial to monitor their decline and halt the loss of biodiversity.

I’ve been doing my part by choosing bee-friendly plants as I’ve been populating my backyard garden, and trying to carefully waft the bees back outside when they randomly wander into the house  So far, that’s worked out well for all of us.   For now, I’ll be continuing to work on “Stay Away from the Computer Day” on my Friday off along with “I hope the plumber doesn’t find any terrible problems” day. 

Fingers crossed on that.

Whether Friday brings a bowl of strawberries, good news from the plumber, or visiting bees, I’ll definitely be adding another minute to my elliptical workout routine (I’m up to 32 minutes) and giving today’s writing prompt and random words a try.

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Happy “National Buttermilk Biscuit Day” (if you’re reading this on May 14th). It’s also “National Chicken Dance Day” which makes a certain amount of sense.  Chicken and Biscuits do go together fairly well.

Here in the States we’re unexpectedly celebrating “No More Masks if You’re Vaccinated Day.”  I’ve gotten so used to wearing a mask that I think it’s going to take me a while to feel comfortable going without one.  It will be nice to see faces again though.  

Probably.

For now I’m going to continue working on my “Stay Away from the Computer Day” on my Friday off.  You wouldn’t think that would be so hard, but I’ve yet to master it.  I’ll also be doing a little gardening–removing a few plants that have lost the will to live and replacing them with some other with a more positive outlook.  

Whether I manage to stay away from the computer or not, I’ll definitely be adding another minute to my elliptical workout routine and giving today’s writing prompt and random words a try.

Care to join me? Continue reading →

Happy “National Tourism Day” (if you’re reading this on May 7th). Possibly not the best of days to celebrate right now, considering we’re still not clear of the pandemic; perhaps “National Dreaming of Tourism Day” would be more appropriate.  If you’re feeling a little wacky, it’s also “National No Pants Day.”  Feel free to interpret that one however you want.

On the more serious side, it’s “National Provider Appreciation Day,” celebrating all those who help working parents.

“Childcare workers are celebrated on this day, including teachers, nannies, and caregivers, all of who are essential workers in helping working parents continue to provide for their families. The day focuses on building awareness of the holiday, thanking childcare workers, and showcasing their contributions to their communities. From a simple thank you and gifts to social media posts and hashtags, this holiday is deserving of our attention.”

I’ll be busy celebrating “Finally Taking Care of Some Tasks I’ve Been Ignoring Too Long Day.”  Fortunately, the number of tasks I need to take care of is shorter than that sentence!  I’m hoping to get an early start on the day so I can do what needs to be done and then relax for the rest of the day, but that’s probably pretty unlikely. 

Whatever I do, and whenever I do it, I’ll be adding another minute to my elliptical workout routine and giving today’s writing prompt and random words a try.

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Happy “Hairstyle Appreciation Day” (if you’re reading this on April 30th).  Considering how many folks have spent the past pandemic-year without access to a barber or salon, “Crazy Hairstyle Day” might be more appropriate.  If you’d prefer something a little more challenging, it’s also “National Honesty Day.” 

I’m guessing any number of people might find that to be a real challenge to celebrate successfully.

“The author of The Book of Lies, M. Hirsh Goldberg, created National Honesty Day in the early 1990s. The former press secretary to a Maryland governor selected the last day of April in contrast to all the foolishness the first of the month brings.

The day is often used as a campaign for prevention against the most deceitful lies in history. Occasionally, the day also urges politicians to stay away from lies and tell the truth.“

Personally, I’ll be celebrating “I Finally Bought an Elliptical Machine Day.”  Working remotely has been great in terms of a 30-second commute to work and not having to dress up (or wear shoes), but I’ve really missed working out at the gym (something I never thought I would say).  Walks at the park and Zoom workout sessions just didn’t fill the void.  I found just the model of elliptical that I used at the gym, on sale at a great price from someone who was downsizing, so I snapped it up.  After a more than a year away, it’s a bit more challenging than I remember, but I’m determined to get back to my pre-pandemic routine (and hopefully my pre-pandemic shape).  I’ve been increasing my workout time by a minute each day.  As a plus, I also got a good workout cleaning the garage to make room to set it up. 

Double win!

I’ll be adding another minute to my workout this afternoon and possibly seeing if there is anything else I can get rid of in the garage, then it will be time to give today’s writing prompt and random words a try.

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Happy “English Language Day” (if you’re reading this on April 23rd) or perhaps you’d prefer to celebrate the related event, “Talk Like Shakespeare Day”. 

I’m (gasp!) not a big fan of Shakespeare, but the last time I was at the Bodleian library gift shop I did pick up a set of “Shakespeare’s Insults” which includes winners like:

• The tartness of his face sours ripe grapes
• Scratching could not make it worse…such a face as yours
• Thou smell of mountain goat
• I was searching for a fool when I found you

It might be a challenge to fit one of those lines in conversation today, but worth a try, perhaps.

It is also the end of “Earth Day” as I write this post, a 3-day event this year which aligns nicely with my day job.  

“Earth Day is an annual event intended to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of activities coordinated globally by EarthDay.org, including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries.“

I’ll do my part by picking up trash at my local park during my evening walk (no matter how much I pick up, there always seems to be more).  After that, I plan to grab my favorite notebook and give today’s writing prompt and random words a try.

Care to join me? Continue reading →

Happy “National Taxes Aren’t Due Today After All Day” (if you’re reading this on April 16th) or, if you prefer something a little tastier, how about “National Eggs Benedict Day”.  I’m a big fan of Eggs Benedict.  It is my traditional Christmas morning breakfast treat, although I make it with Béarnaise sauce instead of hollandaise and, in a name leftover from childhood, call them “saucy eggs.”  Some of the local restaurants offer a wide variety of fancy eggs benedict styles on the menu, but I’m a traditionalist at heart.

Oh great, now I’m craving eggs.

Today is also “World Semicolon Day” which is not, as you might think, a day to celebrate an underappreciated punctuation mark. 

“World Semicolon Day is “a day to celebrate those who chose not to end their lives because their stories are not over yet.” It pays tribute to those who have thought about or attempted suicide, and it informs people about how common suicide is.”

For now, since it’s NOT my Friday off, it’s time focus on some Day Job tasks.  I’m hoping to clear out the work email inbox so I can go into the weekend with a clear conscience.  Fingers crossed on that.  Whether the email box is cleared out or not, I definitely plan to grab my favorite notebook and give today’s writing prompt and random words a try after diner.

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Happy “National Dive Bar Day” or, if you prefer something a little more specific, how about “National Gin and Tonic Day”.  I’m not much of a drinker, but I’ve always like the sound of a G&T.  I remember a series of mysteries I read when I was much, much younger, where the characters always seemed to be sitting on the porch sipping G&T’s, which sounded both relaxing and refreshing. 

Now that I think about it, they probably should have been off solving mysteries, but who knows.

These days I’m more likely to be sipping a cold-brew coffee while working away on the computer, which sounds far less relaxing or refreshing.  Ah well, it’s apparently also “National Almond Cookie Day”, so maybe I’ll put down my coffee, step away from the computer, and whip up a batch.  That sounds like a delicious alternative.

For now, since it’s my Friday off, I’m going to be focusing on a bit of relaxation for at least part of the day.  There are still those pesky backyard sprinklers that need to be repaired, but I think I’ll need to build up to that much activity by reading a book (or two?).  Somewhere between the almond cookies and the backyard sprinklers I plan to grab my favorite notebook and give today’s writing prompt and random words a try.

Care to join me? Continue reading →