Thursday, October 29, 2009

Autumn is awesome!

This little guy was waiting for me on the doorframe when I went outside yesterday.

I just love woolly bear caterpillars. I love their bristly "fur" and their slightly sticky little feet. I love that when they curl up, the best they can do is a circle because of their fur, which also holds them above whatever surface they're resting on.

I've never followed woolly bear prognostication, but here's what I found with some amateur-level google-fu:

Some people believe that the Woolly Bear caterpillar can tell if the winter is going to be mild or rough. If the stripe on the woolly bear is narrow, it means the winter is going to be mild. If the stripe on the caterpillar is wide, it means the winter is going to be easy.

Whatever. I just know that fall is in the future, as is winter. This will be followed by spring, and then summer will be back once again. And yet, each year each season seems to be a surprise.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Bizarre Days and Holidays: November

Here, for your early-planning convenience, are some of the more interesting days in November.

1 All Saints Day
World Vegetation Day
National Author’s Day
Zero Tasking Day

2 Plan Your Epitaph Day
National Deviled Egg Day
Look for Circles Day
All Souls Day
Cookie Monster Day

3 Cliché Day
Sandwich Day
Housewife’s Day

4 Waiting for the Barbarians Day
National Chicken Lady Day
Use Your Common Sense Day

5 National Men Make Dinner Day
Gunpowder Day

6 Saxophone Day
Marooned Without a Compass Day

7 National Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day
International Tongue Twister Day
Book Lover’s Day

8 Cook Something Bold and Pungent Day
Dunce Day

9 Chaos Never Dies Day

10 Forget-Me-Not Day

11 Air Day

12 National Pizza with the Works Except Anchovies Day

13 National Indian Pudding Day
World Kindness Day

14 Operating Room Nurse Day
Young Readers Day

15 National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day
America Recycles Day
I Love to Write Day
National Philanthropy Day

16 Button Day
Have a Party with Your Bear Day

17 Take a Hike Day
World Peace Day
Homemade Bread Day

18 Occult Day

19 Have a Bad Day Day
World Toilet Day

20 Absurdity Day
Beautiful Day
Universal Children’s Day

21 World Hello Day
False Confessions Day

22 Start Your Own Country Day
Go for a Ride Day

23 National Cashew Day
Eat a Cranberry Day
You’re Welcome Day

24 Use Even if Seal Is Broken Day
D.B. Cooper Day

25 National Parfait Day

26 Thanksgiving Day

27 Pins and Needles Day
Buy Nothing Day
Shopping Reminder Day
Flossing Day

28 Make Your Own Head Day
Red Planet Day

29 Square Dance Day

30 Stay at Home Because You’re Well Day

There are a number of sites out there with wonderful, wacky holidays. One of the best is http://www.brownielocks.com/NOVEMBER2009.html. I found some of the holidays at these sites, too: http://library.thinkquest.org/2886/nov.htm and http://www.rickroot.com/blog/1/2005/02/Bizarre-American-Holidays.cfm.