May 23 and 24: Lucky Penny Day, Escargot Day

These turned out to be tricky.

For Lucky Penny Day on Monday I carried around one that I found at the restaurant; I've uncovered plenty of unlucky ones while sweeping and such on the job, so this was a keeper! I found it about three weeks ago and kept it all this time especially for this day. Win? I think so.

Escargot Day...different story. I spent all day roaming the beaches and boardwalks of Maryland and Delaware yesterday, and the area isn't known for its fine French cuisine. In any case, I haven't yet entertained a serious thought about eating snails.

When I saw Anthony Bourdain back at the DuPont Theater in February, he spent a while talking about the origins of the foods many of us eat now. His story about the origins of escargot was especially entertaining. "Let me tell you, it wasn't the rich guys that ate snails first," he chuckled. He makes a good point; most it wasn't the cooks at Versailles that were picking snails off the plants in the hedge maze. It was likely the guys on the farms who had given all of their meat to the palace that went around scrounging their backyards for some protein. Only when word got out that snails were pretty tasty with some garlic, butter and white wine, and then presumably gathered to the point that they became hard to find, did they become a delicasy.

Well, they can keep it. I've tried a lot of new things in the past few years (most recently, veal and bone marrow) but I think I'll stay away from snails for a while. But, let's be honest, I'm like Anthony in this respect; if I'm in someone's home and they put it in front of me, I'm so mortified at the idea of being rude that I wouldn't refuse. Similarly, if I ever find myself in a really, really good restaurant and the chef sends out some escargot, it's getting eaten. Who knows, it may happen someday.

But, I spent the day eating Subway for lunch, and pizza and salad for dinner. Budget traveling at its finest, my friends. And by the way, who puts bacon on a ceasar salad? This caused problems, as half of my traveling companions yesterday are vegetarians. Has anyone heard of such a thing?

By the way, I JUST remembered this All That sketch from my childhood. Kenan at his finest years before SNL, my friends. "Everyday French with Pierre Escargot!" Probably very offensive to actual French people.

Days 19-22: Not Going So Well

Oh dear, life got the best of me this weekend. I have not succeeded in celebrating anything other than self-indulgence. I spent all weekend visiting my wonderful Aunt Chelle, and not only does she spoil me rotten but I didn't think I should drag her into my blogging nonsense. So, I give you an account of how the past few days went down:

Thursday, May 19: Boys' Club Day.
What does that even mean?! I had no idea. It so happened to be the same day that I got a much-needed haircut. Therefore, I hearby christen May 19 as GET A HAIRCUT, HIPPIE Day.

Friday, May 20: Be a Millionaire Day/ Pick Strawberries Day
How the heck do I just be a millionaire for a day? And maybe strawberry picking would be an easier task had it not been on a weekday, when 90% of us work. Geez, people. Poor planning much?

Saturday, May 21; National Waiters and Waitress' Day
Now this one, I really did try. Before I left work on Friday, I sat down and made two little cards out of construction paper, decorating them with clip art and kind words for the servers I planned to give them to the following day. During Aunt Chelle weekends, eating out at least once is essential. But once we got to Ponzio's, my favorite Jersey diner, in Cherry Hill, I realized that the cards were still sitting at home in my duffle. Womp womp. I didn't have them when we went to Francesco's for dinner, either. Fail.

Saturday, May 22: Buy a Musical Instrument Day
I'd had the best of intentions to go to the Dollar Store and buy a kazoo, or something like that. But, as I stayed with Aunt Chelle until the last minute yesterday, that didn't really work out either. Poo. But I rocked out in the car all the way home and fantasized about the instruments I wish I could play; does that count a little bit? I also dragged out my old flute (I played in elementary and middle school, until I discovered how much I despised marching band) to see if I could still produce anything remotely like music; and I can!

I'll try to do better for you, dear readers. You deserve so much more.

Day 17: Pack Rat Day

Pretty self explanatory. I didn't throw anything except food waste away. It was hard! I had to wait until the next day to toss or recyle anything...made me slightly aware of how much waste the average person produces.

I am not a pack rat, nor will I ever be.

This was really dull. "Holiday" my ass.

May 18: International Museum Day

Well, dear readers, because of my work hours i was unable to visit a museum on Wednesday. In order to celebrate, I will now attempt to list every museum I've ever been to. Wish me luck.

At Home:



-Delaware Museum of Natural History

-Hagley Museum and Library (frequented, as my grandmother works here)-Longwood Gardens, Chadds Ford, PA -Winterthur Estate (Grammy works here too!)
-The Read House, Old New Castle, DE

• A historical family home that demonstrates life in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries



Hanging out with Abe in Gettysburg

-Smithsonian Museums, Washington, DC: American History, Air and Space, Natural History

-Philadelphia Art Museum

-Franklin Institute Philadelphia

-Independence Hall & The Liberty Bell, Philadelphia

-National Constitution Center, Philadelphiaaaa

-Fort Delaware, Pea Patch Island, DE

-Gettysburg Battlefield Museum, Gettysburg, PA

-The Marble House and The Breakers, both of Newport, RI

-We really tried to do the Edgar Allen Poe house in Baltimore, but it was closed :(

Abroad:

-Jane Austen's House, Chawton, UK

• Highlight: Jane's writing desk, upon which she likely wrote "Pride and Prejudice," among others.

-The Tower of London, UK

• Highlight: The Crown Jewels
• Highlight: The Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula is where Anne Boleyn and other nobles were laid to rest after their executions.

-The Victoria and Albert Museum, London

• Highlight: a gallery full of historical costume
• The Japanese gallery, full of clothing, weaponry and art

-The British Library, London (Actually, not sure if this counts)
-The Museum of Natural History, London

• Highlight: Earthquake simulator on the upper floor




Beautiful Warwick Castle


• Highlight: The life-sized blue whale swimming through the main gallery

-Mauritshuis Gallery, The Hague, The Netherlands

• Highlight: Girl With a Pearl Earring, my all-time favorite painting, is housed here. Another Vermeer, view of Delft, calls this place home as well.

-Edinburgh Castle, Scotland, UK

-Warwick Castle, UK
-Shakespeare's birthplace and his wife Anne Hathaway's cottage, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK

• Highlight: I mean...Shakespeare was BORN in that room. What more could you want?

-Lanhydrock Estate, Cornwall, UK
-Roman Baths, Bath, UK
-Jane Austen Museum, Bath, UK
-Chatsworth Estate, Derbyshire, UK
-The Acaddemia, Florence, Italy

• Highlight: Michaelangelo's statue of David. I was a lot more impressed than I had expected to be.

Do cathedrals count? Probably not, since they're still used for services...but if we count historic churches/cathedrals, I also have:

-Gloucester Cathedral, UK
-El Duomo in Florence
-Cathedral of Saint Catherine, Siena, Italy
-Notre Dame (Paris)
-Sacre Coeur (Also in Paris)
-Saint Chapelle (You guessed it, Paris)
-St. John the Divine in New York City
-American Cathedral (yet again, Paris)

Dang, I get around.

Day 16: Purple for Peace Day/Love a Tree Day!



Not my tree, but very similar.



Umm I wore purple. Easy enough. I could have gone all out and worn purple eyeshadow, purple underwear, etc, but I serve the public, after all, and have to keep it toned down. Besides, nobody would've known if I was wearing purple underwear anyway.



And why not take a moment to reflect on my favorite tree? It is the first tree I can remember really climbing; it stands in the yard of our cottage in Hack's Point, Maryland, a petite-limbed red maple. As I got older I climbed higher and higher, until finally I was so high up that if I tried to keep climbing, the branches wouldn't support my weight. But there's a nice swing there now that my sister built with a rope and a single plank, and the tree still enjoys use to this day.

There's also a nice tree in my backyard, another variety of maple, that I used to frequent; it had a low-hanging limb that was perfect for swinging oneself up into the branches; until my brother's crazy dog chewed it off. Seriously. But I used to go up there on spring days with a book and an apple and stay up there for what seemed like forever.

Favorite tree, anyone?

Day 15: Chocolate Chip Day!

Next year, dear readers. Next year.

I realized a little too late on Sunday that it was Chocolate Chip Day. I'd honestly forgotten. I had made plans to make chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast, or cookies before I went to work, but nooo I just had to get up early to go shopping with my mom and sister (and buy cute new summer clothes) and then rush off to work! So by the time I got home I was exhausted and in no mood to bake. But behold; a jar of baby chocolate chips in the cupboard, for use as an ice cream topping! Screw that. I can't eat icecream. I ate those things by the handful like they were M&M's minis. (Tons of chocolate candy searching for a mouth!) Next year, I will do better!

Day 14: International Migratory Bird Day

Here are some pictures of migratory birds that (however temporarily) reside in my area. I did not get a chance to celebrate.

Northern cardinal

Canada Geese

 

 

Baby barn swallows

And here is a map of North American flyways:

Fail.

Day 13: Friday the 13th!

Well, dear readers, yesterday was Friday the 13th. What talisman did you use to guard yourself from the evils of the day? I carried around one of my lucky duck safety pins. They were given by the staff to each musician and performer of my high school's plays and/or musicals as a good-luck charm; if we had them clipped to an undergarment, we were certain to put on a hell of a show. I've never believed in rabbit's feet or anything gross like that, so a safety pin with a duck on it will have to do.

Actually, I'm really not superstitious. My first family pet was a black cat, so those have never bothered me; every black cat I've ever known has been a total badass. I've walked under ladders and stepped on cracks galore. The one superstition I find myself upholding is that of spilling salt; when I spill salt at work (this happens a lot when one works in a restaurant and busses her own tables), I always toss some over each shoulder to ward off bad luck. It's not necessary to do both, but I can never remember if the salt is supposed to go over the right or left. Anyone care to enlighten me?

Two years ago I celebrated Friday the 13th with my friend Gabby (who you may remember from my California blog) by watching the original Friday the 13th. It was predictable and kind of dumb, but at least I can say I've seen it. I don't plan to watch it again, however.

I have never been a fan of slasher films, and I don't believe I ever will be. I like movies that are scary, not gorey. Give me a classic ghost story over any of the "Saw" films any day, thank you very much. So this year, I celebrated Friday the 13th by gathering my family around the new television and watching Poltergeist. It's an old favorite of my mom's, and my sister had never seen it before. My dad got sucked in, despite his assertion that he's seen it plenty of times.

If you've never seen Poltergeist, it's about a family who experiences the ultimate hell in their own home; it starts out almost playful. Chairs stack themselves up on the table, their daughter slides safely across the kitchen floor as though pulled by a rope. Carol Ann talks to "the tv" people when the tv service goes out for the night (this is 1982) and all you can hear it static. But it turns out that Carol Ann and her brother Robby's closet is a portal to another dimension, into which Carol Ann is sucked and kept captive there by "the beast," who keeps other spirits from crossing over by drawing them to her life force. The more spirits it traps, the more powerful it grows. Not to ruin it for you, but it turns out that the Freeling family home (and those surrounding it) was built on top of a cemetery. The builder took the cheap way out and moved the headstones but left the bodies, thus seriously pissing off some spirits. Who can blame them?

It's a classic tale of ghostly revenge. It gets a bit tacky at times (it would have been much scarier if "the beast" had never appeared on screen, for example) but the effects are pretty good for 1982. And Zelda Rubenstein is fantastic as the medium who figures out the situation; you may know her as the lady with the creepy voice who later narrated "Scariest Places on Earth," a show that terrified me for years. Overall, it's a pretty good time.

By the way, I am SO glad that movie trailers have gotten more exciting.

Day 12: Limerick Day!

Thursday, May 12, I celebrated Limerick Day! I had a lot of fun with this one.

I put on my poet hat (improvised), got out the quill and ink (already owned), and set out to write some poetry.

A limerick, in case you didn't know, is a five-line poem with a rhyme scheme of aabba (no, spell check, I do not mean ABBA). It is usually witty or mischievous in nature, and the first line usually establishes the person and place the poem is about. In some cases, the last line may be a repeat of the first. The form was popularized by the poet Edward Lear in the nineteenth century, but can't really be traced before that.

Ahem:

There was a young woman of Oxford
With a mind that perpetually wandered
O'er rivers and streams,
And now into her dreams;
To come back, it just can't be bothered!

That may be semi-autobiographical. Aaand the winner for my favorite of the day:

There was a young man of West Chester
Whose love for a girl he professed her;
But now he won't call,
Nor see her at all;
He's found a girl with a much bigger chest-er!

Ahahaha. And no, that one is not autobiographical. I've also composed a limerick for a friend's wedding, but I'm saving that one for the occasion :)

Anyone care to leave a limerick in the comments?

Day 11: Eat What You Want Day!

NOTE: This was originally published the day of, but due to Blogger being down for about 12 hours yesterday and today (Friday), this published post seems to have disappeared. It showed up in draft form in my dashboard, so I've had to re-write the last half of it. *Sigh* Enjoy.

Now this is a day I can get behind.

I am going to eat anything I damn well please. This will be hard while I'm at work and options are limited; I am the only employee and I can't really close the library to go get lunch. And even then, where would I go? I was heavily warned against eating at the Little Corner Cafe, Atglen's only such establishment. So I'll start with my packed lunch, and see what happens from there. I'll record as I go:

8:50 a.m. : Two (small) bowls of Mom's Best mini-wheats, glass of orange juice.
11:50 a.m.:  leftover bake sale cupcake: vanilla with chocolate frosting and Mickey Mouse sprinkles. That's what I'm talking about.
1:15 p.m. Leftovers from last night's dinner: stir fry of kielbasa, penne, corn, carrots and green beans, with olive oil, garlic, and parmesano reggiano. Mmmmmm
1:30 p.m. Peach yogurt
3:00 p.m. Apple. Would have eaten this sooner, but was interrupted by actual work.
4:33 p.m. Butterscotch "dum dum" lollipop. In my opinion, the best flavor, which may make me a secret elderly man. One of a half-dozen lollipops donated by a kindly patron. Said patron also bought me a cupcake on Saturday, the day of the actual bake sale. Maybe she thinks I'm too skinny.
5:38 p.m.: The last peanut butter egg of my Easter stash.
6:35 pm: Fish sticks with ketchup, broccoli and cauliflower, and fresh carrot sticks and cucumbers, courtesy of my dad.
8:45 pm: A handful of herr's bite-sized pretzel nubs. I am powerless to resist pretzels when they come in this form. Dear lord. There must be cocaine in that salt. They exercise the same kind of influence over my mother and sister, which is why we hardly ever have them in the house.
10:45 pm: 9/10 of a Lindt chocolate bunny. By the time I got to the end I started to feel sick. I never eat this much candy in a day, not even Halloween.

Well, candy aside, everything else I ate was typical of me on any given day. A balanced lunch and dinner, a decent breakfast, some overzealous snacking at least once after dinner. But next year, look out; I am booking a table at some restaurant and going to town: appetizer, dinner, decadent dessert; it's going to be sickening and I will want to puke, but at least I can say at the end of it that I have truly celebrated "Eat What You Want Day."

To help you plan for next year, AOL has a helpful link, which was pointed out to me by darling Dee, who is almost equally enthusiastic about food.

Did anyone else celebrate??

Day 10: Clean Up Your Room Day

Well dear readers, I wish I was able to say that I'd celebrated this the right way; cleaning out my closet, and all of that. But despite my enthusiasm (really, I was excited for this), I overslept and had limited time before work, so all I managed to do was:

-Tidy up
-Take wine glasses, bowls, glasses of water, etc downstairs
-Put clothes away
-Sort through mail and file (this wouldn't need to be done so often if I actually had a DESK)
-Swiffer all surfaces, including walls
-Vacuum floor, twice (it really needed it)
-Vacuum hallway and stairs, for good measure.

My room is usually pretty clean anyway; definitely more neat and organized than the bedrooms of most of my friends, I'd say. So this wasn't really a daunting task.

Next week, when I have a day off, I will be trading out winter clothes for summer clothes that are currently in basement storage, and getting rid of yet more articles of clothing I no longer wear, which will be donated. Then this thing will be done right!

Day 8 (sortof) and Day 9: Lost Sock Memorial Day

We are gathered here today to mourn a great loss, a loss which has touched us all: the loss of a favorite sock. Too many a pair of socks has been struck down in its prime by losing its partner to dryers, premature holes, and sock gnomes. Today, remember. 

"So-o-o-o-ckkk!!!"

Aaand an outtake, which happens to be my favorite:

I may not have been able to really celebrate No Socks Day yesterday (work foils yet another celebration), but consider today thoroughly celebrated.

Much thanks to my wonderful Megan for being a total idiot with me for the sake of the Internet. Thanks also to mama for being the genius behind the homemade veils.

PS: now accepting guesses as to what our veils are made of.

Day 7: Astronomy Day

Well, dear readers, I was foiled in my attempts at stargazing in honor of Astronomy Day in two ways:
1. I thought Friday was astronomy day. Yeah.
2. On Friday I was in Lancaster City, so even when I tried to stargaze, I couldn't really see much of anything. Fail.

But wait, that's not exactly true; I've noticed something new in the skies over the last couple of days. It's almost like a foggy spot, a tiny space filled with countless tiny stars, and one big one that seems to fade in and out. Megan and I noticed it when we were watching fireworks on her balcony (how romantic!). Then, I saw it again on Saturday night, when I was driving home from West Chester. Has anyone else noticed this anomoly? It reminds me of a birthmark I've seen on a friend's arm: a dark patch skattered with clusters of tiny freckles, with one big, more noticeable one in the middle.

I'm always amazed by photos (like this one) of space. Galaxies and star nurseries and black holes...the universe is so large that I can't even begin to wrap my mind around it. I can't even get a grip on basic astronomy; the only constellations I can locate/identify are Orion and the Big and Little Dippers. On a good day (erm, night), I can find the north star. I would really like to be able to identify most of the major constellations someday, but I think that won't happen until I'm able to take Astronomy 101, or something. But it's a nice goal to aspire to. Especially on Astronomy Day.

Day 6: International Tuba Day

I was busy with First Friday in Lancaster on the 6th, so I didn't really get a chance to celebrate International Tuba Day. I also thought that Friday was Astronomy Day...which actually turned out to be yesterday. Sooo, here's pretty much the best that I can do for you:

Enjoy!

May 5: Hoagie Day/Cinco de Mayo, UK Style



Capriotti's Italian hoagie. Photo: naplesnews.com



In observance of hoagie day, I called in to Capriotti's and ordered an Italian hoagie. Genoa salami, Capacola ham, prosciutto, provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion, sweet peppers, oil and oregano. Had half for lunch yesterday, am polishing off the other half today. I could've picked up a shorty from Wawa, but I thought if I was going for it, I might as well go all out and get the good stuff. Oh dear, that'll alienate some of my Wawa-worshipping friends, I have no doubt. 

 But yeah, check out that beauty up thar. Om nom nom!

Occasionally my family ordered these for a weekend dinner when I was growing up. We'd unroll them out of the paper, pop open a fresh bag of Herr's and pour some sodas over ice...and let me tell you, we did NOT drink a lot of soda in my house (we still don't), so you knew it was a special occasion. It was usually an Italian for my parents, a turkey for my sister and me. I used to think Capriotti's was a local franchise, but when searching the web site for a phone number the other night, I found out that apparently they've got locations on the west coast, and in Florida and northern states as well! There goes my childhood... However, the original shop was (still is, actually) located in the Italian neighborhood of Wilmington, Delaware, so that makes me feel better.

And speaking of Wilmington, totally forgot that yesterday was Cinco de Mayo until after making dinner and drinks plans with my friend Katie. We met up at the Charcoal Pit (the original one!/also a childhood staple, as my grandparents live right up the road) for Pitt Specials, then drove down the street to Stoney's Pub for some good English fare. We a pint of Strongbow each and ordered dessert: ginger cake with chocolate chips for me, bread pudding for Katie. So, when the waitress presented me with a dish of "spotted dick" I was a bit perplexed. But there it was, the ginger cake, chocolate chips and all. I had heard of spotted dick from reading Harry Potter, but now I know what it actually is! It would have been better without the thick, caramel-ish custard engulfing the plate, but, you live and learn.

So yeah, while everyone else our age was celebrating "Drinko de Mayo" by eating nachos and chugging frozen margaritas (eww) Katie and I nursed some Strongbow and oatmeal stout, reminiscing about our days abroad in England and catching up on the last eight months of our lives. No obnoxious mariachi music or sloppy drunks here, my friends. Just British flags, the Phillies game, and leftover fluffy white decorations from the Royal Wedding.

Today is Astronomy Day. If I was going to be home tonight, I'd probably join my dad in watching one of those National Geographic Specials about the universe; ever since we got our new, HD television, I've been finding dad watching those at least twice a week, mouth agape, shoulders slack, glassy eyes reflecting HD images of wormholes and the Milky Way. However, I'm going to be in Lancaster City for First Friday tonight, and I don't think I'll be able to do any stargazing from there. So how will I celebrate? Stay tuned.

Day 4: Bird Day!

Happy May 4th, dear readers! Break out those binoculars, because today is Bird Day, apparently.

Birds were an almost immediate part of my day, as the second sound I heard upon waking at 5:30 this morning, after the pathetic warblings of my hungry cat, was that of songbirds. Once I'd fed and watered the cat, turned off the garage light that had blinded me as I stepped out to retrieve cat food ("why the &*%# was this even on?") and crawled back into bed, the many, many birds in my yard sang me back to sleep. Thanks, guys.

Occasionally I see a blue jay, or a cardinal. In the summer, we might see a hummingbird flitting around the yard, or a woodpecker going to town on one of our trees. But mostly, we've got a hell of a lot of robins; last summer, one robin family built a nest in the red maple right next to our deck. That did not go well. Every time we tried to have a meal or drinks outside, we were treated to a chorus of outraged robin shrieks. After the eggs had hatched, it seemed like all the robins in a one-mile radius would gather to stare us down and/or swoop menacingly over our heads. So far we have seen no nest in the old spot, which is definitely a relief. 

If you'd like to do something to help protect songbirds, even the loud ones that wake you up in the morning, consider signing this petition, courtesy of Defenders of Wildlife, a charity I often give to and endorse. The object of this petition is to encourage the FCC to adopt a bill that would change antenna construction legislation, making it more animal-friendly. Migratory birds often collide with current structures such as cell phone towers. Honestly, this isn't high up on my list of causes, but in honor of Bird Day, why the hell not?

UPDATE: that action is no longer active. Lo siento.

What kind of birds do you have flitting about, dear readers? Do you enjoy birdwatching?

Day 3: World Press Freedom Day

As I don't currently work in the field of journalism, I still really have no idea how I have "celebrated" or am going to celebrate this holiday. Freedom for the world's presses is a good thing. A very good thing. But what am I supposed to do, hang a pinata? Make up a hot new dance move? Nothing seems appropriate. If I sing a little ode to net neutrality in my head, does that count as a celebration?

I guess I'll have to leave you with a description, I suppose.

World Press Day was brought into being by the United Nations, and is intended to raise awareness of the importance of free speech in the press. This year, the United States hosted a three-day celebration in its honor. The theme: 21st Century Media: New Frontiers, New Barriers.


From what I understand, today is a celebration of the freedom speech that is enjoyed by most of the world's media and in an ever-increasing capacity, the Internet. Recent incidents have shown us just how fragile that freedom is; remember when Egypt's access to the Internet was cut overnight? Ever seen the list of websites and searches that are blocked in China? Net neutrality, anyone?

Okay, I don't actually know what I'm talking about. But I'm trying, dammit!

Well, I'm going to wrap it up for tonight, because my cat is staring into my soul in that creeptastic way of hers, and I think I'm going to turn out the light so I can't see it anymore.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's thrilling installment: BIRD DAY yeah woo!

Day 2: Brothers and Sisters Day

My big brother and me on a New Jersey Beach, summer of 1989. D'aww.

Dear readers, I found myself with a lot of things to do today so I celebrated Brothers and Sisters Day the easy way: the Facbeook way.

One of my tasks for the day (aside from the exciting distractions of laundry and grocery shopping) was clearing all of my crap out of the guest room closet. In said closet is a bathtub-sized Rubbermaid bin full of family photos.

Aha.

Me and my sister enjoying an Outer Banks vacation home tub, 1996

I dug out these gems, scanned, uploaded, tagged, captioned, and voila! An easy way to let my big brother and baby sister know that a love them. Also, an easy way to show the world how cute we were before puberty complicated things.

Enjoy!

Tomorrow is World Press Freedom Day...still figuring that one out.

Day 1: May Day!

Dear readers, today is the first of May, and though there were other options available, I chose the traditional route and briefly celebrated May Day. Sadly, I was unable to erect a Maypole on such short notice.  I did, however, celebrate in the following ways:

1. May Day basket. After donning a sundress, despite the cloudy, cool weather, and a be-ribboned wreath of faux flowers for my hair, I took some scissors and tramped down into the woods to collect some flowers and branches. I'll admit that when I saw that my neighbors were out in the yard, I sheepishly took the wreath out of my hair and slung it over my arm; I'm easily embarrassed when I do odd things in solitude...in a group, that's another story. Anyway, traditionally a May Day basket is filled with seasonal trimmings, decorated with ribbon and left hanging on a friend's door. I wove a pink ribbon through my basket, arranged the flowers, and left it sitting on our rocking chair like so:

2. Corinna's Going a Maying. A poem by one of my favorite Renaissance authors, Robert Herrick, "Corrina's Going a Maying" details the narrator's efforts to get Corinna out of bed and into the countryside to celebrate. Though I read it aloud to myself out on the porch, I'll leave you with just a short excerpt:

Come, let us go while we are in our prime,
And take the harmless folly of our time.
We shall grow old apace, and die
Before we know our liberty.
Our life is short, and our days run
As fast away as does the sun,
And, as a vapour or a rain,
Once lost, can ne'er be found again
So when you or I are made
A fable song, or fleeting shade,
All love, all liking, all delight,
Lies drowned with us in endless night.
Then, when time serves, and we are but decaying,
Come, my Corrina, come: let's go a-Maying.

Beautiful, no?

May Day has doubtless evolved over the centuries; the pastoral images that come to mind are not necessarily the way the world celebrates anymore. In some places it's now associated with the way we in America celebrate Labor Day. In many countries, May Day is a bank holiday. Huff Post was particularly informative as to that subject.

Did anyone else celebrate May Day today? What did you do?
Tomorrow is Brothers and Sisters day; not quite sure how I'll be celebrating that one yet.

BREAKING NEWS: Looks like May Day will also be the day that Osama Bin Laden's death is celebrated. Weird.

30-Day Challenge: Month of May

I stumbled upon a website yesterday that I was hoping would tell me what the significance of the month of May is. I like to put these things on the library's calendar for the month, and to pull books that apply for display. For example, April is Autism Awareness Month as well as Poetry Month, so I put out books on autism and some books of poetry for children and adults.

What I discovered is that May is not very exciting, but there does happen to be a different obscure holiday listed for every day of the month, with the strange exception of May 29. And then I got an idea. A wonderful, awful idea! What if I could celebrate a different holiday each day of the month, and then blog about it? Perhaps other people would be inspired to try the same things? There are such gems in the Month of May, by the way, as "Lost Sock Remembrance Day" and "No Diet Day."

So here you have it, the beginning of a 30-day challenge, a different holiday celebrated each day. And not only will I have something to celebrate each day, but I will have the added challenge of blogging each day to prove that I did! Do you think I can do it? Personally I'm not so sure, but I will definitely be making my best effort!

Tomorrow morning I will be celebrating May Day before I go to work. Look for an update sometime in the evening!