WHAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT TODAY?

National Puppy Day – March 23, 2020

Prepare yourselves for an overdose of cuteness, because March 23 is National Puppy Day! Established in 2006, National Puppy Day is a paw-some day for all dog enthusiasts to celebrate unconditional love and fawn over the undeniably cute furballs that bring so much happiness into this world. While we’re all softies when it comes to our four-legged friends, today is also designed to raise awareness about puppy mills and help prospective pet owners consider adoption.

History of National Puppy Day
Founder, Colleen Paige’s mission is to help galvanize the public to recognize the number of dogs that need to be rescued each year. It’s also an excellent opportunity to show off your dog’s supermodel side and give them some extra cuddles for all the joy they bring. So sit back and indulge in the endless stream of adorable puppy photos, but keep in mind that today might be the best excuse to bring home your own fluffy canine as your next best friend!

Colleen Paige first brought adoption awareness to a national level with National Dog Day in 2004, which was later adopted by the New York State Legislature in 2013. This day is celebrated on August 26 and is the day Colleen adopted her first dog, “Sheltie” when she was 10 years old. Since then, Colleen has inspired millions with her compassion and has brought worldwide attention to animals in need. She has shone a light on dogs putting their lives on the line every day for personal protection, for law enforcement, for the disabled, for our freedom, and for our safety.

National Puppy Day and National Dog Day are now great opportunities to adopt a dog because shelters typically have the highest intake of dogs around summertime. With 30 to 40 animals entering the shelter daily, we need public support to help save lives, and these national holidays do just that — by encouraging and reminding people to adopt, donate, and love their animals more every year.

National Puppy Day Activities
Teach your pup a new trick
At their young age, puppies are always open to new things and teaching a trick can be a great learning experience for both of you. Activities like these can help further develop your puppy's social skills and even strengthen your companionship — your pup will enjoy the extra treats along the way too!

Pamper your pup
Sometimes your pup is worthy of a 5-star spa treatment. Start with a bubble bath and end with a grooming session to bring out their baby soft coat. An extra belly rub can't hurt too — your pooch will be sure to thank you later!

Look at photos and videos of adorable puppies
Puppies are often the best medicine, no matter your state of mind. There are so many you might be at it for a while.

5 Im-PAWS-ible Puppy Facts

Jolly Green Puppy
In rare cases, the fur of a light-haired puppy can get temporarily stained by a green pigment in the mother’s placenta, making them appear green at first.

The Tiniest Tea-cup
According to Guinness World Records, the smallest puppy in the world was a Chihuahua named Milly, measuring as an adult at 3.8 inches tall.

Bilboa’s Botanic Puppy
Since its opening in 1997, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilboa, Spain has been home to a 40-foot tall puppy statue adorn with 37,000 flowers.

Spotless Puppies
Dalmatian puppies are born without any spots and instead accrue them over time.

Sleepy Puppy
Though their energy picks up pretty fast, much like human’s newborn puppies sleep on average of 15-20 hours a day.

Why We Love National Puppy Day
They're Great Listeners
Puppies are a judge-free, guilt-free zone. No matter how big or how small the problem, they're always there to comfort and lick your problems away.

They Sniff Out Health Problems
Studies show that babies raised in close contact with a puppy get sick less often than those who aren't. Not only do they help build up our immune system against allergens but their strong sense of empathy promotes a stress-free, nurturing environment. Puppies can help shed and sniff your way to better health.

They Keep Us Active and Stress-Free
Let's face it, puppies can be a handful, but chasing them has surprising health benefits. They keep us constantly exercising, which helps reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Who knew puppies could help us revamp our workout routine?

Cute fur babies, Dave!

World Backup Day – March 31, 2020

We’re fortunate enough to have access to the most powerful computers to date, but what would you do if you lost everything on your computer? Crashes happen more often than you think, data recovery can cost you hundreds of dollars, and recovering everything you’ve stored on your computer is not guaranteed. We understand, life gets hectic and it’s easy to forget to back up your files. Join us on March 31st, as we celebrate World Backup Day.

World Backup Day Activities

Copy your files to an external hard drive
Set aside 15 minutes to an hour to back up all of the existing files on your desktop, laptop or pc. Simply purchase a hard drive of your liking - we recommend 1TB drives or more - and copy your files to the drive.

Play in the clouds
Can't buy a hard drive in time? No worries! There are plenty of companies that specialize in storing your documents online. Do your research and figure out which service works best for you. We recommend the Google Cloud, WMware Storage or Barracuda Cloud Storage, but they are all great!

Back that thing up party
Invite all the employees on your team to back up their files with one of the methods above. This will create a safer culture among your staff and prevent any projects from slipping through the crack. The last thing you need is a client asking for a file that was wrongfully discarded.

Why We Love World Backup Day
Being prepared is half the battle
Wake up and smell the coffee. Crashes happen more often than not. Are you prepared to lose that project you have been working on all semester? What about those important documents you stored to help you get ready for tax season? Are they easily replaceable? We advise you to make copies if you haven't done so yet.

Peace of mind
As mentioned above, if your files are irreplaceable then we highly encourage you to back up your documents. Keep in mind that it is better to be safe, than be sorry. Duplicate your files on to as many storage devices as you like to make sure that you are clear from accidents that may occur.

An archive to dig through
Just like opening an old, untouched photo album, it can often be a trip down nostalgia lane to dig into old folders on long-forgotten hard drives.

The Most Beautiful Butterflies: Blue Morpho Butterfly

Butterflies are deep and powerful representations of life. Many cultures associate the butterfly with our souls. There are some religions sees the butterfly as a symbol of resurrection. Around the world, people view the butterfly as representing endurance, change, hope, and life.

Calling the forests of Central and South America its home, the Blue Morpho Butterfly is one of the world’s largest butterflies. This fluttering creature’s wings are bright blue and have lacy black edges, the result of light reflecting off microscopic scales on the back of their wings. They are not all about aesthetics, however: the underside of this butterfly’s wing is a dull brown and serves as camouflage against predators.

 

NATIONAL ZUCCHINI BREAD DAY – April 25

NATIONAL ZUCCHINI BREAD DAY

Each year on April 25th each year, National Zucchini Bread Day encourages bakers to make this delicious bread.   

Many explorers who came to the Americas brought back what they considered strange foods, including the zucchini. The zucchini eventually found its way to Italy, where it was named zucchino. Native Americans referred to zucchini as “something eaten raw.” However, we all know that zucchini tastes best cooked, especially in bread.

Zucchini bread is similar to other quick breads like banana bread. Other quick breads you might be familiar with making include muffins, scones, and biscuits. When baked, Zucchini and banana bread go into the oven in loaf pans. When finished, slice and serve with butter, peanut butter, jam, or just plain. 

 

#NationalZucchiniBreadDay

Celebrate the day by making fresh zucchini bread for yourself. Dip into your freezer stash from last year’s bumper crop and bake the day away. Be sure to plant more zucchini so you can celebrate this day next year, too! 

Enjoy this delicious recipe: Mom’s Zucchini Bread recipe.

Use #NationalZucchiniBreadDay to share on social media.

NATIONAL ZUCCHINI BREAD DAY HISTORY

Despite the popularity of this food holiday, we have been unable to identify its origins.

 

Cinnamon Swirl Zucchini Bread

 

 

Zucchini Crumb Cake

Hundreds of Miles From Home, Nurses Fight Coronavirus on New York’s Front Lines

“Every day you go in and you’re like, ‘Can I do this for one more day?’’’ a nurse from North Carolina .

National Nurses Week begins each year on May 6th and ends on May 12th, Florence Nightingale's birthday. These permanent dates enhance planning and position National Nurses Week as an established recognition event. As of 1998, May 8 was designated as National Student Nurses Day, to be celebrated annually. And as of 2003, National School Nurse Day is celebrated on the Wednesday within National Nurses Week (May 6-12) each year.

The nursing profession has been supported and promoted by the American Nurses Association (ANA) since 1896. Each of ANA's state and territorial nurses associations promotes the nursing profession at the state and regional levels. Each conducts celebrations on these dates to recognize the contributions that nurses and nursing make to the community.

The ANA supports and encourages National Nurses Week recognition programs through the state and district nurses associations, other specialty nursing organizations, educational facilities, and independent health care companies and institutions.

What is Mother's Day?

Mother's Day is a celebration honoring mothers and celebrating motherhood, maternal bonds and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, yet most commonly in March, April, or May. It complements Father's Day, the celebration honoring fathers.

Mother's Day around the world

In most countries Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May, among them the USA, Canada, most European countries, Australia, New Zealand, India, China, Japan, the Philippines and South Africa. One notable exception to this rule are the UK and Ireland, which celebrate Mother's Day on the fourth Sunday in Lent. Most Arab countries celebrate Mother's Day on March 21st (vernal equinox). Most East European countries celebrate Mother's Day on March 8th. For a complete overview of the dates of Mother's Day around the world see Mother's Day on Wikipedia.

In most countries, Mother's Day is a recent observance derived from the holiday as it has evolved in America. When it was adopted by other countries and cultures, it was given different meanings, associated to different events (religious, historical or legendary), and celebrated on a different date or dates.

Some countries already had existing celebrations honoring motherhood, and their celebrations have adopted several external characteristics from the US holiday, like giving carnations and other presents to your own mother.

The extent of the celebrations varies greatly. In some countries, it is potentially offensive to one's mother not to mark Mother's Day. In others, it is a little-known festival celebrated mainly by immigrants, or covered by the media as a taste of foreign culture (compare the celebrations of Diwali in the UK and the United States).

 Mothering Sunday, sometimes known as Mother's Day, is held on the fourth Sunday of Lent the UK. It is exactly three weeks before Easter Sunday and usually falls in the second half of March or early April.

Mother's Day, or Mothering Sunday, is now a day to honor mothers and other mother figures, such as grandmothers, stepmothers and mothers-in-law. Many people make a special effort to visit their mother. They take cards and gifts to her and may treat her to brunch, lunch or high tea in a cafe, restaurant or hotel. People who cannot visit their mother usually send gifts or cards to her.

An important part of Mothering Sunday is giving cards and gifts. Common Mother's Day gifts are cakes, flowers, chocolates, jewelry, and luxurious clothing. Some people do not give a physical gift, but choose to treat their mother or grandmother to a special meal, beauty treatment or fun outing...

Many Australians celebrate Mother’s Day by showing their appreciation for the achievements and efforts of mothers and mother figures. It is annually observed in Australia on the second Sunday of May.

Is Mother's Day a Public Holiday?

Mother's Day is not a public holiday. It falls on Sunday, May 10, 2020 and most businesses follow regular Sunday opening hours in Australia.

Public Life

Mother’s Day is not a federal holiday but it is on a Sunday, when many organizations, schools, and government offices are closed. Public transport systems run to their normal Sunday schedules and restaurants or cafes may be busier than usual as some people take their mothers out for a treat. Shops and department stores may also be busy in areas where there is Sunday trading.

Background

Many Australians follow the Mother’s Day traditions that stem from observances in countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. The Mother’s Day date in Australia is the same as the date observed in the United States, which is the second Sunday of May each year. However, it is an Australian who is credited with having started the tradition of giving gifts on Mother's Day: Janet Heyden, a resident of Leichhardt Sydney, started a campaign in 1924 to collect gifts for lonely aged mothers.

Armed Forces Day 2020

 

There will not be the usual Parades this year due to the Virus!

 

 

 

Armed Forces Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in May.  Thanks to President Harry S. Truman, it’s a day to pay special tribute to the men and women of the Armed Forces. President Truman led the effort to establish a holiday in order for citizens to unite and to honor our military heroes for their patriotic service in support of the United States of America.

Armed Forces Day USA  will be celebrated on Saturday, May 16, 2020.

Download the Armed Forces Day 2020 Poster.

 

Who is honored on Armed Forces Day?

Armed Forces Day is a joint celebration of all six branches of the U.S. military: Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, and the newly created Space Force. The day honors all people currently serving in the U.S. armed forces. This includes the men and women who have served or are serving in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard, including the National Guard and Reserve components.

The Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard are the armed forces of the United States. The Army National Guard and the Air National Guard are reserve components of their services and operate in part under state authority.

Read more: https://militarybenefits.info/armed-forces-day/#ixzz6Mc6jJC1c

The History of Armed Forces Day

On Aug. 31, 1949, Defense Secretary Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy and Air Force Days. The single-day celebration stemmed from the unification of the armed forces under one agency -- the Department of Defense.

In a speech announcing the creation of the day, President Truman "praised the work of the military services at home and across the seas." He said, "It is vital to the security of the nation and to the establishment of a desirable peace."

In an excerpt from the Presidential Proclamation of Feb. 27, 1950, Truman stated:

"Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 20, 1950, marks the first combined demonstration by America's defense team of its progress, under the National Security Act, toward the goal of readiness for any eventuality. It is the first parade of preparedness by the unified forces of our land, sea, and air defense."