PICNIC TIME

By Diane Forrest

I used to dream of having a wonderfully romantic picnic beside a stream, sitting on a red checkered blanket under an old oak tree, with my guy laying his head on my lap as I read romantic poetry to him until he drifted off to sleep.  Sadly, I never had that romantic lunch by the stream, but there are many other types of picnics you can experience.

A picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors, ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape. Picnics are often family-oriented but can also be an intimate occasion between two people, or a large get-together, company picnics and church picnics. On romantic and family picnics a picnic basket and a blanket are usually brought along. Outdoor games or some other form of entertainment are common at large picnics. Formerly, picnic meant a potluck, an entertainment at which each person contributed some dish to a common table for all to share.

Picnics are extremely popular all throughout the spring summer and fall but during the month of July you see picnics everywhere and I do mean everywhere! One of the reasons why picnics are so popular in July is because a large number of families take their vacations in July and spend much of their time outdoors enjoying the warm weather and having picnics out of a basket or having outside picnics while grilling BBQ on the grill.

A friend of my was from a large Italian family, and every Sunday after church his family would meet by the lake and share lunch, play games and send homemade boats into the water to race against other family members.  He remembers fondly these Sunday picnics and wishes to share these experiences with his grandchildren some day.

July is National Picnic Month, you still have plenty of time to pack a sandwich in a bag and sit on a park bench, or plan a romantic outing with a picnic basket filled with wine, fruit and cheese, or even a family day out with some fishing poles, a grill and some hot dogs.  It doesn’t matter what you have, or  where you go, the important thing is the memories you make that will last a lifetime.

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Celebrating Backwards Day

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By Diane Forrest

Well the first month of the year has come to an end.  All the fun and parties from Christmas and New Years are over, and it’s time to shake things ups a bit.  That's why today is a fun day.  Today is Backwards Day.  It’s particularly fun for school kids, but that doesn’t mean the grownups can't have a little fun too.

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Some ways to celebrate include wearing your clothes backwards, eating your meals backwards, having breakfast for dinner, or eating your dessert first.  You can walk around the block backwards, or write your name backwards.  Learn to say the alphabet backwards, or make a pineapple upside down cake.

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You can read a book to a child backwards, or play a board game backwards or learn some palindromes.  The ideas are only as limited as your own imagination.  My personal favorite is changing stressed to desserts.....then eating dessert first!

Below are some palindromes from squidoo.com you can start with. Then share some of yours with us.

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Palindromes are words, phrases or sentences that read the same forward and backward! Here are a few to get you started!

1. Kayak

2. Racecar

3. Never odd or even

4. Do geese see God?

5. A Toyota

6. Was it Eliot's toilet I saw?

7. A nut for a jar of tuna

8. Aerate pet area.

9. Dennis sinned.

10. Madame, not one man is selfless; I name not one, madam.

It’s Games Day

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Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Had a very shiny nose,

And if you ever saw it,

You would even say it glows.

All of the other reindeer

Used to laugh and call him names;

They never let poor Rudolph

Join in any reindeer games.

By Diane Forrest

Have you ever wondered what kind of games Reindeer play?  I always wondered until I saw the cartoon of Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.  They were having fun tossing a ball around, playing hide and seek, and having races.

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Well you don't have to be a reindeer to play games today.  Today is Games Day.  The first Games day was held in 1975 in England. The convention was important because there were few outlets for gamers to meet each other and play, and Games Workshop used this in their efforts to build the gaming scene in the U.K.  Today the Games Day convention is held regularly in the United Kingdom at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham. It draws enthusiasts of Games Workshop's three main games (Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer, Lord of the Rings). Not just a commercial venture, gamers go to play their games. However, the event also includes presentations by special guests from the Games Workshop's head office in Nottingham.

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However, you don't have to be a video game enthusiast to participate today, you don't even have to travel to England!  You can pull out some old board games and play with your family, or you can even break out a deck of cards and play solitaire.

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Today on Game Day, just have fun, and play, relax your mind and get rid of the stress from taking care of all your holiday duties.

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Go Skateboard Day - 2012

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By Terry Orr

The name for the holiday possibly originated from the "No Skateboarding" signs which often has been changed to "Go Skateboarding." by local skaters. The holiday was conceived by the International Association of Skateboard Companies (IASC) to help make skateboarding more accessible to the world through various events held in major cities around the world. Beginning with the first celebration in 2004, GSD has since received Special Congressional Recognition from the US Congress for promoting the sport of skateboarding. This holiday is celebrated by millions of skaters around the world.  Skateboards founder/owner, Steve Rodriguez, runs the New York City chapter of Go Skateboarding Day, and with thousands of participants in tow each year, GSD NYC is considered one of the largest single gatherings of skateboarders in the world and is now considered an official holiday.

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Go Skateboarding Day – 2011 is our third most popular article. I must admit, if skateboarding had been around while I was growing up, I would have participated.  My three children and five grandsons all enjoy boarding.  Like most parents and grandparents – safety is paramount. 

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Links:

http://www.goskateboardingday.org/

http://skateboardiasc.org/

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Walk on Stilts Day

I do hope you have taken the opportunity to walk on stilts while a child.  It is something all children should experience with proper supervision.  Dad made ours, four sets, all adjustable heights, sanded to keep the splinters to a minimum. We keep step pads low to the ground until to learn how to walk with them and keep our balance – then the fun began and new games while walking with our stilts.

 Stilt-walking isn't something you see every day. Most often seen in parades and at the circus, stilt-walking is an ancient art that only requires a pair of stilts and lots of practice (and maybe some extra padding in case you take a tumble).

It is believed that stilt-walking originated in Landes, France by shepherds who took up stilt-walking as a way to navigate treacherous terrain and unpaved roads.  These shepherds were so proficient on stilts that it was not only safer for them to walk on stilts, but it also saved them precious time.

If you've been waiting for an excuse to give it a try, today is the day you've been waiting for! Order a pair of stilts online and give it a whirl on Walk on Stilts Day!

Go Skateboarding Day - 2011

Skateboarding is a fun sport that is played around the world by people of all ages.

Skateboards are manufactured in all different lengths, depending on what the skateboarder wants to do with it. There are various tricks that can be performed on a skateboard, such as aerials, ollies, grinds, kickflip, and spins.

Did you know that out of all of the sports played around the world today, skateboarding is ranked number six in terms of popularity and number of participants? In the United States alone, there are more than 300 skateboarding parks. And that number continues to grow daily! 

To celebrate today, head over to your local skate park to enjoy some skateboarding. Or if you've never skateboarded before, what better opportunity than today to learn!

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