System Administrator Appreciation Day exists to give some recognition to the hard-working guys and gals that assure your computers, printers, and servers are working and in good condition. These nerds and geeks are working behind the scenes, often not appreciated or even thought of, until a computer or an internet connection goes down.

 A system administrator is a person who keeps your computer, internet connection, and related systems and peripherals working and trouble-free There are more and more threats out there every day. Your system administrator diligently provides password security, and guards against viruses, malware, hackers, malware, and every other conceivable real and potential problem. That means he or she is invaluable and merits our appreciation and thanks. 

To all the nerds and geeks out there, Happy System Administrator Appreciation Day!

Most likely you are in the middle of a summer what wave. Yet, we wake up to a summer holiday that encourages us to fire up the oven and bake cookies. National Sugar Cookie Day is a day to satisfy your sweet tooth. However, as you pull out your cookie cutters, you quickly realize it’s just too hot to do any baking today. Going to the bakery to buy some on this July 9 holiday sounds like a much better idea. Popular with young kids, and old kids, sugar cookies usually don’t last long around the house. So, make sure you buy plenty of them.

It’s pretty easy to see how sugar cookies came to get their own special day. Almost everyone has had them. Many people are hooked on them. Put out a plate of sugar cookies, and you can be certain they won’t be there for long. We haven’t seen any surveys, but it’s a sure bet that sugar cookies are right up there with chocolate chip cookies as America’s favorite cookie.

Spend a portion of the day baking sugar cookies. They are very easy to make. If you have kids, make today a real family holiday, and let them help with the baking. Homemade cookies taste best when you helped to bake them. Once you’ve baked the cookies, hurry and pop them into your mouth while they are still warm. They’re mmmmmmmmm…. good!

Just for a Giggle: Make the sugar cookies with your Christmas cookie cutters. Then, tell everyone it’s Christmas in July!

It’s time to harvest strawberries.  So, it is only appropriate that today is National Strawberry Sundae Day. On this July 7 holiday, we have the opportunity to get our fill of this delicious dessert. Strawberries are one of America’s favorite fruits. When the strawberries ripen each year, it’s time to celebrate. Many communities hold strawberry festivals to celebrate the harvest. At the festivals, strawberries take center stage. They are in the ingredients of hundreds of recipes.

After the harvest has come and gone, summer arrives with heat and humidity. This is the perfect time to add sweet, tasty berries to ice cream for a cooling summer treat. Don’t forget to add your favorite toppings. Whipped cream is a must. Chocoholics will love it with a little chocolate syrup topping.

Celebrate today, with a Strawberry Sundae.

More on Strawberries – facts, fun, and how to grow

July weather promises to be hot and sticky. The sun is relentlessly beating down on us. It’s the sunniest month of the year. Stay Out of the Sun Day encourages us to stay cool in the shade, and to give our skin a rest from the hot, damaging rays of the sun. Don’t hit the beach today. Rather, use this July 3 holiday to relax and keep your cool.

The sun is directly overhead. We’re in the middle of summer, when the temperatures are the hottest, and the sun is the brightest. It’s not a bad day to take a break from catching all of those rays and stay out of the sun.

Here’s a great fun and relaxing way to stay in the shade. Find a couple of close shade trees Then, string a hammock between them. Grab an iced tea or your favorite summer cooler. Now, you’re made in the shade. It sure sounds like a great way to beat the summer heat.

.Ps If you must go out in the sun, don’t forget to slather on the sunscreen.

You know the old saying “If it’s too hot, get out of the kitchen”. Instead, go outside into the stifling heat and cook on the sidewalk. It’s hot enough out there to fry an egg! Thet’s exactly why Sidewalk Egg Frying Day is today. Hmmm…. Do you wonder why we have such a day? Just take one step out of your air-conditioned home into the sweltering summer heat and humidity, and you’ll understand why this July 4 holiday exists.

It’s July, the middle of summer. The weather is hotter than blazes. It’s steamy, unbearable heat. Everything you touch is hot, sizzling hot. Why, it’s so hot that you could fry an egg on the sidewalk. And if you want, you can also throw some bacon or sausage on the sidewalk, to fry up along with your eggs.

Do you wonder if anyone has ever tried to fry eggs on the sidewalk? What about you? Most likely, many of you will now rush out under the hot noonday sun to fry some eggs on your sidewalk. Once you do so, who will eat it!?

Eggs are not the only thing you can cook outdoors in the blazing sun. We suggest you make summer Sun Tea. You can also dehydrate and dry fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

Another place to fry your eggs is on your blacktop driveway. The sun makes the blacktop sizzling hot. On a sunny day at 95° F, the surface of a blacktop driveway reaches 140° F or more. That’s enough to burn the bottom of your feet, as you walk barefoot over it.

Did You Know? The world record highest temperature ever recorded was 134° F. It occurred in Death Valley, California in July, 1913. 

Have a great Sidewalk Egg Frying Day!

National Raspberry Cake Day makes today as sweet as a summer day can be. Tender raspberries are among the best fruits that nature has to offer. Pound for pound they contain more fiber than most other common fruits. Put them into a cake……Then, you can “have your fruit and eat it, too on this sweet July 19 holiday.

Raspberries are one of summer’s sweet, fruity treats. And, the harvest is going on right now. So, it’s only appropriate that we enjoy a piece of raspberry cake in celebration of the harvest. You can grow raspberry plants in your backyard garden. The plants are low maintenance. Your kids and grandkids will love to pick fresh, sweet berries. Alert them to be careful of the thorn-covered stalks.

Raspberry Tip: The berries don’t store long. Eat them within a couple of days of harvest. And, do not wash them until you are ready to eat them.

Today is a day people go nuts about. It is National Pecan Pie Day, a July 12 holiday.  This nut-filled pie originated in the Deep South where it’s served with a generous helping of Southern hospitality. The popularity of pecan pie has spread around the country. 

If you like nuts, and you like pie, and you like sweets, then today is your day. Pecan pie is sweet and crunchy. There are approximately 75-80 pecans in the average-sized pie.  It was first created by French settlers in New Orleans. It’s a southern-style dessert that’s a regular on the dessert menu at most restaurants around the country. And, for good reason. It just plain tastes great.

Did You Know?

The U.S. produces over 265 million pounds of pecans per year and over 80% of worldwide production. 75% of the harvest comes from Georgia, New Mexico, and Texas. Albany, Georgia is the pecan capital of the world. They have over 600,000 trees. Those trees can live for over 200 years.

For the Record: The world’s largest pecan pie was made on May 22, 1999, by the El Paso Diablos Baseball Club at Cohen Stadium in El Paso, Texas. It weighed 41,586 pounds. 

National Parents Day is a special day to appreciate your mother and father. And, it’s a time to celebrate the family structure and family values. The family unit is an important structure for the health of children, and the nation. That structure, and those values, are established and nurtured by your parents.

Today is not a day of gift-giving. That’s for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. The best way to mark this day is by spending time with your parents doing something fun. It’s also important that you let them how much they are loved and appreciated.

Okay, kids everywhere……. it’s National Parents Day. Go and spend quality time with both your mom and your dad!.