Today is National Parfait Day, a November 25 holiday. Once you’ve tasted this treat, you’ll quickly fall in love with them. There are two types of parfaits, the French and the American versions. The American parfait that you and I are familiar with consists of layers of ice cream, whipped cream, and any combination of syrups and fruits. Yes, it’s a fancy word for a sundae. And, it’s usually served in a fancy glass. Since the weather is colder this tie of year, we wondered why the creator of this holiday selected a November date. Most ice cream-related holidays are in the summer. Because the creator is unidentified, we can only speculate on the reason. We suspect this cool weather date was selected because we tend to make fancier desserts during the colder fall and winter weather. 

Savor your favorite flavor of parfait, as you enjoy National Parfait Day.

Did You Know? Women blink twice as much as men.

Operating Room Nurse Day, a November 14 holiday, honors those important nurses, who care for patients before, during, and immediately after surgery. It’s a very important role, during a period when a patient’s comfort and life are in another person’s hands.

Types of Operating Room Nurses

• Scrub Nurses’ hand tools, equipment, and supplies to the surgeon.
• Circulating Nurse monitors the overall environment and ensures a sterile environment.
• RN First Assistants actively assist in the surgery. Helps control bleeding and suture wounds.

Show your thanks and appreciation to the Operating nurses that you know. You can send them cards or Ecards. However, just a simple, spoken “thank you” will do.

Do you feel somehow like you’re in a pickle today? It’s no surprise, as today is National Pickle Day. To celebrate and savor this special November 14 holiday, add a healthy portion of your favorite pickles to your diet today. For more than one reason, you’ll be glad you did!

Pickling has been around for a long, long time. Pickles are made by taking cucumbers and fermenting them in a brine, including a variety of herbs and spices. After the fermentation process is complete, the pickles are canned and stored for later use. Pickled cucumbers are native to India. Pickling can be traced back to 2,400 B.C. in the Indus Valley civilization of India. They preserved cucumbers and other vegetables by pickling. European merchants brought this food preservation technique from the Far East to Europe. Pickling was unknown in the Americas until Christopher Columbus arrived in the New World in 1492.

There’s great news about eating pickles… They’re good for you! In addition to providing the health benefits of most vegetables, they contain probiotics.

Today’s Tongue Twister (We’re sure you can say it): Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

Did You Know? People love this holiday so much that they do not relish the thought of it ending.

Today is National Mason Jar Day. This November 30 holiday exists to give recognition to, and to celebrate, the invention of mason jars. While everyone can celebrate the mason jar, home gardeners find them invaluable for canning the fruits and vegetables of their labor. A second use for mason jars is in making gifts for giving during the holiday season. The home canning season ends with the completion of the Fall harvest. So, the placement of this holiday at the end of November clearly indicates that this holiday is to recognize and promote the use of mason jars as holiday gifts.

Did You Know?  While they are generically called “canning jars”, most people refer to them as “Mason jars”. This is a brand name.

Today is National Jukebox Day. On November 23, 1889, the jukebox was first put into use. The machine used a coin-operated version of the Edison phonograph. Louis Glass and William S. Arnold, managers of the Pacific Phonograph Company created it. These gentlemen displayed it at the Palais Royale Saloon in San Francisco, CA. Certain it was to be a success, the machine did not disappoint them. It was originally called the “Nickel in the Slot” machine. While not an original or particularly catchy name, the jukebox was an instant success. The popularity of the “Nickel in the Slot” machine grew phenomenally.

The jukebox experienced many changes and improvements, as technology advanced over the years. The first machine did not have amplifiers, limiting the distance it could be heard. Its appeal soared even more with the addition of amplifiers. Continual sound quality improvements were made. The number of tunes that could be played, increased, too. Manufacturers made smaller versions to install on walls. Diners put a wall-mounted jukebox at every table along the walls.

Everyone loved the machine. It expanded the reach of music for singers and songwriters. Venues like bars, restaurants, and clubs loved the additional traffic and income generated by the jukebox. The general public loved the music options it offered at their favorite places. It took many years before the Nickel in the Slot machine came to be known as the Jukebox. In the 1900s, people went to “juke houses” and “jook joints”.  In 1937, these Juke houses led to the name “Jukebox”. The name is derived from the slang word “Juke” which means to dance and act wildly. In 1998, the Jukebox entered the digital world when Touch Toons created a digital jukebox that can hold as many as 750 songs.

Today is National Fast Food Day, a November 16 holiday. Americans are always fast-moving, and always in a rush. As a result of our on-the-go lifestyle, we need to eat quickly and are usually unwilling or unable to wait long for our food to be prepared. As a result, fast food restaurants came into existence and are thriving. They have been a part of the American restaurant scene since the early 1950s.

Fast food restaurants are conveniently located on countless street corners. They are in malls and shopping centers. Breakfast and lunch are the meals we tend to rush through most often. We are in a hurry to get to work. We have a short lunch break.  Many times, we are in a hurry to get a quick bite before a movie, show, or party. On the other hand, dinners are often a meal to savor and enjoy in a more leisurely manner.  

Happy National Fast Food Day

Today is National Author’s Day. This November 1 holiday is all about recognizing and celebrating the many great American book authors. Because of them, we have so many great books to read and to be thankful for. It’s not easy to write a book. So, it seems only fitting, that this special day exists, to allow us to show our appreciation to all American book authors, past and present.

Have you ever thought of writing a book? It’s not easy. There’s a plot to develop and unfold. There’s a sizeable amount of research required, to get the facts and details just right. Then, comes the writing of the book, page by page, chapter by chapter.   

Yes, writing is not always easy. An author can struggle to determine the proper nouns, verbs, and tenses. What adjectives to use, without adding too many, to enhance the story? And don’t forget punctuation. Punctuation errors the reader, taking away from the enjoyment of the story being told. With all the elements of prose to worry and fret over, it’s no wonder, that every writer struggles with writer’s block from time to time. This is where an author temporarily struggles to write. The words and sentences just don’t come. When writing a book, two tools are essential. First, a dictionary helps to define the meaning of words. Second, a Thesaurus provides important synonyms. They are similar words and concepts.

Looking for a quick caffeine high? Well, you are in luck because today is National Espresso Day, a November 23 holiday. A cup or two of this jacked up Joe and you should be sufficiently hyper for at least the next few hours.

The Espresso Machine was first invented in Italy by Luigi Bezzera in 1901. Luigi’s goal was to decrease the time of his employee’s coffee breaks, and subsequently increase productivity. His espresso machine accomplished this goal, and went beyond, creating a thick, bold, coffee that has become extremely popular.

Espresso machines use steam to force hot water through the coffee grounds, to make coffee faster, with a stronger flavor, and more body. It is topped with a delicate foam called “crema”. Coffee used for Espresso is ground finer.

Did You Know? Espresso is the base ingredient for cappuccino, lattes, and macchiato.

It is very easy and enjoyable and relaxing to participate in National Espresso Day. If your Espresso machine is not already sitting on your kitchen counter, drag it out of its basement storage location, dust it off, and make some Espresso. If you don’t have an Espresso machine, that’s okay. Walk or drive to your nearest coffee shop or cafe, and order one! 

What’s the biggest mammal in North America? Why it’s the fascinating American Bison. Also called American Buffalo, they can weigh up to 1,000 pounds. We celebrate these big, beautiful creatures today on National American Bison Day. Celebrate the biggest mammal in North America. Learn more about them with our American Bison Trivia.

Why all the attention to the American Bison? Before Americans pushed across the western frontier, an estimated 30-60 million buffalos roamed the plains and prairies Native Americans relied on the buffalo for food, clothing, tools, and more. In the 1800s, buffalo were hunted almost to extinction. Today, they are only an estimated 10,000 bison in 17 herds remaining in the U.S. They can be found in 11 Western U.S. states and Alaska. Bison also exist in Canada.

Marooned Without a Compass Day is today, a November 6 holiday. Do you know which direction you take today? Or will you find yourself lost in the woods, or lost in the urban jungle? With a compass, you don’t know what is up (north) or sown (south).

How is your sense of direction? Do you often find yourself going around in circles? Are you hopelessly lost? Do you know where you are? If any of these questions describe your current state of being, then you are in tune with this special day.

As a Boy Scout leader, this author sees this special day as no problem at all. We’ll just navigate the day (and night) by the position of the sun and the stars. We’ll use our orienteering skills. And, we will check the trees for moss. Moss grows on the shaded, north side of a tree trunk.

Viewed in another way, being marooned without a compass for a day could be a good thing. Our busy lifestyles seldom leave time to relax. We can just kick back and enjoy being marooned. Tomorrow, we can head east when the sun rises. In the meantime, I think I see a shady tree.  

Happy Marooned Without a Compass Day!!!