Archives

November 1
Pepper Day

It is difficult to get started.
When it comes to dealing with
an unknown quantity,
people are reluctant to trust
their own opinions,
It helps if two or three people
give you a boost.

~ Lyle Lovett
born this day 1957

 To whom might you give a boost today?! ~ Ruth Kaiser, The Smiley Lady

Today’s Smiley picture is of Jalapeño Cheese Bread for both the start of Pepper Month and today’s Pepper Day. Yum!

Over on a month full of Smiley Silliness it’s Pumpkin Chucking Day. So good golly Miss Molly, all those people smashing pumpkins last night are really only guilty of not waiting a day.

I love this one that also falls on November 1st. It’s Give Up Your Should Haves Day. If you have a SHOULD HAVE in your life, figure out if you still can/still should, and if so do it. If there’s no doing it now, let that sucker go!  Just use that knowledge like data in an experiment so that next time you are better equipped.

Happy birthday to Coco Crisp (1979) the wonderful Center Fielder who used to be on my wonderful Oakland A’s! Sad for him his new team lost the World Series, but I bet he felt lucky being there! Then there’s Lyle Lovett (1957), quoted above.

It’s also National Author Day. I hope that motivates you to look at my children’s books:

To Be a Friend, How do I do that?:
http://spontaneoussmiley.com/2014/09/to-be-a-friend/

‘Twas the Night Before…, A Child’s Book of Gratitude:
http://spontaneoussmiley.com/2013/08/twas-the-night-before/

A Smiley Book of Numbers, A Child’s Gratitude Journal:
http://SpontaneousSmiley.com/2013/08/a-smiley-book-of-numbers

A Smiley Book of Colors, a child’s book of Optimism:
http://spontaneoussmiley.com/2013/08/a-smiley-book-of-colors-2/

October 31
Caramel Apple Day

Even if I knew that tomorrow
the world would go to pieces,
I would still plant
my apple tree.

~ Martin Luther

It was also Caramel Apple Day back on the 21st. I thought that was a tad wacky. They taste yummy alright, but once a year is enough.

Over on on a month full of Smiley Silliness it’s Twins Day. Kind of feels like Twins Day should last for 48 hours–they must get tired of having to share everything…Or maybe a better way to look at it is to think: Wow, how great it is to always have someone with whom to share life!

And in honor of all the door knocking and bell ringing on the schedule for tonight, it’s Knock Knock Joke Day. So here you go:  Knock, knock.  Who’s there?  Ya. Ya who?. Yahoo. That’s just what I’d say if even 1 trick-or-treater showed up at my door, YAHOO! We are at the top of a steep hill and no one comes.

I miss Halloween the way we celebrated back when the kids lived at home. When the last one went off to Middle School I realized there were no more school Halloween parades in my future. Oy vey, I didn’t realize then, how much harder it’d get with them all living in their own homes. Maybe someday one of them will choose to be a parent and I can once again have a kid-filled Halloween. I do love the holiday. The picture to the right is my costume from last year. Adopt, don’t shop.

A couple years ago, my husband and I participated in a Halloween worldwide Thriller Dance with groups of people all over the world simultaneously dancing to Michael Jackson’s song. SO FUN!

October 30
Birch Tree Day

A tree is known by its fruit;
a person by their deeds.
A good deed is never lost;
those who sow courtesy
reap friendship,
and those who plant kindness
gather love.

~ Saint Basil

Birch trees are covered in Smiley Faces. The next time you see one take a moment to walk all the way around it. I’m sure you’ll find one.

It’s also Forgiveness Day and Make Mischief Night.  I’m thinking the mischief makers are going to need the forgiveness tomorrow not today! And isn’t tomorrow the day for tricks and mischief? And certainly Candy Corn Day has come a day early?! That one really ought to fall on the 31st!

It’s also TO DO List Day.  If you’ve been following Spontaneous Smiley for very long you know that the TO DO list is something I oft write about. The urgent is just that, urgent. Just because it is urgent, does not mean it is important. Choose how you spend your time, for that is your life.

How about making a list of what you already did and title it TO DO. Then cross off every item and shout: t’DO, t’DID, t’DAH! It’ll feel great. I know this because I do it often.

Happy Birthday Henry Winkler, born this day in 1945. I will freely and publicly admit I had a crush on you during your Happy Days years. Oooo, I also had a crush on another birthday boy, Harry Hamlin (1951).

October 29
Cat Lovers’ Day

“Happy is the home,
with at least one cat”
~ Italian Proverb

At least one?! We must have a darned happy home with our fabulous 4.  And we do!  Noodle is sitting in my lap as I type this. Being that it’s Cat Lovers Day, I guess we are all celebrating ME, the world’s biggest cat lover!!  I feel pretty emotional on this issue. But maybe not quite as emotional as this woman. I thought that last video would remain at #1 in my cat loving heart forever, but then along came this.

Over on on a month full of Smiley Silliness it’s Whistle a Happy Tune Day. I wish!!  I’m super bummed that I can not whistle. It seems so joyous. When I attempt it, people are likely to ask if they should call 911.

It is also visit a Cemetery Day. If you do, remember my advice. I’ve been following it for many years and can report I’ve yet to be haunted.

Today is my mom’s birthday!  Happy birthday, MOM! You are the best! You’re so great, your birthday is the only one that matters for today!

October 28
Birthday
of the Lamp

Give me your tired, your poor,
your huddled masses yearning to be free.
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the tempest tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

~ Emma Lazarus
On the base of the Statue of Liberty
Dedicated on this day in 1886.

Happy birthday Statue of Liberty (1886), Bill Gates (1955), Julia Roberts (1967), and Sheryl Underwood (1963). Then there’s Jonas Salk (1914), the medical researcher and virologist who developed a vaccine against polio in 1955. He never attempted to patent his vaccine and thus made no money off of it. Good guy, that Jonas!

BTW, today’s Smiley is a sconce mounted on a reflecting wall.

It’s also Mother-inLaw Day, again.  Wasn’t that just last week?  Do you think the Mothers-in-Law of the world are slipping somebody a $20?  Either that or Mothers-in-Laws are simply so great they get a holiday every week.  I hope it’s the latter.

It’s also Chocolate Day, again.  That one I am definitely happy to see popping up often. Chocolate’s so popular, no bribes required.

Happy Violin Day. When I was a kid my brother took violin lessons for a few weeks. I’ll never forget the screech! I had no idea other people could make it sound so lovely!

October 27

Playground Day

You can discover
more about a person
in an hour of play
than in a year
of conversation. 

~Plato

Every time someone says Plato (today’s quote), I think Play Dough. And speaking of Play Dough, if you want a laugh, this mildly naughty, What Were They Thinking video does it for me every time!

Today’s Smiley is also on the back cover of A SMILEY BOOK OF COLORS. I found 5 other Smileys on that same playground. If you’ve ever thought Smileys were elusive, head to a playground. It’s only fitting that such a happy place is home to so many Smiley Faces and smiling faces.

Happy birthday Kelly Osbourne (1984), Ruby Dee (1922), and John Cleese (1939). I would totally LOVE to dine with this group!

Over on  a month full of Smiley Silliness it’s both Forgiveness Day and Make a Difference Day. By forgiving others, you make a difference in their lives, but also in your own. Forgiveness doesn’t mean erasing what happened. It simply means erasing the hold it has on your soul. I struggle with this one, even though I know it’s true. It’s part of the work I know I need to do. I’m working on the work that needs to be done!

October 26

Howl
at the Moon
Night

In a very real sense,
it will not be one man
going to the moon
it will be an entire nation.
For all of us
must work to put him there.
~ John F. Kennedy

I grew up in the years we humans first quested for the moon. It was an exciting time. On launch days the entire school would go to the gym where a black and white TV was set up for us to watch. The whole country gathered around TVs. It was fun to be a part of such a huge co-gathering.

Considering the Howling at the Moon thing, I guess it’s no coincidence that today is also Frankenstein Day. Remember Frankenstein was the name of the scientist. The monster was just called, the monster.

Additionally, on this day we celebrate (or not) the Pumpkin, the Mule, Breadsticks and Bandannas. And over on a month full of Smiley Silliness we celebrate Designated Driver Day. Certainly an odd assortment.

Today is the birthday of Hillary Clinton (1947),  Jaclyn Smith (also 1947), Pat Sajak (also 1947), and Olivia Newton John (1948). A dinner party with the 4 of them  would certainly be interesting.

October 25

Swing Set Day

How do you like
to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think
it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!

~ Robert Louis Stevenson

And ever a grown up, too!
~ Ruth Kaiser

Happy Birthday to Helen Reddy of I am Woman Hear Me Roar and Optimism Blues fame. She was born this day in 1941. Pablo Picasso (1881) share this day with Helen. Happy birthday to you both. Now there’s a dinner party I’d like to attend.

I stumble upon something I think is pretty cool. You know I’m always blah-blahing about talking to strangers. Well there’s a kickstarter project posted by a couple of S.F. guys who also think engaging with strangers is fun. Hope you check it out. Looking at kickstarter projects is almost as fun as looking at Ted talks.

It’s also Pasta Day (again…wasn’t it just Pasta Day back on the 17th?). I could celebrate this one every day! On the other hand it’s Greasy Food Day. That one, we ought stick to celebrating only now and then! Oh, but I do love  French Fries! Make it a French Fry that falls into my martini and forms a Smiley Face, and I’m in heaven!

Over on a month full of Smiley Silliness, it’s Punk Rock Day. I love the punk scene. So full of exuberance and spunk.

October 24
 Mushroom
Hunter Day

And when it rains on your parade,
look up rather than down.
Without the rain,
there would be no rainbow.

~ Gilbert K. Chesterton

 . . . or mushrooms. ~ Ruth Kaiser

It’s also Cloth Diaper Day over on a month full of Smiley Silliness. Don’t worry; it’s not a Poopy Diaper Smile. I know people think cloth diapers are way more trouble, but actually they are not! I used them for all three kids. Even washed them myself (also easy). The average baby goes through 2500 diapers a year, for say 3 years and I had 3 kids…that’s 22,500 diapers that didn’t go into landfill. Can you imagine what 22,500 diapers look like? Quite a mountain of diapers, yes? Then imagine 13 million mountains of 2,500 every year for the 13 million kids ages 0-3 in the USA alone. If that’s not enough to convince you, rumor has it kids in cloth diapers are much easier to get potty trained.

Happy Mother-in-Law Day. I look forward to being a Mother-in-Law as I have so loved being a mom. It looks to me like a whole new chance to be a mom, to double your kid count! How exciting that instead of having 3 kids, I’ll have 6! Mother-In-Laws are so great, they get celebrated again on the 28th.

Additionally, today we celebrate the United Nations. The UN was founded in 1945 after World War II to stop wars between countries, and to provide a platform for dialogue.  Pretty good goal.

Happy Birthday Kevin Kline (1947) and Bill Wyman (1936). Have a good one, guys.

BTW, the Smileys on a month full of Smiley Silliness are all different than the ones you see in the Daily Smiley.

Also, just for grins, the Mushroom Smiley you get in the daily Smiley emailer is different than the one you see here.

DID I MISS ANY GOOFY, SILLY, UPBEAT HOLIDAYS?? 
SHOOT ME AN EMAIL. I WANT TO KNOW!

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October 23
Skunks Need
Love, Too Day

Dried Out Carcass of a Dead Skunk Found Under the Shed Smileys
One Smiley mid belly.
The other just below the jaw.

“I must find out what this ‘pew’ means. Every time I appear [scanning a dictionary]. Pew, pew. Ah, here it is. Pew. It means… No! No, not me! C’est les ridiculous. C’est impossible!” ~ Pepe lé Pew (Romantic French Skunk, Looney Tunes).

It’s iPod Day. Do people still have those? Or does everyone just use their phones, as their MP3 player, now a days? Just curious how quickly we abandon old technologies for new ones.

The Swallows depart from San Juan Capistrano today, as they have every year. They start their 6,000 mile journey to their winter home in Goya, Corrientes, Argentina.

Birthday wishes to Weird Al, born this day in 1959. Al, if I were you I’d celebrate with a Boston Cream Pie, since it is also a day of celebrating that yummy dessert. I remember on my 12th birthday I chose a Boston Cream Pie for my party. So yummy!

Other birthday peeps are Johnny Carson (1925) and Gertrude Ederle (1906). If you don’t know who Gertrude is, here’s a hint: Diana Nyad would surely know who she was.

And how about it’s also TV Talk Show Host Day? Do you think this day was set to coincide with Johnny‘s birthday?