Pencils, Virtual Vacations, Doctors, Being in Control, Brown Grass, Walking, and Turkey Neck Soup

March 30, 2021 at 12:01 am | Posted in Today's Reasons To Celebrate | Leave a comment

According to the National Day Calendar, there are more than 1500 national days every year – meaning that there is at least one holiday for every day in the calendar year. All you have to do is choose which holiday(s) you want to celebrate.
With that said, today’s holidays are listed below — so let the festivities begin. 

Good morning fans of graphite-based writing implements. Today is Tuesday, March 30, 2021. Today is the 89th day of the year, and 276 days remain.

Pencil Day

Pencil day is celebrated annually on March 30th. As you can easily infer, this holiday celebrates the lowly pencil – the next leap forward in written communication since the first fowl sacrificed a feather to be dipped in ink. On this date in 1858, the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted the first-ever patent for a modern pencil with an eraser attached to it. Hymen Lipman created the wooden pencil and received high praise for how easy it was to use for writing and drawing.
Manufacturers painted the first pencils yellow because the color was associated with royalty and honor. People quickly began assuming that yellow pencils were the best type, and a majority of pencils produced to this day are still yellow.
To celebrate Pencil Day, simply use a pencil today [if you can still find one in your house, that is].
Author’s Note:
With all of the technological advances in ink, the ready availability of cheap ink pens, and the onset of the computer age, I am sad to report that I would be hard-pressed to find one of these remarkable devices in my humble abode. Perhaps I will rectify this oversight today, if only for the sake of nostalgia.
Factoid: A single wooden pencil can write 45,000 words or draw a line that is 35 miles long. Additionally, a pencil can also write upside down, or in zero gravity, making it the ideal writing implement for recording your thoughts and observations during your next trip to the International Space Station.
Addendum: I did manage to find a couple of pencils after all…relegated over time to the deepest, darkest nether regions of my desk drawer. Alas, they are green, and not the preferred yellow color…but they are unused with their erasers still intact. Now, where did I put that pencil sharpener? Oh Well!

National Virtual Vacation Day

National Virtual Vacation Day is celebrated annually on March 30th. It is a relatively new holiday, first being celebrated in 2018. This holiday urges us not to wait to take our “dream vacations” until we are better able to afford them, or when we retire – but to take them now, via the internet.
Vacations restore our minds, bodies, and souls. Studies show that taking a vacation lowers the risk of heart disease. They also help hone our problem-solving skills and promote overall brain health. Furthermore, we’re more satisfied with the money spent on vacations than on material goods.
Unlike vacations in real life, virtual vacations do not require money, packing, or the hassle of domestic or transcontinental flights. All you need to achieve a virtual vacation is your imagination and a computer. You can enjoy an exciting African safari or hike an exotic Amazon rainforest, then hit the beach in Bali, or join in the festivities at Mardi Gras. Heck, you can even explore outer space or the bottom of the Pacific Ocean if you want. With these virtual “armchair adventures” the possibilities are endless.
On the internet, you can find virtual tours of almost any famous/historic country, province, city, museum, or other popular vacation destination. So, why wait? Take advantage of modern technology and “visit” them now. So, to celebrate National Virtual Vacation Day, “let your fingers do the walking” as you take your dream vacation, to your dream destination, with the people you most want to be there with you.

National Doctor’s Day

National Doctor’s Day is celebrated annually on March 30th. You needn’t have a doctorate degree to ascertain that this holiday was created to show appreciation to doctors everywhere. Doctors’ Day observances date back to March 30, 1933. It was started by Eudora Brown Almond of Winder, Ga. This holiday marks the anniversary of the first use of general anesthesia (ether) in surgery by Dr. Crawford W. Long on this date in 1842. On March 30, 1958, the United States House of Representatives adopted a resolution commemorating Doctors’ Day. In 1990, congress and the senate approved legislation establishing National Doctors Day. The resolution designating March 30 as National Doctors’ Day was signed by President George H. W. Bush.
Doctors perform a vital service to all of us – albeit with a notable lack of the altruism exhibited by the doctors of yore. Still, take time out today, or on your next scheduled appointment, to celebrate National Doctor’s Day by thanking your physician for what he/she does for you and your family.

I am in Control Day 

I am in Control Day is celebrated annually on March 30th. You might surmise from this holiday’s name that it refers to some new-age mantra, but that is not the case. Instead, it refers to the date, March 30, 1981, when President Ronald Reagan was wounded in an assassination attempt. Quite naturally, lots of confusion prevailed. In the White House, then-Secretary of State Alexander Haig said, “I am in control here at the White House.” The events of that day are explained in great detail in this article.
Today, with the events of that day little more than a footnote in history, I am in Control Day has evolved into something more introspective. It urges us to take control of our lives. Take a break for a minute and evaluate your situation. What can you do to get your life under control?
Listed below are a few things that may help:

• Start using a daily planner
• De-clutter your environment
• Make lists
• Tackle one project at a time
• Learn organizational skills
• Ask for help
• Talk with someone
• Feel confident with your decisions

To celebrate I am in Control Day, begin to take the steps that you feel are needed to assume control of your life – at least those parts of your life that can be controlled.

The Grass Is Always Browner On the Other Side of the Fence Day 

The Grass Is Always Browner On the Other Side of the Fence Day is celebrated annually on March 30th. Hopefully, this holiday does not refer to the abundance of dog excrement in your neighbor’s backyard. Rather, this holiday celebrates those of us who are satisfied with our lives and not fooled by those, so-called, “greener pastures” that lie on the ‘other side of the fence’.
The Grass Is Always Browner On the Other Side of the Fence Day is a holiday to celebrate the fact that you are satisfied with what you have – and not to dwell on what you don’t have.

Take A Walk In the Park Day 

Take A Walk In the Park Day is celebrated annually on March 30th. You don’t need to be “outdoorsy” to conclude that this holiday urges us to leave the confines of our humble abodes and take a stroll through a park.
Walking is one of the healthiest and most enjoyable forms of exercise. Take a Walk in the Park Day is an opportunity to get some low-impact exercise and relax for a little while.
Are you stressed out from work, school, or things at home? A walk in the park might be just what the doctor ordered. Walking is calming and therapeutic. It helps to clear your mind and re-energize you at the same time. A walk in the park could very well be the most enjoyable part of your day.
Be sure to keep your eyes open and pay attention to your surroundings. In addition to preventing a fall, open eyes will allow you to take in the beauty of nature’s flora and fauna. So, to celebrate Take A Walk In the Park Day, take time today to stroll through your favorite park and commune with nature, breathe in the fresh spring air, and clear your head. The exercise probably won’t kill you either.

Turkey Neck Soup Day 

Turkey Neck Soup Day is celebrated annually on March 30th. As the name implies, this holiday celebrates turkey neck soup – a flavorful soup prepared with the least-favorite part of a turkey.
The thought of Turkey Neck Soup might cause a few people to raise their eyebrows. Although it is considered by some to be the most flavorful part of a turkey, the neck is normally not regarded as palatable by most people. However, a stock made by slow simmering the tough, yet flavorful meat of actual turkey necks, once it is strained of bones and cooked with vegetables and rice or noodles, yields a hearty and flavorful soup that your family will enjoy.
To celebrate Turkey Neck Soup Day, make a batch of this delicious soup today. Finding turkey necks this time of year can be challenging, but you should be able to find them at your local butcher shop.
Author’s Note: 
If you still have a turkey neck leftover from your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner in your refrigerator,

1. What the Heck is wrong with you?
2. You should discard it immediately, it’s probably long past rotten.

Listed below are some other holidays celebrated on this date that are worthy of mention.

• Holy Tuesday – Observed annually on the Tuesday before Easter.
• World Bipolar Day
• World TB-303 Appreciation Day