So many ways to celebrate in October!

Boo! It’s downright scary when you look at all the ways you can celebrate in the month of October . . . and YOU thought it was all about Fall and Halloween. Oh no, my learned friends.  You’ll be so busy planning your special events you’ll barely have time to troll Goodwill or Value Village for a good Halloween costume (and we all know the “hobos,” “hippies,” and “tacky tourists” are the ones who waited ’till the last minute, don’t we?).
So…bake and decorate something to go with your popcorn while you read a book wearing roller skates and making sarcastic comments to your dyslexic friends eating caramels and telling knock-knock jokes, y’all! October is here and she’s ready to rock!
As always, the comments in italics are mine and mine alone and do not represent the opinions, ideas, or musings of any other person, group or entity. They simply represent the twisted path upon which my mind travels. There is no intent of harm or disparagement and if you can’t take a joke then read someone else’s blog.

Flower of the Month: Calendula or Cosmos
Birthstone: Opal or Tourmaline
Full Moon: October 14th (Hunter’s Moon)
New Moon: October 28 (it’s going to be a dark Halloween!)

October is the month to observe…
Adopt a Shelter Dog Month say “no” to puppy mills!
Antidepressant Death Awareness Month how can death be an antidepressant?
(World) Blindness Awareness Month (link)
Celebrate Sun Dried Tomatoes Month what’s not to celebrate?
Celia Sprue Awareness Month
Celebrate the Bilingual Child Month
Children’s Magazine Month read Gallant and Goofus in Highlights!
Christmas Seal Campaign (10/1-12/31)
Church Library Month
Church Safety and Security Month
Class Reunion Month ooops…no time to join Weight Watchers first
Co-Op Awareness Month
Diversity Awareness Month
Dyslexia Awareness Month dyslexics of the world untie!
Eat Better, Eat Together Month
Emotional Intelligence Month
Emotional Wellness Month
Energy Management is a Family Affair – Improve Your Home Month (10/1-3/31)
Gay & Lesbian History Month
German-American Heritage Month eat a sausage while wearing your lederhosen!
Global Diversity Awareness Month
Go Hog Wild – Eat Country Ham how do the hogs feel about this?
Halloween Safety Month
Health Literacy Month
International School Library Month (link)
International Starman Month who is International Starman?
International Strategic Planning Month
Long Term Care Planning Month
Lupus Awareness Month
National Animal Safety and Protection Month obviously, this does not include hogs
National Bake and Decorate Month make a graveyard cake for Halloween!
National Book Month
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
National Caramel Month (link)
National Chili Month
National Chiropractic Month make chili for your chiropractor!
National Crime Prevention Month
National Dental Hygiene Month
National Depression Education & Awareness Month I think we’ve got national depression…
National Disability Employment Awareness Month
National Domestic Violence Awareness Month
National Down Syndrome Month
National Ergonomics Month (link)
National Family Sexuality Education Month time for “the talk”
National “Gain the Inside Advantage” Month
National Go On A Field Trip Month if you can find the fuel…
National Kitchen & Bath Month
National Liver Awareness Month
National Medical Librarian Month
National Orthodontic Health Month embrace your braces!
National Physical Therapy Month
National Popcorn Poppin’ Month isn’t that one of the best smells in the world?
National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month (link)
National Reading Group Month
National Roller Skating Month
National RSV Awareness Month
National Sarcastic Awareness Month who came up with THAT a brilliant idea?
National Seafood Month
National Spina Bifida Awareness Month
National Window Covering Safety Month who knew window coverings were unsafe?
National Work and Family Month
National Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month
Organize Your Medical Information Month
Pastor (Clergy) Appreciation Month hug your pastor!
Photographer Appreciation Month
Polish American Heritage Month
Positive Attitude Month optimism rocks!
Raptor Month
Rett Syndrome Awareness Month does Scarlett know about this?
Right Brainers Rule! Month it’s just one month?
Self-Promotion Month
Spinach Lovers Month watch a Popeye cartoon if you can’t stand to eat the stuff!
Squirrel Awareness Month
Stamp Collecting Month it’s hard to be optimistic when you’re a philatilist…
Talk About Prescriptions Month
Vegetarian Month hey! what about the country ham thing? I’m confused!
Wishbones for Pets Month (10/15-11/30)
Women’s Small Business Month
Workplace Politics Month oh, please no…

Weekly October celebrations…
1-7   Universal Children’s Week
2-9   No Salt Week guess that cuts out any country ham consumption…
4-10 World Space Week
5-11 National Work from Home Week
         Emergency Nurses Week
         Fire Prevention Week
         The Magic of Differences Week
         Mental Illness Awareness Week (hmmm, magically different or mentally ill?)
         Mystery Series Week
         National Carry A Tune Week
         National Metric Week is a nanosecond part of the metric system?
         Nuclear Medicine Week
6-12 Customer Service Week
         Financial Planning Week hopefully you’ll find one with good customer service…
         Improve Your Home Office Week
         Kids’ Goal Setting Week
         Spinning & Weaving Week
         Physicians Assistant Week
12-18 Build Your Business with Business Cards Week
           Infection Prevention Week sanitize your business cards!
           National Chestnut Week roast some on an open fire…
           National Food Bank Week
           National School Lunch Week
           Teen Read Week
13-19 American Association of Medical Assistants
           Freedom of Speech Week (link)
           National Veterinary Technician Week
           World Rainforest Week speak out for rainforest conservation!
14-20 Getting the World to Beat a Path to Your Door Week
16-22 Celebrate Micro Small and Home Business Week
17-24 Food and Drug Interaction Education and Awareness Week
19-25 Kids Care Week
           National Character Counts Week
           National Chemistry Week
           National Food Bank Week stocks must be low to need 2 weeks…
           National Forest Products Week
           National Infection Prevention Week
           National Infertility Awareness Week
           National Massage Therapy Week massage therapists are cleverly disguised angels…
           National Respiratory Care Week
           National School Bus Safety Week
           Synergy Week International
           YWCA Week Without Violence
20-24 National Businesswomen’s Week say “no” to shoulder pads and pantsuits!
           National Health Education Week
20-26 Pastoral Care Week
23-29 World Hearing Aid Awareness Week
24-30 Disarmament Week I wish…
24-31 Prescription Errors Education & Awareness Week
25-31 International Magic Week make WMDs disappear!
           Peace, Friendship, and Good Will Week
27-11/2 Give Wildlife a Break Week and a “brake” – slow down, y’all!
31-11/6 International Herpes Awareness Week

Daily observances for October…
10/1 Balloons Around the World
         Child Health Day
         Fire Pup Day
         International Day of Older Persons
         World Vegetarian Day beans and brown rice!        
         Festival of Penha (Brazil)
         Armed Forces Day (South Korea)
10/2 Guardian Angels Day hopefully they’re flying as fast as you drive…
         Phileas Fogg’s Wager Day
         National Custodial Workers Day
         World Farm Animals Day
10/3 Lee’s National Denim Day wear jeans to work!
         National Diversity Day
         United Nations World Habitat Day
         World Smile Day smile while you’re wearing your jeans to work!
         Relief of Leiden Day (Netherlands)
         Tangun Day (Korea)
         Francisco Morazon Day (Honduras)
10/4 Okay Day
         Ten-Four Day good buddy…
         World Card Making Day
10/5 Country Inn & Bed and Breakfast Day
         Intergeneration Day
         World Communion Day
       World Teachers Day
10/6 Child Health Day
         Jackie Mayer Rehab Day why are we celebrating this person’s rehab?
        Mad Hatter Day it just gets curiouser and curiouser…
        National German-American Day
        Physician Assistant (PA) Day
        World Habitat Day
        Armed Forces Day (Egypt)
        Ivy Day (Ireland)
10/8 Alvin C. York Day
         Cosmopolite’s Day but are they polite?
         International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction how is that up to us?
         National Bring Your Teddy Bear to Work & School Day all right!
         Native Americans’ Day
         Yom Kippur (begins at Sundown)
         Statehood (Croatia)
10/9 Leif Erickson Day
         National Depression Screening Day they’re going to be busy this year…
         World Post Day
         World Sight Day
         Alphabet Day (Korea)
10/10 Emergency Nurses Day
           National Cake Decorating Day bring a decorated cake to an ER nurse!
           Naval Academy Day
           World Mental Health Day call in sick!
10/11 General Pulaski Memorial Day
           International Newspaper Carrier Day
           National Coming Out Day
           Reptile Awareness Day I only want to be aware they are not inside my house…
           Universal Music Day
10/12 Clergy (Pastor, Ministry) Appreciation Day
           International Moment of Frustration Scream Day don’t scare the kids, though…
10/13 Canadian Thanksgiving (2nd Monday of October)
           Columbus Day
           Discovery Day (Hawaii)
           Feast Day of St. Edward, the Confessor
           Ironman Competition
           National Kick Butt Day kick an Ironman’s butt! (then run)
           Navy Birthday
10/14 Be Bald and Be Free Day
           First Day of Sukkot (through 10/22)
10/15 National Grouch Day send a card to Oscar!
           National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day
           Support Your Local Chamber of Commerce
           White Cane Safety Day aren’t they safe?
           Newspaper Week (Japan)
10/16 Boss’s Day
           Department Store Day take your Boss to Macy’s!
           Dictionary Day
           Get to Know Your Customers Day
           Get Smart About Credit Day this should be every day in America, y’all!
            International Credit Union Day
           World Food Day remember, it’s not a shortage problem but a distribution problem
10/17 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
          Mammography Day make your appointment early…
          Mulligan Day
10/18 Sweetest Day
          World Menopause Day nothing sweet about THAT!
          World Toy Camera Day
10/19 Evaluate Your Life Day
           Sunday School Teacher Appreciation Day
10/20 Birth of the Bab who is the Bab and why do we celebrate his/her birth?
           World Osteoporosis Day
10/22 Day of International Concern about Young People and Gun Violence
           International Day of Radiant Peace disempower the gun lobbyists!
           International Stuttering Awareness Day
10/23 National Mole Day the animal, not the sauce…
           Chulalongkorn Day (Thailand)
10/24 International Bandanna Day
           Lung Health Day just breathe…
           United Nations Day
           World Development Information Day
           Zambia’s Independence Day
10/25 Make a Difference Day
10/26 World Priest Day
           Mother-In-Law Day phew…just one day!
10/27 Cranky Co-workers Day what if you work with your mother-in-law?
           Navy Day
10/28 Diwali (link)
           National Chocolate Day now THAT’s sweet!
           St. Jude’s Day
           Independence Day (Czech Republic)
           Ochi Day (Greece)
10/29 Internet Day let’s go surfing!
10/30 Create a Great Funeral Day pre-planning is everything!
           Haunted Refrigerator Night time to get rid of the “science projects!”
           National Candy Corn Day get buried in a candy corn-colored coffin!
10/31 Books for Treats Day
           Frankenstein Friday monstrous!
           Halloween my second favorite holiday – what’ll I be this year…
           National Caramel Apple Day roll them in peanuts and chocolate, too!
           National Knock-Knock Jokes Day who’s there?
           National Magic Day
           National UNICEF Day
           Samhain

Selected author birthdays
10/1 Julie (Andrews) Edwards, 1935; Deborah Hautzig, 1956; Paul Yee, 1956
10/2 Jeanne Betancourt, 1941; Bruce Balan, 1959
10/3 Thomas Wolfe, 1900; James Herriot, 1916; Gore Vidal, 1925; Marilyn Singer, 1948
10/4 Robert Lawson, 1892; Karen Cushman, 1941; Don Brown, 1949
10/5 Marianne Brandis, 1938; David Shannon, 1959
10/6 Elizabeth Janet Gray, 1902; Jeanette Winter, 1939
10/7 Alice Dalgliesh, 1893; Robert Westall, 1929; Diane Ackerman, 1948
10/8 Barthe DeClements, 1920; Frank Herbert, 1920; Mike Thaler, 1936; R.L. Stine, 1943
10/9 Johanna Hurwitz, 1937
10/10 James Riordan, 1936; James Marshall, 1942; Robert SanSouci, 1946; Nancy Carlson, 1953
10/11 Russell Freedman, 1929; Susan Arnold, 1951
10/12 Alice Childress, 1920; Robert Coles, 1929
10/13 Robert Ingpen, 1936; Eileen Dunlop, 1938; David Greenberg, 1954
10/14 Lois Lenski, 1893; e e cummings, 1894; Miriam Cohen, 1926
10/15 Barry Moser, 1940; Katherine Ayers, 1947
10/16 Oscar Wilde, 1854; Joseph Bruchac, 1942
10/17 Naomi Karp, 1926; Judith Caseley, 1951
10/18 Esther Hautzig, 1930; Joyce Hansen, 1942; Wendy Wasserstein, 1950
10/19 Ed Emberley, 1931; Philip Pullman, 1946; Dan Gutman, 1955
10/20 Crockett Johnson, 1906; Nikki Grimes, 1950
10/21 Ursula LeGuinn, 1929; Ann Cameron, 1943; Janet Ahlberg, 1944
10/22 N.C. Wyeth, 1882; Marjorie Flack, 1897
10/23 J. Michael Crichton, 1942; Gordon Korman, 1963
10/24 Phyllis Fenner, 1899; Barbara Robinson, 1927
10/25 Carolyn Bailey, 1875; Stephanie Tolan, 1942
10/26 Steven Kellogg, 1941
10/27 Enig Bagnold, 1889; Dylan Thomas, 1914; Sylvia Plath, 1932
10/28 Leonard Kessler, 1921; Judith Thurman, 1946
10/29 Rose Wyler, 1909; Valerie Worth, 1933
10/30 Eric Kimmel, 1946; Bruce Hale, 1957
10/31 Sydney Taylor, 1904; Katherine Paterson, 1932