March is here!

Wow! In like a lion this year, huh? Let’s pray for a lamb by the end of this month of changes… This is the month we celebrate our Irish heritage with the wearin’ o’ the green! This is the month we remember our friends and family members with disabilities. We honor women who influenced history and we honor music in our schools (which, IMHO, influences the future). So, my holiday fans, put on your glasses, pull out the recorder, cheer on your favorite athlete (or student), sing in school, check your ethics, cook up some frozen food, and steer a youth towards arts & crafts all while designing your own personal holiday! March is here!
Remember folks: the comments in italics are mine and mine alone and do not reflect the ideas, opinions, or musings of any other person, group, or entity. These are just the twisted paths upon which my thoughts travel…

Flower:         Jonquil or Daffodil
Birthstone:    Jasper, Bloodstone, or Aquamarine
Full Moon:     March 10 (10:38pm EST)
New Moon:    March 26 (12:06pm EST)
Daylight Savings Time Begins: March 8 (through Nov. 1)
Vernal Equinox or First Day of Spring: March 20 (through June 21)

Monthly observations:
Adopt a Rescued Guiniea Pig Month
American Red Cross Month
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Month
Deaf History Month (3/13 through 4/15) learn to sign!
Employee Spirit Month
Expanding Girls’ Horizons in Science & Engineering Month
Honor Society Awareness Month
Humorists Are Artists Month always appreciate the art of laughter…
Internatnional Expect Success Month
International Ideas Month
International Listening Awareness Month
International Mirth Month
Irish-American Heritage Month erin go bragh!
Mental Retardation Awareness Month
Music in our Schools Month sing for your students!
National Caffeine Awareness Month
National Cheerleading Safety Month
National Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Month
National Clean Up Your IRS Act Month couldn’t the IRS clean itself?
National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
National Craft Month make something from nothing…
National Ethics Awareness Month
National Eye Donor Month
National Frozen Food Month looking for the coupons…
National Kidney Month
National March Into Literacy Month
National Multiple Sclerosis Education & Awareness Month
National Nutrition Month
National On-Hold Month the whole month?
National Sleep Awareness Month
National Social Work Month there are some unsung heroes here…
National Talk with Your Teen About Sex Month
National Umbrella Month use a bright one on a gray, rainy day!
National Women’s History Month
Orlando Family Spring Break (3/1-4/30)
Optimism Month
Play the Recorder Month with optimism!
Poison Prevention Awareness Month
Red Cross Month
Save Your Vision Month wear your glasses!
Small Press Month
Spiritual Wellness Month don’t forget to refuel, my friends…
Supply Management Month
Women’s History Month women RULE!
Workplace Eye Health and Safety Month
Youth Art Month

Special Weeks in March
3/1-7         National Consumer Protection Week
                 National Ghostwriters Week but can we see them?
                 National Words Matter Week
                 National Write a Letter of Appreciation Week
                 Return the Borrowed Books Week amnesty on fines!
                 Universal Human Beings Week
                 World Folk Tales & Fables Week once upon a time…
                 Celebrate Your Name Week
                 National Professional Pet Sitters Week
                 Save Your Vision Week
                 Telecommuter Appreciation Week
3/1-8         National Sleep Awareness Week get some today!
3/2-6        Newspaper in Education Week
                National School Breakfast Week read the paper while you eat!
3/2-8         National Cheerleading Week rah, rah, rah!
                National Procrastination Week couldn’t I do this later?
3/2-4/18    Orthodox Lent
3/7-15       Iditarod Race
3/8-14       Read an E-Book Week
                Teen Tech Week perfect marriage, huh?
                Universal Women’s Week
3/13-15      National Money Week
                World’s Rattlesnake Roundup Week no thanks…I’ll pass
3/13-22      YoYo and Skill Toys Week
3/14-21      National Toad Hollow Week any rattlesnakes in Toad Hollow?
3/15-21      National Agriculture Week
                 National Animal Poison Prevention Week
                 Pediatric Nurse Practitioners Week
3/16-22      Act Happy Week remember, it could always be worse…
                 Campfire USA Birthday Week
                 International Brain Awareness Week so use it!
                 National Inhalant and Poisons Awareness Week
                 National Spring Fever Week I’ve got it all month!
                 Wellderly Week
3/17-22      American Chocolate Week YES!
3/20-26      National Bubble (blowers) Week
3/21-27      Week of Solidarity with People Struggling Against Racism & Discrimination
3/22-28      Doctor-Patient Trust Week
                 National Cleaning Week I’d rather blow bubbles, thank you…
3/23-28      National Protocol Officer’s Week
3/29-4/4    Consider Christianity Week
                 Passion Week
                 Root Canal Awareness Week I can already hear the calls to G*d!

March Daily Observances
3/1        Beer Day don’t mind if I do – but could be buy it on Sunday?
            Peace Corp Birthday
            Pig Day have a beer with a pig!
            Plan a Solo Vacation Day
            Refired, Not Retired Day
3/2       Fun Facts About Names Day
           Namesake Day find out who you’re named after!
           Orthodox Green Monday
           NEA’s Read Across America Day Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!
           Orthodox Lent
           Ethiopia: Adwa Day
3/3       I Want You to be Happy Day and I do…
           National Anthem Day
           Peace Corps Day
           Unique Names Day
           What if Cats and Dogs Had Opposable Thumbs? Day
3/4       Benjamin Harrison Day
           Courageous Follower Day
           International Scrapbooking Industry Day
           March Forth – Do Something Day at least be a courageous follower…
           National Grammar Day to whom it may concern…
           Old Inauguration Day
           Learn What Your Name Means Day
3/5       Saint Piran’s Day
           Nametag Day
3/6       Daytona
           Middle Name Pride Day
           Sherlock Homes Day (through 3/8)
           World Day of Prayer
3/7       Genealogy Day
            National Be Heard Day say it loud, say it proud!
            U.S. Snowshoe Day
3/8       Check Your Batteries Day especially in your smoke alarm…
            Daylight Savings Time Begins (goes through Nov. 1st)
            Day for Women’s Rights & International Peace
            Girls Write Now Day
            Ground Water Awareness Day
            Private George Watson Day who is this person?
            International Working Women’s Day
3/9       Barbie Day how does Ken feel about this?
           Get Over It Day
           Joe Franklin Day a friend of Private Watson’s?
           Napping Day
           Panic Day don’t panic…take a nap!
           Ta’Anit Esther
           Belgium: Cat Festival
           Belize: Baron Bliss Day
           Canada: Commonwealth Day
           Luxembourg: Bretzelsonndeg
3/10     Mario Day what about Luigi?
           Purim
           Salvation Army Day
           Organize Your Home Office Day
3/11     Dream 2009 Day
           Johnny Appleseed Day
           Registered Dietician Day send one an apple!
3/12     Girl Scout Day
           Spain: Fiesta de las Fallas
           Lesotho: Moshoeshoe’s Day
           Mauritius: Independence Day
           World Kidney Day beans or organs?
3/13     Earmuffs Day
           Deaf History Month begins (through 4/15)
           Good Samaritan Involvement Day
           National Open an Umbrella Indoors Day live a little…
3/14     International Ask A Question Day
           International Day of the Seal animal or artwork?
           International Fanny Pack Day
           MOTH-ER Day
           Pi Day (as in 3.14159265 etc) if I only had a brain…
3/15     Brutus Day
           Buzzards Day
           Ides of March
           Peeps Day Westerfield fans, unite!
           True Confessions Day
           World Consumer Rights Day
3/16     Freedom of Information Day
           Curlew Day (Curlews return to Umatillo, Oregon)
           Lips Appreciation Day I do so appreciate my lips…
           St. Urho’s Day
           Well-Elderly or Wellderly Day
3/17     St. Patrick’s Day luck o’ the Irish to ya!
           Campfire Girls Day give a shamrock to a Campfire Girl!
           Ireland: National Day
           Massachussetts: Evacuation Day
3/18     Awkward Moments Day plenty of those after green beer…
           Forgive Mom and Dad Day
           National Biodiesel Day
           Aruba: Flag Day
3/19     National Chocolate Caramel Day bring it on!
           Operation Iraqi Freedom Day
           Swallows Return to San Juan Capistrano Day
           Absolutely Incredible Kid Day you know you have one…
           Companies that Care Day
           Australia: Canberra Day
           Iran: National Oil Day kind of redundant, huh?
3/20     Great American Meat Out Day vegetarians RULE!
           Ostara
           Proposal Day business or personal?
           National Agriculture Day plant something!
           Shabbat Across America/Canada Day shabbat shalom, y’all!
           Vernal Equinox (Spring – through June 21)
           Tunisia: Independence Day
3/21     Corn Dog Day right after Meat Out Day?
           International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
           Maple Syrup Day it’s not just for pancakes anymore…
           Memory Day
           National Common Courtesy Day
           National Quilting Day be polite to a quilter!
           Naw-Ruz
           World Down Syndrome Day we’ve come a long way, baby…
3/22     As Young as you Feel Day
           International Day of The Seal 
           International Goof-off Day okay, I can handle this one!
           Spring Fairy Fun Day goof off with your Spring fairy!
           World Day for Water (World Water Day)
3/23     National Puppy Day just wish there weren’t so many unwanted…
           Near Miss Day
           World Meteorological Day
           Pakistan: Republic Day
3/24     National Chocolate Covered Raisins Day yes! more! more!
           American Diabetes Association Alert Day
3/25     Kick Butts Day that’s cigarettes, my friends…
           National Day of Celebration of Greek & American Democracy
           Old New Year’s Day
           Pecan Day could we cover them in chocolate?
           Feast of Annunciation
3/26     Legal Assistants Day
           Make Up Your Own Holiday Day Send Susan all the Love Day!
3/27     Celebrate Exchange Day
           Education and Sharing Day
           Quirky Country Music Song Titles Day
           Viagra Day there’s gotta be a quirky title here…
           Myanmar: Resistance Day
3/28     Eggsibit (and 3/29)
3/29     Knights of Columbus Founders Day
           National Mom & Pop Business Owner’s Day
           Texas Loves the Children Day
3/30     Doctors Day thank one…
           Grass is Always Browner on the Other Side of the Fence Day
           Pencil Day
3/31     Bunsen Burner Day
           National “She’s Funny That Way” Day aww, thanks!

Selected Author Birthdays
3/1     Margaret Friskey, 1901; Barbara Helen Berger, 1945
3/2     Dr. Seuss, 1904
3/3     Patricia MacLachlan, 1938; Suse MacDonald, 1940
3/4     Meindert DeJong, 1906; Peggy Rathmann, 1953; Dav Pilkey, 1966
3/5     Howard Pyle, 1853; Mem Fox, 1946
3/6     Susan Jacobs, 1940; Kathleen Hague, 1949
3/7     Margaret Goff Clark, 1913; Joanne Rocklin, 1946
3/8      Kenneth Grahame, 1859; Robert Sabuda, 1965
3/9      Ellen Levine, 1939; Harry Bliss, 1964
3/10    Jack Kent, 1920; Ilene Cooper, 1948
3/11    Ezra Jack Keats, 1916; Avner Katz, 1939
3/12    Virginia Hamilton, 1936; Naomi Shihab Nye, 1952
3/13    Edna Barth, 1914; Ellen Raskin, 1928; Diane Dillon, 1933
3/14    Marguerite de Angeli, 1889; Hank Ketcham, 1920
3/15    Barbara Cohen, 1932; Ruth White, 1942
3/16    Sid Fleischman, 1920; Helen Caswell, 1923
3/17    Kate Greenaway, 1846; Lillian Moore, 1909
3/18    Douglas Florian, 1950; Kaethe Zemach, 1958
3/19    James Otis, 1848; Lucy Bate, 1939
3/20    Fred Rogers, 1928; Lois Lowry, 1937; Louis Sachar, 1954
3/21    David Wisniewski, 1953; Peter Catalanotto, 1959
3/22    Randolph Caldecott, 1846; Denys Cazet, 1939
3/23    Eleanor Cameron, 1912; Lynne Barasch, 1939
3/24    Mary Stolz, 1920; Bill Cleaver, 1920
3/25    Alan Arkin, 1934; Linda Sue Park, 1960
3/26    Robert Lee Frost, 1874; T.A. Barron, 1952
3/27    Dick King-Smith, 1922; Julia Alvarez, 1950; Patricia Wrede, 1953
3/28    Byrd Baylor, 1928; Steven Lindblom, 1946
3/29    Suçie Stevenson ?
3/30    Anna Sewell, 1820; Charles Keller, 1942
3/31    Jane Campbell Edwards, 1932; John Jakes, 1932