OCTOBER IS…..
By Susan Grigsby
Well, who knew that October was so full of fun, funny, quirky, and downright strange reasons to celebrate? I don't make them up, I just report them so put on some comfy PJs, get a good book, have a vegetarian meal followed by your favorite cookie, pet your adopted dog, get a massage on the school bus under pastoral supervision, and invite your book group over for some popcorn! Enjoy!
NOTE: the comments in italics are mine & mine alone and do not reflect the opinions, endorsements, or musings of any other person, group or entity. Susan
October is….
Full Moon: October 26 Flower: Calendula or Cosmos
Birthstone: Opal or Tourmaline
Monthly observations…
Adopt-A-Shelter Dog Month mutts rule!
Antidepressent Death Awareness Month
Bilingual Child Month
Celebrate Sun Dried tomatoes Month
Celia Sprue Awareness Month
Children's Magazine Month
Christmas Seal Campaign (10/1-12/31)
Church Safety and Security Month
Class Reunion Month
Computer Learning Month
Country Music Month She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy!
Dinosaur Month
Diversity Awareness Month
Eat Better, Eat Together Month
Energy Management is a Family Affair / Improve Your Home Month (10/1-3/31/08)
Family History Month
Gay and Lesbian History Month
German-American Heritage Month
Go Hog Wild – Eat Country Ham while listening to some country music…
Halloween Safety Month
Head Start Awareness Month
Health Literacy Month
Hispanic Heritage Month (9/15-10/15)
International Starman Month watch the movie!
International Strategic Planning Month
Long Term Care Planning Month
Lupus Awareness Month
National Animal Safety & Protection Month thank you, ASPCA!
National Bake & Decorate Month
National Book Month
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
National Canine Good Health Month
National Caramel Month
National Chili Month
National Chiropractic Month bring a bowl of chili to your chiropractor!
National Communicate with your Kids Month do this every day, y'all…
National Construction Toy Month celebrate with Bob the Builder!
National Cookie Month make mine chocolate chip, please.
National Crime Prevention Month
National Dental Hygiene Month
National Depression Education & Awareness Month
National Disability Employment Awareness Month
National Domestic Violence Awareness Month
National Down Syndrome Month
National Ergonomics Month
National Family Sexuality Education Month
National "Gain the Inside Advantage" Month looks like an inside job…
National Go On A Field Trip Month
National Liver Awareness Month food or body part?
National Medical Librarian Month
National Orthodontic Health Month
National Pajama Month wear your pajamas to work!
National Physical Therapy Month
National Popcorn Poppin' Month my favorite snack!
National Reading Group Month wear your pajamas & eat popcorn when you meet!
National Roller Skating Month
National RSV Awareness Month
National Sarcastic Awareness Month oh yeah, THAT's a brilliant idea!
National Seafood Month pass on the raw oysters…
National Spina Bifida Awareness Month
National Window Covering Safety Month is it safe to NOT cover them?
National Work & Family Month
National Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month
Organize Your Medical Information Month
Pastor (Clergy) Appreciation Month
Photographer Appreciation Month
Polish-American Heritage Month no shirtsky, no shoesky, no Schlotsky!
Positive Attitude Month
Rett Syndrome Awareness Month does Scarlett know about this?
Right Brainers Rule! Month
Self-Promotion Month
Spinach Lovers Month I'm Popeye the Sailor Man (toot! toot!)
Talk About Prescriptions Month don't we get enough of that on TV?
Vegetarian Month
Wishbones for Pets Month (10/15-11/30) bones? during vegetarian month?
Women's Small Business Month
Workplace Politics Month watch Season 1 of "The Office" on DVD!
Special October weeks…
10/1-7 National Work from Home Week avoid office politics!
Customer Service Week too bad this isn't a daily observance….
Financial Planning Week
Spinning & Weaving Week
10/2-9 No Salt Week sorry…no can do
10/4-10 World Space Week
10/6-13 National Newspaper Week
Physicians Assistant Week
10/7-13 Emergency Nurses Week where would we be without them?
Fire Prevention Week stop, drop & roll!
Home-Based Business Week
The Magic of Differences Week
Mental Illness Awareness Week
Mystery Series Week
National Carry-A-Tune Week when are "Idol" auditions?
National Metric Week
Nuclear Medicine Week
Squirrel Appreciation Week oh, please…
10/8-12 Improve Your Home Office Week
10/14-20 National Chestnut Week let's roast some on an open fire…
National School Lunch Week never order the ghoulash!
Build Your Business with Business Cards Week
Getting the World to Beat a Path to your Door Week
International Credit Union Week
National Veterinary Technician Week
YWCA Week Without Violence
Teen Read Week
World Rainforest Week
10/15-21 Freedom from Bullies at Work Week how about at school, too?
10/15-19 National Businesswomen's Week
National Health Education Week
10/16-20 National Infection Prevention Week wash your hands!
10/16-22 Celebrate Micro Small & Home Business Week
10/17-24 Food & Drug Interaction Education and Awareness Week
10/21-27 Kids Care Week
National Character Counts Week
National Food Bank Week
National Forest Products Week
National Massage Therapy Week
National School Bus Safety Week
Pastoral Care Week
Synergy Week International
10/22-28 Freedom of Speech Week
10/23-27 Celebrate Job Loss Week okay, what?
10/24-30 Disarmament Week
10/24-31 Prescription Errors Education and Awareness Week
10/25-31 International Magic Week clap your hands if you believe!
10/29-11/3 Give Wildlife a Break Week
October days and what to celebrate…
10/1 Child Health Day
Fire Pup Day
International Day of Older Persons
World Habitat Day
World Vegetarian Day go meatless!
10/2 National Custodial Worker Day thank your school custodial staff!
Phileas Fogg's Wager Day
World Farm Animals Day shouldn't that go with the Vegetarian thing?
10/3 Balloons Around the World
Netherlands: Relief of Leiden Day
Korea: Tangun Day
10/4 National Depression Screening Day
Ten-Four (Okay) Day good buddy!
10/5 Cowboy Hall of Fame Ceremony & Banquet well, yee-haw y'all!
Lee's National Denim Day jeans day!!
National Diversity Day
National Storytelling Day boy, have I got a few!
World Smile Day share some!
World Teachers Day
Portugal: Republic Day
10/6 Chowder Day
Jackie Mayer Rehab Day who is this & why is she in rehab?
Johnny Appleseed Day
Mad Hatter Day put on a weird hat and eat an apple
National German-American Day
National Storytelling Day (number 2!)
Physician Assistant Day
10/7 Chowder Day clam or corn?
Intergeneration Day
International Frugal Fun Day ask Clark Howard for some suggestions!
Johnny Appleseed Day (number 2!)
National Storytelling Day (number 3!)
Pulaski Day
World Communion Day
World Mental Health Day
10/8 Alvin C. York Day
Chowder Day (number 2!)
Columbus Day
Cosmopolite's Day
National Kick Butt Day who's?
National Bring Your Teddy Bear to Work Day
Native Americans' Day
United Nations International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction
10/9 Leif Erickson Day
World Post Day send a letter through snail mail!
Korea: Alphabet Day (Hangul)
Uganda: Independence Day
Peru: Day of Honor
10/10 Emergency Nurses Day
United Nations World Mental Health Day
Discoverer's Day in Hawaii
International Top Spinning Day
National Cake Decorating Day
10/11 General Pulaski Memorial Day
National Coming Out Day
10/12 Columbus Day (traditional)
International Moment of Frustration Scream Day
World Egg Day egg salad, anyone?
Spain: National Holiday
Oz Fest (through 10/14) we're off to see the wizard!
Belize: Columbus Day
Mexico: Dia de la Raza
10/13 International Newspaper Carrier Day
International Skeptics Day I doubt this one is real…
Ironman Competition
Navy Birthday
Pastor Appreciation Day
10/14 Be Bald and Be Free Day
Dressings & Sauces Day
10/15 National Grouch Day perfect…it's a Monday
White Cane Safety Day are we not safe from the white cane?
10/16 Department Store Day
Dictionary Day go ahead, look it up!
National Boss' Day
World Food Day
Virgin Islands: Hurricane Thanksgiving Day
10/17 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
Mulligan Day golf or stew?
World Menopause Day HOT FLASH!
Missouri Day
Jamaica: National Heroes Day
10/18 Get Smart About Credit Day
Get to Know Your Customers Day
International Credit Union Day
Support Your Local Chamber of Commerce
Alaska Day
Black Poetry Day
Day of National Concern about Young People & Gun Violence
Canada: Persons Day
St. Luke Feast Day
10/19 Evaluate Your Life Day could be scary…
Mammography Day yeah, but it's better than the alternative…
10/20 Bridge Day
Miss American Rose Day
Reptile Awareness Day no thanks…
Sweetest Day
World Toy Camera Day
10/21 Sunday School Teacher Appreciation Day
10/22 International Stuttering Awareness Day
National Color Day
Egypt: Abu Simbel Temple Festival
10/23 National Mole Day skin or animal?
TV Talk Show Host Day I love Ellen!
Thailand: Chulalongkorn Day
10/24 United Nations Day
World Development Information Day
Lung Health Day just breathe…
Zambia: Independence Day
10/25 Kazakstan: Republic Day
10/26 Frankenstein Friday wear your clogs!
Austria: National Day
Mule Day just don't make an a** of yourself!
10/27 Cranky Co-Workers Day phew! this falls on Sunday…
Make A Difference Day
Navy Day
10/28 Mother-In-Law Day
National Chocolates Day send her some chocolates…
Separation of Church & State Day
St. Jude's Day
10/29 Internet Day
Turkey: National Day
10/30 Create a Great Funeral Day
Haunted Refrigerator Night get rid of those "science projects!"
National Candy Corn Day
10/31 Halloween
Books for Treats Day
National Caramel Apple Day
National Knock-Knock Jokes Day who's there?
National Magic Day abracadabra, alakazam!
National UNICEF Day
Samhain
Selected Author Birthdays:
10/1 Julie (Andrews) Edwards, 1935; Deborah Hautzig, 1956
10/2 Jeanne Betancourt, 1941; Bruce Balan, 1959
10/3 Thomas Wolfe, 1900; Natalie Savage Carlson, 1906; James Herriot, 1916
10/4 Robert Lawson, 1892; Karen Cushman, 1941; Susan Meddaugh, 1944
10/5 Louise Fitzhugh, 1928; David Shannon, 1959
10/6 Elizabeth Janet Gray, 1902
10/7 Alice Dalgliesh, 1893; Robert Westall, 1929
10/8 Frank Herbert, 1920; Faith Ringgold, 1930; R.L. Stine, 1943
10/9 Johanna Hurwitz, 1937
10/10 Robert San Souci, 1946
10/11 Russell Freedman, 1929
10/12 Alice Childress, 1920
10/13 Barbara Walker, 1921; Michael Sampson, 1952
10/14 Lois Lenski, 1893; e e cummings, 1894
10/15 Barry Moser, 1940
10/16 Joseph Bruchac, 1942
10/17 Judith Caseley, 1951
10/18 Esther Hautzig, 1930; Joyce Hansen, 1942; Wendy Wasserstein, 1950
10/19 Ed Emberly, 1931; Philip Pullman, 1946
10/20 Crockett Johnson, 1906; Nikki Grimes, 1950
10/21 Ursula LeGuin, 1929; Janet Ahlberg, 1944
10/22 N.C. Wyeth, 1882; Neil Waldman, 1947
10/23 Marjorie Flack, 1857; P.J. Peterson, 1941; J. Michael Crichton, 1942
10/24 Phyllis Fenner, 1899; Barbara Robinson, 1927
10/25 Carolyn Bailey, 1875; Stephanie Tolan, 1942
10/26 Paula Winter, 1929; Steven Kellogg, 1941
10/27 Dylan Thomas, 1914; Sylvia Plath, 1932
10/28 Leonard Kessler, 1921; Judith Thurman, 1946
10/29 Valerie Worth, 1933; Rhonda Gowler Greene, 1955
10/30 Eric Kimmel, 1946
10/31 Sydney Taylor, 1904; Katherine Paterson, 1932