Winnie the Pooh Day

The real stuffed toys Public Domain

We celebrate Jan 18 as the birthday of A. A. Milne, British novelist, playwright, poet, and the author of Winnie the Pooh, a bear that is loved by young and old. Milne was born in London, England, on January 18, 1882.

Milne's greatest and enduring successes were his best-seller books Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) and The House at Pooh Corner (1928), illustrated by artist Ernest H. Shepard. Of course we know these books as the adventures a young boy named Christopher Robin, after Milne's own son (Christopher Robin Milne), and Pooh and his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood. 

The animal playmates were inspired by the real Christopher Robin's stuffed toys. The stuffed animals depicted in the photo are the actual Harrods toys purchased for Christopher Milne in the early 1920's. 

Clockwise from bottom left in the above photo are bouncy tiger Tigger, kind kangaroo Kanga, Edward Bear (aka a bear named Winnie-the-Pooh the central character), gloomy donkey Eeyore, and shy Piglet. Roo was also one of the original toys but he was lost a long time ago. Pooh, Piglet, and the others now live at the New York Public Library. Wise Owl and fussy Rabbit were not based on toys and Gopher was made up for the Disney version.

"...these are some of the best-loved characters in children's literature. They began as stuffed toy animals that belonged to a boy named Christopher Robin." ~scholastic.com

In addition to the two Pooh books, Milne's best known works are his two collections of children's poetry, When We Were Very Young (1924) and Now We Are Six (1927)

"The 38th poem in the book, "Teddy Bear", that originally appeared in Punch magazine in February 1924, was the first appearance of the famous character Winnie-the-Pooh, first named "Mr. Edward Bear" by Christopher Robin Milne." ~wikipedia.com

Read more about Pooh, The Tao of Pooh and find a few gifts at my page Winnie the Pooh & Pals

National Forget-Me-Not Day

Forget_Me_Not

November 10th is National Forget-Me-Not Day, a special day set aside each year to remember and connect with the special people in your life.

Today is a great day for remembering friends and slowing down to recognize the little things in life. Celebrate this day by making phone calls, writing letters, sending cards, flowers, or even better, schedule a get-together.   Take just a minute to let someone know that you are thinking about them.

Today even has its own special flower, the Forget-Me-Not.

Memories are forget-me-nots gathered along life's way,
pressed close to the heart in a perennial bouquet! 
~ Karen Mortensen

Forget-Me-Not Day is not just for the living. It is also an important reminder to remember those very special loved ones who have passed away. 
 
Send a real card (and flowers, too) to someone you care about here: SendOutCards

Image by jkl-foto GNU Free Documentation License

Celebrate National Lemonade Day

Lemonade

How do you Celebrate National Lemonade Day? Celebrate by mixing up your favorite flavor: You can make regular lemonade, pink lemonade, strawberry lemonade and even watermelon lemonade.

Lemonade is a sweetened beverage made from lemons, sugar, and water. This cooling drink has been popular in the Southern United States for years! Sweet tea and lemonade are practically trade marks of the south.

Try Watermelon Lemonade! The mild flavour of the watermelon blends nicely with the tart lemon juice.
~Mix 6 cups watermelon in blender with 1 cup water
~1/3 cup sugar
~Best to heat sugar and water to make a syrup before adding 1/2 cup lemon juice

Watch this video to learn how to make Easy Homemade Lemonade  - Old Fashioned from Divas Can Cook
Get the recipe here 



Or try Fresh Peach Lemonade Recipe : Easy, Homemade Get the recipe here My idea of the way to spend a hot summer afternoon?

 "Give me a lazy warm day, a magazine, a front porch swing and a glass of homemade peach lemonade and I am content for hours. Whew talk about refreshing!" ~divascanccook.com

Impress your friends with this elegant beverage Dispenser. Click the image to see more.

Elegant Hammered Glass Beverage Dispenser with Scroll Iron Stand

How about a recipe for Frozen Lemonade Pie to help keep you feeling cool and refreshed!

image Lemonade CC Public Domain
edited 8/19/18

20 orangutan pictures for World Orangutan Day

Celebrating World Orangutan Day August 19 to raise awareness about the great red ape, which is threatened by habitat loss, pet trade and hunting!

Click here to see photos and story:
20 orangutan pictures for World Orangutan Day

National Watermelon Day

August 3 is National Watermelon Day, 
one of the days we celebrate this month. 

Watermelon is a staple at family picnics and cookouts during the summer. But given the health benefits of watermelon, you might consider adding this yummy fruit to your diet year round if you can get it.

Watermelon is yummy and healthy

Did you know that watermelon is one of the high-lycopene foods. Lycopene is a carotenoid phytonutrient that's especially important for our cardiovascular health. 

In recent research studies show watermelon to be high in lycopene. An increasing number of scientists now believe that lycopene is important for bone health as well.

Watermelon is also a good choice for anti-inflammatory and antioxidant health benefits that can provide us with great fiber benefits at a low calorie cost.

How to Eat a Watermelon

Are you going to need a good knife to cut you watermelon? Try this one made especially for cutting watermelon, cantaloupe, or honeydew melon with ease!



  Read more Watermelon Recipes, Stories, History & More