Tis the Season

06/23/2026

06/22/2026

Tis the Season to celebrate Monday, June 22, 2026, where today is NATIONAL ONION RINGS DAY and NATIONAL CHOCOLATE ÉCLAIR DAY.
When I saw that it was Onion Rings Day, I got excited. I do love Onion Rings, but I am fussy…all Onion Rings are not created equally. My benchmark standard is Sonic’s Onion Rings. If they are as good as Sonic’s, plate me up.
In fact, when I convince myself, I am ready to try to make some of my own Onion Rings, an inner voice tells me that they will not be as good as Sonic’s. Besides, I have a Sonic just thirteen miles from me in Somerset. Why should I bother with making my own?
Until…. until I found a Copycat Version for Sonic’s Onion Rings. Boy, I was surprised with one ingredient! Of course, the recipe called for onions, flour, meal, oil…. but I was intrigued by the vanilla ice cream. Yes, melted ice cream is one of the dredging stations. If you are intrigued, too, just look for the Copycat Version on the internet.
Are you also saying yes to celebrating Chocolate Eclairs today, too? Just maybe your Sonic and favorite bakery are in proximity to each other. How providential!!
After satisfying your appetite, you might want to consider one or more of the monthly celebrations, too, such as African American Music Appreciation Month. Are you like former President Jimmy Carter and are very drawn and appreciative of this form of music, too? Yes, it was in 1979 that President Carter first declared June as Black Music Appreciation Month. What are some of the songs you might listen to today to celebrate this holiday? Would you like to put together a Playlist and enjoy it for the rest of June and beyond?
OH, My, I best get to my playlist fueled by Onions Rings and Chocolate Eclairs.
Let the fueling begin.
Until we meet again. See you, bye.
Information for this blog came from the National Day Calendar.
-AmericanMusicAppreciationMonth

06/21/2026

Tis the Season to celebrate June 21, 2026, which is a day of worship for many of us. It is also FATHER’S DAY, and WORLD MUSIC DAY. Wait, there is more….AS OF 4:24 A.M. THIS MORNING…. IT’S SUMMER!!!
First, I had to debate with myself on what topic I wanted to discuss first…. dads, music, or SUMMER. They are ALL quite special. But since music is so tied to worship AND summer AND beautiful family relationships, let us begin there.
For me, music is such an integral part of joint worship. Just as music is a part of so many of our summertime activities. Yes, music ministers to us. It heals us. It inspires us. Whether it is a School Fight Song or a beloved patriotic song, we can be challenged to “keep on keeping on.” Whether your favorite music genre is Country, Pop, Jazz, Hip Hop, Classical, Bluegrass, Rock N Roll, or Gospel, I feel that music and all its elements (tones, sounds, message, rhythm, melody, and especially HARMONY) are gifts from God.
Speaking of gifts, it is NOW time to talk about Father’s Day. I trust that many of you can say that one of your greatest gifts in life is your dad. Whether your dad is still with you or if he has already passed, I hope that Father’s Day brings you boundless joy and wonderful memories. However, as I have stated on this blog many times, any day that is known as a Day of Celebration or Holiday for some, turns out to be an exceedingly difficult day for others. For example, for the father and children that are estranged from each other, this day must be painful. For the child who has never had any relationship with his dad, this day must have an emptiness to it. Maybe your dad just passed during this last year, and this will be the first Father’s Day without him. Yes, the list can just go on and on as to why this day will be difficult for some. That is more reason for you that have a wonderful relationship with your dad for you to celebrate BIG TIME with him today.
To celebrate dad, maybe you will even let Dad choose the music to be playing in the backdrop of this day. Oh, no, this could be interesting, but humor, I mean honor Dad’s musical selection!
Let the honoring begin.
Until we meet again. See you, bye.

06/20/2026

Tis the Season Gift Shop will be closed today, Saturday 20. We look forward to seeing you next week, though!

06/20/2026

Tis the Season to celebrate Saturday, June 20, 2026, where today is NATIONAL ICE CREAM SODA DAY, NATIONAL SEASHELL DAY, and NATIONAL VANILLA MILKSHAKE DAY?
Wow, two desserts/drinks that include ICE CREAM sounds like a very appropriate way to celebrate this Saturday. Just keep telling yourself that we are getting an early start on the Summer Drinks!! Yes, tomorrow is the FIRST DAY OF SUMMER!
Speaking of summer, I sure wish I were on the beach to celebrate National Seashell Day. My timing is a little off, though, because my beach days are not in the near future. However, if you are blessed to be at the beach today, please collect some seashells for the rest of us.
Beach or not, though, I sure hope I can find many numerous ways to enjoy this day. For me, that would include signing off on this blog and seeing just what I can accomplish in my little corner of the world. For you see, today is also WORLD PRODUCTIVITY DAY. Wow, what a noble way to spend this day.
In fact, wouldn’t that be a fantastic way to initiate a VERY PRODUCTIVE SUMMER OF 2026? Yes, starting tomorrow and until September 22 (first day of Fall), to see what all we can accomplish!
Let the work/process begin….as well as the FUN, for the Summer of 2026 is ours to experience, as of 4:24 A.M. (EDT) tomorrow. I am ready! How about you?
But for today….let the PRODUCTIVITY begin!
Until we meet again. See you, bye.

06/19/2026

Tis the Season to celebrate Friday, June 19, 2026, where today is JUNETEENTH, GARFIELD THE CAT DAY, and NATIONAL EAT AN OREO DAY.
Let’s begin, please, with Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people in America. For the celebration, several businesses will be closed to honor the holiday.
So, for you to honor the day, you might choose to study more about the significance of June 19 as it relates to freedom for the slaves, instead of January 1, 1863……the date President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. You see it wasn’t until June 19, 1865, that the enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were notified of their freedom. Wow, amazing don’t you think. Have I whetted your appetite to study this more?
Plus, for you GARFIELD LOVERS, have I whetted your appetite to do something Garfieldly (is that a word?), too? Maybe you could share some of your Garfield Collections with some little ones in your family…. especially if you have some Garfield Books or Movies. They might grow to love this lazy, self-centered, dry-humorous cat just like some of the rest of us do.
Or maybe you love Oreo Cookies more!! On this National Eat an Oreo Day, I can think of so many ways to celebrate this great cookie. Of course, we can enjoy it solo or with a cold glass of milk. However, I am also thinking of many great desserts that use this Cookie Wonder as their key ingredient (Oreo Cookie Balls, Oreo Dirt Cake, White Chocolate Covered Oreos, No-Bake Oreo Cheesecake, etc., etc.). Yum!
Pass the Oreos, please. Let the celebrating begin.
Until we meet again. See you, bye.

06/18/2026

Hey, on this Thursday, June 18, 2026, we are being encouraged to go fishing. It is also being suggested that we splurge today, as well as go on a picnic. Yes, today is NATIONAL GO FISHING DAY, NATIONAL SPLURGE DAY, NATIONAL WANNA GET AWAY DAY, and INTERNATIONAL PICNIC DAY. However, we might be more focused on the weather. Weather, that I pray will just be rain, and not the storms that other states have been experiencing the last few days. But as we start this day, maybe we can stay as positive as possible.
Splurging as in “indulging oneself extravagantly” sounds like a beautiful place to start. Would you even like to splurge and go fishing today? (No, I have not forgotten the weather forecast; I am just trying to stay positive!) Maybe you will even purchase some new fishing instruments and attachments on your way to your favorite fishing hole.
Splurging, however, is not limited to money. Time is a special commodity, too, so today you might splurge on just doing what you prefer to do.
For example, it would be a splurge if you are supposed to be hard at work today, but you choose to treat yourself to a day off. Are you game? If so, while playing hooky (from farm work, yard work, garden duty, etc. etc.), why not go big and pack a picnic. (Should I reference the weather again…. ok, I will not…. let us get back to splurging!)
However, dear reader, if splurging on fishing or picnicking does not sound exactly right for this day…. you will just have to find something else on which to splurge. That should not be too hard, though, should it? Especially when you remember that splurging is in reference to any special commodity. I cannot get away, though, from how we SPEND our time.
Think about it…. the preciousness of time. With TIME as your measure of value (instead of money), how will you splurge on your TIME today? How about a day of reading? An outing with your best friends? Remember, it is also Wanna Get Away Day. Could you splurge on a Mini Vacation Day?
You get the point, right? Today is your day to splurge. Yes, “indulge yourself extravagantly or ostentatiously.”
Let the indulging begin.
Until we meet again. See you, bye.

06/17/2026

Tis the Season to celebrate Wednesday, June 17, 2026, where today is NATIONAL APPLE STRUDEL DAY, NATIONAL STEWART’S ROOT BEER DAY, NATIONAL EAT YOUR VEGGIES DAY, and GLOBAL GARBAGE MAN DAY.
Well, let us start with VEGGIES to honor National Eat Your Veggies Day. I have no problem with that, though, do you? In my region, this is prime time for Veggie Lovers. Now throughout the Fall, we will have the opportunity to visit our gardens for our special treasures. OR…. or we can go to our Farmers’ Market and pick up our wonders there, as well. Happy picking either way.
Global Garbage Man Day should be important to us, too, especially since the beginning of the Pandemic where we truly learned the essence of ESSENTIAL WORKERS. For the Garbage Collectors of your world, you probably have just one day a week to shout out your praise for them. Now, if today just happens to fall on your Garbage Pick-Up Day, how providential…. let the shouting begin. However, if that is not the case, any day that you offer up your thankfulness, I believe that greeting will be well-received.
Now to some sweet Food and Drink! Do you like Apple Strudel? By chance have you ever made one before? In today’s world the internet has a recipe for about anything you choose to make. Or does your local bakery or grocery store have an Apple Strudel that is simply fine for you? Me too, I am leaning toward a bought version.
Besides, while at the grocery, I just might pick up a carton of Stewart’s Root Beer. Once I get the Root Beer and I get it chilled, I will be ready to celebrate, because I always (I mean always) have some frozen mugs in my freezer. You know…. the way we were taught to enjoy A & W Root Beer many years ago. Well, I have discovered that any cold drink (Coke, Pepsi, Gatorade, Powerade, etc.) tastes great in frozen mugs. However, today the honored liquid should be Stewart’s Root Beer.
Happy pouring!
Until we meet again. See you, bye.
’sRootBeerDay &WRestaurant

06/16/2026

Tis the Season to celebrate Tuesday, June 16, 2026, where today is NATIONAL FUDGE DAY, FRESH VEGGIES DAY, and WORLD SEA TURTLE DAY.
I would love to start the discussion with Fudge, but I should start with a more noble subject, the Sea Turtle. Most of you that have visited the beach at one time, or another have seen the sectioned off portion for the protection and birth of the sea turtles. Depending on the beach you visit, you will see various signs and instructions on safeguarding the sea turtles. Does this conservation effort whet your interest? If so, is today the day to study more about this effort, and even how you can give to support this cause if you are inclined?
Now that I have been noble, can we talk FUDGE? Peanut Butter Fudge, Chocolate Fudge, Caramel Fudge, Creamsicle Fudge, Peppermint Fudge, etc., etc., oh what a foretaste of Heaven!! I can talk Fudge all day long. How about you?
Having established that a lot of us love FUDGE…. let us talk more!!
Have you ever walked into one of those fudge shops and saw rows of culinary delight? Did you almost lose your mind? At one of those Fudge Stores, have you ever seen them pour out the liquid wonder onto a marble slab and then paddle/beat the mixture to perfection? I bet after it was finished, you purchased some of that said Fudge, too, didn’t you? I cannot wait to celebrate Fudge Day, how about you?
But, oh fudge, I am about to forget Fresh Veggies! Unbelievably…. something else that I love just as much as Fudge. In your neck of the foods are Fresh Veggies starting to come in season. I can imagine that some of you are harvesting cucumbers, squash, green onions, peas, cabbage, green beans, and maybe a few other items. Items such as tomatoes and sweet corn that are already being harvested in South Central Kentucky, too.
My, my……what visions of wonders…. followed by, of course, Fudge for dessert. June 16, you sure make it an enjoyable day in the neighborhood, even for the Sea Turtles, I hope!!
Enjoy, my friends, enjoy!!
Until we meet again. See you, bye.

06/15/2026

Tis the Season to celebrate Monday, June 15, 2026, where today is NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY DAY and NATIONAL SMILE POWER DAY.
Yes, let’s talk about SMILE POWER. I trust you celebrate the power of the smile every day, but today you need to try, please, to take your smile to another level. This amazing facial gesture that can make friends out of strangers!! Yes, a dynamic power that can melt the heart of even the most stubborn, grumpy souls. With maybe the most captivating smile being that of an infant. In part, maybe because this is one of the first forms of communication that infants have with us. A communication that many health experts believe is a natural innate response. One that is not learned but felt, since smiling in blind infants has been observed.
Capturing nature can make one smile, too…. any day…. every day, but this day was designated by the North American Nature Photography Association. For me, I feel that the North American Nature Photography Association might have timed this day perfectly (however nature is amazing in all the seasons), since so many folks are either vacationing in the mountains or at the ocean, now.
I so love the nature quote by John Muir, “Going to the mountains is going home.” But I have to say “Amen” to Jacques Cousteau’s quote about the sea, too. “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”
So, here is to NATURE and the SMILE, both gifts from our dear Creator!! Enjoy both gifts today!
Until we meet again. See you, bye.