Embrace Autumn

By Linda Cicoira

I embrace Autumn. It is my favorite time of year. I love the cool, crisp air, turning off the air conditioning, not needing a heater, which lowers the electric bill, wearing sweaters, going to the beach without overheating, and doing so when fewer people are around.

There are so many things to celebrate. Today is National Pancake Day. I like mine with chocolate chips. It’s also International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. Is there anyone who can’t get behind that?

Today is National Johnny Appleseed Day, which honors John Chapman, who introduced apple trees across parts of the country. It is also National Dumpling Day! Yippee! I love the slick dumplings that Eastern Shore cooks make. And it is Alpaca Farm Day. You have to love those furry guys.

National Singles Day is celebrated today. It recognizes nearly half the U.S. population, who by choice or circumstance, remain unattached. The celebration is aimed at dispelling myths that singles go through life depressed and without direction. Their social lives are active and purposeful. They contribute to their communities. While some singles prefer solitude, others pursue their interests at full blast.

Sept. 26 is the most common day of the year to be born. However, the site www.birthdayrank.com disagrees. It states that Sept. 9 ranks first out of 366 days, with an average of 12,344 births per day, and Sept. 26 ranks 12th with an average of 12,047 births per day. Personally, I know six people who were born on Sept. 9 and one born today. All are special.

The fitness expert and nutrition guru Jack LaLanne was born on this day in 1914. T.S. Eliot, considered one of the greatest poets of all time and awarded the 1948 Nobel Prize in Literature, was born on this day in 1888. And Bill France Sr., the famous race car driver and founder of NASCAR, was born on Sept. 26, 1909.

Here are some other fascinating things to remember about today. Three popular TV series debuted on Sept. 26. Gilligan’s Island began on CBS in 1964 and aired 98 episodes during three seasons. The Brady Bunch aired 117 episodes on ABC between 1969 and 1974. Knight Rider ran on NBC from 1982 until 1986 for four seasons and 90 episodes.

The last Saturday in September is International Lace Day, International Rabbit Day, Lumberjack Day, Museum Day, National Key Lime Pie Day, National Seat Check Saturday, National Wildlife Ecology Day, Shamu the Whale Day, and most interestingly it’s National Ghost Hunting Day, which kicks off an annual investigation of the paranormal and opens the gates for next month’s Halloween.

Whatever you do today, have a wonderful time.