When you look at the calendar, you will see that the poor month of August is bereft of any national holidays. But does that mean there is nothing to celebrate? Certainly not!
One of the best reference books at the Delaware County District Library is “Chase’s Calendar of Events: A Day-by-Day Directory to Special Days, Weeks, and Months,” and it lists dozens of reasons to party and have fun in August.
Today is “Sneak Some Zucchini onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day,” for example. And tomorrow is “Book Lover’s Day!” Who doesn’t like that day? August 10 is “Lazy Day,” August 11 is “Presidential Joke Day,” and August 12 is “Middle Child’s Day” (I’ll be celebrating that one!).
Still need a reason to celebrate? How about “National Creamsicle Day” (Aug. 14) or “Relaxation Day” (Aug. 15)? Drop by the library to relax in a cool and restful place.
If you’d like to rejoice the entire month, August is “Admit You’re Happy Month,” “Family Fun Month,” “National Catfish Month,” “National Golf Month,” “Romance Awareness Month” and “National Picnic Month,” too. The library has recipes for catfish, picnics and thousands of romance novels.
And Aug. 9-15 is National Smile Month — and when I see hundreds of Delaware folks enjoying the library, it brings a smile to my face.
August may not have Christmas, Halloween, Labor Day or any other national holiday in it, but I hope you can find something to celebrate, and the library can help you plan your merriment.
What is the difference between a centipede and a millipede? Is it the number of legs?
Not really, according to “Science Online.” A centipede is a small animal, related to the insects. It has a long, flattened body made up of segments. Each segment bears a pair of legs, and there may be from 15 to 173 segments, depending upon the species. (The name centipede means “hundred-footed.”) The first pair of legs is modified into hook-like jaws equipped with poison glands. Centipedes feed chiefly upon insects. The bite of the large tropical species is dangerous to humans, but is not necessarily fatal.
Centipedes live under logs and stones, in cellars and in dark corners indoors. They hunt at night and can sometimes be seen scuttling around bathrooms and closets. The house centipede, found over most of the United States, is about three inches long, including the very long legs.
A millipede is a wormlike animal that is sometimes called “thousand-legged worm.” It resembles the centipede, to which it is distantly related. The millipede has a rounded head and a tough-skinned, cylindrical body. Most millipedes are 1 to 2 inches long, but some tropical species may be nearly 12 inches long. The body is divided into segments, usually 25 to 55. All except a few segments at both ends have two pairs of legs. The animal feeds chiefly on decaying vegetation.
What is the Apgar test?
The National Institute of Medicine notes Apgar is a quick test performed on a baby at 1 and 5 minutes after birth. The 1-minute score determines how well the baby tolerated the birthing process. The 5-minute score tells the doctor how well the baby is doing outside the mother’s womb. The Apgar rating is based on a total score of 1 to 10. The higher the score, the better the baby is doing after birth.
The health care provider will examine the baby’s breathing effort, heart rate, muscle tone, reflexes and skin color. A lower Apgar score does not mean a child will have serious or long-term health problem. Dr. Virginia Apgar designed and introduced the Apgar Score in 1952, the first standardized method for evaluating a newborn’s transition to life outside the womb.
My mother would like a copy of her brother’s obituary. His name was Frank Houston and he died in 2009 in Geauga County. Can you help?
Thanks to the library’s “Newsbank” database, I was able to search local newspapers in Geauga County to find Mr. Houston’s obituary in the Ashtabula Star Beacon. He died on March 26, 2009, at the age of 72. I sent the obituary along to his sister.
