January is so much more than just a cold month of the year. Thanks to my friend, Internet, I learned that there are all kinds of things we can celebrate and observe in the month of January.

Like celebrating the asparagus. (Eat one for me. Not my favorite vegetable unless smothered in butter, Velveeta cheese and croutons.) It also is the month of: Bath Safety (Duh. Don't take one); Book Blitz (Read one, please!); California Dried Plum Digestive (Not a picture I want in my head.); Celebration of Life (This should be EVERY day); International Brain Teaser (Is that like, Linda, if you had a brain it would be lonely?); National Volunteer Blood Donor (Please, please donate. The blood banks are in dire need. Avoid vampires at all costs.); Get Organized (OK. I can do all the others. This one may be beyond my realm of possibilities.)Research shows that people waste as much as an hour a day, on average, looking for things they've misplaced. (Raise your hand if that applies to you. Yup, mine is up.) That means that many of us waste as much as 15 days every year because of disorganization. Well, in my case, it's more like 15 days finding one item. Getting organized helps save time. Even if you save half of that time, it means an extra seven days you can spend doing something more productive every year.Like visiting a Quilt Shop because today (Jan. 25) is Quilt Shop Day... time to celebrate all things quilty. Now I'm not a quilter but I visited The Quilted Crow in Lehighton earlier this month to help my friend, Connie, pick out material for our Ladies Spring Fling because our theme is quilts this year and we'll be raffling off a hand-made quilted wall hanging and our centerpieces and favors will be quilt themed. All I can say is, Wow. It was like walking into an art gallery. There were so many beautiful examples of various quilts and quilting designs. Owner Jane Heckman and her assistant, Anita, were so warm and friendly and we had such a good time. Really, visit a quilt shop. It's actually a pretty neat experience. And I don't even sew! But I can appreciate great art.Jan. 26 is Spouse's Day, dedicated to recognizing spouses everywhere. So tomorrow, express to your spouse that you are thankful for the fulfillment and security of a long-term relationship. It helps boost morale and well-being. You know, like thanking your spouse for maintaining the house, catching a mouse, eating what I cook without a grouse, for not letting love's embers be doused, and for not being a louse.Jan. 27 is...drum roll please ... Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day. Find yourself some bubble wrap and start popping! Is that not just the best? I love popping those things! I think it's a great stress reliever. But don't do it near someone. It annoys the heck out of them. It's only fun for the popp-er, not the popp-ee.It's also Chocolate Cake Day. Now that's a day I can sink my teeth into.Everybody, quick run out and buy a Kazoo because on Tuesday, Jan. 28 it's National Kazoo Day. Alabama Vest of Macon, Georgia made the first Kazoo in the 1840s. Well, he thought it up but had Thaddeus Von Clegg, a German clockmaster make it to his specifications. The Kazoo went into commercial production in 1912. Kazoos are easy to play. Simply hum a tune into the kazoo. Kazoos can be played solo, or in groups. Think of the fun you could have after dinner tonight and instead of watching TV, have a Kazoo concert playing all your favorite songs.Jan. 29 is National Corn Chip Day. (I'm not making these up, folks.) The website says the origin of corn chips dates back to 1932. C.E. "Elmer" Doolin bought a bag of fried corn chips and enjoyed them so much he pawned his mother's wedding ring to purchase the manufacturer and the recipe. He started selling Fritos Corn Chips from his car. In 1961, the company merged with H.W. Lay (Lay's Potato Chips) and now the Frito-Lay company is the largest manufacturer of corn chips in the USA. So eat a bag of corn chips, with dips such as salsa or guacamole, or with melted cheese to celebrate.Jan. 30 is National Inane Answering Message Day. No, not insane, inane, which means, silly and stupid. OK. Maybe insane works too. Here are my two most favorite all time answering machine messages.Some years ago, I had to make a call to a Mr. Bullwinkle. I swear on a stack of Bibles, that was his last name. Now some of you may get this if you're about my age. If you're younger, probably not. When I was a kid, there use to be a cartoon show called "Rocky and His Friends" which later became "The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show." Rocky was a flying squirrel and Bullwinkle was his pal, a lovable moose. So Mr. Bullwinkle's message went like this: "This is Squirrel and Moose. Leave a message."My other favorite answering message is courtesy of our friends, Darryl and Devoe Brenich: "We can't come to the phone right now" (and then you hear the flush of a toilet) "so leave a message and we'll get back to you."That brings us to Friday, Jan. 31- Inspire Your Heart With Art Day. Visit a museum, or a local art show. Get the kids or grandkids to draw their rendition of the perfect winter day or of their favorite winter activity and then hang them on your refrigerator. Or visit your local quilt shop (See Jan. 25.) Or just admire the beauty of a snowy landscape. When you take the time to view art of any kind, your heart will thank you for it.