By the time I had returned to my office I had decided that I must find a way to celebrate others.  As I was at work, my first thought was for my co-workers.  We already have a monthly luncheon get-together.  This month, I’m going to recommend our very own version of employee of the month.  I’m going to secretly draw two peoples names out of a hat.  The first person will be next month’s celebratee, the other will be the person responsible for building a case about why we will celebrate the selected person.  Instead of a “This is your Life” program, we will have a “These are the reasons we are Celebrating You” Program.  I can hardly wait to get started.

At home, I am going to focus on celebrating my family on a weekly basis.  Friday evenings are always held for family night at our household.  As part of the dinner festivities, I am going to ask ach dinner participant to report each week on at least one thing for which the family should celebrate them.  At their turn, each family member will be asked to stand up and announce his or her reason for celebration.  Everyone else will be responsible for congratulating the announcement with great fanfare.  You might even use this time to set a goal for the family member’s for the following week.

Sunday, September 9 is Grandparent’s Day.  This holiday is always celebrated the first Sunday after Labor Day.  Can you think of anyone more worthy of celebrating than the Grandparent’s in your life.  And don’t just celebrate your own Grandparent’s, celebrate everyone you know who is a grandparent.  My children and I will be baking home-made Sugar Cream Pies for both of the Grandpa’s (a favorite for both).  And we’ll be getting Grandma a photo album, with new pictures of her many grand-children and great-grandchildren.  And we’ll send cards and notes to all of the others we know who are grandparents, just so they know how truly loved they are.  You might even contact a local nursing home and see if you could bring extra cards and pictures that your children have drawn to brighten up someone’s day.

Johnny Appleseed was born on September 11, 1774. To celebrate the life of this great man, why not plan a trip to the local apple orchard, Tuttle’s is sure to have apples and apple ciders ready for all.  You could make an apple pie, an apple cake, or apple dumplings.  Or you could just enjoy your apples fresh and crisp, and straight from the tree.  A favorite in my household is to slice the apples and dip the slices in peanut butter.  This always makes a great after-school snack.

Want to go a step further in celebrating the famous apple-tree planter.  Why not plant some apple trees on your own property? There isn’t anything quite as wonderful as fruit from your own trees.
And speaking of planting, fall is the time to plant crocus, daffodils, tulips and many other spring bulbs.  Flowering bulbs are planted in fall to allow them time to establish roots before top growth begins in spring. Planting too early may cause the bulbs to sprout this fall, only to be killed by cold, winter weather. Planting too late may not give the bulbs adequate time to root before winter. Bulbs should be planted in October in Indiana.  So start thinking about what colors and blooms you will want to see next spring, and get those bulbs ordered.
According to a resolution passed by the U.S. Senate in 2003, September 28th has been designated as National Good Neighbor Day.  Why not plan a “block party”, invite your neighbors and host a pitch-in.  Life seems to go by at such a hectic pace.  You see your neighbors, you smile and you wave, but today it seems no one has time to sit on the front porch swing with their neighbors and just visit.  Take this opportunity to do a little “neighboring”.  You could host the entire event outside, or in your basement.  Don’t have time to cook and prepare, perhaps all of your neighbors could decide to go to the same restaurant, or maybe the bowling alley, or local park.  Or perhaps you could all meet at the orchard and eat an apple or two together in honor of Old Johnny Appleseed.