Proud Americans,

Today, we remember the loved ones we lost on that horribly tragic morning 13 years ago. If you’re old enough, then you most-likely recall exactly where you were and what you were doing the moment you found out what had happened on September 11, 2001. When a wound leaves such a nasty scar, you don’t forget about it.

I still remember where I was when I first heard about what was happening. The majority of Americans didn’t necessarily know the people who died that day, but it still hurts because it happened to our country.

Whether you knew them or not, today is a day to remember those who were killed. There are many ways that communities and individuals can demonstrate their remembrance. Here are a few ideas on how you can play a role in memorializing the victims of 9/11:

•  Take Time to Observe a moment of silence. Setting a little time aside during the school day or even just alone in your room can be very helpful to all participants. With silence comes peace. The official 9/11 anniversary ceremony at the Ground Zero site where the Twin Towers once stood observes moments of silence at the times of the attacks.

•  Toll the Bells. Ringing bells in your community at 8:46 a.m. (the time of the first attack) is a simple reminder to everyone in your local area.

•  Fly the Flag at Half-Staff. Flags are flown at half-staff to commemorate the deaths of ranking officers and national crises.

•  Speak the Names of the Victims. You can download a list of the names of those who were killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The length of this list is horrifying and daunting, but it’s important that these names are remembered.

•  Honoring the Heroes. The most positive light we can take from the anniversary of this national tragedy is the response we had, the unity that arose from out of the aftermath, and the bravery of those first responders! Thank you.

Whatever way you decide to remember this unfortunate anniversary, all of us at Everything Summer Camp are proud to commemorate and honor with the rest of our country.

- John

Hey, Grandkids!

Sure, Mom and Dad are great! I mean, c’mon! They raise you, they feed you, they house you. They give you everything that you NEED! Now, don’t get me wrong, that’s really, truly amazing of them; but today isn’t about our mothers or our fathers. No, today is National Grandparents’ Day.

Unlike your parents, Grandma and Grandpa are the ones who give you everything that you WANT! In fact, they spoil you rotten! Their love for you knows no bounds and it’s always such a treat to make a trip over and visit the two of them! Thank goodness there’s a day that’s entirely dedicated to them!

But, like every other holiday, it hasn’t always been around. National Grandparents’ Day has been recognized in the United States since 1978 and is celebrated in various other countries on more-or-less arbitrary days. I think that it’s only a matter of time before the entire planet celebrates WORLD Grandparents’ Day!

So how did such a holiday come about? Well, much the same as how Mother’s Day and Father’s Day was created, Grandparents’ Day became officially recognized in the U.S. through persistent rallying, letter-writing, and determination.

A woman named Marian McQuade from West Virginia is responsible for making this holiday official. Her purpose was to inform the younger generation of the contributions made by their elders. She gathered people who supported what she was doing and, together, they contacted political figures like governors, senators, and congressmen from all 50 states, urging them to recognize Grandparents’ Day.

Within the following three years, 43 states had proclaimed their own statewide Grandparents’ Day. Pretty soon, a national proclamation was made and signed by the president at the time, Jimmy Carter. The signed document states the purpose of the day as, “…to honor grandparents, to give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children’s children, and to help children become aware of strength, information, and guidance older people can offer”.

Thanks for reading and Happy Grandparents’ Day from all of us here at Everything Summer Camp!

- John

Hey there, all you little Artists!

I’m sure you already know that there are a million different ways to find your creative outlet—whether you’re working with basic contour line, watercolor, charcoal, aluminum dust…Wait a minute. Aluminum dust? That can’t be right.

Well, actually, by the early 1960’s this had become a very popular medium with which to work. What is aluminum dust, you ask? It’s the stuff inside an Etch-A-Sketch, of course! I know you’re all WELL aware of the Etch-A-Sketch—one of the most popular toys of all time!  

In the 50’s, the Lincrusta Co. hired an electrician by the name of André Cassagnes. Lincrusta Co. was a manufacturer of wall coverings. They used aluminum powder in their processes. Installing a light-switch plate at work one day André peeled away a decal and made a couple pencil marks on its face. He was intrigued, however, when he found that the pencil marks had transferred to the other side.

The other side was covered in aluminum powder.

And so the light switch in his brain went on and he was inspired to make an erasable slate that got covered in aluminum powder. As his idea developed, he thought to give it dials that were attached to a stylus which made it possible to ‘draw.’

He called it ‘L’Ecran Magique’ which translates to ‘The Magic Screen’ in English. Showing off his invention at trade shows, André’s Magic Screen eventually generated some interest from an American manufacturing company called Ohio Art.

Although it was heavily marketed to kids, the Etch-A-Sketch became quite the toy for artists of all ages like Jeff Gagliardi who started using the toy during his adulthood in the 70’s. He mastered it and used it to create amazingly intricate sketches.

Playing itself in the Toy Story movies, the Etch-A-Sketch has certainly proven itself over the years without losing steam. As popular as ever, it seems the Etch-A-Sketch has etched a place in our hearts.

Pick up your own right here at Everything Summer Camp.

Thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Dog Lovers!

As you likely already know, most people in the world are suckers when it comes to the canine companion. Human beings love dogs. And dogs—well—we all know that dog is man’s best friend. Of all the other domesticated animals, farming and pets, the dearest are definitely our dogs. That’s why today, we celebrate National Dog Day!

Virtual members of the family, our dogs have a way of fitting right in, almost as if they’re one of us—probably because the domestication of dogs goes back so far that they’ve basically been ‘civilized’ since the dawn of civilization. The minute we started living in homes, we brought the dogs along too.

Lots of other pets are just as old too, like cats, but dogs were different. Dogs responded. Dogs connected. Dogs were FRIENDS!

So what makes dogs so special? Well, as dogs evolved with us, they began to read faces from left to right the way that people do when we look at one another. Other animals just stare straight at the face of another animal; people and dogs actually READ a face.

This is why it’s believed that dogs make such good company, because they can actually tell what kind of mood you’re in when they look at you. They get happier as you get happier and they console you when you’re down. This provides a connectedness between man and beast. It works on a subconscious level and its results have been extraordinary!

We love dogs here at Everything Summer Camp, soooo…in honor of National Dog Day, we thought we’d share the friendly faces of our dogs. Bet you can’t look at all of these without crackin’ a smile! Look below to see our own furry family members, and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

From left to right: The President of Everything Summer Camp, Ed’s dog, Butter; our Lead Buyer, Kristy’s dog, Lucky Lou, our Vice President, Mark’s two Shih tzus, Charlie and Henry; lastly, (below) there’s Wil, my hound dog.

Hey, Music Lovers!

Do you know what today is? It’s National Radio Day! If it wasn’t for radio, music certainly wouldn’t be what it’s become today! Radio has been around for so long, it may be surprising to realize that it hasn’t always been here. But it’s true—the radio wasn’t invented  until 1895.

In the age of the internet and HD screens, it might not seem like such a fantastic invention anymore. But if you start learning about it, you’ll begin to see that so much of our modern technology relies on radio waves! Most wireless technology today uses them: internet, cell phones, they’re even used for satellite communications.

While there were many contributing scientists who all played a part in this invention, there is one of them who stands out of the crowd. Rarely given the credit he deserves, I think it’s only fair that we cede the invention of the radio to one Mr. Nikola Tesla.

It may have been the German scientist Heinrich Hertz who proved that radio waves exist and are naturally-occurring. And it was Gugliemo Marconi who invented the wireless telegraph using radio waves while experimenting in the attic of his parents’ house.

But it was Tesla who invented the standard means of transmitting radio signals through the air. And that wasn’t the only thing this guy did—he also invented alternating current for the light bulb (which is what we use today—not the direct current that Thomas Edison wanted everyone to use!).

Vastly beyond his time, the people of the early 1900s didn’t really know what to make of Tesla. His Tesla coil was a bit of a scary image and he had ideas of tapping into the earth’s ionosphere, granting free electricity to the entire world. If people had listened to Tesla, we wouldn’t need to plug our toasters in, they’d just use the freely flowing supply of electricity!

Check out more about Tesla in the video underneath. A happy Radio Day to all and thanks for reading!

- John