Hey, Word Lovers!

If you’re anything like me, then you love flexing your vocabulary and learning new words to build your lexicon. When you have command of the English language, you possess more power than you probably realize. Why? Because if you can deliver your thoughts and ideas with precise articulation, the world understands you better. You’re more likely to be heard when you express yourself with intelligence and clarity.

The dictionary is an excellent source for gaining lexical knowledge. It’s an obvious authority on words, concerning a slew of important information about them, like their spelling, definition, pronunciation, syllable count, etymology, and more. It’s no wonder we have a day like today, National Dictionary Day.

Dictionaries used to be books, but nowadays, the word ‘dictionary’ includes all technological modernizations such as CD-ROMs, applications on mobile devices, and resource sites online—like Dictionary.com. Basically, if you can use it like a dictionary, then it’s still a dictionary…unless it’s a thesaurus. Then it’s a thesaurus…the dictionary’s cousin.

We’ll celebrate Thesaurus Day in a few months.

Believe it or not, Noah Webster did not make the first dictionary—just the one that we all know and love. Actually, dictionaries (as far as we know) date back to 2300 B.C. The oldest dictionary ever found was a simple, bilingual wordlist of words in the Sumerian and Akkadian languages.

It took time for dictionaries to develop certain characteristics that are nothing short of customary for us nowadays. The listing order, for example, wasn’t always alphabetical. They didn’t necessarily provide such a wide assortment of information. And, thus, they had yet to yield their authoritative connotation as they do now.

We have Mr. Noah Webster to thank for his boundless efforts in creating the expanded and fully comprehensive ‘American Dictionary of the English Language’ in 1828. It took him 27 years to complete his dictionary—which isn’t really even THAT long, when you consider that he learned 26 languages in order to properly get the job done!

Have fun building your vocabularies today by looking up any words you didn’t understand in my Blog post today. I intentionally threw in some particularly big ones just for you. Thanks for reading, Blog Fans, and Happy Dictionary Day.

- John

Hey, Dessert Devotees!

Desserts are made with lots of calories, lots of butter, lots of sugar, and, nutritionally speaking, work against our general health overall; but despite our understanding, we still love them. After all, who can resist the call of a cool ice cream treat or a delicious bite of delicate cake? Today is a day dedicated entirely to indulging ourselves in those rich, dark, delectable desserts. Today is Dessert Day.

Desserts will forever be glorified. There’s a soft spot for them in each and every one of our hearts. That goes without question.

It may surprise you to discover just how far back it goes that people have been making desserts. Believe it or not, the ancient Egyptians were pretty good bakers. It’s true—cake is thousands of years old! And that’s not the only dessert that has a history to it.

Egyptians are responsible for pies too. Pie was the answer for the Egyptians’ need of nutritious, long-lasting, easy-to-store and easy-to-transport food items that Egyptian sailors could take on long journeys. Pies started showing up some time around 9500 BC.

The end of the 17th Century is when Italians first started experimenting with freezing drinks for desserts. Hot chocolate had recently become a fast-favorite, standing alongside other popular drinks like coffee and tea. These became the first three ice cream flavors.

Cake, Pie, and Ice Cream only scratch the surface of desserts, but they are the most popular and customary desserts. Celebrate Dessert Day with a dish of your favorite after-dinner treat and partake in the mouth-watering creations from many, many years ago.

Everyone here at Everything Summer Camp enjoys indulging their sweet-tooth. We all brought our own favorite dessert-creations for each other to try today. Check out these delightful dishes and thanks for reading, Dessert Lovers!

- John

Hey, Dog Folks!

As previously discussed on this Blog in the first week of October, it is National Adopt a Dog Month! There’s certainly no shortage of dogs who could use a good home so why not adopt a dog to come live with you instead of a nervous, noisy shelter. You can make a dog’s day (and also its future) by bringing one home with you today.

Everything Summer Camp is selling our ‘live love adopt’ T-shirt and donating the proceeds to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) to help spread awareness that October is a month for adopting dogs from shelters. Based in New York City since its founding in 1866 the ASPCA is a non-profit organization which is dedicated to preventing cruelty toward animals.

If dogs are dear to you and you’ve been entertaining the idea of getting a dog, make today the day you seal the deal and go find yourself a friend at your local shelter. If not today, then make sure you make October the month that you take action. Make visits to shelters and meet with the dogs there.

Giving a dog a good home is such a gigantic act of kindness; when you show an animal this kind of love, you’ll receive that much love in return from your new pet. They’ll be the most excited one to see you when you get home, they’ll protect you thoughtlessly, and love you unconditionally.

Get off the fence and go find a dog to bring home in celebration of National Adopt a Dog Month! And don’t be afraid to give your hesitant friend or relative the push they need to make the right decision too. Anyone can help get a good home for a dog!

As always, thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Fire Prevention Folks!

Are you and your family prepared against the risk of uncontrolled fire? If not, it’s the perfect time to make sure everyone in your family is aware of fire safety tips and what to do to help prevent fires. Not only is today National Fire Prevention Day, but the entire week (until Saturday) is dedicated to the awareness of preventative fire tips.  

This is a week that goes back to 1925 when the President, Calvin Coolidge, proclaimed the week of October 9th ‘Fire Prevention Week.’ This week is recognized as Fire Prevention Week due to the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. While the cause of the fire is unknown, one of Mrs. O’ Leary’s cows gets a bad rep, blamed for having kicked over a lantern in the barn.

The fire spread feverishly through Chicago, leaving death and destruction in its wake and burning for more than 24 hours. On behalf of Everything Summer Camp, I’d like to share some tips on fire safety to help spread the word of fire prevention awareness:

•    Working smoke alarms reduce the risks of fire fatality by almost 50%. You should test your smoke alarm once a month to make sure the batteries are still good and that they’re working properly. You should install smoke alarms on every level of your home and every bedroom.

•    Talk to your kids about fire safety. Tell them never to play with matches or lighters. Be sure you always keep these items up and out of reach of young children.

•    Have a plan for an emergency escape of your home in case of a fire. You should have two exits in mind and go over the plan with everyone in your family. Practicing drills like this can be just as fun as it is smart.

•    Teach your children to get low and not to panic when they hear the smoke alarm go off.

•    Never leave a hot oven, stovetop, or fry pan unattended.

•    Practice proper limits on power from a single outlet.

Thanks for reading, Fire Preventers. Stay safe!

- John

Hey, Summer Campers!

If you’re a fan of the Everything Summer Camp Blog, then you probably already realize that there’s no shortage of celebrities who attended summer camp when they were your age. It doesn’t really matter if they’re singer/songwriters, famous athletes, or big Hollywood stars. It seems like they all ended up going to summer camp when they were younger.

Jerry Stiller is no exception to that notion. He went to Surprise Lake Camp in New York when he was a kid. The camp has been around since 1902, providing children with the beautiful landscape of the Cold Spring Mountains as a getaway from the rest of the world.

Firstborn of four to Bella and William Stiller in 1927, Jerry was born in the Unity Hospital in Brooklyn. Rather grounded in New York, he and his family lived in just a couple different neighborhoods. It was at some time around the early 40’s that Jerry had his fun at Surprise Lake Camp.

Soon after, the Stillers moved to the Lower East Side and Jerry graduated from grade school, moving on to Seward Park High. Developing his love for acting, once he was done with high school he went on to be a Drama Major at Syracuse University. Equipped with a Bachelor’s in Drama, Jerry first embarked on his acting career at the Phoenix Theater for their production of Coriolanus, a tragedy written by William Shakespeare.

After Jerry met his wife, Anne Meara, the two of them became their own comedy team. They were a successful duo for many years on the stage. They were invited to make appearances on variety programs like the Ed Sullivan Show. They also began a family of their own, raising two kids that followed in their parents’ footsteps, Ben and Amy Stiller.

Jerry had great success, playing roles in lots of movies and television shows. He’s probably best known for his role as Frank Costanza in the classic television series, Seinfeld. He’s also provided a good amount of voice acting for films like ‘The Lion King 1½’, ‘Fish Hooks’, ‘Foodfight!’, and, most recently, ‘Planes: Fire & Rescue’.

Summer camp must have done a lot for Mr. Stiller. What will it do for you? Thanks for reading, Campers!

- John