Every year, the nation celebrates the french fry with dozens of crispy sliced spud varieties, from beer battered and deep fried, to olive oil tossed and baked. Even though most of us celebrate those golden brown beauties at least once a week, why not cook up something special for National French Fry Day this year?

Making your own french fries is a lot easier than it sounds. In fact, all you really need are five or six potatoes, vegetable oil and a deep fryer, paper towels, salt and your favorite french fry condiment.

You can peel the potatoes before slicing, or leave the skin. The skin adds a unique flavor to the fries that can’t be beat, so it’s a matter of personal preference. Skin on or off, slice your spuds into strips. The beauty is you can make them as thick or thin as you like.

Heat the oil to 375 degrees and cover the bottom of your fryer basket in a single layer. Drop them into the fryer and cook for four to five minutes. Lift out the basket and let the excess oil drain, then transfer your fries to paper towels to dab off the oil.

Salt to your preference and voila! Delicious, fresh cut fries right from your kitchen.

Top them to your taste with everything from chili and cheese to creamy caesar dressing, melted mozzarella cheese and coarse chopped bacon. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

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Celebrating his 75th birthday, Tuesday, July 6, in northern India (where he’s been exiled from Tibet since 1959,) the Dalai Lama told the Associated Press, “Even at this age, I find time for my Buddhist studies that give me strength, peace, happiness and keep me in good health.”

He began his 75th birthday with an early morning prayer ceremony in Dharmsala, and then entered into the street to greet and welcome well-wishers. During celebration ceremonies, he stood before those in attendance and spoke briefly before dancers and performers entertained all who came to celebrate. He was offered gifts and traditional white scarves from his followers.

The Dalai Lama is the spiritual and temporal leader of the Tibetan people, but difficulty with China during the last sixty-one years has kept His Holiness in exile. Despite his exile, His Holiness continues to spread peace, love, strength, human happiness and hope throughout the world.

If you’re not familiar with Buddhist philosophy, or the Dalai Lama, July 6 is the perfect day to step back and reflect on the life and teachings of both the Buddha and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

To learn more about the 14th Dalai Lama, visit his official website and don’t forget to wish him a Happy Birthday on Twitter!

• Family Game Night! With many families cutting back on the amount of travel they do in the summer because of economy woes, family game night has become a popular way to entertain everyone in the house. Set up your favorite family board game, pop some popcorn and prepare to have a great time together.
• Cloud Watching… or watching just about anything else, from birds to insects to a local baseball game is not only entertaining, but it gets you outdoors in the fresh air.
• Reading is Fundamental. It really is, and most local libraries have tons of great activities to keep you motivated, learning and entertained all summer long.
• Visit the local historical society. Nearly every town has one, and it’s an awesome place to learn about the landmarks and history in the place you live. Afterward, head out as a family on a local adventure/treasure hunt, to try to identify landmarks you learned about during your visit.
• Hiking and Geocaching rock. Much like the local landmark treasure hunt, hiking and geocaching are fantastic activities the whole family can enjoy together. Not only are you outdoors, but it’s a great way to learn about navigation.

Battling boredom is an important part of making summer special for everyone. So celebrate the entire month of July by going out of your way to battle the boredom monster!

National Childhood Obesity Week, which takes place from July 5 through July 11, is primarily observed in the U.K., the startling statistics about childhood obesity should prompt everyone in the world to take notice and get active.

MEND and the National Obesity Forum teamed up to create National Childhood Obesity Week to help raise awareness about this dangerous health epidemic, and to encourage families to get out and get active with their kids. As part of the initiative, MEND and the National Obesity Forum established MEND’s Move It Week, which will provide over 350 healthy lifestyle programs across the United Kingdom.

I happen to live in the United States, but as a mother I recognize how serious the childhood obesity issue is. So this week, I’ll be taking control of our family lifestyle, getting outdoors more and trying to establish new routines that promote healthy eating and physical activity as a group.

Our kids are depending on us, so let’s step it up!

Statistics show there are more than one million people in America today who are a combination of hearing and vision impaired, from newborns to the elderly.

If your community is currently not on board to help educate and provide awareness, the HKNC has materials on their official website designed to help you organize events.

Possible events in your community might focus on local deaf-blind people and exploring the amazing things they do in their every day life despite the challenges they face, as well as the SSPs who assist them. You might also consider petitioning your local newspaper, library and school district to host events to educate the general public on deaf-blind awareness.

When I was a kid, one of the most inspirational stories I remember studying in elementary school was the life of Helen Keller. Those of us born with our sight and hearing rarely reflect on deaf-blindness, but why not take time out this week to think about how you might be able to help the deaf-blind in your community?

For practitioners of Wicca and paganism, Litha, as it often called, is one of the four lesser sabbats in the wheel of the year. In ancient pagan cultures, Midsummer was the time of year when farmers could assess their crops to determine how much food they would have during the winter months.

On Midsummer’s day, or summer solstice, the sun is at its zenith, its furthest point from the equator. At noon, the sun appears to stand still in the sky, making Midsummer’s day the longest day in the calendar year with the shortest night. From that date forward, the sun begins it’s journey back toward darkness, bringing in the impending harvest season.

One of the most important aspects of Midsummer celebrations which still carry on in many cultures to this day are the Midsummer bonfires. People gather around the bonfires to feast, drink, celebrate and jump the flames to bring good luck during the impending harvest season. When the fires die down, ashes are gathered and carried home to sprinkle on the fields and in home hearths.

Celebrating the seasonal shifts is still an important part of many cultures, as we pay homage to the earth that sustains and gives us life. Invite friends and family over for a bonfire this summer solstice to enjoy one another’s company and the beautiful summer night. Even if you’re not pagan, bonfires have a way of bringing people closer together and helping them reconnect with the great outdoors.

For avid Civil War and history buffs, it’s a well-known fact that Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862, and it was to go into effect in January of 1863. At the time, much of the Confederate state of Texas was still held by slavery’s thrall. It wasn’t until June 18 and June 19, 1865, that Union General Gordon Granger marched 2,000 troops into Texas and liberated the state from Confederate control.

Juneteenth is a recognized state holiday in Texas, but the celebration doesn’t have to stop there. People all over the world can celebrate Juneteenth by educating themselves about slavery and the Civil War.

If you’re planning your own Juneteenth celebration, either at home or in your community, why not do it barbecue style. Serve plenty of southern favorites and make sure there’s delicious red velvet cake and strawberry soda water for dessert.

Get the whole community involved, including local libraries, who may want to set up displays of great books and resources on the Civil War. Encourage local politicians and historians to speak and reflect on the importance of historical resonance in the modern age. Juneteenth is the perfect day to reflect on social responsibility and the mistakes of the past to ensure we don’t repeat them. It is also a great opportunity to learn not just history, but about African American culture.

There are dozens of reasons cats wind up in shelters. In some cases, owners become sick or impoverished and are no longer able to care for their pet. In other instances, these animals are abandoned in an act of cruelty. They are often captured by animal patrol and dropped off at the shelter in poor health.

As much as animal shelters and organizations enjoy caring for the animals that come into their care, funding and space allotment does not afford them to keep those animals permanently. Time constrictions are impressed upon the shelter, giving a healthy animal sometimes seven to ten days to become adopted, and if that does not happen, the animals often have to be put to sleep.

While it may be tempting to head out to a pet store and spend upwards of $500 on a fancy cat breed, it often costs less for a family or individual to adopt a cat from the local shelter. As well as health information, many shelters have the cats spayed or neutered before they put them up for adoption, which means your adopted feline will be less likely to wander, and you won’t wind up with countless litters of kittens on your hands.

Before you visit the pet store, take a moment to contact your local pet shelter and ask for details about their adoption policies. Inquire about the cats they currently have at the shelter, and make an appointment to visit and check them out. I can guarantee you your local shelter probably has a wide variety of male and female cats ranging in size, breed and age.

Your visit may not just bring a faithful feline companion into your home, but it may just save that kitty’s life.

If you’re looking for a bit of fun to perk up your camp date or kids’ program this June, why not celebrate Pop Goes the Weasel Day? Every year on June 14, people in the United States celebrate Flag day, which definitely provides you with a ton of fun activities to work on for part of the day.

Shifting focus from history to fun, you can celebrate Pop Goes the Weasel day by teaching the kids the popular Cockney rhyme song in its many variations.

Many of us probably learned the version:

All around the mulberry bush

the monkey chased the weasel.

The monkey thought it was all in good fun.

Pop! goes the weasel

Have the kids make fun monkey masks out of paper plates, designing their own silly monkey faces.

Create a game similar Duck-Duck-Goose. Have the children sit in a circle and assign one of them the role of the monkey. She can walk around patting everyone on the head while the group sings the rhyme. Whomever’s head is the last one patted upon saying the words: “Pop! Goes the weasel,” becomes the next monkey.

You can also teach them alternative versions of the song, such as the original Cockney rhyme and talk about children of the time and era, and the games they used to play.

Half a pound of tuppenny rice

half a pound of treacle

that’s the way the money goes

Pop! goes the weasel

Up and down the City Road

In and out the Eagle

That’s the way the money goes

Pop! goes the weasel

When it’s time to sit down for snack, feast on fresh seasonal berries drizzled in treacle syrup.