Interfering in-law advice: In-laws usually don't mean to interfere with their advice. Truly, most people, when they give unsolicited advice, it is because of concern, not a desire to interfere.

Thus, the best way to handle unwanted advice, whether from in-laws, outlaws, or just plain strangers, is to say, "Thank you so much for your concern. You have given me something to think about. Right now, we have decided to do ____, but if it is not working, we will keep in mind what you have said." You can also add, "We will talk it over with our doctor/minister/financial advisor/guru/whatever and made a decision from there."

The person giving the advice just needs to know that he/she has been heard, and the words will be considered, to feel better. It makes that person feel useful in your life. It doesn't hurt to say, "thank you for caring enough to tell me these things, " then go out and do what you want anyway.

A piece of interfering in-law advice, to both generations: Don't demand holidays. Take the attitude that "As long as I see you at some point during a few holiday/celebratory times each year, that is fine. We will make the day serve us, not make ourselves slaves to the specific day." Especially if the parents-in-law take this low pressure, I'm glad to see you whenever you can get here approach, the kids-in-law will make the time to see the family.

A small side note about today's holiday list -- it is very long. I think a lot of people must feel sorry for August not having any major holidays, so they cram packed the first day of the month with a lot of reasons to celebrate. Also, August 1 begins Admit You're Happy Month and National Simplify Your Life Week and World Breastfeeding Week, among other monthly and weekly observances. So remember, there is something to have fun about every day of the year!


Today is:

Cheyenne Frontier Day

Cross-Quarter Day

Document Delivery Day

Emancipation Day, Trinidad and Tobago

Fast in Honor of the Holy Mother of Jesus, Orthodox Christian

Fiesta Day, Nicaragua

Girlfriend's Day

Gule of August, Wales (Their name for Lammas Day.)

Homowo, Ghana (A festival of thanksgiving and remembrance.)

Imps Charity Scramble -- Fairy calendar ( Do they scramble the imps, or do the imps scramble for something?)

International Friendship Day

Lady Day Eve

Lammas Day/Lughnasa (Celtic Feast of Bread)

Lanmac Tide (Beginning of the harvest season.)

Laughter Day, Southern California (May we spread this one around? We need more of this everywhere.)

National Mustard Day (Sweetie had an uncle who would have loved this. Ate mustard on everything, including his apple pie. Bigger Girl also eats lots of mustard.)

National Night Out

National Non-Parent Day

National Raspberry Cream Pie Day

National Sweet Corn Day

Picnic Day, Australia

Pod Body Day, Portland, Maine

Respect for Parent's Day (Now, come on. On the same day as Non-Parent Day? Let's let the non parents have a day to themselves, shall we? They are too often peppered with the "Why don't you have kids/have kids yet?" question that is so disrespectful of their life choices. Parents get lots of other days and don't need to hog this one. I will personally forgo it.)

Rounds Resounding Day (Grab your friends and sing a few songs that go in rounds, like "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" and "Frere Jacques".)

Sports Day (They need a day for this? When the seasons for every sport already overlap?)

St. Ethelwold's Day

Swiss Confederation Day (Celebrates the formation on this day of the Everlasting Confederation, their Day of Independence.)

U.S. Air Force Day

Wattle Day, Australia


Anniversaries Today:

MTV
World Wide Web


Birthdays Today:

Tempestt Bledsoe, 1973
Robert Cray, 1953
Jerry Garcia, 1942
Yves Saint Laurent, 1942
Dom DeLuise, 1933
Herman Melville, 1819
Francis Scott Key, 1779
William Clark, 1770


Today in History:

The future Caesar Augustus, Octavian, enters Alexandria, Egypt, and brings it under the control of Rome, BC30
Japan sends Ono no Imoko to the Sui court in China as envoy, 607
Henry Tudor, soon to be Henry VII, army sails to England, 1495
The first black Americans arrive in Jamestown, Virginia, 1619
Oxygen is "discovered" for the 3rd time, by Priestly, 1774
Slavery is abolished throughout the British Empire, 1834
First coast to coast automobile trip, from San Francisco to New York, is completed, 1903