National Polar Bear Swim Day

                When we lived in Kearns, Jenna and I had taken many walks.  Often we had a destination.  One of her absolute favorite places to go was Big Lots.  Thus whenever we happen to see a Big Lots, it brings back good memories for us and we have to stop in.

Kearns Shopping Center

        We haven't experienced even half of Roseburg.  We seemed to be locked into our routine of what few places actually bring us to Roseburg. There is a Big Lots in Roseburg, but it doesn't fall into our average drive and thus has been overlooked - even non-existent until one day in November when we just happened to be taking a different route. 

        "Is that a Big Lots?"  I asked Roland.  "Can we go there?"

        We were there for gift tags specifically, but hey, as long as we were there, Jenna and I wanted to explore it all.  We started with the calendars.  Our favorite was called “Every Day’s a Holiday” 

I liked it for its size and color. Jenna liked it for the everyday activity suggestions. 

So we purchased only one calendar with the understanding that if we happened to receive a calendar for Christmas, we would hang that one in the kitchen and Jenna could hang the “Holiday” calendar in her room.  Today is “Polar Bear Swim Day”

        Polar Bear Swims have been practiced for well over a hundred years in different countries, A polar bear plunge is an event held during the winter where participants enter a body of water despite the low temperature. Keep in mind that human beings don’t have the fat and fur that polar bears have to protect them from the cold. In the United States polar bear plunges are usually held to raise money for a charitable organization. In Canada polar bear swims are usually held on New Year's Day to celebrate the new year.  For more information on this day, click here. 

        As mentioned in prior posts, Jenna and I have both experienced illnesses during the holiday.  I told her even if we had access to the freezing water, taking the plunge would be very bad idea. Plus it's Sunday and so we would not be doing that even if we were healthy.  Jenna did say she took a semi-cold shower to compensate.

        We played games with Roland last night.  We missed most of the fireworks, but when Jenna opened the door to look outside, she discovered something that she found even more exciting.  Snow.  A very light wet snow, but snow nevertheless.

        Okay, so she didn’t get her polar bear swim day.  I think she may have enjoyed the snow even more than a polar swim.  She actually enjoyed the slips and falls as she moved her snowman from the bottom to the top of the hill.  She laughed a lot.  I am so happy that she had so much fun.  

       Tomorrow is 55 MPH day – whatever that means.  

 The only road I know of that uses 55 MPH is I5 truck lane – which is the lane I generally stay in if I have to be driving I5.  But I’m not willing to drive it just to celebrate 55 mph day.  

We’ll have to Google, write poems, draw signs or find some other way to celebrate.