Today is Monday, January 9th, 2012 

National Apricot Day

Celebrate National Apricot Day! Did you know that the word "apricot" means "precious" in Latin? Apricots ripen earlier than most summer fruits, making them a precious commodity every spring.

The apricot tree emerged in China more than 4,000 years ago and eventually made its way across Asia to the Mediterranean. Centuries later, Spanish explorers introduced the apricot to the New World and planted the trees all over the west coast. Today, farmers in California’s San Joaquin Valley produce 95% of the apricots grown in the United States.

Whether you prefer them fresh, broiled, grilled, or poached, enjoy an apricot today in honor of the occasion! Happy National Apricot Day!

This week is National Pizza Week

January is Get Organized Month & National Oatmeal Month

mages and text courtesy of MyPunchbowl.com" -- http://www.mypunchbowl.com/

History for January 9 1894 - The New England Telephone and Telegraph Company put the first battery-operated switchboard into operation in Lexington, MA. 1902 - New York State introduced a bill to outlaw flirting in public. 1929 - The Seeing Eye was incorporated in Nashville, TN. The company's purpose was to train dogs to guide the blind. 1937 - The first issue of LOOK went on sale. Within a month, Look became a biweekly magazine. 1984 - Clara Peller was first seen by TV viewers in the "Where's the Beef?" commercial campaign for Wendy's. 1986 - Kodak got out of the instant camera business after 10 years due to a loss in a court battle that claimed that Kodak copied Polaroid patents. 1995 - Russian cosmonaut Valeri Poliakov, 51, completed his 366th day in outer space aboard the Mir space station, breaking the record for the longest continuous time spent in outer space.

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"Everyone has talent. What is rare is the courage to follow the talent to the dark place where it leads."

--Erica Jong