Like many of you, I�ve been sizing up my new 2001 calendar. Here are some occasions you may not know about:

January is designated as Prune Breakfast Month, as well as Oatmeal and Hot Tea Month. If that doesn�t sound appetizing, it�s also Soup Month and Retail Bakers Month. Keep in mind, though, that the third week in January is also Healthy Weight Week, so don�t be overdoing any of these things during those days.

February has its share of food-related dates (canned foods, snack foods, cherries and potatoes) but I was most fascinated to learn that is both National Children�s Dental Health Month and National Pet Oral Health Care Month. It�s also Low Vision Awareness Month and International Embroidery Month as well as National Cat Health Month and National Wild Bird Feeding Month. Although I always thought I was supposed to pay my bills throughout the year; the third week in February is Pay Your Bills Week, so maybe I�ve been doing it wrong all this time!

March is National Craft Month as designated by the Hobby Industry Association (not to be confused with Hobby Month which is January as designated by Hobby Industries of America). It�s also National Peanut Month according to the National Peanut Council--but don�t be celebrating with a peanut butter sandwich because Peanut Butter Month isn�t until November, according to the Peanut Advisory Board!

April has Keep America Beautiful Month, National Garden Month as well as Arbor Day on the 27^th. Of course, here in the North Country we sometimes still have snow on the ground at this time of year, so these sorts of "springy" occasions are sometimes anticlimactic.

May is Older Americans Month. By coincidence (or design?), a slew of physical ailments of particular importance to seniors share the spotlight this month. These include osteoporosis, arthritis, stroke and better hearing and speech. May is also National Barbecue Month and National Photo Month, so fire up the grill and take some pictures of it.

June brings us to easy summertime living. It�s Dairy Month and Iced Tea Month and National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month. The third week of the month is Hug Holiday Week, so by the first day of summer we should all be warm and fuzzy. Of course safety is the watch word, whether you�re boating (National Safe Boating Week), using explosives (Fireworks Safety Month, which extends to July 4th) or soaking up some rays (Cancer in the Sun Month).

July is no time to complain that there�s nothing to do. After all, it�s Anti-Boredom Month, brought to you by the folks at The Boring Institute. Besides, Tennis magazine has decided that July should be Tennis Month. It�s Hot Dog Month as well as Baked Bean Month, Ice Cream Month and July Belongs to Berries Month (blueberries, that is) so I guess you know what to eat after that grueling tennis match.

August slows way down in terms of events and dates to commemorate. There are some nice things, like National Friendship Day (August 5) and International Clown Week (first week), National Smile Week (second week) and Be Kind to Humankind Week (fourth week) but how can you compete against Elvis Week the second week of the month? Foot Health Month, Cat Fish Month and Golf Month just fail to capture the imagination compared to The King.

September has Be Kind to Editors and Writers Month, as well as National Literacy Month and National Library Card Sign-up Month. National Piano Month overlaps with Classical Music Month, and National Bed Check Month (The Better Sleep Council) coincides with the kick off to the National Cold and Flu Campaign.

October brings us Cookbook Month, but do we really need that in the same 30-day span as Pasta Month, Popcorn Month and Pizza Month? Also, it seems unfair that Vegetarian Awareness Month has to compete against Pork Month and Seafood Month. Healthy Lung Month and Youth Against Tobacco Month make sense together but I don�t see why we need Columbus Day and Leif Erikson Day one right after the other.

November is Addictions Month. While that covers a lot of ground, we can�t forget the Great American Smokeout to help smokers kick the habit. My particular addiction is to peanut butter but since this is Peanut Butter Lovers Month, I don�t feel very guilty about it.

December is the month for preparing for Christmas. Don�t forget to buy a calendar for 2002.

Check out www.earthcalendar.com for these and other important dates for 2001.