November is the month of thanks - or as Elvis said, “Thanka verra much!” - and as Daffy Duck said, “Thanks for the sour persimmons, cousin.” - and for the cornbread, Hot Sardines, banana pudding and everything else on the table.

1 National Authors Day - time to write a thank-you note: Aesop: “Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.” Shakespeare: “I can no other answer make but

thanks, and thanks, and ever thanks.” Jessica Simpson: “ When I walk through an airport

and people go, ‘You’re not fat!’ I’m like, ‘Thanks.’”

The Doobie Brothers, 8 p.m. at Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville. Details at waltonartscenter.org. Call (479) 443-5600.

Student poetry contests for grades 6 to 12 through the Poets’ Roundtable of Arkansas. Details at poetsroundtable.com. Call (501) 831-0341.

JOHNNYCAKE WALK 2 Cornbread Festival, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at The Bernice Garden on South Main, Little Rock.

Details at arkansascornbreadfestival.

com. Call (501) 663-4181.

’SHROOMS ON THE ZOOM Mushroom Mania with mycologist Jay Justice, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at Pinnacle Mountain State Park near Little Rock. Call (501) 868-5806.

Rockin’ on the River, 8 p.m. with Deep South at the Wild Hog Saloon, Helena-West Helena, benefits Alzheimer’s Arkansas. Details at supportmemorykeepers.com. Call (501) 920-7729.

STIFF OCCASION Day of the Dead, Mexican celebration welcomes the spirits of the departed - not to be confused with the next day of the dead, Nov. 4, a Monday.

CLOCK STRIKES 2; OTHERS HIDE UNDER THE COVERS 3 End of daylight saving time, 2 a.m. Never miss a chance to set the clock back one hour - the only way a person ever has to find time.

STANDARD TEST The timely idea of daylight saving time came from which of the nation’s founding fathers: (A) George Washington, for an extra hour to pick cherries; (B) Paul Revere, to see where he was going, or (C) Benjamin Franklin, to save on the cost of candles.

Answer at Nov. 14.

REDOX REDUX 4 How to celebrate Chemistry Week: in accordance with chemistry’s Beer-Lambert Law of light and absorption, which states that a man in low light will absorb more beer.

“I’ve gone further than man should go.” - Dr. Jekyll Northwest Arkansas Community College juried art show through Dec. 6; reception 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Nov. 5, Bentonville.

Call (479) 631-8656.

SOME CARE, SOME DON’T CARROT ALL5 Vegan Month.

Nonpresidential election day - all the excitement of a meatless meatloaf.

SANTA DRESSED IN FIR 6 CARTI Auxiliary Festival of Trees through Nov. 9 at the Statehouse Convention Center, Little Rock. Events include Sugar Plum Ball, Nov. 7; Tux ’n’ Trees gala, Nov. 9. Details at carti.com.

Call (501) 660-7616.

PICKY, PICKY, PICKY 7 Bluegrass Festival through Nov. 9 at Ozark Folk Center State Park, Mountain View. Details at ozarkfolkcenter.com. Call (870) 269-3851.

BIG THIGH COUNTRY 8 Montana admission day, 1889: Montana admits that the song “Shake Your Booty” is a reference to Butte.

Fall Mini-Bazaar, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 8 and 8 a.m.-noon Nov.

9 at Oak Forest United Methodist Church, Little Rock. Call (501) 663-9407.

CLASSIC DENIM 9 Arkansas Symphony Orchestra concert, Beethoven and Blue Jeans, 8 p.m. Nov. 9 and 3 p.m.

Nov. 10 at Robinson Center Music Hall, Little Rock. Details at arkansassymphonyorchestra.com. Call (501) 666-1761.

SLEIGH RIDES Snow Village and toy train display, various times through Dec.

21 at the Eureka Springs Historical Museum, Eureka Springs. details at eurekaspringshistoricalmuseum.org. Call (479) 253-9417.

Christmas bazaar, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at Sylvan Hills United Methodist Church, Sherwood. Details at sylvanhillsumc.com. Call (501) 835-3410.

Georgia O’Keeffe and the Alfred Stieglitz Collection exhibit through Feb. 3 at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville. Details at crystalbridges.org.

Call (479) 418-5700.

Veterans Memorial 5KRace, 8 a.m. from Fayetteville National Cemetery, sponsored by the Regional National Cemetery Improvement Corp. Details at regncic.tripod.com. Call (479) 267-3838.

NUT CASE 10 How to celebrate National Georgia Pecan Month: Crack wise.

11Veterans Day.

12 Neil Young’s 68th birthday, and still searchin’ for that heart o’ gold.

NICE TIME13 World Kindness Day, and three ways to make the most of it.

Be kind to children. Never pick on something that grows up to be bigger than you are.

Be kind to old people. You never know which one is planning to leave a million dollars to a stranger.

Be kind to dogs. A man in the doghouse finds out who his friends are.

PILOT PROJECT 14 How to celebrate Aviation History Month: on Cloud Nine.

TALLOW FELLOW Time-saving quiz answer: (C) Benjamin Franklin, in dread of his monthly bill from Ye Olde Entergy Candle Co.

DOWN THE PIKE 15 Exploring Colorado, 1806, Zebulon Pikespots a heck of a hunk of rock across the way. What could it be? He asks a traveler from Arkansas: Pike: What’s that - a mountain?

Traveler: Pikes Peak.

Pike: The sight leaves me speechless.

Traveler: Pike, speak.

Pike: Who’s it named for?

Makes a man curious.

Traveler: Pike’s pique.

TIN WHISTLE The Hot Sardines concert at Wildwood Park for the Performing Arts, Little Rock. Details at wildwoodpark.org. Call (501) 821-7275.

RICH ASSUMPTIONS Give it up for National Philanthropy Day.

WELL, WELL, WELL 16 Frontier Medicine Workshop, 1-4 p.m. at Davidsonville Historic State Park near Pocahontas. Details at Arkansas.com. Call (870) 892-4708.

S!NG, S!STER 17 P!NK: The Truth About Love concert, 7:30 p.m.

at Verizon Arena, North Little Rock. Details at ticketmaster.

com. Call (800) 745-3000.

FIT FOR A KING 18 B.B. King concert, at The Auditorium, Eureka Springs. Details at theaud.org.

Call (479) 253-7333.

TWINK POSITIVE 19 Enchanted Land of Lights and Legends through Dec. 31 at Pine Bluff/ Jefferson County Regional Park. Details at pinebluffcvb.

com. Call (870) 536-7600.

REAM OF THE CROP 20 National Novel Writing Month challenges wouldbe authors to bang out a novel in 30 days. Last year’s participants logged a combined total of more than 3 billion words - almost equal to Stephen King by himself before breakfast.

Details at nanowrimo.org.

Native American Month observance, 11:30 a.m.- 1 p.m. with speaker Cubert Bell Sr., drums and dancing at the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, Little Rock.

Call (501) 376-4602.

CLAN DO 21 Willie Nelson and Family, 7:30 p.m. at Robinson Center Music Hall, Little Rock.

Details at ticketmaster.com. Call (800) 745-3000.

Premiere of Elvis Presley’s first movie, Love Me Tender, 1956. Willie Nelson also sang “Love Me Tender,” along with pretty much every other song ever written.

FASHION PLATE 22 A person born in November is best-dressed for Thanksgiving by wearing a: (A) topper, (B) topaz, (C) topiary, (D) toupee, or (E) tutu.

Answer at Nov. 24.

GOBBLE-DE-GOOP 23 Peanut Butter Lovers’ Month, and question: Who put peanut butter on the parrot’s cracker?

Poor Polly sits With gummed-up beak, The situation Looking bleak;

She wants to say, “Awk! ,” nicely uttered, But, “Mumph-ff-pt!” Is how it comes out - sputtered.

ROCK ON 24 Top-heavy quiz answer: (B) November’s birthstone, topaz.

MIRROR, MIRROR 25 National Inspirational Role Models Month, and who’s on a role:

Miley Cyrus’ tongue-wagging role model: KISS guitarist Gene Simmons.

Nebraska football coach Bo Pelini’s thundering role model: Yosemite Sam.

Washington’s approval-ratings role model: this year’s The Lone Ranger. Some lawmakers hide their faces, others eat stuffed crow.

GOBBLIN’ MARKET 26 National Game and Puzzle Week. Find the hidden turkey: TURKYE UTRKEY RTUYKE KEYTUR ETURKY YEKTRU Answer at Nov. 30.

THE BOWL WITH A PEEL 27 How to celebrate Banana Pudding Lovers Month: by the light of the silvery spoon.

GRATITUDE ATTITUDE 28 Thanksgiving, and how to carve a turkey:

Place the roasted turkey on a carving board. Place the dog on the floor.

Sneak up like a Pilgrim: Approach the bird from behind.

Place the dog on the floor again.

Try for the drumsticks.

Maybe the wings would come off easier. No?

Place the turkey on the floor.

Pass the potatoes.

BLACKENED TURKEY Some stores open for Christmas shopping on Thanksgiving, aka Black Thursday - a day of less stuffing in favor of more stuff.

MALL BRAWL 29 Black Friday, official first day of shopping ahead for Christmas and pre-shopping for Valentine’s Day, Easter and next Halloween. Santa flies back to the North Pole, beaten again. Rudolph goes to work for the Apple Store, no longer needed to guide the sleigh.

There’s an app for that.

BIRD, PASS THE WORD30 Lurking turkey quiz answer: Read the first letters down.

THANKS AND GOODBYE Last day of the year’s last middle-size month, or in Starbucks speak: November was grande.

Coming next month: December!

Call (501) 399-3633, write to Ron Wolfe, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 121 E. Capitol Ave., Little Rock, Ark. 72203, or email

[email protected] by Nov. 15 to suggest December calendar entries or how to celebrate December as Safe Toys and Gifts Month, such as: Careful not to fall off Santa’s knee - he couldn’t get liability coverage with his pre-existing condition of being an overweight elf. Each event requires a phone number that is answered during business hours, or an answering machine that identiÿes the event or its sponsor.

Style, Pages 29 on 10/29/2013