February is when Cupid lets fly his arrow of love. Missed with the arrow, he flings Mardi Gras beads. Nobody catches the beads, he throws a pass. Fumble on the field, he calls in the Tooth Fairy. Tooth Fairy cheaps out, he knows why February is the least disappointing month of all -- it's the shortest.
1 National Time Management Month, National Pet Dental Health Month, No Politics Day. The daily rush, a doggy brush, and cable news off -- shush the mush
Black History Month.
GOTTA KNOW WHEN
TO HOLE IN
2 Groundhog Day. But the groundhog declines to venture out and look for his shadow this year. Instead, the weather-predicting rodent is on a Game of Thrones binge, and sends word from the couch: "More winter is coming."
KEATS' SLEET
The Snowy Day and Other Stories by Ezra Jack Keats through Feb. 18 at Arkansas Arts Center Children's Theatre, Little Rock. Details at arkansasartscenter.org. Call (501) 372-4000.
FIVE MAGICIANS, NO FOOLING
3 "The Illusionists -- Live from Broadway,'' 5 and 8 p.m. at Robinson Center Performance Hall, Little Rock. Details at celebrityattractions.com. Call (501) 244-8800.
PAINT IT BLACK
Art exhibit Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power, through April 23 at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville. Details at crystalbridges.org. Call (479) 418-5700.
WILD RUMPUS BEGINS
4 World Wrestling Entertainment Pre-Game Pandemonium with A.J. Styles, Randy Orton, 1 p.m. at Verizon Arena, North Little Rock. Details at verizonarena.com. Call (800) 745-3000.
SUPER BOWL OF CHEETOS
Super Bowl LII (52), 5:30 p.m. from Minneapolis with cheese dip vs. bacon everything.
HIGHS AND LOWS
5 Forecast calls for Weatherman's Day in the bright sunny morning, gusts of disgust by midafternoon, trending to a wintry mix of ice, hate mail and recriminating tweets.
WOBBLY RETURNS
6 Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month. The frequently stolen shopping cart was invented: (A) By circus man P.T. Barnum, in 1857. "What's so fun about a barrel full of monkeys?" Barnum said. "But think of a cart full." He ballyhooed the spectacle as: "Monkeys on wheels!" (B) By grocer Sylvan Goldman, in 1937, to sell more eggs at his Humpty Dumpty store in Oklahoma City, or (C) By automaker Henry Ford, in 1908. The shopping cart was an early attempt to put the cart before the horse.
Answer at Feb. 17.
TINNED WHISTLE
7 Canned Food Month, when the Elf on the Shelf goes on the lam with the canned ham.
LOVE POTION PATENT
8 Creative Romance Month, and expert advice on how to be creative in love:
• Romeo said, "Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs." Try air freshener.
• Cyrano de Bergerac said, "A kiss is a rosy dot over the 'i' of loving." But don't be the "u" in dumped.
• Don Juan said, "Every woman is a mystery to be solved." Skip to the last page.
VROOM WITH A VIEW
9 Arkansas RV Show through Feb. 11 at Statehouse Convention Center, Little Rock. Details at dgattractions.com. Call (501) 765-1423.
WHOSE SURREY NOW
Valentine's dinners and carriage rides through Feb. 10 at Historic Washington State Park near Hope. Details at historicwashingtonstatepark.com. Call (870) 983-2684.
BEAR HUGS
Hikes, Hearts and Hugs weekend through Feb. 11 at Petit Jean State Park near Morrilton. Details at petitjeanstatepark.com. Call (501) 727-5441.
SHE KNEW THE BAND,
HE KNEW THE KREW
Mardi Gras in Arkansas, 8 p.m. at Rev Room, downtown Little Rock, benefits the Boys and Girls Club of Central Arkansas. Details at arclubs.org. Call (501) 666-8816.
GRAS-ROOTS MOVEMENTS
10 SoMardi Gras parade and party, noon-3 p.m. on South Main, Little Rock. Details at littlerock.com. Call (501) 376-4781.
• Pardi Gras gala with Cutthroat Trout and the Rockets, 6 p.m. at Shipley Baking Co., Fort Smith, benefits the Fort Smith Museum of History. Details at fortsmithmuseum.org. Call (479) 783-7841.
• Eureka Mardi Gras Parade, 2 p.m., downtown Eureka Springs. Details at eurekaspringschamber.com. Call (479) 253-8737.
HERE'S THE BUZZ
Mid-Arkansas Remote Control Society model aircraft swap meet, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at North Little Rock Community Center, North Little Rock. Details at themarcs.org. Call (501) 539-3656.
PUTTIN' ON THE DOG
11 Barkus on Main pet parade and Mardi Gras party, noon-5 p.m. on Main Street, downtown Little Rock. Details at barkusonmain.com. Call (501) 375-0121.
ABE A-B-C
12 Abraham Lincoln's Birthday, 1809. The 16th president was known by his nickname: (A) The Grand Wrestler, (B) Honest Abe, (C) Old Abe, (D) Uncle Abraham, (E) The Great Emancipator, (F) The Illinois Rail-Splitter.
Answer at Feb. 27.
BON TEMPS ROULER RODEO
13 Mardi Gras in New Orleans and wherever fine beads are flung.
GAME OF HEARTS
14 Valentine's Day comes with flowers and chocolates, but no pancakes. Pancake Day was Feb. 13. Valentine's Day is already syrupy enough.
HEARTS ON SLEEVES
Get Up & Give collection of donated, new clothing and other necessities for children and families, Ash Wednesday through March 29, at Methodist Family Health Clinics. Locations include Little Rock, Fayetteville, Hot Springs, Alma, Jonesboro and Magnolia. Details at methodistfamily.org. Call (501) 906-4210.
NUDGE-NUDGE, WINK-WINK
15 International Flirting Week suggests the ice pond as the place to do your canoodling, Mister, since you're going to be on thin ice, anyway.
UP ON THE WOOF
16 Chinese New Year 2018, the year of the dog. The year ends with pet owners resembling their canine companions, all trying to be the cutest. French Bulldogs win.
CARTS BLANCHE
17 Shopping cart answer: (B) Humpty Dumpty. But grocery shoppers were slow to take to the idea of a basket on wheels. As history records that one woman scolded the inventor: "I've pushed my last baby."
LOVER, COME BACK TOME
18 How to celebrate Library Lover's Month: Wondering who-who-who wrote the book of love?
WITH A CHERRY ON TOP
19 George Washington's Birthday (observed), the state and federal holiday and blow-out mattress sale.
Daisy Gatson Bates Day in Arkansas.
ANOTHER FISHY STORY
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Is today your birthday? If so, heed a word of advice from the Creature from the Black Lagoon: GAWARRR! ("Where there's a gill, there's a way.") No carping about it, plunge in with big fish Johnny Cash, born Feb. 24, 1932; and boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr., 41 on Feb. 26.
BADA-BING!
20 National Cherry Month. The Bing is the most popular variety of cherry, according to the University of California. But don't forget the bada-Ranier, the bada-Royal Ann, and the bada-Maraschino.
HE WHO LAUGHS LAST
Comedy Never Too Late through March 17 at Murry's Dinner Playhouse, Little Rock. Details at murrysdp.com. Call (501) 562-3131.
GEORGE WASHINGTON
SCHLEPPED HERE
21 Day after National Cherry Pie Day -- and look, this won't do. Everybody just took off and left their plates on the table.
Can she bake a cherry pie,
Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she bake the cherry pie
Of your wishes?
Yes, she can! Yes, she can,
But you'd better be a man:
Get your tail up,
And help her with the dishes.
TRUTH COMES OUT
IN THE WASH
22 George Washington's real birthday, 1732. The first president's federally designated, three-day weekend birthday observance is fake cake.
DOCK HOLIDAY
23 Hot Springs Boat, Tackle and RV Show through Feb. 25 at Hot Springs Convention Center. Details at dgattractions.com. Call (501) 765-1423.
MONKEY SEE, MONKEY SUE
Scopes "monkey trial" drama Inherit the Wind, Feb. 23-24 and weekends through March 10 at The Weekend Theater, Little Rock. Details at weekendtheater.org. Call (501) 374-3761.
SPHERES OF INFLUENCE
24 Arkansas Symphony Orchestra concert, The Planets, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 24 and 3 p.m. Feb. 25 at Robinson Center Performance Hall, Little Rock. Details at arkansassymphony.com. Call (501) 666-1761.
TROTHS PLIGHTED HERE
25 National Weddings Month -- a month of who, what, where, when and vow.
EYE, SIR, ON THE GEYSER
26 National Grapefruit Month, when a squirt of grapefruit before the wedding is a bridal shower.
LINCOLN LOG-IN
27 Abe's aberrations quiz answer: (B) Honest Abe -- and honest, all those other names besides. By some accounts, the president disliked his many nicknames. But it could have been worse, could have been L'il Abner.
CHEW-GOODER DO-GOODER
28 Tooth Fairy Day. The Tooth Fairy pays an average $1 to $5 for a lost baby tooth, according to the Colgate toothpaste company. But this being the last day of February, even the Tooth Fairy might come up short.
Coming next month: March! Write to Ron Wolfe at
by Feb. 15 to suggest March calendar entries or how to celebrate March as National Frozen Food Month, such as: Party like Little Jack Horner, the numb-thumb-in-the-frozen-pie-guy. All entries require a web address and/or phone number that is answered during business hours.
Style on 01/30/2018