With an ever-so-gentle tease of cooler temperatures, relatively speaking for the South, the promise of autumn beauty tempts the senses. A few leaves are loosening their hold and farmers’ fields stand bare and ready for new plantings. Enjoy the last official days of summer on the calendar and savor shades of green before they meld into fall delight. Make the most of every day with some of the holidays below or create your own fall family fun.         

➤ Hummingbird Day — Did you know that hummingbirds can flap their wings more than 50 times per second? These diminutive birds with iridescent feathers are fascinating to watch in their frenzied flights and feedings. Find a location conducive to hummingbird feedings, like the Botanic Garden at Georgia Southern University on Bland Avenue, and sit quietly in hopes of spotting the gorgeous birds flitting about. 

➤ National Ampersand Day — AND then there’s this celebration. Turn this bizarre holiday into a festive event with a competitive game with family members. See who can name the most words that are typically together, like, peanut butter & jelly; pimento & cheese; night & day; back & forth; bricks & mortar; pots & pans, stars & stripes AND so on. 

Who came up with the most word pairs? Give the winner a high-five AND a pat on the back! Then read the delightful kids’ book by Terry Border, entitled "Peanut Butter & Cupcake."   

➤ National Truck Driver Appreciation Day — Work together as a family to make this fun craft to use as a table centerpiece. Start with a kid-sized shoebox for the trailer. Remove the lid and paint the outside of the empty box. Then use a smaller box, like a one-serving cereal box, for the tractor unit or cab of the truck. Paint the small box and be sure to paint on windows or glue white construction paper in place for the windows when the paint is dry. 

When the paint is dry for both boxes, attach the cab to the trailer with glue or strong tape. Then, glue wheels cut from black poster board in place on the truck project. 

Place the cardboard truck in the center of the table and fill with individually wrapped mints or fall candies, school supplies like pencils and erasers, fall-colored leaves from the holiday section of a department store or something else that might get delivered by a large vehicle.  

➤ International Dot Day — Started as an educational initiative in 2009 that encourages kids to "make their mark," this holiday continues each year. Wear polka dots today and talk about the "mark" each person in the family hopes to make in the world. Then play a game outside by placing dots (circles cut from construction paper) of various sizes on the ground. Let each person take turns tossing bean bags or discs or paired socks at the circles. The person who lands the most items on dots successfully is the winner. Celebrate with lemonade dotted with ice pieces while reading the old classic, "Put Me in the Zoo," about Spot, an animal who exhibits quite the talent with the dots covering his body. 

➤ Punch Day — Mix fruity ingredients to make a yummy fall punch to sip and celebrate. In a large container, mix 1 cup of apple juice, 1/2 cup of orange juice, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, 1/2 cup of pineapple juice, and 1 cup of cranberry juice. Chill until ready to serve. To share with the family, pour the chilled juice into a punch bowl and add 1 quart of ginger ale. Dollop several scoops of orange sherbet atop the punch and enjoy!     

Celebrate the last few days of summer, according to the calendar, and herald in a new season towards the end of the month. Make the most of every moment with family members and store up memories to last a lifetime. Until next month, make every day a holiday with those you love. 

Statesboro native Julie Bland Lavender is married to David Lavender and enjoys celebrating with children Jeremy, Jenifer, Jeb Daniel and Jessica.