Good Grief!

Snoopy is 60. That fact didn't hit me near as hard as when Barbie turned the big 4-0, but still, that's a large number for a little black-and-white dog from the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm whose humble beginnings were as a simple comic strip in seven U.S. newspapers.

The simple Peanuts panels featuring Charlie Brown and his pals – the blanket-loving Linus, his cranky older sister Lucy, the talented Schroeder and all the others – have been collected into one massive tome: Celebrating Peanuts: 60 Years. The celebration kicked off last fall with a 60th Anniversary Peanuts Photo Look-A-Like Contest and will continue with other events throughout 2010.

Snoopy is as ubiquitous in our culture and upbringing as stuff like peanut butter and Slinkies – the characters and their catchphrases have simply become part of our daily lives. I carried my lunch in a Snoopy lunch box, wore a Snoopy watch and read (and still have) all the books. And who never put up a sign that says "Advice 5¢"? When the Grahams visited the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa earlier this year, we were all reminded of how silly, philosophical and culturally significant those characters and their stories can be.

So grab your blanket and a warm puppy, and get ready to catch up on 60 years worth of beagle culture.